Page 121 of Top Shelf

Right now she’s kissing me like she’s starving for it.

And I’m fucking done being careful.

My hands tighten on her thighs as I press between them, dragging her flush against me. Her breath catches when my mouth moves against hers harder, deeper, and the sound goes straight to my head like a shot of hard liquor.

“Jesus, Wren,” I rasp against her lips. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Her fingers curl tighter into my shirt as she tilts her head back to smirk up at me. “So show me.”

That smart fucking mouth of hers nearly kills me.

Not needing to be told twice, I kiss her again. Harder. One hand slides into her hair, careful not to ruin it—too much—even while I maneuver her head for better access to her mouth. She melts instantly, soft, warm, and pliable beneath me, but there’s urgency there too.

The kiss turns messy fast. Every strained glance. Every lingering touch. Weeks of restraint finally spilling over. Her legs tighten around my hips as though she’s afraid I’ll pull away. The thought has something possessive unfurling low in my chest.

Not fucking happening.

I drag my mouth down the curve of her jaw, feeling her shiver beneath my hands. “You know what the worst part is?” I murmur against her skin.

Her breathing stutters. “What?”

“I’ve been trying so damn hard to be good around you.”

A breathless laugh escapes her. “And?”

“And I’m starting to think that was a mistake.”

She kisses me again before I can finish the thought, all heat and emotion and sharp little exhales that make my restraint fray even further.

God.

I could stay right here for hours. Could kiss her until neither of us remembered where we were.

Yet underneath the heat, underneath the want clawing through me, there’s something heavier settling into place too. Something steady. Certain.

Because this isn’t just attraction anymore. It isn’t aboutsaving her.

It hasn’t been for a while.

I pull back just enough to look at her properly, my thumb brushing over her flushed cheek. Her lipstick is ruined.Her glasses slightly crooked. Her chest rising and falling hard beneath the silk blouse stretched across it.

Beautiful.

Completely fucking beautiful.

Her fingers knot tighter in my shirt as I kiss her again, slower this time. Deeper. Savoring something I’ve wanted for far too long.

And fuck, Ihavewanted this.

Wanted her.

For weeks, I’ve watched the tension build between all of us. Watched her blush under Lucian’s attention. Watched Silas silently unravel her with a single look. Watched her come apart beneath their hands while I sat there gripping the edge of my own self-control hard enough to bruise.

But this? This is mine.

The realization hits hard and possessively.

Wren breaks the kiss with a shaky breath, her forehead falling against mine. “Ronan…”