Page 44 of The Perfect Distraction

“I like that about you.”

Moving his hands back up her arms, he cupped her face, and ever so slowly, he leaned down and kissed her.

The bedroom was cool and dark, but her blood ran hot, and she saw pricks of bright light behind her eyes. She wanted to pull him closer, but she was afraid to touch his back, so she settled her hands on his hips instead.

“Beth?”

“Keep going. I’m good.”

He captured her lips again, sucking the bottom one between his teeth and ramping up her desire even more. His hands skimmed down her arms again, and then he pulled up on the hem of her T-shirt.

“Can I touch you?” he asked against her lips.

“God, yes.”

Slipping his right hand beneath her shirt, he grazed her belly with his fingertips before moving his hand up to cup her left breast.

“Mmmm.”

Teasing her nipple through her bra, he continued to kiss her, trailing his lips down to the hollow of her neck. Her limbs felt like jelly, but Colton was doing an excellent job of holding her up and kissing her at the same time.

When he pulled down her bra cup to touch her bare breast, she moaned and thrust her chest forward into his warm hand. Suddenly, she remembered what she’d read about the relationship bases, and it made her giddy. We’re going to second base. Yay!

And then Colton’s head popped up.

Oh God. Did I just say that out loud?

“Tell me what you want, Beth. I need to hear it from you.”

“Second base,” she blurted out. “I want to go to second base!”

Colton burst out laughing, but in a good way, like he was laughing with her instead of at her. “Just to be clear, second base means…”

“Touching. I want you to keep touching me, and I’m going to touch you too.”

She felt kind of silly saying it, but based on Colton’s heated expression, he didn’t find it silly at all.

Reaching around her back, he deftly unhooked her bra and then slid his hands around to cup both of her breasts. As he grazed his thumbs over her taut nipples, he looked her straight in the eyes and said, “You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to do this.”

“Tell me.”

“Would it be horrible to say since I first met you?”

She smiled up at him, enjoying their closeness and the soft way he spoke to her.

“Maybe to somebody, but not to me.”

“Good.”

Her heart was tripping in her chest, and she decided to make the next move herself. She slowly slid her hands around to the front of his shorts, and while maintaining eye contact with him, she stroked his erection.

“I have a confession to make too,” she said.

He glanced down at her hands and then back up. “Let’s hear it.”

“I thought you were hot when I first saw you outside mowing the lawn.”

Smiling broadly, he said, “I probably was hot—literally.”