Page 35 of Cherished Lands

"Okay, play it back for me." We were sitting on the bed in his childhood bedroom. I'd propped up a few pillows along the wall and stretched out, while Elliot sat stiffly on the edge.

He let out a long-suffering sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe once we were man and wife, I could run my fingers through it too.

Oops, nope. Don't go there.

"Tonight, we'll walk into Callaghan's holding hands. It's Sunday trivia night, so the bar will be packed. We'll have a drink, then I'll get down on one knee and propose."

"Don't forget the long, romantic speech."

"Of course," he said wearily

I shook out my hands. "I'm nervous. Are you nervous?"

"No. It'll be fine." He turned toward me, bending one knee and pulling it up onto the bed. Without so much as a word of warning, he reached out a big hand and squeezed my thigh. A bolt of lightning shot straight to my core. "We'll make it convincing."

Yep. I'm convinced.

"You gonna kiss me afterwards, Paul Bunyan, or let the town think you're some big prude?"

Elliot smirked and moved his hand a fraction of an inch up my leg. "If you want a kiss, Tessa, all you have to do is ask."

His teasing voice was low and gravelly.So sexy.I fought the urge to squirm.This is business.

"Might not be a bad idea to go for one now," I said with a casual shrug. "Don't want our first kiss to be in public and have you totally miss my mouth or use too much tongue or something."

"You think I'm gonna be a bad kisser, Princess?"

"Only one way to find out."

It was a challenge. A dare. I knew it. He knew it. His eyes darted to my lips then back to my eyes.Oh, yeah. It's on.

I was barely breathing. He moved in slow motion, leaning forward and sliding his free hand into the hair at my temple.

Then Elliot Everton was kissing me.

And I was utterly lost.

Chapter Thirteen

ELLIOT

That little gaspright before I pressed my lips to hers was confirmation enough. She hadn't expected me to do it. But here I was, kissing Tessa Belmonte like I was drowning, and she was the only source of air.

Her nails bit through my shirt as she dug her fingers into my biceps and arched into me with a soft moan. The taste of her mouth—sweet like the wine she'd been drinking—made my head spin and my cock throb.Fuck, she can kiss.

It took effort, but I pulled away until mere centimeters separated us and spoke against her lips. "Think that'll convince 'em?"

"Yeah. Yep," she whispered shakily. "That'll do."

Before I could retreat further, she launched herself at me. My surprised grunt stretched into a moan as she plunged her fingers into my hair and slipped her tongue in my mouth. I fell back onto the bed, banding my arms around her waist and taking her with me. She settled herself on top of me, pressing her core into my raging hard on.

"All for show, right?" She ground her pussy into me, and I groaned into her neck.

"Did you know that your name backwards spells 'asset'?" My hands slid down to cup and squeeze her ass cheeks. "Seems fitting."

Goddamn. Such a sweet little ass. Round and firm. Fits perfectly in my hands.

"And if you shuffle around the letters of your name, you get 'toilet.'"