“When you can’t be sure of anything else in this crapped-on world, you have to be sure of yourself.” He let go of her hand but only to touch her shoulder in a move that was innocent, but still stirred her dangerously. “Let’s go.”
The walk to the elevator seemed to take forever. Serena was acutely aware of Josh’s presence, his light touch, the hot brush of his jeans against her leg when he bumped up against her. By the time they reached the elevator, her mind was so scrambled that she actually had to concentrate in order to remember her room number.
The moment the doors closed Serena wished they’d taken the stairs. The tiny, enclosed space seemed to magnify the erotic energy pulsing off him, until the entire car was charged and her skin was tingling. As Josh’s fingers drifted over her shoulder in a lazy up-and-down motion, the very air became thick with sensual awareness. She might be a virgin, but she wasn’t naive or innocent, and she recognized sexual tension when she saw it… and felt it.
He waited for her to exit before he joined her, his long strides bringing him alongside her in half a dozen steps. A secret, wicked part of her wished he’d walk ahead of her so she could watch that extremely nice rear, encased in well-worn jeans.
“Your steps are very light,” she said, stupidly and for lack of anything else to say, but it was true. He moved like a cat on the prowl.
“I’m a hunter,” he said simply, and then he came to a sudden halt in the deserted hallway.
Startled, Serena froze. The last time he’d done this, a demon had been stalking her. “What’s wrong?”
He was looking at the floor, hair falling forward so she couldn’t see his expression.
“Josh?”
He lifted his head, and a predatory gleam sparked in his eyes. “I want to kiss you. I’m going to kiss you.”
When I say I’m going to do something, I do it.
The unexpected declaration made Serena’s mouth drop open, but not a single sound came out even as he moved toward her. Her feet remained frozen in place, even though her pulse pounded and her mind screamed at her to run in some sort of fight-or-flight response. But neither was going to happen, because she couldn’t flee, and neither could she fight.
His hands came down on her shoulders, his grip firm and unyielding as he pushed her back against the wall. “You want this, don’t you?”
She wanted to say no, but that would be a lie. She’d never wanted anything more, which, at the moment, made this man the most dangerous person on the planet. “Yes.”
His smile was pure male triumph as he took his hands from her shoulders and braced them high above her head so he was caging her in but not touching her. She had to tilt her head back to look at him, and she wondered if she looked the way she felt, like a mouse trapped by a cat.
Slowly, he leaned in, sinking to his forearms against the wall. He was close, so close she could feel the heat radiating from him, could hear the soft intakes of each breath even over the pounding of her pulse in her ears.
His mouth descended. Her knees shook, and thank God she was propped against the wall, because she felt like she could fall over at any moment. Panic wrapped around her chest like a steel band, and no, she couldn’t do this. Something told her she’d never be the same—
His lips claimed hers, not gently. Ravenously. Unapologetically. As if he did this all the time, and she supposed he did.
“Open for me.” His voice, a husky, resonant command, had her obeying without a second thought, and in an instant, he took what he wanted. His tongue slipped inside her mouth to stroke her teeth, the roof of her mouth, and then it slid against her tongue in a fierce, wet caress.
Her body ached, arching without her consent as though seeking his, but he still didn’t touch her—the only physical contact between them was where their mouths connected. He was seducing her with nothing more than his tongue, giving her a taste of what she was missing in her life.
God, she wanted more. Right here, right now.
Even so, she found herself murmuring against his lips, “I can’t do this.…”
Josh pulled back slightly. Too far, yet not nearly far enough. “I’m scaring you,” he whispered. “But you aren’t afraid of me. You’re afraid what I’m doing will lead to more.” He let his lips brush hers, barely, but with such passion that she gasped. “Don’t worry, Serena. If I wanted more right this moment, you’d know. My hands would be sliding up under your shirt so I could caress your breasts. I’d pinch your nipples, just a little, until they peaked so I could swipe my tongue over them.”
Oh, yes. Her body sagged, but he caught it with his, pressing up against her and pinning her to the wall.