Page 40 of Conspiracies and Chemistry

She tilted her head, sending that captivating hair cascading down the front of her black dress. The dress had buttons down the front, and I imagined unbuttoning the top one, the one that had teased me with a peek of the valley between her breasts all during dinner. “Which one is it, Oliver? We’re colleagues and we shouldn’t? Or you’re a romantic, and this is moving too fast for you?”

“I…” No matter what I’d said, I wanted her. I wanted to drop to my knees, push up her skirt, and taste her. I wanted to make her stop asking questions and groan out my name. But not if this was only a one-sided attraction.

She smiled like she’d read the answer on my face. She stepped closer, not yet touching me, but so close her breath tickled my neck. My gaze dropped to her slightly parted, pink lips, and I swallowed.

She rose on her toes until all I had to do was tilt my face to press my lips to hers.

I hesitated. This was what I craved, right? A kiss? That’s all this had to be. A sample. A test.

I tilted.

We touched.

My lips met hers with a zing of electricity.

It was awkward, as first kisses are. My lips were dry, and I wasn’t sure if I should move them or not. Would the tug of my skin on hers be uncomfortable? I worried I’d been still too long, and I resolved to pull away in another second. Call it bad chemistry.

When she opened and licked the seam of my lips, heat flicked up my spine. I opened too and let her explore me. Her tongue slid against mine, and I imagined lying in the king-sized bed, the lamplight glowing on her naked skin. How many freckles did she have under her clothes? Could I count them all?

She set her cool fingers on my hot cheek, grounding me back in my body, back in our kiss. With gentle pressure, she tipped my face forward, deepening the kiss, and my arms went around her back, fitting her against my body, my hard against her soft. I was kissing Tessa Wright the way I’d dreamed of doing.

She shifted her hips, and I imagined sinking into her. The sounds she’d make. The sight of her bare breasts, the taste of her nipples. Would she rake her nails down my back? Grip my hips between her knees? Suddenly, it was too much.

This was our first kiss, and I needed to slow the fuck down. I opened my eyes, but my glasses had fogged, and I saw only a pink blur where her face should be. Her floral scent engulfed me, inflamed me. Tearing my lips from hers, I kissed feverishly across her jaw, willing my erection to stand down.

It didn’t.

“Mmh. I’m ready to fuck you right out of my system,” she said, tilting her head to the side to allow my lips to slip down the long column of her neck.

When her words filtered through my lustful haze, I pulled away from her to take a cleansing breath and force my brain back online. “Wh-what?”

She trailed the tip of her tongue along my neck, making me shiver. “You heard me. Let’s take this to bed.”

“No.” The word ripped out of me. I didn’t want a one-time thing. I wanted to know her from the inside out, to understand what made her the way she was. I needed days, weeks, goddamnmonthsto explore her. I wanted my hemoglobin to carry her through my blood like oxygen.Thenwe’d fuck, and it’d be amazing. A true melding of minds and hearts. The steam on the inside of my glasses thinned until I could see more clearly. “No,” I repeated.

She narrowed her eyes. “Is this one of those no-means-yes situations? I’m really not into that.”

“No definitely means no.” She stared at the bulge in my suit pants, so I added, “No matter what my body thinks. Look, I’ll find a different hotel.” My lust ebbed when I stepped away from her. I yanked open the closet door and pulled out my suitcase.

“Wait.” Something soft landed on the back of my suit jacket. Her hand. “I’m sorry. I misread the signals. I thought you… Never mind.”

I turned, capturing her hand in mine and pulling it to my chest. “I have feelings for you. And they’re not the kind of feelings I want to fuck away.”

She ripped her hand away. “I don’t want feelings.”

I stumbled back like she’d poked a scalpel between my ribs. We’d both misread the situation. “Give me five minutes to pack up, then I’ll be out of your way.” I set my suitcase on the dresser and opened a drawer.

“No, please.” Her voice was as gentle as her hand had been a minute ago. I hated it. Hated the pity I heard. “It’s late. I don’t want you to be exhausted at our breakfast meeting tomorrow. We can act like adults and share the room. It’s a big bed, and I’ll stay on my side. Please put the suitcase away.”

“Okay.” My voice came out gruff. “I’ll brush my teeth, then the shower’s all yours.”

I set my suitcase back in the closet and closed myself in the bathroom. I took off my glasses and leaned on the counter to stare at my reflection. My pupils were blown, and my hair was wild on one side where Tessa had dug her fingers into it. I combed it down with my fingers, then rubbed my eyes. When I’d gotten up this morning, I hadnotimagined ending my day with kissing Tessa. Not sleeping beside her. Would I get any rest at all, knowing she was right there and down to fuck?

I wished I were the kind of guy who could give her what she wanted—what we both wanted—and move on. But I’d already imprinted on her like one of Dr. Lorenz’s goslings. After we slept together, when she was ready to return to a platonic relationship, I’d always be longing for more. Working alongside her would be torture.

In my brain, I knew I’d been right to turn her down. But I wished I could convince the rest of me.

I changed out of my suit and into the pajama pants and T-shirt I’d hung on the back of the door, hissing when the fabric rubbed against my sensitive, still-erect dick. I brushed my teeth and shoved the rest of my stuff into my toiletry bag. Holding my suit pieces in front of the bulging fly of my pajama pants, I yanked open the door and strode out.

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