Page 25 of Hothead

As her rib cage began to rattle from the pounding, he let his forehead drop to hers and took a deep breath.

“You’ve got me all fucked up, angel, you know that? Not a day has gone by where I haven’t thought about how goddamn good you feel pressed against me. Or the sexy sounds you make when my tongue is inside you. I need another taste. Just one more.” His voice sounded just as tortured as she felt.

“Luke,” she whispered into him. “People are watching.”

“So let them watch,” he rumbled, swooping down and capturing her lips.

Unlike their first kiss, this one was slow, controlled, and almost gentle. Luke’s big hands cupped her face, tilting her every time he wanted more. Deeper. She knew she should stop. End this. But she couldn’t. Didn’t want to. Every sip of his lips felt like oxygen she needed to survive.

Her own hands curled around his waist. Getting her first feel of the wall of muscle that was Luke Cappelli’s back and abdomen.

Holy shit.

Holy shit indeed. The man was pure sin. Made to tempt her. Whether he was frantically taking her up against a wall or giving her slow and sweet, no brain cell was going to survive his touch. Add in the deep rumble that was currently ripping through him and making her insides shake, and she might as well wave goodbye to all common sense right now.

When he drew back, she wanted to protest. Whine. Maybe even sob. What the hell was happening to her?

“Fuck”—his chest was heaving—“I can’t control myself when I’m around you.”

“Then don’t.” She gathered a handful of cotton and tugged him back down onto her.

This time there was no slow and sweet. There was only urgency as their mouths parted and they both fought for the first taste. She felt a familiar tug in her belly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ushering him closer. Apparently, her body was done fighting her feelings. It wanted this man, and it wanted him now.

But her body would have to wait a little longer. They were both reminded just a minute later where they were, when a loud, so not real, cough broke them apart.

CHAPTER SEVEN

This was what happenedwhen you didn’t have a plan. You take one look at the angel you haven’t been able to stop thinking about and all rational thought goes straight out the window. Any chance he had of resisting her was long gone.

Like you even had a chance to begin with.

That was true. There was no use denying she was the only reason he was there right now. At the Evans barbecue. He’d rather throw himself down a flight of stairs than socialize today. But he was starting to realize that for Bella, there was a whole hell of a lot he’d do.

The fake cough that had disturbed his second taste of heaven belonged to Rachel. She and his friend Hunter stood right across from them when Luke reluctantly pulled away and turned. Luke was hoping his scowl directed their way would do all the talking for him.

“Hey, sugar,” Rachel chirped, “you gonna introduce us to your friend?”

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