“We never should have stopped.”
Every emotion looked good on her—anger, indignation, even shame, though I had no idea why she’d feel ashamed, or how desperately she’d try to hide it.
Christ, this woman was the best lay I ever had, and now she gave me balls bluer than the damn wedding invitations.
Those pouty lips clamped over words she refused to speak, and her honey-amber eyes averted to avoid my gaze. No matter how much of an edge she added to her voice or how stiffly she squared her shoulders, Mandy’s bluff was weak.
So why did she fight me?
“You’re still chasing me,” she said. “Why?”
“Because I love to see those hips wiggle when you run.”
“You already had me, Nate.”
“I took you for one night. I never had you.”
“Well, one night was our agreement, remember?” Her voice weakened, losing some of the fire that nearly scorched the pants off me. “You promised me one night, no strings.”
I stepped closer, watching as her lip trembled over a lost breath. “You think I could forget that night?”
“You forgot the rules.”
“No. I broke the rules.”
“Why?”
“Because one night with you will never be enough.”
Her eyes focused on my chest, my neck, the muscles of my shoulders. Her gaze traced everywhere she’d kissed that night. Her lips had trailed over my every muscle, and her tongue flicked along the tattoos over my pecs. She’d done wilder things as her lips pressed lower. She was inexperienced, but raw enthusiasm and natural talent was better than any practiced mouth.
Even if I never took her again, I refused to let her regret the night we had.
“It’s been a month,” I said. “That’s too fucking long.”
Mandy shook her head. Waves of dark hair fell in front of her face. I brushed her cheek to chase the ebony locks away. She stopped me before my hand caressed the soft angle of her jaw.
The best decisions were made from my gut.
The fun choices came from the twitch of my cock.
I pulled her into my embrace. Her eyes locked on mine. She meant to chastise me, but even she couldn’t hide what simmered in her stare. It stirred everything inside me, and that desire was dangerous.
I shouldn’t have wanted her so badly.
I had no idea why I did.
“I’m not sleeping with you again,” she whispered.
“Why not?”
Her words trembled. “The first time caused enough trouble.”
“The second time can cause even more.”
“Not sure that’s physically possible.”
She squirmed. I let her go, but she lingered. Too close. Her hand trailed over my skin, and every touch shot bolts of pure adrenaline through my body, tearing through what wasn’t ravaged with a surge of desire.
I had a bed. I had a beautiful woman.
And she threaded her fingers into the tie around my neck. My breathing stilled. I’d take a leash or a whipping from this woman, and it didn’t matter as long as it was her delivering that pain or pleasure.
She gave me neither.
She wove the tie into a perfect knot, tightening it until it fit around my bare neck. I hardened, ready and willing to follow this woman wherever she led.
I hoped it was to the bed.
“I have to make it through this wedding,” she said. “There’s a lot of pressure on me to help. My parents can’t stand each other, and Lindsey is going insane—”
“I know a good way to cope with the stress.”
“You’re making it worse.”
I leaned in as her fingers curled around the tie. Our foreheads touched, and I breathed in the sweet vanilla scent of her.
Fuck, did she always smell this good? Look this good? Feel this soft?
Something about her was more tempting than before. It wasn’t a need for her. I actually hurt. My thoughts bled into a headache, my fingers cramped against the urge to throw her on the bed, and my cock would split if she didn’t drop to her knees and kiss away the strain.
A man could dream.
Mandy’s voice steadied. “We can’t do it again.”
“You know this hard-to-get game just makes me hard.”
“Let’s talk after the wedding, okay?” She bit her lip. I ducked down to taste it. Denied. “We’ll see if you still want me.”
“I can’t last two months before fucking you again.”
“I think after two months you’ll want out. I’m pretty sure you will.”
“Baby, I’m like a man stranded in the desert…” My lips grazed her cheek. She couldn’t hide the shiver. “I’m dying for something wet.”
She tightened the knot and jammed it into my neck. “You’re ridiculous.”