Chapter 17
Ignition
Firm lips captured hers, and Kate’s heart stuttered as sensation shot straight through her core. His mouth moved slowly, sensually, coaxing a sigh from deep within her.
She traced her trembling fingers up his solid chest, reveling in the strength of his muscles as they shifted beneath her hands, the heat of his skin burning through the thin fabric of his shirt.
His nipples tightened in response, and a surge of feminine power rushed through her.
His tongue teased her lips, a tantalizing invitation she couldn’t resist. Kate opened her mouth to him, surrendering as his tongue danced inside, playful, commanding, daring her to follow.
Her head spun as he pulled her onto his lap, the prominent bulge in his pants pressing against her core.
Her legs rested on either side of him, straddling him, the heat radiating between them so palpable she could barely breathe.
The position left her vulnerable, exposed, achingly aware of every hard inch of him beneath her.
Nick's fingers glided over her upper thighs, tracing patterns, setting her skin alight with need, yet he kept his touch respectful, deliberately teasing her.
His thumbs moved back and forth in maddening circles, raising goosebumps along her flesh, igniting a fire.
Her heart raced in rhythm with his, a wild tempo echoed by the throbbing between her thighs as he finally released her mouth.
“Damn, you taste amazing.” Nick's voice was rough, gravelly with desire.
The wet heat of his mouth traveled down her throat, licking and sucking, placing open-mouthed kisses as he went.
Each sensual caress stoked the fire in her veins, making her crave more, making her forget why she should want less.
Tilting her head back, Kate surrendered to the onslaught of pleasure, committing his every kiss, every nip, every scrape of teeth to memory.
Sharp tingles shot up her arms as she twisted her fingers in his hair, reveling in its silky texture, tugging just enough to elicit a groan from deep in his chest. Desire pooled in her core, throbbing with each scratch of her nails on his scalp and shudder of his body against hers.
Gasping for air, Kate basked in the erotic dance of his tongue on her flushed skin, the cool breeze a torturous contrast which only heightened her sensitivity to his touch, making her nipples peak beneath her thin shirt.
He nuzzled into the crook of her neck, wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and stilled, letting them both come back down while keeping her pressed against his hard body. His heart hammered against her ribs, his breath coming in ragged gasps that matched her own.
Kate rested there, her pulse pounding in her ears, her body thrumming with unslaked need, waiting for her heartbeat to slow.
She’d never dreamed a kiss could set her body on fire, never experienced anything remotely close.
Her ex was worthless—no, worse than worthless.
He’d left her believing she was broken, incapable of this kind of raw, consuming desire.
Kate blinked as Nick lifted his head, his breath warm and heavy against her skin.
A shiver raced up her spine as he brushed his thumb along her jawline, tilting her face towards him, his eyes ensnaring hers with an intensity that made her forget how to breathe.
Electricity crackled in the air between them, tightening the coil of need in her belly until it bordered on pain.
“That was amazing, but if we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to.” Nick tenderly swept a lock of her hair back behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her temple. “And I don’t think you are ready for more.”
Kate didn’t respond; was unable to respond.
She desperately wanted him—wanted to relish the feel of his skin against hers, wanted to know what it would be like to let go—but he was right: she wasn’t ready for much more.
Not emotionally. Everything around them faded away until only his hypnotic eyes held her captive.
The world narrowed to the space between their bodies, to the heat and the want and the terrible, beautiful tension of holding back.
Slowly, Nick lowered his mouth to hers again, snatching the air from her lungs.
Kate melted under the onslaught, her body going pliant as her core tightened with need.
Soft lips turned bruising as his tongue invaded her mouth once more, stroking deep, claiming her in a way that had her whimpering into his mouth.
With tremendous effort, Kate tore herself away from the temptation of his mouth, his body, gulping in a shuddering breath.
His smoldering gaze locked with hers, dark with an unspoken hunger that made her feel desired in a way she’d never experienced.
She traced his features with trembling fingers, marveling at the flush across his handsome face and the rapid pulse fluttering in his neck.
She did that to him. She made this strong, controlled man lose his composure.
Her voice emerged as a breathy whisper laden with regret and longing. “Nick, if we don’t stop now, I... I won’t want to stop either, but you’re right. I’m not ready for more.”
Kate swallowed hard, her body aching for his touch even as she fought to maintain control, as Nick’s hardening desire pressed insistently against her.
A shuddering gasp escaped her lips, her hips rocking into his before she could stop herself.
The sensation of his thick, rigid length grinding into her sensitive core sent dizzying jolts of pleasure racing through her nerve endings, making her see stars.
His hardness throbbed urgently through the layers of fabric between them, a silent entreaty to continue their passionate encounter, to finish what they’d started.
Kate hesitated a moment before confessing in a soft, breathy whisper. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I don’t think I am. You feel too good under me.” A blush spread across her cheeks as she admitted that, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret the truth.
Kate’s heart thudded so hard she felt it everywhere—her throat, her fingertips, the aching place low in her belly where his body pressed into hers. His nearness blurred the edges of everything else, left her dizzy and a little unmoored, floating in a sea of sensation she’d never navigated before.
Nick used his grip on her waist to grind her against him again, forcing her to feel what she did to him. “I’m not complaining,” he growled before pressing a quick, fierce kiss to her lips, promising more—so much more—if she’d let him.
“I’d better go now,” he murmured, voice rough with a hunger she emotionally wasn’t ready to meet, though her body screamed otherwise. “Before I don’t leave.”
Her pulse fluttered. Part of her wanted to tell him not to. To stay and let the moment unfold into something she’d been imagining since the first time he looked at her like she wasn’t just another guest passing through, like she mattered.
But she couldn’t. Not yet. The wounds were too fresh, her trust too fragile.
Kate swallowed, her lips tingling where his had been, swollen and sensitive, and forced herself to nod. “Okay.” The word came out smaller than she intended, laced with reluctance.
Nick’s eyes opened slowly, the green depths stormy with restrained desire, and for one breathless instant, she thought he might change his mind—might try to change her mind.
But then his hands eased away from her hips, a measured retreat that felt almost like a promise—one she didn’t dare name, one that whispered of patience and tomorrows.
He shifted her gently to the swing and rose to his feet, every movement controlled, deliberate, like he was holding something back. Something he wasn’t ready to let her see. Something that might overwhelm them both.
For a long moment, he just looked down at her, his chest still rising and falling with deep breaths. The hush stretched out between them, warm and full of things unsaid, heavy with possibility.
Then he exhaled, a sound low and resigned, tinged with longing. “Sleep well, Kate.”
Kate's heart beat too fast and too loud in the quiet following his departure, her body still humming with unreleased tension. She pressed trembling fingers to her lips, still tasting him there, the ghost of his touch on her skin.
And though part of her was relieved he’d left—grateful for the space to catch her breath and her scattered thoughts—another part already missed the way he’d felt. Solid, certain, impossibly real in a way that terrified and thrilled her in equal measure.
She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, trying to contain the chaos of emotion and sensation swirling inside her. Her body still throbbed with need, her skin too sensitive, her mind replaying every sensation, every kiss, every whispered word.
She was supposed to sleep now?