Page 17 of Wild Lies

I hear the door open behind me and turn to face Chloe, stuffing my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her. There’s nobody here to see us, nobody to put on a show for. “I had fun tonight.”

Standing half inside the cabin, she leans against the door, a dreamy look on her face. “Me too. Thank you for coming and for pretending with me.”

The corner of my mouth kicks up, and I look down at my feet before returning my attention to her. “Anytime.”

We fall quiet, and I half expect her to say goodnight and give me my cue to leave. I’ve fulfilled my purpose after all, and just because I don’t want to leave, doesn’t mean she doesn’t want me gone.

Chloe opens her mouth to speak at the same time as I do before snapping it shut. “Ladies first,” I say, indicating to her with one hand.

“I was just going to ask if you wanted to come in.” She tucks the strand of hair that came loose earlier in the evening behind her ear before adding, “For a nightcap.”

I grin, before schooling my features into something a little less elated. “I’d love that.”

She steps back, holding the door open wider and allowing me to enter before shutting it. The cabin is open plan, with the kitchen at the back of the space and the living room at the front. I move to the couch, standing in front of it as I watch Chloe walk to the kitchen area, picking up our glasses from earlier as she does before rinsing them out.

Kicking off her heels, she sighs contentedly when her bare feet hit the tiled floor. “I cannot tell you how good that feels,” she calls over her shoulder as she pours out two generous servings of whiskey.

Shrugging out of my jacket, I throw it over the arm of the couch that I’m standing next to, the bolo tie I put on this morning long gone.

Chloe shoves the bottle under her arm and picks up the two glasses before heading in my direction. “It’s not the best whiskey I’ve ever had, but it does the job.”

I think back to earlier in the night when I offered her the champagne or whiskey. “But you still chose the champagne?” I ask, taking the glass of amber liquid when she hands it to me.

Chloe dips her chin, taking a seat on the couch and patting the space next to her. Our legs touch when I sit, the heat of her body adding fuel to my fire. It would be so easy to reach out and place my hand on her thigh to increase that connection, but I hold myself back. It would be fine if we were playing the part for an audience, but I don’t want to assume that she wants it now that we’re alone.

She takes a sip of her drink, shifting in her seat to face me. “I did. I didn’t want to cloud my judgment and thought it was best if I kept a clear head.”

A groove forms between my brows as I read between the lines. “I wouldn’t ever take advantage of you, Chlo. I know you don’t know me that well, but that’s not the type of man I am.”

She laughs, the sound almost musical. “It wasn’t you I was worried about, handsome.”

I tilt my head, confused. “No?”

“Nope.”

I see she’s going to make me drag it out of her. “Okay, so who were you worried about?”

She tips back her glass before sliding it onto the table and slapping her hands onto her thighs as she blows out a long, exaggerated breath. When she reaches for my glass, I hand it over willingly, even though I haven’t touched it.

“Kade?” Her voice is laced with something that I want to call arousal, but I don’t want to be wrong about it.

“Yes?”

I watch her throat work as she swallows before saying, “If it’s okay with you, I’m going to climb onto your lap and kiss you.”

All I can do is nod as I roll my lips together, afraid that if I speak, I’ll sound too enthusiastic and scare her away. I watch her as she stands, moving between my legs before pulling her dress up to reveal her long, toned legs. She does exactly what she said she would: she climbs into my lap, one leg on either side of me. The heat of her pussy hovers just over my cock. It twitches in the confines of my suit pants, excited at the idea of being so close to her warmth.

When she’s settled, she tentatively rests her hands on my chest before slowly smoothing them up and into the hair at the back of my neck. My pulse stutters, a heat settling low in my gut as I try to keep my breathing even. I’m so turned on.

“Is this okay?” she whispers.

I rest my hands on her hips, praying she can’t feel how hard I am. “Yeah, this is perfect.”

“I’m going to kiss you now.” Her gaze holds mine and she waits a beat before leaning forward.

When we’re inches apart, my eyes drift closed, and I wait for her to make the move. She needs to know just how in control of this moment she is, and if that means she leads the way and we take things slow, then so be it. I’m just grateful that she’s giving me this much.

Chloe dusts her lips over mine. It’s the barest touch, but enough to set my entire body on fire. Once, twice, three times, she teases me. I tighten my grip on her hips before forcing my fingers to loosen and my body to relax. Slow and steady, Kade.