Page 9 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

I look up to find that his jaw has tightened. Those big brown eyes of his are even more hooded now. I take a step closer to him, my hips are coming alive, and I’m close enough to feel the heat coming off of him, or maybe it’s coming off of me and bouncing back off his chest. I wonder if he has a hairy chest. His skin is tanned, the color of honey, and I want to lick him all over.

What?

My hands are up in my hair, and I’m rolling my head around like I’m in a porny shampoo commercial.

And I remember all of a sudden that I’m wearing my glasses.

What kind of a nerd wears glasses while dancing in a nightclub?

Never mind—not going to think about it now.

And I’m definitely not going to think about the fact that I’m not ready to start dating again, because I’m just dancing with a stranger.

I raise my hands up, letting my hair fall around my shoulders. And since my hands are already up in the air, I run my fingers through his short dark hair and then rest my arms on his shoulders. I’m grinning like a saucy little minx, but I can’t help it. “I like your wavy hair.”

“I gotta say, I like your fingers in my hair.”

Dammit, I need to know if he has hair on his chest. I bite my lower lip and unbutton just one button on his black shirt, because I’m tipsy and I’m celebrating my new life, andhello perfect smattering of chest hair.I want to get you wet and slide around on you, all the way down your happy trail.

Huh?

The song cross fades to some dreamy hip hop song that’s just a little slower, but my heart rate is picking up. I take one step closer, and he puts one hand on my hip, anddear God I like how this feels.

We’re close, so close, swaying together.

Thanks to these high-heeled boots, my lips are right by the impossibly sexy spot where the smooth honey-colored skin begins its sultry transition to barely hairy chestville, and it smells so, so good right here. I want to press my lips against this warm, smooth, man-scented skin. Or if I tilted my head back and up just a little…

His other warm hand is on my other hip now, andwhy does that feel so good?

I barely know him, and I barely know myself right now, but I feel so safe in his arms and also so excited.

He is a gentleman. I love that he waited for me to move in closer first and thenboom.Hand. Other hand. And ohmy, if I’m not mistaken, this gentleman has something big and naughty starting to happen in his pants.

He moves that hand that’s on my hip the tiniest bit, barely a squeeze, but it shuts my eyes and weakens my knees and takes my breath and everyone else in the room away.

I’m limp.

I’m floating.

It’s just us now.

And then I’m tilting my head back and up just a little…

His hand is cupping my neck and his full, soft, warm lips are pressed to mine, and we’re completely still or maybe we’re spinning.

It’s the first kiss of the rest of my life.

It’s perfect, and it could be enough, just this.

I could back away now, get an Uber home, and have a perfect memory of a perfect moment with a handsome stranger.

His lips pull away, ever so slowly.

I pull back so I can see him. My eyelids are so heavy, but I need to see him. I need to see his heavy lids and his slightly flaring nostrils and the tip of his tongue through his parted lips. He stares hard at my mouth.

His hand is still behind my neck.

His other hand slides up the side of me, from my waist up to my face, thumb dragging along my jaw, fingers sweeping up into my hair.