Page 5 of Shortcake
I could use a night off from being Addy, anyway. Addy was pathetic. Addy was duped. But Anita was in charge. She had it together. A tough as nails officer who could kick the ass of any man who wronged her.
I sank my teeth into my bottom lip and placed a palm on his bicep.
Holy. Shit. Sure, he looked fit, but that flannel hid what was practically marble beneath. Hard muscles dipped and curved beneath my hand and the ache in my body shifted lower, pooling between my legs.
Even with him sitting down, he towered over me. I had to angle my head back to meet his gaze.
“I’ve done the one-night stand thing before. It didn’t end well.”
“Hmmmm. Stage four clinger?”
He didn’t answer me, just kept that scrutinizing gaze on my face. Then finally, he said, “Not exactly.”
“Well, I can promise I’mnotclingy. And contrary to what it may look like tonight, I don’t do this a whole lot.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right.” I tilted my chin even higher to meet the steely, dark gaze of his navy eyes.
“You’re young.” A caustic breath wedged in my throat. Despite the statement, he leaned in, his gaze dropping to my mouth, slicing into me like lasers.
“Most men would consider that a good thing.”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t.”
“But…?”
God, why was I pushing this? I wanted him to say yes, didn’t I? So why wasn’t I changing the subject? Playing the game?
“I could be your father.”
My eyes darted to the slight bit of gray peppering his temples and dusting his stubble. Sure, he was older than me, but notthatmuch older… was he? “Not likely. Unless you knocked someone up at age twelve or thirteen, maybe.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and for the first time, looked away, glancing down at his bouncing knee.
Slowly, I draped my hand on his thigh. It was an attempt to quiet his jouncy nerves, but the moment my hand touched his leg, I felt his sharp breath and we slowly both lifted our eyes back to each other.
With every passing moment, every passing breath, we leaned into each other more and more.
Heat swelled between my legs as his breath pulsed hot and fast in the air between us. It was too intense. Our chests heaved in sync with each thick, heady breath we took. I needed to lighten the mood… and fast. He was going to run if I didn’t.
With an arched brow, and a smirk, I said, “Though, Icouldcall you daddy if you wanted me to.”
I expected a laugh. A throaty chuckle. That adorably lop-sided smirk. But I got none of the above.
Instead, his eyes flashed, and a primal growl rumbled in the back of his throat.
Oh. He liked that.
Hell,Iliked that.
My gaze fell to the thick pulse of his jaw. The muscled column of his neck. “What do you say you take me back to the hotel?” I whispered again as heat lashed through my body, pulsing between my legs.
Then, not waiting, I pitched forward, catching his mouth with mine before either of us could change our minds.
Instead of pulling away like I expected him to do, he dipped to meet my mouth, cradling my jaw and kissing me back. His mouth was demanding and brutal and the kiss robbed my lungs of breath, causing my pulse to skyrocket. He rocked his hips forward, grinding into me with an impulsive thrust.
The unexpected grind of his hips left me breathless. His hard length prodded against my hip bone, leaving virtually nothing to my imagination. And holy hell, Brawny was in fact brawny…everywhere.
