Page 18 of Tinder Embrace
I opened my mouth, fully intending to defend the honor of spiders everywhere, but paused at Sophie's forbidding expression.
She pressed a finger into my chest. "Andthat'swhy my colorful vocabulary includes 'fork,’ 'shirtballs,’ and 'hippity-dippity.’"
It was a sign of how messed up I'd become that I took her claim as a challenge. Shaking my head, I tried to suppress the urge to see what it would take to get her to talk filthy to me. A kiss? Touching her in just the right spot? Railing her behind the couch like the couple on our show?
Fuck me.
Sophie had spent the last five minutes expressing her need for innocence, and all I wanted to do was ruin it. Ruin her. In the best possible way. Forget my misgivings. Forget my instincts for self-preservation.
Surely, I could warm myself at her hearth without getting burned?
Sophie flattened the finger poking me in the chest until her palm covered my heart. With a small smile, her other hand joined the party, desultorily petting my chest.
"You can pry my foul language from my dead fucking corpse."
Sophie smiled at my rough proclamation, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Davis, honey, you're all bark and no bite," she drawled, watching me.
"All cuddles, no claws," I corrected, surprising a laugh from her. "I'm clearly a cat person."
Amusement glittered in her eyes, and she leaned in, brushing her lips over mine in a whisper-soft caress.
Gone before I could encourage her to linger, she leaned back, grinning. "I should have guessed. You're independent as fork, can't be bothered with what others think about you, and skittish when it comes to affection."
Not sure how I felt about her assessment, I let my palm trail along her jaw. "You sure about that, Bee? I think you owe it to science to test your last observation. That little peck barely counts as a valid dataset."
She pursed her lips. "One more kiss," she cautioned, ruining it with a grin. "For science."
Slowly, I leaned in, giving her plenty of time to pull away, pleased at the way her pupils dilated. Her spell on me was so strong that I didn't even question how I'd gotten here. By rights, I should be scurrying away and avoiding her at allcosts.
Sophie Dunham threatened my control. Threatened the peace I’d made with my life.Threatened my heart, an insidious voice whispered.
Instead, I loomed closer, tilting my head to capture her mouth in a deep kiss. She'd said one. She didn't say ashortone. And, really, how did you count kisses?
Our lips brushed, and I traced the seam of her mouth with my tongue, grunting my pleasure when she opened, exploring me as eagerly as I explored her. I wanted to devour her, sip the sweetness from her lips until I was drunk on sugar. She seemed just as voracious, nipping at my bottom lip when I retreated to take a breath. Our tongues tangled, stroking, letting passion carry us beyond thought. We kissed like we might never get another chance, obliterating any remaining mental capacity to quantify anything. Lost in her, my lungs burned with the need for oxygen before I broke away.
Sophie's smile trembled around the edges as she worked to catch her breath, and my heart clenched at that sign of uncertainty from her. The shadow of fear in her eyes cast doubt on my original belief that she'd been with me all the way, that we'd both enjoyed the hell out of our kiss.
"Fuck, I'm sorry, Sophie," I apologized, hoping to restore her faith in me. The last thing I wanted was to make things awkward between us. Which I should have fucking considered before challenging her to a kiss.
"It's me who should be apologizing," she said.
Sophie squeezed my good hand in hers, confusing the hell out of me.
"Why?" I asked.
"I've been taking advantage of you," she claimed softly.
Confused, I shook my head. "Bee, I don't think that means what you think it does."
She chuckled, sitting back. Her flushed cheeks and mussed hair made me ache to kiss her again. "Davis, I never knew you were so funny."
"Me neither," I grumbled.
"Better be careful," she said, glancing up at me from beneath her lashes. "My apartment might not allow pets, but that doesn't mean I can't adopt a stray."
"Meow," I deadpanned.
