Page 125 of Tangled Kisses
In one brutal motion, he hauls me up, my legs locking tight around his waist as he pins me to the wall. The hunger in him is barely leashed; I can feel the tether snap.
“Griffin,” I breathe, clutching at his shoulders, nails biting into muscle. “Don’t you get it? I’m yours. I belong to you.”
A guttural growl rumbles from deep in his chest, vibrating through me as his grip tightens. “Damn straight you belong to me. Only me.”
For a heartbeat, I think he’s going to claim me right here, raw and reckless—but then his body stills, trembling with restraint instead of hunger.
His forehead drops to mine, his breathing ragged. “Sweetheart, under a blanket of stars? I’ll ruin you. In a meadow? I’ll worship every inch. But in a filthy alley near a dumpster? No fucking way. You deserve better than this.”
Wait, what?
He lowers me carefully to the ground, his hands steady as he smooths my dress. His gaze locks on mine, fierce and unyielding. “Don’t you dare think you messed this up. I love you. And I’m going to prove it in the right way. Let’s go back to the motel.”
The second he says those words—I love you—every fear crumbles to dust.
I’d follow the man to the moon if he asked me.
The silence is electric in his truck as he drives the short distance to the motel.
But I take full advantage as I lean into him, skimming my palm down his thigh and brushing against the rigid length straining his jeans.
“Beautiful,” he grits out, jaw locked. “If you don’t stop, I’m not gonna make it.”
I smirk, fingers teasing higher. “Oh, you’ll make it.”
When he pulls up in front of the motel, he throws the gearshift into park, then turns, pinning me with that devastating stare. “Stay. I’ll come around to get you.”
Naturally, I don’t.
The second my feet hit the pavement, his voice rumbles low, full of dark amusement. “You never listen, do you?”
I fist my hands in his shirt, the fire in my body begging to be sated. “Not usually. Are we really doing this, cowboy?”
“Absolutely,” he murmurs. “Because making love to you is my second favorite thing in the world.”
I blink up at him, breathless. “Second? What’s first?”
He leans down and kisses me, his words a rough whisper against my mouth. “Loving you.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Griffin
Thank God the maid came today. Fresh sheets, sparkling clean bathroom, and not a trace of last night.
Sorry, but I don’t care to remember those hours when Reese pulled away from me.
If I’d gotten through to Piper yesterday, maybe we could have settled this situation sooner—but hell, it doesn’t matter now. Reese is here. She’s mine. And that’s more than enough.
It’s everything.
I cross to the mini-fridge and pull out a bottle of wine. Anything to give me ten more seconds of control. “Want a glass?”
But when I turn, the bottle slips from my grip. Reese is already half undressed, tugging her shirt over her head and letting it drop to the floor, the hem of her skirt slipping low on her hips. Her fingers curl in my belt loops as she shakes her head, eyes dark with lust.
“No,” she whispers. “I don’t want wine. I want you.”
She yanks me down, her mouth crashing onto mine. Teeth, tongue, desperation. My sweet, careful Reese is gone. This woman is wildfire, and she’s not waiting her turn.
