Page 103 of How You See Me
“That’s one thing I’ll never doodle. Get in.”
His expression shifts to something primal yet infinitely tender. With his eyes on mine, he kicks off his boots and socks. Then, his fingers catch the hem of his shirt, dragging it over his head in one smooth motion.
The artwork that is Hayes bare—broad shoulders, sculpted lines, the faint trail of hair disappearing beneath his waistband—will never cease to amaze me.
He strolls toward me, so casual yet intentional and intimately male I forget to breathe. He pauses by the tub, chest rising and falling fast.
“Tell me to stop, Josie. No hard feelings.”
Folding my legs, I slide forward to make room for him, my gaze roaming over every part of him I’ve wanted to trace with my lips since the first time he touched me.
The water tilts with his added weight and again when his hands wrap around my waist to draw me close. I melt into the curve of his body, my head finding its home on his shoulder.
His frantic heartbeat thrums against my back, matching the rhythm of my own, as he adjusts the thick foam over me. Even now, he's thinking about protecting me, but I need him to remember he's doing nothing wrong.
“What did Jordan say when you called him?”
“He’s all in,” he whispers. “And offended we questioned him.”
My fingers trail along the hem of his shorts, teasing the edge without daring to pass it. He kept them on to be respectful and stay in control. He doesn’t want to hurt me.
I wish he could see he’s the safest thing I’ve ever known.
“No more worrying about him,” I breathe, my fingers still tracing lazy circles on his thigh.
“None.” His breath brushes my temple. “I’ve dreamed about having you like this.”
“You don’t have to dream anymore. Touch me, Hayes.”
Calloused palms brush feather-light over my stomach and up my sides, sending sparks skipping across my skin. His thumbs brush over the outer curve of my breasts, hesitant but worshipful, and I arch into his touch, mind blocking out everything else.
Warm lips find my neck, and I tilt my head to give him more.
He maps my skin with his hands, learning every inch of my body he can reach with devastating tenderness. It’s everything and not nearly enough at the same time.
I reach back with my good arm, fingers threading through his hair to pull him to me.
The kiss is hesitant at first. Then, his lips part, stealing every thought from my mind except my need to have all of him. I twist in his arms, water sloshing over the edge of the tub as I straddle him. His eyes dance between mine, follow my neckline down to my breasts, then back up again.
After all that’s happened, he still asks for permission.
Cradling his face in my hands, I give it with another kiss, wilder and deeper than the last to show him how easily he sets my entire body on fire..
He groans into my mouth, hands gripping my hips like he’s afraid he might lose control. He’s restraining himself again for me. Always for me.
It’s the last thing I want.
“I can’t get enough of you,” he says, his voice both raw and sensual.
“Then, don’t. Don’t hold back, Hayes.”
“I—Damn, Josie.”
“If you’re holding back because you think I need you to . . . please don’t. Yesterday reminded me how short life can be. You make me feel alive.”
“Josie,” he rasps again.
“If you’re not ready, though, I’ll wait however long you need. Just know, you don’t have to protect me here. I’m not broken.”
