Chapter Twenty
Angelina
Tonight, was the night. I was going to let Hunter into my house. The one sacred place that no one, besides Lisa and my parents had entered …but it’d been almost a year since Mom and Dad had been in here.
I stood in front of the full mirror and brushed my hand down the front of my gown. The light blue fabric felt like silk and clung to my body like a glove. The curve of the neck dipped lower than I’d expected, but it was nice. I had a nice body under all the clothing I usually covered it up with.
The lace over my shoulder and down my arms covered most of the scar on my shoulder, and it was long enough to cover my self-inflicted scars on my wrist. The cuff was thicker, so no evidence of the old wounds showed.
The light flare at the hips made it look like I had hips. Running helped me with my anxiety, but it didn’t leave much extra on the hips and boobs, that was for sure. I loved how the fabric flowed behind me but was a little shorter in front to show my rockin’ shoes. I’d been practicing in them for nearly a week so I wouldn’t look so uncoordinated.
They were nothing like my kick-ass boots, which was what I really wanted to wear, but we were only going to the main floor of the hotel, so I could leave them behind.
I couldn’t wait to see Hunter. As if on cue, a gentle rap on the door caught my attention. I grabbed the clutch from my dresser and hustled out of my bedroom. “Coming.” My heart raced as if I was doing sprints on the treadmill.
After planning the last three Christmas Eve Fundraiser Balls via email and watching it via the conference room video feeds, I was finally going to personally experience the excitement.
I stopped at the door and took a deep breath, then turned the knob. Hunter stood tall in a black tux. The neck of his white shirt didn’t quite cover up his neck tattoo, but that added to his intrigue. His biceps bulged, pulling the fabric tight, and much like his against-the-grain attitude, he didn’t wear a tie. Instead, he left the two buttons unbuttoned, giving a peek at his neck and more black ink.
I couldn’t wait to touch those and find out what other kinds of markings he had…andwhereelse.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said. “Wow.”
I stepped through the doorway, the heat creeping up my neck. “Wow right back at you.”
“Will I mess something up if I give you a kiss? I can’t not give you a kiss when you look this sexy—beautiful.”
More heat flushed from my chest. Me sexy?As if.
With my high heels, there wasn’t so much distance between us. It was nice. He nudged my chin with his forefinger, and I closed my eyes, waiting for his yummy lips. When they didn’t come, I opened my eyes.
He was staring at me, wonder filling his gaze—and a little fear. As quickly as I saw it, it vanished, and he pressed his mouth to mine.
His soft tongue brushed along my upper lip, and I drew in a sharp breath at the brief contact. It was nothing but tender, and it gave me an even more intense sense of him. His fresh, rain scent always wrapped around me when he was near, but it was incredible how one gentle touch of his tongue ignited a tidal wave of the essence.
He went to ease away, but I curled my fingers around the back of his neck, holding him in place. I tilted his head a fraction, needing to taste more of him. His hand gripped my waist as he opened for me.
Warmth filled my mouth. His minty breath mingled with mine until his was indistinguishable from mine. Heat wrapped around me, starting at my stomach, and flowing through me until my heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it…or feel it since he held me so close.
Opening more to him, he came in for another taste, a little further this time as if testing the waters. God, he felt like home. His breath was mine and mine his.
There was a hint of coffee with that mint and…sugar. My new favorite mixture. I pushed up on my toes, tightening my hold around his neck, and my body went flush to his. That triggered all sorts of tingling electricity pulsing through my body.
I’d kissed guys before the attack, but never like this. His fingers burrowed into my hair, and he pulled me impossibly closer to him, almost as if he needed to feel me near him as much as I did.
His hand inched down along my spine, pressing more of my body to his, and the kiss morphed into one laced with possession, a fierceness so raw and powerful I felt his body shiver.
And I readily absorbed it, needing that power, wanting it. For so long I’d been weak. Scared. Yes, I was ready for him to step into my world. After the party. Yes!
His grip around me loosened, and he drew his warmth from my mouth but gave one last tease as he suckled my bottom lip. Tilting forward, his forehead met mine, and he brushed his thumb along my lower lip. “I might have smudged your lipstick.”
“Lipstick’s overrated,” I said, my voice shaky.
“You okay?” He drew in a deep breath as if taking in the scent of me.
“Better than okay. That was…awesome.”
“I’m up for more of that any time you are.” He grinned.