Page 77 of The Rogue

His eyes are dark and jaw set. He’s so intense. So bossy. And this small space beneath the stairwell is so intimate mycore heats.

“You didn’t let me finish.” He pins me with those eyes. “Dinner tomorrow. Dessert tonight.”

His lips crash over mine, and I moan into his mouth. His large hands hook the back of my thighs and lift me as I wrap my arms and legs around him. Our kiss is desperate, passionate, like we’re famished for each other.

Like we haven’t kissed before.

Or never will again.

The thought makes me moan harder into his mouth, and he shushes me before carrying me up the stairs.

Silently, I accept that this might be a one-time thing, but God, I hope it’s enough. Because just his arms around me is something I think I’m already addicted to.

I nip against that hard jaw and the side of his neck.

“What did I tell you about being indecent in the halls, Whiskey?” he teases before drifting me into his bedroom. It’s big. Airy with large windows and a balcony overlooking his ranch.

He sets me on my feet, leaving me lightheaded and watches me for a moment. It’s tender and attentive. He leans in for a soft kiss. “You trust me, Tess?”

The question throws me off but the answer is easy. “I do, Indie.”

His arm secures my waist as he grips the edge of the door. “Okay if I close this?”

Warmth spreads through me and I grin. “Yeah. It’s okay.”

Levi closes the door and moves his fingers over the lock.

Panic rushes through my veins. “Leave it unlocked,” I call before I can think.

His hand shoots up and he steps back. For a brief second, he almost seems mad at himself for even considering it. “Of course.”

Way to go, Tess.

I tense and turn away. “Sorry, you’re right. There’s a child—and I’m—”

He catches my hand. “That kid could sleep through an earthquake. He hasn’t come into my room in the middle of the night since he was five. We’ll leave it unlocked.”

“Please don’t ask,” I whisper.

His eyes are dead serious when he responds. “I won’t.”

I nod again, staring at the door as if to reassure myself I’m okay. I pull my shirt over my head, leaving my white lace bra on display. “Put your hands on me again,” I practically beg.

Levi sheds his shirt like a lifeguard on duty and lifts me. His body is warm against mine, and I cling to the skin-to-skin contact as if he’s Superman holding me fifty feet above the ground, and I’m deathly afraid of heights. He carries me to the massive bed in the center of the room and sets me over it.

I tug on his belt, desperate to set the erection I felt all the way up here free.

He catches my wrists and I look up at him with a breathy laugh. “Sorry. It’s been over three years for me, so if I’m too eager or a little resistant, you know why.”

“Three…years,” he repeats, like that number means something to him. I hold my breath before he finally nods. “We’ll go as fast or slow as you want. You set the pace.”

With my bottom lip between my teeth again, I smile up at him and lean back on my elbows.

“How do you want me, Tess?”

I sit up, flashing him a flirty smile. “My choice?”

“Tonight, it’s yours. Tomorrow it’s mine.”

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