"Tarmek—"
He growled against her throat. Actually growled, a rumbling vibration she felt through her whole body.
"Tell me to stop."
"No."
"Edie." His forehead dropped to her shoulder. His breathing was ragged. "I'm trying to?—"
"I know what you're trying to do." She pulled back far enough to look at him. His face was smeared with color, green on his cheekbone and gold at his temple. He looked wrecked. Beautiful.Mine.
Careful,a small voice whispered.Temporary, remember? This is temporary.
She ignored it.
"I don't want you to try," she said. "I want you to stop holding back."
His eyes searched her face. Looking for hesitation. Finding none.
"You don't know what you're asking."
"Then show me."
He groaned and lifted her into his arms, her legs wrapping around him instinctively as he held her against the paint-smeared wall. She pulled him in for another kiss. Slower this time. Deeper. Tasting the surrender in it, the way his resistance crumbled with every slide of her tongue against his.
His hands were everywhere. On her hips, her back, the curve of her ass. When one huge palm cupped her breast, she moaned into his mouth and rolled her hips against him. She'd never been kissed like this. Like she was precious and infuriating in equal measure. Like he wanted to devour her and protect her at the same time.
When they finally broke apart, gasping, the silence of the empty arena pressed in around them. She could hear their mingled breathing. The distant hum of the building's heating system. The pounding of her own heart.
"We're covered in paint," she said.
He looked down at himself. At the riot of color streaking his clothes and his arms. Then he looked at her, equally destroyed.
"Your fault."
"Worth it."
Something shifted in his expression. Some last wall crumbling, some final resistance giving way.
"Yes," he agreed quietly. "It is."
He set her down gently, keeping his hands on her waist until he was sure she had her balance. Then he stepped back and surveyed the disaster zone they'd created. Paint footprints tracked across the drop cloths. Her brushes were scattered everywhere. The wall she'd been working on had new handprints that definitely weren't part of the original design.
"This is a mess," he said.
"I know."
"An absolute disaster."
"Mmhmm."
"It will take hours to clean."
"At least."
He looked at her. His jaw was doing that clenchy thing again, but his eyes were warm. Warmer than she'd ever seen them.
"Worth it," he repeated.
