“Okay.”

I tilt my head back, gathering up my courage. “Why’d you stop yourself from kissing me earlier, Shawn?”

He lowers his face close to mine. “I thought it would complicate things.”

“It might.” I pause, shutting my eyes for a moment. “But what if I want you to?”

When my eyes flicker open, he nudges my nose with his. “That depends.” He dusts his lips past mine, sending sparks shooting through my veins. Oh my God, if he doesn’t kiss me, I’m going to die.

“On what?” I swallow and wait again.

“I don’t want to kiss you unless we really mean it. I don’t want to kiss you and call it fake. I haven’t been pretending for a while, and it would kill me to find out it wasn’t real for you.”

Shock floods my system. He … he doesn’t want to fake it anymore? I search his eyes for the truth.

The explanation I find there is this—he wants me as much as I want him.

“Kiss me, Shawn. Kiss me and decide if I mean it. I promise you’ll find out how I really feel if you do. Just kiss me.”

He stares into my eyes, intensity the likes of which I’ve never experienced before burning there. And just when I think it’s never going to happen, his mouth covers mine. Softly at first, then more firmly, his lips begin to move. He slides his tongue across my lips, parting them, and soon our tongues dance together to a rhythm all their own right there on the dance floor. He takes me to new heights with his passionate kisses as my body melts against his. Each stroke of his tongue is wicked and wonderful, a possession of not just my mouth, but my mind and soul. We’re still in the middle of this wedding, but in my mind, we are up on a cloud, floating somewhere, and I never want this moment to end.

When we finally come up for air, I become aware of many pairs of eyes looking in our direction, as we’ve continued to cling together, even though the Chicken Dance has started around us.

I cover my mouth and laugh. Shawn grabs my hand. “Time for our planned escape, girlfriend.”

Chapter 18

Shawn

We stumble at the door to our room, lips all over each other, hands groping. I’ve been dying to taste her luscious mouth, and now that I have, I don’t think I can slow down, and I’ll be fucked if she’s going to let me, anyway. A wave of lust slams into me

as she lifts up on her toes again and wraps her hands around the back of my neck, dragging me down for another kiss. She’s insatiable. And I’m one lucky fucker. I’d meant what I said—if she didn’t mean it, I didn’t want to kiss her. I’d been trying to protect myself and her. But holy hell, it may not have been necessary at all. I think we may have been on the same wavelength this whole time, neither wanting to step over the line or admit to our growing attraction for each other. And now? We’re like a powder keg ready to blow.

“Ah. Damn old key.”

“Let me try.” Madison takes it from me, and I take a deep breath, trying to stop my heart from beating so hard behind my rib cage. “There.” The key clicks into the lock and turns, and she pushes the door open, drawing me in behind her.

I kick the door shut, whip my suit coat off at the same time she kicks out of her heels, and I haul her to me. Our hands are immediately everywhere again. Her breasts, my cock, asses, just everywhere. My fingers hook through the straps of her dress and tug them down. The top of her dress comes down far enough—even with all those buttons still done up at the back—to reveal perfect breasts in a lacy strapless bra. My mouth waters at the sight of her, and blood rushes from everywhere in my body straight down to my dick. I can’t figure out for a moment how this could possibly be happening, how we have gone from zero to sixty in two-point-two seconds … except this is Madison, a girl I’ve known for years and have always liked and admired. And just maybe, this is happening because we are finally waking up to what we could have if we give us a chance.

She reaches for me, eager for my touch. I gather her to me, pull one bra cup down, and claim her nipple with my mouth. My tongue laves the already taut and needy bud, and Madison makes little sounds in the back of her throat that drive me crazy as her feverish hands clutch at my dress shirt. I suck hard, the taste of her skin so sweet, and her reaction spurs me on. I cup her other breast in my palm before freeing it from her bra as well. An animalistic sound reverberates through my chest as I swoop in for the second nipple, wanting to ensure she’s taken care of in every way. I lick, suck, and adore her breasts until she’s writhing in my arms, begging me for more.

“Please, Shawn.” She hesitates, her eyes moving over what I know must be a storm of desire on my face.

I yank my tie loose and pull it over my head, quickly unbutton my shirt, and discard it. My undershirt goes flying as I whip it off. Shoes and socks? Off. I stand there, panting in front of her, hands on my hips. She’s the most beautiful vision, this woman, breasts jutting out from her bra, dress half off, barefoot, and I can’t stand it anymore. “Please, what, Madi?”

I reach behind her, unhooking her bra and letting it fall to the floor. “What do you want?”

“You.”

I smile, lust swirling in my eyes. “I want you, too, but be more specific for me.”

“I-I want your hands on me.”

I step forward, my chest rising and falling visibly with each breath. “Where?”

She groans. “You’re going to make me say it?”

I nod. “Where?”