Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
COLE
Muscle memory
I reeled Adele a little closer, stepping toward her at the same time. She let out this soft little sound when our bodies came together. This woman—all of this—was so far out of the ordinary for me, I didn’t even know how to find my balance. I was almost dizzy with need. For her.
But I knew how to kiss. More important in this very moment, I knew how to kiss Adele. I wanted precisely that more than anything in the universe right this very second.
Eyes locked to hers, I stepped closer yet again, releasing her hand, sliding my arm around her waist, and bringing my palm to rest in that sweet curve just above the swell of her bottom.
“I like you, Adele Jacks,” I murmured as I dipped my head, my lips brushing against hers in the shape of her name.
She let out a startled breath. “Cole, you drive me crazy.”
My lips curled in a smile, again, still touching hers. I loved the tart edge to her tone and the prickly quality she wore like a cloak. “Well, that’s a good thing, sweetness, because you drive me crazy.” I finally, fucking finally, gave in to the urge to fit my mouth over hers, nice and slow.
Adele let out a sigh, and we tumbled into a kiss. It was like diving into a liquid fire, slow, languid, and hot—so fucking hot.
Maybe she carried uncertainty inside, but when she kissed, she threw herself into it.
Her tongue in a sensual dance with mine.
One of her hands curling into the fabric of my T-shirt, and the other banding around my waist. I felt her fingers pressing against my back as it flexed under her touch.
I gave in to the urge to slide my hand down over her bottom, letting out something between a growl and a moan into our kiss, just before we broke apart.
With both of us sucking in deep gulps of air, we stared at each other, wide-eyed and flushed.
I was functioning on muscle memory at this point, the roar of need so loud I couldn’t even think. She looked as shocked as I felt. Each encounter was another match thrown into the fire that was already blazing out of control between us, burning up all reason, all sanity.
Contained in that fire were embers of emotion that I didn’t quite understand.
When she whispered, “Cole,” all I could do was kiss her again.
One kiss melted into the next, until I was shifting and lifting her against me, turning to sit on the couch nearby, savoring the way she easily straddled me, and I could feel the heat of her over the hard ridge of my arousal.
Somewhere along the way, reason made itself heard over the din of need and blazing desire in my mind, and I broke away, closing my eyes and taking in a lungful of air.
When I opened my eyes, Adele asked, “What are we doing, Cole?”
Her question echoed for a few heartbeats in my mind. Although I heard and understood her, I could barely think over the echoing drumbeat of need in my thoughts and the rush of blood in my ears. I scrambled, trying to grab ahold of anything resembling rational thought.
I could feel the lush curve of her hips where I gripped them. It was all I could do not to rock up into her. I gave myself a hard mental kick.
“I want to kiss you,” was all I managed to say, which didn’t really answer her question.
Her lips were parted slightly, and her shoulders rose as she took in a shaky breath. Never once looking away, she blinked. “That’s what we’re doing,” she pointed out.
Her lips curled in a teasing smile, although I saw the uncertainty flickering in her eyes. The moment that ticked by gave me enough time to think a little, and I surprised myself with my blunt honesty.
“I want you, and I know you want me, or I think you do. Tell me if you don’t,” I rasped.
She opened her mouth, as if to argue the point, before rolling her eyes slightly. “I want to lie.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Obviously, I want you, even if it’s against my better judgment.” Her tone was tart and a little prim.
I sucked in another breath, trying to clear the haze in my thoughts as I studied her for a beat. “Can I kiss you again?”
Since she was straddling me, our gazes were level now. She leaned forward, brushing her lips over mine, replying, “Yes.”
I felt that single word, an imprint on my own lips.
I slid a hand into her hair, reluctantly releasing one of her hips, tangling my fingers into her curls as I angled her head to the side.
Our kiss was hot, open, and messy, and felt like being engulfed in flames licking up and around us.
They spun me into the force, into the heat, into the fire kindling higher and higher.
Fuck me. I loved the way she kissed. Her mouth, teasing, soft, and open underneath mine. She met me stroke for stroke.
Adele was not a passive participant. It was as if we were fighting to see who was going to command this. It turned out to be a tie, I suppose.
I could feel the soft press of her curves against me. I loved how strong she felt, flexing and arching her hips, rocking over me. Somewhere along the way, we broke apart because there was only so much air we could go without.
I stared at her, taking in her flushed cheeks, her kiss-swollen lips, her eyes dark with desire. When I rocked my hips up, she bit her lip, letting out a little whimper. I sensed she was on the edge.
I slid my hand out of her hair, down her back, to tease my fingers under the hem of her shirt. “I want to make you come,” I said flatly, the second I encountered the silky soft feel of her skin.
Her eyes widened. “Cole…” She took a ragged breath, repeating my name, a sigh and a rasp at once.