The taxi ride back to the house is excruciatingly slow and painful. I can barely keep my hands to myself and my eyes are constantly locked on Nova, who keeps running her hands beneath my shirt. It's pure torture that I can't touch her the way I want to.

I control myself by resorting to drawing small circles with my thumb on her inner thigh. Even under the influence, I'm smart enough to know that the back of a taxi isn't good enough for a girl like her.

But goddamn her for wearing those short shorts because all I can see are legs. I don't know how, considering how short she is, but it's all legs. And there are so many things I can picture those legs doing. So many things I picture her hands doing to my body as she trails her nail along the waistband of my jean shorts.

I reach down and grip her wrist. "Save it for the bedroom, baby," I whisper in her ear.

She smiles, and I shiver with anticipation. Her smile is devilish. Seductive. Nothing like the woman I've gotten to know.

And it thrills me.

I had every intention of getting drunk, but no intention of taking her home to have sex. I know better than to do that to her – she'd kill me. Except, when she told me to, something took over. The tempting pull of her was too much to resist.

Finally, after twenty long minutes of satisfying myself with the skin of her thigh, we're home again. I pay the taxi driver with the remaining cash in my wallet, and then stumble up the front porch steps with Nova practically hanging from my arm.

I'm surprised that she decided to drink, but I'm not complaining. It's good for a person to let go and relax a little – which she needs to do more often.

Reaching into my back pocket and pulling out my old house key, I fiddle around with it for a couple minutes. While the alcohol has done everything for my muddle of emotions, it's done nothing for my physical abilities. I've never had such a problem unlocking a goddamned door before.

I eventually fit it in, though.

We enter through the front door, and the house is silent, save for the commotion we create as we try to manoeuvre our way down the hallway to the stairs. I mentally thank the world for working in our favour – Julia and East must still be at the stupid movie, Mom and Dad went to my aunt and uncle's for dinner, and Haze said her and Greyson had something to do back at their apartment. This couldn't have worked out any better. We have the house to ourselves.

We don't rid ourselves of our shoes or jackets, and Nova's bag is still strewn across her body when we climb the stairs. The ascent is...difficult. Neither of us can seem to stay away from the other for more than a few seconds. On the first landing, she winds her fingers with mine. One the second landing, I pick her up because, even though we're both buzzed and running off of pure emotion, she's having a harder time keeping steady. Besides, I want her as close as possible to me. At the top of the stairs, I can't handle this waiting shit anymore. I already deserve a damn award for not stripping her out of her clothes as soon as we stepped into the house.

A small, surprised gasp escapes her lips when I pick her up. Her legs instantly wrap around my waist, just like I'd been fantasizing about earlier. I squeeze my eyes shut, pressing myself harder against the warmth of her body, trying to find the relief where it's needed most.

Damn it. I want her. I want her so damn badly. The need is fierce and desperate.

Even though I've kissed her several times now, I still briefly lose all thought when my lips touch hers. Our kisses have always been soft and full of demand, but this one is different. Everything is amplified due to the alcohol, and it's nowhere near what our usual ones are like. First of all, it's not spontaneous. Second of all, it's not one-sided. And, finally, I'm not trying to get some unworthy asshole away from her.

This is a kiss we both want.

So, I use that to my advantage. I take control of the kiss, making it demanding and full of tongue. I kiss and suck and flick my tongue against hers. And, because her bottom lip is fuller than her upper one, I suck on it. I spend minutes tasting her, trying to memorize what it feels like to have her mouth move willingly against mine.

The kiss becomes more frantic, and when Nova pulls away to even out her ragged breathing, she looks me dead in the eye and says, "Bedroom. Now."