Page 29 of Eden's Joker

He chuckles and mumbles, “Yeah, I can tell,” before taking a sip of his drink.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” I snap and take a long swig of the gin and juice, hoping it’ll calm down my racing heart. As it is, I feel like actual lava is about to start spewing from my mouth.

He sets down his drink and leans forward. Our faces are so close, our lips are almost touching and lava’s got nothing on the heat that surges through my core in anticipation of the kiss.

But the kiss I’m yearning for doesn’t come.

“It means you have it real bad for me, but you just don’t want to ask for it,” he says. “Like the good girl you are.”

I’ll show himgood girl.

I lean in and kiss him, our teeth clacking together painfully and jamming against my lips. He grabs hold of my ponytail and pulls my head back. Not painfully. Just painfully enough to send another cascade of molten lava through my core.

“No,” he says. Although his eyes say yes.

“Why?” I breathe.

I wish he’d pull my hair harder. I wish he’d kiss me. I wish he’d bury me under his strong, powerful body and do things to me I’d only read about. I lust for it.

But instead, he just releases me and leans back.

“You’re too pure,” he says. “I’ll just end up messing you up.”

“Oh, come on now, you didn’t actually come here in the middle of the night thinking we’ll be watching cartoons, did you?”

Seems my mouth knows what to do even if my brain doesn’t. Too bad my voice cracked halfway through and I ended up sounding just like the good girl he accused me of being.

He grins, the light in his eyes flashing so brightly it hurts mine.

“Why did you think I came?”

Is he seriously gonna make me say it? Ask for it? Beg?

I grin too. “I was hoping for at least a good long kiss. I figured I’d have another one of those by now.”

“A kiss? Is that all?”

I nod and bite my lower lip, trying to contain a sigh which escapes despite it.

He reaches out and runs his thumb across my lips, the feel of his rough skin sending electric shivers all through me. I very nearly melted right into his hand.

“I don’t know if you’re ready for a real kiss.”

What is happening?

“I’m ready,” I assure him in a whisper.

He leans in, close enough for me to sense the warmth and strength rising from him. But not close enough for our lips to touch. Ten minutes ago, I was fine just thinking we’re spending the night sitting next toeach other on my sofa, watching TV. Now my whole body is like taut a string, waiting for him to play it to his liking, quivering for this kiss that seems so close yet miles away at the same time.

I won’t make the mistake of forcing the kiss again. But I sure as hell want to. And the effort it’s taking me to not do it is unbelievably mind-bending. Mind-losing, more like.

He finally touches his lips to mine. Giving me just a sweet little taste, just a breeze against the flaming hot desire consuming me from the inside.

His whole body is tense. Especially his fist gripping my ponytail. I know he’s fighting this attraction, this need to take me, have me, possess me, as hard as I’m fighting my own need for those things.

I deepen the kiss just a little. Letting my tongue dart across his lips, seeking his. He sighs and I’m sure I’ve made a terrible mistake again. But instead of pulling away, he kisses me hard, his tongue invading my mouth, his lips hot against mine, his fist in my hair tugging me closer.

I want him to rip my clothes off and kiss the rest of me with this same fire. And at the same time, I don’t ever want this kiss to end. The pent-up need, the denied desire is making the pure bliss of just this smallest touch larger than the sum of its parts.

---