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A large bed and fancy furniture filled the room. This had to be Jennifer’s parents’ bedroom. Her heart thundered in her chest. No going back now.
“Do I know you?”
It stung. She thought about him every single day, and he didn’t have a clue who she was. “I’m Mariella Mosconi.”
He cocked his head. “Giovanni’s little sister?”
Another sting. “I’m in your Spanish class.” She didn’t want her younger age to cause an issue.
“Right. I remember you now.” He glanced over his shoulder and hitched a thumb to what was most likely the master bath. “Did you have to go?”
She shook her head. “I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“Me? I’m fine.” He laughed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
He was lying. Somehow, she knew he wasn’t okay, but she had no reason to believe otherwise. Just a strong instinct that his smile and laugh was part of a very heavy mask he never took off. The urge to comfort him drew her deeper into the room. What would he do if she kissed him?
He took a step back. “What are you doing?”
“You came up here without talking to anyone.”
“Maybe I wanted to be alone.”
“Then why’d you come to a party?”
He might not be in the mood to socialize, but she doubted he wanted to be alone. Something about the hard set of his jaw and the vulnerability in his eyes made her believe he was looking for something. Maybe company. Maybe an escape. She could be both.
His gaze shot to the locked door then back to her. The weight of his stare trailed over her body like a physical caress. “We’re not supposed to be up here.”
“How do you know?”
“That’s the rule at all Jenn’s parties.”
Yet this was the first place he went when he arrived. “Then why are you in here?”
“Privacy.”
“Because you want to be alone?”
“Maybe.” His gaze dropped to her chest. “Maybe not. Guess it depends.”
“On?”
“The company.”
She leaned into the thick post at the foot of the bed and his eyes followed her. They shared a moment where they both acknowledged his inspection and she did nothing to shield his perusing stare. Dropping her head back against the bedpost, she arched her chest and lifted a brow with an inviting smirk.
She’d never done anything like this before. She hadn’t planned to throw herself at him, but she wanted no misunderstandings about her feelings.
“I don’t feel like talking,” he rasped, his stare lingering at the swell of her breasts.
“That’s fine.” She glanced at the large bed and back to him, making it perfectly clear why she followed him in there.
The side of his mouth quirked in a half grin, and a dimple flashed. “Is this a joke or something? Did someone send you in here?”
She shook her head. “I followed you.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Because I wanted to.”
He took a step closer, his eyes full of dark suspicion. “Why?”
Her breath hitched when he touched the pendant locket hanging from her necklace. This was the closest they’d ever been. She could smell the soap on his skin and see each golden stubble of hair covering his jaw. Her heart beat wildly “I wanted to give you something.”
His gaze flicked to hers. “What?”
She swallowed and wet her lips, tasting the sweet flavor of her sugary lip gloss. “A kiss?”
He stilled and the air thinned, making it even more difficult to breathe. She’d never done anything like this before. Bold wasn’t necessarily her style, but she was determined.
“A kiss?” he repeated, eyes narrowing as if not fully trusting her intentions.
“Y-yes.” She kept her eyes on him, more excited than afraid, but nervous all the same.
He caught her chin and dragged a thumb across her mouth, smearing the sticky cupcake flavored gloss into her lower lip. “Your brother know you came up here?”
His question threw her, and she frowned. “Course not.”
He chuckled and glanced down at her cleavage. “This feels a little premeditated, Mariella.”
That’s because it was. He stared at her mouth and her chin slightly trembled. “No one knows I’m up here.”
“I don’t want any trouble with your brother or your cousins.”
There were at least five of her cousins downstairs, each one crazy enough to beat the crap out of any guy who might think to take advantage of her, but Harrison wasn’t taking anything she didn’t freely offer. She wanted this. She wanted him.
“My family won’t be a problem. No one knows I’m up here. And I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Good,” he said, abruptly releasing her chin and sifting his fingers into her hair, tugging her head back.
She gasped, his mouth suddenly devouring her, scrambling her thoughts and softening her knees as every feminine piece of her melted into liquid heat. One sweep of his tongue and she was a pool of desire.
The rough pull of his fingers in her hair and the delicious prickle along her scalp proved just how unprepared she was for a guy like him. The second his mouth touched hers, he had the strap of her tank top sliding off her shoulder and her body pressed into the post of the bed.
