Resolve set, he let his hand rest at the base of her spine. He’d let her decide how far they went today.
That was the thought anyway. But then she moved against him again and moaned as he kissed the pulse in her neck and his best intentions flew out the window.
In one movement, he reversed their position so she was pinned between him and the wall. Then he reached for the buttons of her flannel shirt. When he released the last one, he pushed the shirt open and slid his hand up her stomach and over her breasts.
Gray caressed and teased one breast through her bra until her nipple became a tight pebble. Then he switched his attention to the other one. It didn’t take much effort before that nipple tightened under his palm, straining against her bra.
He wanted her naked breasts pressed against his bare chest and later he’d get it. Right now, he wanted something even more. He wanted to taste her.
He tore his lips from hers and kissed the skin above her bra. Once he finished on one side, he switched to the other while he reached for the front clasp.
Gray spread the bra apart and took one nipple in his mouth. He licked the tight bud. This was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Kiera’s sudden shove removed that thought from his mind.
“What’s the matter? Did I hurt you?” He took a step back and watched as she clipped her bra together.
Her breathing matched his own and her cheeks were flushed.
“No, you didn’t hurt me.” She walked away from him and sat at the table.
He followed, taking the seat next to her. Since she didn’t look like she wanted him to embrace her, he took her hand instead. “What’s the matter, then? If you didn’t like that, I won’
t do it again.”
It might kill him, but he’d keep his lips on her lips instead.
Her expression said get real.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” She clenched her free hand, her knuckles turning white. “In a few days you’ll be back in New York or Rome or wherever you’re off to next. Who knows when I’ll see you again? It might be years. I’d rather not do something today that will ruin our friendship.”
She thought he wanted to score before he flew off again? Damn it to hell.
“I didn’t come back here to have sex, Kiera.” He took her other hand with his. “There’s something between us. I know you feel it too. I want to see where things go. That’s why I came back to Providence yesterday.”
Kiera’s face remained an unreadable mask. “Gray, we’ve known each other forever, and you’re right; there is something between us.”
He expected a smile or maybe a kiss. He didn’t get either. Instead, he got a frown.
“But I don’t know if dating is a good idea. My parents work for your father. What if things don’t work out between us? That could put my parents’ jobs in jeopardy.”
No matter what happened, his father would never fire Mathieu and Annette Renault. “Kiera that—”
“Besides, you live three hours away.”
Long-distance relationships had their own unique set of problems, but they could work. His cousin, Callie, and her husband, Dylan, had done it before they married, as had his cousin, Sara, and her fiancé before she relocated.
“You’re right. Long-distance relationships aren’t ideal.” He’d tackle one problem at a time. “Trust me, I’ll make sure we see each other. The world’s social scene won’t collapse if I miss a few events.”
Kiera gave him a half-smile. “I don’t know about that.”
“And you have nothing to worry about in terms of your parents. My dad would never fire either of them, no matter what. They’re like family.”
“I want to believe all that, Gray.”
“Then do because it’s the truth. If it makes you feel better, we won’t tell anyone right now. We can try to fly under the radar and keep our relationship a secret. If, for some reason, things don’t work, your parents and my dad will never know anything.”
“Can we do that with all the media attention you get?”