“When you say things like that, and look at me…” She gulped. “…in that way, you make me feel like you mean it.”
“I do mean it, Lisa.”
Her eyes flickered away from mine, as if the topic of her beauty made her uncomfortable.
“Lisa…” I shook my head. “…would I lie to you? To your face?”
A ghost of a smile appeared across her lips. “No, you’ve been pretty honest.”
And in that moment I almost told her everything. Because I had been honest… about every aspect of my life — except one.
“Let me rephrase that.” I back-peddled a bit. “Do you believe me when I tell you I find you gorgeous?”
Her eyes met mine. “Yeah. I think so.”
“Not good enough.” I stood and pulled the shirt off my body, followed by my pants.
“Whoa, what are you doing?” Lisa moved to her knees in front of me.
“Proving a point.” I stripped all the way down until I was completely naked. “I can’t hide from you.” I lifted my arms into the air. “It would be impossible to hide my body’s reaction… by just looking at you… I’m like this. By just looking at you, every single muscle in my body is tight. Just watching your smile, concentrating on those gorgeous blue eyes, and I forget everything except you. Your taste, your lips, your mouth.” I moved to the floor. “My body can’t lie…” I kissed her softly. “And believe me when I say I’m not lying with my words. In here…” I tapped her chest. “…you’re beautiful. Out here…” I caressed her cheek. “…you’re impossible not to stare at. To me you’re perfect.”
Her breathing picked up speed as she leaned in, her mouth barely meeting mine before she whispered, “Show me.”
My body about set itself on fire as I met her lips in a frenzy. With a whimper, she straddled me, her body exactly where I wanted her, sans clothes. The kiss was hard, aggressive. Teeth knocked. Tongues collided. I couldn’t keep my hands off her as I helped her out of her tank top, even though, somewhere in the back of my mind, I was trying to tell myself to stop.
I couldn’t stop.
I didn’t want to.
I wanted to exorcise every part of him from her consciousness. I wanted to mark her. With a moan, I slid my mouth down her throat and bit softly where her skin met her shoulder. Her head tilted back, allowing me to trail kisses down her chest.
“Your mouth feels so good.” She moaned. “So good.”
“Good?” I laughed, drawing lazy circles with my tongue down the center of her chest. “Pretty sure I’d rather be great. Good is what you get for participating in a race you never won… and pretty sure, at the end of this, I don’t just want a participation ribbon but a damn trophy.” With that, I flicked my tongue across her bra then tugged it off. “Beautiful.”
She moved her arms. But I held them firm at her sides.
“No, Lisa. Let me look at you.”
She ducked her head.
I stared.
I stared hard and finally realized I’d never get my fill. I tilted my head and plundered her mouth again, this time with such slow strokes — tasting, biting, memorizing. Her lips molded against mine perfectly, making me forget that I was supposed to have control. Making me regret I even knew the word.
“Please.” Lisa pressed her mouth together against me as her body shifted against mine.
I reached for her jeans.
My hands hovered across the buttons. And I hesitated. I hesitated enough to allow logic to trickle in.
If she didn’t know… and I took this from her…
She wouldn’t just hate me. She’d never forgive me.
“We can’t…” Who the hell was that lunatic speaking out of my mouth?
Lisa jerked away from me, but I grabbed her arms again.