Page 42 of The Dating Ban (Mind the Corbin Brothers #1)

I almost forget to breath because I know what he’s asking.

He’s not demanding, not assuming. He’s checking in with me in the gentlest, most ridiculously perfect way.

And just like that, I know my answer.

I lean back just slightly, meeting his gaze. His eyes are dark, searching, waiting for me to decide.

I swallow, then smile softly. “Well, we can’t have you missing part of the tour, can we?”

His lips curve into a slow grin, his hands tightening on my hips but I wiggle free and stand up. “No,” he murmurs, as he watches me. “That would be a tragedy.”

A shiver runs through me as I hold out my hand as an invitation to come with me. His fingers curl around mine, warm and steady, and without a word, I lead him towards the bedroom.

The anticipation between us is palpable.

I reach the door, pushing it open, then flick on the bedside lamp. A warm, golden glow fills the room, casting soft shadows on the walls. The light feels intimate, safe. Like a quiet invitation.

And then Theo is there, right behind me, his hand still in mine.

He turns me slowly, his other hand coming up to cup my cheek.

For a second, he just looks at me, like he’s memorising this moment, this choice. And then he kisses me.

Deep, slow, devastating.

I sigh into his mouth, pressing closer, hands gripping his shirt as he tilts my head, deepening the kiss. His tongue pushes against mine with quiet certainty, like he’s staking a claim without words.

Then, without breaking contact, his fingers trail down, brushing the hem of my top. He hesitates—just for a fraction of a second—giving me space to stop him if I want to.

I don’t.

I lift my arms slightly in answer, and he exhales against my lips before peeling my top over my head. The fabric slides away, pooling somewhere behind me, but I barely notice. Because now his hands are on me—exploring, mapping, tracing slow, burning lines down my spine.

I gasp as his lips leave my mouth, trailing down my neck, over my collarbone.

He’s taking his time. Letting me feel everything.

My hands find his T-shirt, fumbling with the hem, eager, needing to feel his skin against mine.

He lets out a low chuckle, his lips brushing against my shoulder. “Impatient?”

I don’t even hesitate. “Yes. ”

Theo grins, a lazy, obnoxiously sexy grin, before reaching behind him, pulling the T-shirt over his head in this sexy way that I thought only happens in films.

I’ve seen him topless, but we were surrounded by people. Having him here, half naked, just the two of us, that is a completely new level of sexy as hell.

Strong shoulders, toned arms, the kind of stomach that makes my fingers itch to explore.

I trail my hands over his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my palms, the steady rise and fall of his breath.

His hands also start to explore my body again, finding the waistband of my skirt. He pauses, giving me another moment to change my mind, but I don’t want to.

I press my lips to his, my answer clear.

Theo groans softly against my mouth as he tightens his grip before he starts to undress me properly.

And I know—tonight, I’m not holding anything back.

As my skirt pools at my feet, I step out of it, my pulse hammering. Theo’s gaze drags over me, slow and deliberate, his expression dark with hunger. He looks devastated by the sight of me, like he can’t quite believe I’m real.

The way he watches me sends a thrill down my spine, emboldening me.

Holding his gaze, I slip out of my knickers, then unclasp my bra, letting it fall away.

His jaw tightens before he growls deeply.

This man might be an adorable dorky single dad, but anyone who thinks that makes him any less a man needs their head check out.

This, here, is the sexiest man I’ve ever had in my bedroom.

Heat coils in my stomach .

I slide backwards onto the bed, leaning back just enough to hopefully look half-sultry—while subtly adjusting my posture to make sure my boobs don’t resemble sad little sacks of gravity’s betrayal.

Theo exhales sharply, his eyes never leaving me.

“Ivy… the few times I let myself hope we’d get here—to this moment—I imagined what you might look like naked. But no fantasy ever came close to this.”

He watches me for a beat, his chest rising and falling in slow, deliberate breaths, like he’s trying to rein himself in. But the way his hands flex at his sides, the way his jaw tightens, tells me he’s barely holding on.

Then, with a quiet exhale, he reaches for his belt.

The soft clink of the buckle sends a shiver down my spine.

He keeps his eyes on me as he unbuttons his jeans, pushing them down in one smooth motion.

The fabric pools at his feet, leaving him in nothing but black boxer briefs that do absolutely nothing to hide how much he wants me.

If I thought he was packing at the cottage, it’s nothing compared to when he is hard. And this is all for me. Because of me.

Heat pulses low in my stomach.

