He met my stare and there was a seriousness there I’d never seen before, making his features hard. “Okay.”
“Promise me,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Promise me and actually mean it this time.”
“I promise, Scotlind.”
There was a moment of silence, neither of us knowing what to do. We stared at each other, unmoving before my body became aware of how close he was. My breathing grew heavier. Somehow while he was talking I had leaned toward him. His gaze shifted from my eyes to my mouth as my lips parted.
He hesitated for a moment, staring at my lips. I thought he was going to finally close the small gap between us. But then he leaned back in his chair, his legs spread in a relaxed posture, even though he looked anything but. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing the white strands out of his eyes.
His chair dragged across the grass as he abruptly stood. I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to kiss me. I was sick of the distance I was forcing between us, but I realized it was my turn to open up.
He was trying to be respectful by giving me space. He didn’t think I knew what I wanted. He thought I still needed to figure out my feelings between him and Sie. But the truth was, I already knew it was him before I even came in here. I reached out and caught his wrist with my hand, stopping him before he could walk away.
He went deathly still, completely unmoving. My pulse waspounding and all of a sudden everything was spinning around him.
“I want…” I swallowed and tried again, my hand was still clamped over his wrist as I tugged him back down into his chair. “I want this. Whatever this is between us.”
His eyes flared, and I swore he stopped breathing. “Say it, Rumor. I need you to say it.” His voice was demanding and low, sending shivers down my spine.
“I want… I wantyou.” I met his silver gaze.
“I want you too, Scotlind Mae Rumor,” he breathed, a sly smile peppering his lips. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.” He shifted my grip on his wrist, moving to interlock our fingers. The contact wasn’t nearly enough. I wanted more. I tried to scoot my chair closer to his, but it was stuck in the grass and wouldn’t budge.
Tezya groaned, ripping his fingers from mine to wrap both hands around the wooden legs and pulled my chair until it collided with his. I fell into his chest. The smell of him, his touch against my skin… all of it was overwhelming and intoxicating. I’d wanted this for so long, wantedhimfor so long.
His hands immediately moved from the chair legs to my neck. The scab on his palm ran over my bare skin as he brushed my hair to the side. My own breathing hitched,his lips were so close to mine that I could smell the mint on his mouth.
His thumb brushed down my cheek before he slid it across my lips. I parted for him involuntarily, a moan escaping from me on instinct. He leaned forward, pulling my face toward his and silencing my moan with his lips.
My eyes fluttered closed, narrowing all my sensations on the way his mouth felt pressed against mine. His touch was soft at first, just a featherlight press of his lips before it was gone.
He pulled back too soon, his hands still holding the back of my neck, locking me in place. He met my gaze as I blinked my eyes back open. He was waiting, assessing, making sure it waswhat I really wanted. I exhaled into his mouth, my breath having nowhere to go but into him.
“Please,” I panted. “I don’t want you to stop.”
He didn’t hesitate after that, tilting my head up to meet his before claiming my mouth once again.
TWENTY
SCOTLIND
Our teeth collidedas his lips crashed against mine. Only this time he wasn’t gentle or slow.
I didn’t want him to be. I wanted more. Needed more. I needed to breathe him in and get lost in his essence. I moved from my chair, slowly straddling him, never breaking our kiss as I crawled onto his lap.
He groaned the moment my hips rolled over him, his lips moving against mine, completely consuming me. I gasped as his fingers wound between my hair, pulling and tightening to the point of pain. I leaned back, giving him more access while my own hands roamed over his face.
Before I could think, he slid his tongue into my mouth. And the sensation, feeling it meet with my own, I melted—
He took full control like he was ravenous, like he had held back for so long and was finally cut free, and I was fine with it—fine with being destroyed by him.
He slid his hands down my throat before he grabbed onto my hips, dragging me further into his lap. I exhaled loudly as I felt him harden against me. My stomach dropped, and I wantedmore. I wanted to explore every inch of him, to memorize his body like it was my own.
My hands found their way under his shirt, feeling the muscles over his stomach move beneath my fingers before I pulled the material over his head in between frantic kisses. My fingers ran over his bare abdomen, tracing over some of the scars he had there until they stopped above the trail of hair leading down.
I went to kiss him again, needing the contact, but he pulled back. I stared at his lips, mad they weren’t still on me.
“Why did you stop?” I half panted, half pouted as I rolled my hips over him, wanting more.
