“Play with fire, you’ll get burned,” her grandma’s voice chimed in.
It’s only smoke and mirrors. Besides, I can survive a few blisters.
Trying again, she inched closer. And once more, after a brief moment, he moved over.
Now what?
The V of Connie’s delicate brow grew deeper, and so did Avery’s. This wasn’t working. He practically flinched every time she got close. If she moved any closer, he’d trip over Bryce to avoid her touch. She bit back a smile as she imagined Bryce in turn falling against Kate, Kate against Melody, and on and on; they’d fall like dominos.
Jo sighed. She either needed to back off and let the chips fall where they would, or they needed to talk.
With a hand on Avery’s arm to keep him from climbing over Bryce to get away from her, she leaned in and asked, loud enough to be heard but not enough to interrupt, “Would you mind showing me where the restroom is?”
Rocking back on his heels—and away from her—he indicated she go ahead of him. They passed through the den and again he motioned her back the way they’d come earlier. At the foyer, he pointed to the right.
As soon as they rounded the corner, she moved to one side and said, “We need to talk.”
“I agree.”
They both spoke at once.
“You have to touch me,” she said.
“You have to quit touching me,” he growled.
Before she could blink, his hands were on her hips, driving her backward. Her back hit the wall behind her, one leg slicing between her thighs. His lips tipped into a smile as they aimed right for hers. “I thought you’d never ask.”
With nowhere to retreat from him or the thrill-seeking butterflies in her stomach, she flattened a palm on his chest to stop him. “What are you doing?”
“You just said—”
“I know what I said, but—” The rumble of voices echoed from the den, bouncing off the walls of the entryway.
His smile tilted into a sly grin. “Right.”
He grabbed her hand and started down a long hallway. His long legs ate up the ground so fast she had to trot to keep up with him.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere more private.”
“This is far enough. I don’t think they’ll hear.”
“Baby, the things I want to do to you… Believe me, they’ll hear you.”
“What?” She dug in her heels.
Spinning toward her, he yanked her against his chest and pinned her against the wall again, one hand at her throat, his thumb tipping her face toward his. His other hand smoothed over her hip to palm her ass and hauled her against his groin.
Her lips parted on a gasp as the ridge of his hard cock slammed against her clit. Pleasure spiraled into her core, and amoan rose in her throat, but she swallowed it down, grasped the back of his shirt with both hands, and pulled. “Wait, I—”
“I’m tired of waiting, tired of your fucking rules. You’re driving me fucking crazy.” He lowered his mouth to her neck, stringing open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone. “I’ve wanted to do this all fucking day. All I could think about was touching you, kissing you, bending you over the fucking island, cramming you full of my cock, and wrecking your pussy.”
She shivered at the raw lust in his deep, gravelly voice, at his hot breath against her skin, and at the fantasy he conjured. “That’s not, um…mmmmmm.”
God, it felt so good.Hefelt good. His mouth, his hands, the weight of his muscle-toned body, hard and nearly crushing the resistance out of her. It would be so easy to let go.
“Mess with the bull, girl, get the horn,” grandma intruded.
