Free Choices by Sydney Lane Page A

second door again, to make sure, but it is locked. So I try the first one, and it opens. Maybe I heard him wrong . I go to the dresser and pick out a t-shirt. It looks kind of big for a girl, but it’ll work. With the lights off, I crawl into the big, cozy bed and instantly drift off.
    What seems like hours later, I hear someone open a door. I’m not fully awake, but I don’t hear anything else. I am hovering between sleep and consciousness when I hear Brody mutter softly, “Aw, hell.” I feel the bed dip behind me, and I drift away. I must be dreaming.
    When I wake up, it’s still dark outside. I realize that I must have gone to bed earlier than I thought. As I lay there, I become aware that I am not alone. Brody is on his side, facing away from me. What the hell? I lean up and look at the clock. It is 3:00 am, and I am now wide awake. I know I came to bed alone, and I’m wondering just how Brody ended up in bed with me.
    Oh, no! I sit straight up in the bed when I realize I forgot to text Declan. Climbing out of the bed as quietly as possible, I find my purse and phone lying on the floor where I dropped them. There are 3 texts from Declan.
     
    Declan: B careful.
     
    Declan: U OK?
     
    Declan: Getting worried.
     
    Me: 4got to text. I’m fine. TTYL.
     
    As soon as I send the message, I get a reply.
     
    Declan: Now I can sleep. Night.
     
    Me: Night.
     
    I crawl back into the bed and try to go back to sleep. I roll onto my side, looking at Brody’s back. I wish it were lighter so I could see his tattoo. I’ve never liked tattoos, but I have been dying to see his ever since I first noticed it peeking over his collar.
    Belatedly, I realize that I only have on a t-shirt and panties. I can’t be sure, but I bet he’s only wearing boxers or briefs. Lying here with him makes me wonder how many girls he has been with. That hurts just a little bit, but I remember Jenna telling me that practice is a good thing. She can turn anything around.
    My body slowly becomes aware of his body. I cautiously scoot closer, wanting to feel his skin against mine. As I nestle in behind him, I put my arm around his waist and my face against his back. I take a deep breath, and he smells so good. A little burnt wood mixed with him . As I inhale, a tingling sensation begins to spread along my skin, burning hottest wherever my body touches his. My hand is flat against his stomach, and I begin exploring the territory above his waistband. His abs are hard and well defined. As I breathe in his scent, I press my lips to the back of his neck.
    “Quince, please. There is only so much I can take before I do something we’ll both regret.” The sound of his voice startles me, and I still my hand. But I don’t move. He slowly rolls over to face me instead. “I want you, Quince. But I don’t think you are ready for this.” We are lying face to face, and his lips are so close to mine that I can almost taste them. I take a deep breath and lick my lips, trying to control my runaway emotions.
    He groans, “Quince, what are you doing to me? When I saw you tonight, all I could think about was getting you alone. And when I found you in my bed, I almost lost it.” I hear him talking, but I only see his lips. His hands move around me and pull me close to him. I can’t take the intensity of the moment, so I close my eyes. “Open your eyes, Quince. I want you to see who you’re kissing. I want you to know it’s me, and I want you to see me every time you close your eyes.” I slowly look up at him. I. Want. That. Kiss.
    He lowers his head and whispers in my ear, “Are you sure about this? Because I might lose all control if I kiss you.” I’m not sure what he means, but I lean into him. He suddenly rolls over to push me on to my back, his body weighing down on me. With his hands on the bed, he cages me in. My heart is pounding inside my chest so hard I can hear it. I have to remind myself to breathe. He lowers his head, and when our lips meet, a