22. Chapter 22
twenty-two
“Stop looking at me like that,” Rowan finally broke the tension—her voice was a mere whisper.
“You stop looking at me like that,” Chris replied—his eyes anchored to hers.
“How am I looking at you?” she asked.
“Like you want me to kiss you again.”
Chris fully expected that answer would get a rise out of her and then maybe she’d force him out of this tricky situation. Instead, she blinked, and her gaze dropped to his lips before meeting his eyes again.
“Funny,” she said. “You look like you want to kiss me again.”
Chris released his breath slowly. “Shit, I do.”
Rowan’s hands slid away from his chest to wrap around his neck. Her voice had gone deeper and breathier as she said, “So it sounds like we both want the same thing.”
When did she become such a temptress? And fuck if that voice didn’t tempt his every being. His common sense, ethical sense, and the part of his brain that controlled his cock battled it out.
Last night’s kiss—however extraordinary it’d been—was necessary to their scheme. But if he kissed Rowan right now, he’d cross a line. They could put the partnership they’d formed in the past few days at risk. Plus, she was Rae’s sister, for fuck’s sake.
Half-sister, really. Half-estranged-sister, technically. Practical strangers.
Those bright aqua eyes lured him close until their lips were merely a breath away. His common sense made one last attempt to put the brake on. “We shouldn’t. ”
The tip of her nose swept his cheek softly, and he could feel her breath feather against his lips. “No, we shouldn’t,” she murmured as her lips barely brushed his.
Chris could hold his hovering position for a long time, but his desire for her won. He dove, claiming what she was offering to him freely. He thought he’d be prepared for the shock of their lips meeting this time. But his heart rate leaped in record time as the thirst for her overwhelmed him in seconds. He wanted to drink in the taste of Rowan Kelly—no, devour her.
Rowan parted her lips, sharing his needs and enticing him to a deeper exploration of their kiss. He plunged his tongue to meet hers and drank deep from the warmth of her mouth. Rowan sparred with him, meeting him at every stroke with her ardent need.
The yearning didn’t dissipate as the seconds ticked by. It spread through his body as his hands delved into the silk of her hair, his body pressed her down onto the mattress, and his cock insistently hardened against the inside of her thigh.
Fuck! Chris cursed as he realized where it would lead if they didn’t stop. But his half-hearted effort to pull away met resistance. The little siren was stronger than her stature suggested. When her fingers started pulling his T-shirt off his back and raking his skin, he lost all reason.
He broke away from Rowan only to peel off his shirt entirely. He returned to her with unstoppable passion and captured her mouth again. Her arms didn’t go around him this time as she got busy with the hem of her own tee, but she couldn’t pull it past her chest, not wanting to break away from their kiss.
“I hope you aren’t fond of this shirt,” Chris murmured against her lips, and with a show of strength, he ripped the cotton off her back.
Rowan gasped. Her eyes flashed with shock, but it seemed to spur her passion. She quickly pushed Chris’ shorts off his hips and down his legs. After a few frenzied seconds, the rest of their clothes were forgotten on the floor, except for the boot gracing Rowan’s left foot.
There was no time for a breath. There was no pause for a look. There were only urgent strokes, the seeking of heat and fulfilling needs as their bodies crashed into each other like two powerful waves colliding.
Yes, yes. Touch me.
Rowan relished the feel of Chris’ large hands roaming her back, cupping her bottom. She savored the thrill shooting to her core as his mouth trailed down between her breasts. She felt herself melting like the last bit of stubborn snow on the first warm day of spring. He felt like spring: vibrant and exhilarating. With every caress, he roused her sexuality that had been hibernating for years. And she was ravenous.
Chris’ unchecked desire fueled hers. She didn’t mind that he wasn’t gentle. She didn’t want him to be gentle. Not this time. She needed him to fill the void inside her.
“I want you inside me,” Rowan commanded in his ear.
Chris didn’t reply but shut her up with a searing kiss as he pushed her back on the mattress with his body. Her legs voluntarily opened to welcome his invasion. And thank god he didn’t make her wait. He rubbed his rigid length against her weeping slit, and Rowan groaned. Her whole lower body clenched in pleasure as the tip hit the right button over and over again.
“Please,” she pleaded against his jaw, as the ache for him was almost unbearable.
Chris lifted himself an inch off her to look into her eyes and guided himself to enter her. Rowan’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as he sheathed himself within her. A guttural groan escaped her throat as she reveled in feeling filled to the brim.
