Page 68 of When The Mountains Held Us

He notices anyway. “Hey,” he says, cupping my jaw. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

I nod again and follow him to the front door, Bandit trailing behind us with his tail wagging.

“Call me tonight?” I ask tentatively.

“I’ll call you every chance I get. And when I can’t call, I’ll text you. You’re gonna be sick of me by the time I get home.” His carefree chuckle lightens the mood, and I crack a small smile.

“Impossible.”

He reaches over to grab his keys off the hook beside the door. Before I know what’s happening, he’s pushing my back against the door with a gentle hand. His forearms rest on either side of my head, caging me in. My heart stutters in my chest at the look in his eyes.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he admits, and my heart does another flip.

My eyes drop to his lips as I lick my own, desperately wanting to taste what’s been standing right in front of me this whole time. Wanting to taste him.

One thing I know for sure is that we reached a breaking point last night, and I know that, even in the light of day today, there will be no putting the pieces back together.

“I wasn’t sure after last night—” He’s so close. I take a shuddering breath and try again. “It felt like something changed.”

“Nothing changed, darlin’. I just finally stopped trying to hide how utterly gone I am for you. It took everything in me to hold myself back from touching you last night.”

“Why did you? Stop yourself, I mean,” I ask.

He hangs his head, loosing a breath before those dark green eyes are back on mine.

“You were hurt and still on edge after seeing me with Layla, despite it not being what it looked like. But make no mistake, Oakley. When I finally get my hands on you, nothing and no one will be able to pull me away. I’m going to take my time with you. Strip you down and catalog every single inch of you with my hands and my tongue. Worship your body the way it’s meant to be worshiped—endlessly, relentlessly, until you’re writhing with pleasure and begging me to stop. I’m not sure I’ll ever have my fill of you, but fuck do I want to try.”

I lick my dry lips just before he crashes his mouth into mine, effortlessly parting me with his tongue.

This. This right here is what I want. His lips are possessive and controlling; I feel it the moment I fracture.

I can’t respond to his declaration, but, if I could, I’d be answering with a resounding yes. Instead, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him further into me, my kiss equally as demanding as his, my own silent way of claiming him as mine. My breasts push against his chest, my nipples hard and aching against him.

He pulls away after a moment, and the absence of him pulls me reluctantly back to reality. We’re both breathless, our eyes frenzied as we stare at each other, trying desperately to cling to this moment.

“Go. I don’t want you to be late.” It’s a lie; I honestly couldn’t give two fucks if he’s late.

“Fuck, darlin’. I don’t want to leave you. How am I supposed to concentrate on work when I finally know what those pretty pink lips taste like?”

His words send a shiver down my spine. “You’ll have to make it up to me,” I answer, shrugging nonchalantly as if I’m suggesting what to have for dinner.

“Mmm… how should I make it up to you? With my hands?” He trails his fingers down the length of my body. “With my tongue?” He licks the hollow at the base of my throat. “With my cock?” He whispers his last suggestion into the spot at the base of my ear, his words dripping over me like liquid sex.

“Yes,” I sigh. “All of the above, please.”

“Such good manners,” he growls before stepping back and shattering the moment. It was just a kiss, just a glimpse into what it’ll be like when we finally come together, this time with nothing between us. I’m a pool of wanton desire, desperate for him to finish what he started.

He grabs his bag and kisses my forehead once more before opening the door.

“I’ll call you when I get there. Call Jessie and see if she can come to work with you. I don’t like the thought of you on your own.”

“I’ll call her.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” he urges.

“I promise.”

He nods his approval and steps through the door, shutting it behind him with a click. Bandit whines at my side and looks up at me with pleading eyes.