“Emilio,” she breathes. “What are you?—”
I don’t let her finish.
My lips crash into hers. Hard, desperate, and reckless.
She makes a noise of surprise, her hands bracing against my chest. I half expected her to shove me off, but she doesn’t. Instead, her fingers tighten in the fabric of my shirt, and shepulls me in, closing the space between us like she’s been waiting for this just as long as I have.
My hands move off the door, my left hand slides up to cup the side of her face, thumb brushing the softness of her cheek. My right arm wraps firmly around her waist, drawing her body flush against mine. She melts into me as my tongue teases the seam of her lips, begging her to let me in, and she does. Her lips part with a low, breathy moan that goes straight to my fucking head.
Her tongue darts out to tease my lips, then flicks my tongue, playful and taunting, before retreating back inside her mouth. I chase after her, deepening the kiss, and she moans again—this time louder.
Raw.
Needy.
The sound vibrates between us and sets every nerve ending of mine on fire. It takes everything in me right then andthere not to rip this damn dress off her. The taste of her, her moans, the way her body molded into mine, she is exquisite. I’d thought about kissing her more times than I could count. Hell, I’d thought about more than kissing her, especially with the way she looks at me when she thinks I’m not paying attention. And judging by the way she’s grinding her hips ever so slightly against mine, she’s been thinking the same damn thing.
I was a dick to her during our first meeting, and that didn’t deter her. She craves me just as much as I crave her. I can tell from the way our tongues dance together, and the sounds she is making while her nails dig into my chest, that she wants this as much as I do.
I pull back, just for a second to breathe, and she lets out a soft whimper in protest. I can’t help but chuckle as I bring my lips back to hers, brushing mine over hers before slowly moving down to press a trail of kisses along her jaw. She gasps softly and tilts her head back instinctively, giving me more access as her fingers slip beneath my shirt, tracing over my abs like she’s trying to memorize every line. Her touch is slow, deliberate, and it makes my dick throb painfully against the inside of my jeans.
I continue to trail soft kisses under her chin and down to that sweet spot on her throat, sucking lightly, pulling another moan out of her that has my dick twitching again. I groan into her neck as her hand drifts down, fingers trailing along my V-line. When she brushes against my waistband, I snap. I slam her back against the door with just enough force to make her gasp, spreading her legs with my knee so she canfeelexactly what she’s doing to me.
“Fuck,” she whimpers, and the sound alone almost undoes me.
One of her hands drags up my chest, nails scraping in a way that makes me hiss. The other lingers at my waistband, daring, almost teasing. I move my hand from her face into her hairand the other, which was wrapped around her waist, down the smooth skin of her left thigh, fingers slipping under the hem of her dress.
I pause and lift my head to look at her. Her cheeks are flushed, her chest rising and falling fast. Her eyes meet mine, flicking briefly down to where my hand rests on her thigh, then back up, full of heat. I slide my hand up higher, just enough that my fingers could tease with the edge of her lace panties, and she bites her lip. I smirk as I brush my thumb along her core. I canfeelhow soaked she is. She is just as aroused as I am.
“Shit, Raelynn,” I whisper.
She whimpers when I press my thumb against her through the fabric, teasing her folds. Her hips buck into my hand, and her lips part like she’s about to beg me not to stop.
But I do.
I pull back, slowly withdrawing my hand, and she lets out a needy sound of protest that makes me smirk.
I lean in, pressing my forehead to hers. “You’re still drunk, Raelynn.”
She blinks, confused. “What?”
“I’m not going to take advantage of you. Not like this,” I breathe against her lips. “If we’re going to do anything, it’s not going to be behind a dingy ass dive bar. It’s going to be when you’re sober. When youknowwhat you want. And when I can take my time with you.”
Her breath catches again, not from shock this time, but something deeper. Her hands are still on me, her body trembling just slightly beneath mine.
I press a final kiss to the corner of her mouth, then step back, leaving a space between us that feels too wide.
She looks up at me, dazed and breathless, and I know this isn’t over. Not even close.
Just… not tonight.
THIRTEEN
EMILIO
I felt like shit.
Leaving Raelynn like that. Flushed, breathless, lips kiss-swollen from mine after teasing her the way I had… it was pure fucking torture. She didn’t say anything when I pulled away and told her it wasn’t happening tonight. But she didn’t have to. I saw it plain as day in her eyes, the flicker of disappointment, the way her posture shifted, shoulders pulling back like armor, like she was trying to pretend it hadn’t gotten to her.
