Total pages in book: 204
Estimated words: 193115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 966(@200wpm)___ 772(@250wpm)___ 644(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 193115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 966(@200wpm)___ 772(@250wpm)___ 644(@300wpm)
I let her finish her observations, quite happy to watch her, admire her, but then she looks up at me, and my bubble is popped. She’s back in the room with me, and I can see her mental battle has returned.
“Please don’t,” she whispers.
“Don’t what?” I know damn well what, and she needs to understand that there is absolutely nothing in this world that could stop me. Except her. She could stop me again, and I would be crushed.
“You know what. You said I wouldn’t have to see you again.”
“I lied.” I’m honest. I’ve got to be honest. “I can’t stay away from you, so you do have to see me again . . . and again . . . and again.” I say it slowly, and she inhales as she starts retreating. She’s trying to escape the sparks flying. They’re everywhere, uncontrollable and violent.
“You persistently fighting this is only making me more determined to prove that you want me.” I keep my eyes on hers. “I’m making it my mission objective. I’ll do anything.”
The bed halts her escape, and she throws her hands up. “Stop,” she blurts, panicked, and I do. Of course I do. Because she’s clearly upset. Emotional. Frustrated. “You don’t even know me.” She’s desperately trying to convince herself that this is crazy. It is, and it scares me too, but at least we’ll be scared together. At last I won’t be alone in this madness.
“I know you’re impossibly beautiful.” I walk forward, thinking I can make her feel so much better if I can just hold her. “I know what I feel, and I know you’re feeling it too.” I stop as our chests brush, and my body responds, the fire inside blazing. I can feel her heartbeat through her dress. Her need. “So, tell me, Ava,” I ask quietly, “what have I missed?”
She drops her face, and I waste no time pulling it back up to mine, feeling like a total bastard when I see tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.” I slide my hand onto her cheek and gently wipe her tears away.
“You said you would leave me alone.”
“I lied,” I say, apologizing again. I couldn’t leave her alone if my life depended on it. And, strangely, it feels like it does. “I can’t stay away, Ava.”
“You’ve already said that you’re sorry, yet here you are again. Am I to expect flowers tomorrow?”
My strokes of her cheeks pause, and it’s my face that hides now. I really am a bastard, but I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t know that she wants me. I’d buy her flowers every day forever, and hopefully they won’t all be apology flowers. There’s nothing left for it. I’ve got to remind her—remind her of how it felt when we kissed. Touched.
I lift my eyes.
And slowly lower my lips to hers.
I need to be gentle.
Gentle and slow.
She doesn’t stop me, and when our lips skim, she’s the one who takes the lead, grabbing my jacket. Oh my God. My body is immediately wracked with shakes, her surrender like the air I need to breathe. It’s as if she’s stretched the elastic band of restraint too far and it’s finally broken.
“Have you ever felt like this?” I ask, pulling her closer, working my mouth across to her ear.
“Never.”
Fuck, me neither. “Are you ready to stop fighting it now?” I ask softly, licking my way up her ear and back down until I’m at the smooth flesh that meets her neck.
“Oh God,” she gasps, and I swallow her words of submission, tenderly plunging my tongue into her mouth, silently grateful when she accepts it, relieved I really haven’t been imagining this. I’m out of my body already. She’s air and water.
“Hmm,” I hum, breaking our kiss reluctantly to get a solid confirmation from her. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
A million sparks light up inside of me, hope that I don’t understand bombarding my entire form. I nod and proceed to show my appreciation by scattering light kisses all over her face. She’s with me. I have never felt such a powerful surge of faith. Everything this woman does to me is addictive. “I need to have all of you, Ava.” Every little piece and more, and not just her body. I want her words, her smiles, her passion. “Say I can have all of you.”
She hesitates, but only briefly. “Take me.”
Fuck. Yes.
I curl my arm around her tiny waist and lift her slight frame from her feet, carrying her to the wall and gently pushing her against it as our lips become more frantic, more desperate. We’re both on the same page, and something tells me it could be a beautiful story. My hands are everywhere, frenzied and hungry, my mouth the same. I refuse to release her lips, so when she starts pushing my jacket away from my shoulders, I step back only a fraction to give her room.