"You heard me. In the world of Nebaskalan, your evil uncle stole your throne and left you for dead. But with the help of your talking horse, you swashed a lot of buckles, slew dragons, restored your kingdom to prosperity and won your lady love."

"Did I now? Was her name Lauren by any chance?"

G.o.d, I'd let him read those G.o.d-awful fanfics if they'd make him smile like this. "Please. Laurenara, that's completely different. She's a gorgeous, irresistible sorceress with red hair and purple eyes who can turn people into mist, superhandy for breaking into castles occupied by villainous relations."

"Seriously, I can't rest until you've shown these to me. Do the stories have t.i.tles?"

"Book one is The Fallen Crown, book two is The Weeping Throne and book three is The Undying King."

Grinning, I had no idea why he was looking at me like that, until he stood, rounded the table, drew me up out of my chair and kissed me. Sensation careened through me: the hardness of his chest pressed against mine and the roughness of his hand tangled in my hair. I tasted salt and chocolate, heat as promised, more in the hard demand of his mouth and the fleeting sweep of his tongue. I could've kissed him forever, except that the waiter almost knocked into us with a tray of plates.

"Maybe this isn't the place," I whispered, breathless. "What now?"

"You'll see."

CHAPTER NINE.

The gravel parking lot was rough, and when I stumbled, Rob swept me into a princess carry. Startled, I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Are you serious? You're completely showing off right now, aren't you?"

"Maybe a little." But he didn't put me down until I was safely ensconced in the truck.

"Admit it, you do not lift everyone in and out. Your ride's not even that tall." I could get in unaided; it just wouldn't be graceful.

"Just you," he said, starting the engine and adjusting the heater.

"Why?"

"Because I needed an excuse to touch you. I didn't think you'd suspect me of being anything but overprotective."

He was right. In my wildest fantasies, I'd never daydreamed about Rob liking me back. For different reasons, we both had confidence issues. Buckling in, I indulged in a happy silent squee as Rob put the truck in Reverse and made a perfect three-point turn to get us facing the right direction. He didn't say much on the drive to my house, which surprised me a little. Maybe he was already regretting the impulsive kiss?

"So-" I began, as he parked in my driveway.

"Was it okay?" he cut in.

"What?"

"Me kissing you. I guess I should've asked first, but you were just being so cute. You didn't make up the whole thing about the stories, did you?"

Oh. Now I get it.

"Come in."

This time, I didn't wait for him to get me down; I just opened the door and hopped out. He followed me to the front door, waiting patiently while I shivered and fumbled with the key. A few seconds later, we stepped inside. Since it was late afternoon, my mom would be home in an hour or so, but for now, the house was empty. The front door led into the living room, cozily decorated with my mother's various arts-and-crafts projects. She'd always enjoyed finding things at antique stories, kitschy character pieces that added color to the room. Consequently, our house was more shabby than chic since she didn't have the knack of bringing old things back to life. If I spent enough time with Rob, though, I might change that.

"My room's upstairs." A p.r.i.c.kle of excitement crept through me, ridiculous as it might be. I had no plans to sleep with him right then yet it was enticing to lead him to my bedroom.

"I remember."

He's been here before. He delivered and set up your bed.

But the kiss changed everything.

"Give me a minute."

"No problem." There was something off in his demeanor, a change I couldn't put my finger on. I was better at reading him, but he didn't come with a translation guide or a manual.

Sighing, I went into my small walk-in closet and changed into yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Thick socks completed my ensemble-not s.e.xy, but perfect for working on the house. a.s.suming he still wants me there. I stepped out to find him perched at the edge of my bed, looking at a ballerina figurine my mom bought me when I was ten.

"All right, before I break out any volumes of Rob-homage, tell me what's going on."

"What makes you think anything is?"

"We had a fantastic time at lunch. Then you kissed me. After that, you shut down like Sharon at ten p.m. on a Tuesday night."

"I'm not sure if I like you having the keys to the kingdom, so to speak." But he was smiling a little, proof he didn't mind too much. "I just...I timed it wrong, that's all. It should've been special, and instead, we almost got hot soup dumped on our heads."

Oh. "I can't speak for other women, but I prefer being kissed because you want to so bad you can't help it. All the orchestration and polish in the world can't compensate for lack of pa.s.sion. I'd be b.u.mmed if you could've stopped yourself. That'd mean you don't want me as..." I trailed off, deciding not to reveal that much.

