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And then her hands were in his hair, tugging, pulling him down toward her, their mouths inches away until suddenly they weren’t and she was there. Her lips on his, soft and gentle and hesitant and creating an entire solar system within him with her as the sun. The room spun around him and there was nothing but her and her scent and her warmth and her softness. A single word echoed through his entire being.

Mine.

CHAPTER10

MIN

Min didn’t know what the fuck she was doing. But she knew she didn’t want to stop.

She could feel Hayden’s surprise when she kissed him. His entire body froze for half of a moment, so fast she would’ve missed it if he wasn’t completely wrapped around her. And then he was kissing her back. His mouth gentle, like she was something fragile and precious that he wanted to protect. She wasn’t sure how she knew Hayden would hold her if she asked. But she had, suddenly needing his strength and heat surrounding her, and she desperately wasn’t in a place to think about why that was so. She just wanted to lose herself to this, his gentle kiss, his steadiness, how solid he felt.

And then the kiss changed.

Hayden adjusted the angle of the kiss, his tongue caressing her lips for a moment before she parted them and let him inside to stroke her, slow and deliberate and purposeful. Min felt her nerve endings curl inside her, coming alive at his touch. With her hand on his neck, she could feel his pulse pounding a rhythm that matched her own. His hand flexed against her hip, and she was pulled even closer, their bodies pressed together and his hips ground into hers with a friction that Min knew she had to chase or she would lose her mind. Her free hand slipped around his waist, sliding under his shirt to feel his skin there. Her grip tightened, her nails scraping his skin, and she felt more than heard him groan into her mouth.

“Hayden…” His name slipped out of her with a low, husky whisper, and she felt him shudder against her, as if she was testing the last of his control. And she loved it. She wanted more.

He pulled away, almost ripping his mouth away from hers. Min tried to pull him back, but he caught her wrists, holding her hands away from him and creating distance between them. Hayden’s dark eyes glittered with such heat and desire she could feel herself getting wet in response. He was breathing hard, and she didn’t know what he saw as his eyes raked over her, but she felt wild. Her hair had air-dried with waves that would be impossible to tame in the morning. Her mouth was open as her harsh breathing matched his. She wanted to burn. And she knew, from the lightning that struck her when their lips touched, that Hayden was a fire so hot he would consume her.

And boy, did she need to be consumed.

After a moment, Hayden’s mouth flattened and he shook his head, almost as if reprimanding himself. He took a deep breath.

“Min, you’ve had a shock.” His voice was gravelly, deep with lust, and Min’s body practically swayed toward him. But his hands stayed firm on her wrists, holding her back.

“Make me feel better.” She should be shocked at her own words, low and husky with desire. But she saw his eyes flare with need that mirrored her own.

“You’ll feel better when you get some rest. Alone. In the bed.” His voice was firm, but he was still holding on to her wrists, had probably forgotten he was holding them. Min was suddenly terrified that if she let him push her away here, let him put her to bed with nothing more than that brief kiss, they would never get to this point again.

“Fuck that. Hayden, touch me. Please.”

“I can’t, baby.”

Min took a deep breath, her eyes lowering, doubt suddenly flooding her.

“Is it because of the photos?” She looked up at him, wanting to see his eyes when she asked. She wouldn’t be able to stand it if he lied.

He recoiled as if she had hit him. “What? No, fuck no. I don’t care about those, or the video.”

His voice rang sincere, and she found herself believing him, relieved. But that left one other option for why he would turn her away. One she probably should have anticipated considering how they met. She pulled her hands away from him, and he only hesitated a second before letting her go. Min stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself. Her eyes drifted to the large, floor-to-ceiling window, the city lights winking at her through the dark, not able to look at him.

“Then it’s me. You’re just not… I’m not…” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and hide the rejection she felt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to throw myself at you. It was unprofessional and you deserve better. You’ve done nothing but make your feelings about me clear since we met, and I should’ve respected that.”

She turned to the bed, intending to bury herself under the comforter and sleep away her embarrassment, but strong arms caught her waist, pulling her back into him, her head tucked under his chin and his grip so tight on her it trapped her breath.

“Hey, wait, no. That’s not what this is.”

She did her best to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. She held herself as stiff as possible, ignoring his warmth and his scent as it completely engulfed her. His words, when they came, were low, almost a growl, close to her ear as if saying them too loud would shatter the tension building around them.

“Min, I don’t know what’s happening, but you need to trust that I want you. More than anything. And I don’t know what to do with that feeling, don’t know how to express it or get rid of it or even what I want to do about it. Just know it’s there, and I’m slowly losing the fight against it.”

Her hands flexed on his chest. “I want you, too.”

His grip tightened, and one of his hands slid up her side and settled just under her breast. This close, she could feel him swallow. Hard.

“You’re hurt, sweetheart. I don’t think fucking you as hard as I want to is really the best thing for you right now.”

Warmth spread through her and pooled at her core. And she desperately needed him to do something about it.

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