“I don’t care,” he whispers and licks along the shell of my ear.

“Jesus,” I groan.

“Now you know what it feels like. Come on.”

“Come?”

He laughs against my temple and turns back to the clinic. His arm is a heavy and comforting weight around my shoulders as we walk inside.

“Did you already get your test?”

“No, I waited for you.”

I wrap my arms around his waist. “Cannot believe how much I love that you waited for me so we can get an STI screening together. As far as I’m concerned, that is the height of romance.”

“Nadia wanted to be here, but her boss called an emergency meeting.”

“I bet he did,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“She got a last-minute appointment at a clinic by her office, though,” Darren assures me.

“Oh, good. I don’t want to wait.”

We slow down as we get near the door. “Yeah?” he says, his voice deeper now.

“Don’t talk to me like that before we get our results back.”

“Like what?” he laughs, reaching for the door, pulling it open for me.

I let go of his waist and lift onto the balls of my feet. I brush his cheek with my mouth and lick his skin. “Like you want to know what my panties look like.”

I turn away, but Darren grabs me around the waist and pulls me back into him. “But I do,” he whispers into my ear. “And now that you mention it, maybe I’ll make you show me on the way home.”

“Ask me nicely,” I say, pushing my ass back into him.

“No,” he says and then bites my earlobe.

“Goddamn,” I mumble under my breath.

We’re in and out of the clinic in less than an hour.

Darren pulls the door open for me, and his hand settles on the small of my back. “Do you have to go back to work?” he asks.

“Nope. I took the rest of the day off so I could run some errands.”

I’m walking away from the clinic, but Darren’s loose hold tightens on my waist, leading me toward the parking lot. He doesn’t wrap his arm fully around me, and he shouldn’t because what if someone sees us? Still, I find myself wanting him to hold me a little bit closer against his side, claiming me in some small way we both know he can’t.

“What kind of errands?”

“I need to go to the grocery store.”

“I can take you.”

He pulls his keys from his pocket and unlocks his car.

“Okay, but—”

He pulls open the passenger door and looks at me, waiting. “But?”

I swallow nervously and lick my lips. “I have an appointment.”

Now his arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me closer.

“Darren,” I warn. “Someone might see.”