Page 39

Her gaze follows the movement, molten with desire. I lock eyes with her as I suck my fingers into my mouth, groaning at the taste of her. Fuck, she's delicious. Tangy and sweet, like forbidden fruit.
"You're playing a dangerous game," I warn, my voice rough with need.
Skylar's lips curl into a defiant smirk. "You're the one playing games, Austin."
I lean in, drawn by an irresistible magnetism. My body screams to taste more, to devour her completely. Our breath mingles, hot and heavy between us.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of," I growl, my lips a whisper away from hers.
Suddenly, the patter of small feet and high-pitched giggles echo down the hallway. Reality crashes back like a bucket of ice water. Skylar and I spring apart, the spell broken.
"Fuck," I mutter, running a hand through my hair.
Skylar's eyes dart toward the sound, then back to me. For a moment, I see a flicker of vulnerability in her expression before her walls slam back into place.
"Looks like playtime's over," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Better luck next time, big shot."
With a final challenging look, Skylar slips into the guest room, the door clicking shut behind her. I'm left alone in the hallway, my body thrumming with unfulfilled desire and my mind a chaotic mess of conflicting emotions.
"Damn it," I hiss, slamming my palm against the wall. The sharp sting does little to quell the inferno raging inside me.
I pace the hallway, my thoughts a jumbled whirlwind. How does she do this to me? One minute, I'm in control, the next, I'm coming apart at the seams. It's maddening.
"Dad!" Lucas's voice calls from down the hall. "Can we have ice cream?"
I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "Just a minute, buddy," I call back, my voice strained.
Leaning my forehead against the cool wall, I close my eyes. I need to get it together. I'm Austin Rhodes, for fuck's sake. I run a multi-billion-dollar company. I don't lose control over a woman in a bikini.
But Skylar isn't just any woman, is she?A traitorous voice whispers in my mind.
"Stop it," I mutter to myself. "She's trouble. Nothing but a distraction."
Yet even as I think it, I know it's a lie. The taste of her lingers on my tongue, a reminder of how close I came to giving in to temptation.
I straighten up, adjusting my suit and willing my body to calm down. I have to focus. There are kids to care for, a company to run, a life to keep in order. I can't let Skylar Deveraux derail everything I've worked for.
But as I descend the stairs, my resolve already feels shaky. How long can I keep resisting the pull between us? And more importantly, do I even want to?
Chapter 13
Theo
The weight of Skylar's body against my chest is a comfort I never want to go away. Her skin glistens with a thin sheen of sweat, our ragged breaths slowly returning to normal in the dim light of her bedroom. The scent of sex and her jasmine perfume hangs heavy in the air.
I never want to leave. But I know my time is limited.
I can't resist trailing my fingertips along the smooth expanse of her thigh, relishing this rare moment when she allows my touch to linger. It's only in these post-orgasmic moments that her walls come down, if only slightly.
I want to love her with everything I am, everything I have, for the rest of our long lives. She wants to keep me at arm’s length and use our shared past to justify it.
"You're thinking too loudly," Skylar murmurs against my skin, her voice husky.
I chuckle softly. "Just enjoying the moment, Skylark."
She shifts, propping herself up on an elbow to look at me. Those hazel eyes, usually so guarded, are soft now. "Don't get used to it," she says, but there's no real bite to her words.
"Wouldn't dream of it," I reply, my hand still tracing lazy patterns on her skin. I want to memorize every curve, every freckle. "Although, a guy could get addicted to this view."