I open the door for her and she pauses before getting in.
"Thank you for coming tonight," she says, her voice puffing a cloud in the cold night air. "It took a lot of courage."
I give her a smile. "I'm glad I came. And I insist on following you home," I say. "To make sure you get there safely."
She raises an eyebrow. "I’m fully capable of driving myself home, Ike.”
"I know you are, Sloane." I hold her gaze. "It’s for my peace of mind."
Something in her relaxes, like a knot coming undone.
"Okay," she whispers. “If you insist.”
Her cabin is tucked at the edge of the woods with soft lights glowing through the windows. I park next to her in the driveway and meet her at her car.
"May I walk you to your door?" I ask, helping her out of the car.
"Yes, I'd like that."
We walk in silence, our breath fogging in the February air. She unlocks her front door, then turns to face me.
The porch light casts a warm glow over her features as she's looking up at me, and I'm losing every battle I've ever fought with myself.
"Thank you, again," she says softly. "For dinner. For showing up. I really enjoyed this.” She takes a breath. “And I’d like to spendmoretime with you.”
"Sloane." My voice comes out like gravel. "I need you to understand something. I'm not the kind of man who does things halfway. If this…goes further, it won't be casual. It won't be a fling."
She nods. "I know."
"Do you? Because once I have you, I won’t want to let go."
She steps closer, her eyes traveling over my face. "I don't want you to let go."
I break.
One hand slides under her hair over the back of her neck, the other pulls her hip against me…and Iclaimher mouth.
I pour fifteen years of loneliness and wanting into this searing, passionate kiss.
She moans against my lips and I swallow the sound, my tongue sliding against hers, my fingers tightening in her hair. She tastes like everything I've ever dreamed of.
I crowd her against the doorframe, my body pressing her into the wood, and she arches into me. I'm hard—painfully, obviously hard—and when she rolls her hips against me, I growl into her mouth.
I pull back, breath ragged, thumb stroking her lower lip. "If I don’t leave now?—"
"No." Her hands fist in my sweater. “Don’t leave.”
"Sloane—"
"Please." Those green eyes, dark with want, blink up at me. "Please,Daddy."
The word hits me like a bolt of lightning to the groin. Buteverynerve ending in my body ignites.
Fuck.
"Inside," I rasp.
She pulls me through the door and I close it behind us.
