Page 47 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

She flattened her hand on the table, rising a little. “About what?”

He kept tension on the pearls. “About you wearing these and never taking them off. I hope that proves to be true.”

Ella closed her eyes, her fingers pressing hard into the felt table. “Damon, I’m confused.”

Releasing the pearls, Damon slid his fingers into her hair, turning her face up to his.

She parted her lips, focusing on his mouth as her breathing quickened. As she lifted those blue eyes to him, he was gone.

He drew her up to him and into a kiss.

They both froze for a brief second.

Damon judging her reaction.

Ella seemingly in shock.

But then she tilted her head to the side, kissing him harder, and that was it for him. The only signal he needed.

Slanting his lips across hers, his tongue dipped inside, tasting the sweet, warm bourbon. He gripped the back of her neck and kissed her again. Deep and slow, he continued the easy pace until that final shred of hesitancy he sensed in her disappeared with a small moan.

She rubbed her tongue against his.

He backed off, giving her the lead and letting her explore. Damn, he’d never been this turned on by a woman kissing him before.

Ella released his shoulders and glided her hands down his chest and abs.

His stomach contracted as she rested her hands on his waistband, a few fingers hooked inside the top edge of his jeans. It was time to stop because her touch made his mind take a hard left away from going slow. He lifted his head, her eyes fluttering open.

She sighed. “Can we skip the rest of the night and go back to your apartment?”

“I’m not taking you back to my apartment tonight.” He kissed her quickly on the mouth one more time. “But you can go back to work.”

She rose on her toes, her eyes full of amusement. “You know I let you boss me around.”

“Since you work for me, that means you listen to me.”

“But when I’m not working at Cager?” She lifted her eyebrows and tipped her head back up to his. “What about then?”

He held her chin. “Since I only have your best interest in mind, I’ll have to say yes. I’ll still boss you around.”

“If you kiss me again, I’ll think about letting you.”

He covered her lips with his, Ella responding right away this time and returning the kiss. The last thing he wanted to do was end the moment, but this wasn’t the place to keep going.

With one last kiss, he pulled away again. He rubbed up and down her arms. “Please send one of the guys back here when they strike out with the women. I can keep an eye on you from here, and maybe it will keep my mind”—and my hands—“occupied for a little while.”

“I don’t know if your concern is sweet or a little obsessive, always watching me like that.”

“Both.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped his mouth and her red lipstick off.

She tilted her head to the side. “My grandfather used to carry one of those around. I didn’t realize men did that anymore.”

“I typically don’t.” He folded it and put it back in his back pocket. “I started carrying it after Thursday night.”

“What happened Thursday night?”

“I nearly kissed you.”

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