Page 81 of Breaking the Ice

“I was thinking about the clothed rule,” he said between kisses.

“Oh yes?” She pulled away, breathless. “You have another amendment?”

“I do and it just so happens you’ve worn the perfect shirt to demonstrate.”

“I did?” She looked at her black linen Dolce & Gabbana blouse.

“Uh huh,” he said, kissing her neck and slowly undoing the top button. He stopped for a moment to admire the view he’d created before kissing the other side of her neck and undoing the next one. “I was thinking that I could undo your buttons but you’d still be fully clothed, right?”

He undid two more.

“I mean, theoretically.” The last button popped free. “Your shirt would still be on.”

Samantha thought it was a very clever way around the rules and she gazed at the buttons on Nick’s shirt. “So I guess the same would apply to you?”

“Oh, look at that.” He grinned at her. “I have buttons, too.”

Returning his grin, Samantha made short work of his buttons, pressing her mouth to his chest as each magnificent inch was revealed. When his shirt was finally open, she pushed it aside with both hands and licked his chest from the flat of his dragon-decorated smooth pectoral to the hard ridge of his collarbone.

She’d been wanting to do that since her birthday debacle.

That was all the encouragement Nick needed. Going slow had been a whole new experience for someone used to getting nakedas soon as possible. But this slow tease had been out-fucking-standing. Excruciating but mind-blowing.

Tantric, he supposed.

Pushing her back against the shelves, Nick kissed her until she was moaning and clinging to him for support then he lowered his head and sucked a hardened nipple through the lacy fabric of her bra. She cried out at the stimulus as his hand found her other breast, his fingers rubbing at its hard center, causing her to clutch his head and moan.

God. She was killing him! Kissing her, touching her, was driving him mad. He wanted more. To taste her, plunge into her. Swallow her cries as she exploded around him.

The door dinged and he pulled his mouth away from her reluctantly, laying his head in the hollow of her shoulder as he tried to regain some control of his pulse and breathing.

“Next time we do this,” he whispered as he pulled away, doing up his buttons, “I’m going to lock that door.” He thanked God his button-down would hide the massive wood currently trying to bust out of his jeans. “Stay here,” he growled quietly loving her dishevelment. “I haven’t finished with you.”

“Nick?Nick?”

He frowned.Cynthia?He looked through the shelves. Yup. Cynthia. His sister-in-law always had the most terrible timing.

“Cyn!” He plastered a smile to his face as he stepped out of the bookshelves and hoped he didn’t look as rumpled as he felt. “Oh, and you’ve brought Thomas and little Maggie.”

Ugh.Was it okay to be battling a boner with minors present?

“How’s my favorite niece?”

The squirming eight-month-old broke into a beautiful toothless grin when she spied her uncle Nick and Cynthia handed the baby over. Nick promptly blew noisy bubbles on Maggie’s tummy who giggled delightfully.

“How come she doesn’t laugh like that when I do it?” she complained good-naturedly.

“It’s the whiskers,” Nick said, doing it again and being rewarded with another giggle.

Just then Samantha came out from between the shelves with some books she’d clearly pulled off a shelf as some kind of cover.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Nick,” Cyn said, “I didn’t realize you had a customer.”

“Oh no, it’s okay.” Samantha smiled. “I work here. Just…” She glanced at Nick. “Cataloging.”

“Oh.” Cynthia smiled. “You must be Sam?”

Performing the introductions, Nick watched his sister-in-law’s eyes narrow as she shook Sam’s hand then pointed to her shirt. “Your buttons aren’t done up properly.”

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