Page 59 of Rebel Secrets
I stopped and gave it a few seconds.
No.
The alcohol let me jump the wall I’d built around the feelings I’d developed for Erin.Now I was going to do something about them before I decided it was a really bad idea.
I walked over, stopping just behind and to the side of her chair.I didn’t want to startle her or let her think I was sneaking up on her.I wanted her to know I was there.I wanted her to knowwhyI was there.
It took a couple of seconds, but finally she turned her head and looked up at me.I couldn’t believe at one time I’d thought those wide eyes looked at the world with a skewed vision.Now I knew she just had a different way of looking at things.A sweeter way.A way I couldn’t.And I wanted her to look at me that way.
I’d seen glimpses of it during the past couple of weeks.And maybe more, if I was honest.And right now, that’s all I wanted.Honesty.
She stared up at me, and I swore I saw stars reflected in her eyes.Her head tilted slightly to the side, her teeth digging into her lower lip as her arms tightened around her legs.I wanted to reach for her, pull her up against me.Instead, I forced my arms to hang at my sides, hands loose as I waited for her to make a move.
Another couple of seconds passed before she reached for one of my hands.She looked down as she laced our fingers together, as if it was the most interesting thing she’d ever done.I watched her because she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
She’d loosened her hair from the fancy style it’d been in for the wedding.I liked it better this way.I wouldn’t feel bad when I ran my fingers through it.Some women didn’t like to get their hair mussed.I don’t think I’ve ever seen Erin when it wasn’t.Except for today.
Swinging her legs over the side of the lounge, she left space next to her.I took the hint and lowered myself down, adjusting our hands so they weren’t at an awkward angle.But I didn’t let her go.
We sat there for a few seconds, the darkness cut only by the low-voltage lighting in the garden.Otherwise, it reminded me of a movie set.Kind of magical.
I turned to look at her and found her turning to look at me.I didn’t stop to think.I leaned down and kissed her.She was already on her way to meet me, and our lips crashed together.
Heat exploded and lust ignited with an almost vicious twist in my gut.
The fact that she seemed to be just as overcome as I was amped my desire.I couldn’t get enough air, but I didn’t want to stop kissing her.Some part of me thought, if I stopped, she’d realize what was going on and leave.
Hell, I wasn’t even sure what was going on.I only knew I didn’t want to stop.I wanted to press her back into the lounge cushions and let my mouth roam her body.Wanted to stroke over her bare skin and find every soft part of her.
My mouth released hers for a split second so I could breathe, and the little sound she made shot straight to my cock.I was already stiff and aching, but some part of my brain still resisted.
Until I opened my eyes and looked into hers.I heard her heavy breathing over the music, felt my own lungs working to pull in air.But it was the look in her eyes that made me realize this was going to happen.
I saw no hesitation, no question.Just an overwhelming desire.
Standing, I grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet then led her through the garden, brushing past the roses Pop spent so much time on because my mom loved them and the bed of all white flowers that glowed in the moonlight.
Erin tightened her grip on my hand when we made it across the stone patio to the door into the now-dark kitchen.
I thought about stealing her back to my place but that would take too long, and my brain kept urging me to go faster.I knew she was staying in a room here, and I even knew which one it was.Rain had told me.
I could do this walk in my sleep.Hell, I’d done it half-lit more times than I cared to admit as a teenager.Winding our way up the back staircase and through the hall to the second floor, we finally reached the door to her room.I opened it just as she said, “Careful.”
I nearly tripped over something that sat just inside the door.I kicked it out of the way, pulled her through and shut the door behind her.
In the moonlight coming through the open windows, I saw her lips part, like she was going to say something, then shut as if she decided against it.Then she put her hands on my cheeks and pulled me back down to kiss her.
She tasted like the fruity sweet cocktails most of the women had been drinking all night.I had no idea what was in them.I’d been tossing back the bourbon that had made my dad’s family’s fortune.
Had I had too much?No.
Had I had just enough?Yes, I had.
She kissed me like she wanted to inhale me, our mouths sealed shut, tongues dueling.My arms wrapped around her waist and dragged her fully against me.Her body melded into mine, soft curves flattening.My hands ran from her waist up the sides of her body, my thumbs brushing against the sides of her breasts.
She made a little noise and wriggled closer, and my fingers somehow found the zipper of her dress and yanked it down.I barely heard the sound it made.She did some little shimmy thing with her body while we continued to kiss, and the dress slid to the floor like magic.
I didn’t have time to think about that, though.She’d started in on the buttons of my shirt.I had no idea how she managed to get them undone so fast.Hell, I don’t think I could’ve managed it right now.But she had the shirt off my shoulders in seconds, her hands following it down my arms to push it to the floor.Then she stuck a finger in my chest and pushed me backward.And when I say pushed, she put some effort into it.Not that I wouldn’t have given her anything she wanted right then.
