Page 61 of Collide
“Because I wanted to.”
He moves forward, making me take an instinctive step back. The dance continues, each step sending me further into the dorm. “Why did you kiss him?”
My chest heaves from the proximity and the hot tug of tension between us. “I just told you.”
“The truth, Summer.”
With another step, I bump into the couch. The lack of space is hindering any logical thought. “He’s a good kisser—”
He punctuates my sentence by pressing his hips to mine and driving me into the back of the couch. Searing, solid weight cages me in, and all my resistance to him goes up in flames when all six-foot-four inches of him hovers over me. His scent ignites a fire somewhere low in my stomach.
“That’s not what I asked. Try again,” he whispers the demand inches from my lips, and I stop myself from letting out an embarrassing whimper.
My body didn’t feel nearly as flammable when I kissed Connor, and Aiden’s lips haven’t even touched mine. The memory of Connor’s kiss has long since faded, probably because Aiden has a special power of making my thoughts dissolve into a murky soup.
“I don’t know what you expect me to say. It was just a kiss.”
“Just a kiss?” he drawls, our lips a hairbreadth apart. “And if I kissed you right now, would that be just a kiss, too?”
His words flush through me like hot water. He’s calling my bluff, and damn is he good at it. But he doesn’t know me if he thinks I’ll back away from a challenge. “Why don’t you find out?”
He looks stunned, but recovers quickly, with a smirk that could make me melt into a pathetic puddle at his feet. “Is that a yes?”
“Well, it’s not a no.” It’s actually a loud resounding yes. But I’m losing control over the situation. It’s obvious from the way my legs quiver. I’m not sure my flimsy guard can hold up for another second.
“I’m going to need you to do better than that. Can I kiss you, Summer? Yes or no?”
I’m not sure what possesses me to say it. Maybe it's the way his hard body presses into mine or the way he looks at me with a rawness I haven’t seen before. “Yes.”
When I’m so desperate for him to claim my lip, he sinks to his knees. The surprised sound that leaves me might have been embarrassing if I could produce any thought, but Aiden Crawford is on his knees in front of me with his breath hitting my bare thighs, so thinking isn’t my number one priority right now.
“W-what are you doing?” I stutter.
“Kissing you.” His fingers skim along the back of my thighs, and I shudder. By the rumbling sound that leaves his throat, he knows he has me in the palm of his hand.
This is going south. Fast. “Do you need me to teach you what a kiss is?”
His slow smirk rattles my chest, sending a hot sensation to pool at my core. “I think I can manage.”
“You sure? Because Connor could give you some good tips.”
Why do I keep talking? And why do I love the way his eyes narrow at my words?
My taunt does the opposite of what I want, because Aiden stands. But instead of leaving like any other guy with a fragile ego, he hooks his arm around my waist and lifts me effortlessly. When my legs hook around him to accommodate his large body, I’m hyper-aware that I’m completely naked under my thin T-shirt. Aiden freezes.
It would have taken him just a small lift of my shirt to realize it when he was on his knees, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut long enough for that to happen. Now, I desperately wanted him back down there, and I don’t know how he managed that.
“Is this the only thing keeping me from seeing you naked?” He fists the old graying shirt, his other hand lifting me. His strength doesn't surprise me, but it turns me on to a whole new degree. It even manages to snatch any witty remark I might make.
I nod, and his rumble of satisfaction bleeds into my veins with an exhilarating sizzle. A restless buzz saturates the air when he sits me on the back of the couch and lowers his head to kiss my neck. His erection digs into my stomach, begging to get out of his pants and right inside me. A strangled noise escapes my throat.
“I want to see you,” he rasps, brushing my hair back, his other hand still clutching the hem of my shirt. “Can I take this off?”
“Yes,” I breathe. Apparently, I only need that one word when Aiden is in my vicinity.
My entire body is crackling. The draft does nothing to cool my heated skin when he pulls off my shirt in one swift move. The curse that follows sends a vibration through my core. It’s so electric, I shiver despite the heat licking my body. My cheeks must be crimson as I sit completely naked for only him to see.
Aiden doesn’t waste another second covering my nipples with his hot mouth. I cry out, my back arching in his hold. He runs a thumb over the other sensitive bud and I’m panting. I’m so wet already, and he’s barely touched me. I’m not sure how I can handle any more.
