Page 80 of Between the Lines

My eyes roll back in my head, and I brace myself against the sofa just so I don’t collapse like a puddle.

Caden pauses, and my hooded eyes meet his, staying there as he daringly gathers the fabric of my silky green dress further up my thigh. It’s making me wild, but his touch is gentle and safe. With his other hand, he nudges me to lean back against the cushions.

Caden parts my legs, gripping me and kisses me on my most sensitive spot, right over my lacy black thong.

Every muscle in my body reacts to his touch, tensing in the most tantalizing way.

“Fuck . . . all I’ve wanted to do since I saw you in this dress tonight was taste what’s underneath.”

His words only make my need stronger.

I glance down at him with heavy eyes.

“Then taste me,” I reply with a confidence I didn’t know I possessed.

A growl rips through his throat—it’s all the permission he needs before he’s tearing the lacy thong straight off my legs, tossing them over his shoulders. I buck up into him, hands tangled in his mess of hair, as my feet—still in three-inch heels—dig into his shoulders, holding him to me.

His tongue flutters along my slit, and I toss my head back, giving into my desire.

All I know is he’s kept his promise from the moment I met him, up until now.

Because as he worships my body like a temple, bringing me to the edge of ecstasy, I don’t think about my past.

In fact, I’m unable to do much of anything but scream his name as he keeps his promise to make me feel good.

“If you want to go back over to the guesthouse, you can,” Caden whispers as we sit on the sofa, my body draped over his. “I’m not kicking you out, but I want you to feel comfortable.” He pauses, running his fingers lightly through my hair as his eyes flick to mine with a smirk. “Or you can stay here.”

I stare up at the ceiling, pondering the events of the evening.

One minute we were coworkers at a dinner event, and the next thing I’m naked in his living room . . . but it’s not really that simple.

It’s been building for weeks, even if I wanted to ignore it.

Tonight was just the pinnacle, the point of no return.

I’m not ready to return to real life, not when tonight has felt like a fairy tale. I’m inside my own book, and I’m not ready to turn the page.

“I’d like to stay here,” I whisper back, playing with the button on his shirt, hoping that’s what he wants too. “I don’t have to pick up Daisy until the morning.”

Caden smiles softly. “I would like that.”

It’s quiet again, the hum of the ceiling fan above us, the gentle breeze outside the window reminding me that this night is almost over.

I swallow hard, the words coming up my throat, the fear encasing me.

We’ve come this far. I know I need to just say it. While I still have a lick of courage.

“I don’t want this to be a one-time thing.”

Caden studies me, eyes cast down. His face is serious, stern. Sexy.

“I don’t think I’m capable of stopping now,” he says with a confidence that makes me smile despite myself.

I sit up, my hair tumbling over my bare shoulders.

“You’ve seen my life,” I whisper, “up close and personal. Daisy is my number one priority, and my time is so limited, I don’t really have time to date . . .” I trail off, blushing.

Caden hooks a finger under my chin, tilting my face to his. “I’m crazy about you, Fia.” He closes the gap, kissing me softly. “And I love how you love your daughter.”