Page 51 of No Summer Hotter than You

I kept my composure, refusing to let her get under my skin. I let out a laugh to ease the pressure building in my chest. Should we have practiced more?

“That’s it? That’s all you have? C’mon, Evelyn, you’ll have to do better than that,” I said as I laughed.

She took a step closer, her eyes burning with desperation and determination. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. There’s no passion, no genuine affection. You’re just playing a role.”

“Believe what you want to believe. But Shoua and me are real. So, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to go back?—”

Evelyn stepped in front of me, preventing me from going anywhere. I realized it was probably a stupid idea to let her have the option to corner me like this. If she thought that she could get me to fess up that this was all to deter her from trying to scheme her way to get me to like her, she was wrong.

“Do you think I’ll let you go that easily?” she asked in a low hiss.

I looked at her square in the eyes and let out a low breath. “I see you like a little sister, and I’m not interested in you like that,” I answered truthfully. “Please don’t make this any more complicated than it needs to be.”

Her cheeks blushed red with fury as she struggled to speak. “Y-you don’t understand. My mom wants me to marry you or Andy. Now that your brother is in a relationship, she’s insistent that I?—”

“What do you even like about me?” I interrupted her with furrowed brows.

She swallowed hard as I continued to keep her at bay. Her breathing became shallow as her eyes darted all over my face. Her mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water.

“Y-you’re handsome, reliable, hard-working, and sensitive. You love your parents, and you’d do anything for them. I know you’re scared of filling in your dad’s shoes. You’re worried about taking over the company because you feel pressured to make it bigger and better,” she choked out bitterly. “But most of all, I know you’re not in love with Shoua.”

“That’s not a claim for you to make,” I said softly. “I love her with my whole heart as her friend and as her man. And it’s all real. I can prove that.”

One of her brows raised at me. “How?”

I looked over her shoulder and there stood Shoua with a tiny scowl on her beautiful face. She had been standing there for a while now, overhearing everything Evelyn had to say about me, her, and our fake relationship. I originally planned to call it all off tonight, but could I truly do it? I stared into her dark eyes for a moment as my heart ached.

No, I couldn’t. Not right now. Not tonight. Not until June ends.

Instead, I reached out for her. “Come here, baby, and let me kiss the fuck out of you.”

She practically walked over to me in slow motion. Each step she took was so achingly slow, which was a sharp contrast to my pounding heart. The moment she was close enough, I reached out and grabbed her face. Her delicious coconut scent filled my nose, and I leaned down.

I pressed my lips against her ear and whispered, “Kiss me like I’m all you’ve ever wanted.”

My lips immediately found hers, and electricity zapped between us as I pulled her bottom lip into my mouth, sucking it and drawing out a tiny moan from her. I easily slipped my tongue into her honeyed mouth, groaning at her taste. I finally had the chance to savor her.

She didn’t taste like the Long Island iced tea she had and instead of a sweetness entirely her own. I couldn’t help but shamelessly groan into her mouth. When our tongues lewdly intertwined, I wrapped one of my arms around her neck and kept her locked in place. My body began tingled wildly as her scorching hands ran up and down my back, practically clawing her way through my flesh.

My other arm curled tightly around her hips, making sure her blazing hot body pressed flush against mine—against my groin—causing my cock to twitch in anticipation. She let out a whimper when her hips rocked against me. I growled, letting this deep, animalistic noise tumble out from the depths of my throat.

She rocked again, as if she was testing me, eliciting the same reaction from me. I was about to rock back when she pulled away from me, ending our perfect first kiss.

She sucked in a sharp gasp, cutting through the air. “A-anthony,” she said. I shook my head and tugged her back into me when she pulled away by a centimeter. “Evelyn’s gone.”

I glanced over and Shoua was right. Evelyn was long gone. But none of that mattered. I wanted to kiss Shoua again and again. I wanted her and I knew she wanted me too.

“I don’t care,” I breathed.

We stared into each another’s dark, heated eyes for a moment before she replied with an eager, hungry kiss. I let her explore the depths of my mouth haphazardly as her heart hammered fiercely against my chest. Our hearts raced together as I took over the kiss to nip, bite, tug, and lick those luscious lips I dreamt so wildly of. She let out a sexy whine at the way I sucked on her bottom lip, and my cock immediately stirred.

I pulled away from her and realized I was pressing her against the wall. We were trying to catch our breath as we watched each other. Shoua was the brightest shade of red with wet, swollen lips. She looked shy, even bashful. But her dark eyes said another thing.

As much as I wanted to blame the alcohol coursing through our veins for that passionate kiss, it wasn’t the reason. Her eyes were bright, alert, and glazed over with deep desire. I was certain mine looked the same. Her hands were now on my chest. She lazily drew her fingers down my pecs, abs, and then hips, making me moan again.

I wanted her so badly, but I reminded myself about what I had been thinking all day: We’re friends.

A wobbly breath escaped my lips as I braced my elbows over her head and leaned down. “We shouldn't be doing this.” My voice was barely an audible sigh, and I knew my breath steaming her face with how close I was to her.

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