Page 41 of The Seven Month Itch
The terror twins still have time to take me out.
“Justice! Are you okay?” This poor man thought he would spend a quiet evening on a date, only to find himself smack in the middle of a Tyler Perry movie without the bad wigs.
My steps refuse to waver. “Just need some air, that’s all.” And a punching bag and a stun gun, but one thing at a time.
The midnight air presses into my face at the push of a French door. Scattered lights blink against the valley’s darkness, but they’re no match for the black void in my heart. I close my eyes and take deep breaths. I shouldn’t care about Terrence and Madison, but I do.
Why does it hurt so much?
You know the answer.
Preston spins me around to face him. “Justice. What’s going on? You’re freaking me out.” His hands hold my face, and his breath is unsteady from his high-speed chase to calm me down. Even in my moment of weakness, he’s still here.
“Kiss me.”
His face scrunches. “What?”
I fuse my mouth to his. Let’s hope he doesn’t think I’m some killer who wants to assault him in the moonlight. I need this. I need him.
Please don’t let him file a lawsuit.
Preston pauses at first, but then he pulls me into his arms with a possessiveness like he’ll never let me go. There is nothing slow or soft about this man’s kisses. Each one is hard as the muscle underneath his button-down shirt. I shiver under his touch, lost in our embrace. He wraps my hair into his fist, forcing my gaze to the sky. I moan at the tug-of-war between discomfort and pleasure.
Jesus.What did I get myself into?
His tongue glides up my neck until his lips hover over mine. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve wanted to kiss this pretty mouth since I first laid eyes on you.” His lips capture mine with a force that almost knocks me off my feet.
Hands trail down my back and lift me into the air. I hold on for dear life when he grinds my hips into his arousal.
“Oh, God.” He’s the one deadlifting me, and I’m out of breath.
Preston is so relaxed, I question if he dry humps women for exercise. If this is any indication of his stamina, I’m in deep trouble. I don’t know where this man comes from, but he wields his tongue like a sword to bend you into submission.
A chill from the cold night air creeps up my back that gets his attention. Preston breaks us apart. “You’re cold. Let’s get youinside.” He sets me down on shaky feet and takes my hand to lead us into the empty ballroom.
Inside?
What does that mean? Likeinside, where he comes to my suite or vice versa?
Sweat crawls over my body. This is too fast. I don’t kiss on the first date, and I certainly do not hump in the moonlight.
Except I did.
My lungs gasp for air. I need to control my breathing or I’ll pass out on this polished marble floor. Oh God, what am I doing? I’m alone with a complete stranger. He could knit scarves and stuff women’s heads inside his freezer as a hobby.
Preston senses my hesitation. “Hey, hey.” His voice softens. “We don’t have to rush anything. I just want to make sure you don’t freeze out here.” His thumb rubs over my hand with a tender touch.
I close my eyes and exhale. Long gone is the confidence I had to kiss him with abandon. The self-conscious Justice is back, and I’m way over my head with this man. Everything about him, the way he commands a room, how he talks, how he kisses, proves he’s out of my league—
“Justice. It’s okay.” He interrupts my thoughts. “I know you’re in a complicated situation. I’m not here to force you into something you’re not ready for, even if you bring me outside to stick your tongue down my throat.” He winks, and I snort.
“Thank you for understanding.”
And for not running away from the emotional woman in heat who tried to tackle you after one date.
He nods and grabs two chairs. The ballroom is eerie with just us in it. The only light in the room comes from sconces on the walls. Large crystal chandeliers loom over us from the high ceiling.
Preston lowers himself into the chair he put in front of me. He rests his forearms on his knees and leans forward, stretching fabric over his hard muscles. “Now, can you tell me why you ran out of the movie like a bat out of hell?Fifty Shades of Grey…”
