My pulse went absolutely wild, racing out of control while heat coursed through me like a sizzling wire. When he said the word “kissed”, I instantly recalled the feel of his lips, his hand sliding into my hair, and his hard-muscled body pressed against mine.
I couldn’t think. I scrambled as though I were sliding down a hill with nothing to grab onto. I wanted to be rational, to be reasonable. But more than that, I wanted Tate. I wanted the promise his kiss offered.
Without knowing for sure, I felt there was more, and it would be the best thing I had ever experienced. Again, I tried to takea breath, and all I got was the tiniest sip of air. Definitely not enough to clear my thoughts. My desire for him rampaged out of control.
“Tate,” I rasped, almost shocked at the hint of a plea in that single word.
He slipped his hips off the stool, taking one step until he stood immediately in front of me. His body itself was an electric force, electricity shimmering around us.
“Yes?” His low, husky voice was like a match thrown into the fire burning inside me.
“Kiss me.”
His eyes held mine, darkening. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I whispered. His lips hovered so close, they brushed against mine when I spoke.
He moved even closer when his hands rested on the counter on either side of my hips. His mouth came over mine in a slow, teasing touch. I wanted him to claim my mouth, to make me forget everything. Yet he didn’t.
His lips teased over mine softly before he lifted his head. “Tell me what you want.”
“Tate…” I pleaded. “Just kiss me. I need you.”
He studied me before dropping one kiss on the corner of my mouth and then the other before again lifting his head. “You just want a kiss?”
I felt liquid all over, hot and melting for him. I also felt desperate. “I don’t know. I just need you to kiss me.”
He stopped torturing me and slid a hand into my hair as he fit his mouth over mine, claiming it with a deep sweep of his tongue. I whimpered into his mouth. Our kiss felt like pure fire when he deepened it.
I lost myself as our tongues tangled. It was messy, hot, and wet. I felt as if I were breathing him in. I lost track of all sense of time. Eventually, we had to break apart to breathe. I could feelthe rushing beat of his heart where we were plastered together. I’d slid my arm around his waist, my hand sliding under his shirt to feel the muscles on his back flex.
“Tell me what you want,” he repeated.
“You,” I gasped.
His gruff whisper kindled the fire burning between us higher and hotter. I could feel his hard length pressing into the cradle of my hips. My arousal was slick between my thighs and had drenched my panties. I could hear the pounding rush of blood from my heartbeat and felt shockingly alive. Heat rolled through me in waves with little rushes of electricity spinning into it. I couldn’t look away from Tate.
My rational brain tried to point out that this was a huge mistake. I couldn’t be twisted up into knots of desire by my old friend. The rest of me shouted back,Why not?
I trusted Tate completely. I knew beyond any doubt thatthiswith him would be incredible.
“You,” I whispered. “I want you.”