I didn’t bother with a bowl. I grabbed the gallon carton of ice cream, a spoon, and made my way to the couch. Despite the fact that it was eighty degrees or more outside I was dressed in sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and had a blanket wrapped around me like a burrito.

I needed comfort in my time of sorrow and warmth brought me that.

Although, I was positive Ezra’s warm body wrapped around mine would bring me a lot of comfort.

Fuck.

I had to stop thinking about him like that.

It was never going to happen and it only made me depressed thinking about it.

Especially, after that kiss.

Oh, sweet Lord, that kiss.

It had been everything dreams were made of.

It was downright magical.

I’d felt it all the way down to the tips of my toes.

And even now, almost two weeks later, my lips still tingled from the bruising pressure of his possessive mouth.

I shoveled a mouthful of ice cream between my lips and focused my eyes on the TV screen.

No more thoughts about Ezra.

Which should be easy, since he wasn’t home. So it wasn’t like he was sitting around tempting me or anything.

But I was always tempted when it came to him.

My God I wanted to lick him all over like I was currently going after this ice cream.

I had problems.

I put the ice cream away. It was making things worse.

I burrowed into the couch once more and this time I did manage to get sucked into the movie. It also made me cry, so bonus points for that.

It ended and another one came on. I lay down with my head on a pillow and tried to keep my eyes open.

As a teenager I’d been wild.

As an adult, this was as exciting as my Saturday’s got.

I was pathetic.

I needed more excitement in my life than sitting around watching Hallmark movies.

I startled from my thoughts when the front door opened.

“Hey,” Ezra said in greeting, his back to me as he closed the door.

“Hi.” I squeaked. Yes, squeaked like a mouse.

He set the case he kept his bass in beside the door. The guys were already working on their new album as much as they could, but things were slow since their personal lives kept complicating things.

“What are you watching?” He came around from behind the couch and lifted my legs before sitting down and placing them in his lap.

“I have no idea,” I answered honestly.

He tapped his fingers against my leg and focused on the TV.

“Are you seriously going to watch a girly movie with me?” I glanced away from the TV at him, raising a brow.

His gaze swiveled in my direction. “Sure, why not?” He shrugged. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

“Okaaaay, then.” I drew out the word, looking at him like he’d grown another head.

“Hey, I can watch a chick movie and not shrivel up and die.” He defended, scrunching up his face to appear mad.

I tried to hide my smile but it was impossible.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“I would never laugh at you,” I scoffed.

“You definitely are.”

Before I could respond he pounced on me. Giggles burst forth from me when he tickled my stomach.

“Stop! Stop!” I pleaded between bouts of laughter.

“You have to promise never to laugh at me ever again.” He grinned, moving to my side where I was even more ticklish.

“I promise!” I cried. “Please stop tickling me!”

Miraculously his assault ceased. We were both panting and out of breath, although I had no idea why he was so breathless.

His hands moved down from my sides, over my hips, and stopped at my thighs.

My throat closed up as his thumb rubbed slow circles against my thigh.

His chocolate colored eyes darkened even more.

My heart sped up and I struggled to find my voice. “What are you doing?” I finally asked.

His tongue flicked out to moisten his lips and his eyes remained steady on mine.

“Accepting your proposition.”’

My body clenched all over and I ceased breathing. “What?” Surely I didn’t hear him right.

“I’m accepting your proposition,” he repeated.

Sweet baby Jesus. Was this real life? I had to be dreaming, right?

I pinched myself.

Yes, it was real life.

Ezra chuckled, the sound of it vibrating through my body. “Did you just pinch yourself?”

I nodded my head. I had no words. Every single word in the English dictionary had fled my mind.

He chuckled again, hovering above me. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

I shook my head.

“I guess I’ll have to show, not tell.”

Before I could inhale my next breath his lips were on mine and he became my oxygen. My fingers tangled in the silky soft strands of his hair and I let out a small moan as his hips ground against mine.

“Are you sure?” I asked between kisses.

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

He gathered me in his arms so that he was sitting on the couch and I was straddling him.

He cupped the back of my neck, holding me to him as he kissed me thoroughly.

A rush of emotions flooded my veins.

Excitement.

Lust.

Fear.

His hands moved lower, to the hem of my sweatshirt and he pulled it over my head, revealing my thin tank top. He cupped my breasts and let out a satisfied growl when he discovered I wasn’t wearing a bra.

He kissed his way down my neck and then back up.

I leaned forward to kiss him when he stood up with me gathered in his arms. My legs automatically wound around his waist and I held on tight to his neck.

“Where are we going?” I panted the words.

“To my bed. Did you really think I was going to have sex with you on the couch?”

“We’re having sex now?” The words came out as a screech.

He topped the stairs and stepped into his bedroom. “Only if you want to.”

He set me down on his bed and took a step back, waiting for me to make up my mind.

I kept running through silly thoughts in my head. Like, did I brush my teeth? What about my hair? Oh my God, did I shave?

Finally I said, fuck it, and dismissed every last one of them from my mind.

I stood up and grabbed his t-shirt, pulling it over his head. He continued to stand there, not touching me. He tilted his head to the side, waiting.

I knew he wouldn’t do anything until I gave him permission.

My palms pressed against his chest and slid down, stopping at the belt that held his jeans on his narrow hips.

“I’m not walking away,” I breathed, “this is what I want.”

“We’re really going to do this?” He asked, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Once we cross this line we can’t go back.” He stared down at me from his looming height, as if he was hoping he could intimidate me into chickening out.

“Just shut up and kiss me.”

Surprisingly, he listened.

He lowered his mouth to mine, sealing our lips together in a soul-stealing kiss.

He backed me up until the backs of my knees bumped into his mattress.

I lowered onto the bed and he followed, his body blanketing mine.

My heart beat in an out of control rhythm as his hands snaked under my tank top and he touched my bare skin.

A shiver raked my body and he smiled against my lips.

“Lift your arms,” he commanded.

I did as he asked and he pulled the tank top off, throwing it into the corner of his room.

I resisted the urge to hide my body.

I’d never been shy or self conscious before, but I suddenly felt that way.

He pulled back, his eyes skimming over my body hungrily. I shivered and Goosebumps dotted my skin.

His lips pressed lightly against my neck and he murmured, “You’re so beautiful.”

I closed my eyes, letting his words sink in. I grasped onto them, believing them because of the depth of his conviction when he spoke them.

My breath came out in a short gasp when his lips trailed between the space between my breasts and down lower. His fingers found the waistband of my sweatpants and he yanked them off forcefully like he couldn’t wait to get to what was underneath.