Page 13 of Until We Meet Again

"Close your eyes, Tessa." She follows my command, and as her long lashes gently fall, my mind races with all the different ways that I'm going to drive her to the brink of ecstasy.

As I sit here admiring her beauty, I can't resist the urge to touch her. With a gentle stroke, I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, enjoying its softness between my fingers. I reach across the booth, and my hand finds its way to the back of her seat. Leaning closer, I lower my mouth to her neck, feeling the heat of her skin only an inch away. As I breathe in, her scent fills my senses, and the fragrance of her perfume intoxicates me.

She smells so damn good, like fresh flowers and a subtle hint of vanilla.

My lips part as they glide over the sensitive curve of her ear, and I feel her shiver beneath my breath as her skin erupts into an ocean of tiny goosebumps.

"I don't have to touch you to be intimate with you, Tessa. Having my mouth this close to your body makes you feel something, doesn't it?" I watch her closely as she nods, her eyes squeezing shut a little tighter. "Use your words, sweetheart."

"Yes." That one word, barely above a whisper, impacts me more than it should.

"Trust me when I say I would love to kiss you right now, but I don't need to." I slowly pull my mouth away from her ear, a rush of desire surging through me as I lean in closer to her lips, wanting to be as close to her as possible without really touching her. "Just the idea of someone you crave can set your body on fire. No physical contact is needed, and that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach can be ignited by mental stimulation alone."

The way her chest rises while she discreetly pushes her thighs together almost makes me want to say, "Fuck it," and kiss her anyway.

"You're beautiful, and I want you, but I'll never move faster than what you're comfortable with. Now, look at me." Gradually, she opens her eyes, and the undeniable attraction that flickers between us sparks up like a wildfire. "So, you don't kiss on firstor second dates?" I try to relieve the sexual tension as quickly as possible before I end up hiking up her little black dress and fucking her in front of everyone in the bar.

"Never."

"I like that."

"Why?"

"Because it gives me something to look forward to."

"You want date three?" she asks.

"I'm already thinking about what I'm going to do to you on dates five, six, and seven."

"What things?"

I trace my finger around the outer edge of my glass as I consider how to respond to her. "I'd rather wait and show you," I say.

"Let's assume we don't make it to date five."

Taking a long sip of bourbon and feeling the warmth it brings to my body, I brace myself for what I'm about to ask her.

"Can I touch you, Tessa?"

"I thought you didn't need to touch me."

That smart mouth.

"I don't, but I'd like to." I stare at her, my original question still hanging over us, and she nods, her attention focused on me.

I move even closer to her, running my hand through her hair and gently gripping her scalp. My eyes fall to her perfect mouth, and I trace my thumb along her lower lip, delicately parting it as I hear a soft exhale escape her.

"I want to find out exactly what this mouth can do." Her gaze falls to my lips, and I trail my hand up her silky thigh, feeling the heat emanating from her skin. Her green eyes darken, and her legs clench once more as I reach the hem of her dress and toy with the thin material. "But what I really want to know is how you like to be touched."

"What if I don't know how I like to be touched?"

"Do you touch yourself?" I feel her skin prickle as I ask her such an intimate question.

"Maybe I should've been clearer," she says, and my curiosity is piqued.

"I'm listening."

"What if I don't know how I'd like a man to touch me?" I'm sure I understand what she's saying. However, my silence suggests that I need her to explain and that I need her to repeat it because I'm not sure I can believe it. "I've never been touched by a guy before." It comes out gently, and for the first time, her eyes leave mine as if she's embarrassed by her own admission. "I'm sure you think that's ridiculous."

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