Page 34 of Friends With Benefits

He couldn’t get her close enough, wanted to be inside her, wanted to not just taste her but devour her. He panted as he lifted his mouth and tilted his head for a deeper angle and kissed her again with all the pent-up frustration he’d felt over the last few weeks.

He pushed the tiny straps of her dress off her shoulders with his fingertips, laid a soft lingering kiss there and breathed in the scent of her.

“God, you smell good,” he whispered. “What is that?”

“Ylang-ylang.” Her fingers dug into his shoulders.

What? Never mind. His hands slid lower, over the silky black fabric covering her breasts, and the soft flesh filled his hands with such perfection all the air rushed out of his lungs.

She moaned, breasts swelling into his hands, and her intense response made him ache to have her. He gently, slowly, pushed the fabric aside, baring her breasts, and his heart stopped as he looked down at her. God, she was beautiful.

He was so hard it hurt, so overcome with the incredible reality of holding her in his arms, touching her like this, he almost came. He buried his face against her, gulping for air, whole body tense.

Her arms slid around him and held him tightly against her while they both struggled to breath.

“This is insane,” Kerri gasped. He inhaled deeply against her skin, drawing in her delicious scent.

“I know.” Eyes closed, he focused on breathing and control. His body vibrated with blistering need and excitement. She trembled against him, and his fingers tightened on her breasts. Stiff little nipples rubbed against his palms and fire burned in his belly, heat sizzled over his skin.

“I’m not taking the blame for this one,” he finally said in a strangled voice. “You want this too.”

“No.”

He drew back, anger rising in him again.

“Yes, you do. Admit it, Kerri. I can feel you respond to me.”

She gazed back at him, her brows drawn down, lips trembling.

“Tell me,” he ground out.

“Yes.” Her eyes fell closed. “Okay, yes, dammit! I want you too. It’s crazy but I can’t help it.”

Thank Christ.

“Then there’s no problem,” he murmured, lowering his face to her hair. He kissed the silky strands, rubbed his face against them and inhaled again, loving the spicy floral scent of her hair.

“Yes, there is a problem.” Her voice wobbled. “There’s a freaking huge problem. What about our friendship?”

“I’m feeling very friendly right now,” he assured her, face still buried in her hair, hands still stroking her soft lushness.

“Oh God, I can’t believe this is happening.”

His hands stilled. He wanted to push the dress all the way off her body and feel her skin, see her. But he didn’t want to go too far, too fast. He didn’t want to be the bad guy here. Again. He lifted his head and very carefully drew the little straps of her dress back onto her shoulders.

She stood there in his arms, teeth sunk into her swollen bottom lip, eyes huge and smoky blue. She looked so incredibly sexy it took every ounce of restraint he possessed to lean away from her.

“I guess we should talk.” Talking about feelings was not his favorite thing to

do—especially with a raging hard-on—but seemed necessary.

Kerri appeared to be having some trouble breathing, her high, round breasts rising and falling quickly, enticingly, under her dress.

“I guess so,” she whispered. “But not here.”

“Okay.” He waited.

“My place. After the party.”

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