His blue eyes filled with such an appealing smolder that she leaned back against the door for support. “No,” he said in a deep voice. “You have to kiss my lips willingly to lose the bet.”
Oh she was willing. She was so very, very willing. Yet … Jesse. She needed to talk to Priest, and Teal first. Maybe tomorrow night she could willingly lose the bet. Maybe if they truly fell for each other she could still get her interview. Maybe she didn’t even care about the stupid interview. She still did care about the issues with the embezzlement and with trust, but she wanted to hang it all and just kiss him until the sun rose again tomorrow.
Instead, she arched up onto her toes as he leaned down closer. He smelled incredible and her heart was racing out of control, and … there was no dimple.
“You have to grin,” she admonished him. “So I can have that dimple.”
He chuckled. “Okay.” His full grin appeared.
Jade slid her arms around his neck and her mouth approached his. She couldn’t let herself. She just couldn’t. Detouring to his right side, she softly pressed her lips against his dimple. His cheek was warm and firm and his skin felt incredible under her lips.
His dimple disappeared completely. She glanced up at him and he was looking at her with such longing and desire. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her snug to him. She gasped for air. Still looking up, she asked quietly, “If I kiss your other cheek will I lose the bet?”
He smiled slightly but she could see the pulse racing in his neck and feel his heart beating against her chest. He was as affected by her as she was by him. She knew it.
“No,” he said.
Jade very carefully went past his lips, torturous as it was not to stop on them and show him exactly how much she wanted to be with him, and placed a kiss on his other cheek. She wanted more. Oh, so much more. Especially when he let out a soft groan.
“What about your … chin?” she squeaked out.
Joshua looked down at her very seriously, but there was a twinkle in his blue eyes. “Hmm. That’s getting very close to the lips.”
She let herself look at those lips. They were beautiful and she was so very tempted. She had to stay strong. Maybe tomorrow night. Probably tomorrow night. Jesse was so far back in her mind she couldn’t hardly remember what he was like, but she knew there had been a strong connection and she had to give him a chance. How bad of a betrayal would it be to simply kiss Joshua? Yet she knew simple and kiss and Joshua didn’t coexist. Kissing this man would change her life and she may never come up for air. How could she possibly get enough of those delectable lips?
“Your choice,” she quipped.
He gazed tenderly down at her. “Of course the answer is yes.”
Praying for self control, yet tempting it completely, she softly brushed past the edge of his lips. She heard his sharp intake of air and knew exactly what he was feeling. She was playing with fire. She trailed her lips below his and down to his chin.
Glancing up at him, she had the sense that this powerful man was completely in her control. It was exhilarating but she hoped she’d never misuse him. He was too amazing and too important to her.
“What about your neck?” she asked softly. She glanced down at the pulse point in his neck. It was throbbing quickly.
His grip on her tightened. “Yes,” he grunted out.
Jade trailed her lips along his jawline and down the side of his neck. He let out a groan and held her so tightly he lifted her off her feet. Jade kept going, kissing his neck in different spots and then ever so softly touching her tongue to his pulse point.
“Jade,” he groaned out. “You need to stop.”
He was right, but she didn’t want to. Luckily they were in the hall outside her room. If they were in her room, she wasn’t certain what might transpire.
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or I’m going to kiss you.” The fire in his eyes said he wasn’t lying.
She almost said, do it. She’d get her interview, but that didn’t matter much to her right now. Jesse still did. Though Jesse had been shoved far away he was still there. Joshua not trusting her still did. She needed to talk to Priest and Teal. She knew she did.
Releasing her grip on his neck, she pulled back slightly. He let her go. The absence of his arms around her was startling and depressing. She pulled her key card from her bra and his eyes widened slightly.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “No pockets.”
He simply gave her an indistinguishable grunt in response.
Sliding the card through the reader, she pushed the door open. Glancing back at him she wondered when her heart rate would return to normal.
He looked tortured and so handsome as he stood there. He was still leaning slightly toward her. His hair was rumpled, probably from her but possibly from him running his hand through it. His suit was a little rumpled as well. His blue eyes were still hungry on her face and she wanted to replay every moment of her kissing his cheeks, chin, and neck again, and then take it to the next level.