Sage turned his face slightly, and I knew he was gazing at me, but I didn’t look up to meet it. His breath was so close it was causing my hair to blow across my face. His heartbeat finally matched mine, and though the movie continued to play, I think we were both aware it didn’t matter anymore. This had become a battle of wills, and if it kept on much longer, I would lose in the most pathetic way.
I had to hold my breath and force myself to stay still, the desire to rub against him was so strong. The only thing that kept me from moving was the thought that to him this could all be a game, but for me, there was only one way I could end it. I needed him. More than I’d needed anyone in a long time. For the first time ever, I knew it had to be him. It had to be my best friend who gave me the relief my body screamed for.
If he wasn’t willing to do that for me, I wasn’t sure what I would do. If he was just hoping to make an ass of me, I might have to punch him right in the dick. This was past being fun. Now, it was reaching desperation.
For the love of God please just break, I thought as I squeezed my legs together, trying to relieve some of the pressure building inside me.
“Teagan?” Sage’s voice was rough, and it made me shudder hard enough I knew he noticed.
“Yeah?” I hoped to sound indifferent, but the groan that escaped his throat told me I’d failed as miserably as he had.
Instead of answering, he moved his hands to my stomach where he pulled my shirt up enough to put them on my skin. Another shiver shook me, and he must have taken that as all the permission he needed.
His fingers roamed up my ribcage as his mouth moved to my ear. His breath was hot as he exhaled against me. His hips shifted to rub his cock against my ass as his hands cupped my breasts, and I lost it.
“Fuck, Sage,” I cried, my body arching upward against his fingers that were now pinching my nipples through my bra. “God damn it, if you are fucking with me, I swear I will—”
Before I could finish the threat, his lips were on mine. I melted into him, my arm moving up to wrap around his neck as I finally turned around and pressed the front of my body to his.
His fingers fisted into my hair as his tongue and mouth ravaged mine. I whimpered at the feel of his lips, his hands, his cock all pressed against me. It was sensation overload. After not having been touched by anyone in six months, I was afraid I would come just from the feel of the skin-on-skin contact.
“Teagan,” he said as he pulled back to look at me. “I’m only going to ask this one time. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It is going to ruin our friendship?” I asked, searching his gaze to see if he would lie to me.
“It might,” he said. I recognized the honesty on his features, and it was enough to bolster my confidence to move forward.
“Well, I guess we’ll find out, huh?”
Chapter Three
Sage urged me to get up then he followed to his feet. His chest heaved as he stared down at me, and I couldn’t help but give him a small smile. This was so strange, but for some reason, it felt completely right. This was Sage. My best friend. Anything that happened tonight would be all right because we loved and trusted each other. At least, that was what I was telling myself.
He was still looking at me as if he didn’t know what to do next. Fighting an eye roll, I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head, dropping it to the floor as I kicked off my shoes and toed my socks from my feet.
Finally, Sage copied my actions, though he didn’t stop there. After he dropped his shirt, he reached for the button on my jeans and popped it open. I gasped, and he cocked an eyebrow at me.
“Changing your mind?” he asked.
“No,” I said, though my voice wasn’t as strong as I’d have liked it to be. “This isn’t just a game to you, is it?”
“Teagan.” He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his embrace, one hand lifting my chin to force me to look up at him. “I have wanted you for ten years, but your friendship has always been too important to me to risk it for a tumble.”
“And now, it’s not?” I asked.
“Now, it’s time to move forward. We’ve got our friendship. I want to know what else we can have.”
“What an absolutely girly thing to say,” I said, with a smirk.
“Hey, I’m trying for honesty here,” he admitted, and he actually sounded hurt.
“I’m sorry.” I was, truly, but I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. “But come on, that’s not us. Yes, you’re my very best friend, and yes, I love you, and Jesus Christ, I fucking want you like you wouldn’t believe. But don’t go all romantic on me. Please. We are not hearts and flower people. We are beer, pizza and Star Trek people. That’s why we work. Don’t cock it up with words. Pick me up, take me to bed, and fuck me until I can’t move.”
One thing I can say for Sage is that he is a good listener. Without pausing for another breath, he whisked me into his arms and carried me straight to the bedroom where he literally dropped me onto the mattress so hard I actually bounced a few times before settling back against the pillows.
He undid the button on his jeans and shimmied them down his legs while I struggled to get mine off, as well. When
