Our eyes are locked, though hers now are dark-pupilled and half-lidded. Mine, I’m sure, as feral as any beast’s.
Evie takes one step in my direction, and I lunge for her, the animal I am breaking free. Our mouths collide as though our whole lives have unfolded for this moment. Every day. Every decision. For this.
As though the touch of her lips, the taste of her has been wrought by time and evolution and divine intent to be mine. My mouth. My body. My heart hers.
My hands tangle in her curls as I crush her to me, and I dive into her mouth. She welcomes me as she has always welcomed me. Eager. Open. Loving.
Evie.
Her kiss — the pressure of her soft body against mine, the heat of her mouth as it captures my tongue — pulls me farther and farther away from any hope of redemption.
With this kiss, I claim her like the criminal I am.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
EVIE
My head spins. I can’t feel my feet. And it has nothing to do with the three and a half margaritas I’ve knocked back tonight.
Drew is kissing me like he’s wanted me his whole life.
Like I’m perfect just the way I am. Like there’s nothing he would change about me.
And he shows no sign of stopping. His stubble scrapes against my chin as he tilts my head back to delve deeper into my mouth. His tongue tells me everything he’s been hiding behind that careful stone facade.
He feels what I feel. As strongly as I feel it. And with each surge of his tongue and suckle of his lips, he erases the shame and the doubt of every step I took in the dark to find him here.
It was right to push him. This is what he needed. What we needed.
My hands climb his arms, up over his wide shoulders and along his neck until my fingers glide into his dark hair. Everything about him is so rough and coarse, but his hair is as soft as down. It reminds me of what I’ve known all along.
He’s not as tough as he seems.
I smile at the thought, hair tickling my fingers as I caress him.
“What’s so funny?” he murmurs against my lips between kisses.
But I just giggle and kiss him back, hard and long, jealous for this closeness he’s finally giving me. Talking can wait.
“You laughing at the way I kiss?”
I shake my head, lips brushing against him. “I love the way you kiss.” He sucks in a gasp before claiming me again, sending a surge of pure pleasure straight down between my legs.
We lose ourselves in each other for another long moment. All tongues… lips… hands… fingers. Our bodies pressing into each other.
“Good,” he mutters. “Was worried I’d forgotten how.”
I giggle again and let my teeth close on his bottom lip before releasing it. “Well, we can practice as much as you want.”
One hand grips me behind my neck, the other at the small of my back, and with a thrill of pleasure, I feel one of Drew’s legs wedge between mine. The top of his thigh meets me right where I need it, and a soft cry escapes me.
He echoes me with a moan. The sound is both need and satisfaction. Passion and pain. It calls to me. I run my hands down again until they grip either side of his waist, hard as lumber but thrumming with heat. My thumbs glide over the front of his gray T-shirt, and his abs twitch beneath it. And the way he pulls me tighter against him, pressing that thigh harder against me, let’s me know my touch hasn’t tickled but tormented…in the best possible way.
God, I want to make him feel good.
How long has it been since he’s known a loving touch? I’m aching to be the one to give it to him. And not just tonight, but every night. With this thought, I let my hands slip under the hem of his shirt and flatten against his scorching-hot skin.
“Mmm, Evie,”he moans in pleasure, but shakes his head, rocking against my mouth. He brings his hands to mine, clasps me around each wrist, and moves my touch to his back — outside his T-shirt.
