Az whirled on his feet, grabbed my hand, and practically dragged me into the hallway. I cast a glance over my shoulder at the woman staring after us in her perfect, sparkling gown. So many questions flew through my head. Who was she? Why had Az reacted the way he had? And how come she wasn’t put off by his rudeness? It was almost like she’d expected it.
But all those questions fled from my mind the second my back hit the wall. While I’d been distracted, Az had pulled me into a quieter, darker corner of the hallway. We weren’t alone. Several of the other party attendees were nearby, but it was as secluded as we would get without going into one of the bedrooms.
Not that I was thinking about going into one of the bedrooms.
Not atall.
Az leaned forward, bracing his hands on either side of my head. Swallowing hard, I tipped back my head to meet his eyes. “It’s time to get to work.”
“Yeah, alright,” I whispered back as he trailed a finger along the edge of my jaw. Sparks soared behind his touch.
And then he kissed me.
21
His lips were full of hunger. I pressed up onto my toes and wound my arms around his neck, pushing my body against the hard planes of his chest. All logical thought fled from my mind. A strange, unexpected need ripped through my gut.
Az’s fingers tangled in my hair as his other hand dragged a soft caress across my chin. His touch made all the anger, the uncertainty, and the fear come undone within me. His mouth claimed mine, and the eagerness of his hands reflected a growing sense of need I couldn’t ignore.
I kind of…liked this.
Soon, his hands found mine. He trapped them against the wall and pulled back. His dark gaze searched my eyes, those flashes of ice asking a question I didn’t know how to answer. I realized then that my chest heaved. Hell, my entire body practically trembled.
With a slight smile, he dropped his lips to my neck. I gasped as a new wave of chills swept through me. Every time he trailed another kiss along my skin, my core built up an excruciating heat. Blood rushed through my ears. Everything around us dropped away until there was nothing left but me and him.
This is just for pretend, my mind screamed at me.
I blocked out the words. Might as well make it look as real as we could.
He released his grip on my left hand, and then palmed my hips. I sucked in a sharp gasp as his fingers teased the top of my thigh. My mind shouted something at me again, but I didn’t hear it. I was too distracted by what Az was doing with his hand.
The hand slid further south until it hit the bottom hem of my dress. And then slowly, it crept a little higher,beneaththe material. My entire body shook, and I swallowed down a moan. His mouth was still hot against my neck, driving me crazy, and his hand…oh my god, it was only an inch away from the apex of my thighs now.
“What are you doing?” I finally gasped, although a part of me wanted to slap myself for interrupting.
I could feel him smile against my neck. “I’m doing what we said we were going to do. Make everyone believe in our entanglement.”
“Right,” I breathed back. “With your hand up my dress?”
He pulled back and shot me a wicked smile. “Would you like for me to stop?”
Swallowing hard, I shook my head. “No, you should keep going. You know, for the fake relationship.”
“For the fake relationship,” he repeated with a dark flicker in his eyes. He inched closer, his hand still on my thigh, and he gave me a gentle kiss that made my toes curl in my boots. I reached up and placed my palm against his cheek. His stubble tickled my skin, and the scent of him reminded me of tense nights spent in his bed.
His presence consumed me. The scent, the taste, the feel of him. What we were doing might be fake, but I had to admit something to myself or I might lose my mind. Ireallydidn’t hate him anymore.
That didn’t mean he was a good guy who could be trusted, or any of that. But I definitely didn’t hate him.Dammit.
His hand slid a little further up, and his thumb pressed against my panties.
Oh my god.
“Well, that’s interesting,” he said with a smirk. “You’re wet.”
“I…”
His thumb released its pressure, and I sagged against the wall. But then his finger slid beneath the thin, lacy material. My entire body shook as my heart leapt right up into my throat and stuck there. His eyes stayed locked on mine the entire time, and slowly, he slid the tip of his finger inside of me.
