Chapter Fourteen
ADRIAN
Boston
“Fuck,” I groaned as Isobel yanked on my hair, gasping into my mouth when we briefly pulled apart, diving right back in until my lungs burned from a lack of oxygen.
My lips ached with the ferocity of our kisses, but I was too far gone to stop. I’d wanted this for weeks and I was greedily taking in every nuance of what it felt like to be with Isobel like this.
I should’ve anticipated her being passionate, her spark being one of the qualities I admired about her, but I hadn’t expected her to be quite this desperate, this passionate, this borderline feral as she pulled my hair and bit my lips in between frantic kisses.
It only made me want to touch her more, kiss her more, strip her bare and lick every inch of her body until she convulsed against my tongue.
Her words may have showed her intense displeasure at working together, but her body felt something different toward me. She was hungry and insatiable, and I wanted to possess her—both her body and her mind.
“Wait,” I panted, pulling away. My heart hammered, and my cock throbbed against the chokehold of my zipper.
“No,” she snarled, pulling me back, biting my lower lip and wrapping her calf around the back of mine, urging me forward. For someone who had informed me multiple times she wasn’t sleeping with me, things appeared to be heading in that direction .
“Is,” I panted, trying to sit up, but she followed me, her other arm wrapping tightly around my neck, her lips tracing the edge of my jaw and nipping at my skin while she tried to pull my mouth back down to hers.
“No, don’t stop. Just kiss me,” she whispered against my cheek. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this. Let’s just pretend we like each other.”
That was the problem. I wasn’t pretending to like her. I did like her. Which was problematic because I didn’t know how to stop being an ass around her either. That was the drawback of acting like someone who you weren’t for so long. Eventually, you forgot where you ended, and the faux persona began.
“Isobel,” I coaxed before I reached back and captured her wrists, bringing them around to hold in front of my chest. “I’m not saying we can’t keep going, but I want to talk to you first.”
Her bright eyes scanned my face, her cheeks flushed and her hair chaotic as it battled to escape her messy bun. I was sure she’d be embarrassed to see her reflection in the mirror right now, but to me, she’d never looked more alluring.
“What do you want to talk about right now?” she asked, her voice tense and her eyes guarded.
Deciding not to keep beating around the bush, I laid my cards on the table. “I like you.”
Her eyes widened, and a surprised laugh escaped her lips. “We’ll, I’d hope you like me, seeing as your tongue was just studying the contours of my mouth.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” I shook my head, trying to come up with a way to formulate my thoughts in a way that she’d listen to. “I like who you are, not just your body, or how you kiss me like my mouth holds the secrets of the universe.”
Her eyes rolled at my last comment, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from her.
“I like how you make me feel. I like your sense of humor. I like how you call me out when I say something I shouldn’t. I like how you’re finally starting to see me, even though you hold me at arm’s length. I like you. ”
“Oh.”
I wasn’t expecting some grand declaration of her feelings, but when her expression sobered, and she continued to stare at my face with a deep crease pinched between her eyebrows, I worried I might’ve confessed too much.
“Why are you telling me this right now?”
It was a valid question, but we’d already blurred the lines between us once. I wanted her to know that this wasn’t happening only because I found her attractive. I needed her to know that I was developing genuine feelings for her.
“Because I want you to know that if we do this, if things become physical again, I want more.”
“I…”
She looked away, but I cupped her cheek, gently urging her face back to mine. “That means you’ll need to talk to me. Try to get to know the real me. The me you think is an anomaly.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to spend time with me trying not to bite each other’s heads off.”
“Are you saying you want to date me?”
I nodded, my thumb slowly stroking the soft skin of her jaw.
“Like go on actual dates and do things together outside the office?”
“That is the general idea, yes.”
She nodded, her eyes darting across my face, her posture tense. “And this isn’t some elaborate joke to you?”
I reached down and grasped her hand, pulling it away from my zipper. I pressed it against my chest, my heart beating at a frantic pace beneath her palm. “Does this feel like a joke to you?”
Isobel licked her lips, swallowing hard. “I’m still not sleeping with you. ”
“I can live with that.” I nodded, lifting her hand and kissing her palm. My lips trailed down her wrist and across the soft skin of her inner forearm, lingering in the crease of her elbow as I draped her arm over my shoulder, leaning in. “But that still leaves quite a few things on the table I’m hoping you’re open to.”
“Like what?” she asked, her voice shaky as I placed small kisses behind her ear.
“Since you seem to think I’m so out of touch with what your authors write… Have you ever sat on a man’s face before? That seemed to be a position Chase’s legions of fans enjoyed mentioning in some of her reviews.”
She froze, her hand clutching the material of my shirt tightly in her fist. “No.”
My teeth nipped at the soft skin of her neck before I shifted, my lips barely grazing her ear as I lowered my voice. “Then I think we need to rectify that. Let’s take these tiny shorts off so I can show you what that feels like. Think of it as editorial research. You encourage your writers to do research, right? I think maybe we need to do some of our own.”
“We…I…you…” she stuttered while I released her and hooked my thumbs into the elastic waistband of her shorts. As I drew the material down, I expected my fingers to encounter more lace underwear like what she’d been wearing in Maine, but all I felt was soft, warm skin.
