Page 44 of Grant’s Heat

“Grant?”

I gave my head a mild shake to yank my mind out of its musing and back to her. So fully on her. The task wasn’t hard, especially with the new husk in her voice. Damn it, so sexy. I wondered what had inspired it. Was she reacting to the champagne…or to our physical proximity?

“Yeah?” Mine matched hers then in seeming commiseration.

Which meant I was probably well and truly fucked.

“Will you…can you… I mean…” She squeezed her eyes—and her thighs—closed.

“What is it, Blaze? Just say what you need. You don’t have to feel self-conscious around me.” Did she hear my sincerity, even through my lust? “You should know that by now.”

She jerked her head quickly. “I do.”

“Good.” I reached in and threaded my fingertips through her cute bangs.

“Touch me,” she whispered.

I stopped breathing. “What?”

“Please, just touch me.”

When I finally allowed myself to breathe again, I sharply sucked air through my nose.

Rio jolted off my lap and sat forward. “Is it that repulsive of an idea?”

“Rio, shit,” I grated. Turning to face her, I grasped her hands, much tighter this time. “Touching you—fuck, even the thought of touching you—is the furthest thing from repulsive. Christ. I just—”

“What?” she demanded, gripping me tighter. “You just what?”

“I’ve just been waiting to hear those words for so long. Damn. My cock is so stiff at the moment, it might split my jeans.”

“Oh.” She blinked several times. Her lips parted, forming an entrancing blossom of temptation for my gaze. She repeated the word, officially taking care of the few cells in my body that hadn’t combusted by now. “All right, then. Well…”

I cut her short by sliding to my knees in front of the sofa—and her. At first, all I did was stare. My first priority was to gauge just how tipsy she was. There was no way I’d take advantage of a drunk woman, especially in light of the day—hell, the month—she’d already been through. I was relieved when my closer inspection revealed only her slightly glassy gaze. Otherwise, she was clear and focused.

And, if I wasn’t mistaken, getting as aroused as me.

I braced my hands on her knees and nudged at her legs. “Open,” I said, keeping my stare fixed on hers.

Her nostrils flared at my command, but she did what she was told. I moved forward until bumping into the sofa. “Shit, yes,” I groaned, grateful for the friction of the cushion against my agonizing hardness.

“What is it?” she asked with raised brows.

“Nothing,” I said in a strained voice. “No. Everything. Already feels so good, just being closer to you.”

“Oh.” An impish energy tugged at the corners of her plush mouth. “Well, in that case…”

She trailed off with a defined air of sensual invitation. I didn’t need any more coaxing than that. After leaning over her, I nuzzled at the sensitive spot behind her ear with the tip of my nose. But just as decisively, I pulled back. Fuck me, she smelled so good. As soon as my senses filled with the luscious spices of her skin, mixing with the heady musk of her arousal, I wanted to tear our clothes off and mount her—claim her—in one motion. My body kept screaming at me to just do it, that I had to take advantage of the dream-come-true before fate decided to take back the blessing.

“Tell me what you want, baby.” I pushed back in and teased right beside her ear again, just before nipping at her earlobe. She tasted as good as she smelled, an incredible mix of exotic scents and rare flowers. So singular. So special. So her. So beyond what I’d ever fantasized she’d be like.

But now, it was happening.

I had her permission—her pleas—to touch her. Really touch her.

Rio pressed her face against mine, and we stayed there, man and woman, cheek to cheek. I contemplated saying something, but why? If things only went this far tonight, I’d go home a happy camper. The perfection of this short taste…the bliss of feeling her heart beating so close to mine… If this was where it all stopped, it was enough. More than enough.

“Grant, please,” she finally whispered. “Kiss me.”