“But that hasn’t happened?”
She shook her head. “Not really. There have been a handful, but not nearly enough, and mostly it’s become mundane. I teach the same lessons, give most of the same assignments, and spend far too much time grading papers. I remember how exciting it was when I was doing my postgraduate studies, preparing for my dissertation… But all that excitement’s gone now. Even my research is a bit lame because I’m restricted to the parameters of the grants I received.”
“And if you’ve complained about that at the dinner table, maybe your grandfather thinks you’ve lost interest in academia and are ready to settle down?”
She chewed her lip. “I suppose that’s a possibility, but it’s not true.”
“So…no marriage and babies?” I asked quietly.
She smiled. “Yes. Someday. I don’t know how maternal I am, but I’d like one when the time is right. And yes, I want to fall in love and come home to the same person every night, but it has to be the right person, you know? Someone who understands how important my work is to me and isn’t going to fuss because dinner isn’t ready precisely at seven. Someone who has his own career, and won’t be miffed that I sometimes fall down a black hole rabbit hole.”
We chuckled at her lame attempt at a joke. “Like maybe someone who has a busy hockey career and is in his own world nine months of the year?” I asked softly, toying with the fingers of one of her hands.
“Yes. Someone…like that.” Her voice was a little breathy and she was looking at me attentively.
I didn’t hesitate to kiss her again, this time a little more intently, coaxing her lips apart and stroking her tongue with mine. I wanted to make love with her more than almost anything, but I wasn’t sure if this was the time. Was it too soon? Were we ready for this step? Isla was special, after all. She always had been, which was why I’d been pining for her for so long, but she was too special to rush. Somewhere deep in my soul, I knew for sure that once I made love with Isla, there would never be anyone else.
“Something wrong?” she asked, pulling away slightly.
“Not a thing.” I adjusted our positions so she was on my lap. “I’m just taking my time because I’ve been waiting a fuck-long time for this.”
“You have?” She looked confused.
“The only things keeping me from coming after you, Isla, were logistics and geography.” I brushed a stray lock of her blond hair out of her eyes. She looked so pretty sitting here in my lap, her eyes a little glassy, her lips full and red.
“But you never said anything.”
“I couldn’t.”
“And now?”
“Now you decided you need a fake boyfriend and I’ve decided to say the hell with logistics and geography.”
She moved slowly until she was fully in my lap, straddling me, her legs bent at the knees and cradling my hips while her arms closed around my neck. “Then in the interest of full disclosure, I should probably admit I’ve waited a long time for you to kiss me too.”
“Jesus, Isla.” I cupped her denim-clad ass with my hands, thinking what a glorious couple of handfuls they were. “Are you sure you want to rush into this?”
“Rush?” Her eyes widened playfully. “You’ve been the object of my self-pleasure fantasies for well over a year. There’s no rushing involved.”
“A year?” I gazed up into her beautiful face. Her green eyes, upturned nose and full pink lips. How had I kept my distance from this much incredible temptation?
“Unless you’re not interested?” She smiled, playfully biting her lower lip.
“Shit.” I took a breath and raised my mouth to hers, taking my time as I sought out her tongue. I slid my hand under her T-shirt, making goose bumps rise on her skin as I trailed my fingers along the ridges of her spine. Her skin was so soft, like the silkiest fabric against my fingertips, and I slowly tugged her shirt over her head. I found her eyes in the semidarkness and they were glassy, filled with arousal, so I went back to kissing her.
I slid my hand under the lacy fabric of her bra and groaned when her nipple instantly hardened against my finger. It was taking a hefty amount of self-control to keep from devouring her, from head to toe, but I refused to rush. I hadn’t expected us to go this far, this soon, but who was I to say no? She wanted me just as much as I wanted her, and we’d both been waiting a long-ass time.
We also had the added bonus of being alone. There was a no-sex-until-you’re-married rule at the Campbell home, something we were all told any time we stayed there, so I already knew we wouldn’t have any sexy times once we got back to the house.
She reached back to unhook her bra, letting it slide down her torso, and I smiled. Damn, she was beautiful. Slender and shapely, with pale, creamy skin and nipples a pale rose color. Her breasts were round and firm, sitting high on her chest, and I couldn’t wait to see if she was completely bare. I longed to lick my way down her body and explore, but I was too busy yanking off my own shirt.
“Bedroom,” she whispered, getting to her feet and reaching out her hand.
7
Isla
I tugged him toward the bedroom without giving a second thought to being topless. How was this possible? We’d both been longing for the other for a long time and neither had thought to say or do anything? I
