I swoop in like a man depraved.
The world dissolves into heat and taste. The gasp that forms on her tongue is mine to devour, a delicious, startled sound as I press my body against hers.
My tongue sweeps in, and the taste of her—sweet, like cherries, and something uniquely, intoxicatingly her—explodes across my senses. It’s a flavor I instantly crave. I feel her hands curl into the leather of my jacket, not to push me away, but to hold onto as I consume her.
I trace the curve of her bottom lip with my tongue, committing its perfect shape to memory, a map I already know I’ll need to read again.
But then, she’s turning her head, breaking the connection. The cold air rushes in to fill the space she left, a brutal insult.
“There.” Her voice wobbles. “One kiss.”
That wasn’t a kiss.Fuck, it was, but it wasn’t. It wasn’tenough.
She should be the one melting, asking for more. Hell, she shouldn’t have rushed for it to end. What is it that I’m doing wrong?
“One more,” I rasp, using every ounce of physical strength not to crush her against me and show her just how thoroughly she’s unraveled me. My voice is rough with a need that shocks us both. “What will it take? There’s got to be something else you want.”
What is this dripping from my lips? Desperation? We’re both stunned by it, but I can’t stop. Not with this hunger clawing at my insides.
“I’ll kill the men who made him suffer, how about that?” Promises, wild and reckless, fall from my lips with every ragged breath. “I’ll put Paulie under our protection. My protection. We’ll take care of him until you’re satisfied.”
The words hang in the air. How many lines am I crossing? How much am I offering for one more measly taste? It’s laughable, it’s insane, but the moment her head bobs in a hesitant nod, my world rights itself.
My lips are on hers again before the breath leaves her lungs, not with finesse, but with a claiming hunger.
I needmore.
The sweetest sound of a moan escapes her lips as my mouth drifts to her throat. Right where her pulse races, my tongue traces, I don’t think. Teeth grazing next, I feel her hand move to the back of my neck. Like she’s holding me in place, her nails prick my skin as I suck a spot right above her collarbones, marking her.
A voice in the back of my mind whispers that this woman is mine, declaring words I’ve never muttered out loud. I want to believe the words, but I ignore them.
She can’t be mine. But her body… that’s different.
What could I give her in return for the sweet thing between her thighs? If she is a virgin, she’s clinging to her cherry like it holds worth. What does she want to trade, a ring on her finger? Marriage?
Once more, I’m hit with that same vision. This beauty in all white. This time, it’s different. It’s not a thought I want to turn my nose up at.
Yanking back at the realization that I’d risk my bachelor lifestyle, I take in her flushed state. Eyes glossed over, lips plump, she’s the physical form of a wet dream.
Haven’s reaching for me this time, like she should’ve been the first time. I’m not amused by her caving. I’m more frustrated that I’m not dipping back in for more.
Could I take something precious and call it quits like that? If her pussy is anything like her mouth, I’m going to want to come back for more. Over and over until my knees hurt from begging for whatever she’ll give me.
“Who are you?” Muttering the question softly enough to miss her ears, it lingers in my head. Is the fight I just witnessed that’s making me want her? Could it be the chase?
I need to put distance between us before I do something I can’t take back.
As I pull away, she sits up slowly. Her eyes are on me, and I can tell from her breathing that she notices my arousal. There’s nothing I can do about it.
“Come on.” Offering her my hand, I try to smile, but struggle. “No more running or fighting. I’ll help you in return.”
Her hand is smaller than mine as she pulls herself up on wobbly legs. “No more locking me in someone’s room.”
As if she thinks there’s room for discussion, she throws her stipulation out.
Amusement flickers in my chest, and my mouth curves without effort this time. However, it feels natural.
What is this woman doing to me?
