Page 64 of Wicked Temptation

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

He grabbed her hand and tugged her onto the couch. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t get you outta my fuckin’ head—before I go to bed at night, when I wake up in the morning. Even when I was sure you were working with the Monroes to set us up, a small part of me couldn’t let you go.”

He moved closer to her, and the heat of his skin radiated through her silk robe.

“And you don’t want me to let you go, do you?”

“I can’t go on with this.” She shifted away from him.

“You don’t want to be with Edward.”

Although she'd already come to that decision, it didn’t mean Samson was the man for her either.

He covered her hand with his. “We can make this work.”

“You don’t know that. We haven’t seen each other in ten years.” Her heart sped up along with her words. “You’ve changed. I’ve changed. We don’t even know each other anymore.”

“I know as much as I need.”

“Please, don’t do this to me again.” Lisbeth’s head spun in a cacophony of confusion.

He cupped the back of her neck, drawing her only inches from his lips. “I’m not doing anything you don’t already want.”

“No, I’ve made up my mind.” Of course, that wasn’t true either. In the last eight hours, she’d vacillated between hating Samson, and breaking up with Edward. Then Samson threw accusations at her about the Monroes until she didn’t know what to think.

“No, you haven’t 'cause if you knew what you wanted, you would’ve thrown my ass out already.”

“Do you realize we have never been on a date? Even years ago, our relationship was driven solely by sex and desire.”

“Not such a bad thing.” Samson flashed her the crooked grin that always made her melt, then leaned in and took her lips in a searing kiss, and God help her, she kissed him back—a kiss that left no doubt as to which verdict either one of them preferred.

“Stop fighting what we already know is gonna happen.” Samson wrapped his arms around her waist and stood, taking Lisbeth with him. “Let me spread you out under me so I can lap at your sweet juices.”

“I shouldn’t. I can’t,” her voice weak with desire, her protests even softer.

“But you’re going to.” His lips twisted into a bad-boy smirk. “I knew how we felt the first night in my office at Wicked. Then you tried to fight it again when we met at Ecstasy just a few hours ago.” Samson cupped her ass and squeezed, then lifted her until her legs automatically wrapped around his hips. “Some things you just can’t deny.”

His words did little to belie her doubt and uncertainty as her mind spun withwhat-ifs.

“You’re overthinking, babe. For once in your life, just go with the flow and with what feels good. Don’t think about it; just fuckin’ act on it.”

He walked them down the short hall like he instinctively knew it led to her bedroom, then kicked the door closed and dropped her on the bed.

He yanked his t-shirt over his head, hovered above her, and grinned—the one that undid her—all-knowing and confident. “I’ve waited so long for this.”

“You had no idea I would show up that night at Club Wicked.”

“You’re right, but seeing you again made me realize what I’ve been missing and how long I’ve gone without feeling anything.”

“You always had the right words, always knew exactly how to undo me.”

“I never meant to do anything but take care of you.” Samson kneeled on the edge of the bed. “Life just kept getting in our way.”

Life got in her way. Then it tangled her up and wrung her out until she finally forgot him. Letting him back in again was dangerous and irresponsible, and before they took another step forward, they needed to go back and right the wrongs.

Lisbeth scrambled up on her elbows. “Before we do this or go any further, I want to know why you ghosted me back in the day.”

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