Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“There you are,” I said the minute I reached her.
Said it like I’d been looking for her all night.
All my life really.
I let my eyes rake over her, her beauty damn near sending me to my knees, but my attention snagged on the purple under her eyes, like she hadn't been sleeping well.
I turned to the man who was still standing in her way. “Can I help you with something?”
The guy looked from me to Aspen and back again, then quickly shook his head and turned on his heels, disappearing into the crowd. Clearly seeing the claim I silently laid on Aspen, even though I didn't really have one to lay.
“Cross?” she asked, sounding partially surprised and partially relieved.
I swallowed hard. “I'll take a yes and five minutes,” I said, offering her my hand.
She immediately took it, and relief barreled down my spine at the move.
She glanced behind her, and I followed her line of sight until she made connection with Jesse. They had a silent conversation, one where she assured him she was okay with me, and then nodded at me.
I tugged her through the crowd, each step making my heart ratchet up another notch until I pulled her into my office and locked the door behind us.
“So you own this club too?”
“It seems you love to pop up at the clubs I own,” I said, smirking at her. The energy between us was palpable, and we were easily falling into the same roles we'd played for the last three months.
“I have good taste,” she said.
I didn't let go of her hand, and she didn't try to tug it away.
She seemed as drawn to me as I was to her, her body practically flush with mine as I moved to the leather couch pushed up against the wall, the floor-to-ceiling glass one-way, allowing us to see the crowd below.
“Why haven't you returned my calls?” I asked, unable to stop my hand from grazing down her bare arm.
She gasped at my touch, leaning into me like she just couldn't help it.
“I didn't know what to say,” she admitted, her eyes meeting mine as they danced between my mouth and back again.
I pulled her closer, relishing the way my lungs opened with her in my arms. “What were you saying to that guy before I came over?” I asked, our lips a breath away from each other.
“No,” she said. “I was telling him no.”
“And why would you do that, kitten?” I traced the line of her jaw with my fingertip.
“Because I'm not interested.”
A bit of pride rumbled through me, and I smirked down at her, at the way she was leaning against me, her hands splayed on my chest.
“It looks like you're interested in me,” I challenged.
“I never said I wasn't interested in you,” she said.
She shifted against me, and I almost groaned the contact.
“It seems like I'm not the only one,” she said.
“I think you missed me,” I said, blood throbbing hot through my veins.
“Of course, I missed you, Cross,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“But missing you doesn't erase everything that happened.”
“I'm here,” I said. “Let's talk.”
Her eyes flared wide. “Is that what you want to do right now?”
She shifted against me again, drawing me even closer, her lips are breath away from mine.
And I crumbled underneath the look she planted me with.
The one that was needy and hungry. The one that I’d seen so many times before. The one that we both shared, mirrored in our need for each other.
“Why don't you tell me what you want, and I'll make that happen,” I said.
Something churned in those eyes of hers, something deep and emotional and open. I half expected her to pull away from me and launch into all the reasons that we couldn't work as a couple, but instead of pulling away, she got closer, crushing her mouth against mine.
I completely snapped, all instincts turning carnal as I took control of the kiss, reading her cues as my hands slid down her body. She needed our bodies to do the talking? Then I’d make sure there were no mixed signals.
I licked into her mouth, the kiss claiming and intense as I pushed her backward until she hit the desk. Her fingers were frantic as she pushed off my jacket, then my dress shirt. I pulled off her top, our moves hurried as we shed our clothes.
“Aren’t you going to ask about the view, kitten?” I asked against her mouth.
“I don’t care,” she said, breathless as she sucked my bottom lip into her mouth.
I growled, laughing darkly. “It’s one-way glass,” I explained anyway, not wanting her to think I’d fuck her where the entire club could see. I bent slightly, gripping her hips and propping her up on the desk, spreading her thighs to step between them.