Page 19 of Slide

She blinked, eyes sliding back to his mouth only an inch from hers. “No?”

He shook his head.

She was so close that when she spoke her lips brushed the corner of his mouth. His whole body fucking quaked, the heat and softness of her lush lips on him slamming through him like a head-on with a Mack truck. The lust pounding him was all-consuming, overwhelming.

Wrong.

This was wrong.

Step the fuck back.

“Adam,” she whispered.

In that moment, he thought he might actually die. His body would rend in two. The opposing sides of him waging war, what he wanted and what he knew was right, were at a stalemate. He couldn’t step away and he couldn’t turn and kiss her.

Color darkened her cheeks, there was no space between their bodies, she was flush against him, every inch of her.

Christ. A sound tore from his throat, a sound he’d never made in his life. It was raw, angry, hungry—too many things to name.

Lucy heard it, she heard them all. Every damn emotion battering him.

Her gaze sharpened and she licked her lips. Lips that had played a part in every one of his fantasies. Lips that he hadn’t even allowed himself to touch, even in his dreams.

Then she said it.

“You want to kiss me.”

Not a question.

His hands went to the car behind her, caging her in, every muscle bunched tight, gut in knots, blood pounding through his veins so loud he could hear it rushing through his ears. “Yes.” The word snapped from his mouth, aggressive in its delivery. Because, goddamn it, he was angry—that he had put himself in this position, that he’d put Lucy in this position, and that she was looking at him like she wanted it as much as he did. If he didn’t taste her just once, he thought he might lose his mind—but he couldn’t cross that line. Not ever. No matter how much he wanted to.

Her hands went to his sides, and he shuddered when he felt her dig her fingers in, the heat of her palms coming through his shirt.

“Do it,” she rasped, husky, sexy as hell.

His breathing was choppy, the sound cutting the night air. It was just the two of them. The sound of the restaurant, the music, the laughing, vanished completely. His cock was an iron rod in his jeans, and when she tilted her hips more snugly against his, he damn near snarled.

Do it. Take what she’s offering, the devil on his shoulder whispered in his ear.

You’ll lose everything and you’ll take her down with you, the voice of reason countered.

He knew it was the truth and the final little push that tipped the balance. For once in his life, he needed to do the right thing. He needed to not be a selfish asshole.

“You’re hot, Luce,” he forced out, voice like rusted steel. Beautiful, exquisite, amazing, funny, sweet. Mine. No, she wasn’t his, which was why he had to say this. “And I won’t lie. I’d love a night between your thighs.” He slid his knuckles down the side of her face. “But, baby girl, that’s all it would ever be. And for all your talk, that’s not you, and we both know it.”

One night wouldn’t be enough for me either.

She flinched. It was small, but he saw. He noticed everything when it came to Lucy.

“Hugh and Joe…they…”

“It has nothing to do with your brothers.” He was lying, of course. They had a lot to do with this, but they weren’t the only reason for putting on the brakes, not by a long shot.

“Why, then?” Her fingers dug into his sides harder and, shit, his knees nearly gave out.

He let his gaze roam her body, forcing a leer. “Sweetheart, you’re too much damn trouble. Why would I go there with you when I can go to any club in this city and find company for the night?”

She sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and her lashes dropped, concealing her eyes from him for several seconds. But when they opened again, instead of his cruel words causing hurt, giving her that final push to walk away from him and never look back, her pale eyes shone with determination.