But she didn’t have time to give 100 percent to a man right now, not when too many things were up in the air at work. And if she finally convinced her father to let her run the shop, her free time would become even more limited.
“Brett?” They’d reached a stop sign, and AJ was looking at her expectantly. “Where to now?”
“Oh. Turn right. There’s a shortcut on this one-way street that will take us right to my apartment.”
A few minutes later, after he’d found a free parking space in front of the Korean general store she’d directed him to, he turned to her with a skeptical expression.
“You live here?”
“Yes, AJ, I live in a grocery store,” she cracked. “I sleep near the deli section. Bathroom’s by the frozen foods.”
He flashed a sheepish smile. “I guess that was a stupid question.”
“Duh.” She gestured to the curtained windows above the store. “My apartment is up there.”
Her pulse sped up as they got out of the car and headed for the narrow entryway next to the dark storefront. The street was quiet and deserted, as it always was past ten o’clock. The silence was one of her favorite things about the neighborhood. Rent in Allston Village was usually pretty steep, but Brett had gotten a great deal because her landlords adored her. The Kims owned the family-run general store below her, and since she’d tattooed all six of their sons on the cheap, Mr. and Mrs. Kim had been happy to let her sublet their apartment during their extended visit to Korea. She had a one-year lease for now, but she was keeping her fingers crossed that they’d let her stay longer. The couple’s eldest son, Daniel, had told her the other day that his folks were considering buying a house when they returned, which meant the apartment would be hers to keep renting.
She and AJ climbed the skinny metal steps to the second floor, where he waited patiently as she unlocked her door. She flicked on the light, then bent down to unzip her boots, while AJ looked around curiously.
He took in the mismatched furniture in the open-concept living room before shifting back to her. His seductive gaze swept over her, starting from her neon-pink socks and ending at her face.
“Want to keep making small talk?” The boyish smile he gave her was incongruous with the lust burning in his eyes.
“No.” She swallowed. “I want you to kiss me.”
An awkward note entered his voice. “You haven’t changed your mind then?”
“I just let you into my apartment—are those the actions of a woman who’s changed her mind?”
“Fair enough.”
Unease washed over her. “Have you changed yours?”
“God, no.” Without an ounce of hesitation, he moved toward her, his broad body dominating her personal space.
She was painfully aware of every hard inch of him, and the dark blond stubble slashing across his strong jaw looked so tempting she couldn’t help but reach up to touch it. The second her fingertips stroked his chin, a husky noise left his mouth.
“Yeah, we made enough small talk in the car,” he murmured. “I think it’s time we get to the fun part.”
Their gazes locked. His head dipped slightly, and Brett’s hand froze on his face, her lips parting with anticipation.
He rubbed her bottom lip with his thumb, making her shiver, and when he withdrew his hand, she noticed the flash of red on the pad of his callused thumb. The evidence of her bright crimson lipstick. Crap, it would probably get all over him if he kissed her. She was tempted to run to the bathroom to wipe it off, but AJ didn’t give her the chance.
“You’ve got the sexiest lips I’ve ever seen,” he rasped before pressing his mouth to hers.
The first kiss was gentle, just a fleeting graze and so not enough. Then he pulled back an inch, his breath tickling her face.
“I’m going to need a lot more than that,” she complained, barely able to hear herself over the deafening hammering of her heart.
He released another husky sound, a cross between a curse and a growl, before diving in for a second taste. This time he slanted his mouth over hers in a hungry kiss. His tongue teased the seam of her lips, demanding entry, and Brett wasted no time giving him what he wanted. She moaned when their tongues met, desperately taking everything he had to offer.
Her equilibrium left her as he kissed her like a man possessed. She clutched his shoulders, holding on tight to keep from keeling over. God, the man knew how to kiss. He was greedy but controlled, firm but not forceful. And not just his mouth—his hands were equally talented. They’d moved down to her chest, cupping her breasts through her shirt and bringing little shocks of pleasure to the tips of her nipples.
She knew her breasts were small, but the way AJ groaned as he squeezed and fondled her B-cups, you’d think she had porn-star tits.
“I need to see you. Take the shirt off. Now.” A command, low and sultry, inviting no argument.
She responded with a throaty challenge. “Do it for me.”
Without a word, he reached for the hem of her tank top and slowly dragged the material upward. He stopped before her breasts were exposed, toying with the bottom of the shirt, callused thumbs stroking her stomach for a moment. Then he slipped the shirt up and over her head, and another noise escaped his lips. Definitely a growl this time.
“No bra?” he rumbled.
“No point,” she replied silkily. “My boobs are too little. I only wear one in the winter to cover my nipples. They get really hard and pointy when I’m cold.”
“They’re hard right now,” he taunted. “Are you cold?”
A breath shuddered out. “No.”
“Are you turned on?”
“Yes.”
He smiled. Didn’t make a single move.
Brett fought an odd rush of self-consciousness as he focused on her puckered nipples. God. She was standing there topless—and his hands were resting at his sides. Why wasn’t he touching her, damn it?
“What’s that distressed look for?” he teased. “You need something from me, Brett?”
“You know what I need,” she blurted out. “Touch me. Please.”
His lips curved seductively. “But I’m not done admiring you.”
“You’re not done tormenting me, you mean.” She glared at him. “You know, you’re really not as nice as you look.”
“Isn’t that what I’ve been telling you all along?” His smile widened. “There’s nothing nice about what I’m going to do to you tonight.”
And then he touched her.
And he was right. It wasn’t nice. It was…sheer magic. He was rougher than she’d expected, squeezing her breasts hard enough to send a jolt of pleasure right down to her core. Her thighs clenched when he pinched her nipples, unleashing an uncontrollable shiver of need.
Chuckling, AJ bent down and drew one nipple in his mouth.
Sweet.
The heat of his mouth and wetness of his tongue made her see stars. Someone call the press—because AJ Walsh was sucking on her nipple. Never in a million years would she have dreamed that the golden boy of her high school would be doing that to her. To her, the screwup loner who’d attracted nothing but unwanted attention at Hawthorne High.
But there was no power imbalance tonight. They were no longer teenagers from different social groups. They were a man and a woman, capable of driving each other wild, and even though AJ was currently the one worshipping her body, Brett had no doubt that he was as turned on as she was.