“We are.” He reaches behind us and pulls up a duffel bag.

“Is that, uh, is that an overnight bag?”

“It is.” He moves around to my side, where he opens the door for me and holds out his hand.

I take it, and he helps me out of the car and then guides us into the apartment building.

When we reach my door, he nods toward it. “You going to invite me in?”

“Are you going to turn me down?”

“What do you think?” he asks, his voice seductive.

“Can’t be sure.”

He chuckles and cups my cheek. “Let me in, Pips.”

A thrill of excitement shoots through my spine as I unlock the door and let us both in.

Keeping my hand in his, he pulls me toward the bedroom after shutting and locking the door. Recently, due to heat exhaustion, I put in an AC window unit in my bedroom. I found one that would fit the window, and right about now, I’m very grateful for it.

He takes a seat on my bed and then places his hands behind him and looks up at me. “Strip, Pips.”

“Wh-what?” I ask. He’s just going to jump into it like that? After not being intimate for weeks?

“You heard me: strip.”

“Right now?” I ask.

“You think you can wear that fucking skirt and act like I’m not going to ask you to strip?” He shakes his head. “Nope. Time to strip.”

Nervously, I shift as I tug on my bottom lip. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been naked in front of him, and all of a sudden, I’m feeling shy.

“Do you need help?” he asks.

“Just…nervous.”

His expression stays neutral, but he beckons me with his finger. I move in between his legs, and he sits taller, placing his hands on my hips.

“Why are you nervous in front of me?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I kind of like you and don’t want to look stupid.”

“You kind of like me?” he asks with a cute raise to his brow. “Because I’m going to tell you right now, Pips, I really like you.”

I chuckle. “That’s what I meant. I really like you.”

“Uh-huh, and what does that have to do with stripping in front of me? Because last I remember, we fucked in a lake.”

I feel my cheeks heat up. “That was different. We’re sort of like a couple now.”

“Sort of?” He shakes his head. “No, babe. We are a couple.”

“Exactly, and what if, I don’t know, you’re like, ‘Whoops, not like I remembered’?”