Page 58 of By Your Side
“Last night,” she said softly, “I wanted to invite you home with me, but I was afraid if I didn’t stop, I’d fall too hard. End up moving too fast. I don’t know.”
I slid my hand up her side, fingers resting just under the curve of her ribcage. “And now?”
Her answer was a whisper against my lips. “Now I think it’s too late. I already did.”
That broke something in me. I kissed her—slow at first, just enough pressure to feel the shape of her mouth against mine. She sighed into it, her body leaning into mine like she’d been waiting all day for this.
When I deepened the kiss, her arms looped around my neck, drawing me closer. The warmth of her pressed into my chest, the faint taste of her lip balm on my tongue—it was too much and not enough all at once.
“Hunter,” she breathed, and I felt it all the way through me.
“Tell me if you want me to stop.”
“I won’t,” she said, voice low but sure. “This is all I want.”
My hand skimmed her waist, her lower back, memorizing curves I’d only let myself imagine for years. Her fingers tangled in my hair, and she kissed me like she’d decided there was nothing else worth thinking about.
I broke just enough distance to meet her eyes. “Do you want?—”
“Yes.” The word left her so fast it made my pulse kick harder. “Condom?” she asked. Her lips curved, flushed, and a little breathless.
“Yeah, I put another one in my wallet last night. Wishful thinking…” I kissed her again—harder this time—before forcing myself to pull back just enough to move us toward the little side office. She went ahead of me, tugging my hand, her laugh low and nervous but certain.
The door clicked shut behind us, muting the jukebox and the hum of the empty bar. In here, it felt like the whole world had shrunk down to her and me, the heat between us sharp and alive.
I reached for her again, backing her up against the desk, and when she pulled me down for another kiss, it was all instinct and years of wanting finally colliding in one perfect, dangerous moment.
Chapter 17
Paige
Hunter watched me like I was the only thing worth noticing, his hand still wrapped around mine. There was nothing impatient in the way he looked at me—just steady heat, a promise that I could take as much time as I needed. But we had to be fast; the bar was about to open, and the door was unlocked.
“I’m sure,” I told him before he could even ask again. “I want this. I wantyou.”
Something in his shoulders loosened, and the smile that ghosted across his face made my stomach flip. He stepped in closer, hands settling at my waist like they’d been made to fit there, his thumbs brushing against my hips.
The kiss that followed wasn’t tentative. It was the kind of kiss you give when you’ve been waiting half your life to have someone’s mouth on yours. His lips were warm, firm, coaxing me deeper until I had to brace myself against the desk.
“You’re sure?” he asked one more time, his voice rough.
“Hunter,” I said, smiling against his jaw, “if I weren’t sure, you wouldn’t be standing this close. We have like twenty minutes until opening. Hurry.”
That earned me a low, satisfied sound that I felt right down my spine.
He kissed me again, slower this time, like he wanted to memorize the shape of my mouth before he let himself rush. His hands skimmed up my sides, over my ribs, then back down again, lingering at the waistband of my jeans until I nodded. He made quick work of the button, the zipper, and then his hands were warm on my bare skin.
I tugged at his shirt until he pulled it over his head, my fingers immediately finding the soft hair at the back of his neck. He was solid heat and muscle under my touch, and when my palms slid down over his chest, he caught my wrists gently, holding them there for a moment.
“I’ve wanted you like this for so long,” he murmured as he took the condom out of his wallet.
“Maybe I’ve known that all along,” I whispered back.
The rest of our clothes fell to the floor in a slow, tangled trail. He rolled the condom on, his eyes never leaving mine. And when he stepped in, pressing me back against the desk again, I wrapped my legs around him without thinking.
The first push of him inside me stole my breath. I held onto him, nails curling against his shoulders, my head tipping back as he groaned into my neck.
“Paige,” he said, like my name was the only word he knew.
