Page 30 of Hale Yes (Highway to Hale #1)

“I don’t know,” Annette says warily. “Her new boyfriend is really handsome, and I looked him up. He’s, like, a billionaire or something.”

Angelica sounds pissed, and I can picture her squinting blue eyes. “Whose side are you on, Annette?”

“Yours of course,” she answers with placating swiftness. “I was just saying, Helix Hale is a catch. And sooooo hot.”

Licking my finger, I press it to his chest and make an almost silent sizzling sound. Both our shoulders shake as we try to keep our amusement quiet.

All my hilarity fades at Angelica’s next words. “He’s probably not even her real boyfriend. I mean, what would he even see in her?”

Shit.

Helix frowns and shakes his head at me as we hear Annette again.

“I don’t know. I think Nicolette is gorgeous.

That dress looks amaz—” She cuts herself off, and I can only imagine the glare my sister is giving her.

“I mean, she looks like crap. Totally horrible. You’re probably right.

I’m sure they’re just faking it for the party. ”

My sister’s voice comes through loud and clear. “I know I’m right. Now come with me to the bathroom. I need to pee.”

Panic rises in my chest because holy hell, they’re headed this way , but Helix bends his head and whispers, “Trust me?”

“Yes,” I reply without thinking, and the next thing I know, I’m being spun until my back is pressed firmly against the wall. When Helix steps into me, I’m sandwiched between plaster behind me and a large, hard body in front of me.

Then he takes my mouth with his. It’s not the usual tentative brush of lips between a couple having their first kiss. No, this is brimming with the confidence of a man who knows how to fucking kiss a woman.

I’m floundering, unable to figure out what to do with my hands, when I hear two sets of footsteps.

As if someone told them to do it, my arms slide up and around Helix’s neck, my fingers weaving into the softness of his thick, dark-brown hair.

He makes a small noise of approval a second before twin gasps sound off from beside us.

And then all outside noise fades away when Helix’s tongue breaches the barrier of my lips. Not that it was a very effective barrier in the first place because I parted them without much urging. We’re in our very own steamy bubble of need and longing, unaware of the rest of the world.

Helix tastes like sugar and warm whiskey, and I feel a sense of euphoria as our tongues slide and twirl together.

I know logically it’s simply the effects of various hormones that are released when two people kiss.

Serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine, to name a few.

But this is more than simple biochemistry.

This is electricity, a carnal hunger for more, more, more.

Our tongues battle, but his is a four-star general, commanding mine to follow his slow but demanding rhythm. Meanwhile, one of his arms belts my waist, holding me to him while the other…

Dear god. His other hand is firmly kneading my ass.

I repeat… His. Hand. Is. On. My. Ass.

A whimper escapes me when he slides it down to the back of my knee because seriously dude, what are you doing? Grab my butt again. But that whimper quickly morphs into a moan when he yanks my thigh up around his hip.

And there it is. His penis. Directly between my legs. Either this man is smuggling a lead pipe in his trousers or he is very well-endowed. For the love of all that’s good and holy, please let it be the latter. I discover it is indeed his very hard cock when I rock my hips in a searching circle.

He growls into my mouth. Literally growls.

I’ve read about this before in romance books, but I’ve never understood it, and I’ve certainly never experienced it before.

I thought it was one of those things romance authors must have had a meeting about and voted on.

Things that only happen in their steamy books and never in real life.

You know, like growling, multiple orgasms, and women who fall asleep after sex without peeing and yet never get a UTI.

But when Helix Hale growls at me like a wild animal toying with his prey, I become a fan of the human growl. A huge, pom-pom-toting, foam-finger-wearing fan. Rah-rah, motherfucker.

Helix dips his knees and gives me a forceful upward grind against my clit, and my body lights up like fireworks in the darkest of skies. He’s going to make me come like this. Fully clothed against a wall.

But then he ends the kiss with one more slow swirl of his tongue and a soft suck against my lips.

When I open my eyes, my vision is hazy, and I think maybe the kiss was so hot it dissolved my contact lenses.

Then I realize it’s merely the haze of pure, unadulterated lust… as well as Helix’s foggy glasses.

He removes them and sticks them inside the pocket of his jacket, his gaze never leaving mine.

I think he’s just as affected as I am, his pupils dilated so widely I can barely see the blue of his irises.

When he licks his lips like he has to have just one more tiny taste of me, he might as well have reached down and pinched my clit.

Helix speaks first in a voice filled with grit. “Well, I guess we made our point.”

“We made a point all right,” I reply.

Speaking of points, I wish he’d point that deliciously hard penis back to my vagina. Fortunately, I refrain from expressing that audibly.

He finally pulls his gaze away and glances to his right. “They’re gone.”

“Who?” I ask before mentally slapping myself. “Oh yeah. Whats-her-name and… the other one.” My brain is so addled, I can’t seem to remember the names of the people who witnessed that epic mouth-fucking.

Helix’s lopsided smile is awfully smirky, but I don’t mind. He deserves to be smug after that. The man has a sensuous, talented mouth that’s worthy of a large trophy. Maybe one with a big tongue on top and a placard that reads World’s Sexiest Kisser.

He seems to realize he’s still holding my leg around his waist, and he slowly lowers it before smoothing down my dress. “Thank goodness for stretchy fabric.” His thumb brushes across my lips. “And Hale Cosmetics smudge-proof lipstick.”

My fingers flutter around my mouth. “It still looks good?”

“Mmm, very good.” Did his voice just go an octave deeper? “Though your lips are pretty swollen.” He seems to be proud of that accomplishment because his gorgeous lips twitch.

“Yours are too,” I retort, which only makes him smile bigger.

“I don’t mind if everyone sees what we’ve been up to.” He glances down between us where there’s a very erect piece of evidence that’s tenting the front of his pants. “Though I probably need to get this under control before we go back out there. Don’t want to be indecent.”

I can’t stop my giggle. “Bridezilla would be offended because I doubt she’s ever seen one that impressive.”

Helix looks like a proud dad. “You think it’s impressive, queenie?”

Shoving at his chest, I roll my eyes. “Good grief! Men! Go to the bathroom and…” What was I going to say there? Jack off? “Go splash some cold water on your face and think about baseball or something,” I finish.

He backs away and winks. “Might take a while. Like a full inning of baseball thoughts. I’m pretty worked up right now.”

When he enters the men’s room, I sag against the wall, letting all the air spill from my lungs. My boss just kissed the fire out of me. I know he was just “proving a point” and it will never happen again.

But did I want it to?

Hale yes, I did.