Page 14 of Final Temptation (Alpine Peak #2)

Goosebumps broke out over his body the lower my hands crept.

He allowed my hands to wander, discovering every blessed inch of him. His chest was strong, broad, and his stomach was lean. I lost count of his muscles as my fingers trailed over each one. Veins ran through his forearms, looking every bit strained from propping himself up over me.

“Fuck, Sophie. What do I do with you? The way you’re looking at me right now… My mind is fucking spinning with the things I want to do to you.” Myles broke me from the trance his body had me in.

My fingernails dragged up his rigid stomach, reaching the scruff around his face. Our gaze only met for a few seconds before my eyes dipped to his mouth, pulling on his lower lip with my thumb and finger, getting a closer look at his tattoo.

“What if I give you a little reminder of that night?” I whispered.

“I thought you said it wouldn’t happen again?” The timber in his voice became needier the longer we laid here.

“Just one more kiss. After this, we can go back to pretending it never happened,” I pleaded.

“You want me to pretend this never happened? If the first kiss between us was unforgettable, I’m not sure how you expect me to erase the image of your tits spilling out of your bra in front of my face, Princess.” He swallowed.

“Maybe don’t forget it then.”

“If I start kissing you, Sophie, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”

“I told you that night, you have to earn me. My mind hasn’t changed. I’m not a one-and-done kind of girl.” My teeth tugged at my bottom lip.

“No, you’re not.” His hand snaked up my side, stopping below my bra, his thumb swiping my under boob, causing my breath to hitch. “I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give me, Soph.”

Continuing to pull his lower lip, I inched his face closer to mine, reaching my tongue toward his lip and swiping at it. His grip tightened around my ribs. He liked that.

My hands wound around his neck, reaching for his hair, weaving my fingers through every strand.

Closing the gap, our lips met, both of us kissing the other like we were desperate for it.

I hadn’t kissed anyone since Myles—the first time.

I wasn’t sure what his history looked like, but I could only imagine he’d been busier than me.

The first time we kissed, it was electric, but this time was different.

It was full of need, desire, and longing.

I hated to admit I longed for Myles Cooper.

I knew how his type worked; playboys enjoyed the moment .

Girls like me…we enjoyed the memory, until that memory broke our hearts.

He’d move on to the next best thing, where I’d sit here and obsess over him.

A kiss like this was hard to get over—impossible to get out of your head.

The thought of his tattoo flickered back into my mind.

He got the tattoo because he wants to remember. He enjoys the memory.

He marked himself with me.

That word etched into his lip stirred up a fire inside me. I could feel the heat pool between my legs, the hardness of his cock rubbing against my center, making me silently beg for more.

Our tongues moved against each other wildly.

A pleading whimper escaped my lips, catching the moan from his.

His cock continued to grind against me, daring to slide through the thin fabric of my panties.

My hands moved tortuously slow from his hair, down to the elastic waistband of his underwear. He growled in excitement.

His touch matched my wandering hands. Inching up toward my neck, skimming the tops of my breasts on the way, he tore his lips from mine. Refusing to fully end this moment, his lips trailed down my jaw, to my neck, kissing and biting his way lower and lower until he reached my boob with his tongue.

He licked and sucked, marking my skin with his mouth and the roughness of his beard. My nipples were hard as stone, dying to feel his mouth just an inch lower.

Fuck, if we kept this up, it would go against everything I wanted—something real. I didn’t want a one-time thing. Would it be satisfying as hell to fuck Myles? Of course. He would probably rock my world. He’d rock it so hard, it would crush me.

Just one more kiss? We are playing with fire if this is what we considered just a kiss.

Taking a palm full of his hair, I tugged, lifting him from my breast. “Just a kiss,” I huffed in breathless regret.

His eyes were crazed with lust, his cock still bulging from his briefs. I could tell he was torn between respecting me and the boundaries I set, and wanting to finish what we started. His breath was heavy, the muscles in his chest rising up and down.

“You’re right.” He nodded, scooting back so he wasn’t hovering over me anymore. “I’m sorry…I got carried away.”

I felt bad. He looked genuinely upset that maybe we had taken this game a little bit too far.

“I wanted it too, Myles. I still do want it. I just want more than a one-night stand, something that can go further than tonight. I’m not sure you’re capable of giving me what I want right now,” I explained.

“What if we can meet somewhere in the middle?”

“How would that even be possible?” My eyebrows furrowed.

“Friends with benefits—” The moment those words left his mouth, I shook my head, cutting him off.

“Arrangements like that never work, Myles. Especially between roommates. It could get messy.” My eyes fell.

Myles inched closer to me, his hand feeding under my hair, tilting my head to look up at him.

“Hear me out, Soph. You’re right, I’ve never been in a relationship.

It’s not because I haven’t wanted to. I just haven’t found someone I’ve wanted on a regular basis.

Someone who matches my energy, someone I’m so attracted to that I can’t get them off my mind.

I want those things; I’ve always wanted those things.

Right now, maybe I’m not in the best head space with my sobriety for a commitment, but maybe something more casual could be a step in the right direction.

Friends with benefits, but we would be each other’s only friends, ” he proposed.

I had to admit, it got me thinking. Sexual favors as often as I wanted them and no commitment? It sounded like a great idea, until I thought about the possibility of falling in love with Myles Cooper and him not feeling the same way.

“I can see your thoughts going a mile a minute. Let me just tell you this.” He brushed his thumb back and forth on the base of my neck.

“You’re unforgettable, Soph. You’re someone I enjoy being around, breathing the same air as, looking at you in your hot as hell sundresses and tiny crop tops.

If I ever saw myself giving it a go with someone, trying out something more serious, you’re it. ”

My stomach wavered, butterflies begging to escape. I wanted to trust Myles, but my heart already hurt for the future, when it would end up shattered into a million pieces. I dragged my hands down his chest, pushing lightly against him as I straddled his lap.

“Can I think about it?” I asked shyly.

“Of course. No pressure,” he answered before flinging his head to the back cushion of the couch, letting out a loud chuckle.

“What are you laughing at?” I shoved his chest, still sitting on his lap.

“I’m laughing because you have me so goddamn worked up that I need to go take care of myself now.” Myles touching himself one room over had my mind on fire, knowing I was about to do the same exact thing.

I lifted my legs off his lap, turning my back toward him, my entire ass on display. My hands reached behind my back, unclipping the clasp of my bra. I draped my arm over my naked tits, covering them from being fully exposed. I spun around on my heel, tossing my bra in his direction.

I know I said I needed to think about it, and undressing for him might have been a mindfuck, but I loved the idea of his thoughts swirling with confusion.

“Have fun with that, Rebel .” I sauntered off toward my room, locking it behind me with one thought in mind.

When will I put him out of his misery and agree to this friends with benefits arrangement?