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Esme’s smile faltered slightly as she glanced down at her phone. “Landlord says he can’t get a qualified electrician until the middle of next week.”
“Really?” I tried to keep my voice neutral, but inside, I couldn’t deny the thrill that shot through me. Esme would be staying here longer. A whole extra week of her proximity was a slice of heaven, even if it meant more nights of torturous desire.
“Yeah, so I guess we’ll be crashing in paradise for a little while longer.” Esme bit her lip uncertainly, and the small gesture had my blood heating. She looked so fucking cute when she did that.
“As I said, you can stay as long as you need,” I reassured her, my voice heavy with sincerity.
“And as I’ve said, loads of times, thank you.” She locked her gaze with mine, and for a moment, the world faded away. I curled my hands into fists to stop myself from pulling her into my arms and crushing my lips to hers, but I couldn’t stop looking at her. Finally, Esme broke, dragging her gaze from mine and smiling at the kids. “Alright, dinner’s almost ready. Everyone upstairs to wash, please.”
The moment the kids were out of earshot, a heavy tension settled between us like a fog. If I was a gentleman, I would have left her to go wash up too. But I wasn’t, so I stayed where I was, feeling the heat between us settling at the base of my spine. She seemed to sense it too, giving me a shy smile as a flush crept into her cheeks. I tried to focus on anything else, like the smell of tacos cooking and the sound of the stove’s exhaust fan whirring above us.
Fidgeting a little, Esme crossed her arms, which had the effect of pushing her breasts up. Of course, that’s straight where my gaze went, and my body pulsed with the memory of exactly how good they felt in my hands.Get a fucking grip.I forced myself to look away.
“I’ll... I’ll just grab some tinned tomatoes for the ground beef,” she said, her voice barely audible over the noise of the fan.
My gaze followed her as she moved into the pantry, drinking her in. She stepped onto her tiptoes, stretching her slender arm upward, trying to reach the top shelf. Without a second thought, I closed the distance between us, stepping into the tight space behind her.
“Here, let me help you with that.” My fingers brushed against hers as I plucked the can from the shelf and handed it to her. The air around us thickened and grew hot.
“Thanks,” she whispered, her breath warm against my neck as she tilted her head back to look up at me. The heat between us was a wildfire, ready to consume me whole.
She turned to face me, and I felt her breasts pressing against my chest when she swayed closer, her lips parting ever so slightly, her eyes wide and hungry on mine. It was all the invitation I needed. I wrapped my arms around her, hauling her close as our mouths collided. Her fingers tangled in my hair, gripping tightly as if to anchor herself to the moment.
Our tongues danced together, the taste of her sweet and intoxicating, making me crave more. I lost myself in her, the softness of her lips, and the way her curves fit so perfectly against me. Nothing had ever felt this good, and I didn’t want to stop.
But as the sound of footsteps echoed down the stairs, we broke apart, our chests heaving, both flushed and fighting to regain control.
“Fuck,” I muttered, my voice barely audible. The hunger in her eyes mirrored my own, an unspoken promise that the fire between us was far from extinguished.
“What are we doing?”
“I don’t know,” I breathed out, my heart racing.
“I... I need to get back to dinner,” she breathed with a blush, her eyes still locked with mine, as if daring me to make a move again.
But I held back, allowing her space to step away from me. Heat surged through me once more as she moved slowly and carefully out of the pantry, looking back at me one last time before turning to smile at the kids. Yeah, this was torture, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.
CHAPTER24
Esme
Lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling, my lips tingling. It had been three days since the kiss and it still haunted me, leaving me restless and yearning for more. So here I was, hot and hungry, and even though it was after midnight, there was no chance of me going to sleep anytime soon. Tiana and Belle were fast asleep beside me, their innocent faces taunting me with how sweet and relaxed they looked.
I tried to resist the temptation, but I just couldn’t help myself; my mind wandered down the hall, to where Wolfe lay in his own bed. The thought of him so close, yet so far away, ignited a desire that threatened to consume me.
“Fuck,” I whispered under my breath, trying not to wake the girls. My body ached with need, every nerve ending sparking with frustration and longing.Why can’t we just fuck once?I wondered silently. Everyone else was asleep, and they’d never know if I sneaked into Wolfe’s room, had a quick, quiet fuck, and then returned to my own bed.
I dragged in a few deep, meant to be, calming breaths as I tried to talk myself out of this terrible idea. But once the thought had entered my mind, I couldn’t let it go. We were two consenting adults, for fuck’s sake. Who were we hurting? Fuck it. My heart was pounding, but the decision was made. There was no turning back now.
I carefully pulled the blankets off me and eased out of bed. My tiptoes barely made a sound as I crept down the hallway, feeling like a thief in the night. The darkness of Wolfe’s bedroom seemed to swallow me whole, and for a moment, I almost backed out. But then I remembered the taste of his lips, the way his hands had felt on my skin, and all hesitation vanished.
“Shit,” I muttered, my breath hitching as I inched closer to his bed. The air was thick with anticipation, and I could feel the heat radiating off Wolfe’s sleeping form. Jesus, even asleep, he was hot.
Then he let me know he wasn’t asleep. “Esme? What are you doing here?” His voice was a low whisper that sent shivers down my spine.
“I want…” My words trailed off, and Wolfe propped himself up on one elbow to look at me. The dim light from the open window cast eerie shadows on his handsome face, but I didn’t care about that. All I cared about was the hunger in his eyes, the way he seemed just as desperate for this as I was.
“What do you want?” He asked, his voice barely audible.