“Honestly?” He tilted his head to face me.
I nodded, both afraid to hear what he might say and eager to see if he would admit to having the same kinds of thoughts about me that I’d been having about him.
“I keep thinking about that kiss.”
The sensation in my gut expanded, sending heat radiating throughout my core. “Me too.” My voice came out soft.
“Really?” He tucked his elbow under his head and rolled over on his side.
“Yeah.” The admission came out much too easy. But the ball was in his court. While I waited to see what he’d do about it, my pulse kicked up.
“Any chance you might want to do it again?”
I bit down on my lip to prevent myself from shouting out my agreement. It wouldn’t do me any good to get involved with a guy like Alex. He’d be leaving as soon as he could—he’d told me that much himself. Not to mention both of us needed to put all of our focus and efforts into pulling off the wedding. There was no time for a fling.
But instead of shooting him down and making a case for why it would be an epically bad idea, I reached out and ran my fingersover his jaw. He closed his eyes as I traced the contours of his cheek, grazed his eyelids, and settled on his mouth.
His lips parted and he nipped the tip of my pointer finger. A jolt of desire slammed into my core. Any resistance I clung to disappeared as he sucked my finger into his mouth, surrounding it with wet heat. I let out a little moan.
He sucked hard and I couldn’t help but imagine what it might feel like if he focused his mouth on another part of my anatomy. One much lower and more sensitive than where he’d currently zeroed in his attention. I scooted closer to him and pulled my finger from his mouth before I pressed my lips to his. Warmth flooded my system as his hand went to my hair.
I flung my arm over his side and ran my fingers up the smooth skin of his back. His shoulder rolled, and then he flipped me onto my back to hover over me, his muscles flexed. I put my hands on his biceps, enjoying the way they strained to support his weight. The whole time his mouth met mine, his tongue seeking a way past my lips.
As my heart beat double time I opened for him. His tongue scorched mine, then he lowered himself next to me. One arm went around my back, pulling me close, while the other played over my shirt. His fingers raced up my ribs, leaving a trail of goose bumps. I shivered as my need doubled, tripled, making me bolder. I shifted my leg, sliding it between his. My feet moved up and down his calves as my knee slid even higher.
I wanted to stop. Giving in to the feelings I had for Alex would only cause pain in the long run. I’d always been able to separate physical desire from my emotions. What had changed? If we did this, there would be no turning back for me. He’d leave and I’d end up more alone than I’d been before. If I let him in, opened my heart, he’d leave a hole a mile wide.
So I did what any smart, self-sufficient woman would do. I lowered my hand and cupped him through his jeans. He moanedand slid his hand under my shirt. His fingers moved up my rib cage until they stopped at the edge of my bra. He pulled back. His gaze met mine.
“You really want to do this?” His voice came out husky, gravelly, so sexy I could feel myself edge toward the brink of something magical, fantastical, terrifying.
The question hung in the air between us. Seconds ticked by. His brow furrowed while he waited. I had the power to end this. To make sure I didn’t lose a part of myself.
But then I nodded. His lips curved into a smile, and I committed it to memory so I could pull it out later when I was sure to play this scene over and over again in my mind. The moment that I jumped with no safety net. I’d either get caught up by Alex or crash.
As he rolled me onto my back and began to kiss his way down my neck, across my collarbone, his hands lifted the hem of my shirt. I silently urged him on. My fingers played with his hair, ran over his shoulders. Then my shirt went over my head. His mouth settled at the spot between my breasts. My breath hitched, my hips bucked, and I arched into him.
He chuckled, his breath warming my skin. I wanted to flip him on his back, bite my way down his chest, and get on with it. But I made myself still and tried to enjoy the warmth of his tongue, the heat of his breath, and the way his touch sent shivers up and down my spine.
He moved his mouth from my bare skin to the cup of my bra. Then he ran his tongue under the lacy edge, meeting the sensitive skin of my breast. I shifted, aching for the same sort of contact lower. His mouth moved and his teeth scraped against my nipple through the fabric of my bra. I cursed padded cups, vowing to never ever buy them again.
“Tell me what you want.” His voice rubbed along my nerve endings, exposing them one by one.
I took his hand and lifted it to my mouth. As those icy blue eyes searched my gaze, I kissed each one of his fingertips. He smiled as he watched me. Then I lowered his hand between us, pushing it past the waistband of my jeans.
His eyes sparkled. “You ready for me so soon?”
As his fingers explored, I unbuttoned my jeans. “I’ve been ready since the day we met. Just wondering why it’s taking you so long to catch up.”
His mouth parted like he wanted to say something. But he licked his bottom lip instead. “Are you calling me out for not moving fast enough for you?”
I shrugged as best I could. “Call it what you want.”
His finger slid into me, and I clutched the bedspread with both hands, trying to remain unaffected, even as he stroked me.
“All right. Let’s take this to the next level then, shall we?” He pulled his hand away and I wanted to cry at the loss of his touch.
Before I could make a move, he’d unbuttoned his jeans, slid them off, and reached behind me for the clasp of my bra. I whispered my thanks to the universe that the man couldn’t resist a challenge. Then his mouth found my breast, and I couldn’t think at all.
