Page 35 of Rulebreaker

He came.

It’s a miracle I get through “Never Thought It Would Be You,” but the moment it’s done I breeze past Flo and my guitar tech and throw myself into Atlas’s arms. There’s the briefest flicker of surprise on his face and then his arms close around me, one hand landing possessively on my ass.

“Hi.” There’s something mystical in his eyes that’s hard to read.

“You came,” is all I can think to say.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“I didn’t hear from you and…”

Ugh. I sound needy and insecure.

“I figured you had other commitments,” I add quickly.

“I did.” His voice is steady, eyes never leaving mine. “But I made the time.”

And time is something we don’t have a lot of.

“Lily, you have a—” Flo begins, approaching us.

“How long?” I interrupt, aware that she’s reminding me precisely how limited my time is.

“Twenty-eight minutes.”

“Come on.” I tug Atlas by the hand and speed walk to my dressing room.

He closes the door behind us and I can’t help but smile.

“I’m really glad you came,” I whisper. “But I wish you’d gotten here earlier.”

There’s a hint of…disappointment in his eyes? It’s hard to tell because whatever it was is gone before I can study it.

“I tried,” he says. “I got a slightly later start than I anticipated and then we circled the airport for over an hour because of weather.”

“Well, you’re here now.” My voice sounds a little breathless as I gaze up at him and this time when our eyes lock, he pounces on me like a predator claiming his prey. His touch is firm but his lips soft as they graze mine.

“Twenty-eight minutes?” he murmurs.

“I’m sorry. The jet is ready to go and I have an early morning radio interview in Seattle.”

“Then I guess we shouldn’t waste a single minute.” He backs me against the nearest wall and pillages my mouth with his. His tongue finds mine greedily, taking deep pulls that make me a little weak in the knees.

Sex is great, and orgasms can be otherworldly, but I really love a man who can kiss. Atlas is so uptight and bottled up, I briefly wondered if he’d be good at any of it, and he’s surprised me yet again. Despite how little time we have or the intensity of his movements, his kisses are surprisingly…tender. There’s no doubt how much he wants me, but he doesn’t rush.

Instead, he teases my tongue, nibbles on my lower lip, and threads the fingers of one hand through the hair at the nape of my neck

And continues to kiss me.

Like we have all the time in the world.

“Sweet,” he whispers, nuzzling my nose with his. “But I don’t think I have enough time to fuck you.”

I whimper, a soft sound of frustration that leaves my chest before I can stop it.

“You need me to make you come?” he asks ina gruff voice.

I stare into fathomless dark eyes almost helplessly–I want him more than I’m able to admit, and I don’t know why.