Page 49 of His Saving Grace

He pressed a finger to her lips. “Just think about it. Please.”

It was the please that got her—again—and she nodded. “I don’t usually do this, you know.” The words were muffled against his finger. He dropped his hand.

“What?” A lazy smile spread across his face. “Give mind-blowing blo—”

Her cheeks caught fire, and she placed her fingers over his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to her fingertips and another part of her protective walls crumbled. She pulled her hand away, her fingers tingling.

“Can I at least get a goodnight kiss?”

She nodded again, not sure she was capable of forming words at this point.

Mason didn’t seem to notice her inability to form a coherent sentence. He bent forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. It was sweet, soft, tender. And so not what she wanted or craved or ached for right now.

She brushed her tongue against the seam of his lips, and without hesitation, he opened his mouth. She pushed her tongue inside, brushing it against his, exploring and tasting. He was delicious, just like the last time, darkly sweet with a touch of spice. Addictive, if she wasn’t careful. She placed her hands on his face, tilting his head for better access.

He half groaned, half chuckled at her not-so-subtle move and slid his arms around her, pulling her flush against him. His tongue met hers in a clash, sparring and thrusting, deepening the kiss. His erection pressed against her middle, and she marveled at the idea that he could be so hard again, so soon. How he’d felt in her hand and in her mouth, what he would feel like inside her, sent more moisture pooling between her thighs.

He slid his hands down to her ass, grabbing a handful and giving a squeeze. Then he hoisted her up as if she weighed nothing. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling.

With a gasp, she pulled away to press little kisses along the line of his jaw. His dark stubble prickled, making her lips tingle. She made her way to his ear and then gently sucked on the lobe. He made a deep, inherently masculine sound that sent a shot of electricity straight to her core, and tilted his head to give her more room. She ran her tongue along the shell of his ear, and he squeezed her ass, the heat of his palms searing her through her skirt.

“Why don’t you come inside?” She made sure her warm breath brushed across his skin.

He groaned and squeezed her tighter, pressing his erection against her. He then did the exact opposite of what she was expecting and lowered her to the ground.

She felt her lips turn down into a frown. Did she do something wrong?

He cupped her face in his hands. “You’re killing me,” he said, although the words came out closer to a moan than anything. His eyes burned bright, the blue swallowed up by the darkness of his pupils. “While I would love nothing more, I don’t have a condom.”

She felt her eyes widen. Holy shit. That hadn’t even crossed her mind. It had been a while since she’d had to worry about things like condoms. Way to keep your head in the game there, Sullivan.

It’s Smith. Smith. Remember, you’re a Smith now.

Jesus, she was losing it. What if she’d slipped and said her name out loud? What would have happened then? She knew Mason already suspected she was hiding something. The fact he had yet to call her on it was a miracle in and of itself. Which was why even considering having sex with him was idiotic.

A rush of what she refused to call disappointment washed through her. Because she was not disappointed. That would be stupid.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Come for a ride with me tomorrow?”

“That’s not a good idea.” Why did her voice sound so breathy? She needed to be strong, resistant to his charms or whatever.

The spark in his eyes dimmed. “Why? A minute ago, you were ready for me to spend the night.”

“I… um, it was… I mean, I was…” Yeah, she had nothing concrete to dispute that, because she’d been ready and willing to climb aboard like a horny cowgirl, consequences be damned. And standing there stammering like an idiot was not helping. She clamped her mouth shut.

Mason lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to her palm. Her newly built resolve cracked, like too-thin ice under pressure. “Say you’ll come with me.”

“I have to work tomorrow.”

“After you’re done, we’ll go.”

“What about your mother?”

“I don’t think she’ll want to come with us.”

The answer was so quick, so deadpan, she laughed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of my mother.” He leaned down and brushed a soft, searing kiss against her lips. “Please, say yes.”