“I’m not asking for a promise,” he replies softly. “I’m asking you not to close the door completely.”
A war ignites inside me. A part of me wants to protect my heart and slam the door on him. But another part… the stupid,reckless, hopeful part, whispers that maybe it’s worth leaving it cracked open.
Chapter 10
Landon
“Tell me not to kiss you, Anna,” I breathe roughly, the words pouring out of me in desperation. My gaze locks on hers, reading every sliver of want and reluctance on her face. “Because if you don’t, I’m done fighting this.”
When she stays silent, every muscle in me screams to crush any hesitation in her mind with my mouth. But I hold back, my heart demanding that I give her the choice, no matter how much it aches.
After what feels like an eternity, though only seconds have passed, Anna swallows hard. “I… I… can’t tell you not to kiss me.”
And that’s all I need.
My hand slides to the back of her neck as I crush my mouth to hers, taking what I’ve been starving for since the moment I saw her in the driveway. And the temptation only intensified when she walked in wearing my T-shirt, which only made the hunger worse.
She resists for a heartbeat, then surrenders, her lips moving in perfect sync with mine. A guttural groan rumbles out of me as my tongue rolls against hers, devouring, tasting what I’ve cravedfor years. The kiss isn’t soft. It’s fierce, claiming, and demanding, every ounce of my frustration and obsession pouring into that one lip lock.
When I finally break the kiss, I rest my forehead against hers, both of us gasping for breath.
“I need more, Anna… but this is entirely your choice. If you want me to stop, tell me now,” I rasp, every word dragged out with the last of my willpower. God knows I don’t want to stop. I want to claim her, but she comes first. Always. If she says the word, I’ll break myself in half to give her that.
She blinks, her lips trembling. “I… I want this. I shouldn’t, but it’s been so long. I can’t…”
Her words make my chest fucking swell, a confirmation of what I’ve always known.She’s mine. Always has been. Always will be. Nothing will ever change that.
“Then I’ll give us what we’ve both been aching for,” I growl against her mouth, my hand fisting in her hair as I drag her closer, as if letting her go even for a second would destroy me.
“We just have tonight,” she whispers, reminding me of the clock that’s ticking. But she’s wrong. So fucking wrong. She thinks one night is all she can give me, but I’ll never settle for that. But, I know this isn’t the time to argue.
“Sweetheart, this isn’t a conversation I want to have right now. What I want is to devour you.” I say, my voice low against her lips.
Her pupils flare and her breathing quickens. Smiling at the effect I still have on her, I scoop her up effortlessly. She clings to me, her arms locking around my neck as I carry her to my room. The feel of her in my arms, her warmth pressed to my chest, her breath fluttering against my throat... it nearly undoes me.
It’s been years since I’ve held her like this, but my body still remembers every curve, every dip. She fits against me the wayshe always has, like she never left. And for the first time in too damn long, I feel whole.
Kicking the door open, I move to the bed and lay her down gently. When I straighten, everything inside me stops. The sight of her sprawled acrossmybed inmyshirt makes my heart slam against my ribs, and every shred of control I’ve been adhering to splinters under the force of it.
For a long beat, I just stand there, my gaze devouring every inch of her. My shirt barely covers her thighs, and her lips are swollen from my kiss. Her chest rises and falls in quick, shallow breaths. And from the way she looks at me, I know she wants me just as badly as I’ve spent years wanting her. The sight of her, all flushed and wanting, sends heat curling down my spine.
Slowly, my hands move to the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head, tossing it aside. Her eyes follow every flex of my muscle. I hook my thumb in my waistband and shove it down in one rough motion, until I’m standing bare in front of her.
The way she stares at me, wide-eyed and trembling, has me harder than I’ve ever been. And she’s about to learn just how long I’ve been starving for her.
“Landon, please…” she whispers, biting down on her bottom lip.
“Sweetheart, that’s the one thing you’ll never have to beg me for,” I exhale as my knee sinks into the edge of the bed. “God, Anna, you have no idea how sexy you look right now.” My hand trails lightly along her leg, from her toes up to her calf, brushing past her knee, and tracing the soft curve of her thigh. She shivers beneath me, her breath hitching, and I drink in every reaction, every tremor of her body. When my fingers slip beneath the hem of my shirt on her torso, a low, hungry groan escapes me as I find her completely bare beneath it.
“Fuck… you make it impossible to hold back,” I growl low in my throat, as my fingers begin to work her pussy. Her eyesflutter close as her head presses into the pillow, her hands clutching the sides of the mattress as she tries to steady herself.
“Do you have any idea what finding you bare beneath that shirt is doing to me right now?”
“Your… your… shorts were too big,” she pants, her eyes half-lidded, betraying just how undone she is.
I hover over her, bracing myself with one hand while the other keeps thrusting in and out of her wet, hot pussy. I lean down just slightly and my lips graze her ear. “Well, I’m glad you did, sweetheart, because for what I have in mind, those would’ve just been in my way,” I breathe out as my hands work faster, bringing her to the edge.
“Landon…” she whimpers as she rides out her orgasm.
