Page 33 of More than Fiction (Misty Springs #1)

Corbin

I poured myself a drink from the wet bar downstairs, too pent up to sleep. I convinced myself I could handle this.

Twenty-two stairs separated me from Sophia. I stared at the spiraling steps that would serve as an emblematic barricade for tonight.

I took a small sip, letting the whiskey burn as I thought about this evening. The way she made me feel, her laugh, her quiet understanding as I shared pieces of my life with her.

Another sip. And I thought about how she looked in that dress and how her body felt underneath it as I held her on the dance floor. She was a golden goddess who could drive a saint to sin.

I drained the glass. My sole focus on one thought, one image: Sophia—upstairs, her shimmering dress on the floor, her body wet and slick from the shower.

Fuck .

I uncorked the decanter and poured more into my glass.

A loud thump came from above my head.

What was she doing up there?

Not that I was going to go find out—twenty-two stairs—I needed that separation.

My mind went blank earlier when she unclasped the delicate strap from her ankle, removing her heels. The slit in her dress revealed her smooth thigh, her hands gliding down her leg as she found the buckle—the angle of her dress falling low enough I could see straight down it.

And when she slipped the pointed heel off her arched foot, her eyes rolled back in something that looked like pure ecstasy .

I drained another glass.

My fingers pulled at my hair. I felt like a madman. Shrugging off my suit coat, I tossed it on the couch, desperately trying to find an escape from my torment of want.

Another thump sounded from above, followed by a muted curse.

I yanked my tie over my head and tossed it by the discarded coat.

Another thump and my legs were on autopilot.

I ascended the stairs quickly—a new record for me, I believe.

Quietly, I opened the door to the bedroom and stood outside the bathroom. With my ear pressed to the door, I listened to see if I could detect what Sophia was doing up here.

I felt like a deranged stalker.

What was this woman doing to me?