“God, Rowan,” she heard him moan her name under his breath as they took their first pause. But just for a beat because Chris pulled out in the next, drove himself right in a shockingly hard push, and led their final dance toward the crescendo.
Rowan met his thrust with her own, feeling the friction of his skin against hers.
Her release flashed out of nowhere. She almost didn’t recognize it as it hit her. A scream built inside as Chris continued to pummel her at a shattering pace. Unable to hold the scream in, she buried her mouth at the base of his neck when the flood washed over her as he destroyed the dam that had held her back all this time.
Chris moved with primal instinct as he drove into Rowan. He felt her muscles grip his cock tighter as her orgasm coursed through her. He wanted to shout his release and bury himself deeper inside her as he felt his heat reach the boiling point, and he was about to burst.
But common sense, or perhaps it was his honed instinct, pushed through his lust-crazed brain, and he pulled out of her warmth and spilled on the tarp instead.
Holy fuck.
Out of breath, he dropped on Rowan, his head lying sideways on her heaving chest. He could hear her heartbeat racing as fast as his was. He couldn’t find his voice to ask if she was all right.
God, I was rough with her.
The frantic mating of bodies replayed in his mind as blood returned to his brain. But she’d been with him every step of the way. Every touch. Every kiss. Every bite, and man, the woman liked to bite. He was sure he’d find marks on his shoulders and neck later.
Finally, he felt Rowan shift under him. A hand ran through his hair.
“I didn’t realize how much I needed that,” she said.
Comfortable where he lay, Chris reluctantly lifted his head to look at her. She was chuckling to herself with a hand against her forehead, looking up to the ceiling.
“Sex?” he asked.
“That, and just to let go and forget for a bit.”
Chris rolled to move off Rowan and settled on his side next to her. “What do you need to forget?”
She glanced at him and gave a little shrug. “Responsibilities. Problems. Regrets.”
“That’s a lot to forget.”
Rowan turned to her side and rested her head on her hand. “It was probably stupid of us.”
“There’s nothing probable about it,” Chris agreed. “But I can’t say I regret it. ”
“Neither can I.” Her eyes studied his face. “But this should be a one-time thing. I’m sure we’ve worked whatever that was out of our systems.”
“It’s called lust, honey.” Chris snickered.
“Whatever.” She bit her lip to stop herself from grinning. “So you agree?”
“About what?”
“That we shouldn’t do this again.”
Chris nodded and distractedly said, “We probably shouldn’t.” But his gaze roamed down her body as he realized he hadn’t taken the time to admire her curves. His eyes didn’t go past her breasts, looking enticingly full and begging to be touched.
He swallowed and tried to push down the desire rising inside him again. Forcing his eyes back to Rowan’s face, he found her studying his body with the same fiery glint that got them in trouble in the first place.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he warned.
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or I have to devour you again.” Chris tucked her hair behind her ear. “And this time, I’ll take my time to touch every inch of you. For a small woman, there’s a lot of you to explore.”
With the back of his fingers, he caressed her cheek and trailed them down her neck to her shoulder while his eyes stayed on her face.
“Your skin’s so soft,” he murmured as he continued his fingers’ journey down to caress the side of her breast. A small gasp escaped her as they barely grazed the tip.
“I didn’t get to give your glorious breasts the attention they deserve,” he told her and flicked a thumb over the nipple.
Rowan squirmed in place, but she didn’t pull away or tell him to stop.
“But you’re right. We shouldn’t.” Chris pulled his hand away, but Rowan grabbed it.
“Maybe we make today a free day,” she suggested.
“What do you mean?”
“Meaning anything goes today.”
“Today?”
“Alex and Oliver are out all day,” she reasoned
Chris nodded. “And what’s gonna happen tomorrow?”
“We go back to normal. ”
Chris was doubtful they could go back to normal. Not after he knew how it felt to be inside of her. He’d known passion. He’d known lust. This unexpected craving his body had for her was something else altogether. He wasn’t sure what it was. He doubted one day would be enough for him.
But today was all she offered. And Chris would take anything Rowan was offering.
Chris pushed himself off the bed and scooped her up into his arms. Rowan looped her arms around his shoulders.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“My room. I’m not going to make love to you for the rest of the day on a tarp-covered bed.”
Rowan smiled and kissed him. “Just today.”
“I’m yours for the day.”