Page 111 of The Bourbon Bet
“I’m not saying it will be easy.” She moves closer, and I shift her so she can crawl onto my lap. “We both made mistakes. We both have trust issues to work through. But I want to try. I want us to try.”
I cup her cheek. “That’s all I’m asking for. A chance to rebuild, to do better this time.”
“No more tests,” she says firmly. “No more secrets.”
“No more tests,” I agree. “No more secrets.”
Her lips curve into a smile that warms me from the inside out. “So what happens now?”
In answer, I lean forward, stopping just short of her lips. “Can I kiss you?”
She closes the final distance between us. We are gentle at first, a question and an answer all at once. Her hands slide up my arms to my shoulders, drawing mecloser. I can’t help but deepen the kiss. The careful control we’ve been maintaining dissolves into pure need.
The moment she straddles me, fire races through my veins. Every small movement of her hips sends shockwaves through me. I adjust to give her what she needs, my control hanging by a thread. The urge to claim her completely threatens to overwhelm me.
We kiss until we’re both breathless, until the need for air finally forces us apart.
When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against hers. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Same. I’ve been so busy this week, and even with the amazing success, at night in the quiet, everything felt empty, soulless,” she whispers. “Like a book with half the pages torn out.”
I laugh softly at her literary reference. Not to be outdone, I say, “For me, it was like bourbon that’s lost its spirit. All the right elements, but nothing worth bottling.”
She pulls back, a teasing glint in her eye. “Did you just compare me to liquor?”
“The highest compliment from a Blackstone,” I counter, grinning like a fool.
Her laughter fills the room. She looks around and says. “So this is where the infamous Sebastian Blackstone lives. All I’ve seen is his impressive…” Her smile turns playfully wicked. “Barn.”
I chuckle. “Would you like a tour?”
She bites her lower lip, her cheeks flushing as she looks at me through her lashes. “I’d like to see your bedroom.”
Heat rushes through me. “We don’t have to rush—”
She covers my mouth. “Sebastian. I miss you. I want you. I love you. Let’s not waste another second apart.”
I couldn’t agree more. Standing, I offer her my hand and walk toward the door to my bedroom.
Pushing open the door, she turns, looking behind her. “Well, that’s convenient.”
“Indeed.” I turn and, in one fluid movement, scoop her up, earning a surprised laugh as I lay her on the dark green duvet. She raises onto her elbows and glances around my room. With a playful glint in her eye, she asks, “Did you read the Harry Potter books?”
“Of course.”
Her amusement bubbles into a laugh. “And were you team Slytherin?”
A hearty belly laugh erupts from me. After the divorce, I remodeled the bedroom, removing sterile colors and the minimalist design Tiffany had preferred. And, okay, I might have gone overboard with the forest green accents alongside a dark oak bed, bookshelves, and flooring. I was going for cozy. But with the curtains closed, the room is so dim it totally gives off a fancy-dungeon vibe.
I drop onto my side on the bed next, resting on an elbow. “Nope. Despite what this room says, I’m Ravenclaw.”
Her smile turns serious. She runs her fingers over my mouth, along my eyebrows, and then through my hair. “I’ve missed you.”
Cupping the side of her face, I kiss her softly, savoring, waiting for her to invite me in. She does, and a surge of longing pulses through me. The taste of her lips and the scent of her skin flood my senses. With anyone else, I would calculate my next move, maintain perfect control. But with Rosalia, I surrender to pure feeling, and the relief of it is staggering.
She presses my shoulder, and I roll onto my back, holding her hips, bringing her on top of me. I dig my hands into her hips, needing her as close as possible.
Rising slightly, she pulls her dress over her head in one quick movement, revealing red lace underneath, then lowers herself back down to straddle me like a goddess. I suck in a sharp breath. This woman steals my breath.
