Page 12 of A Very Grumpy New Year

“I want you, Huxley. I like you too.”

Huxley’s eyes are dark and stormy, and I can feel the tension radiating off him as he steps closer, closing the space between us until we’re pressed up against each other. My heart races, my pulse pounding in my ears as I look up at him, the intensity in his gaze making my breath hitch. I can feel the heat simmering between us, something raw and undeniable that neither of us can ignore any longer.

As I watch, it’s like the beast that he’s kept caged inside of him is let loose. His hands cup my face, and he tugs me against him as his lips claim mine.

“Cora,” he says, his voice low and rough, his hands reaching out to grip my waist. His fingers dig in, pulling me against him with a possessiveness that makes me shiver. He’s so close I can feel the warmth of his breath, his hand moving up to cup the back of my neck, tilting my head up to meet his gaze.

I barely have time to react before his mouth crashes down on mine, rough and demanding. It’s not gentle, not soft—this kiss is fierce, all-consuming, and I lose myself in it completely. I press into him, my hands clutching his shoulders, and he growls low in his throat, his grip on me tightening as his lips move against mine, urgent and hungry.

He kisses me like he’s claiming me, his mouth hard and unrelenting, and I respond with just as much intensity, my hands sliding up into his hair, pulling him closer. I can feel the tension in his body, the way he’s barely holding himself back, and it ignites something wild in me. I tug on his hair, and he lets out a low, feral sound that sends a thrill down my spine.

“Cora,” he groans against my mouth, his voice thick with desire, and the sound of my name on his lips makes me ache with need.

I pull him even closer, desperate, needing more. His hands roam over my body, rough and possessive, leaving a trail of heat wherever he touches. His mouth moves down to my neck, his teeth grazing my skin, and I gasp, clutching him tighter. He nips at my collarbone, then soothes the spot with his tongue, making me shiver as I tilt my head back, giving him all the access he wants.

“God, Huxley,” I breathe, my fingers digging into his shoulders, and he pulls back just enough to look down at me, his eyes blazing.

He doesn’t say a word, just crushes his mouth to mine again, his kiss rough and desperate, like he can’t get close enough. I can feel the heat between us building, the fire and intensity that neither of us can contain. It’s raw, wild, and I lose myself in it, in him, in the way he kisses me like he’s wanted this for as long as I have.

There’s nothing soft about it—just heat, need, and the feeling that neither of us is holding back anymore. And as his hands tangle in my hair and his mouth claims mine over and over, I know I’m his, and he’s mine.

This is raw passion.

Pure need.

“Cora,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine. He brushes a strand of hair from my face, his fingertips grazing my cheek with a touch that’s achingly gentle. My pulse quickens, and I can feel my cheeks flush under his gaze, heat pooling low in my belly as his fingers slide down to trace the line of my jaw.

I melt against him, my hands tangling in his hair as he pulls me even closer. His lips move slowly, exploring, tasting, igniting a fire inside me that I can’t ignore. I press into him, needing more, and he responds with a low, rumbling sound that vibrates through me, pulling me deeper into the kiss.

His hands are everywhere, one on my waist, the other sliding up my back, his fingertips pressing into me as if he can’t get close enough. His lips part against mine, and I let out a soft sigh as his tongue brushes against mine, sending sparks through every nerve. I sink into him, into the warmth and strength of his body, feeling the world around us fall away as his kiss deepens, becoming urgent, desperate.

“Huxley,” I breathe, his name a whisper against his lips, and he pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, his eyes dark and hungry. The look he gives me sends another wave of heat through me, and I can barely catch my breath as he leans down, his lips grazing my ear.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this,” he murmurs, his voice thick with desire, and I feel a shiver run through me.

“Then don’t stop,” I whisper, my hands tightening in his hair as he captures my mouth again, harder this time, more insistent, his hands roaming over my body, igniting every inch of skin he touches. I press against him, feeling the heat and strength of him, wanting more, needing more.

The kiss grows deeper, hotter, his mouth trailing down my jaw to my neck, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. I tilt my head back, giving him better access, and he doesn’t hesitate, his lips brushing over the sensitive skin just below my ear, making me gasp.

I’m lost in him, in the feel of his hands and his mouth and the way he holds me like he never wants to let go.

“Bed,” he mumbles against my lips, too wrapped up in me to pull away enough to talk.

“Uh-huh,” I mumble back, and then he’s lifting me and carrying me to my room like I weigh nothing. My body heats even more at his show of strength, and I moan, writhing against him.

“Fuck, Cora. You’re going to make me come before I’ve even got you naked.”

I gasp as he lays me down on the bed and grinds against me, thrusting between my legs and driving me wild.

“Been dreaming about you naked and beneath me for so long,” he whispers as we rock together.

“Then do it. I don’t want to wait any longer,” I beg him.

He nods, standing between my legs and pulling his shirt over his head as he stares down at me with so much heat and longing in his deep green eyes. His dark brown hair is slightly mussed, and I know that it’s from my fingers being in it.

“You turn,” he says, and I sit up, pulling my shirt off and dropping it on the floor.

I have a moment of panic and self-doubt as I stare at Huxley’s ripped body, but when I look up at him, his eyes are locked on my curves, and as I watch him, he licks his lips. He wants me. He’s staring at me like he’s never seen anything sexier, and that helps my confidence level grow.

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