Grace’s amber eyes lifted, and there was pure fire in them. “I want you to kiss me,” she whispered.
Oh,nowwe were talking.
I prowled several steps forward into the room, forcing her to back up. Ashford, Emma, and Maisie were still in the living room, so they couldn’t see us. But they weren’t that far away. We could hear their voices.
My thumb traced along her jawline to her bottom lip. “At the grand-opening party, I waited to kiss you because I didn’t want to have to stop. I’ve been kicking myself for that ever since. You said I wouldn’t get another chance.”
Her eyes glinted again, this time with humor. “I’m right most of the time. But not always.”
“I’ll remember that.”
I lowered my mouth to hers, anticipating those last few seconds before contact. Three, two, one.
Damn.
The first taste of her shocked my senses. Like a pure hit of oxygen mixed with caffeine, lighting up my insides.
Her plush lips molded to mine, then moved in sync with me as I deepened the kiss and nudged my tongue into her mouth. She whimpered and grabbed hold of my shirt.
Fuck me, I wished we were alone. I’d pick her up, lay her on that bed, and kiss the hell out of her before undressing her and kissing my way down her body.
Then Maisie said something in the living room, and Emma laughed. Reluctantly, I pulled away by an inch. “They’re going to hear us.” I didn’t care that much if Ashford or Emma caught us, but Grace would mind. Also, I didn’t want Maisie to stumble upon us having an inappropriate moment.
She whimpered again. “Yeah. You’re right.”
“Was that the sort of kiss you wanted?” I asked quietly.
Grace nodded, her eyelids hooded. Her fists released their grip on my shirt. “Good enough.”
“I thought it was slightly better thangood enough.”
“Good enough for me to know I want more.”
Ah. I liked the sound of that. I reached out to squeeze her hip. “Plenty more where that came from.”
“Next weekend? While we’re on the trip?”
“Absolutely.”
Grace licked her lips, the deep pink fading from her cheeks. She shivered like she was shaking off the haze our kiss had induced. “But there’s something that’s non-negotiable for me. Whatever thisthingis between us, it ends when we get back from New York.”
I couldn’t help the scowl that darkened my face. “Hell no. The trip will only be five days.” I already knew five days wouldn’t be enough with her.
Her brows lifted in a challenge. “Non-negotiable,” she said again. “We have fun together in New York, and then we end it as friends. I go back to my regular life. And you go back to yours.”
I exhaled, considering. Ashford wouldn’t appreciate me bedding his sister and then dropping her. Nor did I want to. I wanted to see where this could go. More of that spark between us. Of the way I felt around her. Justmore.
So…I would have to convince her she wanted more with me, too.
“All right,” I said. “If that’s really what you want.”
“It’s for the best.” She went onto her toes to peck me on the cheek. Then she grabbed her bag.
“I’ll be counting the days until our trip,” I said.
“Me too.” She smiled, and it took all my willpower not to crush my mouth to hers again, slam her bedroom door closed, and lock it.
Patience, I told myself.