He had no idea how close he was to treading on sensitive ground, but now wasn’t the time for that. He wanted her and sheoh so muchwanted him. Her messed-up head and stupid ex didn’t get to be a part of this moment. She could push past that and just take what she wanted without it getting complicated.
“You want to kiss me.” She grinned. “Let’s focus on that.”
“Is that all you heard?” He groaned again, this time weaker, and she laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. “You were amazing today, you know? Even though you wobbled a bit. You were still brave and strong. And for that, you get a goodnight kiss. But that’s it. I’m heading to my room in a few minutes to have a very cold shower.”
“That’s no fun,” she said softly. Warmly, though, too, because that didn’t sound like a bad idea, actually.
She had six weeks to wear down his defences. Six weeks of teasing him into kisses in dark corners.
It was a refreshing change to not feel pressured into anything more, and she wouldn’t dwell on how much she wantedmore more morewith Dean.
His lips brushed hers, his breath warm against her mouth. “Good night, princess.”
“Good night…” she started to say, trailing off as he teased her lips slightly apart with the tip of his tongue before easing back to scan her face one last time. If he was looking for permission, he had it in spades.
The full, warm press of his mouth against hers, more firmly this time, was enough to make her head spin. His hands were hot everywhere he touched, and she was ready to crawl out of her skin with need when he cupped her face and held her still.
Anticipation burst into delicious, disorienting pulls of his lips, commanding slides of his tongue against skin, just a lick at first, a question against her bottom lip.
May I?
She parted for him, because of course he could. He groaned as he slowly slid inside her, and she could feel him holding back. Trying to be on his best behaviour even as he gave her a kiss so dirty it made her head spin.
She curled her fingers into the soft fabric of his shirt and urged him closer. More, she wanted more—well, she wanted everything, truthfully. She wanted that shirt on the floor and the big, brawny weight of him pressing her back against the bed. She wanted to feel his mouth everywhere on her body, then hear those groans deepen as she returned the favour.
His hands cupped her cheeks as he eased away, but he didn’t get far before his mouth crashed against hers again, this kiss hungrier than the last.
And when he finally stepped back—fully away from her, with enough space between them that kissing again by accident would take fancy choreography—he was breathing heavily and he looked as affected as she felt.
She touched her fingertips to her lips and smiled. “Wow.”
“I’m still your bodyguard. I can’t get distracted from that.”
“Of course not.” But her smile was wider now. She couldn’t wait to distract him.
“Sleep tight.”
“I will.”
He walked backwards to the door, eyes on her until the last second, and when he finally let himself out, she sagged back against the bed with a groan.
Oh. My. God.
She wanted to do that again and again and again. “Next time I’m getting under that shirt of his,” she promised herself out loud, then laughed gently as she closed her eyes, warmth blooming through her chest.
Chapter Seventeen
ST. LOUIS wasgood to Liana, a rocking afternoon performance that put a sparkle in her eyes Dean very much liked. When they piled back on the buses for Memphis, where they’d stay for two nights, everyone was in good spirits.
Even Mr. Cold Shower. Jesus, it had been hard to walk away from her the night before. But now they’d have two nights at the same hotel, and Dean had every intention of taking advantage of the privacy. And he didn’t need to wait that long to get her worked up.
They were on the bus, eating a late dinner and West was telling them about his new EP album that he was getting ready to publish to iTunes himself.
Dean listened with one ear as he scrolled through his contact list, looking for Sweet Tits.
He got half hard just thinking about how good her breasts had felt in his hands. On his mouth, through the silk of her top. How had he kept his hands off them the night before? He deserved a medal for that.
He found her secret identity and hit new message.Remember that time in St Louis when I should have licked you until you screamed before the show?
