“Truly, I had a great time. I promise. Two years ago I couldn’t even have gone to a game with that many people. I don’t know why it freaks me out so much. It’s not like crowds are what killed my daughter.”

“God, you’re amazing.” He shook his head.

“Meh.” She shrugged and suddenly he was very close.

“I’m going to go. Because I want to kiss you and you’re clearly uncomfortable with me like this.” His words hung in the air.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with you. I’m not. You know I’m attracted to you and I know you know Todd is beyond fine with us being together while he’s away.”

She’d spoken to her man every day, even as they were driving to Yellowstone. Todd hadn’t said Hey, f**k my friend or anything; he’d just said Ben had mentioned wanting to hang out and they’d talked for a while about things. Things.

She swallowed, the sexual tension in the air ramping up. She wasn’t going to have sex with Ben. No matter how much Todd thought it was hot. No matter how much she thought it was hot. She wanted Todd to be there when she was with Ben again. It felt like Ben was theirs—not so much hers, not so much Todd’s, but theirs—and because of that, she wasn’t comfortable sharing all that with him when it was just the two of them. Maybe in the future it would feel all right, but it felt like betrayal to f**k anyone else.

But a kiss was another thing and his lips were soft and warm. She looked up at him. “I can’t f**k you without him here. It feels wrong. I know he’s more than all right with it.” She slid a palm up the warm, very hard wall of his chest, up to cup his neck and pull him down to her lips. “But a kiss? I want that.”

His arms went around her and his lips bridged that small gap and were on hers, stealing her breath. He kissed differently than Todd. Todd, who was bold and sure and aggressive with his kisses. Ben was still sure, but he took his time, he wasn’t aggressive; instead he listened to her body, waded into the kiss like a negotiation.

He was taller than Todd, so she had to stretch up and he had to bend down, but that only made the kiss more delicious.

He broke from her lips after a long taste, chest heaving a bit. Neither of them spoke. He wasn’t used to thinking so hard about being with a woman, but this wasn’t just any woman, and that was double-edged. He liked that she didn’t just jump on his c**k even though Todd was fine with it. He liked that she thought carefully about what it meant to be with him, even as need beat at him to have more of her.

“Come on, let’s sit outside and stargaze.” She stepped back and turned some music on. Pink Floyd’s Animals. If the woman was any more perfect he wasn’t sure he could stand it.

23

Todd looked up from his phone call to catch a pair of gorgeous legs walking down the stairs into the office. He’d returned home really late the night before and had called Erin to let her know once he’d woken up. He’d considered showing up at her place, but it was three in the morning and he knew she had to be up early to open the café.

So he’d crawled into his bed, lonely for her, and slept until Ben showed up with coffee and breakfast. Todd had to admit he’d loved how her voice sounded when he called. She was clearly thrilled to hear from him, which made him glad because he was sure as hell thrilled to know he’d be seeing her that day.

He stood, still on his business call, and she ran into his arms with a happy laugh.

“Gotta go,” he said, hanging up and hugging her back. “You are a sight for sore eyes, honey. I’ve missed you so much.”

She pressed against him tighter. “I can see that.”

One-handed, he swept the top of his desk clean and laid her down, pulling her shirt open as he did. “I’ve missed these, most definitely. But you’re not wearing a bra to work now?” He arched a brow at her and she laughed, pulling at his pants to get them open.

“It’s in my bag upstairs. I took it off when I got here. Along with my panties.”

He froze. “The piercing.” He breathed out slowly and pushed the hem of her skirt up; she spread her thighs and he saw it, glistening, resting against her clit. “Whoo, that’s . . . Can I touch it?”

“Yes, god, yes.”

He pulled her to the edge of the desk and her bare feet rested on his shoulders. Spreading her open, he touched the silver barbell and she whimpered.

“How does it feel with this”—he touched the bead at the bottom of the barbell—“sliding against your clit all day?”

“Most of the time I don’t really feel much, but sometimes I’ll move a certain way and it feels so good and I have to go in the back and finger myself.”

He closed his eyes a moment.

Behind them, Ben tromped down the stairs and pulled to a stop once he saw what was happening. “Whoops! Holy shit.”

Erin burst out laughing, until Todd leaned in and fluttered his tongue over her clit and the barbell. Then she moaned low in her throat.

“Should I leave?”

“Do you want him to leave, Erin?”

“I want your mouth back where it was,” she said, sounding frustrated. “And no, of course not.”

Todd shrugged—“You got your answer”—and went back to licking her clit. She tasted so good. He’d missed her so much he’d vowed repeatedly over the past two weeks that he’d never be gone from her side for longer than a few days. DJ had teased him about calling her so often because he’d had to head up the trail about a mile and a half from where they’d camped to get clear enough reception. It hadn’t mattered; hearing her voice made it all worth it.