Page 29 of Never Going to Care

I let out a whimper of need and Hale pulls back to stare into my eyes as my dress slides down my body and pools at my feet. I’m so much shorter than he is without my heels and right now, as I stand in front of him in only a lace thong, I feel delicate, small…cherished.

I don’t know how to feel about it, but I’m not going to worry about that now. My hands are shaking as I reach out and press my palms against his chest. I can feel the heat of his skin underneath the fabric of his dress shirt. His eyes stay locked on mine even though I know he wants to look at my body.

The amount of control he’s exerting right now is impressive and maddening. “You can look,” I whisper as my hands slide up before I slip his suit jacket back off his shoulders, the movement making me lift on my tiptoes so I can reach.

I watch his eyes closely as he tears them from mine, and he looks down my body. My nipples, which were already hard just from being near him, turn to fucking diamonds and I swear I can hear them weeping for his lips to be wrapped around them. His nostrils flare and his breath hitches has his eyes rake down my body.

I swear I can feel his gaze on my skin the same way that I can feel his hands. “Fuck,” he growls, “you look good enough to eat.”

My eyes widen at his words, but then my brain short circuits when his hands grip my hips, his warm skin pressed against mine does something to me and a deep need for more spurs me into action. When I start unbuttoning his shirt, my fingers are nimble even as they’re shaking.

It’s not from nervousness. It’s not from cold. It’s from sheer fucking need.

I need him.

I want him.

I know this is going to rock my world like a damn supernova, but I don’t care. I crave it. Even if I’m ruined by it.

Worth the fucking risk.

His hands slide around toward my back before gliding up on either side of my spine. They feel so big against me, and I fumble as I unbutton one cuff and then the other. When I look up into his eyes, darker with the lust zipping between us, I can see amusement dancing there. It’s not malicious, it’s sweet and tempered.

It makes me swallow hard as my mouth goes dry.

When I push his shirt off, I’m met with the tattooed chest of a fucking god, and I lick my lips as I take him in. He lets out a grunt from the back of his throat, a sound filled with so much need and possession that I clench my thighs together to get myself under control.

I want to savor this.

He teases me, “You like my tattoos, Starlight?”

“Yes,” slips free as a breathy whisper. I lean forward and kiss the edge of one, my tongue slipping out and running along the edge of one of the intricate, tribal tattoos there.

One of Hale’s hands dives into my hair, not caring about the updo it’s in. He tilts my head back as the fingers of his other hand dig into the small of my back and hold me in place. As if I would be going anywhere. Not tonight at least, tomorrow is a different story.

His lips hover over mine, his words dancing along my skin and making it come alive. “You take my breath away.”

When I close the distance between us and press my lips to his sweetly, I know it won’t last. It doesn’t. He lets out a masculine moan I can feel all the way to my toes as he takes over the kiss and devours me as if he’s coming for the breath I took from him.

His skin feels so good under my palms and I find I can’t stop my hands from moving over him. I touch him as if I’ve never touched another person’s skin before, soaking it up and remembering every detail. Maybe I am.

If this is all I have, I don’t want to forget. This will have to last me for the rest of my life. After I’m ruined, I don’t know if I’ll be able to put myself out there again.

“Hale,” I moan is name like a prayer against his lips.

When I reach his belt, he bats my hands away. I’m surprised by his actions and rear back from him. I blink up at him and suck in a sharp breath at the wicked smirk on his lips. It’s sexy as hell.

Hale grips my hips and tosses me back onto his bed and a laugh bursts out of me as I bounce. The way his smirk transforms into a smile has my heart beating faster in my chest. I don’t remember the last time a man has affected me as much as he does.

Maybe I don’t need to remember.

I shiver as Hale grips my ankles and pulls me toward the edge of the bed. The sudden movement makes me yelp in surprise, but I don’t try and stop it. As Hale falls to his knees, I can’t help but pout a little bit.

“Don’t pout, Starlight,” Hale’s voice is a deep rumble as it reaches my ears. “You don’t like that you didn’t get to watch me strip for you?”

His words are like a caress against the skin of my thighs. I arch my back when he leans forward and rubs the tip of his nose against my inner thigh, not nearly close enough to my pussy. Not yet. I know he’s teasing me, but doesn’t he know I’m about to explode?

“Please,” I breathily plead with him.

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