Page 56 of Dream (Fighting Fate)

As she parted her lips, allowing my tongue to taste her, slowly, passionately, I breathed her in, pressing my body farther into hers. It seemed completely insane to me that she considered herself inadequate in any way. She was a rare commodity—not only within the industry I lived, but the world. She was pure. Untainted. Like a star that shone so bright it could only fill you with warmth. There wouldn’t be one person in the world who wouldn’t be drawn to that kind of light. It made me want to possess her in every way I could. So yeah, I was an asshole.

Running my hands over her body, I slid them under the hem of her dress, feeling the warmth of her soft skin, drawing them up over her hips. “Can I feel you, Liv?” I breathed, brushing my lips over her jaw. “Can I feel your skin against mine?”

I braced myself for her to say no, searching for a way to cool myself down when it came.

Liv’s hands tightened on my waist, her hands gripping the fabric of my shirt, pulling it taut. “Yes. Please, Josh.”

A growl vibrated in my throat. Before I could tell myself I was a total dick, I peeled her dress upward and off. As soon as it was on the floor, Liv was tugging my shirt the same way.

My hands ached to unclasp her bra—feel her naked chest against mine. Her breasts were amazing. So full and soft and tempting. Begging myself to behave, I ran my hands over her ass, bending at the knees until my height matched hers, wrapping my arms around her, and lifting her against me. Liv moaned with the movement, locking her arms around my shoulders and her legs around my hips.

“I promise I won’t take things too far, Liv,” I said, striding for the bed. “I just want to feel you against me. I promise,” I said again, more to drum it into myself than anything else.

As I laid her out on my bed, she sighed, her hands clenching in my hair, her lips brushing against my throat. “Don’t think, Josh,” she whispered. “Just feel.”

My cock twitched, my strength waning. She had no idea just how much pain her words caused me. “Don’t tempt me, Liv. I’m begging you. Please, don’t tempt me.”

“What if I wanted to be selfish too?” she breathed.

The answer was easy. Then I would come undone.

Chapter 33

Olivia

Moving down to the end of the hall, I knocked on the gray painted door and waited for an answer. A few seconds later, the door swung open, and Aunt Jenny appeared, the crease in her brow vanishing the instant she saw me.

“Good morning, precious,” she said, giving me a broad smile.

I gave her an apologetic one in return. This was the only time I was going to be able to catch her alone before she had to leave. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Surprise and confusion flashed in her eyes, but she was quick to disguise it. “Sure. Come in,” she said, stepping aside to let me in. “What’s up?”

As she closed the door, I drew in a deep breath. I’d been up all night tossing around whether I should confide in her or not. On one hand, I didn’t want to betray Josh and his secret, but on the other, I was confused and needed someone to talk to. I was pretty sure I could count on Aunt Jenny to keep quiet, but I was certain those had been someone else’s last words before too.

“I need to tell you something,” I said, still unsure if I could. “But I need you to promise you won’t tell anyone.”

Concern changed her features as she gazed at me. “Okay,” she said cautiously.

“It’s about Josh,” I said, taking the leap.

Her head cocked to the side a little. “The hot beach guy?”

I nodded. “Yeah.” My pulse picked up a little faster. “So . . . he’s Joshua Emerson.”

Aunt Jenny’s expression didn’t change as she processed my words. As each second ticked over, her eyes grew slightly wider, until she looked utterly incredulous. “No way.”

I lifted a shoulder and quirked one side of my mouth.

“Are you serious?” she said. “I mean, you’re not just trying to prank me or something, right?”

Dropping down on the edge of her bed, I let out a huff. “Oh, I’m definitely not pranking you, Aunt Jenny. He’s Joshua Emerson, all right.”

She sat down beside me, her gaze concerned. “Let me get this straight. You’ve actually been getting it on with Joshua Emerson? The Joshua Emerson?”

My expression withered. “So it seems.”

Her jaw went slack as she stared at me. “Holy shit, Liv. This is huge.”

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