Page 102 of Guarded Love

I reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. I know I’m taking a risk by doing this in public, but right now, I don’t care.

"We don't have to figure out tomorrow right this second," I say. "But we do have tonight."

She stares down at our joined hands for a long moment before she speaks. "Your room, right?" she asks quietly.

My heart starts racing. "Definitely. Tyler won't be back for a while."

She nods, then finishes the rest of her drink in one gulp. "Okay."

I throw money on the table and stand, offering her my hand. She takes it without hesitation, and I help her to her feet.

We walk to the elevator in silence. Once the doors close and we're alone in the small space, Willow turns to face me.

"I've been thinking about the other night," she says softly.

"Yeah?" My voice comes out rougher than intended.

"Yeah." She steps closer. "I've been thinking about a lot of things."

The elevator dings at my floor, and the doors slide open. I lead her down the hallway with my hand on the small of her back. When we reach my room, I get the door open on the first try and give myself a mental pat on the back. The door closes behind us with a soft click, and suddenly the careful distance we've been maintaining since we were both last here crumbles.

“Come here, kitten,” I say firmly, and she doesn’t make me ask twice.

Willow crosses the space between us in two steps, her hands finding my chest as I pull her against me. When our mouths meet, there’s a feeling of desperation surrounding us because we know our time is running out. Tomorrow we'll be back to reality, back to how complicated all of this is and the boundaries we need to keep in place. But tonight is ours.

“I want you,” she whispers against my lips. The words shoot straight from her mouth and into my soul.

“You have me,” I tell her, meaning it in ways that go far beyond just tonight. “You’ve had me for a while now.”

Her confession breaks something open inside me. I frame her face with my hands, studying every detail like I'm trying to memorize her for when this all becomes a memory even though I hope it doesn’t.

"Say it again," I whisper.

"I want you, Blaise. I want this."

That's all the permission I need. My mouth crashes against hers. My hands find the zipper of her dress, sliding it down slowly while she works at the buttons of my shirt.

When her dress pools at her feet, I have to step back to look at her. The sight of her in her strapless white bra and matching panties makes my mouth go dry.

"Fuck, you're perfect," I mutter mostly to myself.

She reaches for me, but I catch her wrists gently. "Wait. I want to try something different tonight."

Her eyes widen before she raises an eyebrow at me. "Different how? The mirror play again?"

Instead of answering, I move to the bathroom and grab a couple of towels, spreading them on the floor near the foot of the bed. When I turn back to her, she's watching me with a mixture of confusion and anticipation.

"Trust me? And if there’s anything you don’t like or don’t want, let me know and I’ll stop immediately."

She nods without hesitation, and that hits me harder than anything else could. I guide her down onto the soft towels, following her movements as she settles on her back. I take a moment to just appreciate how beautiful she looks spread out beneath me.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks softly.

"About how I want to worship every inch of you," I admit as I press small kisses along her collarbone. "About how I want to make you feel things you've never felt before.”

My mouth travels lower and I take my time to undo her bra and play her breasts before continuing down her stomach. When I reach the edge of her panties, I look up to meet her eyes.

I hook my fingers in the waistband of her panties and slowly drag them down her legs before I toss them aside. The sight of her naked under me makes my cock throb in my jeans.