“Why? Why is that all you can offer?”
“We’ve been through this, Noah.”
“Walk me through it again.”
My eyes closed. Why did my chest suddenly hurt? “You’re too much.”
“Too much what?”
Everything. He was too intense, too real, too attractive, sometimes too sweet. Always too dangerous. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to restate the facts.
“I’m moving in five months. I just need to finish the semester and graduate.”
Warm fingers slid into my hair, and I flinched, pressing my eyes tighter, so they remained shut.
“Where will you go?”
“Anywhere I want.”
“Why are you always running? Maybe just stop for a second and appreciate where you are.”
His thumb dragged over my lips, and I swallowed the urge to whimper. He stepped closer, and I stopped breathing.
“You’re so beautiful. Avery. So strong yet fragile. I want to rattle you and protect you. Just let me in. Please.”
Warm breath teased my cheek as his voice lowered, and his head angled closer. I let out a whimper as he rasped, “Don’t move.” Soft lips traced delicately over mine, and I didn’t pull back. His mouth firmed, and I shamefully leaned into him. Slowly, he tipped his head, and his tongue pressed past my lips, swiping softly over mine.
I turned my face away. “Don’t.”
He turned my lips back to his. “Stop telling me no.” His long body pressed warmly against my front as my hands caught the side of the sofa.
There was no escaping him, not because he held me down or had me cornered, but because only half of my brain wanted him to go away. The other half very much wanted him to keep kissing me.
My hand lifted to his chest, riding over the curve of his broad shoulder and pulling him closer. I was tired of fighting the attraction, and when he touched me like this, it seemed impossible to push him away and so natural to give him everything he wanted.
My muscles loosened as my grip tightened on his shoulders, and he eased me back. My mouth opened, and he groaned with satisfaction.
“I’ve missed kissing you,” he whispered, taking it deeper and sliding his hands around my back. “I’ve missed hearing your voice.”
My bottom shifted to the sofa, and his legs filled the narrow space between my knees. His hands massaged my ass, strong, groping clasps sending little shockwaves to my pussy.
My fingers tugged at the collar of his coat, seeking the heat of his skin. He moaned at the first brush of contact and pressed his erection further into the cradle of my thighs. Then we were falling.
The couch cushions caught my back as his body blanketed mine, our legs tangling as he pressed into me, kissing, rocking, tormenting. I stopped pretending I had any sort of objection and gave in to the pleasure he offered. My hands pulled at his coat, wanting to get it off, see his body, touch him with nothing in between.
“Take this off,” I demanded, tugging at his layers of clothing, wanting it all gone.
He sat up and quickly removed the garment. I did the same. He tossed his to the floor, but mine wasn’t so easy. I twisted and yanked my arms, wrenching the material away. By the time I wrestled it off, I was out of breath.
He looked down at me, his gorgeous chest shifting above me with each breath. “What about this?” His fingers pulled at my shirt, and I nodded.
He lifted my head and pulled the shirt away. His mouth crashed into mine, and I tugged him closer, my fingers forking through his blond hair as my other hand dragged down his muscular back toward his ass.
Strong fingers pulled at my bra, stripping away the cups, and cold air hit my nipples as they puckered tightly. His mouth ripped from mine, working quickly down my throat to my chest.
“God, Avery…”
The way he touched me… It was the closest form of worship I’d felt in years. I wanted him to deliver a thousand licks of pleasure at my command, beg to satisfy my needs, heed my warnings, and obey my every command.
“Put your mouth on my nipples. I want it hard.”
The first hot lick had me arching into him. His hips rocked as he sucked and nibbled. He plumped my tits, squeezed, and held me to his mouth like a sacred offering.
“Keep going.”
The button of my jeans was yanked open, long fingers stealing into the front of my panties, and reality crashed over me like a bucket of ice water.
“Wait!”
Knowing he wasn’t good at minding the word no, I panicked and bucked my hips, knocking him right onto the floor. He landed with a grunt, and I sprang after him, rolling to my side, but he was already on the ground.
“Shit!” I hadn’t meant to hurt him. “I’m sorry! That was an accident.”
He rubbed the side of his head, his hair standing on end. “How did I know that was going to happen?”
But it wasn’t what he thought. “I…”
I glanced at the box of tampons, preferring to embarrass myself one way to the truthful option, which involved me explaining that I was emotionally unprepared for this. It wasn’t technically a lie if I didn’t say it out loud. He followed my gaze to the box on the floor and understanding dawned. He’d made the assumption on his own.
“Oh,” he said, mouth twisting with disappointment.
“I didn’t mean to throw you on the ground so hard.”
“It’s cool.”
“We can still … do other stuff.”
He sprang off the floor and tackled me back to the couch. I grunted as he kissed me hard.
I turned my face away. “Do what you were doing.”
“Give me a chance to get there, bossy.” His hands cupped my breasts, his thumbs and fingers teasing.
I was bossy. The question was, could he be obedient?
I had yet to see his goodies, so I reached for his fly. My fingers wrenched the zipper until his jeans opened. Shoving my hand into his briefs, I was welcomed by thick, hot flesh. He was hard as a rock, and the second my grip closed around him he sucked in an audible breath and stilled.
But this wasn’t right. “I need you under me.”
It was comical how fast he rolled to his back, taking me with him. The side of my mouth curled into a smile as I straddled his legs. There was nothing sexier than a man who could follow directions. He was finally getting it.
“Take these off.” I nudged his pants and lifted to the arm of the sofa to give him room. “All of it.”
He kicked off his shoes, toed off his socks, and stripped in two seconds flat. My God, he was beautiful. His cock stood, tall and proud, like the first flag of a Fourth of July parade. Thick, muscular legs, cut abs, chiseled chest … perfection. Oh, this was going to be fun.
I slid onto the couch cushion, filling the space between his knees. “Arms above your head.”
His jaw ticked, but he slowly obeyed, raising his hands to grip the sofa and revealing twin tufts of blond hair under his arms. I let my stare crawl over him, purposely trying to unnerve him.
Where to begin?
Creeping forward, I let the ends of my hair tease his six-pack, enjoying the way he sucked in a breath the moment my nipple grazed his hard cock. My tongue traced the flat circle of his nipple, and he groaned. Smiling, my teeth teased the hard tip.
A hand closed over my ass, and I sat up, cutting off all contact. “No touching.”