Desire sears between my thighs, and I clamp them together under my dress, whimpering slightly as Clay sucks my bottom lip into his mouth. His movements turn wild as he grabs at me, a deep growl tearing from his throat. It’s so hot—so deliciously primal.
I want nothing more than to lose myself in his kiss and let everything else fall away. But I’m so terrified of putting my heart on the line for something fake. I need to know this is for real. I need to know this won’t all be over tomorrow.
With a soft groan, I pull back from Clay, my lips burning from his kiss. He looks as frustrated as I feel inside. His jaw is tight, chest heaving as he stares at me.
“I need you, sugar,” he says in a low, dangerous voice.
I swallow hard. “Clay, I…listen, I need to know if…” My words are a mess. I’m still too dazed from our kiss to express myself properly. “I just…I know this is meant to be fake?—”
Clay makes a noise deep in his throat, his hands grabbing my hips. He pulls me against him roughly, and I gasp when I feel his bulge poking against my belly. He bends down, his breath hot against my ear as he mutters, “That feel fake, sugar?”
I take a few deep breaths, but I don’t pull away. The party is still bustling around us, people talking and laughing louder than ever, but they might as well be on a different planet as I meet Clay’s gaze.
“I want you,” I tell him quietly. “Really, really badly. I’m just scared of getting hurt. My heart isn’t built for anything casual, so if this is all just a one-off…I can’t do it.”
Clay shuts his eyes and lets out a deep breath, resting his forehead against mine.
“Fuck, Savannah, if only you knew…” His voice is softer now, and I hear him swallow hard. “I don’t do casual either, sugar. My feelings for you are the opposite of casual.” He pulls back to look at me, his eyes fierce with sincerity. “I want to make you mine. For real and forever, buttercup.”
My pulse skitters, his words flooding my veins, reverberating through every inch of me.
For real and forever, buttercup.
All my breath escapes in a shaky rush. “That’s exactly what I wanted you to say.”
“Good. ‘Cause I mean it, sugar. More than you know.”
I believe him. There’s nothing fake about the way he’s looking at me right now. His hardness is still pressing into me, making my blood pump hot and quick. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything. My whole soul is aching for this man.
I’m done resisting.
I’m ready to be his—for real and forever, just like he said.
“Let’s get out of here, sugar,” Clay mutters. “I need to kiss you again before I lose my mind.”
He’s already tugging me toward the exit, and I have just enough time to say goodbye to Grandma before I’m being steered outside and across the street to Clay’s truck. It’s snowing, the air frosty, but my whole body feels warm as Clay opens the passenger-side door and helps me climb up. Then he turns on the engine and floors it out of Cherry Hollow.
His eyes keep darting between me and the road ahead, like he’s worried I’ll vanish any second. Once we’re on the twisting path leading to Cherry Mountain, Clay suddenly pulls over on a quiet verge on the edge of the forest. The trees rise up outside my window, dusted white and swaying in the breeze.
“Why are we stopping?” I ask.
“Can’t wait another second, sugar.” Clay’s jaw is tight as he unfastens his seatbelt, leaning toward me. “Come here.”
He catches my lips in another searing kiss, tangling his hands in my hair as he pulls me close. This time, I don’t hold back. I kiss him hard, looping my arms around him, shuddering as his mouth opens against mine. His tongue delves between my lips, hot and urgent—a delicious invasion. He tastes like whiskey, raw musk filling my mouth as his tongue slides against mine.
I can’t get enough.
I’m greedy for more, my panties slick with desire as Clay’s hands roam my body. He squeezes my breasts through the knitted fabric of my dress, tugging on my hard nipples. The sensation makes me shiver, and I gasp into his mouth—but he doesn’t stop there. His giant hand slides all the way down to the bare skin of my knee, creeping beneath the hem of my dress. Anticipation quivers in my belly. His fingers are brushing my inner thigh, his tongue still probing my mouth when he reaches my panties.
“Fuck, beautiful,” he mutters, pulling back to look at me. “You’re so wet.”
My cheeks heat fast. “Is that okay?”
He makes a deep noise in his throat. “More than okay. It’s perfect.”
A whimper slips from my lips as Clay’s huge hand slides into my panties. His eyes drill into mine as his fingers slide up my slit, and my whole body jolts when he touches my clit, twanging like an exposed nerve. His gaze darkens at my reaction.
“You like that, sugar?”
