Page 48 of Enticing

I slide my hand to the back of her neck, and Addie’s pulse thrums beneath my fingertips.

The sweetest sigh slips past her lips, and I have to force myself to stay in control. “Fuck, I’m going to savor you.”

“Kiss me, Leo.”

Like a crack in a dam, I break behind the force of those three words. I brush my lips over hers, tasting her. Teasing her. Savoring her taste and devouring every sexy little breath thatleaves her as she lets me back her into the house. I pick her up and spin us, so she’s pinned against the closed door.

Addie clings to me, wrapping her legs around my waist and her hands around my neck. And damn, when I finally get my hands on her perfect fucking ass... shit.

I pull back but don’t put her down, and instead, I press my forehead against hers and enjoy the little whimper that leaves her throat at the loss of contact.

“Ask me why I’m doing this, wife.” I’m holding on by a thread, but I’m not sure she knows it.

“I’m not your wife yet, Leo.” She sounds hot and dazed and still so fucking feisty. “But I’ll bite. Why are you agreeing to this?”

My chest is heavy as I struggle with what I know we both want and what I know she’s ready for. And she’s not ready. Not yet.

“Because Adelaide...” I breathe her in and slow down. “The minute I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were everything. Somehow, I just knew it. And I knew you were supposed to be mine. You and those girls. But you were never going to let me prove it. This way, I can show you why.”

“But... why? That doesn’t even make sense.” She shakes her head but keeps her hands around my neck, holding me to her. “You don’t even know us.”

“I’m a Sinclair, sweetheart. I know everything I need to know.” I’m not sure I ever really understood it before, but I do now.

Dad always used to say,when you know, you just know, and there’s no stopping it.When I’d ask him what he meant, he’d tell me,we’re Sinclairs, we love hard, and we love fiercely. He’d saySinclairs are scared of finding the right women. And when you find her, don’t let go.

Well, I’m not letting go.

Gently, I drop her feet to the floor and steady her against me. “I leave tomorrow afternoon for an away game the next day. I won’t be back until early Christmas morning. Do you have plans?”

Her eyes flash with something that looks a whole lot like fear. “Caitlin, Coraline, and I are taking the girls to volunteer at the soup kitchen that afternoon.”

“Can I come over that night? I could bring dinner with me. Maybe we could watch a Christmas movie.” She licks her lips, then drags her teeth over her pouty bottom lip, and I press down with my thumb, freeing it. Desperate to have it between my fucking teeth. “Say yes, Adelaide.”

Her eyes hold all her fear, right there at the surface, and it’s like taking a puck to the guts. Enough to knock the wind right out of you. Someone hurt her. Badly. And I’m going to make sure no one ever does it again.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Addie. Not you. Not your girls. If any of this is going to work, you have to trust me.”

“I don’t know if I’m capable of trusting again, Leo...” She closes her eyes for a moment, and when they open, there’s a fire there that was missing before. “But I think if I was ever going to try to trust someone, it would be you.”

I press my lips against her forehead. “That’s a start.”

ADELAIDE

You’ve come so far, don’t give up now.

—Addie’s Secret Thoughts

Dermot Kennedy sings about what he wants as my fingers fly across my keyboard, and I up the tension between my hero and heroine. Sparks are sparking, clothes are flying, and the simmering tension I’ve spent hours building has reached its boiling point.

This is what I love about writing.

This point right now.

When the characters take control and their story spills from my fingers as if I have no choice but to get the words down on the page. When their voices are as strong as if they were right here in front of me and not just in my head.

Hello, my muse. You big, beautiful, finicky goddess.

Thank you for coming out to play.

---