Dane traces his fingers down the side of my neck slowly. It’s the lightest drag over my skin as he follows the line of my throat to my collarbone.
My breath hitches, and my skin breaks out in goosebumps where his fingers just were.How does he do that? Leo’s touch lights me up. Dane’s makes me ache.
“You’re sensitive here.” It’s an observation, almost clinical. His fingers travel to the straps of my dress, and he caresses along the fabric without pulling them down.
His thumb brushes the hollow of my throat. “What about here?”
I swallow hard. “Yes.”
“Open your eyes.”
I do, and his face is so close to mine that I can see the flecks of amber in his dark brown eyes. He’s not smiling, but the intensity in his look makes my chest tighten.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” he says. “And I want you to pay attention to how it feels and what your body tells you.”
Nobody has ever talked to me like this before a kiss. Leo would already be devouring me. Dane is asking me to be present, and somehow that feels more intimate than anything physical.
I nod, not trusting my voice. He’s treating foreplay like the main course.
He leans down and brushes his lips against mine. It’s barely a touch before he pulls away. My breath catches. I didn’t expect that whisper of contact toache. I lean forward without meaning to, chasing something I can’t name, and he huffs a quiet sound that might be amusement before he kisses me properly.
It’s nothing like Leo. His kisses are fire and possession. Dane kisses me slow and deep, like he has all the time in the world and intends to use it learning me. Every time I try to speed up—seeking friction, pressure,somethingto ease the building tension—he pulls away enough to set the pace again. His hand slides to the nape of my neck, fingers threading into my hair, and the grip is gentle but firm enough that I feel owned. The gesture sends heat pooling low in my belly.
When his tongue slides against mine, I can’t stop the moan. He tastes like cinnamon, and I want to climb inside his skin. I curl my fingers in the fabric of his shirt. The muscle beneath is hard and warm, and I hold on like he’s the only solid thing in a spinning world while his mouth takes me apart piece by piece.
My lips are tingling, swollen. Every slow slide of his tongue winds me tighter until I’m trembling, until thought goes blank and there’s only his mouth on mine.
My pussy throbs, and when he breaks the kiss, I sway toward him. I’m dizzy and disoriented, like I’m surfacing from deep water. He traces my lower lip with his thumb, and his eyes are darker than before.
“Good girl,” he murmurs, and a shiver rolls through me. Those two words go straight to the ache between my legs. His gaze sharpens—he felt it. Oh yeah, this is going to be even better than I hoped. I didn’t expect him to affect me this much.
His hand stays at the nape of my neck, keeping me close. “When I kissed you, what did you feel?”
My face heats. Nobody has ever asked me to narrate my reactions before. “I felt…” I fumble for the right words while his thumb strokes my nape. “Like you were paying attention to what I like. It made me want to show you more.”
His expression softens around the eyes. “That’s exactly what I was doing.”
My pulse kicks. He’s been reading me like a book, and instead of feeling exposed, I want him to keep going.
“Dane.” His name comes out breathy, and I try to calm my racing pulse.
“Yes?”
“I want Leo in here.” I swallow, making myself say the rest. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”
His thumb pauses on my neck. For a long moment, he looks at me, and I hold his stare even though my cheeks are burning. Then he releases me and walks to the door, opening it without a word.
Leo is leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, and the look on his face when the door opens tells me he’s been imagining exactly what was happening on the other side. His gaze finds mine immediately, and the hunger there makes my knees go soft.
“She’s ready,” Dane says, and the calm authority in his voice goes straight between my legs.
Leo pushes off the wall and crosses the room to me in three strides. His hands frame my face, and his kiss is everything Dane’s wasn’t—familiar and comforting. His tongue sweeps into my mouth like he’s reclaiming territory. I melt into him and whimper against his lips as his familiar scent of oranges wraps around me.
Leo’s kiss is a house fire, and I’m clinging to his shirt and grinding against him before I even realize I’m doing it.
“Missed you,” I breathe when he pulls away.
“Lass, it’s been five minutes.” His grin is wicked. “But I know what you mean.”
