Page 51 of Catching Fire

She’d gotten her wish to be wearing less clothing, that was for sure. But she was wishing for less than this.

He pulled back, his bare chest heaving with the effort of restraint. Her breath rushed out, finally feeling his desire after so long believing that he didn’t want her. But he didn’t lunge back at her even though she could feel the sing of blood in her lips, the surge of her pulse through her breasts, all saying that her body wanted him.

“Seline?”

“Yes?” She didn’t have to say it so breathy but she couldn’t help it.Why was he talking instead of kissing her?

“You have to promise me that you’ll stop me before I go too far. I don’t know that I have the ability to put the brakes on here. Okay?”

“I promise,” she added as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans and hauled him close again.

It shouldn’t have been possible to burn hotter, but they did. Seline tipped her head and let him drive her crazy with his lips and teeth on her earlobe. By the time he’d moved to her neck, she was surprised to learn that she could be that turned on by her ear.

Her hands clutched at him, keeping him close and feeling the heat radiating off him as he worked his way down, a slow, burning path along her skin until he was stopped by her rucked-up shirt, which he quickly dispatched to the kitchen floor. It hit with a soft slap, still tangled with her bra, but the feeling of his skin—finally—fully against hers made her not care. His mouth closing over her nipple had her making sounds she’d not heard from her own vocal cords before.

He moved to the other side, worshiping her other breast even as his hand slowly—too slowly—made its way under her skirt. When he touched her, she fell apart, writhing in his arms, riding out the waves of pleasure he gave her. Her ankles locked behind his hips, her fingers dug into the bold muscles of his shoulders as her own body clenched and released, clenched and released.

As she sank back to earth, Kalan stepped back.

But she had enough wherewithal to know he hadn’t finished. Still, she let him have his space for a moment, and watched as his eyes widened when she reached under the edge of her skirt, grabbed at the sides of her panties and slid them down her legs. Seline watched his face the whole time and she could tell the exact moment he realized he was a goner.

When she crooked a finger at him, he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and nearly slapped it onto the counter beside her. She hoped to hell there was a condom in there. But her hands were working the snaps on his jeans and pushing everything away to bare him to her touch.

This time, the groans came from his lips, as she stroked and kissed him. His fingers fumbled with his wallet and produced the condom she’d hoped he had.

Her skirt was still around her waist as he covered himself and pushed inside.

Seline’s head slid back, smacking into the cabinet behind her.

“Oh, my God!” he looked up, his body straightening as he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” but his movement had put him into some perfect alignment that set her on edge again. Seline grabbed at him and made him stop asking if she was alright. She was more than fine. Her hips acted of their own accord, rolling against him, striving to feel more, to take him deeper.

His voice changed as her movements changed his concern to pleasure. He thrust again and again, his groans getting deeper with each answering call of her own voice until she saw stars and both heard and felt the release in him.

Collapsing into the circle of his arms, she breathed in great gulps until she had enough oxygen to think. She was opening her mouth to comment when he beat her to it.

“Shit.”

She blinked and stiffened.Well, that ended fast. “Just what every woman wants to hear after mind blowing sex.”

But his arms tightened down, not letting her move. He pulled back and looked at her, heavy lidded, still sated. His was not the face of a man who said ‘shit’ after sex. “You promised to stop me before I went too far.”

“Oh,” she replied, smiling as she understood. “I will.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Seline rolled over feeling deliciously warm and sated, the sheets a cool comfort against her heated skin. Though her body had never felt better, her brain had rarely been more confused.

The time between her saying there was nothing between them yesterday and then her screaming his name with literally nothing between them had gone by explosively fast. Just a few hours ago, she’d been convinced that he had absolutely no interest in her, that he was just doing his due diligence and taking care of the community. Then she’d been raking her nails down his back.

Was it one of thoseheat of the momentkind of things?

He'd made it clear he wanted her, he’d said she was special. But did that mean he wanted more than a screw on the kitchen counter?

He’d also made it more than clear he didn't like her plan. But her plan hadn't changed. Though she couldn't say she regretted the interlude, this didn't make Kalan her boyfriend any more than the FBI asking him to watch after her did.

Slowly, she peeled back the covers, letting the warmer air of the upstairs room brush over her skin. She padded the few feet into the bathroom attached to her bedroom.

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