Page 30 of The Player I Can’t Pick

I study her face, looking for fear or uncertainty, but all I see is need. “You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

“I know.” She reaches forward and grips my shirt. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for me and because I want you.”

My control starts to slip, but I hold on to it. “If you change your mind at any point, all you have to do is tell me.”

“I will.”

“If something hurts, you tell me.”

“I will.”

“And if I’m moving too fast⁠—”

She cuts me off by leaning forward and kissing me.

For one second, I don’t move. Then her tongue brushes against mine, and every ounce of restraint I have snaps.

I rise from the coffee table and pull her up with me. My hands go to her waist, and she wraps her arms around my shoulders. I kiss her deeply, taking my time even though it’s the last thing I wanna do. She presses closer, and I can feel her soft curves against me. “Still sure?” I ask against her mouth.

She smiles against my lips. “Yes.”

I kiss her again before bending and lifting her into my arms. She lets out a gasp and circles her legs around my waist. “I can walk.”

“I want to carry you.”

I take her upstairs and set her carefully on her feet beside the bed. I need to see her face and for her to understand that this isn’t something I’m rushing through. My hands settle on her hips. “Last chance to tell me to slow down.”

She reaches for the hem of my shirt and pulls it over my head. “I’m not telling you to slow down.”

My whole body tightens as she runs her palms over me. When her nails scrape against my chest, I catch her wrists and groan. “You keep doing that and this is going to be over before it starts.”

She smiles. “Please… you’re Guy Brody. I know you have more control than that.”

“Not with you.”

I release her hands and reach for the hem of her shirt. “Can I?”

She nods and raises her arms. I pull the shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor. For a moment, I can only stare. Her hands move toward her stomach like she’s trying to cover herself, and I catch them before she can. “Don’t.”

Her cheeks turn pink. The lights are off, but there is a stream of moonlight coming through the open shades. “Guy…”

“You don’t have to hide from me. I want to see you. All of you.”

I kiss her before she can argue. My hands slide down her sides, over her waist and hips, learning every inch of her. When I cup her breasts, she arches toward me with a soft moan. “Okay?” I ask.

She lets out a shuddered breath. “Yes.”

I kiss my way down her neck as I work the clasp of her bra loose. When it falls away, I pull back long enough to look at her.

“Guy.”

“You’re beautiful.”

She shakes her head like she doesn’t believe me, so I show her. I lower my mouth to her breast, and the sound she makes has my knees nearly giving out. I take my time with her, kissing and tasting her until she’s gripping my shoulders and saying my name.

When I lift my head, her eyes are glazed. “You still with me?”

She lets out a breathless laugh. “Barely.”