"What?" There was a soft, vulnerable look in his eyes. He was never this open, even around his own family.

I mustered the nerve to say, "As much as I want you."

"So you don't mind that I fumbled our first kiss?"

"That wasn't a fumble. I'm calling a moratorium on you doubting yourself, Rob."

His gaze went flat. "Yeah, I don't know what that means."

s.h.i.t, I hadn't meant to make him feel stupid. "It's like a suspension, I'm saying enough. Anyway, it seems like you're freaking out and looking for reasons to pick a fight. Maybe you wish you didn't-"

"No. I'm just...worried," he said quietly.

"About what?"

"Whether this is a good idea."

Since I'd suspected it might not be, I couldn't blame him. But I no longer wanted to ride the brake, now that I knew I wasn't stuck in an unrequited attraction. It was time to chase after what I wanted, the guy I'd longed for as long as I could remember.

"n.o.body ever knows that before they start dating someone." I was making a leap, a.s.suming he wanted to steer me toward girlfriend territory.

For all I knew, maybe he just wanted to sleep with me while I was helping with the house. I probably wouldn't say no; it wouldn't be the first time I'd banged a guy as a discovery exercise. There had even been a couple that I considered as relationship material, but in all honesty, Rob was always there in the back of my head. If it didn't work out between us, maybe s.e.x would get him out of my system.

"That's true."

"But look, if you're uncomfortable or unsure, we can pretend it didn't happen." That offer nearly choked me on the way out. But I meant it. "You just broke up with someone. Maybe that's why you're backing off."

"I'm afraid you'll get bored." He spoke the words while turning the ballerina statuette over in his hands, carefully not looking at me.

"You didn't worry about that with Avery?"

"Not really. I would've needed to care more. With her, it was about trying to improve myself. I didn't feel much of anything, but then, she never noticed."

Wow.

"I can't tell you what to do, but I won't push you into anything." Turning away, I headed back into my closet, hoping it didn't show how crushed I was. Like, I could curl into a ball and cry. One lunch, one kiss and he's done? It wasn't even a long kiss.

Two minutes of rummaging later, and I produced the epic works of genius, as promised. Sure, I had the files on my computer, but that wasn't enough for a true fan. My stories were all printed and collected in three-ring binders. G.o.d, the hours I collated paper and slaved with a hole punch to make Rob's fantasy adventures look more official.

"Wow, you were serious," he said as I handed him the stack.

"I don't joke about fanfic."

Smiling, he paged through the first volume, fast enough that I didn't think he was reading. "n.o.body's ever cast me as regal before."

"I was thirteen and reading a lot of sword-and-sorcery books."

"Tell me I get to use a magic sword."

"Obviously." After flipping pages, I pointed to a particular scene. "This is where you defeat an evil wizard and liberate all of his stolen artifacts. You return most of them, but with a few items, the original owners are dead. Which is how you end up wielding Daystar."

"See, this is why I kissed you. Your cuteness is f.u.c.king irresistible right now, Lauren."

I smiled at him. "Yet here you are, resisting. Cut it out, Superman."

"I'm starting to think it's one of my dumber ideas." He leaned in, threading his hand in my hair, and cupped the back of my head.

I closed my eyes.

This time, he felt different, more measured and deliberate, as if he'd considered the implications. Heat spilled through me from the delicate play of his lips across mine. For the first few seconds, his mouth was all candied curiosity, and then I wrapped my arms around him. Rob made a m.u.f.fled sound and hauled me onto his lap, his other arm coming around me in a possessive movement, and the tenor of the kiss changed.

Hot and rough, sparks of sweetness interspersed with nips of teeth, and the thrust of his tongue. Breaking contact with a gasp, Rob fell back on my bed, intentionally, I thought, and when I followed, he rolled me beneath him. My whole body quivered. His weight pressed me into the mattress, but I only shifted to perfect our fit, and then I drew him down again.

He didn't stop at my lips. His mouth traveled along my jaw, my ears, down my throat and back up for the most scorching kisses yet. He was molten in my arms, all hard muscle and barely leashed s.e.x. Rob shifted once, twice, until I opened my legs a little. A quiet moan escaped me. If this was a mere preview, the s.e.x would be amazing. He exhaled into my mouth and I breathed it in, tasted him in turn, until he was shaking, and each kiss felt deeper, hungrier, with an edge of wildness to every brush of his hands.

"G.o.d, you feel good," he whispered.

"Mhm." I dug my fingers into his deltoids, urging him on.

