“You haven’t told me how old you are and I’m thinking I should know that so that nothing illegal happens here.”
Maybe I should be offended by that, but I’m not in the slightest. “I’m nineteen, almost twenty. I go to the community college. I’m in the culinary program,” I announce, giving him far more information than he probably even wanted.
I keep my eyes open, even though I want to close them as I wait for his reaction. I’m not sure if he’ll give me one like Brent where he thinks that I’m a joke or not. I hope that he doesn’t, because that would suck.
“Yeah?” he asks as his only response.
“Yeah,” I say with a nod.
He doesn’t say anything. I think that maybe it doesn’t matter to him one way or the other, and I can’t deny how good that makes me feel. I’m glad. It’s nice not feeling like I’m a joke to someone, especially someone that I kind of care what they think. Though maybe I shouldn’t, because I don’t really even know this guy.
“What will your plans be after you finish?” he asks.
I shrug a shoulder, sliding my tongue along my bottom lip. “I want to open a pastry shop. I like desserts and things like that.”
He smiles, taking a step toward me, then another, as if he’s an animal and I’m his prey. It’s sexy the way he does it, a simple swagger, almost a strut. His eyes focus on mine, and he watches me intently.
He’s listened to my words, he understands exactly what I’m saying that I want, and he’s not laughing at me.
He’s not laughing at me.
“You could do that, buttercup. If that’s what you want, youneedto do that.”
Tipping my head back, I look up into his face. He lifts his hand, his fingers wrapping around the side of my neck as he takes me in. He looks at me, really looks at me, but beyond that, he sees me.
At least it feels that way. Maybe it’s all bullshit, but I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve never had a man of any kind really look at me the way that he is now. Riff dips his chin and my breath hitches as his mouth touches mine.
The kiss starts off closed mouth. It’s hard, almost painful, but then I feel his tongue slide across the seam of my lips, and I can’t stop myself from parting them. Then I feel his tongue slip into my mouth. He is almost overwhelming—he is consuming.
He tastes me.
It is magnificent.
I’ve kissed before but never has it felt like this.
Lifting my hand, I run my fingers through his beard and grip the hair there. He lets out a grunt, his other hand wrapping around my waist as he grasps me there tightly.
Slowly, he breaks the kiss, his forehead resting against mine as he lets out a panting breath. “Fuck,” he rasps. “If your mouth is that good, I cannot imagine what the rest of you tastes like.”
I gasp, thinking about the implication of those words. Tastes like. I have never… not like that. He must sense that because he lets out a chuckle, then reaches down and grabs my ass before he picks me up.
Wrapping my legs around his waist, I curl my fingers around the sides of his throat and this time, I kiss him. Slipping my tongue into his mouth, it’s my turn to taste him, and I know in this exact moment that my life is going to be forever changed.
The police detective’s little sister and the outlaw.