Page 62 of The Grump

“You think it’s because I don’t want you.”

“Why else?”

He touched my face with the backs of his fingers before cupping my jaw. Then he drew his thumb over my lip. “It’s because I want you so damn much that I can’t think straight. And if I can’t think straight—” He took in a short breath. “—it’sdangerous. I didn’t want you to feel like I have expectations, like you can’t turn me down.”

“That didn’t even cross my mind.”

“I can barely think about anything else.”

I was starting to feel warm again. “Really?”

“Yes. And tonight was fucking perfect. Don’t for a second think I don’t want you.”

I didn’t wait for him to kiss me this time. Instead, I put my arms around his neck, lacing my fingers behind his head, and tilted toward him. The last thing I was aware of before our mouths met was yet another sexy growl. And then I was completely lost to Xander LeBlanc.

Chapter Seventeen

Xander

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I moved her across the porch until we reached the door. I’d barely held back at the restaurant and then during the dance. I had no idea where all that had come from; I just knew it would make her happy. She turned around instantly when she felt the door at her back. I groaned, pressing my fingers into the wood, nearly clawing at it like a wild animal.

I felt her rib cage expand with every breath. I put a hand on her waist, tugging at her coat—I simply couldn’tnottouch her. When she finally opened the door, we barreled inside. She barely managed to close it before I was kissing her again, unbuttoning her coat. I wanted it out of the way. I wanted everything out of the way. I’d fantasized about having this woman naked for weeks.

I pushed her coat off her shoulders and down to the floor. Next thing I knew, she took off her shoes, making her much shorter than me, but it didn’t matter. She was perfect just the way she was—every part of her.

I only paused enough to look down at her dress. “I’ve wanted to take this off all damn night.”

She looked down and then back up at me. “Likewise. I like this suit a lot, but I want to see you out of it.”

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. “Are you sure?”

“So sure. So, so sure.”

“I aim to please.”

I immediately shrugged off my jacket, tossing it over her discarded coat. Looking straight at her, I took off my cuff links. I could see her getting turned on right in front of my eyes. It wasright there in her body language: the way her eyes darkened and her lips parted; the small shake in her hips. This woman wanted me. I put the cuff links on the shelf next to us, then walked closer to her.

“You’ll have to do the rest,” I told her.

“I can’t wait to oblige.”

She started with my buttons, making quick work of them. At the same time, I pulled her dress up to her hips and then nearly exploded in my pants. She was wearing lace garters.

“You look fucking beautiful.”

“I bought them especially for tonight.”

“For me. No one else can see you wear these. Fucking no one.”

“Xander...”

I walked her backward until I’d plastered her against the wooden door again and cupped her face. “I mean it, Bailey.”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t going to. I don’t even wear these usually.”

“You have matching panties?” I asked her.

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