“That’s not very nice,” I pointed out.
“Never claimed to be nice.” Graham’s breath was hot on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. “You drive me fucking crazy, you know that? Half the time, I tell myself you’re not worth the effort.”
My spine snapped straight. “Well, excuse me—”
“But somehow,” he cut me off, still whispering. “No matter how much you piss me off pretending to be indifferent to this…” His fingertips slid down my spine as his lips pressed against the hollow of my throat. I shuddered as I felt the barest flick of his tongue against my skin. “Fuck, Gwen, I still want more.”
My lungs seized up, all air flow halting entirely. His fingertips put pressure on the small of my back, bringing my body into full contact with his. I gasped involuntarily as we collided. My hands fell to his hips, gripping the belt-loops of his jeans to keep myself upright.
“What—” I breathed, rattled. “Graham, what are you doing—”
His mouth skimmed the column of my throat. The tip of his nose dragged along my jawline. And then, in a blink, his lips were hovering a hairsbreadth above mine.
“More,” he whispered.
Then, his head slanted to the side and his mouth sank onto mine, a kiss nothing at all like our last — not designed to shut me up, not hard or fast or harsh, but sinfully slow and achingly thorough. He devoured my mouth, his lips moving over mine in a way that made me gasp and clutch at him for balance.
The second my lips parted, his tongue demanded entry, spearing inside like he was dying to taste me. I wish I could say I didn’t kiss him back right away, that I put up even the smallest bit of a fight, but the truth was, I was just as needy for him. Just as ravenous. I arched against him when his hands slid into my hair to yank my head back for better access, moaning into his mouth when my breasts pushed up against the firm planes of his chest.
Goddess, that felt good.
My arms tightened around him, sliding around his back, anchoring my body to his. His muscles were like steel under my fingertips. I couldn’t get close enough. It was electric, insatiable. I’d spent most of my life wondering what it would be like to finally, finally kiss Graham Graves. Envisioning the feel of his lips, picturing the heat of his skin. Imagining his taste, his touch, his scent. But my daydreams were no match for reality.
Reality was so,somuch better.
Years worth of pent-up pining, months of verbal sparring, weeks of heated glances, days of sexual tension… all of it exploded between us in a dizzying instant that set off fireworks beneath my ribcage and between my legs. He pushed me back against the conference room table and, before I was aware of it happening, he’d dropped his hands to cup my ass and lifted me up onto it. My thighs spread to accommodate him and he moved in without hesitation, shoving my dress up nearly to my hips so we were flush together once more. He loosed a low growl as my thighs cradled his body, and I tried not to whimper at the feel of him — his length, hard as steel through the fabric of his jeans, rubbing torturously against me; the rough scratch of denim against the bare, sensitive skin of my upper legs.
Hellfire.
Our mouths were fused together, the already heated kiss turning molten as the passion mounted. My arms wound around his neck, my fingers threading through the overgrown locks of dark hair that brushed his nape. His hands were at my hips, each fingertip digging in with such force, I thought I might have bruises tomorrow. We were wild for one another. Neither of us showed any sign of stopping, even though a small voice in the back of my head suggested, rather impolitely, that we probably should.
But then, his tongue was in my mouth and he was grinding into me, his hips rolling in a way that made my mind blank completely. His mouth moved more fervently over mine, head slanting this way and that, deepening the kiss until I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t do anything but cling to him and kiss him back.
My legs lifted, looping around his waist as he pressed me farther onto the table. His hands were working their way beneath the hem of my dress, calluses dragging deliciously against against the thin lace of my underwear. I writhed impatiently as his fingertips toyed with the elastic waistband, wanting to feel those handsinsidemy underwear with a desperation I could hardly fathom, let alone find the words to express aloud. I kissed him harder, delving my hands deeper into his hair, hoping my desires were conveyed nonverbally. I needed him to touch me,now, right this moment, because if he didn’t, I might explode into a million pieces, fractured apart by sheer lust.
“Ahem.”
We froze at the sudden clearing of a throat. Graham didn’t move a muscle except to pull his mouth off mine, just enough for him to get a few words out.
“What is it?”
“You have an urgent call, Mr. Graves,” a feminine voice said, sounding rather embarrassed.
That made two of us.
“Take a message, Brianne,” he clipped at his receptionist. His fingers were still hooked in the lace of my panties, for Gaia’s sake.
“But… it’s Holden. He’s in the field. And you said…”
“Fuck.” Graham’s forehead tipped forward to rest on mine. He exhaled, his breath warm as wildfire on my still-wet lips. “Tell him I’ll be there in two.”
The door clicked closed.
For a moment, neither of us moved. I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head, leaving me numb and cold in the wake of fiery passion. I didn’t know what to do in this situation besides what I always did when things with Graham got complicated.
Bolt.
“Let me go,” I said flatly.