Page 486 of Love Bites

His lips twitched and his voice softened to the growly, bedroom one I liked. “Then why are you crying?”

“Because I don’t know if you still do. Did I blow it?”

All humor in his face evaporated. Austin tilted his head down and brushed his lips against mine. I’d never been kissed in the slow and reverent way that Austin delivered. Each kiss barely pressed against my lips. Sometimes they stuck together a little, and small wet sounds filled the quiet room. But beneath such a simple gesture, sparks ignited between us, and all my doubts melted away. I could taste him, smell him, and feel his warmth on my mouth and body.

I used to watch shows about unsolved mysteries and spontaneous human combustion. I had an idea what the cause could have been because I felt like a box of explosives.

His rough hands cupped my cheeks, and his lips moved their way around my face, kissing the curve of my jaw, my eyelids, and the tip of my nose, before returning to my mouth.

The tension multiplied between us when I caught his bottom lip between my teeth and gave it a tug. He slid his body up just a fraction and I felt the weight of him everywhere. I bent my knee and he fit against me like a piece of a puzzle locking into place.

Being in heat had nothing on a kiss delivered by Austin Cole. It was intricate and reckless all at once.

“Don’t be so gentle,” I encouraged.

A spark flickered in his eyes and his mouth came down on mine, tongue pushing in as his hips did a swivel. I moaned and ran my hand along his jaw, scraping my fingers just a little bit so I could hear the scratchy hiss of his stubble. He lifted his head and awareness burned in those crystalline depths. I loved his eyes—the way the black rims made it seem like they framed an ocean in his gaze.

Austin stared into the depth of me as he pulled the ends of my shirt over my head. When he dragged his gaze down to my chest, he froze.

“What’s wrong?”

When he didn’t answer, I got irritated. “B-cup not enough for you?”

His left hand firmly covered my mouth. “Will you be quiet for a moment while I drink you in? I’ve fantasized about this moment for the last seven years, so give me a minute. I’m not going to rush the first time I get to see your body beneath mine. That okay?”

I stitched my lips together and let him make love to me with his salacious eyes while my fingers memorized his broad, inked shoulders and firm biceps. His skin was sticky and taut beneath my hands and I wanted to taste him as he slid down the length of my body.

Austin’s lips skimmed across the flat of my stomach and I sucked in, stretching my arms up. Then it occurred to me I’d waited too long to just lie around while he took his time exploring territory he had recently vacationed to. I grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked him up, kissing him hard on the mouth.

He ran his hand over the lace of my white bra and dragged his mouth to the soft curve of my neck. My heart thundered like the hooves of a hundred stallions.

“Seven years,” I whispered. “We’re almost strangers.”

Austin quit fumbling with my bra, grabbed both cups, and pulled it apart. With a snap, it gave way. His mouth sucked ravenously on my nipple while his left hand curved around and squeezed, sending a bolt of pleasure all through my body. “Then let’s get to know each other. Favorite band?” he murmured.

“Mumford & Sons. You?”

His mouth journeyed lower until his tongue leisurely circled around my belly button. I whimpered a soft moan and loosened my grip on his hair.

“Kings of Leon,” he said, pinching my nipples with his warm fingers.

“They have like two songs I’ve ever heard.”

“Yeah, but they’re good songs.” Then he swung his eyes up to mine and slowly sang the opening verse of “Sex on Fire.”

Oh God, I melted listening to his lush, raspy voice. Austin had a singing voice he rarely used, but when he did, it was a force of nature on my body.

“How many girls have you dated?”

He took his sweet time sliding my shorts down, kissing the soft skin surrounding my panties. “Five,” he murmured.

“Five?” I almost shouted. “Jeez, you make me feel like a slut.”

“How many?” he asked, pulling my shorts away from my ankles. He knelt at my feet, staring up the length of my body.

I bit my lip. “Nine. But only two were serious.”

Austin cracked a smile. “Not serious enough. None of them matter.”

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