Anger filtered through me, and I wanted to swat his hand away, but I wouldn’t. His dark eyes heated with a want and reverence that pinned me where I stood.
“You’rebeautiful, and smart, and good.” I reached up to grab his wrist. “Why don’t you believe that?”
His teeth sank into his bottom lip as if he was starving and had to force himself to not take a bite.
For my entire life, everyone put me on this annoying pedestal, and I was sick of it. I was stronger and tougher than anyone realized and didn’t need to be treated as if I was made of glass and could shatter at any moment.
“I want you.” I ran a hand down his chest and caught his quick gasp before his eyes shut as if he were in pain. “In fact, I’ve never wanted anyone this much,” I confessed, peering up at Anthony’s clenched jaw.
“Neither have I,” he growled, but didn’t move an inch.
I glided my shaky thumb across his lips. His wide pupils eclipsed the brown in his already dark eyes.
Before I lost my nerve, I pressed my lips against his. He stiffened when I backed away. I froze, studying his face for a reaction. His Adam’s apple rolled up and down his throat before he grabbed the nape of my neck and slanted his mouth over mine.
His fingers weaved around a fistful of my hair but stilled. I inched my hands down the soft cotton of the sleeves of his T-shirt, tracing the ridges of muscle with my fingertips as he licked inside my mouth. I matched him stroke for stroke, letting my tongue explore every inch and drinking up all I could before he tried to deny us again.
This kiss wasn’t nice. It was soul-deep hunger and longing met with a blinding satisfaction. It was hot and sweet all at once, warming me from the inside and permeating through every trembling cell in my body.
This kiss was everything, and I’d never be able to pretendnicewas enough ever again.
11
Anthony
This was exactlywhy I kept a comfortable distance from Victoria, despite not being able to stay away from her. Touching her was a slippery slope, and any time my skin would graze hers in the slightest, I ached to keep doing it. The urge to pull her close and do exactly what we were doing now was always too great.
Inviting her up here, where we’d be all alone, was inviting temptation I should’ve known I’d be too weak to resist.
My hand stilled on the small of her back while the other thrust into her hair before I could stop myself. Between being this close to her, her body rubbing against mine only inches away from my bed, and the way she purred into my mouth when my tongue slid against hers, I was ready to combust.
I knew the second I had a taste of the girl I’d wanted for months, I’d be done for.
She stepped back from the kiss, her eyes hooded and her lips red and swollen. A hazy smile pulled at her mouth before she pressed a light kiss to my chin. “Touch me, Anthony.”
Jesus, fuck.
She took my hands and placed them on her waist. “I don’t know what you’re fighting against, but I want you to stop. And I think you want to stop, too.”
“God, Victoria.” I groaned as she grabbed my hands and rubbed them up and down her hips. My fingers slid to her ass and squeezed before I yanked her flush to my body.
My fight was gone, along with logic, reason, and giving a shit why this was a terrible idea that would hurt us both.
I kissed her again, but this time I held nothing back. I devoured her mouth, egged on by the whimpers escaping her throat as I tilted my head to go deeper, harder. I grazed her bottom lip with my teeth and started a trail of kisses down her neck. If tonight was all I’d get, all I could let myself have, I was making it count.
“Beautiful,” I whispered into her ear before sucking on the lobe. “You’re so fucking incredible.”
She kissed down my jaw, sucking on the black flame tattoo on my neck as her nails dug into my back. I wasn’t sure which one of us lost our balance, but we found ourselves on my bed, rolling around as our lips kept moving. I wound up on top of her and settled between her legs. Hard as a rock, I ground against her, the moans vibrating against my lips making me go faster.
I’d lost all self-control and with it, my mind and sanity.
Feeling for the hem of her sweater, I inched my hand up her soft, flat stomach and cupped her breast through her bra. I skimmed my fingers over the lace before pulling it down and tracing around her nipple.
“Yes!” Victoria cried out. “Touch me, please,” she begged, and the last of my reason snapped.
Pulling her sweater up to her neck and grunting out a curse at how goddamn beautiful she was, I dipped my head to wrap my lips around the rigid peak, sucking and biting as it pebbled against my tongue. Her body was lean but curvy, and my mouth watered to taste all of her. She arched into me as my lips dragged across her chest and down her stomach. My rapid breathing stopped when I noticed her hand moving between her legs over her jeans.
“Do you do this a lot?” I rasped. “Do you think of me when you do it?”
