Page 74 of The Persistence of Thornes
Somehow this man only gets more incredible.
“And if I kiss you right now, what will you do about it?” I challenge.
A lazy smile graces his lips. “Kiss you back.”
Fuck.
Heart in my throat, I get up on my knees and toss my right leg over his body so I’m straddling him.
He doesn’t move, but his Adam’s apple bobs and his pupils blow out, and through his pajama pants and my thin cotton shorts, there’s no denying that he’s hard beneath me. With the willpower of a saint, he keeps his hands firmly at his sides.
I swish my hair over my shoulder, hands finding his cheeks. The rasp of his stubble against my palms sends electricity arcing through me. It’s quickly followed byapprehension, but I shove my nerves aside and ignore my sky-rocketing heartbeat. His breath catches a millisecond before I press my lips to his. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been a while or what, but that little sound from him sends me hurtling nearer to an orgasm than seems possible.
The kiss is tentative at first, while I explore his mouth. His lips are soft and plush beneath mine, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. His mouth is just as perfect as the rest of him. I swear he’s too good to be true. I’d be convinced he was a robot created to say all the right things if it weren’t for the insistent press of his erection between us.
Caleb Thorne is human, after all.
“Caleb,” I whimper, wanting more than soft and sweet. “I thought you’d kiss me back.”
As if my words snap the tether he’d used to restrain himself, he grasps my ass, his fingers digging into the globes, and meets my kiss with an intense fervor.
Oh, God.
I’ve never been kissed like this before. With desire and passion andfeeling.
No kiss I’ve ever experienced has come close, each one merely an exchange—an obligation, part of a routine that led to the better stuff.
He kisses me like I’m air and he needs my mouth in order to survive. I’mconsumedby him.
He nips at my bottom lip and I gasp, opening for him, rocking against his straining erection as our tongues tangle and he grasps my hips and ass hard enough to bruise.
“Fuck,” he growls. “Halle.”
My name in that low guttural tone melts my insides. God, I want to record it so I can play it on repeat.
Halle.
Halllle.
Haaalllleee.
Between one heartbeat and another, I’m on my back, a small squeak escaping me. With my feet planted on the cushions, I let my legs fall open, making room for Caleb. And like a puzzle piece slotting into place, he presses his body to mine. With a growl, he pins my hands above my head and covers my mouth with his. The growl turns into a low moan when I grind my hips up into him.
Please, I swallow back the word.
I want to beg him to strip me bare and fuck me senseless, but we’re not there yet. God, is this a tease—to feel himright thereand force myself to resist going for more.
I wiggle my hands free, devouring his mouth.
Pulling back, he narrows his eyes on me. “Keep wiggling like that, and I’ll have to find something to tie you up with.”
My heart stutters to a stop, then pounds out a furious rhythm in my ears.
Oh my God.
Would it be wrong if I begged him for exactly that?
Probably.
