Chapter 22
EDEN
Oh.My. Freaking. God. Danny is kissing me?!
Everything in my brain screams to shove him away. It’s what I should do. He rejected me days ago and now he changes his mind, just because he sees me on a date with another guy? Like a spoiled kid who gets mad when they see someone else playing with their toy, even though they’re not even playing with it.
No way, I’m not cool with that sort of jealous-territorial behavior.
But my body doesn’t seem to care about the facts of this situation. My body is one thousand percent okay with kissing Danny. I let out a soft moan as he slowly, firmly moves his lips against mine.
Oh wow…
Shivers rock my body at his technique. His hands start at my face, cupping my cheeks, but then they move lower, down my arms—slowly and softly, just like he moves his mouth.
Wow. He’s really, really into taking his time.
That thought sends yet another shiver through me as he settles his hands at my waist. His grip on me tightens just as he laps his tongue against mine and…
I moan into his mouth as he licks and teases in the most achingly slow, achingly hot rhythm. He moans right back, and it sets off something inside of me.
My hands fly up to his hair. I tug at those thick, gold-blond strands, relishing the muffled sounds of approval he makes.
With each second that passes our kiss turns filthier. I nip at his bottom lip; he slides his hand a bit lower, so that the tips of his fingers are skimming the top of my ass. My heart thuds, my chest heaves, and my lady bits are throbbing for more. More of Danny, more of this kiss, more of our hands on each other?—
The bathroom door squeaks open, and we break apart at the sound. I’m wiping my mouth when I catch the wide-eyed glance of an older lady. She seems frozen in shock by our pornographic makeout in the hallway by the bathroom.
“Ma’am,” Danny says with a nod of his head.
That seems to snap her out of her stupor. She shakes her head slightly, the dazed look in her eyes turning more focused before she scurries away.
Danny turns to me with his own wide-eyed stare, his face flushed, his lips swollen, his hair a mess, all because of me.
His chest heaves with the breath he takes. He starts to step toward me, but I hold up a hand at him, halting him in place.
“No.”
He stumbles back at my one-word command.
“No?” his voice hitches up as he says it, like he’s confused. And something about that sets me off.
“Of course, no.”
In the few seconds that pass, I come to my senses. I guess I needed that ill-timed interruption to reflect on the reality of this situation. Yeah, Danny kisses like a demon and it’s hot as hell, but that doesn’t take away from how hurt I still am at his rejection—and how he thinks he can just change his mind about me on a whim and interrupt my date.
He blinks, the confusion clear in his frown and the way he’s stammering.
“Did you honestly think you could just grab me and kiss me while I’m on a date with someone else and that would make everything okay?”
He opens his mouth and closes it a half-dozen times as he gazes at me. “I mean…yeah.”
I tug a hand through my hair, fuming.
“God, Danny. I’m not some toy you can play with when you feel like it, then discard when you get bored or change your mind!”
He peers behind him, like he’s making sure no one can hear us. Something about that pisses me off even more. Like he cares more about what the strangers in this restaurant think than how I’m feeling.
“No, Eden, I didn’t—I mean, I’m sorry I made you feel like that way,” he stammers. “It’s not how I feel at all.”
I cross my arms and take a step back. “Really? Because that’s exactly what it feels like. You can’t just grab me, mutter some half-assed apology, and give me the hottest kiss of my life and expect things between us to just take off.”
The corner of his mouth quirks up. “I’m the hottest kiss of your life?”
I grit my teeth and stomp past him. “Screw you, Danny.”
He grabs me by the hand and pulls me back to face him. “Okay, I’m sorry. You’re right, I messed up, and I?—”
I jerk out of his hold. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear another half-assed apology from you, Danny. You’re just mad at seeing me with another guy. Did you suddenly rethink your loyalty to my brother? Because last time I checked that trumped any feelings you may have had for me.”
His eyebrows crash together, like he’s shocked at upset at what I’ve said.
“You need to grow up and figure out what it is that you really want.”
I start to walk away, but then I hear Danny speak.
“I know what I want, Eden. You. Forget everything else. And yeah, that includes your brother.”
I hope I don’t look as shocked as I feel in this moment. I never thought Danny would toss aside the loyalty he feels for Cruz for me.
He steps toward me, closing the space between us until we’re barely two inches apart. I brace for him to reach out to touch me again, but his hands remain at his sides. He flexes a hand before balling it up, like he’s trying his hardest not to reach for me.
His gaze on me is focused and intense. Like there’s a fire inside of him. He blinks and it softens the slightest bit. Seeing his feelings play out right in front of me—his feelings for me—makes me flush hot all over my body.
“I know I’ve messed things us between us, Eden. I should have taken you home the other night and kissed the hell out of you like I wanted. If I could go back in time and redo it, I would.”
He leans down and turns his face so that his mouth grazes the shell of my ear. “The things I wanted to do you, Eden.”
My mouth falls open and a ragged breath comes tumbling out.
He exhales, his hot breath sheeting all over the side of my neck. I whimper.
“The things I’m dying to do to you right now.” His low tone is strained, like it’s taking everything in him not to grab me and take me right here, right now.
I watch as the muscles in his forearm twitch. I whimper again. Between my legs I’m aching. And soaked. Holy shit, this guy. The way he can turn me on with the sound of his voice, the feel of his breath, and the thought of all the filthy things he’s aching to do to me.
Just then he steps back, shaking his head slightly. He blinks a few times before that dazed look in his eyes starts to fade. Now he’s the one who looks like he’s coming to his senses.
“But you’re right. I have no right to come to you like this.”
He runs his tongue along his still kiss-swollen bottom lip. “I hope whoever this guy is, he knows how lucky he is to have you.” A hard swallow moves down this throat. I notice the veins in his neck are bulging. They’re so thick, almost rope-like. The skin on his stubbled neck is flushed. I wonder if he feels as hot as he looks. I resist the urge to reach up and find out.
He leans forward once more, his face hovering just a few inches from mine. “But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
And with those growled last words, Danny walks off, leaving me dazed, aroused, and alone.