Page 69 of Lick
“Go on, you make some rules,” he said, running his fingers over my arms, making every little hair stand on end.
“Are you just trying to distract me from the conversation with the no-clothes thing?”
“Absolutely not. Now make a rule.”
My hands stayed tucked beneath my chin, arms covering all the essentials, just in case. “No lies. Not about anything.”
“Done.”
I nodded, relieved. We could do this marriage thing. I knew it in my head, my heart. We were going to be okay. “I trust you.”
He stopped, stared. “Thanks. That’s big.”
I waited, but he said no more.
“Do you trust me?” I asked, filling the silence. The minute the words left my lips I wanted them back. If I had to demand his faith and affection, it didn’t mean a damn thing. Worse than that, it did damage. I could feel it, a sudden jagged wound between us. One that I’d made. Of all the stupid times for me to get impatient! I wished it was the middle of winter so I could go stick my head in a snowdrift.
His gaze wandered away, over my shoulder. There was my answer right there. Honesty had already shown me who was boss. How about that? I suddenly felt cold, and though it had nothing to do with losing my shirt, I really wanted to put it back on.
“I’m getting there, Ev. Just… give me time.” Frustration lined his face. He pressed his lips together till they whitened. Then he looked me in the eye. Whatever he saw didn’t help matters. “Shit.”
“It’s okay, really,” I said, willing it to be true.
“You lying to me?”
“No. No. We’ll be fine.”
In lieu of an answer, he kissed me.
You couldn’t beat a well-timed distraction. Heat rushed back into me. His regret and my hurt both took a backseat when I placed my hands on top of his. With fingers meshed, I moved our combined hands to cover my breasts. We both groaned. The heat of his palms felt sublime. The chill of disappointment couldn’t combat it. Our chemistry won out every time. I had to believe more feelings would follow. My shoulders pushed forward, pressing me harder into his hands as if gravity had shifted toward him. But also, I wanted his mouth. Hell, I wanted to crawl around inside him and read his mind. I wanted everything. Each dark corner of him. Every stray thought.
Our lips met again and he groaned, hands kneading my breasts. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and that fast and easy I ached for him. Needed him. My insides squeezed tight and my legs wrapped around him, holding on. Let him try and get away now. I’d fight tooth and nail to keep him. Thumbs stroked over my nipples, teasing me. My hands slid up his arms, curved over his shoulders, holding steady. Hot kisses trailed over my face, my jaw, the side of my neck. Half naked or not, I don’t think I’d have cared if my high school marching band paraded through the room. They could bring baton twirlers and all. Only this mattered.
No wonder people took sex so seriously, or not seriously enough at all. Sex addled your wits and stole your body. It was like being lost and found all at once. Frankly, it was a little frightening.
“We will be fine,” he said, teasing my earlobe with his teeth. Rubbing his hardness against me. God bless whoever had thought to put a seam right there in jeans. Lights danced before my eyes. Did it feel as good for him? I wanted it to be the best and I wanted him to be right about us being fine.
“Sweet baby, just need time,” he said, his warm breath skating over my skin.
“Because of her,” I said, needing it to be out there in the open. No secrets.
“Yeah,” he said, his voice faint. “Because of her.”
The truth bit.
“Evelyn, there’s just you and me in this. I swear.” He returned to my mouth and kissed me as if I was delicate, giving me only the briefest taste of him. An awareness of warmth, the firmness of his lips.
“Wait,” I said, making my legs give up their grip on him.
He blinked dark, hazy eyes at me.
“Move back. I want to hop down.”
“You do?” His lovely mouth turned down at the edges. The front of his jeans was in a state of obvious distress. I’d done that to him. A victory lap around the kitchen counter would probably be taking it too far, but still, it felt good. That knowledge sat well within me. She didn’t do that to him these days. I did.
I shuffled off the edge of the counter and he grabbed my hips, easing my descent to the floor. Just as well. My legs were liquid. He stared down at me, his brow wrinkled.
“There’s something I want to do,” I explained, fingers shaking from nerves and excitement. First I wrangled with the button of his jeans before moving on to the straining zipper.
