Chris made his exit without waiting for any objections. He needed a minute. More than a minute. The world didn’t revolve around him, and dwelling on how his mother’s life-altering injury would affect his life was low, even for him. Certainly, he could remember something about those manifestations Mallory had gone on about.
Chapter 12
MALLORY
Why Mallory agreed to go to the reception was beyond her. No amount of yoga, cleansing breaths, or positive affirmations could get rid of the nerves that sat in the pit of her stomach like a brick. Christian had assumed she’d be struggling and insisted on spending the afternoon with her. He was due any minute. She wanted to look cute for him and treat it like two separate dates–an afternoon date and an evening date–but she hadn’t gone beyond showering and putting on a t-shirt and a pair of leggings.
The last time she’d seen her brother was Christmas Eve five years ago. Everything had been awkward as hell, and she couldn’t wait to get away. The entire dinner was filled with uncomfortable small talk. Her dad and brother had looked at her like she was a skittish animal, ready to bolt. Just because she felt like a trapped animal didn’t mean they should have treated her like one. Treating her like family would have been just fine.
She did her best to tamp down her nerves as she buzzed Christian inside and stood at her opened door to wait for himto come up. He emerged at the top of the stairs looking nothing short of edible. A pair of relaxed jeans and a tight-fitting shirt never looked so good. Her mouth went dry and for a moment she forgot the reason behind her nerves.
They hadn’t seen each other since she was at his house for dinner. A wicked smile spread across his face as he stalked toward her. As soon as he reached her, he dropped his bag on the floor and cradled her face in both hands before covering her mouth with his own. Completely consumed by his desperate kiss, she melted into him surrendering all control. His tongue danced along hers as he groaned, the timbre reverberating down to her toes.
He moved his hands to her waist, gripping her tight as he backed her into her apartment; kicking the door shut behind him. She wasn’t expecting such an energetic greeting, but her response was quick and without hesitation. Her nerve endings were on fire and the heat of his body pressed against hers, set her ablaze.
In a frenzy, she tugged his shirt from his pants and slipped her hands under it, her fingers stroking the contours of his well-defined abs. His breath hitched, the sound fueling the ache between her legs.
“God,” she breathed, shoving him against the wall.
“Not God. Christian.” He chuckled just before he grabbed the back of her neck and returned his mouth to hers.
Placing his leg between her thighs, he used his knee to shove them apart. She gasped as her core clenched, anticipating his touch. He placed his free hand on her side at the top of her rib cage and slid it down her body, grazing her breast with his thumb as he went. Craving more contact, she turned her body into his touch.
“Don’t move,” he warned as he spun them around so her back was against the door.
Thankful for the support, she leaned against the door and waited as the sound of her harsh breathing filled the room. He continued moving his hand down her body, squeezing when he reached her hip. He moved his thumb back and forth, torturously close to her center.
“What do you want?” he asked. There was a dangerous edge to his voice that sent a delicious tingle down her spine.
“Touch me,” she breathed.
“Where?”
Instead of speaking, she grabbed his hand and placed it between her legs, causing him to gasp in surprise when she grinded herself against him. The fabric was thin, allowing her to feel the heat of his fingers, but it wasn’t enough. As if sensing her frustration, he slipped his hand into her pants and against her slick heat. She cried out and arched her back, trying to feel as much of him as possible.
“You’re so fucking wet,” he breathed, slipping a finger inside.
“Please,” she whimpered.
She could hear the sounds from her wetness as he moved his finger in and out. Panting and no longer able to speak coherently, she tugged her shirt over her head and dropped it beside her, hoping he’d take the hint and follow her lead. Instead of removing any of his clothes he added a finger and placed his mouth on her neck, his bite toeing the line of pleasure and pain.
“Pants. Off,” he ordered as he pulled his shirt up over his head then made quick work of his belt.
After stepping out of her pants she looked up to find him watching her with an expression that could only be described as hungry. His chest was bare, his belt unbuckled, and the top button of his jeans undone. They stared at each other, chests heaving, until he took her by the arm and brought her over to the couch. She was expecting him to toss her onto it, but instead hedirected her to stand facing it, with her hands gripping the back as she leaned forward.
“On your knees,” he growled.
Her knees nearly buckled at his command. Scrambling to follow his orders, she kneeled on the couch and faced the back, anxious to find out what he planned to do to her. The decorative mirror on the opposite wall revealed a glimpse of her kneeling on the sofa wearing nothing but a pink bra and matching thong, while he stood behind her fully clothed from the waist down. Right when she thought she couldn’t get any wetter, he dropped to his knees on the floor behind her.
“I’ve missed you,” he murmured as he ran both hands up her thighs and caressed her ass. “One night wasn’t enough. I’ve needed more ever since. You know how many times I had to jerk off in the shower just thinking about it?”
Holy fuck.
He brought his hands to the top of her thong, running his fingers along the waistband, tugging until she heard the fabric rip. Looking over her shoulder at him in surprise, she found him watching her with that smirk that had hooked her the first time she’d met him.
“Hope you weren’t attached to those.”
Before she could respond, he shoved her forward and licked her from her clit to her ass. The unexpected touch of his warm tongue nearly made her come with one swipe. She spread her knees further and silently begged for more.
