Page 21 of Kidnapped Plus-Size Mate

This time, I can see his mole so clearly that it almost looks like a bunch of hearts forming the petals of a flower.

“... At least until I’ve made you mine.”

It’s as if those words are a command for me to melt in his arms and close my eyes, my lips parting in response to what he’d just said. Fully surrendered to whatever the implications of that claim were, my lips were captured by the passion of his own.

Did he read my mind from before, when I imagined what his lips would feel like if I kissed him?

Somehow, the kiss exceeds my wildest expectations, igniting and breathing life into my very soul. It’s as soft as it is hungry, his tongue plunging into the cavity of my mouth to taste me with a heady groan as his fingers burn on my skin and he pulls me closer.

His lips are electrifying, melting me with a moan as I completely let go of any inhibitions and throw caution to the wind. For a fleeting moment, I cannot tell where I end or begin, and something feels so right about the kiss.

Until he abruptly breaks it, connecting our foreheads as our breaths come out in hot, heavy pants.

“We—” he starts breathlessly, his voice coarse and darkly arousing. “We should take things slowly,” he’s finally able to say, his eyes closing on a huge gulp.

Take things slowly…?

It takes my mind an unbridled moment to come to my senses and realize the magnitude of what he’d just said.

I nod timidly, prompting him to gently pull me away and steady me on my feet. When he’s satisfied that I won’t fall over, he releases the strong grip on my arms and smiles.

“I’ll see you soon, Camilla,” he says as he steps behind the limo door as if he’s using it as a shield to protect himself from coming forward.

If it wasn’t for the way his chest heaved uncontrollably, I would have thought he was not interested in me and allowed the ghastly talons of my low self-esteem to take me, prisoner, once again.

But there’s something about the transfixed glint of arousal in his eyes that puts to rest my doubts as a blush instead creeps along my cheeks.

Perhaps it’s because the kiss lingers on my lips with the promise that he’ll see me again.

***

I can barely get the kiss out of my head, even as I go about my day at work and lead the scheduled morning tours. Sterling hasn’t made an appearance, but the strength of that kiss douses my doubts and allows me to stay away from falling into old habits of berating myself.

“Good day, Miss,” a male voice comes from behind me when I’ve just rounded up my first tour and gathered my notes on my clipboard.

It’s not the voice I was hoping to hear today, but I plaster a smile on my face and turn to the man, only to be stunned by how handsome he is.

He’s a stark contrast to Sterling, with darker features and a much less friendly smile. The more I stare at him, the more I realize that he isn’t as ethereally stunning as Sterling.

But he’s gorgeous, nonetheless.

Perhaps my energy is heightened, attracting more handsome men toward me like bees to a hive. The only trouble is that I’m not remotely interested in this one.

It’s just a worthy note to make.

“That was a lovely tour you gave there,” the man appreciates in a thick Australian accent.

That’s when I realized he’d been on this morning’s museum tour, but I hadn’t even noticed him. I was so caught up basking in the glory of last night’s date with Sterling that I couldn’t possibly pay attention to anyone else until they came up to me.

“Thanks,” I reply with a courteous smile before turning to gesture around the room. “Just spreading the love I have for the museum. And the knowledge, too.”

“So, you like your job?” the man asks, prompting me to turn back to him as I wonder why he'd ask me that question.

“Of course I do.”

“Hm…” he laments with a crooked smile. “You seem rather passionate. I wonder if you're like that with everything else in your life…”

A frown flits past my face, and I straighten it out only because we're in the museum.

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