Page 21 of Snagged By Hook

The command in his soft tone had her complying without thought. She wasn’t one to usually do so, but there was something about Hook that she couldn’t understand or resist. Every inch of her wanted to please him.

Turning, she kept her eyes downcast. Unsure if it was the fact that if he looked at her, he’d see the truth, or if she looked at him, she’d fall too deep and hard, that kept her gaze on the floor.

With a single knuckle, he lifted her chin. His intense green gaze met hers, and there was a flair of something reflected there. When he bit his lip and groaned, she squeezed her thighs together.

“It looks so fucking good on you.” His voice was husky and dripping with erotic promises.

“What?” Holy shit, she was breathless.

“Jealousy.”

“I’m not…I mean?—”

“Release me.”

“What?” Now she sounded like a scratched record.

“Release me.”

“From what?”

“My promise. I want to touch you.”

It was one of those moments, the moments that could change everything.

She was one hundred percent certain that if she said no, he’d stop, but she didn’t want him to. Nova wanted this, wanted him. More than anything else. The desire she felt for Hook was unmatched, especially when he looked at her daughter like she was his own flesh and blood.

Nova was in her head so much. Hook dropped his knuckle from under her chin and took a step back.

No, no, no, no.

Rather than speak, she stepped forward and fused her mouth to his. Hook returned her kiss, but only for a moment before he put his tattooed hand on her throat and pushed her away.

“This isn’t gratitude?” The upward inflection implied it was a question rather than a statement. His searching green eyes conveyed the answer’s importance to him.

“No,” she answered honestly. She was grateful, yes, and more than once she thought about it, but it wasn’t like she could sleep with someone just because she was grateful.

“I want to be sure you know you don’t have to do this. Nothing changes with your or Flower’s situation if you pull the plug right now. You know that, right?”

Nova nodded.

He stared into her eyes for what felt like an eternity. She wondered what he was looking for. Truth, desire, desperation?

Whatever it was, he must’ve found it.

Using the hand at her throat, he pulled her back to his lips.

“Fuck, yes.” He spoke against her mouth before plunging his tongue inside and owning her with a single kiss.

The hand at her throat flexed, and she whimpered. Never had a man held her like that, turning a kiss into something so raw and visceral. His grip wasn’t tight, but it was a presence she couldn’t ignore. A focal point.

Her arms hung down by her side, relaxed as tension coursed through the rest of her. They were only connected by his hand to her throat and their lips, but it felt like so much more. His hold tightened and tugged at her. She followed where he led. He backed them out of the kitchen and down the hallway to her bedroom.

She heard the door close and the lock engage. He pulled his kiss back and stared at his hand on her throat.

“Beautiful,” he murmured.

HOOK

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