Page 31 of A Smooth Operator

I rang the doorbell and waited.

It took a minute, but the door opened. "What do you want?"

Fuck. She'd been crying. Her eyes were red and swollen.

"I want to apologize."

"Fine. Thanks." But tears continued to roll down her cheeks, and I felt like the worst kind of monster.

She was about to shut the door in my face when I stopped her with a hand and then stepped into her home.

I closed the door behind me and, without thinking about it, pulled her into my arms. She began to sob, and I didn't question my motives. I didn't want her to be sad. I wanted her to smile like she always did.

"I'm sorry, darlin'."

"I don't know why I'm so upset."

I looked around her house. It was an open plan with probably two bedrooms. There was a cute porch with fairy lights. Her home was warm and charming—lots of cream, brown, and rust. But more than that, it looked cozy and comfortable, just like Echo.

She pulled away from me.

"I'm sorry for—"

I put a finger over her lips. "No, you don't apologize. I had no business sayin' what I did to you."

"Then why did you?" she asked, misery on her face.

"Oh, Doll, because what you said was true, and it made me defensive and stupid."

Why was it that this woman managed to get me to tell her how I felt when no one else could? So easily, I spilled my guts and didn't seem to regret it at all. Why?

She nodded. "I understand being defensive. I get that way, too."

And that's when I realized that she understood me. She didn't judge despite what I had unfairly called her. She accepted.

I lifted her chin and dropped a kiss on her lips. It was supposed to be a thank you, a gesture.

She moaned, and someone groaned; I think it was me.

I didn't know how and when it happened, but my hands cupped her face, and I angled my mouth so I could kiss her again, this time deeply.

The smell of freesia invaded me. Her taste was fresh and sweet. I ground my tongue inside her, touching, feeling, tasting.

Her hands on my shoulders pulled me closer. Mine moved down her back and cupped her ass. A fucking handful. I groaned again as I squeezed her cheeks and pulled her to me, so I could rest my cock against the notch between her legs. The relief I felt was temporary because that ramped up my arousal. I only let go of her mouth for short moments so we could breathe. No woman had gotten to me so fast with a mere kiss.

I was Remi Drake. I fucked a lot, and a kiss was, well, it wasn't even first base for me. Unless a woman was stroking my dick or I was fingering her, I didn't get hard—but apparently, all Echo had to do was open her mouth, and boom, I was ready to pound nails with my cock.

I sucked her bottom lip as I lifted her against me. Her legs wrapped around my waist. "Baby Doll, bedroom."

She stiffened, but I didn't release her. I did let her pull away from the kiss.

"I want you." I looked into her eyes so she could see the naked desire in mine.

"Me?" she whimpered.

Her eyes were wide with shock like she couldn't believe that I could be excited by her. Fuck, I was just as surprised, but hers came from a place of insecurity, while mine came from not having seen Echo before.

"You." I nuzzled my lips against hers. "But we can stop now and just—"

---