His mouth claimed pieces of her that shouldn’t have been available, or at the very least, shouldn’t have been so easily transferred. How would she get them back? And then her brain ceased to function as the kiss deepened, dragging her into a maelstrom of sensation.
Instinctively, she pressed closer, yearning for…something. She met solid warmth in the form of Isaiah’s lean body, and she shivered as his hands skimmed down her back, slicking across her hair. He groaned and murmured her name in a wholly encompassing way that clamped down on her with teeth and wouldn’t let go.
“Your hair,” he murmured as he nuzzled at her mouth with his. “It’s so beautiful. It might be my favorite thing about you.”
“Your eyes are my favorite thing about you,” she admitted, tilting her head to let him access her throat with his magic mouth. “I could look at them for hours but I’m always worried you’ll take it the wrong way.”
He laughed softly against her skin. “I’m used to people staring at me. It’s a bonus if it’s you.”
“I’ll do it a lot more then.”
The implications of that weighed down the space around them. She could only do it a lot if something changed. Otherwise, they weren’t going to be in the same place long enough for her even begin looking her fill.
They stared at each other as the moment dragged out and she wanted to ask at least one of the million questions running through her head, but she couldn’t bring herself to break the little bubble they’d fallen into. It felt like her entire life had been headed toward this exact moment, when she had to stop being afraid that she’d be abandoned. It might still happen. She might get her heart torn out. Or she might figure out how to prevent both.
If she knew anything, it was that people left when things got difficult. So she’d strive to ensure she never gave Isaiah an excuse to start looking for the exit.
Fifteen
Mysticism and otherworldly predictions had been nowhere on Isaiah’s radar when he’d hopped into the SUV with Hardy and team on a jaunt to Texas. He didn’t really believe in anything he couldn’t touch. But clearly there was something to the concept. How else could Aria have ended up in Isaiah’s arms except through some inexplicable magic?
In case the magic had something to do with the springs, he was fine hanging out here with Aria for the next few hours. Or forever. Right now, he couldn’t fathom breaking the spell they’d somehow fallen under, where the rest of the world didn’t exist. He didn’t have to pretend anymore and here, he wasn’t broken because Aria didn’t expect anything out of him but his presence.
He could do with a good dose of living in the here and now.
Just like he could kiss Aria whenever he felt like and oh, look—she was conveniently located millimeters away because he didn’t have to let her go. So he hadn’t.
Her warm lips tasted sweet, opening under his as he explored the depths of her passion, which seemed to be limitless so far. She met him more than halfway, bold and eager, just as she did everything else.
“Aria,” he murmured again, her name leaving his mouth like a song. And why shouldn’t it? She was as beautiful as a melody and as sultry as a saxophone.
“Are you going to do that a lot?” she asked,
shifting deeper into his arms, which worked for him.
“Um… I don’t know. Which part?” If whatever it was resulted in her snuggling that much closer, he’d definitely be repeating it.
“Saying my name like that.” She sighed and the rise and fall of her chest hit him in places she shouldn’t have been able to touch from the outside. “It makes me shivery.”
“In a good way, I hope.” He didn’t have the expertise of someone like Marchande, but he’d never had any complaints either. Plus, she’d chosen him. That realization alone had him riding pretty high. “If so, then I’ll do it a lot.”
She gave him one of her wistful smiles that made him want to gather up the whole world and gift it to her so she never had to want for anything again. “That would be nice. Except if you’re busy saying my name a lot and I’m busy staring at you a lot, we’re never going to get to the thing I’d really hoped to do tonight. And I had some big plans.”
“Oh?” She had his complete and utter attention as he honed in on the undercurrents that had sped up instantly. “What might that be?”
“Well, you know.” She blinked up at him through her lashes and it was every bit as alluring as when she smiled. “We’re alone. We’re really far from town. No one is looking for us.”
Her voice had dropped a few degrees but the temperature hadn’t and the images that sprang to mind as his imagination started filling in the blanks of her provocative statements didn’t help. “All of that is true. What do those circumstances put you in the mood for?”
This would not be a good time to misinterpret her meaning.
Somehow she’d moved even closer, her kiss-reddened lips begging for him to taste again, and things below the belt noticed all of the above in a big way.
“Something daring,” she said. “Something guaranteed to make tonight memorable, especially since I’ve never done it with a man before.”
“Never?” Well, duh. It only made sense that Aria didn’t have a lot of experience with men. She lived in a small town that was decidedly short on eligible males. But to toss it out there so he knew exactly where he stood—raw energy and no small amount of humility coursed through him as he considered the implications. “I’m honestly flattered that you’d choose me for your first time. Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Oh, completely sure. There’s just one small problem.” She bit her lip and it was so enticing that he nearly groaned.