Page 40 of Kiss of Deceit

The door slowly opened, and Kole stepped out, going still when he spotted me.

“What are you doing up?” he asked.

“Me?” I shot back. “What are you doing?”

“Laundry. I got off work late.”

It was then I realized he was shirtless, and my gaze trailed down his muscular chest. Just like his arms, his torso was inked. Fuck me, he was hot. The gray sweatpants he had on was not helping. He cleared his throat, making my eyes shoot back to his face.

“Done checking me out?” he asked, his voice blunt.

My cheeks heated, but I ignored his comment. “Right, it’s laundry night. I didn’t hear you in there when I came downstairs.”

He was in there for a few minutes before I heard a sound. What was he doing in there other than starting the washer?

“I’m always up at this time. You’re the one changing up our routine of not seeing each other.” He ran a hand through hishair, messing it up. “Something happen at work to make you go in early?”

“I’m sure you’d know before me,” I mumbled, raising on my tiptoes to reach a coffee cup from the cupboard. “The sheriff seems to tell you everything. And no, nothing happened. I don’t go into work until later.”

“Then why are you up?”

“You’re not my mother,” I snapped, turning my back on him to pour the coffee. “I can get up without explaining it to you or anyone else.”

“And here I thought we were being civil to each other.” His arm appeared when he reached past to get a mug.

I scoffed. “Civil? We haven’t spoken since you told me to stop coming to your bar. Maybe you need to work on your self-control.”

I set my cup down to get the sugar, but the second I did, his hand landed on my hip and he spun me around. I stiffened in surprise, tilting my face up to glare at him.

“My self-control is perfectly intact,” he murmured, lowering his face until his lips were inches from mine. “If it wasn’t, I would have gone to my room instead of staying in here with you when those shorts barely cover your ass.”

My breath caught in my chest, and for a long few seconds, I debated on kissing him. Why was I resisting him so much?Because that would only be a complication I didn’t need. But the last time he’d touched me, I got lost in the pleasure. Whatever was in my head would be gone if I focused on him instead. He squeezed my hip, and a flush traveled through me. He could easily distract me.

That would be wrong. Using him for my own pleasure.

“What’s got you all quiet?” he questioned.

“I’m deciding whether to shred your self-control or not.”

Shock flared in his eyes. “Excuse me?”

I smiled, letting heat fill my gaze. “What? You’re the one who grabbed me—who’s still touching me. Go ahead, Kole. Kiss me.”

My words had suspicion flitting across his face. “What changed? You wanted nothing to do with me.”

“Because I have a lot on my mind,” I answered, my pulse strumming from being honest with him. “And I don’t want to think about it right now.”

“So you want to use me?”

My smirk grew wicked. “You can use me too.”

He released my hip only to grab the fabric of my hoodie and tug it up. On instinct, I lashed out, snatching his wrist. I didn’t push him off me, only preventing him from lifting my shirt.

He cocked his head, challenge brimming in his eyes. “Change your mind already? Use me, Dani.”

Tearing my stare from him, I reached to the side to flick off the light. Before I could, he yanked me away from the counter, and then his hands were on my ass when he lifted me until I wrapped my legs around his waist. He crossed the small kitchen, setting me on the opposite counter.

“Kole—”