Crave by Violet Vaughn

him”
    “What? I didn’t know Jason was here. I would have told Blaine if I knew he was coming.”
    “No. I meant the other night.”
    My stomach sinks. She’s right. When I fantasized about Jason while kissing Blaine, I did betray him. Crap.
    My phone vibrates again. It’s Blaine. “Yes, please.”
    ***
    After work I stop by Burger King and get Blaine hangover food. The heavy, fried odor floods my senses. I bang on the metal door and steel myself for our conversation.
    It opens and his eyes land on the bag. “You brought me fried food and a milkshake?” Dressed in sweats and a ratty-looking T-shirt, he looks awful. He returns to the couch and lies down.
    “Trust me. This has gotten me through many a bad hangover.” I see the bathroom garbage can and a towel on the floor. Oh man, last night must have been bad.
    I sit on the edge of the sofa where I can feed him. “First a fry.” I put one in his mouth. “Chew.”
    With each bite I see the doubt begin to dissolve.
    “Good, now take a sip of this.” Holding the cup up to his mouth, I put the straw between his lips.
    The brown, thick liquid slides through the straw, and he licks the salt off his mouth. “That tastes good.”
    “Exactly. You need the salt, and the sugar mimics alcohol.” He grimaces at that word. “Sorry. Keep eating.”
    As he eats, I think about how adorable he is. This wonderful man plays with children and they love him. He rubs my stinky feet after a long ski day and treats me like a princess. He’s what I’ve wanted for so long. Practically perfect and I don’t deserve him. Yes, the other night was weird. We just need to figure out what works for us. We’ll get there.
    “Come closer.” He reaches up for my head and pulls me down. The tender kiss leaves me tasting a sultry combination. I think he isn’t mad any longer. “You’re my angel of mercy.”
    “I’m so sorry about yesterday. I would have told you if I’d known that Jason was coming. You kissing me in front of him like that—it was so awkward. It was as if you had to prove something to those boys. I know I took it the wrong way.”
    “It’s fine. I overreacted too. What can I say? I’m jealous. From your stories, I know how much you like him. Knowing you used to be with him hurts. I don’t like to think about you with anyone but me.” He stops. My heart melts. “Casey, I love you.” He traps my hand between his.
    Oh boy. I’m speechless. I’m not there yet. What’s the right thing to say here?
    He releases my hand. “You don’t have to say it back. I know this is fast. I just—I had to tell you.”
    Thank you for the out. I push the hair back from his face. He’s such a beautiful man. I wonder if he has any idea as I trace my finger down the outline of his face and a day-old shave pricks my fingers. When I touch his lips, there’s love in his eyes. He sucks my finger into his mouth. Whoa. Where did that come from? A seed of desire blossoms in my belly.
    “Lay beside me?”
    I lay down next to him and he turns me away. His body radiates warmth behind me. He wraps his arm around my waist and buries his head in my hair. Hot breath tickles my ear as he murmurs, “I want to hold you like this forever.”
    I’m exhausted. The last few days have taken their toll. I let myself relax in his arms, close my eyes, and drift off into a peaceful sleep.
    Soft snoring awakens me. I sit up and look down at his slack jaw. There’s a little bit of drool in the corner. My body misses the comfort of his. I’ve never slept over, and I can imagine the little things I would learn about him if I did. Wait. I glance at the clock. Crap! It’s after one in the morning. I’ve missed curfew by a mile. Oh, man. While Mrs. Matheson doesn’t mind if we sleep elsewhere, she isn’t going to let me in. I guess I’m sleeping here. I look down at Blaine. No, I can’t wake him up.
    My jeans constrain me and I don’t want to sleep in them. The soft carpet muffles my footsteps as I