Page 5 of Crash and Burn

I didn't finish my sentence. I didn't have the words to speak how I felt about him. The only thing I could think to do was surge forward and cover his lips with mine.

So I did.

Grant inhaled sharply and for a moment I thought he might pull away. Instead, he put one hand against the small of my back and buried the other in the hair at the nape of my neck. He tugged me until I was off the stool and standing between his spread legs.

He took control of the kiss, prying my mouth open with his tongue. I moaned, molding against him as all the bones in my body turned to jelly. I had imagined he tasted of melted butter, same as his voice, but now that I was this close to him, now that we were fused at the lips, all I could smell and taste was the sweetness of alcohol on his breath and a unique spice that belonged only to him.

I'd never tasted anything so delicious in my life.

I pressed myself against him, clutching his shoulders with both hands and digging my nails into his back. My mind whirled as I took in the sensation of his body against mine. Our clothes were an unwelcome barrier and I spent a moment wishing we weren't in the bar, that we weren't in public, that we were instead laying on a bed with nothing between us but rumpled sheets.

Grant did something with his tongue, a sort of flick and lick, and all I could imagine was where else on my body he might apply that same skill. This kiss felt like a preview of what was to come, and the thought of it made my insides throb. My body squirmed as I squeezed my thighs together to alleviate the ache that burned so sweetly between them.

Grant put pressure on my lower back, urging me forward to grind down against him. The hardening length in his jeans told me he was just as affected by this kiss as I was.

He ran a hand through my hair, pushing the strands away from my face. He left my lips, leaving me gasping for air as he peppered kisses all along my cheeks, nose and temple.

"Grant—" I managed to stammer, "I think I—"

"What is it?" He paused in his kissing for the briefest of moments to murmur against my skin.

"I want… I need…"

"What do you need, angel?"

The use of that pet name sent my heart racing.

"I need you," I moaned.

He returned to my lips, licking at the seam, seeking entrance.

"I think you've had enough."

I blinked.

"What?" I asked into his mouth.

"I think you've had enough to drink."

I blinked again, my blurry gaze coming into focus.

I was no longer pressed against Grant's body. I was still sitting on my barstool, and so was he. His head was tilted at an angle as he eyed me, a look of worry on his face.

Disappointment washed over me like a tsunami.

I'd never had a daydream that vivid. It had felt so real. I could still taste the alcohol and spice on my tongue.

I let out a slow, long breath, trying to calm myself.

"You're right," I told him. "I've definitely had too much to drink."

Grant did lean forward then and brushed a stray piece of hair away from my cheek, tucking it behind my ear. My still-flushed cheeks turned hot. My breath caught in my throat. Was this it? Was he going to kiss me for real this time? Had my daydream been some sort of premonition? Had my desire willed this to come true?

He examined me closely, looking into each eye in turn. His breath washed over me and it wasn't the alcohol and spice I'd imagined but something more earthy and woodsy. I breathed it in, memorizing it, cherishing it.

"Liz…" His voice was soft and quiet. "I—"

I didn't get to hear what he was going to say because the door flew open and Manny walked back in with another man in tow.