But who was she to hold a genetic quirk against someone? Especially when they were her type. Big and hot and built like a bear.
She caught a flash of John walking right past them, and she tensed. Driven by impulse, she rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against her savior’s.
He didn’t respond for a second, his lips flat and hard against hers. But then his arms went around her waist, and his lips moved, softening, welcoming.
Oh.
It had been a while since Sejal had been kissed, and she wasn’t sure if she’d been kissed like this. For a second, it was like the world around them blipped out of place. Gone was the man who had triggered her fight or flight. Gone was the music. Gone were the people around them.
Her adrenaline was transformed into pure lust by the long, drugging kiss, weighing her down. She relaxed against the strangerand followed his lead, tilting her head one way, then another. His tongue brushed her lower lip and she let out a soft moan. His fingers stroked under the hem of her shirt, settling in the small of her back like the dip there had been made for him.He must work with his hands, she thought. There were calluses on the pad of his thumb and forefinger. She wanted to feel them all over her, catching on her skin.
What are you doing?
She wasn’t sure anymore, but she did know that she hadn’t felt like this in a long time, if ever. She parted her lips and let him in. A zing of electricity ran down her back, and she pressed closer as the kiss turned hotter.
After a last lick, he lifted his head and looked down at her, brow furrowed. His lips were wet. She inhaled. He smelleddelicious, spicy and dark.
“What is going on?” he murmured, like he was asking himself, but she didn’t know the answer to that, either. She ran her hands over his shoulders. His jacket was silky smooth.
His fingers flexed on her back. Her skin burned. She wanted him to stroke his hand up.
They stared at each other for a long moment, the spell broken when someone bumped into him. Sejal mentally shook herself, the music and people around them yanking her out of the weird sensual fog he’d draped around them. She pitched her voice louder, so he could hear her over the din. “Uh. I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. Or I should have asked you first.”
“If it makes you feel better, if you’d asked me, I would have said yes.” The words were uttered without inflection, but a shiver ran down her back. “Is he gone?”
“Who?”
“The man who was bothering you?”
Oh, right. Fuck. John.Sejal snapped to attention. She licked her wet lips and dared to look around the big man’s body. John was nowhere to be seen. She released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Good. He was gone.
Assholes abounded, and at least John had led her to a rather handsome fellow who kissed like a dream.Maybe now you can get back to your original goal for the night?“I think so.”
Sejal slowly lowered her hands from around his neck and slid them down his shoulders. She ought to release him, but his heart was thudding right under her palm, and the wall was at her back. Plus, he didn’t seem like he was in a hurry to get rid of her.
“What was the deal with him?”
“Someone who couldn’t take no for an answer. Thought I owed him for a few drinks.” Her potential suitor didn’t need to know about the whole stealing a Rolex situation.
The man’s voice deepened. “Disgusting.”
“Very.” She tried to lighten the mood. “Do you usually help damsels in distress on Friday nights?”
He lifted his massive shoulder. There was a quiet, controlled stillness about him. Normally, she didn’t care for control, but his kiss had been wild, so the dichotomy was intriguing. “Not usually, no. Dragon fighting is reserved for Saturdays.”
Her smile was small, but felt real. “Thanks for making an exception. What’s your name?”
“Krish.”
That was a beautiful name. Maybe her new favorite name. “Where are you from?”
“DC. Visiting for the weekend.”
Perfect. She avoided locals for hookups when she could.
Is he going to be a hookup?Okay, it was a tad early to make that call. Except that she didn’t necessarily want to get to know Krish better here, where John could pop up at any moment and make a potential scene. She was now also too skittish to go to someone’s hotel room. “Do you want to walk me to the train?”
“I have a car. I can drive you home, if you’d like.”
