“This one is my favorite,” I say, my voice trembling slightly.
“Same.” Wilder shifts my long hair aside to plant kisses up my neck, his tongue flicking out to taste my skin. I gasp as he reaches the sensitive spot beneath my ear. He captures my lips in a possessive kiss.
“You are distracting me,” I chastise, my breath coming in short pants.
Wilder laughs, the deep sound vibrating through my body. “Sorry, I’ll be good.”
I shake my head. That’s the last thing I want. I want out-of-control Wilder.
I lean in to kiss him again, my fingers tangling in his brown hair, pulling him closer. Our kiss deepens as he presses me against the wooden banister behind me with the red, orange, and gold landscape framing Wilder’s back. It really is a beautiful piece, but not as perfect as the view in front of me. Wilder looks handsome in his black suit and tie, which he loosened when we left the ballroom. But as much as I love him in this outfit, I want him out of it.
“The rest of the tour is this way,” I say, leading him by his tie.
We make it up another three steps before I push him against the wall to kiss him again, my body molding to his. His hands explore my hips before sliding higher to graze the underside of my breasts, sending jolts of electricity through my veins.
“Not here,” I chastise.
We stumble toward a room with a closed door. I turn the handle and freeze; the room isn’t empty. Vane and Desiree are intertwined on the bed. Desiree straddles Vane with a silk tie tied around his wrists, their lips locked in a fierce kiss. My mouth goes dry as her hand traces a slow, deliberate path down his chest. I clear my throat, and the sound feels thick and clumsy. Desi twists, her eyes widening as she sees me and her brother standing in the doorway. She flinches.
“Wilder, get out!” Desi screeches.
Vane, ever the provocateur, merely smirks. “Come for a show?”
Wilder, who didn’t have a clear view at first, does a double-take. He turns green. “That’s my sister, you fucking fuckwit.”
I yank Wilder from the room and yell, “Carry on!”
“Is there an eyewash station in this place? Even better, is the therapist on duty yet? I need to unpack what I just saw. Otherwise, it will plague me for the rest of my life,” Wilder whines.
I practically drag Wilder up the stairs, our footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell until we burst onto the rooftop. Summer heat hits us as we step outside, and the sounds of the city float up to us. Spread before us is a stunning view: the entire skyline, its lights like scattered stars against the dark night.
“They could have at least locked the door. It’s like they want to get caught,” Wilder continues, his voice still tinged with annoyance.
I sigh, not wanting Desi and Vane to overshadow what we were building up to. “Maybe getting caught turns them on,” I purr. “Besides, you can’t blame them for doing what weareabout to do.” I lean in closer, pressing my body against his. “Now, where were we?” I trail my fingers along the waistband of his pants, daring him to bring up Desi and Vane again.
His grip tightens around my waist, spinning me until my back presses against the cool brick of the building. Wilder cages me in, his body a wall of heat against mine. A delicious thrill shoots through me. I giggle, breathless, but the sound catches in my throat as his closeness ignites a deeper ache.
“You brought us to the roof.” His voice is guttural against my ear, sending a tremor down my spine. I gasp, instinctually arching my neck to give him better access. “Do you want people to hear you begging for me in that flimsy dress?”
Gods. Yes.
“No one can hear us,” I challenge, tilting my head back to expose my throat.
“Is that so?”he asks, his eyes darkening until black, a predatory gleam drowning out the green. He loosens his grip just enough to slide one hand lower, cupping the curve of my hip, pulling me tighter against him. “We’ll see about that.”
Wilder captures my lips in a kiss that robs me of breath and leaves me weak in the knees. The taste of wine on his tongueintoxicates me, a heady blend of defiance and desire. I melt into his embrace, surrendering to him. Ready to let him burn me to ash.
His kiss turns urgent, demanding, and he nips at my bottom lip, eliciting a gasp from me as rough bricks scrape against my exposed skin. I trust the celebrations won’t continue without me for much longer, but right now, I only want to be here with him, lost in his touch, scent, and everything.Him. Everything him.
“Silver is officially my favorite color,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Oh, yeah, I thought it was blue?” I manage to ask as his hand caresses my breast, his thumb brushes my nipple through the thin fabric. The other still grips my hip, holding me close, as if he fears something might separate us. But I know, with unwavering conviction, that wherever I go, he will follow. After nearly being forced apart several months ago when the Council pressured me to marry Alden, I am determined never to face a situation where I must choose between the man I love and another again.
“No, it is silver, like this dress, and your eyes.”
With those words, I am completely undone by this man.
“Marry me,” I breathe.
