He’d spilled his guts, telling her the truth about the situation. Her flippant remark upped his frustration.
She slid from the desk and took several steps away, putting space between them. She’d never done that. Until tonight. She’d always wanted to draw closer, but something had changed these last months, and especially the last few days, with her putting increasing distance between them.
He hated it. He wouldn’t stand for it.
Cody didn’t let her get far. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and tugged her back. Off-balance, just like he felt on the inside, she fell back and landed in his lap. Exactly where he wanted her. She stared at him over her shoulder, her green eyes wide with shock, her lips parted on a soft gasp.
He stared at her beautiful face and couldn’t for the life of him deny how he felt in that moment.
He didn’t exactly admit he loved her, but he definitely couldn’t deny it.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said. You know…that I might not love her if I can’t give you up. You’re right. It’s over. She ended it. And maybe I should be upset. But…I can’t stop thinking about our kiss.”
“It was memorable,” she whispered, uncertainty in her bright green eyes.
He squeezed her hips between his big hands. “Stop being casual about something remarkable.”
Her eyes went wide. “I thought you only wanted to be friends.”
“You’re not the only one who’s changed.”
Everything around them disappeared at the edge of the light cast by the single lamp, leaving them cocooned in its soft glow. The intimacy grew along with the silence.
He traced his finger over her forehead, drawing away a stray strand of dark hair, then brushed his nose against hers, and inhaled her sweetness. “Something changed when we stood in this very room in July and I put my hand on you and didn’t want to let go. Then you walked down the stairs tonight looking so beautiful, I caught my breath. But instead of coming to me, you walked the other way, and it hurt. It felt like I was losing you.”
“You were with your girlfriend. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“You should have, because you matter to me, and I would never turn you away.”
“I didn’t turn away from you. I respected your relationship with her, because you matter to me. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It did. A lot. And it pissed me off to see all those guys at the party looking at you and touching you. Wanting you. Worse, I raged inside that you were looking at all of them. Talking to them. Smiling at them. You practically ignored me since themoment you got home. I kissed you because I couldn’t stand how you were pulling away and I was holding back and I could lose you to someone else. They can’t have you.”
And still he couldn’t bring himself to say the one thing she’d wanted to hear from him all her young life. She belonged to him.
She’s mine.
The air held a thick tension as they crossed into uncharted territory.
The pulse at her throat fluttered, quick as hummingbird wings. He’d made her nervous, but still, she waited, not taking her eyes off him. Unmoving. Anticipation building. She waited. For him.
Cody took it as an invitation. His eyes locked with hers, he leaned into her, drawn by her enticing lips. His mouth fit over hers. He kept the kiss soft. Tempting.
Maybe it was the bourbon on her lips, or the soft light. Maybe it was the perfume she wore that insisted he draw closer, because he’d become addicted to her scent. Whatever it was, it set him off.
After the first nip at her bottom lip, he plunged, and then he plundered.
Like opening a window in a room and setting a fire free, the spark inside him ignited and consumed. His only thought: he had to have her. He had no idea why he’d taken so damn long to realize he wanted her when she’d made it so clear she wanted him.
He didn't care about the reasons or the whys, the past, or what this meant for their future. He needed her too badly to think of anything but her in his arms right now.
He wanted to feel her soft skin against his.
Now. Yesterday. Immediately.
Lost in her, Cody shut off his mind to everything but the feel of his mouth over hers and the taste of her tongue as they exploredand found their unique rhythm. Stuck in the chair, unable to maneuver her closer, he stood with her in his arms and walked around the desk.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, turned into him, this time shyly taking the lead and sliding her tongue along his, finding her courage to give in to his gentle demand and her own curiosity. She took the kiss deeper and he let loose the groan building inside him from the moment his lips met hers.
