I slid off the stool before I could talk myself out of it and moved into the space between his thighs. From a place of confidence I may never have again, I placed one hand at his knee and lightly trailed my palm up his thigh. Just far enough to watch his eyes darken with hunger. At this distance, I knew the exact moment they flickered down to my lips. The fact that I was having this effect on him made me heady with desire.
“My place is nearby,” I said.
I hadn’t answered his question. Hell, I barely remembered what it was at this point, but those four words had been chanting through my head for the last twenty minutes or so, and now that it had left my mouth, I was mostly just relieved I’d had the guts to say it out loud.
He covered my hand with his own and leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek, and I knew he noticed my shiver in response. “Lead the way.”
6
Audrey
Holy shit, this was happening. Okay, I could do this.
I threw a look over my shoulder at Tiff, who was already waving us out with a smirk. Yeah, she was going to be all over this tomorrow.
Thankfully, my place was ridiculously close to the bar, as in, two blocks, around the corner close. Jackson’s hand practically seared a brand over my lower back; our bodies walked so closely together that I was hyper-aware of every scant inch between us. I couldn’t think about anything else.
I barely remembered getting from the bar to my place, so caught up in my thoughts. I couldn’t believe I’d just asked this stunning man to come home with me, and he’d said yes. As I opened my front door, my nerves kicked in.
Was I really about to do this? Was it too late to back out?
I mean, I didn’t want to, not really. But this was crazy, right? I’d never done this before. I barely knew anything about him. He followed me into the apartment before turning to face me, frozen in place against the entryway wall. Now that the moment was here, I was at a loss. Did we just go for it? Damn, I was so unprepared.
My nerves must have been written all over my face because Jackson gently closed the distance between us until our lips were only inches apart.
Jesus, he smelled incredible. Decadent and smoky, like an illicit treat. I might pass out before we even did anything. Oh. His lips looked fantastic, and I wondered what it would feel like to taste them. I bit my lip, anticipating.
My breath hitched as I gazed into his eyes, and every inch of my skin tingled. Why had I even thought about backing out of this? My thoughts chanted loudly, ‘kiss me kiss me kiss me’ as though I was hoping they would somehow telegraph themselves to him.
“Can I kiss you?” His voice was soft. Nothing had ever sounded so good.
“Yes.” Please.
And, wow. Jackson’s lips were better than I had imagined. Was kissing always this incredible and I’d forgotten? I couldn’t remember any other kiss making me feel so blissed out. His lips moved confidently against my own, and I leaned into him, tentatively exploring with my tongue.
I was rewarded with a low moan, and oh, I wanted to hear that sound again and again.
Soft kisses traveled across my cheek to my neck, and then I was having an out-of-body experience as he began to nip and suck at the sensitive skin.
Holy hell.
My fingers curled against his shirt, and my head fell back against the wall behind me while his hands grazed my ribs, brushing along the outline of my breasts.
His lips brushed my neck as he asked, “Is this ok?”
My thoughts were a haze of feeling and lust, but I managed a shaky nod, my heart racing as fast as my mind was. I took a deep breath in a futile effort to calm both.
Pulling back enough to make eye contact with me, he waited, his eyes questioning. A swell of gratitude threatened to engulf me. He wanted to make sure. Who was this man?
I wanted him more than I’d wanted anyone else before.
I nodded again, more controlled this time, arching into him as I said, “It’s more than ok.”
The hunger in his eyes sent a shiver of anticipation through me, and then his hands were reaching below my hips, gripping the backs of my thighs and picking me up, guiding my legs until they wrapped around him. And, wow. That had never happened to me before, but damn, did I like it.
I moaned faintly, “Oh.” The sound left my lips before I realized it. All I could think was that I really wanted him to press me into the wall right now, crowd me between the cool surface and his smooth, hard warmth. But I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. I could barely think. Jackson had replaced every thought.
His chuckle was a deep rumble, and I was sure he was about to tease me, so I cut him off with a kiss. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tangled my hands in his hair. The same hair I had been itching to touch earlier, and I was pleased to find it as soft as I imagined it.
