Page 54 of Recklessly Yours

Either way, I was screwed. That was obvious after today.

“Hattie.” I closed the distance and cupped her face with both hands. “Need you to hear me right now. You did not misread anything.”

Her eyes popped open wide, and her lips parted. “I didn’t?”

I zeroed in on her mouth, ready to lean in and get another taste of everything I’d been thinking about all day. But first I needed her to understand.

“No.” I smirked. “I want you so badly I spent the whole day thinking about it. I’ve been so distracted thinking about you, about kissing you again.”

“Really? I—” She snapped her mouth shut and blinked several times. “What…I mean…” She huffed, her breath warm on my neck as she peered up at me. “I don’t understand.”

Chuckling, I caressed her cheeks with my thumbs. “I know, and that’s my fault. So I’ll make sure I’m really clear. I want you, Hattie.” I moved one hand down to cup the side of her neck and brushed my thumb along her lower lip. “I can’t think about anything but you. I thought that if I kept my distance, I could stay focused, because I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. But after today, it’s clear that regardless of what happens between us, I’ll be distracted. You’re all I think about.”

The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile. “And my brother?”

Shrugging, I grasped her waist and pulled her closer. “I’m not going to lie to him. He might be pissed when he finds out, but he’ll get over it.”

I brought her flush against my body, and she gripped my shoulders, her breath hitching. When her gaze locked on my lips, I tilted forward and paused an inch away, letting her take the lead.

I was done fighting this, but if she had any doubts, I’d back off and give her time.

Chapter Twenty-Three

HATTIE

I slidmy hands around to the back of his head. God, I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything before. No way was I going to muddle it up by asking him to define what we were doing.

Popping up on my toes, I pressed my mouth to his. The instant our lips were fused together, he backed me up against therailing of the staircase, devouring and exploring every inch of my mouth with his tongue.

He ran his hands over my hips and down my thighs, pausing on the bare skin just past the hem of my skirt. He lingered there for what felt like a lifetime before slowly trailing his fingers under my skirt, lighting up my nerve endings as he went. Gripping my ass tightly, he lifted me.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and let my head fall back as he kissed a path along my jaw and nipped at my ear.

“Dylan, please.” I moaned as I rotated my hips, rubbing against him.

“Please, what?” he asked, moving down my neck, pulling my blue sweater farther off my shoulder and pressing wet kisses over my collarbone.

“I need you,” I panted. “So desperately I feel like I’m going to explode.”

He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. “Me too, baby. Me too.”

My stomach fluttered as his words permeated through the haze of desire that had overtaken me.

“I can’t wait to taste you on my tongue.” Clutching me to him, he headed up the stairs.

I clung to him tightly, sucking on his neck.

Groaning, he dug his fingers into the flesh of my ass. “I want to know how you sound when you’re screaming my name.”

With a chuckle, I pulled back to look at him. “Cocky, are we?”

“Did you think about me last night?” He raised one brow.

Heat crept up my neck and into my face as he turned the corner at the top of the steps and strode into his bedroom. He tossed me onto his bed and loomed over me, studying me with an intensity that made me squirm. Was I brave enough to tell him that yes, I’d imagined he was the one bringing me pleasure?

I tracked his movements as he slid a hand to the holster at his side, unclipped it from his belt and turned toward the nightstand. After he pressed a series of buttons on top of what looked like a digital alarm clock, a drawer popped out. He placed his weapon inside and closed it before turning his focus back on me.

“Please, tell me. Did you imagine it was me touching you?” He pulled the lanyard his badge hung from over his head and tossed it on the nightstand. “Because it’s all I’ve thought about.”

---