Page 65 of Corrupt Me

My fingers curled around the nape of his neck, teasing the dark strands of his hair. Touching him, even something so simple, was electric, sending little heady shivers of what I felt could only be womanly power. The way his lips hungered for mine as if he’d been as starved for me as I was for him gave me a sense of confidence I desperately needed. Whether he did so intentionally or not didn’t matter. He had no idea what itmeant to me even if it would be a short-term reprieve from the madness.

His tongue stroked my lips, urging them apart as the tip of his fingers grazed the side of my breast. I gasped, and his tongue slipped inside my mouth, touching mine with a wickedness that curled my toes.

When I kissed him, I hadn’t thought beyond feeling his lips against mine. But now…

Heaven, this feels so right.

Apparently, Tristan wasn’t having the same light bulb realization I was. His lips tore away from mine, but he didn’t move, his choppy breaths mingling with mine as our chests rose and fell heavily in sync. “What are you doing?” he demanded, but he’d already shown me how affected he’d been by our kiss.

My head angled to the side, my gaze drawn to his unbelievably soft lips. I had to have another taste. And another. I wanted to taste them all night or for what hours we had left before the sun crested. I licked my lips, sampling the remnants of himself he left on me. Nothing tasted fucking sweeter than Tristan. “I thought it was pretty obvious,” I countered.

The fingers in my hair tightened. A warning? A struggle? Both perhaps because I wasn’t sure he knew what was going on inside himself. “This isn’t what you need. Sex isn’t the answer,” he muttered lowly, the depths of his blue eyes like a churning storm.

Kernels of frustration twirled through me. “How would you know what I do or don’t need? For once, will you stop thinking you know what’s best for me and let me decide? I know what I want,” I murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth where his lip ring glimmered. The metal cooled my slightly swollen mouth.

Behind his eyes, an internal war brewed, and I was determined to sway the odds in my favor. For once, I wanted to be selfish and put myself first. This might not be the opportunesituation to grow lady balls, but I promised myself I would find out who Everly Scott was in college.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Shortcake.” The fingers in my hair yanked my head back to get his point across and instill a grain of fear within me.

He failed.

If anything, his warning made me want this night with him more. I needed Tristan to take me to the edge. For so many years, this tension had swirled around us. It was past time to break it even if it was only for tonight. Even if things weren’t the same between us. At least I’d no longer have to wonder, which could be risky. I could be disappointed, or I could be left craving more.

One night.

Did I deserve one night of pleasure? Of recklessness? Of thoughtless bliss? A pardon from the chaos in my head? The self-blame? The heartache? The anger? Oh, the fucking rage that simmered in my blood.

These were my college years. If there was ever a time to be young, carefree, and explorative, it was now.

But the look on Tristan’s face didn’t give me reassurance.

Oh god. He’s going to reject me. He’s going to get out of this bed and leave me alone.

Ribbons of panic cut through me.

Had I just embarrassed myself on levels of epic portions?

I steeled myself for the sting of his refusal. “Would you prefer I chose some other guy?” I shot back. I didn’t dare bring up Preston—refused to let my mind think of him. “I’m sure there’s someone I can?—”

He swooped in, taking hot possession of my lips in a kiss that stole the air from my lungs. It took me more than a few moments to recover, and then everything in me responded. My control spun wildly, slipping easily out of my grasp, tumblinginto a world of passionate kisses, desperate hands, and thrilling unknowns.

Tristan pulled me into his lap at dizzying speeds. Seconds ticked before I comprehended the change in our positions. I sat in Tristan’s lap, my legs straddling him on either side as his hands cupped my ass.

Not once had his mouth strayed from mine, our kiss never broken by his movements. Skills. Tristan had mad kissing abilities, and I felt fucking heady to have him use them on me. If the power of his lips were any indication of what was to come, I was in for the night of my life.

But he wasn’t the only one with a few surprises.

I had one of my own.

One I wasn’t sure how he would feel about.

So I kept it to myself for fear Tristan would summon his unyielding control and put a stop to this before it had a chance to go past PG-rated levels.

And I very much wanted to get R-rated with Tristan Malone.

God, how are his lips so damn soft?

His fingers trailed down my spine, heat seeping through the thin T-shirt and spawning need between my legs, my nails digging into his neck as I pressed deeper into him.

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