Page 28

Holden

I knew she would taste sweet.

But I wasn’t ready for this.

Her lips part under mine, soft and warm, but the fire in her kiss ignites something darker inside me. My hand fists in her hair, tilting her head back, forcing her to let me take more. She doesn’t fight it, not this time.

She fits against me too perfectly, her body soft and pliant under my hands, and it takes everything in me not to lose control and rush this. But if I only get tonight, I’ll be damned if I don’t savor every second.

Her fingers dig into my shoulders, her breath hitching when I press her harder against the wall. I don’t think she realizes what she’s doing, how she’s unraveling me one touch at a time.

Her head falls back, and I take the opening, trailing my mouth down her neck, nipping at her skin just hard enough to leave a mark.

She gasps, her body arching into me, her hands pulling me closer like she needs this as much as I do.

“Holden,” she whispers, and it’s my undoing.

I pause, my forehead resting against hers, my breath coming hard and uneven. I don’t want to stop, but I need her to know.

“I heard you,” I murmur.

Her eyes snap to mine, wide and unsteady. “What?”

“That night,” I continue, my thumb brushing her jaw. “In your room.”

Her breath stutters, and I can feel her tense beneath my hands.

“I heard you,” I repeat, my voice dropping lower. “Whispering my name while you touched yourself.”

Her lips part, but no sound comes out.

“You didn’t know I was there,” I murmur, my hands sliding down to grip her hips. “But I heard my name fall from these sinful fucking lips as you fell apart.”

Her cheeks flush, her eyes searching mine, and for a moment, she looks like she might push me away. But then her nails bite into my skin, her breath quickening as she presses her body closer.

The tension snaps.

I capture her lips again, harder this time, taking what we've danced around far too long. She moans against my mouth, and the sound goes straight to my dick, every ounce of control I had left obliterated.

My hands roam her body, slow but possessive. Staking a claim. She’s mine tonight. No mission, no cover, no pretense. Just mine.

Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me closer, and I grind against her, letting her feel exactly how much I want this.

“Is this what you went to that bar for?” I growl, my lips brushing her ear. “A quick fix? Blow off some steam? But you knew that wouldn’t be enough.”

She doesn’t answer, her head tilting back as her lips part in a gasp.

“Answer me,” I demand, my hand sliding under her shirt, my palm skimming the heated skin of her stomach.

Her breath hitches, and she grips my hair, tugging hard enough to make me groan. “You’re such an asshole,” she mutters, her voice trembling but defiant.

“The asshole you want, the one you need ,” I counter, my mouth trailing down her neck, my teeth grazing her collarbone.

Her laugh is shaky, breathless. “Shut up and keep going.”

I smirk against her skin, the sound low and dark. “Beg me.”

“Not a chance,” she snaps, but her hips shift against mine, betraying her need.

I chuckle softly, my hand sliding higher, brushing the edge of her bra. “You don’t get to make the rules here.”

She glares at me, but it’s weak, her body already giving in. “You’re impossible,” she mutters, her nails dragging down my back.

“And you’re mine,” I growl, pulling her tighter against me. “Say it.”

Her lips part, but she doesn’t speak. Her breath trembles as her gaze locks onto mine.

The silence stretches, heavy and charged, until finally, she whispers, “Yours.”

That single word is all it takes.

I lift her, carrying her toward the couch, her legs wrapped tight around me, her lips never leaving mine. Her hands are everywhere—my shoulders, my back, my hair—and I can feel her unraveling beneath me, piece by piece.

Her legs wrap tighter around me as I carry her to the couch, every soft gasp she makes fueling the fire burning through me. I lower her onto the edge, my hands gripping her thighs to keep her in place.

Her chest heaves, her lips swollen and parted as she stares up at me. Her eyes are dark and hazy, daring me to keep going, daring me to stop.

I don’t.

My fingers move to the button of her jeans, flicking it open with a precision born of need. The sound of the zipper sliding down is drowned out by the rasp of her breath, sharp and quick.

“Holden…” Her voice is a mix of hesitation and want.

