Page 55 of Twisted Beauty

He wrapped his big hands gently around her arms and backed her away from him.

“We can’t do this, sweetheart.” His voice was thick and gravelly, sending tingles along every nerve in her body. He was clearly affected by her. “I don’t do relationships anymore. I’ll end up hurting you.”

She reached up and stroked her fingers over his jaw, loving the tingle of stubble against her skin. She leaned in again until her mouth was almost touching his.

“So arrogant,” she said softly against his lips. “You think I can’t want the same thing you do? I don’t want a relationship either. Not now. That doesn’t mean I have to be celibate, does it?”

She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and heard a rumble deep in his chest. He tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her close, tilting her head and deepening the kiss.

Her entire body melted against his as his tongue stroked hers. She thought maybe her memory had exaggerated the heat of their first kiss, but he felt and tasted every bit as delicious as he had at the party. She threaded her fingers through his thick hair.

Matt put a hand against her cheek and pulled back slightly. “You feel so fucking good,” he muttered. His voice was soft and raspy, and she felt it graze across her skin and settle between her legs. “Liv—”

She looked up into his eyes. They were hooded, darkened with desire, and she could barely breathe. It seemed like he was battling with himself. If he backed away again, she might die on the spot.

“If you’re worried about your virtue, I promise not to tell anyone,” she whispered and nibbled on his lower lip.

The sound that came from his throat was close to a growl.

With one hand still tangled in her hair, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and hauled her up against him, kissing her with an urgency that bordered on aggression. Insanely hot. She felt the hard length of him pressing into her stomach and her own heart beating out of her chest. Dizzy and breathless, she clung to his broad shoulders to keep her legs from giving out beneath her.

She felt a rush of air against her belly as he lifted the hem of her shirt and slipped his hand underneath. A shiver rippled through her as he stroked his fingers lightly up her side until his thumb grazed the underside of her breast. She arched into him, and suddenly his hand was gone.

Before she had time to protest, she felt both his hands slide under her hips and lift her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her through the sliding door and into the house.

12

Matt

Matt was so turned on he couldn’t remember why he’d been fighting this.

He spun Liv around and powered her back against the living room wall, claiming her mouth with his, and pressing his body against hers until he could feel every part of her, every soft curve molded against him.

His brain had effectively shut down. And that voice in the back of his head that kept insisting this was a mistake had finally shut up.

Liv had her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and her breath came in hot, frantic bursts. Matt tangled his tongue with hers and she lifted her hips, rubbing herself against his erection. A soft purr came from deep in her throat, and that alone was almost enough to send him over the edge. He needed her naked, now.

Lowering her feet to the floor, Matt swept his hands down her sides and lifted her shirt. He stepped back just a fraction and she raised her arms, staring at him with those gorgeous green eyes. He lifted it over her head and tossed it onto the floor, exposing skin the color of meringue. His breath caught. She wasn’t wearing a bra under that oversized t-shirt of his.

“Jesus, Liv,” he muttered, his voice so rough it didn’t sound like his own. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

He leaned down to press his lips to her neck, trailing kisses along her collarbone and down to the swell of her breast. He felt the rumble of her moan beneath his hands as she arched her back, pressing her body into his. He wanted to throw her on the rug at his feet and bury himself inside her, and at the same time he wanted to slow everything down and savor every part of her. Explore every delicious inch of her.

Cupping one breast in his hand, he ran a thumb over the dusky pink tip as he drew the other nipple into his mouth. He heard her mumble his name, and felt her fingers tangle into his hair. He could hardly breathe. She fit perfectly in his hand and tasted like heaven.

He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this out of control. It wasn’t like he’d had a shortage of women in his lifetime. But no one had ever made him lose his mind like this.

Matt brought his mouth back to hers and kissed her slowly, deeply, forcing himself to savor the moment, the sweetness of her lips and the feel of her curves in his hands.

Liv reached for his shirt and lifted it up between them, pressing her silky skin to his. The softness of her breasts against the hard planes of his chest made his breath catch in his throat.

He stepped back to pull his shirt over his head while she moved on to his shorts. Fumbling to loosen the drawstring, she tugged but the waistband caught on his erection. She let out a little huff of frustration and reached down to wrap her hands around his shaft instead.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” Matt spoke softly against her lips, “or this will be over way too fast.”

Liv groaned and the vibrations it sent through his body pushed him closer to that edge he was trying to avoid. “I don’t care. I want—”

“Not yet. If we’re doing this, I’m taking my time with you.”