Page 68 of Force Play

The calm response only pisses me off more, making me want to march off into the night. But I can’t exactly do that. I eye my boot and clothes by the lounger over his shoulder, planning my exit.

“Why the hell do you smell like cheap perfume and have lipstick smeared all over your collar?” Venom is dripping from my voice, and my hands on his chest ball into fists. Anger and embarrassment combine into an inferno that burns just below my skin.

“That would be Janet and Lark’s fault. It was bingo night.”

My nails dig into the palms of my hands and my eyes close, the embarrassment still there but now aimed right back in my direction. I’m the asshole. He was doing something incredibly thoughtful and I’m over here painting him as a villain again.

“Both are over seventy and very much in love with better men than me.”

“Bingo night with Poppy’s grandma. That explains the trolls.” I bury my face in his shirt, but he’s not having it.

“Baby, look at me.” Taking my chin between his finger and thumb, he holds me captive. “You got one thing right, I’m a decent guy, Indie. I know you’ve been hurt, but I’m not like that. There’s no one else I want more than you. Not today, not in the last year, not in the years before we met.”

Chapter 27

Dom

Just like that first kiss, I wait for her to make the move. To prove to me she’s not just using me as a distraction. There’s a lot I’ll put up with, especially from this woman, because she’s worth it. That being said, I need to know that she heard me when I laid it out for her, that she’s not running from her fear—we’re in too deep now for that.

“You’re annoyingly persistent.” Smoothing her hands up my chest they loop behind my neck.

Her eyes drop to my lips and it takes all my willpower not to duck my head and steal a taste because we’ve been here before, with me thinking we were in it together, only for her to leave. I’ve been waiting for this kiss for months; there were times when I thought it wouldn’t come. Now that it’s right here in front of me, I almost can’t believe it. My palms sweat and my stomach flips like it’s my first kiss all over again.

“I’d say it paid off.”

Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips, and I can’t tear my eyes away from that one little movement.

“You think so?”

Fuck, this girl is stubborn.

“Mhmmm . . . because you’re about to kiss me and then I’m going to spend the rest of the night torturing you with my fingers and mouth until you finally beg for my cock. Unless you’re planning to run again because this time, when I fuck you like we are more, we will be.”

Her quick intake of breath is the last thing I hear before she pulls me down to her and takes my mouth just the way I remember, with wild abandon and passion. Our first kiss was nearly perfect, but I’ll never forget this one because she’s finally giving herself to me, and not just for the night.

Our lips work together, making up for the months we missed. Indie presses closer, her wet swimsuit soaking through my clothes. When she chases more, I open for her, swallowing the contented sigh she makes as our tongues brush. One sweet sound is all it takes to break me. My hands travel down her body tracing all her curves and slick skin before I grip the back of her legs and lift her.

Taking the hint, she wraps her legs around my waist. I walk us right past the lounger, into the house, and past the couch, heading for the stairs. I pause at the bottom step and she pulls back for a moment. For once, there is no war waging behind those eyes. She presses her forehead against mine, dipping her head in a resolute nod.

“Fuck yes,” I growl against her lips—each step, each kiss closing the gap between our past and what we can be.

Her hands work the buttons on my shirt as I move us to the bed, my lips never leaving hers. If I have my way, there will be a lot more kissing, because of everything I’ve missed this last year, being able to kiss her is at the top of that list.

Maybe it’s because she so rarely shows people her softer side, but when her lips are on mine, she melts, giving me access to a vulnerable side that feels like it’s just for me. These last two times we’ve been together, she kept that part of herself from me. But right now, each kiss feels like a promise that she sees more for us.

It’s a race for skin, all frantic hands and trembling fingers. She pushes the shirt off my shoulders and I tug at the strings holding her top in place, making it fall away. When her hands reach for the button on my jeans, I stop her, needing a second.

“You need to be sure, because if we do this, it means something to me. I need to know that this isn’t you just playing games, using me as a distraction.” My heart sinks when she pulls her hand from between us. But when her expression softens and her fingers graze my jaw as she cups my face, my world rights itself.

The pad of her thumb brushes along my cheekbone, and I can see the truth in her eyes when they slowly lift to meet mine. “It’s always meant something to me.”

Removing my hands from the one still on the button, I watch as she works it free and pushes the fabric down over my hips so I can step out of them.

“I really hate this tattoo.” Her pupils dilate and her voice is raspy. Even as she says it, her eyes never stray from the ink.

“It seems like it. That’s why I always catch you looking at it. You just don’t like that it makes you want to take my dick for a ride.” Letting my finger drift over her jawline, I push a wet curl behind her ear.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt, but that’s not why I want you right now.”

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