His lips brush my hair as he hugs me, and my arms go around his neck.
He runs his mouth across my jawline, and shivers run down my spine.
I pull back just enough so I can look into his eyes.
“Maybe we should kiss now,” I say softly.
“Maybe we should,” he murmurs. His gaze goes to my mouth. “I’d like to make love to your beautiful mouth all night long.”
Dear God.
Before I can back out, Dylan’s mouth is on mine. But unlike the light peck of last night, this time he doesn’t pull away.
And this time I kiss him back. And back.
It’s the most perfect kiss of my life. Very likely the most perfect kiss in creation.
His tongue is gentle at first, but when I start clawing at his back like a starving animal, he gets rougher. He wraps one hand around my hair and nibbles my lower lip, then licks my top one before sliding his tongue deep into my mouth. Then I’m climbing onto his lap and pulling at his hair as I silently beg him to kiss me harder.
And he complies.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw you,” he whispers as he shifts back a fraction of an inch. “I wanted to kiss you this afternoon after you came so hard on my hand I nearly lost myself.”
I nip his full lower lip. “Then why didn’t you?”
His eyes lock with mine. “Because touching you like that was not a casual event, Jasalie. And casual is what we agreed to.”
“You didn’t…” I rephrase. “You don’t often do that with women you pick up in cities you travel to? You know, have a hook up and then move on?”
“I’ve done the hook up for the weekend thing before, yes.” His dark eyes flash with intensity as he stares at me. “But I’ve never felt for anyone what you made me feel this afternoon. And we didn’t even kiss.”
I grip his shirt in my hands and hang on. “It surprised me too.”
“I handled it like shit.” His expression turns repentant. “I truly apologize for that. The last thing I wanted was for you to leave, and yet that’s the vibe I gave off.”
“You looked like you regretted touching me.”
I wish I could take back the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. They’re too honest, and far too revealing.
But Dylan takes my face in both hands. “Absolutely not,” he says with feeling. “I didn’t regret one second of what we did. If you read something on my face, it was me realizing that this thing between us is already more complicated than I’d planned on. Maybe you felt that too.”
“Yes. And I’m sorry I ran out on you.” My voice is so quiet I’m not sure he heard me.
A heavy breath, and then he says, “You don’t need to run all the time. Sometimes it’s okay to stay.”
Sometimes it’s okay to stay.
His words do something to my closed-off heart, and I take a jagged inhale as I break away from him abruptly. My mouth is wet and my hair’s a mess. I’ve never felt so exposed.
Dylan leans back against the wall as we stare at each other. His lips are swollen and his cheeks flushed. And his eyes look as wild as I feel inside. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I actually freaked him out. But he must have had an amazing kiss before. With the number of women that have thrown themselves at him, he must have.
But I know I haven’t. I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy. Maybe because I never was.
“You’re breaking down my walls,” he whispers, surprising the hell out of me.
“Touché.” I laugh shakily and then force myself to stand up. “I should go to bed.”
He follows and leans in to kiss me softly. “Love in an elevator?”