I meet her gaze, my hands gripping the waistband of her jeans. “Say no,” I murmur, giving her one last chance. “Say it, and I’ll stop."

Her lips part, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, but the word never comes.

Instead, she lifts her hips, helping me slide her jeans down her legs.

“Good girl,” I growl, the words slipping out unbidden as I toss the denim aside.

Her cheeks flush, her hands moving instinctively to cover herself, but I catch her wrists, pinning them above her head in one fluid motion.

“Don’t,” I say, my voice dark and commanding. “Don’t hide from me.”

Her breath catches, her eyes wide and searching mine, and for a moment, it feels like the world has narrowed to just us.

I release her wrists, my hands trailing her arms and sides until they settle at the hem of her tank top.

“Off,” I say simply, tugging the fabric up.

She hesitates, just for a second, before pulling it over her head and tossing it aside.

The sight of her steals the breath from my lungs. Her skin is flushed, her light brown nipples taut against the lace of her bra, begging for attention.

I lean in, my lips brushing her ear. “You’re perfect,” I murmur, my voice rough with need.

Her hands move to my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as I trail kisses down her neck and over her collarbone. I don’t stop until my mouth finds the edge of her bra, my teeth grazing the delicate fabric.

She shivers, her breath hitching when I pull the strap down, baring her to me.

“Holden…” she whispers, her voice trembling.

I don’t answer. I lower my head, taking her nipple into my mouth, my tongue teasing the sensitive peak.

She gasps, her back arching, her hands tangling in my hair as her body reacts instinctively. Now that I hear it up close, the sound is enough to undo me, a soft moan that shoots straight through me, igniting every nerve.

Her legs tighten around me, pulling me closer, trying to get friction. I let my hands roam, one sliding down to grip her hip while the other trails lower, skimming the edge of her panties, noting a soft sheen coating her thighs before sliding them off.

“You’re drenched, baby,” I murmur against her skin, my voice low and rough. “This for me? It is, isn’t it?”

Her only response is a breathless moan, her body arching into me, silently begging for more.

I pull back slightly, my hands sliding to grip her thighs, spreading her just enough to settle between and peer up at her. I savor the view of her eyes locked onto mine, her body rising as I run my tongue up the valley until finally settling at the place I’ve longed to visit.

Her fingers curl into my hair painfully, as if she’s afraid I’d stop. It would take an entire army to move me from this spot. Burying my nose against her clit, I blow a soft breath of air onto it, causing her hips to rise even higher. I use my arm to lock her in place as I inhale her scent, one I’ll probably never wash out of my memory, then take a long lick across her seam.

My first taste of her is like heaven, sweet like honey but an earthy twang that makes my tongue lap for seconds and thirds until she's writhing under the weight of it.

I groan before sucking her clit in my mouth, and her low moan is music to my ears, a soundtrack that serenades my dick.

“More,” she moans, and she doesn’t have to ask twice.

I take two fingers and use some of her wetness to coat them before sliding them in her tight entrance. Her body bucks against me, and I grip her tighter, holding her in place as I attack her clit while curling my fingers to her G-spot. I can feel her walls tighten around my finger as she pulses, getting closer and closer to going over the edge.

My cock is so hard it hurts. I could feel the precum at the tip, but I push its growing demand for attention to the side.

“Eyes on me, baby,” I demand. Brown eyes immediately find mine. “That’s right. Watch me as I make you come in my mouth. Fuck, you taste so good. My new favorite meal.”

“Oh God,” she gasps as my fingers curl up, and it’s like a bomb goes off. Her body stiffens as she comes with a scream. I increase my pace, lapping up every drop, not stopping even as a gush of liquid erupts from her. The sight is one that will forever be engraved in my mind, a prized artifact I’ll never sell. One I’ll die happy knowing I was able to see.

When her breathing returns to normal, her desire hasn’t subsided. If anything, it’s grown into an insatiable need.

This woman.

Her gaze burns into mine, the haziness of her release lingering but now laced with raw and unrelenting hunger.

“You still have too many clothes on,” she whispers, her voice low and sultry, like smoke curling around me, dragging me under.

