I’m tempted to lie. But that feels wrong between us.
“No,” I admit. “But,” I rush out, “this isn’t about you. You’re fun and sweet.” My voice goes raspy. “And so fucking gorgeous. You know you can wrap any guy around your little finger.”
She smiles. Her eyes are back to gleaming. I look up, frustrated, because she makes me want to forget anything but having her tonight. It’s been too long since I’ve been with a woman. And this isDaisy. Perfect, tempting, forbidden, Daisy.
“It’s exactlybecauseyou are so important that I can’t go there. I need to know that you’re always going to be in my life. Just like Chase. A brief hookup would ruin my most important relationships. I’m not risking you just because my dick wants it.”
I see her try to fight her smile, but she can’t. “Well, Ryder. The dick wants what the dick wants.”
I’m not sure what I expected from my revelation, but it isn’t her reaction. Then again, not much about her is ever expected. “I think that saying is about the heart.”
She shrugs. “Both can be true at once.”
I need to get the hell out of her room before I can test her theory firsthand. But she sits up on the bed and leans toward me until we’re close. Way too close.
She whispers, “Go ahead. Run away like I see you’re dying to. But before you go, I dare you.”
I watch her warily. “Dare me to do what?”
She reaches up and touches my bottom lip. I resist the urge to lick her soft skin.
“Kiss me.”
My breath exhales. “I just told you—”
“Yes. You just told me.” She cocks her head to the side, and her pink lips tilt up. “I didn’t think you were so boring.”
“I’m not boring,” I grate out. “I’m—”
“A rock star. Yes. I know. You said so. But a proper rock star wouldn’t worry about things like big brothers. He would take what he wants, to hell with the consequences. He would grab me. Unbutton my dress.” She undoes her buttons slowly until her neckline gapes and I can see the edges of a pale-pink bra. “Would lift my skirts.” She inches up her dress at an agonizing pace until her thighs are exposed.
I can’t take my eyes off her. As if I’m in a trance, I reach out my fingers and follow the path up the smooth skin of her legs, tracking her movements until I suddenly realize what I’m doing and jerk my hand away. Like it burns.
I am burning. For her.
She leans even closer. My breathing is fast and shallow. Every part of me is focused on her lips, on the electricity between us, on the memory of her skin.
“A proper rock star would rip my dress off me until I was panting for him. He’d kiss and lick my breasts, he’d take out his big, hard—”
“Fuck, Daisy,” I groan and swoop down to take her mouth. I do it just to stop the flow of taunting words that are torturing me, to punish her sassy mouth, to distract myself from doing exactly as she described. But it backfires.
There’s nothing soft or sweet in our kiss. It’s as fiery as she is. Wild with pent-up passion years in the making. It opens the floodgates to feelings I’ve tamped down. To awareness I’ve denied. To heat I’ve ignored.
“Ryder.” She says my name on a broken moan of longing. I can’t get enough of the sound. I take it into my mouth and give her back everything I have. I grab her against me with rough possession, wrapping my hand around her throat, and kiss her deeply. She’s my equal in this, taking fistfuls of my T-shirt and yanking me to her so there’s not even a breath between us. Her hand goes to my ass, and she’s pressing herself against my dick, writhing, even as our kiss goes on and on and my tongue possesses every bit of her mouth.
The sound of a bark and the feel of claws against the legs of my jeans draw me out of the drugging kiss.
“What the fu—” I look down to find Archie at my feet, trying to claw his way up my leg.
Daisy rests a finger on her lips, her eyes foggy with desire still. She shakes her head, as if to clear it.
She looks down at Archie. “I’m not sure if he’s trying to protect my honor or thinks we’re playing a game he wants to join.”
I take in a ragged breath and step away from her. It’s not until I’m at the door that I feel steady enough to speak. “This can’t happen again. Ever.”
“Okay, boss man,” she whispers.
But somehow, I don’t believe her words.