With a groan, he rolled off me. "If we don't stop now, I won't be able to."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I just don't want you to feel like we rushed into anything."

"You do understand that women suffer from s.e.xual frustration too, right?" If he insisted, I could take care of it myself, but that seemed like a waste. But talking was never a bad thing, especially if it resulted in better understanding.

"I know that. d.a.m.n. I just..." He cursed, jaw clenching. "Jesus, I want you so bad."

"It's sweet of you to be concerned, but I'm not the kind of person who regrets s.e.x." I wondered what he'd think if I told him that I was drunk when I slept with my roommate, and I'd done it mostly to prove a point. Yet that didn't make me bad or stupid. Even if I did it for depressing reasons, the s.e.x was good, and we were careful. "Basically, I don't think pleasure between two consenting adults is ever shameful."

He grinned at me. "You're such a hippie. I suspect you're trying to seduce me, but it won't work."

"Why not?" Yeah, I totally sounded disappointed.

"Because I'm not exactly prepared to finish this right now."

"Oh, protection." How cute, Rob was the kind of guy who used euphemisms. I guessed that meant he wasn't a dirty talker. Hopefully he didn't have hang-ups about what good girls did or didn't do in bed. Though going without a condom wouldn't be impossible since I was on birth control, we didn't have time to f.u.c.k properly. "There are other things we could do."

A zing of lightning went straight through me at the way his gaze sharpened. "You are...incredible. Shouldn't you make sure I intend to date you before we go down this road?"

I shook my head. "My self-respect isn't tied to that, Rob. So you either want to fool around or you don't. No strings."

The smile he offered me was...radiant, no other word for it. You'd think no woman had ever messed around without tying it to other expectations. And h.e.l.l, maybe that was the case. I didn't care if this was a politic move, mostly because I didn't see relationships in that light; s.e.x shouldn't be a leash to keep a guy in line or a choke chain that made him obey.

"h.e.l.l, yes," he said huskily.

Beaming, I got up to close the door and lock it, then fetched a washcloth. By my calculations, we had just under an hour before my mom got home. Lots of interesting things could happen before then. As soon as I got within grabbing distance, Rob pulled me down on top of him. He seemed to want me in charge, so I straddled his hips and unb.u.t.toned his shirt. His chest was fantastic, firm and muscled with an etched six-pack, but he wasn't manscaped, just the right amount of chest hair. I ran my palms across his skin and flexed my fingers into his pecs. He moved under me, circling his hips so I could feel how hard he was, even through his jeans.

"I feel so dirty with you touching me like this."

"Good or bad?" I asked.

His throat worked. "Good."

"We don't have time for everything I want," I said. "So...is this okay?"

I put my hand on the fly of his jeans, and he arched off the bed. "Yeah, definitely. Christ, yes," he growled as I unzipped him. "More, Lauren. Please."

G.o.d, he looked s.e.xy as he shifted back against my pillows, getting into a better position. His jeans were open to reveal a taut abdomen and boxer briefs, while his shirt bared his gorgeous chest. I wanted to lick him all over, but there was no time, if I was getting a turn, too, and I wasn't selfless enough to forego his fingers in my panties. Shivering at the thought, I drew him out of his underwear and adjusted his clothes so it would be comfortable. I stared for a few seconds, riveted by the hard length of him jutting from my curled fingers. His skin was fever-hot and so smooth, but I'd never really pictured this part of Rob. My s.e.x dreams of him tended to be soft R, but this was full-on triple-X and he was flipping luscious.

"This good?" Maybe I was admiring him too much while I stroked, but from the way his eyes went gla.s.sy and the high flush on his cheeks, he liked it.

"Yeah."

As I put my face closer, exhaling warmly, he actually quivered, and a dot of pearly fluid appeared on the tip. That reminded me of what I needed to make this good for him, given the time allotted, so I grabbed the bottle of lotion on my night table and warmed some in my palms until they were slippery. Rob reacted to the lubrication, a soft jerk upward before I even touched him. When I curled my hand around him, he made the most delicious noise.

Moving my hand, I whispered, "I need you to tell me how you like it."

If Rob wasn't a talker now, he would be by the time I finished with him. There was no better way to please him than to make him ask for he wanted, plus hearing it turned me on. I was soft and slick, aching, when he turned his face toward me, lips slightly parted, like he'd forgotten how to speak, just because of what I was doing to him.

"Like that, only more." He swallowed. "Harder."