Page 21 of Sweet Chaos
I leaned my head against his shoulder and decided I could happily stay here forever. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“Were you hoping I did?”
“Yes.” I closed my eyes, realizing I’d just admitted something I probably shouldn’t have, but I made no attempt to take it back.
His hands skimmed down my arms, gently, slowly, his touch igniting every cell of my body. I was surprised I didn’t burst into flames and set the world on fire. He clasped my hands in his much larger, calloused ones, rough against my softer skin and looped my arms around the back of his neck. Our bodies moved in sync, slow and sensuous, his hands gripping the curves of my hips.
The flames from the fire painted my closed lids red as we swayed to the beat and I shouldn’t have been surprised that he was a good dancer. Dancing was like sex, right? You either had rhythm or you didn’t. I just went with it. I didn’t want to break the spell we were under. Didn’t want to think about the million reasons why this was so wrong. Not tonight when I wanted to lose myself in the moment.
“Are you drunk?” he asked, voice low and husky in my ear, raising the small hairs on the back of my neck. God, he was delicious. I wanted to lick every inch of his skin and see if it tasted like it smelled.
“I’m in that happy, hazy place when you’re buzzed, and you know that if you have another drink it’ll tip you over the edge. So I’ll just stay here for a while.”
“It’s a good place to be.”
“I like it here.”
“I like you right here too.”
But his actions belied his words. He spun me around, so I was facing him. He’d done it on purpose, forcing me to reconcile this heady, intoxicating feeling with the reality of who he was and the magnitude of what this could mean if we continued down this road.
His hooded gaze roamed my face and settled on my mouth where it often landed. My lips parted, a breath escaping them, and I had a wild urge to throw myself into his arms and kiss him dizzy. He read it on my face and saved me the trouble of making the first move. Wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, he yanked me toward him, and my body slammed against his hard chest.
I’d always thought of Dylan as long and lean and cut, but this close, his body felt harder, bigger, more muscular. Justmore. His hand fisted my hair and he tugged, forcing my chin up and my eyes to his. I bet he was rough in bed. Merciless. My core clenched, and I squeezed my thighs together, the ache between my legs throbbing, almost painful. I was so wet for him and he hadn’t even kissed me yet.
This was dangerous. We were venturing into forbidden territory and even as a voice inside my head screamed no, my body said,Yes, yes, yes.
Oh God, I wanted him.
“Tell me no, Starlet. Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll leave.”
And I knew he would. He would walk away without looking back, and I’d never hear from him again. He was giving me the choice. He wanted me, I knew that. But I wasn’t going to fool myself. This—whatever we were—had nothing to do with romance. Dylan St. Clair was about as emotionally available as a rock cliff. The one I was about to throw myself off, praying there would be a safety net to catch me. There wouldn’t be. I already knew that too.
Ishouldsay no, such a simple word, but when I opened my mouth to speak, no words came out. Nada. Crickets. I licked my lips because they were dry, and God help me I wanted him to kiss me even though the voice in my head warned me this was wrong.
“Last chance,” he warned as his hand glided through my hair and held the back of my head, guiding it to where he wanted it. I had a feeling that he’d never asked any girl for permission before. Decision made, I rose on my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck.
Dipping his head, he slanted his mouth over mine, and he patiently traced my lips with his. Softly. Slowly. Like the world wasn’t on fire and there was no sense of urgency.
Desperate for more, I grew impatient and crushed my lips against his. They remained stubbornly sealed. I growled. Yes, I actually growled. Like a wild animal. What was wrong with me? He laughed, his chest rumbling against mine, and kissed the corner of my lips. My jaw. My neck, just below my ear before he returned to my mouth and kissed me so hard, so suddenly, it stole my breath. His tongue parted my lips and I let him in. He tasted like something dark and forbidden. Like every fantasy I’d ever had.
He changed the pace and kissed me slow and dirty. My hands fisted the thick cotton of his hoodie. I had zero chill. Zero self-restraint. Shivers raced up and down my spine and heat pooled in my belly as his tongue stroked the roof of my mouth. I moaned in pleasure, grinding against his erection, seeking the friction. I was two seconds away from climbing him like a tree and cinching my legs around his waist.
“Careful, Starlet,” he growled. His fingers bit hard into my soft flesh.A warning. “Keep doing that, you’ll be getting more than a kiss.”
“Will you punish me?” My voice sounded breathy. After all, he’d stolen the air from my lungs.
“Mmm hmm.” I felt him smile against my lips before he sunk his teeth into my bottom lip and then he sucked on it to ease the sting. I bet he gave good pain. I wanted it. All of it. All of him. My lips were kiss-bruised, raw and swollen and it still wasn’t enough. I wanted more.
The sound of slow clapping jolted me back to reality. I was on a beach, surrounded by people, and I was kissing my sister’s ex-boyfriend as if we were alone in the dark. Dylan’s muscles tensed, and he pulled back, his arm around my waist a steel band locking me in place.
I looked over my shoulder.
“So much for not getting involved with him,” Ollie said bitterly.
Shame heated my already flushed cheeks. I had no defense. I couldn’t even say it wasjusta kiss. Not when it had felt like so much more. Dylan and I had crossed a line, and I’d done nothing to stop it. I turned around to face Ollie.
“Isn’t this the guy who cheated on you?” Dylan asked.
