His mouth twitches, but his gaze stays intent. “Adelaide.” There’s a question in the way he says my name now. Not pressure, or assumption, just a pause he’s offering me.
And God help me, I want this.
I tip my chin up. “If I wanted you gone, I’d say so.”
That’s all it takes. He steps inside. The door swings shut behind him, and I don’t stop it. He’s close enough now that I smell him properly again, and my head is spinning.
“Ace,” I say as he locks the door behind him.
His gaze searches mine for half a beat. “Tell me to go back to my seat.”
I stare into those eyes, at the strong line of his jaw, the silver ring on his right hand, the shirt pulling across his chest, the way the grin is mostly gone now, leaving something more direct. More honest.
I could.
I don’t.
Something changes in his face. Not triumph but something rougher and hungrier as though he wanted the answer but still needed to hear it.
He steps closer, slow enough that I could stop him at any point. My breath catches as the front of him almost brushes mine, an inferno radiating off him.
His mouth hovers just above mine, the barest ghost of heat, enough to leave me aching with the carnal arousal.
“Jesus,” he says softly, like I’m the difficult one here.
Then I fist my hand in the front of his shirt, drag him down to me, and kiss him.
4
ACE
The door clicks shut, and Adelaide is pulling me toward her, our mouths clashing. I’m on her before my brain has even finished catching up. This gorgeous little Omega is pressed to me like she means it, climbing into my space, grabbing at my shirt as if she’s got every right, and fuck, I am loving every second of it.
She’s all sharp breath and attitude, green eyes ringed in dark makeup that’s smudged just enough now to make her look even prettier. Strawberry-blonde hair tumbling to her waist. And the black choker at her throat calls to me to get my hand around the back of her neck and hold her still while I take my time with her.
She’s so much smaller than me that it’s obscene. A full head shorter, all sass and that smart mouth that never quits, except now she’s kissing me, appearing rather pleased with herself.
Her scent is fucking everywhere in this tiny space. I caught it back in Seattle, and it’s been driving me insane ever since. But in here, there’s nowhere for it to go except straight into me. Mint first, cool and clean, then those floral notes underneath, and right at the bottom that dark, rich thread of chocolate. Sweet, then not. Soft, then wicked. It gets in my head, under my skin, and every instinct in me sits up and takes notice.
I’m just not giving her the satisfaction of hearing how much she impacts me yet.
I’ve got both hands on her now, one braced at her waist, the other sliding up her side, and I drop my face into her hair for one second like I need it more than air.
Yeah.
I’m done for.
“I like you like this,” she whispers against my jaw, fingers making impatient work of crawling under my shirt, and her voice has changed. Lower now. Less quick little knife, more heat, more invitation.
“Yeah?” I pull back enough to stare at her. “How’s that?”
Those green eyes flash. “Like you can’t hold it together anymore.”
A laugh pushes out of me, rougher than I meant it to be. “Baby, I’ve been holding it together since Seattle.”
I dip my head and put my mouth on her throat, right below that damn choker, and the second I feel her inhale, sharp and helpless, my cock grows harder, if that’s even possible.
“Some of us have manners,” I murmur against her skin.
