Page 46 of Release You

I slid up the mattress. With my gaze fixed on his, I reached up the skirt of the dress and removed what was left of my thong. He sighed and braced both hands on the bed. His chest rose and fell as all the ridges on his stomach strained under his sun-kissed skin. God, the man was gorgeous, and he was here for me. I swallowed and licked my lips. We deserved another chance. I wanted to taste his skin now that he was all covered in sweat, but instead, I did what he’d asked.

Raising my ass in the air, I unzipped the bottom half of the dress. He tugged the velvet fabric off me and tossed it aside. His gaze roamed my body, taking in every inch of me. Desire spread across my belly, and finally exploded in my core, like a mini orgasm. He drank me in, and all I could do was pant.

This man had me panting.

“You are so beautiful.” He removed his shoes and tuxedo pants, giving me a full view of his naked body.

He kept his attention on me as he climbed on the bed and planted open-mouth kisses on my right ankle and the side of my leg. When he reached my hip, he positioned himself on top of me. The weight of his body, the heat of his skin against mine had me in a complete daze.

“So are you.” I rubbed the stubble on his cheeks and pressed my lips to his. I wanted him again. “So, what’s our time frame here? Ten, fifteen minutes?”

“Wow, you get bossy when you’re naked.” He let out a deep, sexy laugh.

The moment I walked into the hotel, I realized I’d been lying to myself. I’d never forgotten about Henry. Men were pieces on a chessboard for me because deep down, I knew they couldn’t be anything more. Henry had my whole heart. He was the man I’d been in love with since we were kids, the only one for me.

All I ever wanted—a family, a home—I had it now, but for how long? He’d said he loved me, but was that enough? Was our love enough? History would tell us no. We’d lost this particular battle long ago. But did we have it in us to win the war this time around?

“What now, Henry?” I traced his eyebrow, the feature that made him look dangerous.

“If it were up to me, we’d stay in this bed for the next ten years.” He bent down and sucked my breast. “But we got work to do, don’t we?”

“What do you mean?” I was only half listening, my mind focused on what his tongue was doing to my nipple.

“Well, we need to figure how the medicine bottle you took from the manor fits into this mad puzzle we’re trying to solve.”

My eyes flew open.

Henry was over me, smirking. “You thought I would just leave the room and not wait to see what you’d do?”

“You were spying on me?” I hit his chest. Damn, it was hard. I made to scoot away from him, but he pinned me with his body.

“No. But I saw you come out of the bedroom twenty minutes later, looking very guilty. Downstairs, when you took the condom out of your purse, I saw the medicine bottle with Mom’s name on it. What’s in it?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t have time to look.”

“Okay.” He kissed me again.

I pushed him away. “That’s it?”

“Hmm.” He nuzzled my neck. “I was just curious. Tomorrow.” He nibbled behind my ear. “We’ll talk tomorrow. For now, I only want you.”

CHAPTER 16

The Box with Two Keys

Henry

Sitting on her heels on the bed, Nikki ran a finger across her lips. The tip of her tongue lingered over her teeth. Her hot blue gaze pierced through my heart, and my cock reacted.

“I fold.” I adjusted the sheets over my waist.

“What? No.” She sounded like a five-year-old who just dropped her ice cream. “I didn’t do anything this time. I didn’t even look at my cards.”

“It’s all over your face, your eyes. You’re practically about to pee your pants you’re so excited. What do you have? A pair?” I reached for her cards and threw them on the pile. “Three of a kind? Again?”

“I’m really good at this game.” She flashed me a smile.

“You really aren’t.”

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