Page 31 of Phoenix

“You’re using her for your dirty work. You’re worse than Grayson.”

“No-no, I’m better than Grayson. Always better.” He laughs.

“There’s the ego. I thought you’d lost it there for a second, with all the dancing and twirling.”

“He does more than that, Miss Nora.” Cadence chimes in from the couch. “Sometimes, he and Daddy even let me do their makeup and put clips in their hair!”

I smile from ear to ear and turn my attention to Case. “Do they now?” I turn back to Cadence. “Well, I hope Amelia has pictures of that, because I can’t wait to see them.”

“See what?” We all turn when Grayson comes into the room.

“Pictures of you and Case when I did your hair and makeup!” Cadence shouts proudly.

“Ummm.” Grayson leans over and whispers to her, but we can all hear. “You were supposed to keep that a secret, Sweet Pea. I thought you had my back.”

“You let me put makeup on you, so what?” she replies, then hops off the couch. “I’m going outside with Melia. See ya in the car!” She takes off out of the room, shoes lighting up with each step.

“That girl...” Grayson shakes his head, and then turns to follow her, leaving Case and me alone.

Sexual tension instantly fills the empty space around us.

“Don’t let his reluctance fool you. He looks gorgeous in some lip gloss,” he states, as he steps closer to me and into my personal space bubble.

“As gorgeous as you?” My eyes sweep up to meet his.

“Nah, never, but I’m more of a lipstick man, myself.” He seizes the moment and runs the tip of his finger across my liquid lipstick-covered bottom lip. “Red suits you.”

I can hardly breathe. His presence is suffocating, hot, but I’m drawn to him, despite my fear of him.

He’s a roaring fire.

Dangerous, but beautiful.

And I, against my better judgement, am ready to be burned.

My body acts on its own, driving me onto the tips of my toes, forcing my hands to his chest, easing my mouth to his.

I can feel his lips part as they ghost over mine...yes. God yes.

“Ready?” Amelia shouts from the front door, pouring a bucket of ice water all over the moment, and I step away quickly.

“Yeah! We’re coming,” I say back, never pulling my eyes from his.

He’s standing taller than normal, Christ, he even looks bigger. There isn’t an ounce of humor on his face when he grabs my hand as I start to turn away.

“This isn’t over, Nora. Not by a long shot.”

I don’t reply. I just stand in stunned silence as he leaves me alone in the room with a racing heart, goosebump-covered skin, and soaking wet panties.

Case

There’s something to be said for riding for four hours, in the back seat of an extended cab truck with a perpetual hard-on, that makes a guy a little on edge and cranky as fuck.

Especially when the source of said hard-on is a scalding hot blonde who smells like coconut and nearly let me kiss her earlier this morning.

I glance her way, just to steal a peek, and I catch her biting her lip as she reads a book on her phone.

Her little pink tongue darts out and slides across her lips then she rubs them together. It’s an unconscious move, to be sure, but it pulls a guttural groan from my throat because all I can think about is that tongue on my cock. A internal roar I thought I kept to myself, but when she quickly looks over at me, I know I’ve outed myself.

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