She kissed me.
She grabbed my fucking t-shirt and she kissed me. Her soft lips pressed hard against mine. Her fingers wound themselves into my shirt as she pulled herself further into me, and despite knowing I should push her away, I didn’t.
I wound one arm around her toned waist, and with the other hand, I cupped her tight ass and I kissed her the fuck back.
I kissed her so fucking hard that if I never kissed her again, I’d have half a chance at being okay with it. I gripped her against me so goddamn tightly that escape was impossible, and I swept my tongue against hers for no other reason than to taste her.
She tasted like the ice cream and pink lemonade she’d had at the party.
Sweet.
Addictive.
The two things she was.
Blood shot through my body to my cock. It hardened inside my pants as our tongues battled and my heart thumped inside my chest. Fuck, I wanted her. No, I needed her.
Somehow, I savored the kiss.
I savored every sharp breath and finger-twitch and touch of her tongue to mine. Even as the kiss slowed, I loved every second. I drank her in and with every moment I fell deeper and deeper into the consuming abyss that was Lani Montana.
If I never breathed clean air again, I would be so fucking okay.
I wanted her.
Every moment. I wanted to breathe her in and never let go of her.
“How?” she whispered the word against my mouth, gripping my shirt so tightly I thought she’d break it.
“I don’t know,” I replied, resting my forehead against hers. “I can’t answer what I don’t know.”
“Can I write it?” she asked, hesitantly lifting her eyes to meet mine.
“The school first.”
Her smile held a hint of mischief. “I already submitted that. You’re tomorrow’s front page.”
“Bitch.”
“Asshole.”
I cupped her cheek. “Write it. It makes you happy, so write it.”
“Right now.” Her eyes sparked with excitement. “Please?”
I lifted my other hand to her face and held her fucking gorgeous gaze. “You swear you’ll keep them safe?”
Her blink was almost in slow motion as her eyelashes fluttered up. “With my life.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lani tilted her head to the side and rested her cheek on her hand. “Really? You don’t know GoFundMe?”
“I think I’ve heard of it...”
“Fuck me, you live in a world of your own, don’t you?”
“Fuck me? Okay. I’m here.”
“Brett!” She threw her empty, folded up chip bag at me. It fell to the floor. “This is what I’m talking about. The asshole-nice guy whiplash.”
“Sorry,” I said, looking up at her. “But I can see your panties. Or lack of.”
“I’m wearing panties!” She tugged her skirt down over the curve of her ass. Realizing it was hiding shit, she moved her legs so her underwear was sadly hidden from me. “Damn it, Brett. I need you to approve the GoFundMe because I know my boss will ask me about it.”
I threw my hands up. “I approve the Fund Me Go.”
“Okay. Now I know you’re fucking with me.”
“I’d like to fuck with you.”
She stared at me flatly. “Focus.”
“I am.”
“Brett!”
“I’m sorry. It’s very hard.”
“I’m sure it is. You’re being asshole again, Brett.”
Again, I threw my hands into the air. “All right, all right. Yes, I know GoFundMe. And yes, if you want to raise money, I’ll approve it because of my affiliation with the house.”
She clicked a couple times before setting her laptop on the floor in front of her. “Why couldn’t you just say that?”
I grinned. “It’s way more fun to fuck with you.”
“I’m starting to hate you again.”
“That’s not what it sounded like half an hour ago.”
She tied her hair back up in a ponytail and rolled her eyes. “Momentary lapse in sanity.”
“Liar,” I immediately shot at her.
“Prove it.”
“Come here and tell me you don’t want me.”
With a hefty sigh, she got up. Her footsteps were silent as she crossed the soft carpet to me. She stood in front of me, looking at me, and said, “I don’t want you.”
I darted forward when she stepped back. I gripped her hips and pulled her down on top of me. She squealed as she came forward, but I didn’t care. Her legs slipped either side of me, her knees nestling nicely between the sofa cushions. I slid my hands around to her ass and pulled her hips toward mine.
“Brett.”
“Lani.” I lifted my face up to hers, smirking. “Problem?”
“Yes.” She planted her hands against my chest. “I’m on top of you.”
“Try again.”
“Your, um, cock is against me.”
“Try again.”
“This is not okay.”
“I’m still not seeing your problem.”
“You’re being an asshole again.”
“I’m aware.”
She swallowed. “Can you please let me go?”
I slid one hand up her neck and pulled her face down to mine. “Never.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LANI
That one word made me take a deep breath.
Never?
That was a double entendre if I’d ever heard one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a decision he got to make. That was firmly in my hands, whether he realized it or not.
Damn him, he’d let me go if I wanted him to.
“Brett,” I said, “Let me go.”
His gray-blue eyes met mine with such ferocity I almost couldn’t breathe. There was nothing but want in them. Pure, hard want. I didn’t need to think about what he wanted. I just knew.
Me.
He wanted me.
“No,” he whispered, his lips barely a breath from mine.
“Brett.”
“Lani.”
“Stop it.” I pushed at his chest yet again.
His fingertips burned as they crept beneath my shirt. “What if I can’t?”
“Then I punch you in the face,” I lied.
Lied because my heart was beating like crazy. Lied because I wanted him right now too even if I couldn’t put it into words. Lied because the way his fingers ran across my skin was like goddamn magic.
I didn’t want him to know it. Today he was another class of human—he was the heart I remembered loving so much. But that didn’t take away from what he defaulted to.
He was proving it by the way he wouldn’t let me go.
“Please,” I whispered.
“Fine.” He released me and let his hands fall to his sides.
Still, I didn’t move.
I stared at them dumbly.
He’d released me.
I wasn’t moving.
Crap.
“You’re not moving,” he breathed. “Any reason why?”
I swallowed.
Would it be bad to give in just once?
Yes.
Fucking hell, yes.
I knew Brett Walker. If I fucked him, I’d be nothing to him within hours.
But I wanted to.
Shit, I wanted to!
What was wrong? Why wasn’t I moving? Why couldn’t I stop?
“Will Sali be mad if I do the GoFundMe page?” I asked quietly. It was the only thing I could say to cut off the thoughts of having sex with him.
He smiled and took my jaw in his hand. “Lani, she told you she opened the house with her divorce settlement?”
I nodded.