Page 82 of Ink Me Three Times
She surprises me by stepping closer, a slow movement that has my pulse racing. She places a hand on my chest, the touch light at first, but there’s an unmistakable heat in her touch. Her fingers curl, digging into my shirt as she closes the space between us.
Then, she moves in.
The kiss is sudden, urgent. Her lips crash against mine with a force that has my head spinning. It’s not slow, not careful. This kiss is a demand, a silent plea that says she’s tired of the distance. Tired of pretending.
I meet her hunger with equal fire, my hand sliding to the back of her neck, pulling her in tighter. Her body presses against mine, and I feel the heat of her, the way her chest rises and falls with every breath. My thumb brushes against her jaw as I deepen the kiss, tasting her, feeling her mouth open under mine, like she’s giving me everything she’s been holding back.
I pull her closer, my lips moving against hers with an intensity that almost knocks the air out of me. But I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop. My hand slides down to her waist, pulling her even closer, the friction between us making it impossible to think.
I feel her gasp against my mouth, the sound just enough to fuel the fire burning inside me. I growl, low, in the back of my throat, the sound slipping out before I can stop it. The grip I have on her tightens, pulling her even closer, if that’s possible, and I can feel her body shift, her fingers tightening around my shirt, tugging at me as if she wants more.
There’s a moment, just a second, where I pull back enough to breathe, my lips still brushing hers.
Her eyes are wild, lips parted, a challenge in them that makes everything in me snap.
This woman could destroy all the walls that I’ve spent so long building around myself.
And I actually think I might want her to.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ivy
What a perfect sight.
There she is… Olivia Quinn, strutting toward me with the kind of confidence that could stop traffic, wearing giant sunglasses that make her look like she’s hiding from the paparazzi and carrying a massive iced coffee like it's a trophy.
I freakinglovemy best friend. Always looking the part, even at a small town train station.
"Liv!"
I race towards her, arms open wide as if we’ve been apart foryearsrather than weeks… maybe months at this point.
But before I can even embrace her, her lips curve into that perfect‘I’m about to make this weird’smile.
"Ivy," she drawls, her voice smooth like butter and far too knowing. "You look like hell."
I skid to a halt in front of her, still catching my breath.
"Gee, thanks," I deadpan, my heart skipping at the sight of her.
"You do, though," she continues, scanning me with her ever critical eye. "Who did you sleep with? And can I high five them? Or slap them? Either works for me."
I freeze, my mouth hanging open.
"What? No! I didn’t… Liv!" I blink rapidly, because, wow, she just went there. "What is wrong with you?"
Her grin only widens. "Oh, c’mon, you’ve got thatI just did something naughty and now I regret itglow. The kind of glow that says,I ran away from one mess, to make plenty more."
"Go away," I mutter, pressing my hand to my forehead. I’m suddenly very aware of the people around us, as if they could hear every single word.
They probably can.
This town’s small enough for someone to have already called their grandma by now to say,"You’ll never believe who’s back in town…"
Liv raises a perfectly arched brow. "So, who was it?"
I roll my eyes. "Shall we at least get back to the cabin first?"
