Page 349 of Branded
Because he was giving me that—letting me know how important those words were to him.
I carefully shifted, moving around Ethan, not wanting to disturb Sparky, and closing the distance between my body and Cas’s by crawling into his lap, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. “You’re different, honey,” I murmured. “And I’m sorry it took me so long to recognize that, to crawl out from beneath my shell to recognize the gift you were giving me.” He jerked, but I kept going. “I see it now,” I whispered. “I see you. And I’m going to protect it and work for it and?—”
That was clearly the moment that Cas lost his patience.
Because his lips hit mine, cutting off the rest of my words. Which was fine. I’d gotten to the important parts. I could tell—or rather, take a page out of his book, and show—him later.
Now…
His tongue was in my mouth and he was kissing me in a way that set me on fire.
Luckily, he had the presence of mind to hold me close and stand, to carry me out of the room?—
Which sparked my conscience, and I tore my mouth from his. “Your ribs, honey.”
“Better,” he grunted, dropping his head and nipping at my jaw, my earlobe, my bottom lip. “Now kiss me, gorgeous.”
I could do that.
I could do that.
So, I did.
I kissed him as he walked me down a hall I hadn’t had the chance to explore yet, into a room I didn’t know because I’d spent all of forty-five minutes in Cas’s place and five minutes had been spent standing in the entry, just inside the front door, and the other forty sitting next to my son, watching Home Alone.
Now I landed on something hard and cold and I had just a couple of seconds to process it was a dryer as Cas moved away from me and closed the door.
“No lock,” he muttered, shoving a large hamper in front of it, eyes blazing as they latched onto mine. “Gotta fuck you now.” Rough words that sent a shiver right through me. “So, you need to keep that gorgeous mouth of yours shut and not wake Ethan and Sparky, yeah?”
Oh my.
I shivered again, loving the growly, demanding side of him.
“Jules?” he pressed, prowling toward me, hands reaching for my T-shirt, yanking it up over my head. “Can you do that for me so I can fuck you, sweetheart?”
Truthfully, I probably couldn’t.
But I wanted him.
Needed him inside me.
So, I nodded.
A flash of a smile. “Liar.” A nip to my earlobe again. Then hot words in my ear, his hand wrapping around my back, flicking open my bra. “Guess I’ll have to keep your mouth occupied with other things.”
“Yes, please.”
It slid out of me before I could think.
Then he was chuckling and lifting me off the dryer, yanking my pants and underwear down my legs, tossing them aside.
“Or maybe,” I whispered while he was kneeling before me, “you need to keep your mouth occupied with other things.”
His eyes hit mine.
Then his lips curved.
And while he occupied his mouth, I wasn’t very good at keeping quiet.
