It was the first definite sign that she wanted me too, and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity to taste her pass me by.
Bringing my hand to her face, I cupped her chin and lifted it until her eyes were back on mine. Electricity passed between us and the air itself thickened with tension. “I’m going to kiss you now. If you don’t want me to, this is your chance to say it.”
When the only response I got was a soft moan and another swipe of her tongue across her lip, I lowered my head and brought her mouth to mine.
Sweet baby Jesus. Finally, fucking finally, but holy shit has this kiss been worth the wait.
Chapter 17
Elsie
Holy hotcakes in heaven.
If there was one thing every girl knew, it was that kisses could either be the mother of all disappointments or the very best feeling in the world.
Unfortunately, despite what romance novels and movies wanted us to believe, it was very often the handsome cocky guys who disappointed. Beth and I had discussed the conundrum numerous times and believed it was because they thought their looks, money, or whatever else made up for the fact that they’d never bothered to ask what they were doing wrong. It was almost like they thought possessing one or more of those attributes would make up for any shortcomings they had in the kissing department.
Newsflash, boys! They don’t.
Taydom, on the other hand, kissed like he had a doctorate degree in the art. And with him, it definitely was an art form.
Sparks exploded behind my eyelids when they lowered of their own accord, and an angelic choir started singing in my ears. Hold the presses, people. The hottest guy in Dallas, who’s also one of the ones with the most money, actually bothered to slow down to learn how to kiss at some point.
It was a revelation, but it was also dangerous. My nipples peaked against the lace of my bra, and my panties grew damp, but he wasn’t even really touching me. Not like I wanted him to anyway.
Both of his hands were way above the waistline. One large palm was fitted to the back of my neck while the other was on my back.
As enveloped by him as I was, it was impossible to miss the expensive, woodsy yet spicy scent of him. It shouldn’t have been possible for him to smell good after he’d spent all morning lugging my stuff around, but there was only the faintest hint of fresh sweat.
Somehow, that only added to the intoxicating cocktail of his aroma. Note to self: find out what deodorant rich people use.
I wasn’t sure I smelled anywhere near as good as he did, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. With his strong arms encircling me and his magic mouth on mine, I would vow never to wear deodorant again if that was what it took.
Eww. Take that back.
I did, but at the same time, I also yanked myself all the way out of my head and focused on the man who was kissing me. His hand had dropped from my back to caress my sides and he now had one thumb brushing the underside of my boob. Ooh, he’s good, this one.
A moan fell from my lips between kisses, only to be echoed by one of his own. The next moment, a large hand found my thigh and expertly hooked around it to spin me so I could be laid back on the couch.
I obliged the request without him needing to put it into words, wrapping my hands around his neck and bringing him with me. His upper body pressed against mine, but his lower half remained in the same position he’d been in before.
“No.” My voice was breathy but insistent.
Taydom broke the kiss immediately, his hair messy from having my fingers in it and pools of regret in his eyes. “No?”
Oh, God. No. “No, not that no.”
“I’m sorry.” He frowned. “I was taught that no meant no. I told you to say no if you didn’t want me to kiss you. You said no.”
“I didn’t say no to you kissing me,” I whispered. “I said no because you…”
“I what?” he asked, the muscles against me flexing as if he was about to pull away.
I locked him into place with my body and lifted my head to kiss him again, but he only lifted his farther. A hint of laughter was entering those gorgeous brown eyes now, though, making the golden flecks seem bright again. “I’m not putting my lips back on you until you tell me what you were saying no to.”
Heat crept to my cheeks. “I, uh, I was saying no because your legs were still—you know—there.”
“Well, yeah, they’re attached, you see?” he teased, lowering his head so that his lips brushed against my neck with every word he spoke. “If you want something from me, just say it.”
Tingles ran down my arms and goosebumps appeared on my flesh from the soft caress of his mouth. My thoughts scattered, but the ache below my belly reminded me of what it was I wanted. “You weren’t getting on top of me.”
I felt his head tilt and his body froze above my own, not even his chest moving to breathe. “Do you want me to? I’m fine with just kissing you, Elsie. Really. I’m not some boy who can’t control himself.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to control yourself,” I breathed. “In fact, I very much want you to lose control.”
“Be very careful about what you say next because it sounds like you want me to fuck you.” His voice was low and raspy, slathered in want and coated in need.
I pulled my head back against the pillow and slid a hand between our chests to push him away slightly. My body protested the loss of the weight of his, but I was hoping it would be back there soon.
When his half-lidded eyes rose to meet mine, I pressed a kiss to his lips and spoke against them. “That’s because it’s exactly what I want.”
I felt the rumble of his answering groan in my hand still on his chest. It traveled from there, up my arms, and into my chest before making its way lower and settling at the apex of my thighs.
“What are you waiting for?” I asked. A tiny pang of worry hit my gut when I realized he hadn’t exactly told me what he wanted. The mere fact that he’d kissed me first didn’t mean—
“Stop overthinking it, baby,” he rasped out as he moved back and held his hand out to me. “Trust me. I want you. I was taking a minute to make sure this wasn’t a dream and to decide if I wanted you on the couch or the bed.”
“The bed’s not made yet,” I said before the former part of his sentence sank in. “Wait. Why would it be a dream?”
He tugged me to my feet with his lips curving into a smirk. As soon as I was standing, he pulled me into his arms, flush against his hard body. I realized then that every inch of him was hard. Painfully so.
One of his hands traveled up my back to grab the ends of my ponytail, giving it a light pull to indicate he wanted me to look up at him. He waited until I did before leveling me with his gaze. “Because I’ve dreamt about fucking you pretty much every night since we met.”
“You have not.” I gasped, and I wasn’t even a gasper. He looked like he was serious, though, which I figured was pretty fucking gasp-worthy.
He grinned and shook his head, then smacked my behind before letting me go. “I never joke about dirty dreams, babe. Now come on before I change my mind and fuck you right here.”
“What’s wrong with right here?” I asked but took the hand he held out for me again and followed him to the bedroom. “Wait. The bed’s not made up, remember?”