Page 46 of Hate To Be Mine

For a second, she went completely still. Frozen. Like her brain was trying to process what was happening and couldn’t quite get there.

Oh shit. I misread everything. I was an idiot. I was about to get slapped or fired or kicked in the balls. Thank God I was sitting down.

But then she kissed me back. And holy shit, there was a spitfire hiding under that buttoned-up exterior. I needed better access. I got out of my chair and pulled her up with me. She leaned into it.

Before I knew it, I had her pushed up against the railing along the porch. My lower body pinned her while one hand found her waist and the other cupped the back of her neck. She made a small sound—not quite a moan but close—and it went straight to my groin.

The rain pounded down around us and the sound of thunder was loud enough that I felt it in my chest, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the way she tasted and the way her hot little body felt pushed up against mine. Her fingers had found their way into my hair and were gripping tight enough to hurt in the best possible way.

My hand slid from her waist to her hip, pulling her closer. She arched into me, rubbing herself against my very obvious erection. It was my turn to groan into her mouth. It was everything I’d been thinking about since that day at the workshop when she’d emerged in that sundress. Everything about the woman was absolutely maddening and it was impossible to stop thinking about her.

Bernadette’s hands roamed over my shoulders, down my chest. I caught her lower lip between my teeth and gently pulled. I was testing the boundaries. When she gasped and dug her nails into my chest through the damp fabric, I saw green—as in a green light to keep going.

We were heading into second base territory. It was over-the-clothes touching but it was so damn good. It was making me want to rip those clothes off and see where things could go. But some part of my brain knew we should slow down. We were on a porch. In the rain. Where anyone could see us if the power came back on.

But god, I didn’t want to stop. My hand had just found the hem of her shirt, fingers skimming the skin of her lower back. She moaned into my mouth.

My fingers danced across her skin until the pad of my thumb rubbed across the satin fabric of her bra. I felt her nipples straining and couldn’t resist rubbing my thumb just a little harder against it.

She bit my lip in an act of pure desire.

I had suspected she would be responsive, but nothing could have prepared me for the way she was trying to devour me. My tongue slashed against hers with my thumb rubbing against her nipple through the fabric.

I needed more. I needed contact.

I moved to slip my finger under the bra when the door behind me burst open.

“Hey, is the power out? I just woke up and—oh, shit! Am I interrupting?”

Annika.

We sprang apart like we’d been struck by lightning. I stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a chair. Bernadette’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide.

Annika stood in the doorway, wrapped in her robe, her expression shifting from confusion to shock to absolute delight in about three seconds flat. A huge grin spread across her face.

“I have to go,” I said quickly. “I mean there’s a call I have to make.”

“Smooth,” Annika said, still grinning.

“Good night.” I grabbed my umbrella and headed down the porch steps into the rain.

I was half-running through the downpour like the coward I apparently was.

What the hell had I just done?

18

BERNADETTE

Iwas certain my face was on fire. I could feel my cheeks burning and I didn’t think it had anything to do with the stubble burn I was probably sporting.

I stepped into the bungalow. Annika had turned on a few of the LED candles—no flames allowed in the pristine jungle. She was standing in the center of the room with a shit-eating grin.

I wanted to melt into the floor. Given how hot I was, it was entirely possible. I shivered and only then realized my back was wet. It had been exposed to the rain during our little situation.

“So,” she said, drawing out the word. “That was interesting.”

I pressed my hands to my burning cheeks. “Please don’t.”