“So, while you’re in New Jersey, I’ll task Carlos with helping me through—”
“Carlos has a thing for you still.”
“Green with jealousy. Jealousy is not sexy, Tris.”
“Neither is Carlos talking about your dick and salivating.”
He tosses his head back in a deep, rich laugh, and I start to move back, simply to get a reaction. Is that wrong? Yes. But being wanted by him … addicting.
As suspected, he pulls me back, and I hold my hand out, stopping him.
“Admit jealousy is sexy. Not trusting someone for no reason is not.”
“I’d never intentionally make you jealous, but I have no power over other’s actions or accusations, as we found today with Gabrielle.”
I sigh. “I wigged out.”
He looks confused.
“Got angry.”
“I see.”
“I bet Dad told you that already, huh?”
“His wig was out about it, too.”
Oh my God, he’s hot even when he says things like that.
“Did you truly believe if you left—”
“No, I just didn’t want him to know the real reason that I don’t want to be away from you for a freaking month.”
“And what is it, Tris?”
“I don’t want to miss a minute that I don’t have to.”
“Your family is important. Their tomorrows are not guaranteed, either.”
“That’s not helping,” I grumble as he pulls me into his arms.
“You have to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“I live a cautious life due to circumstance. Overly cautions, some would say. And I’d like you to promise me that, when we’re apart, you’re taking the best care of you humanly possible.”
“I’ll promise as long as you agree to throw caution to the wind when you’re with me. Live out loud, you know?”
A look of concern crosses his face.
“I’m not talking about going skydiving or something, just, you know, be in the moment.”
“I’ll be in every moment with you.”
He looks at my lips, and my body heats and begins to react.
“Tris.” My name has never sounded more desired, more beautiful.
But when he says nothing else, I look at him, confused.
“Are you going to say it?” he asks, leaning in yet not close enough.
“Say …?”
His brows knit together, and he whispers, “Are you going to kiss me or what?”
“Do I need to?” I successfully hide the amusement in my tone.
He leans back a bit and looks from my lips to my eyes. “It’s customary with you.”
“Do you want to kiss me?” I know it’s a stupid question. Of course he does, but it’s insane to think I will have to ask him every time.
“Always.”
“Then do it whenever and wherever you want.”
He licks his lips, and a slight smile graces those perfect lips. “Perfecto.”
As he cups my face, I realize that every other kiss we have shared, except the first, has been at my request, that every other kiss has been to comfort, that every other kiss, kisses I now crave like a junkie, will be just that, a kiss. Before his lips even touch mine, I know that something extraordinary is about to happen.
He lifts my chin with his thumb as he outlines my lips with his tongue, wetting them.
“Delicioso, mi coraźon.” He hums, and my body does right along with him as he now runs his tongue across my lower lip. And when he sucks it between his lips, my nipples pucker and ache.
I grip his sides and pull him closer, pressing against him, needing the ache to lessen.
He releases my cheek and takes one of my hands, pushing it between our bodies and … and holds it over his heart.
“You make it race,” he whispers before kissing me softly, slowly, over and over again.
Whimpering, I move closer, pushing his back against the sofa and holding myself up, one-handed, as I lean into him, wanting to climb on him, to remove the space between us.
So I do.
He grips the back of my head, plunging his tongue inside my mouth, his groan is met with my moan, and he no longer holds my hand against his heart but is now running it up and down my back, getting lower and lower each time.
Wetness pools at my core, and I fight the instinct to grind against him as he grips my hips and drags me closer to him, eliciting a whimper as I feel the burn then tiny spasms begin in my core.
When I feel him, I gasp, and shock causes me to pull back.
“No,” he groans, crashing his lips against mine. Tongue rubbing mine, lips and teeth connecting as he guides me back and forth against what feels too much to be an erection to not be.
No longer guiding me, I rub against him on my own as his lips cascade like a thawing, like a winter’s waterfall down my neck, tongue flickering against my earlobe, face nestled in the crook of my neck as slow, deep bursts of hot, sweet air kiss my skin.
I slow down, worried I’m pushing this too far, and he begins to guide me again. Hands fisted in my hair, he pulls my mouth to his.
We kiss like we breathe, as if life depends on it. His tongue is gentle, like he is, yet demanding, like fate has been with us. It’s exactly like I thought it would be, yet so much more. It’s as if our souls are melding together, and space and time be damned.
With my fingers, I grip his silky soft, thick waves, and my heart pulses as if on fire, as is my core.
I feel everything inside me tighten, tightening, tightening until it bursts, and I cry out into his mouth that tastes like cherries and him.
I come in colors that once hindered me, caused me to hide, colors that controlled me, colors that he now not only seems to control but has made beautiful.
Body shaking, he holds my head to his chest, and when I hear and feel its beat, I practically jump off his lap.
“What is it?” he says, standing and adjusting his … insanely thick and, fuck you, Carlos because, yes, I am sure it’s exactly as he said, “magnificent cock.”
“Your heart and your”—I point to his tented track pants — “that.”
He smirks and lifts a shoulder. “My heart, I assure you is fine, for I didn’t exert enough energy to make”—he points down — “that join yours, to—”
Covering my ears, I cringe. “Oh my God, shut up.”
He steps forward, smiling, as he takes my hands and pulls them away. “When they join—”
“Shut up.” I laugh.
“—the skies will part, and the angels will rejoice.”
“The nuns would have your ass for that, you know.” I laugh as he wraps my arms around his shoulders, then his arms around me to lift me up so that we are eyeball-to-eyeball.
“Not a chance. Every part of me is yours.”
He spins me around as we laugh until … Dad.
Matteo kisses me without asking then sets me on my feet. I manage to maneuver in front of him in case his … that is still … all that it is.
Oh, the possibilities ….
Dad runs his hands through his hair. “I’ve spent the better part of the day digging to find out what the hell it is that can’t be talked about without signing an NDA. I won’t apologize either, so …” He shrugs and steps aside and …