“Oh, what do we have here, naughty girl? You knew I was coming over tonight, and you didn’t put on any panties?”
Isobel blushed, her forehead falling forward to my chest, with her hands shaking against the material of my shirt.
“I’m taking that as a yes,” I whispered, my cheek brushing against hers while I drew the material down. “Stand up, babe.”
She braced her hands on my shoulders as she stood from the couch, her shorts falling to her ankles before she kicked them to the side, still refusing to look at me.
“Don’t get shy on me now,” I urged, tipping up her chin, and leaning in to kiss her lips softly while my other hand explored the soft, bare curves of her hips and thighs. “Can I take this off?” I asked, tugging lightly on the hem of her sweater, my fingers skating beneath the material as I awaited her response.
“You’re still fully dressed,” she whispered, her fingers moving to the button of my pants.
I caught her wrist, dragging it away from me. “This isn’t about me. This is about you.”
“But…”
“No buts, Is. Take this off so I can see you. I didn’t get to appreciate what I was touching the last time.”
She grasped the hem and slowly lifted the material, the soft expanse of her belly coming into view. She was gorgeous. Generous curves, and a silhouette most women would kill for with a tapered waist that flared out into a luscious ass and thick thighs. The thighs I wanted wrapped around my head sooner rather than later.
“Fuck, come here,” I whispered, pulling her close. My hand skated down her spine and grasped a handful of her ass while I leaned down to capture her lips once more. She had no idea how much I’d been fantasizing about this—about her—for the last several weeks, wondering if I’d ever touch her soft skin again.
“I know I’m not…”
“Fuck that,” I interrupted as I stood, pulling her against my chest while I dipped down to shut her up by ghosting my lips across hers. “I’m not as shallow as you seem to think I am. All those little imperfections you think you need to hide just make me want you more. I don’t need you to look or act a certain way. I just need you. Exactly like you are.”
I released her, unbuttoning the top few buttons of my shirt before I laid down on the couch, one leg extending over the arm while I braced the foot of my other on the floor next to the couch.
“You’re serious?” she asked, shifting nervously from side to side as I extended one hand toward her .
“Fuck yes, I am. Get up here.”
“I’m going to crush you.” She sounded worried, but she took a small step forward, still hesitating to join me on the couch.
“I hope you do,” I replied with a smirk, and she shook her head.
“Not everything is a joke.”
“And I’m not joking. I’ve been fantasizing about tasting you again for weeks. Get up here. Now .”
She hesitated for a moment, but I internally cheered when she braced one hand on the back of the couch, swinging her leg over my torso and straddling my chest.
“My tongue isn’t down there,” I teased while I grasped her hips, pulling lightly to urge her forward. This wasn’t the same headstrong woman who’d told me to shut up and unzipped my pants before my brain had caught up during our last encounter. “Don’t be shy, Is. I’ve already had a mouthful of you. I know what I’m getting into, and I want more.”
Her body relaxed slightly, and she shifted forward. I let go of her hips, reaching forward to slide a finger through her slit, testing to see how much our aggressive kisses had affected her.
“Oh God,” she whimpered while I teased her clit with the wet tips of my fingers, her eyes falling closed and her head dropping back slightly.
“Come on. You know where I want you.”
She took a shaky breath and moved her thigh over my shoulder while I scooted down slightly, giving her room to straddle my head.
“Brace yourself,” I warned, curling my palm around her thigh, and anchoring her to me while I licked my lips in anticipation.
Her breasts heaved slightly as she took another deep breath and shifted forward, lining my mouth up with her.
“That’a girl,” I murmured, pulling her down. My nose drew through her pussy as I nuzzled her clit, my tongue darting out to taste her. Fuck .
Her body was tense at first, thighs shaking as I held her tightly to me, but with each swipe of my tongue, I could feel her melt in my hold. When her hips began to rock against me, I groaned in satisfaction, thankful that she was letting me past all her barriers. When she ran her fingers through my hair and stared down at me, I was in awe watching her eyelashes flutter with each movement of my tongue.
Sucking her clit into my mouth, I laved my tongue over it while I maintained eye contact, watching with rapt interest as her eyes dilated and her nipples tightened.
“Oh, fuck. That feels so good,” she moaned, letting go of the back of the couch and cupping her breast in her palm while her hips continued to rock into my movements.
Tipping my head back slightly, I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I watched her fondle herself. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful.”
“Quit teasing me,” she laughed lightly, her palm pressing against the top of my head. “Since you’re so insistent on doing this, then do it.”
Oh, it was on.
She moaned loudly as I held her to my face, pulling her to me while I lightly captured her clit between my teeth. Rapidly swiping my tongue against the tip as she squirmed against my grip, I grinned.
“Fuck, too much,” she moaned while I continued to torture her, the desperate tone in her voice spurring me on. “Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck…”
Her back arched, and I felt her legs start to shake. Continuing the onslaught, I moaned into her flesh as I felt her fingers grasp my thigh, digging in through the material of my pants while she arched backward, thrusting her hips into my movements.
