Page 11 of Riding the Curve

“You don’t want me, Em,” I whispered.

“I’ve never wanted anything more.”

Once again, the man shocked me into silence as he trailed his fingers tenderly up and down my neck. Somehow, I managed to find my voice again. “There are so many other women out there you could have. Others that are more gorgeous. More experienced . . . more⁠—”

Before I could finish, his fingers pinched my lips closed.

“One, no one holds my attention like you. Two, I’ll teach you anything you want to learn, Henley. I’m an excellent teacher.”

Oh my god.

“Em—”

His hand circled around my neck and squeezed gently.

“You know what I think?” he purred. “I think you’re a good girl who is looking to get herself into a little bit of trouble. I’m feeling a little rebellious tonight. How about you?” His steady voice thrummed through my entire body. He must have sensed my reaction as an alluring smirk tilted his lips. I struggled to decide whether I wanted to slap or kiss it off his face.

Slowly, I nodded.

The smirk grew into a full-blown smile. The same gorgeous smile that made me fall head over heels for him in the first place. The smile I found myself dreaming about more often than I cared to admit.

“Tell me. What do you want?”

Ladies and gentlemen, this was happening.

Either that or I’d died after slipping on the puddle of water I never managed to clean up, and this was my version of heaven. If so, I never wanted to wake up.

“Henley?” Emerson’s deep voice stirred me back to reality.

Nope. Not dead.

This was a very real event that was happening, and all I was doing was standing here frozen like a statue. My cheeks heated even further as I realized I’d been silent for far longer than one should be at this moment.

“I . . . I . . .” my stubborn lips stammered.

“Words, Hen. I need to hear you say it out loud.” His voice rumbled through me, igniting every neuron inside of me with a match.

“I want you to . . . kiss me,” I confessed.

A hint of a smile twitched on his mouth as his forehead dipped and brushed lightly against mine before pulling back slightly. “The Henley I know never shies away from saying exactly what’s on her mind. Try again.”

This was the moment you’ve been waiting for. Be brave, woman.

As his deep cerulean gaze lured me into its grasp, I took a deep breath and finally told the man what I’d been wanting to tell him for years. “I want you to finish what you started that night. I want to know how you taste. Feel your touch against my skin. I want all of you, over every inch of me.”

A dark chuckle vibrated through his throat, and for a moment my heart began to sink.

“There you are, Trouble,” he growled right before slamming his lips against mine.

I gasped into his mouth, his tongue slipping through the opening to tangle with my own. The burn of whiskey and the soothing taste of mint clashed against my senses, and my knees went weak. One moment, I was pressed against the wall, the next he was lifting my hips and shoving me onto the counter behind me. All without our lips ever breaking apart.

With one hand he pushed my thighs wide and placed his body in between them. The palm that gripped my thigh glided around to my ass. Fingers dug into the smooth denim as he cupped it just long enough to scoot me forward so that our bodies were glued together.

This was not a sweet, tender kiss by any means.

It was more like a revelation.

Plush lips rolled over mine with a fierce possessiveness, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck, locking me into place. A moan ripped through me when his teeth nipped at my bottom lip and tugged. My fingers curled into his sweater, sliding his hard chest against mine and rubbing against my peaked nipples. The sensation had me vibrating with need as he groaned deeply with pleasure. There was a sharp sting on my scalp as he tugged back my hair and exposed my neck.