Page 47 of Austin
There was an intensity in his expression that made it impossible to look away.
“Don’t start with Gus.”
He stepped back and shoved a hand through his hair before giving her an accusing look. “I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
“I wasn’t thinking along those lines either.”Not much anyway.“But something changed.Somebodykissed me. Got me thinking. Got all those high school fantasies roused up again.” One corner of her mouth tightened ruefully. “Good ones, too.”
He sat down on her bed, his jaw muscles tightening as he stared past her, his expression intense. Too intense.
Needing to regroup, Kristen turned to the closet, pulled the door open. “Do you still want me to go to this function with you?”
The door swung shut, startling her, since she hadn’t heard Austin move. She turned to find him only inches away from her, his jaw muscles still so tight that she could see the pulse beating there.
“Do you want a one-night stand, Kris?”
“I…” The answer died on her lips. Any doubts about whether he was attracted to her evaporated in the sizzling heat of his gaze. She swallowed, managed to force a single word out. “Yes.”
He brought his hand up and lightly stroked his fingers down the side of her face, sending a shiver through her.
“Last chance for sanity.”
“Not taking it.”
“You’re sure?” His voice was low, almost a growl. Rather than answer, Kristen touched his face, holding his gaze as she ran her thumb across his firm lower lip.
He caught her hand, brought her knuckles to his lips. “Lead the way, Kris.”
Her heartbeat skipped as she realized what he was saying. He wanted her to take charge. To prove that he wasn’t taking advantage. The old insecurities started to rise, but she made a Herculean effort to put them aside.
If he wanted her to lead, she’d lead.
Without a word, she took his face between her palms and slowly pulled his mouth down to hers. But instead of kissing him, she teased his mouth, stroking his upper lip lightly with her tongue, nipping his lower lip. Doing her best to show him she could take charge. Austin stilled, met her gaze. She lifted her eyebrows.
He gave her a so-it’s-going-to-be-like-that look, then pulled her against him, claiming her mouth. So much for her taking control. But she’d make her point and then there was no more thought of insecurity. Only Austin challenging her to let go. To forget everything except the sensual fire he was stoking with his lips, his tongue, his fingers. He slid his hands down over her ass, pressing her against his hard length before traveling back up her sides, brushing over her breasts, making her swallow first a gasp, then a groan as his thumbs brushed over her nipples through too many layers of fabric.
There was no more ice princess. In her place was a woman whose insides were blazing.
She sucked a breath between her teeth as his lips traveled down the side of her neck to the sensitive hollow there, before moving back up to her mouth again. Her nipples strained against her bra as he cupped her breasts, teased them through her cotton dress, her bra. There was simply too much fabric between them. She needed to feel his hands on her skin, not on her clothing.
She turned and moved her hair aside, offering him the zipper of her dress. He took hold without a word, smoothly drawing it down to her lower back. She shrugged her shoulders and the dress skimmed down over her hips and fell to the floor. Stepping out of the pooled fabric she turned to him. There was nothing between them now except for expensive lace, cotton and denim.
Austin addressed the cotton, popping the snaps of his shirt one by one, exposing his chest, his rock-hard abs. The scars on his pecs and the big one curving around his side.
“Someday you’ll have to tell me about all these scars.” As soon as she spoke, she regretted it. One-night stand, remember? Except that she didn’t believe this was going to be a one-night thing…not when they had more nights together before heading home.
“Which one do you want to know about?”
She touched the small one on his pec, first with her fingers, then with her lips. His skin was salty, which made her want to trail her tongue along the contours of his body, tasting as she went. Oh yeah. She was a salt girl.
“I was young. Riding a bull whose horns hadn’t been blunted. Stupid.”
She continued her exploration of his scars, of the hard planes of his chest and abs, without further questions. Time for that later. When her hands reached the top of his jeans, she looked up at him. “Any scars down here?”
His chin dipped lower, watching as she undid the trophy buckle on his belt. His flat stomach contracted as she dipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his jeans and undid the top button.
“Feel free to explore.”
She stepped back and gestured at his feet. “Boots, Austin.”
