And don’t even get her started on the muscles that bulged in his biceps. The only thing missing, the thing that would crown him the ultimate alpha—tattoos. Which surprised her, considering he’d been a Navy SEAL.
His hands ventured between them, catching the hem of her skirt, coaxing it upward inch by tantalizing inch. His fingers grazed her thighs, urging gently until she parted them further, an unspoken invitation.
His lips met hers again, this time soft and teasing, his teeth nibbling at her bottom lip as his fingers traced lazy, provocative patterns on her inner thigh.
She leaned into him, aching to feel the hard press of his erection. But he held her back.
“Not yet.” His restrained voice heightened her anticipation, stirring a delicious mix of frustration and excitement within her.
This wasn’t just any kiss; this was a kiss from Stone—Stone, whom she’d needled until he’d lost control and broken his rule of engagement.
Given that he was a man who’d proudly proclaimed he’d mastered self-will, he would greatly regret this in the aftermath. Not that she felt bad about shoving him off his own stance—after all, hadn’t she declared his fatal flaw to be that of an unwillingness to lose control? She’d done him a favor by pushing him until he broke. Until he admitted that sometimes he had to hand over the reins and become vulnerable.
It was the only way he would ever be the hero of his own love story.
But she’d save that to think about for another day. Right now, all that mattered was the commanding way he claimed her in his arms, promising a mastery she had only read about.
His fingers shifted slowly up her thighs, sending a surge of desire pulsing through her, igniting her senses as though she was caught in a thunderstorm and every nerve became a live wire.
When his fingers halted just a whisper away from caressing her needy flesh, she groaned. “Touch me,” she ordered, in a breathless command.
He complied, and a sharp hiss of approval escaped her as his fingers met her eager clit.
His low chuckle vibrated against her skin. “If you like that, you’re really going to like this.” He dropped to his knees and gently raised her skirt, sending waves of keenness rippling through her belly.
At that moment, Sophie’s world turned vibrantly sensory. The sweet scent of night flowers mingled with the crispness of the evening air, and the aroma of his skin—a deep and compelling mix of dark rum and the distant smokiness of a bonfire.
As he lowered himself to his knees, Sophie couldn’t help but sigh in eager approval of his next move. She braced her hands against the cool wall, her entire being silently screaming for him to continue, her need mounting with each breath.
He glanced up at her, his gaze intense, and for a fleeting moment, Sophie thought he was going to ask for permission.
She waited, the wordyesalready forming on her lips.
Instead, his eyes took on a smolder. “I hope you’re not too attached to these.” His fingers teased the flimsy scrap of material at her hip.
Before she could even process his words or muster a response, he tugged sharply. The fabric gave way as if it were mere tissue, and suddenly, her panties lay in a soft heap around her ankles. The swift, bold move left her breathless, her heart racing from the thrilling alpha-like action.
Only to be followed by an even more thrilling move, his mouth pressing to her mound. Over the roar in her head, she somehow heard him say, “Sophie,” in a husky, gruff utterance that ignited a primal surge of feminine power.
His tongue worked relentlessly, his hands gripping her ass, anchoring her in place, dictating a maddening slow rhythm. Each languid stroke was so exquisitely torturous that Sophie thought she might die from despair.
“Quicker,” she managed to gasp out, barely audible.
“What’s the rush?” he teased, his voice a low rumble against her.
“Someone might come before I do and that would be fatal,” she replied, her voice betraying her desperateness.
“No one’s going to interrupt us,” he reassured her.
“I’ve never had sex on a rooftop,” she confessed breathlessly.
“That’s because you’ve never been with a true alpha.” He rose to his full height. “Don’t move.”
His order both challenged and thrilled her.
Through half-closed lashes, Sophie watched him stride to his discarded pants, his movements purposeful. He retrieved a condom from his wallet and then turned to face her, his every action heightening the tension between them.
While she held her breath in anticipation, he stepped out of his boxers and kicked them away. The movement caused her breath to whoosh out only to get sucked back in as she watched him deftly roll the condom on his magnificent cock. “That’s going to take some getting used to,” she murmured, her eyes glued to it as he approached her.
