Page 5 of Stolen Hearts

It’s now or never.

I bring the glass to my lips. The thought was to down the whole thing in one gulp, but—real talk—whiskey isnotmy drink. I only get half of it down before the fire roars in my gut and burns the corners of my eyes.

“Easy, Callie.”

He reaches for the glass back, but I turn away from him, facing the city lights square on as I throw back my head and gulp down the last of the liquid courage. Behind me, Castle whistles low as I set the empty glass down on the edge of the roof.

“What on earth possessed you to do—”

“This.”

I don’t think. I just do. My hands drop to the sash at the waist of my robe. And then in one motion, I’m turning, tugging, and letting the entire silky thing fall to the grass at my feet.

And then, for the first time ever, I’m standing in front of a man in just my panties.

Castle’s a seasoned wartime veteran, and I feel a sense of pride that I actually manage to stun him. His eyes harden to stone. His jaw grinds as his gaze slips slowly from my face, over my breasts, my nipples puckered in the evening air, across my tanned skin, and finally down between my legs.

I start to walk toward him, hearing nothing but the outrageously loud thudding of my own heart pounding in my ears. Castle starts to open his mouth. But before he can say anything, I close the final distance between us.

And suddenly, I’m touching a god.

He towers over me by well over a foot. But I move as if I’ve practiced this. I rise up onto my tiptoes as I grab the front of his t-shirt, yank him down to me, tilt my head to the side, and crush my lips to his.

And suddenly, it’s as if I’m flying.

Reality blurs. My heart beats so hard against my chest, it must be tattooing the very skin of his. My pulse roars in my ears, drowning out everything else.

Nothing else matters. Nothing else is important except for the perfect way his lips sear to mine. The way they taste like whiskey and mint. The way the sheer power of him suddenly envelops me like a dark cloud as the bergamot and woodsy smell of him invades my every sense, almost bringing me to my knees.

The way I jolt with sheer desire when his hand suddenly comes up to wrap around my throat and my jaw as I lose myself in his kiss.

Until suddenly, the hand tightens. The arm muscles flex.

And suddenly, almost violently, he’s shoving me away from him.

I gasp as he breaks the kiss. As the moment shatters into shards of glass at my bare feet. As his gorgeous eyes pierce into mine like twin steel blue blades.

“No,” he snaps coldly.

I almost choke. My throat tightens, as if his strong fingers were still wrapped around it. The air leaves my lungs, and his all-consuming warmth leaves me as he steps away from me.

“That cannot, andwill not, ever. Happen. Again.”

I literally wince. As if every word is a backhand slap across the face.

“Castle—”

“Say. Fucking.Yes,” he rasps. “Say yes, you understand.”

“I’m sorry, I—”

I gasp, my eyes bulging wide as he surges against me, his hand grabbing my jaw tightly as he lifts my face to the roaring storm in his eyes and the glaring, cold look on his beautiful, beautiful face.

“Thisdid not happen,” he growls. “Do. You. Fucking. Under. Stand.”

I nod, feeling the world turn to dust at my feet.

“Say it out fucking loud, Callie,” he hisses. “I need to hear you fucking say it.”

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