Page 17 of The Holiday Hookup

“Numbers. Appleton. Felix. Seven.” His face comes closer to mine. I feel his hot breath over my lips, causing them to press together. “Couldn’t catch that last response, though.”

I know what he’s doing, but I can’t bring myself to stop him. My core clenches as he finally palms my breast, my nipples pebbling against the smooth fabric of my undergarment. I bring my hand over his and squeeze, my eyes fluttering shut with a moan.

“Mmm,” he whispers in pure lust. He slides his fingers under my dress, the anticipation in my chest growing. Being the smug asshole that he is, he doesn’t touch me where I need him to. Instead, he continues those circles on my inner thigh rightnextto my pussy, causing my desire to grow exponentially.

But with it, my frustration grows, fueling my boldness. I reach out and find him bulging into his slacks. My tentative fingers start stroking but his groans urge me to keep going.

“Lay down,” he commands. My body retracts before I can tell it not to.

“I know what you’re doing,” I tell him, peering up at him through my lashes.

“I want to fuck you now,” he breathes. He lays on his side next to me, propping himself up on his elbow. “And I know you want me to.”

I want to deny it, to tell him that he’s a cocky asshole that knows nothing about me. But I did lay down, didn’t I? And I can’t ignore his hand on my upper thigh or his fingers toying with my panty line.

“Why did you ask me about boundaries?” I blurt out, feeling suddenly nervous at the recollection of his question.

His fingers stop moving. “I always ask that. I want you to be comfortable.”

Always.As in, he does this all the time.

“Rowan’s not going to come up here a second time,” he says, misreading my silence. I let him, nodding my head.

I bring my hand to his shirt, opening the first button with shaky fingers, my nerves on display. This is the first time I’m having sex for well over a year, and I have no clue what to expect. He kicks off his shoes and I move to the second button.

“Tear it off,” he murmurs, one fingerfinallyslipping through my panties and traveling down my center. It glides smoothly thanks to the near swimming pool of desire waiting there for him. He groans and glides over my opening, then back up, landing on my clit.

My back arches, my hips lifting off the bed. He hikes my dress up with his free hand and stares at his finger working on my pussy.

I move my fingers to his next button. “You’re going to need your shirt after.”

“Fuck the shirt,” he growls, his eyes fixated on what he’s doing to me. I ignore him, moving my fingers down to each button, unclasping them to reveal his body to me.

I stare as shamelessly as he’s been staring at me, admiring what I can see of his toned chest. When he increases the pressure on my clit, I moan and watch his abdomen contract.

“Do you trust me?” he asks. If I wasn’t clouded by all the oxytocin released from my brain, I’d laugh at him.

“Absolutely not.”

His finger stops moving and I circle my hips, begging him to continue. “At least for this moment?”

I’m not sure if it’s driven by honesty or need, but I tell him yes. He pulls at my dress and I lift up so he can peel it off, leaving me in my bra and underwear. His eyes slowly sweep over my body. When they reach my panties, I squirm under his scrutiny, causing his eyes to jump to mine.

“You’re so sexy, Kate,” he says. He constantly knows where my mind goes. It feels like there’s a strange tether of connection between us, but how could that be? We don’t know each other. He said he’s good at reading people, so maybe it’s just that.

“You, too,” I respond.Is that appropriate to say to a guy?

He gives me an earnest smile, removing my doubt. He shrugs out of his dress shirt, revealing his full upper body to me. He has an all black tattoo on his upper chest, near his shoulder. It’s some sort of spiral with a thick, bold star in the center.

He brings his face to mine, hovering over me. His eyes take in my lips before locking with my gaze. The intensity I find sends shocks throughout my entire body. It feels palpable, real, like it has a life of its own.

I can’t help that my stupid heart is about to beat out of my chest. If I didn’t know in the back of my mind that this is just a hookup, I’d be falling so fast.

He brings his lips to mine and I melt into it, my hand looping around his neck and pulling him closer. This kiss is different, slower and seductive. Our mouths move in sync and when he teases my lips with the tip of his tongue, I breathe into him before bringing my tongue to meet his.

We continue kissing like this, the feelings deepening and expanding. We go from slow and seductive to passionate and needy. It feels like this is more. It feels like I want more.

Once we’re breathless, he pulls back, the cinnamon and smoke tickling my nose. He reaches over my head and grabs one of the fluffy pillows from the perfectly made bed. When he pulls the pillowcase off, my eyebrows pinch together.

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