A hard hand cupped her chin and lifted it, forcing her gaze up to his. His expression was fierce, his green eyes burning with intensity. “I’ll decide what’s good for me. And you’re selling yourself way short by saying bullshit like that.”
Something close to panic skittered inside her. She shook her head again, her chin rubbing against his palm. “I have no clue how to make a romantic relationship work.” She’d only done it once before and had wound up crushed by the experience.
“I do.”
The words, the quiet conviction behind them, hit something buried deep inside her, the most vulnerable place she’d consciously guarded her entire life. They slid past every defense she had, unleashing a yearning so strong that she ached. She desperately wanted what he was offering, wanted to believe it might work. To her horror, tears flooded her eyes.
Instantly his expression softened, his grip on her chin gentling. He slid his thumb over her cheek, his gaze sincere. “All I’m asking is for you to give us a chance.”
She pressed her lips together and blinked fast, too afraid to speak in case a sob came out instead.
That strong hand moved to settle against the side of her face, his fingertips playing in the hair near her temple. “Do you trust me?”
The answer was immediate. She pulled in a shuddering breath as she fought for control and nodded.
“Then give us a chance.”
There was no way she could refuse him. Or herself, no matter how terrifying the prospect of failure was. “Okay.” It came out raspy and hoarse, the bubble of hope trapped in her lungs growing bigger and bigger.
A dimple appeared in his scruffy cheek and his eyes glowed with triumph, along with a flash of raw male hunger. Heat bloomed deep in her abdomen, the promise of what would happen when they were finally alone helping erase the threat of tears. “Thank you.” He dipped his head, his lips pressing against hers in a soft, slow kiss that set off a delicious curling sensation in her belly.
Briar closed her fingers on his shoulders, sinking them into his sweater. He made a hungry sound and wrapped an arm around her rear, pulling her into his body. She hummed at the feel of his erection trapped between them, her mind slipping back to the fantasy about pinning him to the door. His earlier words echoed in her head, about living in the moment and not wasting the opportunity to show someone she cared.
She would show him exactly what he meant to her.
With one hand she reached back and shut the door, locking the rest of the world out. Matt kissed her harder, deeper, sliding his tongue into her mouth.
Gripping his shoulders she used leverage and the element of surprise to hook a leg around one of his and twisted him around, pushing him up against the door. He stiffened in surprise for a second then groaned his approval into her mouth and fisted a handful of hair at the back of her head. The show of need, the slight, delicious burn on her scalp only shot her arousal higher.
Her hands slid down the front of his body to the waistband of his pants. This time she got them undone without fumbling and reached inside his underwear to grip his cock with her fist. His groan vibrated through her as she freed him, her fingers curling around his hot, thick length.
Ignoring his firm hold on her hair, Briar nipped and kissed her way down his chin, his throat, pulling against his grip as she went to her knees. He hissed in a breath and she paused to look up the length of his body, the molten desire in his gaze sending another wave of heat through her. She wrapped both hands around his cock, pressed her lips to the tip of the flared head. Matt plunged both hands into her hair and gripped her head, fingers flexing against her scalp, his entire body taut, breathing roughly.
She wanted to devour him, make him writhe and beg. She’d never felt so sensual, so powerful as she knelt before him and parted her lips to take him into her mouth.
Matt let out a guttural growl and tightened his hands in her hair, his hips flexing in helpless response. She let him slide deeper inside her mouth, swirling her tongue around the sensitive underside of his cock before pursing her lips and sucking slowly.
“Ah, fuck, Briar.”
Her body tingled all over, her sex already swollen and wet as she drew on him, savoring his salty tang on her tongue, the desperation in his voice, the grip of his hands. She slid her fists down his length a little, allowing her to take more of him in her mouth, and swallowed.
“Jesus Christ,” he groaned, his hips moving again, as though he couldn’t help it.
She wanted to make him lose control, leave him sweating and trembling and weak when she was through tormenting him and swallowed his release. It wasn’t something she’d ever found the least bit sexy before, but now the mere thought of doing that to Matt had her trembling.