First orgasm, his. Now, first kiss, stolen.
“Mine.” One word vibrates against my teeth, radiating possession.
He’d said it before a few times, but I think I was too distracted to tell just how serious he was.
I can’t think. Not when his teeth sink into my lip, sharp enough to make me gasp, his tongue pushing deep like he’s starving for the taste of me. Every drag of his mouth is intoxicating, it’s a miracle I don’t get drunk with each stroke of his tongue.
My hips jerk against nothing, empty air taunting me. If I’d skipped my underwear, I’d be a mess, slick heat coating my thighs, proof of how wrecked he’s got me with just his mouth.
If I keep letting him have his way, I’m going to end up losing something far more precious.
Flattening my hand on his chest, I push away. Panting, I shove down the heat trying to resurface.
“Ace. You can’t just go touching any woman that crosses your path.” I shake my head, swiping my tongue over my swollen lip—his doing. The sting lingers, a sweet reminder.
“Not any woman.” His voice is a rough growl, low enough to vibrate straight through me. Liquid heat coils low in my gut, and my traitorous body refuses to pull away as he tilts my head back. Those dark eyes sear into me, relentless. He leans in, his breath a teasing caress against my mouth. “Only you.”
The words unravel something inside me. Why me? I’ve always been background noise, another shadow in the crowd. Never the one pinned under a spotlight. Never the one who made a man’s voice turn feral just by existing.
But Ace—Ace looks at me like I’m everything.
“June,” I whisper, barely audible. “You kissed me before even knowing my name.”
A rumble of approval rolls through his chest. “Stay here, June.”
I must be mishearing him. He wouldn’t invite a stranger into his home, not permanently. He’d have to be crazy.
If I’ve already messed up my original plan, I don’t have a backup one. After moving out of my parents’ place, I promised them I’d never come back. They were happy to see me leave.
I don’t have anywhere to go. This mountain was supposed to be my happy ending.
But this guy, he wants me to stay. For whatever reason, I’m not sure. After weeks of planning, he’s an unexpected complication.
“Why?” Meeting his gaze, my heart pounds away. Thumping so loud that I’m surprised he doesn’t hear it, I let out a shaky breath.
“You.” His voice is rough, low, like gravel dragged over skin. “One look at you, and I knew.” A muscle flexes in his jaw. “I don’t believe in fate, but I believe in this. In wanting.”
His hands leave my face, showing the first constraint he’s had since he whisked me away to his home.
“If I let you leave…” His brows furrow. “I know I won’t meet another person who will make me feel this way.”
Ace grabs my hand and presses my palm against his chest. As if I need proof of his words, I can feel it. The thump of his heart, his pulse racing.
I’m crazy. That’s what this is.
This man wants to keep me, and I want to let him.
His fingers tighten around mine, cradling my hand like something precious before he brings it to his mouth. His lips brush my knuckles, just once—soft, deliberate. A shudder rips through me, my knees threatening to buckle.
“How do I convince you?” His voice is rough, stripped bare. “I’ve never wanted someone near. Neverachedwhen they weren’t.” His thumb traces the inside of my wrist, right over my own frantic pulse. “But you? Being away from you hurts.”
I’ve never had someone confess their feelings for me. Not like this.
There isn’t any hesitance behind his words, no trickery.
He’s as crazy as I am.
“June.” My name is a weapon in his mouth—low, velvet, lethal. A single syllable that cracks me open. “Stay.”