A rush of heat ran across her skin at their closeness. She quickly turned back to face the front, hoping not staring directly at his face would cause the fire building within her to smolder. Instead,
she found his body directly behind hers in this position, she wasn’t sure if that was any better.
He bent down a few more times, each time remarking on the song or the aesthetic of the room. But, in this new position, all she could focus on was the way his hair brushed against her cheek, and the way his breath tickled her neck causing goosebumps to stretch down her body, and the way his hand, which had been against the wall, had now somehow made its way to her hip.
Every time he bent down, it was as if his scent engulfed her. Despite how sweaty the man had already been when she’d joined him in the three-legged race, he smelledso good. He smelled of mint and cherry and something else she couldn’t quite place. And she might have been imagining it, but it felt like he lingered a little
longer every time he leaned in. At one point, his nose rubbed against her neck and she involuntarily leaned back and further into him. The hand that had at some point wrapped itself around her hip tightened its grip slightly.
They stood like that long after he had made his last statement, both pretending to watch the band in front of them. She couldn’t even begin to tell what it was he’d said. She was sure that, to the strangers who stood next to them, they looked like a couple who couldn’t get close enough. The thought caused a surge of excitement mixed with dread to work its way through her. She was about to pull away when she felt the arm that was wrapped around her tighten and twist her slightly to face him.
“You smell like Christmas,” he said, and the fluttering in her stomach caused her core to tighten.
She wanted to laugh. She felt as if that was such a silly reaction to a silly statement and yet his words had her heartbeat racing. “Christmas, huh?”
“I think it’s the peppermint.” His lips were so close to hers she could almost taste him.
“It seems to have become a favorite scent of yours, given that you filled your home with it.”
She watched his flushed cheeks turn a shade darker and his embarrassment at being caught caused that fluttering deep within her to turn into a consistent throbbing.
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s my new favorite.”
She had been watching his lips and his cheeks and his nose and his hair…and then they caught each other’s eyes for just a split second. That deep azure that seemed to flow through them was churning. She had called it that first night at his house. She’d known his eyes would pull her in and she was right. Only now she wasn’t sure if that was such a bad thing.
She meant to pull away. Meant to playfully swat him across the chest and then turn back so she was facing the band and not him. That was her quickly-made and ill-conceived plan. Because, maybe if she wasn’t facing him, or if she wasn’t staring into his blue eyes that had somehow now turned a shade darker, or if she put a little separation between them, then this feeling that was beginning to stir deep within her would dissipate and she could go back to feigning hatred for him.
But then he was grasping her waist and pulling her closer.
And then his mouth was on hers.
She was kissing him.
Callum. Fucking. Barker.
In the middle of a group of strangers.
She even thought she heard some guy howl out a whoop at them, but wasn’t really too sure. Her senses were already flooded, overtaken by everything this kiss was doing to her.
His lips were warm and, yes, she had been correct in her initial assessment; they were surprisingly soft. They melted against her own. And then she melted against him. If he hadn't had his arm wrapped around her middle holding her up, she was sure she would fall straight to the ground. But then the other hand was gripping onto her waist and sliding upward.
Her breath hitched when he grazed the side of her breast and then she all but lost consciousness when he cupped the side of her
throat, tilted her sideways in the most deliciously demanding way he could, and deepened the kiss.
It was a war of tongues and lips and teeth. He would sneak in a nibble of her lip just for her to whimper in response. Then a quick swipe of his tongue surged across the area, soothing the ache. She had never been kissed like this. Like he was drowning within her. As if she was his sole source of air and he would never let her go.
A break in the music and the stumbling crowd around them was what finally caused them to part. She wasn’t sure how long she’d spent letting him devour her, but by the time she leaned her head on his strong chest and took a breath, she knew her lips were swollen and pink. She focused on the rapid beating of his heart as she tried to steady her own and he wrapped his strong arms around her.
After a minute, he leaned down to speak. He ran his right hand over her hair and tilted her head back slightly.
“Come back to my place tonight.” It wasn’t a question. And, god, she wanted to. His lust-filled eyes were damn near begging her.
“Callum.” She hesitated for a split-second, debating if she should do just that. She averted her eyes, knowing that staring into his for another moment would cause any resolve she had left to buckle. She would get caught within that deadly azure current and she would gladly let it take her away. “I can’t. I want to, but I can’t.” She looked up at him and he nodded.
Her brain was too foggy and she was far too close to giving in and telling him yes. But she knew that wasn’t like her and she would regret it in the morning. She looked back up at him once more. He hadn’t taken his arms from around her and she wasnotgoing to be the first to let go.
When the band started up again, she twisted back to face the front, but leaned back further into him. His right arm stayed planted across her collar bones while his left hand snaked around her side, pushing the hem of her shirt up slightly so he could draw lazy circles on her stomach.