Page 81 of Touch Me

“What game is that?”

“The casual flirting, the looks across the room, the rush we both feel around each other. You think you don’t blush?” Maybe it’s the darkness of the room, or the fact that I can’t see his eyes, but I’m not holding anything back.

He puts his other hand above my other shoulder and leans in. The warmth of his body seeps into mine. His breath stirs my hair as he gets close enough to smell it.

“Touch me, Jace.”

“You know I can’t.”

“No pressure. I’ll stay here as long as you need.”

He leans in and rubs his nose along the ridge of my ear and immediately moves back to arms length away. I shiver from the contact.

“How was that?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything.

“Coconut.”

“What?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out what you smell like for weeks. I would get a hint of it every so often. It’s coconut.”

I smile. “Yeah, it’s coconut. But how did it feel to touch me?”

“I, I’m not sure,” he stammers.

“Try again,” I whisper, urging him. Just having him this close to me has my heartbeat pounding in my ears. My nipples tighten beneath my tank top. “Try over my clothes. No skin to skin.”

Jace looks down, sees my nipples through my shirt, and takes in a shaky breath. Slowly pulling his right hand off the wall, he touches my shoulder with two fingers, tracing a circle over the thin strip of fabric over my shoulder. His finger grazes my skin, and I suck in a breath before he pulls back, making a fist with his hand.

“What did you feel?”

“It was like I got electrocuted.”

I smile. “Me too.”

“Really?”

I nod. “But good electrocuted, right?”

He flexes his hand. “I guess.”

“Try again.”

He starts at the same spot with two fingers on my shoulder, tracing circles lower and lower. When he’s just above my breast, he takes one finger and traces around my nipple. My legs almost buckle beneath me, and I outwardly sigh.

Jesus, it’s been too long if I have this response to a little nipple action.

Noticing my reaction, he does it again. I lean my head back on the wall and close my eyes as he draws a line from one breast to the other. His panting now matches mine. Jace cups the weight of my breast in his hand and gives a gentle squeeze. I moan as I slide a little down the wall. He reaches out as if to catch me, but I correct my position.

“Keep going.”

“Dammit, Cass. You’re killing me,” he says as he plants his feet again and leans in.

His lips brush mine ever so softly, and I whimper into his mouth while he goes back to my breast, squeezing again. His other hand comes off the wall and now they’re both on me, but over my shirt. One hand reaches down and skims the skin of my stomach. His touch feels like fire, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.

He pulls back but tries again, like he is dipping a toe in a pool to test the temperature. I fight to keep my hands off him. I would love to grip his hand and put it where I want it, or run my fingers through his hair. I take my arms and pin them behind me so I don’t reach for him.

Jace has one hand flat against my ribs just below my breast, skin to skin. He leaves it there and sucks a breath through his teeth while his other hand still kneads me over my tank. I can’t tell if he’s excited or if he feels like his hand is being burned.

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