No Strings Attached | ✓ 18+

twenty .ೃ࿐

It was dark when I opened my eyes. I could see the glint of the moon through the living room window, barely illuminating much. There was probably a little over a quarter that you could see in the night sky.

Clay's arms were wrapped around me as he laid on my chest. My shirt and fresh underwear were on, Clay's in a t-shirt and his boxers. The television hummed with whatever show was left on when we'd fallen asleep. From what I could make out, it was Schitt's Creek.

For a one night stand, this seemed awfully friendly. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to allow myself to be wrapped in his arms like this. But it felt so damn good. It was the lack of physical affection finally getting to my head. It must be.

Clay shifted then, pulling himself impossibly closer to me, then he opened his eyes and blinked once or twice, looking up at me. "Hi, love."

I couldn't help but grin at him. "Hey, yourself."

We laid there like that for awhile, he traced patterns on my ribs, stomach and chest. Occasionally he would look up at me and smile, then he would go back to what he was doing. I couldn't help but to put my hand in his hair, gently brushing it with my fingers.

Whenever his fingers came into a new form of contact with my body, that whole part of me lit up in figurative hot flames. I could feel it from the tips of my toes all the way up to the top of my head. I fought all evening to keep my thoughts in check, trying to push away all the worries I'd think about in the morning.

"I still don't understand how someone could cheat on someone like you," Clay mumbled into my skin.

I sucked in a breath. "Someone like me?"

He nodded, but it was more like smushing himself against my skin. "Someone like you. Who's nice and fun to be around. When you smile, sometimes I swear it's like you could...generate power that goes three cities over."

A laugh came out of me then, right from my stomach. I hadn't laughed like that in a little while. It felt nice. "I don't think anyone has ever told me that I could generate power for a few cities while smiling."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, love." He pressed a kiss into my torso without thinking. I knew it was without thinking, because he looked at me hesitantly afterward. "Sorry. I'm still caught up in the moment."

I shook my head. "It's good to be in the moment sometimes."

With a small tug, he was on top of me again, pressing his lips against mine. It was effortless to kiss him, we had a rhythm that I'd never found with anyone else before. I felt butterflies erupt once again in my lower abdomen as he slid his arm up my back and pulled me closer to him.

As his teeth pulled at my lower lip, I held back a moan and had an awful idea. It was awful, but it would feel so fucking good. I was going to play a dangerous game.

I pulled away from him and he rested his forehead against mine. He was frowning, I could feel his wrinkled brows pressed into my skin.

"What, love?" He asked carefully. "Did I do something wrong?"

I shook my head and he relaxed, moving to rest his head on my chest again. His one hand slid up my shirt to cup my breast and I just about lost my train of thought at the feeling of his fingers brushing my nipple.

"I think," I began cautiously, awaiting his reaction. "We should continue sleeping together. I mean, you don't seem like the relationship type...I just got out of a relationship and to be quite honest, I'm fucking horny and we already live together—"

"Okay," he cut me off, looking up at me again. He gave my breast a light squeeze and I had to bite my lip to contain a moan. He knew this, obviously, because of the smirk he shot me afterward. "But we aren't allowed to sleep with anyone else for however long this is going on."

"Okay." I nodded. Then, I added my own rule. "No strings attached."

Clay nodded. "No strings attached." Then, he pushed off of me gently. I was almost sad to feel the weight of him lift off of me. He checked his phone that was lying face down on the coffee table. "It's almost three in the morning. We should go to bed, for real this time."

I gathered my clothing that was scattered across the living room floor, he flicked off the television. Neither of us turned on the lights, not wanting to be fully awake.

There were no words said as I made my way up the stairs. Clay had drifted off to the kitchen for a glass of water, what I could almost assume was a method of containing himself to not jump my bones again tonight. Otherwise there really wouldn't be any sleeping getting done.

I threw my things in the basket in my bedroom, then I pulled off my underwear, deciding to just sleep in Clay's t-shirt. Which was outrageously comfortable. What did they do to men's clothing and why is it so much better than women's?

"Hey, love?" I jumped at the sound of his voice. He was leaning against my doorway in his t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Of course, he looked like one of those Calvin Klein models, except softer, more homey somehow. Ultimately making me struggle to not have sex with him right now.

"Yeah?" I asked, walking up to him.

His arms wrapped around my body, pressing me to him. His hands slid down my body, cupping every curve as they went. They stopped on my bare ass, as he gave my bum a squeeze. Clay dipped his head, kissing my collarbone in a seductive manner, making me feel freshly turned on all over again.

How was I going to contain myself, being around this man all the time?

When he'd kissed up my neck, he drew small circles with his tongue, biting me lightly. He'd made it up my jaw and when he was close to my lips, he paused. "Don't fall in love with me." He muttered quietly, but made sure that I could hear him.

My knees felt weak. Of course, I wasn't going to fall in love with the guy. We were merely sleeping with each other. He was just giving me a place to stay and he was unbearably beautiful. So, yeah.

I covered the way I felt up with a laugh. "God, Clay, how many rom-coms have you watched? Obviously, I won't fall in love with you. It was my idea."

Something crossed his expression, but I couldn't make it out before it disappeared. "Good. I'm glad we cleared that up."

I offered him a soft smile, before turning around to close my door and go to bed. Before I'd managed to do any of those things except turning around, he slapped my bum lightly, in an almost teasingly playful way.

"Goodnight, love."

I bit my lip to hide my smile as I closed my bedroom door.

When it was finally closed and I was alone, I wanted to punch myself. That was the most self-destructive idea I have ever had in my entire life. Why had I even come up with it? Was it genuinely to get laid? Or was it something more, wanting to be close to him? I didn't know how many more break-up excuses I had in me. I barely thought of Gina anymore, it was like I was holding onto her just for the excuse at this point.

His words rang on a continued loop like a broken record through my mind. Don't fall in love with me.

But that was silly, wasn't it? I came up with the rule. No strings attached. Right. Let's see how fast it takes me to forget that little detail.