Page 50 of Duty and Desire

“You could give lessons in kissing,” I murmured.

Nick’s face glowed. “You’re doing wonders for my ego.”

I gazed at the gentle curve of his cheek, his dark brown eyes filled with so much warmth as he looked at me through long eyelashes. My throat seized. The air seemed to grow heavier, charged with something more than mere electricity.

Something like desire.

Nick shifted a little nearer, his breathing catching, as if he too felt the inevitability of it. Then he closed the gap between us.

That first brush of lips was barely there, hanging in the ether like a question. The taste of juice lingered, adding to the sweetness of the kiss. He pulled back a little, his eyes wide, and for a moment neither of us moved, caught up in the fragile, perfect stillness.

A slow exhale, and Nick kissed me again, except this time it wasn’t a question. I stroked his neck, the skin soft, and he brought his hand up to my jaw, grazing it with his fingertips, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheek. Warmth spread through me, and my pulse quickened. I ran my fingers through his unruly curls, silky to the touch, and a low noise tumbled from Nick’s lips, a sound that demanded more.

I wanted more too.

I struggled to draw breath, my heartbeat climbing. The pulse in his neck betrayed Nick’s own quickening heartbeat.

I was onfire.

“We should?—”

Nick’s breath stuttered. “Yes, we should.” His fingers didn’t leave my face. “But not here.”

“The bedroom?”

He nodded. “That’s if you?—”

I stopped his words with a kiss, pouring into it every ounce of longing that consumed me. Then I stood, took him by the hand, and led him into my bedroom.

Nick

I stood beside the bed, my heart hammering. Gio watched me, his gaze warm, steady, and patient, as if we had all the time in the world.

Something coiled in my stomach, and my abs twitched and fluttered. This wasn’t new, and yet it was, because no previous encounter had elicited such a heady, dizzying rush. Then Gio stepped closer, his fingertips brushing down my arm, a light, almost teasing connection that made me shiver—and brought every nerve in my body to life.

“You’re trembling.” Gio’s murmur was as soft as his caress.

I laughed. “Whatever bravado led me to ask to be in this room, it’s packed its bags. And now, I’m not sure what I’m doing.”

He cupped my face, his hand firm but gentle. “Forget about what you know. Go with what you feel.”

I could do that.

I locked my arms around Gio’s neck and pressed my lips to his, all hesitancy gone. This was slower, deeper, and it made me weak at the knees. I lost myself in the taste of him, the heat of him.

And when I couldn’t wait a moment longer, I pulled back with a moan.

“Clothes, off. Now.”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

I undressed him, my hands mapping this new territory, guided byGio’s sighs and whispers, filing away each touch that made him shiver, memorizing each hot spot I encountered.

Then I realized I was doing all the work.

I grinned. “You have hands too.”

He laughed, then removed my clothing. Finally, our bodies found each other in the silence, every brush of skin against skin sending sparks racing through me.

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