Page 54 of Passion and Privilege

His voice was low and husky and almost a growl. It sounded like he was angry with me, but his eyes said otherwise. He stepped closer, causing me to take a step back. Another step from him and I stepped back again.

I found myself pressed against the kitchen counter, his body inches from mine. His nostrils flared. I could smell the scotch on his breath. It was like an invisible force drawing us together. Suddenly, his lips crashed against mine.

The world around us fell away, replaced only by the primal desires that burned between us. The kiss was fiery. His hands were rough yet gentle as they moved along my arms, tugging me closer until there was hardly a shred of space between us. I gave in to the moment, forgetting about everything else.

I could taste the scotch on his lips. I felt intoxicated by it, by him. There was no denying it any longer, the feelings that we’d been trying to bury. Feelings that were far more than mere attraction, more than we’d ever admitted to ourselves.

His fingers slipped into my loose hair, tugging me closer still, as though he could pull me into him. My hands found their way to his broad shoulders, clinging onto him, the heat from his body radiating against mine.

We broke apart for air. His chest was heaving, matching the erratic rhythm of my heart.

“That’s why,” he said, his voice barely a whisper against my lips. “That’s why I did all those things, why I kissed you like I did.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Catherine

I STARED AT HIM, CONSIDERING my options. I could walk away and go back to my room and end this before it crossed a line. Or I could stay right where I was and give into the passion burning between us.

“Then kiss me again,” I whispered.

His eyes widened, but he didn’t hesitate. His lips found mine with a scorching passion. Our bodies melded together, our shared desire pulsing between us. His hands moved over my back, pulling me tighter against his solid frame. I clung to him, the cool of the kitchen counter forgotten against the heat of his body.

Suddenly, his fingers were in my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. It was raw and primal and everything I’d been trying to deny for so long. All reason and logic faded away, replaced by pure emotion. It was intoxicating, breathtaking, and equally terrifying. This was uncharted territory. I forgot all about the rules and reasons why I shouldn’t have anything to do with him. He was a dead end. He was never going to want to marry me.

But damn, just one night.

As his mouth moved against mine, every nerve ending seemed to come alive. I felt a current run through my body, setting my skin aflame. I lost myself in the rhythm of our bodies moving together. The earthy scent of his cologne mixed with scotch and something uniquely him. My hands moved from his back to his hair, fingers tangling in the messy strands.

“Timothy,” I murmured against his lips, my voice barely a whisper. His answer was a low hum, sending a ripple of emotion through me. His hands slid down my back, ending up at my waist where they stayed, holding me firm against him. His touch was electric, sending shivers down my spine and lighting a fire deep within me. His lips moved to my neck, trailing kisses down to my collarbone and causing me to gasp.

The flimsy straps on my tank top were easily pulled away. I had crept down to the kitchen in my tiny shorts and tank. It wasn’t exactly full coverage.

“Are you sure?” he asked, pulling back slightly to look into my eyes. His own were dark with desire. I nodded wordlessly, pulling him closer again. His lips found mine once more and any remaining doubts faded away.

I felt his hands move under my shirt, tracing the curves of my body. His thumbs brushed over my pebbled nipples, pulling a sharp gasp from me.

His touch was electric, making my body respond in ways I had never experienced before. His hands, strong and steady, traced a path up my stomach and over my ribs, pulling a soft moan from my throat. He took that as encouragement and pulled me even closer against him.

Our kisses became more urgent, more needy. My fingers twisted in his hair as he moved his mouth down my neck and toward my chest. With one swift move, he had my shirt gone, leaving my upper body bare to his heated gaze.

His eyes were smoldering as he looked at me, desire clear in every inch of his expression. He seemed to pause for the brief moment, his gaze flickering between my eyes and my exposed flesh. “Fuck, I have fantasized about this since the first moment I laid eyes on you. You’re gorgeous. I could devour you whole.”

The intensity of his stare caused a hot flush to spread through me, making me squirm in anticipation. Timothy didn’t move, he simply watched me, knowing his gaze was making me hotter by the second. The way he watched me as my lips parted and took shallow gasps made me feel like his hands were on me.

“Timothy.” My voice was pleading now. The air between us was thick with desire. I watched as he slowly closed the gap, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as his lips closed around one of my nipples. I gasped at the sensation, my hands clutching his hair in a desperate response.

My back pressed against the cold kitchen counter. The contrast of temperatures served only to heighten the sensations coursing through me. His tongue flicked over my nipple, drawing a soft whimper.

His other hand slid to my waist and under my shorts, trailing downwards until he was cupping my heat through the thin fabric of my panties. A groan escaped from him when he felt just how wet I was. It was like a switch had been flipped. His movements became more urgent, hands gripping tighter, mouth sucking harder.

My breath hitched as his fingers slipped past the elastic band of my thong and made contact with my drenched folds. I felt him push my panties to the side and then, oh hot damn, his fingers were on me. His touch was everything. My body responded eagerly to him, a fire igniting within me.

“Yes.” The word slipped out as my head dropped back.

He pulled back from my chest, staring into my eyes as he stroked my slick core. The sight of Timothy, so composed yet filled with such raw lust for me, was too much. My heart pounded in my chest like a drum, the beat echoing through my veins as I flexed against his touch.

“You’re so wet,” he murmured. “I knew you would be. I saw the fire in you.”