Page 105 of Plus One

“Maurice.” She took his face in her hands, incinerating his nerves. “I’m tired—”

“Then let me take you home.”

“Lord have mercy on my soul. I can’t with you.” She didn’t look angry. “Shut up and show me your generic hotel room. Let’s just be together, okay?” She climbed out of the car and headed for the door.

Maurice’s heart kicked against his ribs, and he killed the engine. Tumbling out of the car, he found his feet and caught up with her.

In the room, she kicked off her shoes and handed him his coat back. “I wager I don’t need to reach out to anyone to let them know I’m with you?” Her face was stern, but her posture was relaxed.

Maurice ran a hand over his head and scratched at his beard. “I would presume no?”

“Why are you answering like you’re not sure? Which one of them told you where to find me?”

“Jasmine.”

“I knew it! This morning, they were all, ‘Maurice is a good dude. Ma, give him some play.’ Can you believe that?Mykids directing my sex life—”

“Love,” Maurice interrupted.

“What?”

“Yourlovelife. I don’t want to have sex with you, Monique. I want to love you. It would be dope to be loved back, but yeah.” His phone pinged with a text, and he frowned.

TOMMIE

You find her?

MAURICE

I’m with her right now.

TOMMIE

Okay, family. Take care.

Maurice silenced his phone after sending a text to Jasmine and Justin with a location pin and telling them she’d be home when she said she was ready.

“You want something to eat?” he asked, toeing off his shoes and loosening the buttons on his dress shirt, the same shirt he wore yesterday when he stood at the altar and officiated the wedding.

“Thank you.” She leaned her head on his chest. “Bare arms in Chicago in January is crazy work.” She buried her face in his chest.

His laugh was low and real.

Then she leaned back and looked at him. “Everything about you scares me.”

He stiffened and loosened his hold.

“In a good way,” she said quickly. “It’s like a roller coaster. I used to love it. The climb, the drops, the twists, being turned upside down. But life has a way of turning thrill into fear. And I forgot how that feels, how much I could smile. You’re reminding me.” She reached up to kiss him.

In the handful of times he’d been kissed before, none of them were like this. But Monique moved through him like a queen on a chessboard. There was no part of him she couldn’t access. She had full rein. Every direction was available to her, and he’d already decided he wouldn’t block a single move.

He kissed her back like he meant it. Hungry. The day spent without her had been torture, and now he was on the boundary of heaven if she kept kissing and touching him like that.

His erection grew between them, and he wished his lack of experience and control weren’t so evident. Still, he gripped her tighter, palming her backside and pressing her against him.

She let out a long, pained moan. “Oh God, I want you so fucking bad.”

He’d never contemplated if he liked dirty talk, but whatever came out of her mouth, he loved.