Page 22 of Snowed in with the Grump

“Tempting,” Carter finishes gently.

I nod. Being around me back then must have been agony for him, an impossibility.

“Like dangling a dripping steak in front of a hungry wolf,” he adds with a playful, low growl.

I poke a finger into the center of his chest. “I'm not a piece of meat, and you're not a beast. You’re a gentleman.”

His thumb glides across my lower lip, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake. “Are you sure about that? Because if anyone found out what I was thinking about you when you were seventeen, I would’ve ended up in jail.”

I bring my finger up to trace his jaw. “Oh, Carter.”

He swears under his breath. “You were so beautiful, so innocent, it hurt to look at you. Wanting you the way I did felt wrong somehow.”

He slides his hand around to cradle the back of my neck, his rough palm pressed against my skin. Slowly, he pulls my face toward his, his eyes searching mine, seeking permission.

“Do you get it now? I left because I wanted you, even though it killed me to stay away.”

His lips ghost my knuckles, begging for forgiveness or offering a benediction. He strokes my cheek so tenderly that it brings tears to my eyes. He respected me too much to give in. “I get it now.”

“But I’m back, and you’re here, and we’ll figure this thing out together, right?”

“Right. It's a big step for people who are—you know.”

What are we? What is this exactly? Friends who become lovers? I know how I feel, but what does Carter want?

“New at this?” he suggests.

I laugh. “That’s it.”

“From now on, it’s just you and me,” he whispers, his breath warm on my cheek.

Enveloped in his strong embrace, I've never felt more at home. “I'm not going anywhere.”

He chuckles. “Good, because wild horses couldn't drag me away from you. I’m afraid you're stuck with me.”

I throw my arms around him, laughing breathlessly. “Of course, you big idiot. I've been yours since the day we met!”

He flips me onto my back and climbs on top of me. I feel a tingle between my thighs, and a whoosh of air leaves my lungs.

“I can’t resist you anymore,” he growls, his hot breath on my neck sending shivers down my spine.

“Then have me,” I gasp, ready to give myself over completely.

I look up at Carter and see the desire in his eyes, matching my own. He grins and claims my lips, pressing his body against mine. His tongue pushes into my mouth, hungrily seeking entrance. I moan into his mouth, fingers winding through his tousled hair.

With our lips locked, our kisses grow more heated. There’s no time to waste. Our kisses grow more heated as we tear at each other's clothes.

“God, I love this,” he murmurs against my lips before moving down my neck.

He grazes his teeth over me, and I arch into him. His fingertips lightly caress up my side, brushing my breast before taking a firmer hold on my nipple.

The sensation sends a wave of heat through my body as his touch burns me from the inside out. Skin on skin, we move together with an urgency bordering on desperation.

“Carter,” I breathe, “please. I want you.”

He palms my heavy breasts, his lips trailing and grazing over my skin.

“So beautiful,” he murmurs before he’s devouring me.

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