He presses his palm to my cheek, his thumb gently sweeping over my lips tenderly. “Stay,” he urges again, and all logical reasoning escapes me.
I look away from him, dropping my eyes to his chest. My hair billows around us as the wind kicks up. “I can’t.” My heart is racing wildly in my chest, and I weigh every consequence of staying with him in my mind.
“You can.”
“Holt . . .” I pause.
“I dare you, Saige. Stay with me.”
I dare you. Those three fucking words will get me every single time.
Holt
She sighs loudly. I can’t believe I actually dared her to stay with me. I’ve never begged a woman for a damn thing, yet here I am, reduced to daring Saige Phillips to stay the night with me. I’m almost ashamed of myself. Almost.
“Saige,” I push her to answer me. I see the hesitation in her eyes, but I also see the desire and want.
“Holt, I was worried that drinks were a bad idea. Staying is a really bad idea.”
“Staying is a perfect idea. Look at the storm blowing in,” I laugh light-heartedly and gesture to the clouds rolling off the lake, moving in above us, “and I don’t have my car. I wasn’t going to drive after we’d been drinking, and there is no way I’m sticking you in a cab at this hour and sending you home, so it looks to me like your only option is to stay.” I smile at her, hoping my charm works.
“Looks that way.” She chews on her bottom lip, fighting back a smile.
She sees right through my bullshit, but I don’t care. Her lips are plump, pink, perfect, and mine. I lean in and press a kiss to them, pulling her bottom lip into my mouth. She inhales sharply and relaxes, kissing me back. Wrapping her fingers into the front of my shirt, she holds on as I deepen our kiss. Our breaths are quick, and my cock hardens as she presses her chest against mine. But after a moment, she pulls away and presses her forehead to my chest, wrapping her arms around me.
“Stop overthinking this, Saige.”
She lifts her head and looks at me through her thick lashes. Finally, she answers, “Okay.”
I sigh in relief and entwine our fingers together. We walk toward the door, and I guide her carefully down the narrow stairwell to the third floor. She holds on to my hand while her other hand grips my forearm tightly as I lead her down the long hallway to my bedroom. I can feel her hesitation combined with her want, which turns me on.
She squeezes my hand tighter as we enter my room, and she stops abruptly just inside the door. Something inside me quiets any arguments that this is a bad idea, and I turn around and push her against the wall. I don’t want her to change her mind, and I sure as hell don’t want her leaving tonight. I have to show her what I’m feeling, what she does to me, and I need to know what she’s feeling in return.
We’re a flurry of tangled limbs and lips crashing. Murmurs of want and need are stuttered between passionate kisses. The sound of heavy breathing fills the space between us when our moans of desire are tempered.
Every cell inside my body wants Saige. Needs her. Her long fingers work the buttons on my shirt, and she pushes it off over my shoulders where it falls to our feet. Running her hands up my chest, she sends chills down my spine as she makes her way over my neck and into the back of my hair, tugging at it gently. Fuck, she knows her way around my body.
Finding the hem of her shirt, I lift it and pull it over her head, tossing it to the ground next to us. Her tits are even more perfect than I imagined, and they’re held in place by a see-through black lace bra. “Jesus, Saige,” I mumble against her neck as I slide the bra straps down over her shoulders.
Reaching behind her, I unhook her bra and watch as it falls to the floor in a pile next to her shirt. My cock throbs in my pants as her hands explore my stomach and stop at my waistline. I take a step back so I can look at her. Her eyelids are heavy, and her eyes full of lust. She wants this as badly as I do. It’s all the confirmation I need to continue.
“Here.” I take her hand and lead her to my bed. I will fuck her against my wall, and on the floor, and in the shower, and every goddamn place I can think of. But tonight, I want her in my bed. Beneath me. Soft skin and gentle touches.
As we reach the edge of the bed, I unfasten her pants, carefully unzipping them. Kneeling before her, I press my lips to the soft expanse of her stomach with my hands on her thighs. As I look up into her eyes, she inhales deeply and closes her eyes. I tug at her pants and peel them off of each of her long, perfect legs.