Page 35 of Branded
Since it was this woman who was so fucking beautiful and intriguing and smart and soft and quiet and…fiery?—
She dropped back onto her heels.
Wait. Shit. That wasn’t what I wanted.
I wanted her on her toes, in my arms, pressed to me.
I wanted her naked and on that desk. I wanted to be on my knees between those bare legs, my mouth buried in her pussy.
I wanted?—
Her not to step out of the circle of my arms, to not pull away.
So, I stopped her.
One hand on her hip, drawing her close. The other diving into her hair, tilting her head back. “Come on, little bird. Come on up and kiss me.”
She froze, cheeks going pink.
But her eyes, her eyes remained narrowed. “No,” she said tartly. “You had your chance and?—”
Fuck it.
I’d kiss her.
Fingers threaded into the silk of her hair. My hand sliding so that my arm could band around her waist. Lifting her up—and fuck, but she weighed nothing at all—drawing her even nearer, until her face was aligned with mine, her mouth…right there…
Hot breath.
Parted lips.
She smelled like cinnamon and coffee.
Her skin looked like velvet under the bright lighting overhead, and she was beautiful even though I’d heard the fluorescent bulbs described as harsh more than a handful of times.
“Smitty,” she breathed. “We shouldn’t…”
“Why?” I asked, rubbing my nose along hers, dragging it down, inhaling deeply on the skin of her throat. Cinnamon here, too. And flowers. And the barest hint of coffee. But mostly flowers, and woman, and…Kailey. “You want to.”
She shuddered, lips parting further, her breath hitting my temple. “Your beard is softer than I expected.”
“I thought about shaving it,” I whispered against her neck, pressing my mouth to the part where it met her shoulder.
Another shudder.
“Don’t.” Her hands lifted, weaving into my hair. “I like it.”
No shaving.
Got it.
“Okay,” I agreed, drawing my lips back along her throat, slowly up until I reached her jaw.
Lips? Or ear?
I went for her ear.
A slow trek along her slender jaw, finding a spot that made her shiver.