I bite my lip, drinking him in. Every inch of him is effortless, stunning.

Theo catches my look and smirks, but there’s something almost shy behind it, like he’s not used to being this exposed, this vulnerable.

That thought alone makes me want him even more.

Slowly, I sit up, moving to the edge of the bed until I’m within reach. My fingers trail over the taut skin of his stomach, feeling the way his muscles tighten beneath my touch.

His breath is unsteady now, his control slipping.

Then, before I can overthink it, I hook my fingers into the waistband of his briefs and look up at him.

A silent question.

Theo swallows hard, his hands sliding into my hair, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones as he leans down. His lips find mine again, deep and unhurried, savouring every second.

When he finally pulls back, his forehead rests against mine.

“Ivy,” he murmurs, his voice thick, rough around the edges.

That’s all I need to hear.

With one slow tug, I strip away the last piece of clothing between us.

Theo inhales sharply, his grip on me tightening for just a moment before he pushes me back onto the bed, following me down.

His weight, his warmth, the sheer presence of him above me—

I’m lost.

And I don’t ever want to be found.

Theo hovers over me, his weight pressing me gently into the mattress, but there’s no urgency in his movements.

Not yet.

Instead, he takes his time, his fingertips skimming over my skin in slow, reverent strokes, mapping every inch of me. Like he’s trying to commit me to memory.

I shiver beneath him, arching into his touch, and he lets out a quiet, satisfied moan, his lips ghosting over my collarbone. He kisses his way lower, taking his time, trailing warmth wherever his mouth lands.

“You’re stunning,” he murmurs against my skin.

I let out a breathy laugh. “You keep saying that.”

He lifts his head, his gaze locking onto mine. “Because it keeps getting truer.”

The look in his eyes—the way he’s staring at me like I’m something precious, something he can’t quite believe is his—makes my heart ache.

I reach up, threading my fingers into his hair, pulling him back to me.

The kiss that follows is slow and deep, his body pressing flush against mine, his hard cock nestled between us. There’s no hesitation anymore, no lingering uncertainty. Only heat, only need, only us.

Theo moves against me, his hands roaming, teasing, until every nerve in my body is singing. I can feel the restraint in him, the way he’s holding back, waiting for me to tell him I want this just as much as he does.

So I do.

I press my lips to his ear and whisper, “Theo, condoms are in—”

His control snaps. He reaches for the drawer I had been pointing at.

A low groan rumbles in his chest as he rolls on the protection before he reaches for me, his mouth finding mine again with a new kind of urgency.

There’s nothing slow about this now.

No more teasing, no more hesitation.

He pushes into me and then stills, allowing us to savour the moment. His hands roam my body like he’s been starving for this—slow at first, then firmer, surer, like he needs to feel all of me. Like he needs to memorise every curve, every reaction.

I moan against his lips as he finally starts to move, his thrusts sending delicious shivers up my spine. He tilts his head, deepening the kiss, and the heat between us turns molten.

His weight presses me into the mattress, his bare skin hot against mine, and every nerve in my body is alive, aching for more.

“Theo,” I breathe, nails digging lightly into his back, and the way he shudders in response sends a thrill through me.

He pulls back slightly, his lips hovering just over mine, his breath uneven. His darkened gaze meets mine, searching, checking.

“You feel like a dream, Ivy,” he murmurs, voice rough, thick with something deeper than just desire. “Tell me this is not a dream! Please tell me,” he begs.

I reach up, cupping his jaw, brushing my thumb over the stubble there. “Not a dream, Theo. Just the best reality ever,” I whisper.

Something shifts in his expression—like he’s relieved—before his lips crash into mine again, stealing the last of my breath.

His hands explore, his fingers teasing, tracing, learning exactly what makes me gasp, what makes my body arch into him. My skin burns everywhere he touches, every nerve ending sparking with anticipation.

I let go completely, giving myself to this moment, to him.

Theo groans softly against my neck as he thrust harder. Then one of his hands finds my clit and I want to scream with need. He slowly circles my bundle of nerves and I can feel the first signs of an impending orgasm.

“Ivy,” he murmurs, voice strained, desperate.

I smile against his skin. “Hmm?”

He pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, his fingers stopping for a moment.

“I need you,” he rasps.

I forget to breath because I know he doesn’t just mean now.

He means completely.

I press my lips to his, answering him without words, and in the next moment, there’s nothing left between us.

And when he finally moves again, I know, I’m gone.