Just a little more.
Curling my hand further around her thigh, my fingers sought the place I knew would send her right over the edge. As I pushed my wet fingertips against the soft puckered skin of her asshole, she cried out again, her clit throbbing against my tongue while I felt the familiar contractions of her orgasm start against my lips.
“Oh, fuck. Adrian, yesss ,” she hissed, her orgasm rolling through her body, thighs quaking against my cheeks.
As she collapsed forward, I reached up to grasp the sides of her waist so I could shift her backward and suck in a much-needed breath. My wet lips tingled, and my chest heaved beneath her as I watched her come back to herself. Her eyes slowly drifted open, and she looked down at me, a satisfied smile morphing to one of concern.
“Enjoy yourself?” I teased, stroking the soft skin of her waist with my thumbs.
“I’m so sorry, I should…” she scrambled backward, but I held her still before she could escape, tilting my head to kiss the inside of her thigh.
“Trust me, I enjoyed myself. There is absolutely no need to apologize. That was fucking hot.”
She averted her gaze, her shoulders rolling inward as I shifted her back to straddle my hips. My cock throbbed at the sudden attention, but this wasn’t about me. I could deal with myself later.
“Can you hand me my sweater?” She whispered, her arms coming up to cover her chest.
Shifting my hips, I sat up, slowly peeling her fingers from her chest and softly stroking the tip of one peaked nipple with my knuckle. “Don’t hide. You’re gorgeous.”
Isobel’s eyes were wary as I leaned in, her tongue wetting her lips while I kissed the side of her jaw softly. While I was dying to kiss her again, I wasn’t sure how she felt about tasting herself on my lips.
“You’ve never looked more lovely,” I murmured into the skin of her neck, my lips trailing lower while I pulled her up slightly, angling her back so I could caress the soft skin of her breast with light flicks of my tongue. “Freshly fucked is a good look on you, Isobel. I think I found my new mission in life. To make sure it happens more often.”
“Adrian,” she whimpered in protest. My lips closed around her nipple, causing her to grind down against me, and I knew I needed to stop before things got out of hand.
Pulling my hand free from her back, I reached down and grasped her sweater. Reluctantly, I released her nipple before I bunched the fabric and pulled it over her head, helping her pull it into place over her drowsy body.
Isobel didn’t fight me when I picked her up to settle her into the corner of the couch with another lingering kiss on the side of her neck.
“You alright over there?” I asked while I sat back at the other end, running my palm over the wet stubble on my chin.
“Um,” she stuttered, pulling her legs into her chest and looking at me with wary eyes. I tried to ignore the fact that without her shorts, all I could see was her pussy. “I should just…maybe I should get home.”
“You are home,” I chuckled as I watched her try to work through what had just happened.
“Oh, right.”
“I can take a hint,” I nodded, sitting up straight and pulling the wrinkles out of my shirt from where she’d been sitting on my chest. A few wet spots dotted the light fabric, and I could see the moment she noticed as her eyes widened. “Guess it’s time for me to head home.”
“But what about…” Isobel waved at my prominent erection, the fit of my slacks doing nothing to conceal the hard line of my cock underneath the material.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it in hand.”
Isobel’s eyes widened while I adjusted the waistband of my pants, shifting my hips so my belt didn’t press uncomfortably against the head.
“Not literally. Get your dirty little mind out of the gutter,” I teased. “I meant I could hand- le things when I get back home. ”
And I would, probably more than once. Using the scent of her on my face and hands to picture what it’d felt like to have her ride my tongue with vivid clarity.
“But…”
“It’s fine. I don’t expect you to touch my dick again. Wouldn’t want to expose you to such hard- ship.”
“It’s not that, I…” she trailed off, her voice unsure while she stared at me.
Reluctantly, I rose from the couch and leaned forward, closing the distance between us as I left a lingering kiss on her cheek. “Don’t worry. It won’t take long when I recall the sounds that escaped your mouth a few minutes ago. Especially the way you moaned my name when I felt you tip over the edge. That will probably run on repeat in my brain for the foreseeable future.”
“Ad,” she whispered as I pulled away, standing and walking around the edge of the couch to pick up my discarded bag.
“I’ll see you in the office on Monday. Can you try not to ignore me this time?”
“Wait…”
“Goodnight, Isobel. Sweet dreams. I’ll text you if Evan sends me any more pages.”
“Why are you leaving? We still have a few pages to go through and…” she stuttered, sitting up and reaching down to grab her shorts from the floor.
“Because you told me you didn’t want to sleep with me. And if I stay and things get heated between us again, I won’t have the self-control to slow things down, which won’t be honoring your wishes. So, I’m being the gentleman you don’t think I am and going home. Alone.”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times as I pulled the front door open and escaped to the other side. Pausing for a moment after the door clicked shut, I leaned against the door frame and took in a shaky breath, trying to calm the racing of my heart .
Hopefully, this was the last time I had to walk away from her after we shared something like this. Because as much as I wanted inside her body, I wasn’t risking losing her heart for a few moments of relief. I wanted all of her, and I was willing to wait for her to catch up.