Page 39 of Ricochet

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Adelia’s eyes flew open as a light breeze picked up, and Colin’s blood pounded, dreaming about her orgasms. He wanted to hold her down until she clutched his body and cried his name, until her fingernails scored his skin, or her legs wrapped around his shoulders and head.

Colin wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he’d get, but as with everything so far, he was interested tofind out. She needed to find out too. The simple need pouring from her was too much for a woman who wanted to hold back. He would. But damn it, if she didn’t know about her body, he’d sign up and teach her.

“That’s…”

“Selfish.” Pure and simple. But Colin didn’t care.

Her eyes bulged. “No. The opposite.”

“Not at all.” He could go into unneeded explanations about the hows and whys. He couldtell her that no one else could do that for him, that no one could take credit for his actions as had happened in his career, though that had been long ago. It still hampered him, and maybe this was nothing more than deep-rooted insecurity.

Some people had sex because it felt great, others because of control, and he wanted... If he hadn’t been well aware of it, he likely would’ve become a hedonistictrophy collector early in life.

Without warning, Adelia leaned close. Her eyes remained open, holding onto his gaze until the last second when their lips connected. The touch was barely there, tentative as she steadied against him and sweet in her intention until the tip of her tongue brushed against his bottom lip, licking and then kissing first the top and then bottom before she surged againsthim. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She groaned as Colin took charge.

He’d needed her kisses before, but nothing like she was giving out now. Wanton and writhing, she didn’t just come alive. She was exploding. Just from a kiss. But Colin didn’t care.

His cock pressed against the seam of his zipper, and Adelia’s barely dress-covered bottom rocked against him, driving pinpricks of need workeddown his spine. Electricity exploded along every hair on his arm and chest.

“I needed you,” she panted.

She had no idea. Her heat could blind him, and the taste of her was becoming sweeter and sweeter, more addictive. “Adelia.”

What did he want? Slow down? Strip? They needed to be nearly anywhere but on top of this damn roof.

But he couldn’t stay away. He tasted her neck, working down toher collarbone.

“That’s not the type of kiss that’s getting off a roof with our clothes on.” He pushed the edge of her dress an inch, sliding his jacket off her shoulder.

Her head dropped back, exposing her neck, and Colin watched as her thick, silky hair wave as she swayed with her eyes closed. “I’ve never kissed a guy first before.”

“Why?” A chill swept over him. He didn’t want to reactthe wrong way and didn’t know how to take that.Never because she didn’t want to?Was she timid? Except Adelia and timid were far apart on the spectrum.

“Well…” Her eyes opened toward the morning sky, and she picked up her head, finding him staring.Again with the shy grin...A blush pinked her cheeks, but her eyes betrayed her as she downplayed what she’d confessed with a throw of her hand.

Last night, they’d had a connection, one made more of friendship than of wedding-reception hookups. She was beautiful and sweet, and their chemistry scored off the charts. Add in her dropping bombs, and Colin didn’t know what to make of the dynamic or the pull in his chest.

“You’ve never kissed a guy first before? And you’ve wanted to?” He urged her on and then reflected on his past. Did he alwaysmake the first move? Kisses happened. Attraction was a magnetic force, and when he noticed its pull, its dance was enough to make him lust-drunk.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged.

“Bullshit.”

“A kiss opens the door. It says everything about who you’re with and how it will be. It’s a precursor to consent but more intimate—A kiss is the intersection of opportunity and interest.”

“That’s a far cryfrom, ‘I don’t know.’”

She bit her lip. “Kisses are about being in charge.”

“No, they’re not.”

“Or they were.” She twisted back. “Until I slept on this roof.”

“Can you ignore me when I go on truth-bearing moments that might make you run away?” Her head rolled against his shoulder.

“Yeah, who cares about who kisses who first?” Colin ran the palms of his hands along her sides. “Beautiful,are you ready to head out of here?”

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