Page 33 of Exile

The taste of whiskey on his tongue made me want more, but I wasn’t sure how that would be possible. The way he kissed me was intense, and no guy had ever taken control over me like Caspian had.

Another moan escaped me, and I gripped his shirt with both fists, tightly holding him there. I didn’t want him to stop. I wanted this to continue all night.

He briefly broke the kiss as his head tilted to the other side before his mouth was on mine again. His tongue plunged inside, swirling around mine and showing me exactly what an experienced man like him could offer.

Fuck, this kiss is everything.

His grip around my throat eased, and he slowly broke the kiss, finally letting me breathe again. He stayed close, with his forehead resting against mine and his hands still on me.

I kept my eyes closed, scared I would lose control if I looked into his. There was an intense pull between us. One I wanted to explore, but not before he told me that this kiss wasn’t just a temporary impulse. Or a mistake.

He let out a grunt. His heart was pounding just as hard as mine. But he didn’t say a word. Not for a little while.

The longer we stayed silent, the more this moment felt right. Still, I needed to know that he thought the same.

He took a deep breath, his right hand moving from the side of my head to my cheek. He cupped it gently, with his thumb brushing along my bottom lip. Without thinking too much about it, I wrapped my lips around his thumb and sucked on it gently before letting it pop out of my mouth again, and I finally dared to open my eyes, finding his locked on my lips.

“I shouldn’t have done that, but I’d do it again if you asked.”

Just the words I wanted to hear.

My heart pounded so hard it felt like it had risen to my throat.

Our eyes met, and I moved my hand further up around his neck, needing to get even closer. “I want you to do it again,” I admitted.

Both his hands dropped to my hips, and he put some distance between us as he took a small step back. “Not tonight.”

Boo.

“Why not?”

“Because if I do it again, I won’t stop. And we both need time to think this through.” His words were direct but not harsh. He was honest and mature, which, deep down, I wasn’t. I would’ve jumped him in seconds if he agreed to kiss me again.

God, I needed a cold shower.

Good thing this tiny house didn’t have warm water after nine o’clock.

“Okay.” I pressed my lips together and played with my fingers, avoiding his eyes to not get tempted.

“Go inside. Sleep.” His demands were as clear as ever, and I had no reason to fight it. Or to ask him to come inside.

“All right. Tonight was fun,” I told him with a smile. I placed my hand back on his shoulder and leaned in to kiss his cheek before I turned around and unlocked the door. I headed inside and locked myself in, and while I got ready for bed, I knew he was still out there, waiting until my lights went out.

I learned two things about Caspian: he was extremely protective and an insanely good kisser.

***

Bruce Mines was only a half-hour drive from Hilton Beach. We spent the first ten minutes of the drive in comfortable silence until I noticed the maroon baseball cap and dark sunglasses on the bench between us. I smiled and lifted the cap, looking at Caspian as he focused on the road ahead.

“You took my advice,” I said, looking back at the cap in my hands. “I’m sure people won’t even realize it’s you.”

He didn’t reply. A scoff was all I got from him.

Puckering my lips, I put the cap back down and took in the interior of the old pickup truck he was driving. “Have you had this car for a long time?”

“I got it when I moved to Hilton.”

“So you didn’t have some fancy car when you were still in Hollywood?”

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