“You do,” I agree.
He reaches into the pocket of his flannel. “This year, your parents sent me home with something extra.” I laugh at the tiny sprig of mistletoe.
He holds it over our heads.
“What are you doing? There’s no one to pretend for.” The protest is lame as I stare at his mouth.
“We’re here, and I think we owe ourselves to explore what’s between us.”
“Emanuele.” The words come out softer than I intended as the lump in my throat clogs with fear and want.
“Are we going to keep pretending we didn’t stumble onto something here?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“You do. You’re scared.” He swallows. “So am I.”
His vulnerability is my undoing. The dam I’d used to hold my emotions at bay cracks. “But you want this?”
“Ineedthis. I don’t want to wonder what if. Do you?”
I shake my head as I fall under the spell cast by his expressive, espresso-colored eyes.
“You’ve always been my girl, December. Nothing will change that.” He nuzzles his nose against mine and skims my lips with his. I part them, seeking more.
“So eager for me, Dec.” He whispers the words against my mouth, and I whimper my agreement.
He’s awoken a hunger inside me I haven’t been able to slake on my own.
“Tell me.”
“I want this—you.” As I reach for him, I move my hand up to cup his face as I rise on my tiptoes. I nip his bottom lip and soothe the sting with my tongue. Groaning, he cups my ass with his free hand and pulls me close.
“Then that’s what you’re going to get.” He sweeps the seam of my lips, and I open eagerly.
His tongue slips inside to touch mine, and my body ignites. I wind my arms around his neck, tilting my head as I tease him. Our tongues slide together.
The mistletoe drops to the ground, forgotten, and he grips my ass and lifts me up. Encircling his waist with my legs. I gasp at the feel of him against me. Leaning back, I groan as he notches his bulge against my center.
Our mouths continue their intricate dance as I squirm, seeking friction to relieve the throbbing in my center. He tastes like hot chocolate, man, and I can’t get enough. I scrape my nails over his scalp, and he squeezes my cheeks and rocks against me. I lean back, desperate for air, as he trails his kisses down my neck, nipping the skin and sucking my pulse point.
“You taste so good, December. I won’t be satisfied until I sample every inch of you.” His tongue caresses my collarbone, and my walls clench.
Tonight, there’ll be no more barriers between us. The storm that’s been brewing between us is finally going to break.
He walks to the stairs, devouring my mouth every few feet. Miraculously, we reach the top of the stairwell, panting.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” I rasp.
“Once you’re in my room, I’m not letting you go until we’re both satisfied.”
I accept his challenge. “Lead the way.”
The hunger carved on his face is a revelation. His long legs eat up the floor as he attempts to suck my soul from my body with his soft lips. I match his intensity, sucking his tongue into my mine as I try to press my body closer.
Sitting on the bed heavily, he pulls back to rip my t-shirt over my head. The cool air hits my heated flesh, and I cry out.