Free Before You: Standalone Contemporary Romance by Eve Cates Page B

heavy. He pressed his lips to my forehead and said, “Now, look down.”
    I did, and beneath my feet the city had turned its lights on and was a twinkling sea of flowing color.
    “We missed the sunset,” I said as I looked back up to him.
    “That was better,” he smiled, taking me by the hand again and leading me off the glass ledge.
    “It was,” I agreed. “But, what about giving your word to Dave?”
    He gave a slight shrug. “I’ve never been good at keeping my word.”
    I let out a short laugh. “And what about promises – can you keep those?”
    “No. I’m terrible at those too.”
    I held his gaze with mine for a moment. “Secrets?”
    “Now those, I can keep.”
    For a moment, I bit my lip and pulled it between my teeth as I looked up at him, thinking.
    “What is it?” he asked, his eyes curious.
    I took a deep breath before I spoke. “I want to be the girl you spend time with when you’re home.”
    He frowned. “What?”
    “I don’t expect anything from you. And I don’t want anyone to know. I just...I think we need to get each other out of our systems and when this...feeling, attraction...whatever you want to label what’s between us, goes away, then we walk and no one gets hurt because no one made a promise and no one gave their word.”
    His eyes narrowed, and he stared at me for a long time before he responded with a single nod and a single word. “OK.”
    Then he kissed me again, with more passion this time. He stole my breath then he took me by the hand and kept a hold of it until we got down to the ground floor and hailed a taxi, eager to get back to the apartment and make a start on getting each other out of our system...

- 9 -
    ––––––––
    W e landed against the wall just inside the door.
    “Maybe we should set down some ground rules,” I gasped between kisses as I pushed his shirt up over his head and threw it on the ground. I ran my hands down the hard muscles of his chest, between his abs then stopped at the button of his jeans.
    Bowing his head, he kissed and gently bit my neck. For a moment, my mind was empty as his tongue moved along my jaw.
    “What kind of rules?” he whispered, sliding his hands underneath my shirt and running his warm palms over the flesh at my waist.
    “Um...” His hands moved over my breasts, practically ghosting them. I wanted him to grab them, knead them. My nipples went hard at the thought.
    “Rules?” he prompted, removing his hands then lifting my shirt over my head. Immediately, he grabbed my breasts and squeezed like he knew exactly what I wanted. Then he pressed a kiss to my cleavage, and my fingers slid into his hair.
    “Don’t tell me I’m beautiful. I hate it when guys do that when they get you naked.”
    “But you are beautiful.”
    “Just don’t. Please.”
    “Fine.”
    “And we only do this when we’re alone. Nothing public.”
    “What else?” he asked, slipping his fingers beneath my bra strap, kissing my shoulder as he slid it off then unclasped my bra.
    “No sleeping.”
    “Morning sex is amazing. I don’t agree to that.”
    “Sleeping is too intimate. We can...oh”
    His mouth closed over my nipple as his arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me against him possessively.
    “No,” he said firmly when he stopped and stood upright, his fingers gently tweaking my nipple as he looked into my eyes. “Anything else?”
    There was no way I could form a coherent thought at that point. So I just shook my head.
    He grinned then reached down and gripped me around my thighs, lifting me so my legs were wrapped around his waist. Then he kissed me before carrying me into his room and lowering me onto his bed as he climbed over the top of me.
    “I thought you didn’t want anyone in your room,” I whispered, noting the bare walls and wishing the pictures were still there.
    “It’s packed away, and besides, you’ve already been in here.” He sat back on the bed and began to undo my jeans. “Since we’re