Page 50 of Paradise in Progress
The words are out of my mouth before I can process the weight they carry.
What did I say?
Am I having an out-of-body experience?
Who is this person who uttered such powerful words?
Refusing to back down and hide from what just escaped my mouth, I keep my shoulders squared as I stare at the man before me. Something about being in Tristan Nelson’s presence emblazons me with a boldness I’ve never felt before.
The air around us swirls and thickens, more palpable than the St. Lucia humidity. The tension we’ve both been fighting for so long has built to the point it can no longer be ignored. Standing across from him, my heart pounds the soundtrack of every emotion coursing through my body, getting louder and louder, and I’m sure he can hear it too. A tremble ripples through my limbs, and I clench my fist, hoping he can’t witness the nervous energy I’m expelling.
With wide eyes, I watch his conflicted expression. He looks as caught off guard as I’m feeling. Right here, right now, we’re throwingcaution to the wind. This moment will alter us for the foreseeable future. “Wh-what did you just say?”
“Crawl to me.” My voice shakes subtly, with a mixture of defiance and desperation, but the words have never been clearer. “You want to know how you can fix it? Then show me.”
Those hazel eyes I’ve found myself staring into far too many times darken to a rich mocha. Stunned, his chest rises and falls in rapid succession as silence falls over the room. Neither of us moves as our eyes stay locked. The command hangs in the room, a challenge, a plea waiting to be answered.
In a flash, long gone is his moment of hesitancy, and my heart skips a beat. In its wake is something deeper, something raw, something unguarded.
With a slow step, he starts his approach. One foot and then the other. His movements are deliberate as he eats up the space between us. My pulse races as my nerves quickly melt into something else. Desire courses through my veins as flutters take flight in my stomach. My core aches at what’s to come, wetness ruining the lace panties I wore tonight.
Just when I think Tristan’s not going to listen, he falls to his knees. My breath catches in my throat as I struggle to breathe. The urge to rub my legs together to satisfy the ache as I watch my enemy submit to my words has my pussy clenching.
He’s doing it.
Tristan Nelson iscrawlingtome.
Jaw clenched, his darkened gaze never leaves mine, my own desperation reflected back at me. Each inch he closes feels like an eternity, andit won’t be long before I’m a mess before him. I’m beyond desperate to feel his touch.
The air crackles, sending out electric shocks. Rivalry and resentment give way to raw desire. This was a surrender, a breaking of barriers that had kept us apart. Years of our competition, torment, childish digs, and professional facade all fade into a problem to be dealt with another day.
Witnessing this man, who oozes confidence and charm, drop to his knees to prove I can trust him is liberating. Seductive and erotic. It’s opening doors I never knew were kept closed inside my brain.
When there’s no more space to erase, he leans back to rest on the backs of his legs as his fists twitch at his sides. It’s nice to see that he’s having a hard time fighting this pull as much as I am. My heart hammers harder as his perusal trails up from my feet to where our eyes meet once more.
His hands hesitate briefly before I feel his warm touch against my ankles, making my breaths shallow. Shivers race down my spine as goosebumps erupt over my skin, and he slowly glides up my legs. His touch is light, almost non-existent, as if he was afraid I might pull away.
Only, I won’t. I’m fully immersed in this force field. My feet are rooted to the ground as if they were mixed with cement. As terrifying as this feels, a thrill rushes through me, the anticipation seeping into every fiber of being.
He parts the slit of my skirt, exposing my golden skin as his lips meet the sensitive flesh outside of my knee. My breathing becomes ragged as my skin tingles everywhere he touches.
The languid ascent continues as his fingers trace the curve of my thighs while his mouth trails over everywhere his hands reach first. As close as he is to the apex of my thighs, Tristan never allows his fingers the chance to graze my pulsing center, where he would no doubt find me embarrassingly soaked.
Those darkened eyes are laced with so many emotions swirling around the amber, green, and brown specs as he stares up into my soul. Lust mixes with a promise of trust, but underneath it all is submission.
Is Tristan giving himself to me? Has this been something he’s been desperately craving?
“I’ve wanted this for so long.” His whispered admission is rough with emotion, spoken against my hipbone as he leaves a featherlight kiss. “I’ve wantedyou, Firecracker.”
Flames lick across my body as his words ignite a fire deep inside my soul. The walls I’ve built around my heart start to crumble. Reaching down, I trail my fingers over the neatly faded sides of his dark brown skin. It’s his turn to shiver at my caress before my fingers thread through the longer hair on the top of his head. I can’t resist the urge to tug at his soft, messy locks. A soft groan escapes his perfectly parted lips as I continue my perusal. Our eyes never break contact as I cup the side of his angled jaw, feeling the stubble against my palm. I’m eager to feel it graze against my inner thighs.
“Then show me, Tristan,” I say, the words tumbling out as a low tremble mixing with my breathy tone. “Show me how much you want me.”
Before I even blink, he’s rising from his kneeling position, his hands never leaving my body as they roam over my hips. His exploration continues over the sliver of exposed skin, over my ribs, before cuppingmy breasts and rubbing his thumb over my hardened nipples. Each touch is like a jolt of electricity slicing through my body and straight to my throbbing pussy.
Tristan’s six-foot-three frame hovers over me as he leans in. His eyes dart from each of mine, as if he’s reading my soul, waiting for me to shatter this moment. There must be something in my gaze he approves of because, within seconds, he’s leaning into me. My pulse stutters as he captures my mouth with his.
The kiss has fireworks exploding behind my closed eyes. Colors burst in this fierce, all-consuming kiss. Years of pent-up energy and longing are erased in seconds. His hands dart to my hair, where he tangles his fingers in my loose curls before he’s gripping the back of my neck.
