Page 37 of Stolen Sun

“Good. This is melatonin.”

“Oh,” I say, surprised by the gesture. “Thank you.”

Still frozen in place, I watch as he pushes off the vanity and stalks toward me.

“Need anything else?”

The question hangs in the air as I decide between the polite answer or the truth.

My fingers itch to touch his deliciously messy hair. Stubble shadows his face—the perfect length to tickle just right in certain places. His soft lips are the perfect contrast to his sharp jawline. But his eyes. His golden brown eyes are full of delicious, dark promises, and my insides are on fire every time he looks at me.

He’s threatening to release thedeepest desires. The ones I keep locked inside. And I’m so tempted to let him. What has being the good girl gotten me anyway? I'm already here. Kate throws caution to the wind with men all the time. And Declan's no stranger. He's the first boy I ever loved transformed into a walking, talking fantasy.

His tongue slips out to wet his lips, pulling my focus to his mouth. He smiles. I have to suck on my bottom lip to give my mouth something to do, and his smile fades.

“Say it,” he orders. His voice is raw and rough now.

The air is sucked out of the room, and everything feels as though it's hinged on this moment.

Fuck it.

“Kiss me.”

He clicks his tongue, looking down at me.

“Where?”

My eyes widen, and my insides squirm. He crosses his arms, challenging me.

Maybe it’s the collision of the past and present or maybe it’s the adrenaline, but something deep inside of me claws its way free to answer him.

“Everywhere.”

His fingers slide between the towel and my heaving chest as he says, “Eyes on me.”

He pulls the towel free and watches it fall. I watch him lick his lips as his eyes roam my body. Then he rubs his face as if he’s trying to decide where to begin.

He circles a thumb around one of my nipples, watching it harden. Then he does the same to the other.

“So beautiful,” he says, still not making eye contact with me.

Instinctively, my head tilts back, and my eyes close.

Smack!

My eyes pop open at the sound and sting of him slapping my breast.

“Eyes open,” he ordersand waits for a response.

I nod, and he glares at me a moment longer. When he's satisfied that I’ll comply, he leans down to kiss me where the sting from his slap still lingers. A whimper escapes as I breathe out. His soft lips soothe my skin while the sight of him kissing just beside my nipple sets the rest of me on fire.

Straightening to his full height, he brings my wrist to his mouth.

“After that fucker kissed you here last weekend, I sent him home with a bloody face.”

I gasp. “What?”

His lips linger on the skin just below my palm, slow and deliberate. His other hand sprawls across my back, pulling me into him. Continuing down the inside of my arm, he stops to kiss the bend of my elbow. His eyes shut and brows furrow like a god showing the slightest hint of weakness. His hand on my back keeps me steady as he makes his way to my neck.

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