Page 76 of Save Your Breath

I fought not to groan at the sight, reaching down to adjust myself in my shorts.

I thought I was slick about it, but Mia arched a brow, eyes falling to my lap before she met my gaze again. “You pervert — did you just cop a chub from watching me lick an ice cream cone?”

“Hey, have some consideration for the afflicted, okay? Going through a bit of a dry spell here,” I reminded her. “And it’s not my fault you’re licking and nibbling at that ice cream cone like a little nympho.” I licked my own cone on a shrug. “I’m just a man.”

“Anympho?” She giggled. “What are we, sixteen again? I’m eating ice cream, Suter. It’syouwho’s making it dirty.”

“Uh-huh. Says the one who called my cookingorgasmiclast month.”

She chuckled to herself, shaking her head. I could see she was still pretty drunk — her eyes a bit glazed and unfocused as she kicked her feet. I’d watched her throw back so many shots tonight, I was surprised she was still awake.

I thought she was going to drop the conversation, but then, the little minx smiled like the devil, turning to face me more fully as she licked up the side of her cone. She made sure it was overtly slow, her eyes locked on mine as she sucked the tip of it into her mouth and moaned. She closed her eyes then, licking her lips after she swallowed the bite.

“Sogood,” she said a bit breathlessly.

Fuck, I wanted to be immune to it. I wanted to be able to play it off casually. But my cock was hard as a rock now, pitching a damned tent in my shorts as my eyes stayed hooked on where her tongue was licking her lips clean.

When she opened her eyes and smiled at me, her cheeks pink and flushed, I decided two could play that game.

Without breaking, I held her gaze and lifted my cone to my mouth, licking up the side of it nice and slow with a low groan rumbling out of my chest. When I got to the top, I swirled my tongue in a tight circle before flicking it back and forth just like I’d do if the gods ever granted me access to the sweet fruit between Mia’s thighs.

“Mmm, you’re right,” I said, wiping the corner of my mouth with my thumb before I licked the chocolate ice cream off my skin. “Tasty.”

Mia’s next breath shuddered out of her parted lips, her tipsy eyes stuck to my mouth for the longest time before she shook it off, grunted, and shoved at my arm.

“You’re disgusting.”

“Keep telling yourselfthat’swhat you were thinking just now.”

Before she could argue, I reached over and bopped her on the nose with my ice cream cone.

Her mouth popped open incredulously, “You did not just do that.”

“Did, too, and I’ll do it again.” I ran a finger through my ice cream and then tapped each of her cheeks.

“You brat!” She narrowed her gaze, bopping me with her own cone right on the chin. “Ha! How’s it feel?”

I got her a few more times, dodging her attempts to counterattack. When she tried to get some in my hair, I swooped out of the way and licked the creamy treat off her cheek.

“Ew!” But she laughed, and then she ducked in and licked my chin.

That lash of her tongue sent a jolt right between my thighs.

I couldn’t strike back, couldn’t laugh or get in another jab with my cone. My brain had gone haywire. It didn’t matter that it was a matter of seconds. That drag of her tongue against my flesh had occurred in slow motion in my mind, and now it was on repeat as I snagged her by the wrist and held her close to me.

I stared down my nose at her, Mia peering up at me with a mischievous smile. The longer I held her, the more that smile slipped, the energy between us warping into something electric to the touch.

I wanted to kiss her.

My nostrils flared with the restraint not to just do it. What would she do if I did? Would she let me? Would she kiss me back when there weren’t any cameras around to pretend for?

Before I could act on my impulsiveness, Mia pulled free from my grip and playfully shoved me again, her cheeks red enough I could see the blush even with us shrouded mostly in darkness.

She cleaned herself up with a napkin, handing me one to do the same, and then we both fell quiet as we ate the rest of our cones.

“Tonight was so fun,” she finally said, pausing before she glanced up at me. “I’ve never gone out like this before. Is this what you do all the time?”

I was still reeling from the feel of her tongue on me, but I tried to shake it off, zeroing my focus in on her question. “Not quite like this, not anymore at least. I’m more used to the VIP life now, I admit. But when I was a rookie in Seattle?” I nodded, eating the last of my cone. “All the time.”