Page 154 of Unexpected Hero

There you have it, folks. I should consider a new career as a poet.

In true James fashion, he doesn’t answer with words. Instead, he simply takes a tentative step toward me. Then another.

With his fists clenched at his sides, he presses his lips shut so fiercely that no words could escape, even if he were the chattiest human on the planet. And we all know he’s not.

Drawn toward him like gravity, I move around the desk, matching his steps one for one. Unblinking, our eyes stay fixed as if the other will disappear if we look away.

With each step we take, the sounds of the club become more distant, masked by the thumping of my pulse and the whir of blood pumping behind my ears.

As if we planned it, we stop simultaneously, leaving two feet separating us. The tension bounces from his chest to mine, crackling in the air.

The tight seal holding his mouth closed breaks just enough for his tongue to slip out and swipe at his lips. It’s not a good idea to stare at his lips. If I see them, I’ll remember how they felt on my mouth, my neck, and my nipples.It’s best I keep my vision trained on his eyes.

But we all know I’ve never been one to do the smart thing.

I’m Violet Holt, the founder, owner, and CEO of Bad Ideas-R-Us.

I can’t turn away from that mouth. Or the glimpse of that heavenly tongue dancing behind his pearly white teeth.It may have been weeks since he kissed me, but I’ll never forget how it felt when he first claimed my mouth or the velvety words that caressed his lips on the way to my ears.

Like when he said, “That’s it, sugar bear. Come for me.”

I finally find my voice, but it’s shaky and breathy. “If you didn’t come to go into the club, why are you here?”

Please say me. Please say me.

He exhales forcefully, and the mask he often wears to hide his emotions vanishes, revealing a fire rivaling my own.

Longing.

Regret.

Desire.

After what feels like forever and a day, he answers my question.

“I came for you.”

Four words never felt so potent.

Couple them with the intensity of his eyes burning into mine, and it might as well have been a never-ending sonnet.

He’s here for me.

Me.

Because he can’t stay away.

Without waiting for my reaction, he removes the distance between us, cups my cheeks, and captures my mouth.

My knees go weak, and the world disappears.

It’s just him.

And barely me.

Our lips move in tandem, caressing each other’s with frantic desperation. My hands drift on their own, completely unguided by conscious thought. I grab his shoulders to hold him close, denying him a chance to retreat.

Although he’s not attempting to withdraw, my body wants to ensure it stays that way.

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