Page 61 of The Apple Tree

For three full seconds, I felt like my self-control was winning because her hands fell to her sides as she deflated. But in the next breath, she shrugged off her hoodie and then her T-shirt.

Fuuuck …

Her tan skin flushed, but she kept going despite her visible nerves. And I didn’t stop her.

Not when she removed her jeans.

Not when she stepped closer to me, so close that I had to spread my knees to let her stand between them. The women in the magazines under my mattress didn’t hold a candle to Eve.

My hands remained at my sides on the sofa's edge while hers threaded through my hair. I curled my fingers into the sofa to keep them from touching her. But I wanted to unhook her bra and slide her thin, white cotton underwear down her long, toned legs.

Eve’s nearly naked body shredded my common sense. My nose brushed the hollowed space between her cleavage. She smelled like flowers and sweet spice. Responsibility lurked over my shoulder like a good little angel.

I slid my hands up the back of her legs, pausing when she drew in a sharp inhale. But then her fingers curled, tugging my hair, bringing my face closer so that my lips grazed her breast over her bra.

Teetering on a razor’s edge of control, I slid my right hand into her panties and palmed her butt.

She buried her face into my hair, kissing my head.

There was only one problem. Well, there were many problems, but my waning sense of responsibility focused on the most immediate one: I didn’t have a condom.

Not a single, fucking condom in the entire house.

But my dick was so hard that my irrational mind played the bartering game. Maybe I didn’t need a condom.

You need a fucking condom!

We could just kiss. Yeah, that’s what we would do.

I leaned back and guided her to straddle my lap. That seemed like the smartest position tojust kiss.

“I won’t be anyone’s regret,” Eve said, teasing her fingers down my neck.

“Not kissing you is the only thing I would ever regret,” I whispered, ghosting my lips over her cheek, dancing around the point of no return.

“What are you waiting for?” she murmured.

“Just taking my time. We only getonefirst kiss.” I teased her earlobe with my teeth while both of my hands breached her underwear, gripping her perfect ass— a bad idea.

She rubbed herself along my erection—the worst idea.

I rested my forehead on her shoulder and watched as she worked her pelvis back and forth over the bulge in my jeans. I was so damn mesmerized, tightening my grip on her ass to guide her. Her fingers dug into my upper back.

We needed to stop.

I couldn’t stop. I wasdying.So, I tortured myself by keeping my left hand on her bare ass while my right moved between us. I teased my fingertips along her inner thigh before snagging the crotch of her panties, pushing it to the side so her flesh rubbed along my denim. I wanted to see how wet she was for me, and I was hellbent on killing myself.

Eve paused her motions and leaned back, lust-filled eyes finding mine. As she wet her lips, her delicate fingers unbuttoned my jeans.

Stop her.

She eyed me the whole time as if she were silently asking permission.

Stop her.

As she started to pull down my zipper, I framed her face in my hands. She froze as we stared at each other, our lips a mere breath from touching.

“Eve,” I whispered while grinning.

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