He wrinkled his nose. “I wouldn’t say Imissedit.”
“Rude.”
“Whatever. You love it,” he said, standing toe to toe with me, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Yes. Yes, I do.
I pushed a stray braid over his ear. “You should wear your hair down more often,” I said, the words huskier than I’d intended.
“For you?” He licked his lips. “Sure.”
I wasn’t always the fastest tool in the shed with picking up hints, but his expectant look was hard to miss. Blindly setting our drinks on the mantel, I pulled him to me, then lingered on his beautiful face, hesitating.
Fuck it. I need to taste this man before I die.
His eyes—God, so fucking beautiful—held me in place for a moment. After taking a fortifying breath, I lowered my head, placing a soft kiss on his lips. He moaned, and I caressed his jaw, deepening the kiss as I ran my other hand up and down his strong back. He melted against me, exactly as I’d always imagined he would.
Thank fuck. I’ve been torturing myself with how much I’ve wanted him.
I slipped my tongue into his waiting mouth, and his breath hitched. He slid his tongue against mine, arching back as I curled forward. I knew he’d be a fantastic kisser, but I hadn’t expected this. Rowdy kissed with his entire body, and it was far more intoxicating than the alcohol running through my veins. I was willing to do whatever it took to get him to let me keep kissing him.
My brain, sodden with alcohol, waved goodbye to the matchmaking service’s nonrefundable deposit. They could keep my fucking money if I got to keep Rowdy.
I couldn’t scare him, though. If I told him how I really felt, there’d be a Rowdy-shaped hole in the wall.
Just make it about sex, Kessie. Just for tonight. We’ll figure out how to make him fall in love with you later.
I could do this.I could do this.
Cupping his ass, I whispered against his lips, “God, please let me worship this tight fucking hole.”
I expected a moan, a heatedyes, or, if I was lucky, a snarky come on. I was wholly unprepared, then, for him to stiffen and drag himself out of my embrace. Worse, I couldn’t account for the fear lancing through his perfect face, nor the way he was trying and failing to slow his breaths. I was reminded of that viral video of the monkey who dunked his cotton candy in the water and couldn’t figure out where it’d gone.
What just happened?
Realizing that I was still holding him, I took a step back and held up my hands. “Hey, sorry, Rowd. It’s the sangria. Meant no disrespect.”
Rowdy put on a fake smile, waving away my concern as he edged farther away. “None taken, darlin’,” he said, still breathing heavily. “I’m still recovering from earlier this evening.”
Fuck. He’djustcome to my house from a hookup.What the hell was I thinking?
Screamingly jealous of his lovers and terrified that I’d completely fucked up the friendship we’d built over these last two years, I winked and gestured to the door. “Why don’t we rejoin the others?”
3
ROWDY
I was still tryingto put myself together when we rejoined the party, but I wasn’t given a moment’s peace. The second we stepped out of the hallway, we were greeted with hoots and hollers, people calling out guesses—in lurid detail—of what they thought we’d done.
Fixing on my typical smirk, I ran a finger over my lips and sent the room my best come hither look.
“Kessie here gives one helluva private tour,” I joked, hip-checking him while praying that he’d play along.
“You’re welcome,” he retorted, smacking my ass before joining everyone on the makeshift dance floor.
As the revelers congratulated him on his prowess, I escaped into the hallway bathroom. The bathroom, like the rest of the house, was a combination of wood and stone surfaces and luscious greenery, and it was also generous in proportion. Like a modern treehouse.
If the hand-and-ass prints on the glass shower wall were any indication, this had been the location for the Bashes’ romp Woody’d texted me about. How ironic.
