But his eyes follow me. They drag down my body in one slow pass, stopping at my chest. My stomach flips. I forgot how, after he disappeared into his room last night, I’d slipped off my bra under my sweatshirt before crashing here.
His mouth parts, tongue wetting his bottom lip, and the air between us thickens.
“You said my name,” he exhales, voice harsher this time, like gravel caught in his throat. His hand flexes against his thigh, knuckles tight. “Then you asked me to touch you.”
The confession slams into me, heat rushing up my neck. My heart pounds, each thud echoing in my ears. A shiver of anticipation runs down my spine. Because the truth is—I don’t remember saying it. But God, I can’t deny how much I want him to.
The light flickers across his face, catching the hunger in his eyes. They drop to my chest, drag up to my mouth, then lock on mine again.
“Tessa…” My name escapes from him like a confession.
I don’t know if he meant to say it aloud, but I hold still, pulse pounding in my ears.
“Is that what you want?” he asks finally.
I don’t know where the boldness comes from. I stand, the hem of my shirt tugging up to bare a strip of skin. His gaze follows the movement, his throat working as he swallows. His hands tighten around the arms of the chair, holding himself back.
I step between his knees and lean down, palms pressing to his thighs. His breath stutters, a sound deep in his chest that goes straight through me.
“I want you to do more than touch me, Clay,” I whisper, a small smile tugging at my lips. “But we can start there.”
His hand shoots out, catching my arm and tugging me onto his lap. I don’t hesitate—I go willingly, straddling his thighs. The room glows low behind us, shadows stretching along the walls.
He leans in, his mouth trailing from my collarbone up my neck. Each kiss grows rougher, a mix of teeth and heat that steals my breath. He pauses, breath hot against my skin, hands gripping my hips.
“You smell so fucking good,” he murmurs, voice ragged against my throat. “Sweet, like cinnamon and sugar.”
Something about hearing Clay talk like this makes something inside me unravel.
I press my palms to his chest, fingers digging into muscle, feeling the thrum of his heartbeat under my hands. His eyes find mine, dark and hungry, and when I peel my shirt over my head, his gaze follows every inch of bare skin.
His palms trace up my sides, sending a wave of chills through my body despite the heat in the room.
I catch his chin between my fingers, forcing his eyes back to mine. Leaning in, I hover my lips just shy of his. I drag my teeth across my lower lip, watching his eyes flare.
Then I breathe against his ear, my voice low. “I want the feel of your hands burned into my memory.”
It’s all the permission he needs. The restraint in him snaps, and whatever line he was holding disappears.
He reaches his hand around me, holding my body against him. His mouth finds its way to my breasts. I grip his face in my hands, not wanting him to stop. The combination of his tongue licking and sucking my nipple sends a shot of desire straight to my core.
He cups my breast, brushing his thumb over my puckered skin. My hips buck, thrusting against him, creating a delicious friction with each grind of my hips.
“Oh fuck, Clay,” I groan. “Keep doing that. Please don’t stop.”
His hand glides up my body, grabbing my throat and pulling back enough for me to see the desire simmering in his eyes.
The storm outside fades to nothing, just wind and snow against the glass. In here, it’s just him and me, wrapped in heat and want and the line we’re about to cross.
I brush my fingers over the front of his pants, feeling how wet I am through my panties grinding against him.
“Jesus.” He sucks a deep breath. “Do you have any idea what you fuckin’ do to me?”
Something about how his body reacts to me is so arousing. I love the way he tries to keep control, even when he’s losing it.
I rub my hand over him, dipping my fingers beneath the waistband of his pants and into his boxer briefs. His cock jolts when my finger brushes over the smooth tip, tracing the small bead of cum leaking.
I slide back on his legs, giving myself more room to explore his body, and he releases his hold on me.
