Page 59 of Red Flag, Green Light

My lashes fall to my cheeks.

He kisses me, gently, eliciting a complaining sound. “Hush.” He takes my lip between his teeth, nips, and frees. “I’m savoring you. Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted this?”

If he’s liked me from the first moment he saw me, that would be… “About three years?”

“Three years of agony and anxiety. Wanting and not having.”

“Walking into my house and commissioning help with aFlag Day festivalis the weirdest pick-up line I have ever heard.”

He nestles his lips at my jaw, and I lose grasp of my thoughts. He says, “That’s, actually, a totally different scheme.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Sorry. We’re still doing that. It’s for Jove’s sake. I’m sure you understand.”

“Fair enough.” My lungs squeeze when he replaces his fingers with his mouth and licks my pulse. “Mars.”

His teeth tease. “What?”

I grip his shirt, begging him closer.

His fingertips dance down my arm, then skate back up. “Talk to me, little goddess. I need your voice in my ears.”

My breaths shorten. “More, please?”

“More? I’m barely surviving this. You’re intoxicating. Ambrosia.” He shakes when he inhales. “You smell so good. And you taste…” He blesses me with a damp, open kiss, hot breath coating my skin as he nuzzles. “No. I won’t survivemore. You’ll behave yourself and take what I give you.”

“Like a good girl?”

“Quit,” he moans.

I laugh again, and he wraps me up in his arms, cocooning me in their warmth, his scent. So sweet. My dark romance male lead in real life smells likecake, of all things.

Forehead braced against my shoulder, he sighs. “I didn’t planthis. I was so genuinely expecting to continue reconnaissance for at least another month. I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“I could give you some excellent literature with ample suggestions? I have whole bookcases full. We could review together.”

“Respectfully, I am going to need you to calm down. Just a bit. Just enough for me to remember what thinking feels like.” Much to my disappointment, he unravels, pulls back, and peers down at me. Hooking a finger beneath my chin, he examines me, thoroughly, and murmurs yet another curse. “So—” He swears. “—pretty. It’s no wonder people open up around you.” He presses his thumb to my lips. “I won’t let them take advantage of you anymore. I’m not keen on sharing your attention.”

Jeepers. I wasn’t prepared for him to talk dirty to me.

“You’ll be lucky if I let you out of the house.”

Good thing I’m seated; my knees have turned to pudding.

“We will be biking together, though.”

“What?” I protest. “I don’t know how.”

“I’m, obviously, going to teach you.”

I pout. “I’d prefer it if you teach me other things.”

His thumb swipes. “Maybe once I’ve taught my heart how to beat normally again.”

Rolling my eyes off him, I cross my arms. “Lame.”

“What do you really expect me to do five seconds after confessing an interest that, thus far, hasn’t been verbally reciprocated? Throw you in bed and ravish you?”

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