Page 14 of Guarded Love

Not to mention, really beautiful. Maybe not in a flashy, obvious way. When she softened up a little, it was easier to appreciate her delicate features, her full lips and wide, sparkling eyes. Or maybe it was all the alcohol she had drunk that made them sparkle like they did as she handed me a glass.

I couldn’t ignore the shiver that went through me when our fingers brushed. The same thing happened down on the dock when she needed help. Touching her, even through that gauzy dress, was nice. Too nice.

“Easy, there.” I chuckled when she basically tossed back her white wine after kicking off her heels. “You’ll be hurting in the morning.”

“Maybe I’m sick of playing it safe,” she commented, and was that a touch of seduction in her tone?

There was something different about her. Something in her eyes, in the coy little smirk she wore. Was this all it took to make her come out of her shell? A few drinks, a little partying?

“Is that so?” I sipped my Scotch, watching her over the rim of the glass. When she leaned over to leave her empty glass on the table in front of us, I couldn’t help but notice the way her tits threatened to spill over the top of her dress. Damn, they were big enough to bury my face in them. Big enough to fuck.What would my name sound like while falling off her tongue in the middle of a moan?

That familiar hunger stirred again, stronger this time. It was almost sad how easy it was to distract me.

She nodded before brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Sure.” This would be interesting.

“I’ve spent pretty much my whole life second-guessing everything.”

“I believe that.” She gave me a sharp look, so I added, “You’re a thoughtful person. You don’t just rush headfirst into things.”

“I’m boring, in other words.”

“I didn’t say that.” No, she was the opposite of boring. Maybe if she was, I wouldn’t be sitting there, gripping the glass as tightly as I could to avoid needing to hold her. Where had she been hiding that body of hers?

“So what are you trying to say?” she asked as she leaned in a little, the light, floral scent of her perfume wrapped itself around me, threatening to pull me under. This was Barrett’s sister. Somebody he protected above all other things. Was I seriously entertaining the idea of kissing her and much, much more? Would I be a complete idiot if I didn’t? She was basically throwing herself at me.

“What do you want me to say? “ I asked, unsure of what I was doing. I polished off what was in the glass, then left it beside hers before angling my body so we were face-to-face.

She lifted a shoulder, biting her lip, and I had to grit my teeth against the impulse to bury my hands in her hair and pull her in. How long could a man be strong? I was losing the battle before it even began.

“Do you like a woman who thinks things through?” Her eyes traveled over my face before landing on my mouth. “Because right now, I don’t want to think. I’m not interested in that.”

“Whatareyou interested in?” I reached out to touch a strand of chocolate brown hair that touched her cheek. She shivered when I tucked it behind her ear, and something about that tiny, helpless movement made me brush the backs of my fingers over her soft skin. Her eyes drifted shut, and her lips parted in a sweet sigh. I could get used to that sound.

What other sounds would she make once I got started?

Was this happening? “Tell me,” I whispered as I hooked a finger under her chin to draw her closer. “Tell me what you want. What are you interested in tonight?”

“You tell me,” she whispered. Her mouth was inches from mine, our breaths mingling between us. “You’re the one I invited into my room.”

I had to do it. I had to taste her. She was right there and more than willing. Let’s face it, she did something to me. She challenged and irritated me. No woman had ever bothered doing that before.

The first touch of my lips to hers sparked an explosion in my head and body. There was no easing into it. No teasing. A wall of pure lust slammed into us, or maybe we slammed into it. Either way, I reached for her, digging my fingers into her sides and pulling her close, fitting her body against mine while my tongue slid against hers. My dick was painfully swollen and straining against my zipper, begging to be set free.

She released a soft, helpless groan before threading her fingers through my hair and scraping her nails over my scalp while deepening the kiss.Yes.I knew it wouldn’t take much to set her off—now I had an inferno on my hands, one threatening to consume me with every whimper, every stroke of our tongues, every time our bodies rubbed together in a frantic, clumsy rush.

“We’re both wearing too much,” I remarked before running my lips up her jaw, then nipping her earlobe. Her throaty groan was a shock wave rolling through me, pushing me further, commanding me to do more.

One of my hands slid down her side and over her full hip before traveling down her thigh. There would be heat between them. I knew there would be, and I wanted to bask in it. To make her lose herself in what I knew I could do to her.

Then she did maybe the worst thing she could do. She flinched.

I pulled back in surprise. “Did I hurt you?” I asked but couldn’t see how.

“No, no.” She cupped to the back of my head and pulled me in again, the move almost desperate. Like she was determined to get something over with. But it wasn’t the same anymore. Something didn’t feel right. Maybe it was the wine I tasted on her tongue or the way she fumbled drunkenly with my buttons. Because that’s what she was. Fall-down drunk or close to it. Did she even know what she was doing? Would she regret it in the morning?

I didn’t have any illusions about myself. I was an asshole. But I wasn’t a fucking asshole, and that was an important distinction I sort of prided myself on. Sleeping with a woman who was too drunk to know any better was not my idea of a good time. Since this was the total opposite of how she had acted around me before, the little bit of common sense left in me told me it would be a mistake to take this any further.

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