Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46078 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46078 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
I nod, stepping just a fraction closer, my hand lifting as if it has a mind of its own. I hesitate for a moment, then gently place it over hers, pressing her palm back against my chest. “Yeah, I am.”
She looks down at where our hands meet, her fingers trembling slightly beneath mine. “I don’t… I don’t know why I did that,” she says, her voice shaky but genuine.
“I do,” I say softly, tilting her chin up with my free hand so she’s looking at me again. Her breath catches, and I swear I can feel the electricity sparking in the space between us. “You feel it too, don’t you?”
Her lips part, and for a second, I think she might say yes. But instead, she looks away, her lashes fluttering as if she’s trying to hide. “I don’t know,” she whispers.
I let out a low chuckle, but there’s no humor in it. Just frustration, longing, and a burning desire to make her see what’s so damn clear to me. “I think you do.”
Her gaze snaps back to mine, and for the briefest moment, the world around us seems to fade away. It’s just her and me, standing so close I can feel the heat radiating off her skin.
If she’d never stop touching me like this, I’d spend the rest of my life making her happy. Hell, I’d devote myself to her, body and soul. All she has to do is let me in.
I raise my hand, the roughness of my fingertips grazing her soft skin as I trace a slow line down the frame of her face. My finger pauses just beneath her chin, tilting it up slightly so her wide, trusting eyes meet mine. The setting feels like something out of a dream—the sun dipping low in a sky painted with hues of pink and gold, the waves lapping gently in the distance. The soft sea breeze carries the scent of salt and possibility. It makes me braver than I should be.
My pulse thunders as I lean in, my eyes dropping to her ruby-red lips. They’re parted slightly, tempting me, daring me.
She closes her eyes, her breath hitching, and I know I’ve crossed the point of no return.
I move in all the way, capturing her mouth with mine. The moment our lips touch, it’s like a dam breaking. She responds instantly, her kiss needy, almost desperate, as though she’s been waiting for this moment as long as I have. Her hands fly up around my neck, pulling me closer, and I wrap my arms tightly around her waist, anchoring her to me.
I deepen the kiss, my tongue sliding along hers, and everything else fades away—the sound of the waves, the cool breeze, even the sand beneath our feet. It’s just her, her warmth, her taste, her everything.
A growl rumbles deep within my chest, raw and primal, as she melts into me. Her fingers thread through my hair, and it’s like she’s cast some kind of spell over me, her touch igniting sensations I didn’t know I was capable of feeling.
Electric shocks shoot down my spine, and I tighten my hold on her, pressing her against me. My body reacts instinctively—heat pooling low, my dick throbbing to life as she molds herself to me.
My hands slide down to her backside, my palms pressing firmly against the curves of her ass. Fuck, she feels so good. The soft warmth of her body under my touch, the way she gasps softly into my mouth—it’s enough to drive me insane.
Reluctantly, I break the kiss, needing to catch my breath. My forehead rests against hers for a moment as we both try to steady ourselves, the air between us charged and heavy. Her blue eyes meet mine, wide and filled with something I can’t quite put into words—vulnerability, desire, maybe even trust.
“Do you kiss all the women you protect?” she whispers, her voice shaky but teasing, her lips still slightly swollen from the kiss.
I let out a low chuckle, my hand brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “No,” I murmur, my voice rough with emotion. “Just the one who’s worth breaking every damn rule for.”
Her cheeks flush, and a soft smile tugs at her lips, but there’s still a hint of uncertainty in her gaze, like she’s waiting for me to take this back, to retreat.
I don’t.
Instead, I tighten my hold on her, my thumb gently brushing against the curve of her jaw. “You don’t know what you’ve done to me, Tory,” I say, my voice low and serious. “I told myself I wouldn’t cross this line, but you… you make it impossible not to.”
Her lips part slightly, but no words come out. She just stares at me, and I swear I can see the exact moment her walls start to crack.