Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72027 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72027 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
A man near the entrance leers at Tessa with greedy eyes, and opens the door for her. When she crosses the threshold, he ogles her from head to toe. Prick. It’s a call to action, so I step out of the shadows and move toward her.
When Tessa’s eyes find mine, a radiant smile lights up her face, leaving me breathless. Her beauty shines so intensely, I feel its warmth.
“You’re simply stunning.” I greet her, taking one of her hands. I hold it up and spin her around on her heels. She giggles quietly. When the quick twirl reveals all her luminescent skin, I act on impulse—or raging hormones. “Come with me for a minute.”
“Where are we going?” She turns a curious eye toward me, tilting her head to the side. I glance over my shoulder as I guide her a few steps away and around a corner.
“Trust me?” She nods, and I point to the closed door in front of us.
“The cloakroom?” she asks with a teasing smile.
“Shush,” I whisper, twisting the handle to see if it’s locked. It moves in my hand. I’m in luck.
I open the door wide enough for us both to slide inside, then leave it cracked a few inches so a sliver of light streams in. Aside from a few empty hangers on a rod, the room is bare.
“What are we doing in here?” Tessa asks, but her eager eyes give her away. She wants me as much as I want her.
“I need something from you before we join the others.” I lean forward and speak into her ear.
“What’s that?” she breathes.
“This.” I place my hands on her back. She shivers at my touch, following with a sweet sigh. My fingers trail over her velvety skin, lingering at the simple hook connecting her lone strap. If only we had more time. “Your skin’s so smooth and silky.”
I bend down and kiss her lips, and she returns it with a passion matching mine. Tessa links her fingers behind my neck, and we are lost in each other. Minutes later, when we both need to draw in a breath, I move my lips down her neck and over the exposed curves of her breasts.
“I want to taste all of you,” I say against her skin, and feel her pulse racing like mine.
Dropping to my knee, I bring my hands to the back of her toned legs, and trace the delicate skin behind her knees. Her muscles flex and release in anticipation. With a featherlike touch, I inch up her thighs, finding the lacy edge of her panties. “Has anyone touched you here?”
“No one,” she blows out between labored breaths. She gazes down at me with eyes full of desire, but there’s a tentativeness in them I can’t ignore. My touches, and the promise of more between us, are new and unchartered territory for her.
I rise to my full height, changing our position. Looking down at her, I wonder if this beautiful woman is ready for what I want to do to her and what we can be together. I have to ease her into things, build her confidence. It should be her decision to freely give into the passion and trust me. Let me make her mine. I won’t push her from the base of the mountain to the peak in one night.
“I want to be the first. Are you okay with that?” I run my fingers over the curve of her shoulders.
“Yes, please,” she begs. “Can we skip the dinner and leave now?”
“If only I could whisk you away, but duty calls. We won’t stay a second longer than necessary.” I give her a quick kiss on the forehead. “We better get the evening started.”
We adjust our clothes and smooth errant hairs, trying to remove the evidence of our quick tryst.
“You look like you’ve been assaulted by a tube of lipstick.” Tessa pulls a tissue from her bag and cleans the lipstick from my face. I left a pink trace on the curve of her breasts with my stained lips, and return the favor, wiping away the mark. My fingers delve below the fabric, desperately wanting to feel what’s hidden to my eyes.
Sadly, I pull my hands away. Touching all of her will have to wait—something I need to remind my raging erection. I can’t walk into the ballroom full of fellow publishing professionals with tented pants. I try to think of something to distract me, but she’s too close for anything other than her to register in my lust-fueled brain. Giving up, I button my suit coat.
Placing my hand on the small of Tessa’s back, I guide her into the ballroom, gently rubbing circles across her exposed skin, though it does nothing to help my dick get under control. I’ve been in complete launch sequence since I saw her exiting the car.