“What?” I tug the towel off, glaring at her. “No.”
“You won’t kiss me with my parents around? Not if I’ve had a drink? Not while we’re pretending? Is it just a line you won’t cross?”
“None of the above.”
She folds her arms over her chest, a little hurt. “Am I ugly? Not skinny enough? Does the thought of kissing me repulse you?”
“No!” I ball the towel, tossing it in the sink. “Stop asking questions.”
“Why?!” she raises her voice to match mine. “Now you’ve got to know me better, I’m not your type? Is that it? Or maybe there’s someone else. You got a girl back home?”
“I’m not having this conversation.” I march away, but she adds something that, coupled with the pain in her voice, almost breaks me clean in two.
“What the hell iswrongwith me that you won’t kiss me?”
I turn back and grab her by the throat, firm but gentle as I bring her face closer. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Don’t ever think that. There’s no one else back home or anywhere in the goddamn world. You’re perfect. You smell like roses in spring rain, peaches, and sugar.” I caress the column of her throat with my thumb, balling the other hand into a tight fist at my side to keep myself from grabbing her hip and yanking her into me. “You’re smart, beautiful, funny, and I can’t get enough of how absolutely fucking infuriating and nosey you are.”
“Thenwhywon’t you kiss me?” She’s no longer shouting, she’s whispering, her sweet breath on my lips, the distance so small... so fucking small.
So tempting.
“Because if I do, if I get a taste of your lips, I won’t stop until I know what every inch of you tastes like. Until I know what makes you submit. What makes you tick, what makes you open that smart mouth and sigh my name.”
And when I know all that... I’ll want more.
She swallows, her throat pulsing under my fingers, eyes holding mine, her expression nothing short of a dare.
“You’d know that by now if you hadn’t pushed me away last night.” She raises both hands, then scrapes her nails slowly down my torso. “We both want a wild night together. We’re two consenting adults far away from our real lives, so... why not have fun while we’re here? What’s standing in your way?”
It’s hard to argue with her logic. Icouldargue it’s because I want more thanfunfrom her, but there’ll be time for that later. Right now, I’m weak. I’d have to be a world-class idiot to turn down what she’s offering. Especially since I’ve imagined her naked and panting every fucking day since we met.
“You have no idea what you’re asking, Addie.” I squeeze her neck tighter. My mind’s made. The ball’s in her court and I’m about to find out how brave she really is. “Let me explain before we add benefits into the mix. You can have the worst attitude all day long but...” I dip my head, dragging my nose from her jaw to her ear, “...in bed, I don’t take that kind of behavior lightly. In bed, you’re my good girl. Submissive. You do as you’re told.”
I take one last step forward, standing between her legs, and grab her hip, yanking her closer to the edge of the cabinet. “You take what I give you,” I continue, my fingers pumping around her neck. “If I want to deny you, I will. If I want to punish you for acting out, I will. If I want to reward you with five orgasms, you’ll count.”
“Five?” she gasps, her cheeks deliciously pink as oxygen deprivation kicks in. “I’ll be impressed if you manageone.”
I cock an eyebrow. “That’s all you got to say?”
“I’d rather moan than speak.”
Fuck this girl is reckless.
Those few short words send me spiraling. I’m done. So fucking done holding back. This thing between us isn’t going to follow any standard dating timeline, but who cares? I’ll make this work whichever way I have to.
My lips come down on hers, sealing that bratty mouth and shutting up that attitude I can’t wait to tame. She’s eager. Quick to let me sink deeper, tasting her sweetness.
Boy, am I in trouble.
Everything inside me coils, tightens, knots so hard it’s almost a pain. Thebestflavor of pain. The freeing, arousing, exhilarating kind with the anticipation and bliss I only ever feel when my car screeches up to the start line. Now, it floods my system because of Addie. My heart swells, ramming against my ribs as her hot tongue darts out, exploring mine.
She grips fistfuls of my t-shirt, pulling herself closer, clinging to me like she can’t stand even the tiniest gap between us.
It’severything, this kiss. It feels like I’ve been waiting a fucking lifetime to taste her.
I ignore theclickin my head.
I ignore the feelings exploding in my chest.
