“What would you like to wager?” He knew—he hoped—he knew what she would say.
Because he wanted it too. More than he could remember wanting almost anything. But he needed her to say it.
She blushed, a gorgeous rosy pink that bloomed over her cheeks, and he wondered with great interest how far down the color went.
Did it skim over her long pale throat? Spread lower past her collarbone to those beautiful, full tits? Did it touch her nipples? He knew exactly what those looked like when they were tight and flushed for him.
“Can I have a sip of that?” She nodded toward the glass in his hand.
“Have you ever had whiskey?” he asked skeptically.
“Yeah, all the time,” she said archly. “While I played poker.”
He didn’t believe her, but it didn’t matter, because she took the glass from him, inhaled deeply, and then pounded it quickly back like it was a shot instead of a sip meant to be savored.
She gasped, eyes going wide as she coughed and sputtered. Her whole body shuddered, and her eyes watered.
“All the time, huh?” he drawled, watching her try to compose herself.
Lily sucked in a breath. “All. The. Time.”
He did laugh then, shaking his head at her when she grinned back at him unrepentantly. “You want to try again there, angel? See if it goes down any smoother?” He poured another shot.
“Maybe later,” she said primly, making him laugh harder.
She fixed him with a look. “Let’s wager a kiss,” shesaid, with that mix of shyness and mischief of hers that was proving to drive him wild.
Hell yes.“And if I win?” he asked, low.
Lily pulled her lip in again, her bravado flickering under the intensity of his stare. He waited, wondering if she would back out, and admiring her once again. She really was beautiful, all delicate angles and long, lovely lines. Her high cheekbones were flushed pink from the fire. Her full lips curved up and begged to be nipped and sucked, and big, expressive eyes gave her away every time.
She lifted her chin and cocked an eyebrow at him. “Anything you want.”
His breath left him.Well fucking done, Lily.
He grinned slowly. Deliberately, letting the anticipation stretch between them. He dragged his gaze over her, taking in the way her chest rose and fell, the tight grip on her cards. “Let’s see what you’ve got,” he murmured.
Lily swallowed, a flicker of nervousness crossing her face. She put her cards down with a snap. “Full house,” she declared, a challenge in her voice that made the caveman in him want to drag her to the bed and ravish her.
He showed his hand, thoroughly enjoying her little bounce when she realized she had won. His eyes dipped again. How could they not? Her breasts shifted under his flannel, soft and perfect, making his mouth go dry and his cock stiffen at a vision of Lily straddling him, those plump tits bouncing just like that while he licked and sucked them.
Fuck.
He swirled the amber liquid in his glass and watched the way it caught the light before taking a slow sip, letting the burn ground him before he did something truly reckless.
She grinned smugly and reached for his glass.
He caught her wrist, wrapping his fingers around the small bones in her wrist. “No more shots.”
“No more?” she asked, raising a brow. “I think the winner deserves a drink, don’t you?”
Rush shook his head slowly, still holding onto her wrist, his thumb tracing a lazy, deliberate stroke over her pulse. Fast. Fluttering wildly under her smooth skin.
“Not like that,” he said quietly. Firmly. Her pupils went wide, her irises darkening to a deeper green. Dazed and wanting. “Whiskey’s meant to be taken slow. Let it linger. Sink in.”
She swallowed hard, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. He wanted to feel that tongue against his, slick and warm, tasting exactly how he knew she’d taste—sweet and hot. Addictive.
He exhaled slowly and sat back in the chair. “Riggs, go lie down,” Rush ordered quietly. Riggs’s collar jingled as he walked to the fireplace and lay down facing the fire with a huff of breath, uninterested in whatever was about to happen next.