She rises from the couch, her body flushed and glistening, her lips swollen from our kisses. Her breath brushes against my ear when she leans in, sending a shiver straight to my spine.

Her hands move to my belt, her fingers working with deliberate, maddening slowness.

I let her take her time, her touch igniting sparks under my skin. Her hands splay over my chest, her nails dragging just enough to make me hiss. Then she tugs at my pants, her fingers brushing against my hardened length, her teasing touch cruel in its restraint.

When she starts to lower herself to her knees, I stop her, my grip firm around her wrist. “No,” I growl.

Her eyes flick up to mine, wide and challenging, but she doesn’t pull away. “Why not?”

“Because if you put that mouth on me right now, I won’t last,” I admit, my voice like gravel. “And I need to be inside you.”

Her breath catches, and the defiance in her gaze melts into something darker, something that matches the chaos coursing through me. “Then what are you waiting for?”

The corner of my mouth twitches in a faint smirk, and I step back, pulling my wallet from my discarded pants to retrieve a condom. Her eyes stay locked on me, the heat between us building with every second, every shallow breath.

“Turn around,” I murmur.

She doesn’t hesitate. She spins to face the back of the couch, her hands gripping the top as she glances over her shoulder, daring me to close the space between us.

“Good girl,” I rasp, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

Her cheeks flush, her body arching ever so slightly, inviting me in. I grip her hips, positioning myself behind her, savoring the way she trembles under my hands. I press a kiss to the back of her neck, letting my teeth graze her skin.

“This what you wanted?” I ask, landing a hard slap to her ass.

She doesn’t answer, just presses back against me. The silent plea in her movements is more effective than any words.

I slide into her in one slow, deliberate thrust, the tight heat of her squeezing around me like she was made for this, for me. A low groan rumbles in my chest, and her head falls forward, a gasp spilling from her lips.

“Fuck,” I mutter, gripping her hips tighter, anchoring myself in her. “You feel perfect, baby. Better than I imagined.”

Her breath shudders, and she throws a glare over her shoulder. “You imagined this?”

“All the damn time,” I admit, my thrusts slow and deliberate. “Every time I look at you. Only you can push me this far. Only you can get under my skin like this. Just you.”

She moans, her grip on the couch tightening as her body adjusts to my rhythm. The room is silent except for the sound of our breaths, the slap of skin against skin, and the low, broken cries she can’t hold back.

Her body moves with mine, meeting every thrust, driving me deeper into the haze of her. The tension between us, the fire that’s burned for months, finally ignites into an uncontrollable inferno.

I reach around, my hand slipping between her legs to find her clit. She jerks at the contact, a sharp cry escaping her as I circle the sensitive nub with the same relentless pace as my hips.

“Holden,” she gasps.

I lean forward, pressing my lips to her ear. “Say my name again,” I growl.

“Holden,” she moans, her voice breaking, and it’s the most beautiful fucking sound I’ve ever heard.

Her body tightens around me, and I know she’s close. My movements grow rougher, more deliberate, pushing her to the edge.

“That’s it,” I murmur, coaxing. “Let go, baby. Come for me.”

Her body stiffens, her head falling back as a scream rips from her throat. I hold her steady, driving her through it, her release drawing me deeper into her until I’m unraveling too, the force of it obliterating every thought, every restraint.

When the storm finally subsides, we’re both shaking, our breaths mingling in the charged silence. I press a kiss to her shoulder, my lips lingering as I savor the feel of her against me.

For a moment, it’s just us as the rest of the world fades away.

Then reality creeps back in, unrelenting.

I pull away, slipping the condom off and tying it before tossing it in the nearby trash. She turns to face me, her expression a mix of satisfaction and something deeper, something unspoken.

“You okay?” I ask, my voice softer now, the edge gone.

She nods, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I think I broke you.”

A low chuckle escapes me as I brush a strand of hair from her face. “Don’t hate me tomorrow.”

The weight of my words hangs between us, heavy and charged.

We crossed a line we can never uncross tonight. She doesn’t respond, but the look in her eyes tells me she knows it too.