“I will.” And I would.
He held me until the turbulence settled, brushing his fingers through my hair and smoothing his hands down my back until my breathing was even and I’d forgotten how intense of a moment we’d just shared. He always seemed to know how far to push me and when I couldn’t handle any more.
He pulled his head back, a mischievous sparkle gleaming in his eyes, and just like that, in true Blake fashion, the shift in the air became more lighthearted. “Now, where were we?” He tapped the edge of his chin with his index finger.
I cocked my head to the side, wondering where he was going with that.
The corner of his mouth twisted into a grin, and he nudged my journal with his toe. “So . . . am I in there?”
“None of your business.” I bent to retrieve the book I’d dropped in my haste and held it firmly to my chest.
“Come on, Angel. Am I in there?” Blake’s smile was animated as he inched toward me.
Backing up, I said, “Maybe.” I couldn’t help but grin at his teasing manner. When my calves met cushion, I tossed the book down and sat on top of it, bringing my knees to my chest.
He prowled toward me with slow, fluid steps. “Let me see.”
“What’re you crazy? No way.” I gripped the edges of the book tight, anchoring myself to it.
“Angel . . .” He dragged out my name, holding out his hand.
“Blake . . .” My voice mirrored his, and I cocked a brow, silently telling him not to mess with me.
“Come on. Show me. Don’t make me tickle it out of you.” He flitted all of the fingers on both of his clawed hands in a threatening gesture.
I narrowed my eyes. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would. And I should warn you, I’ve been the king of tickle wars since junior high. I still have the crown to prove it.” He jabbed a finger to the side of my rib before I could see it coming.
I flinched to the left. “Don’t!” I squealed.
“Show me the goods, or I unleash the fury.” He wiggled two fingers into the opposite rib, and my body jolted to the side accordingly.
“Stop! I’m not in the mood. Don’t make me kick your ass!”
Straddling me, he pinched my side while leaning in to nudge his nose into the soft skin of my neck. Bumps raised along my flesh as he dragged his bottom lip up to the base of my ear. When his tongue sucked the lobe, I swallowed my breath.
“That was the wrong thing to say. Now I want to do it just to see that,” he whispered before pressing a kiss to my cheek. “But another time. I think you’ve shared enough for one night.”
I silently thanked him with my smile for knowing so well what I needed. It was sweet of him to try and distract me, but it was kind of hard to laugh when your insides were spilling out. He brushed my nose with his own as his hands snaked around my back, holding me tight to him.
Enraptured by the feel of him, I gave up the fight of trying to ignore what his body did to me in this close proximity, my mind returned to what had brought us here in the first place.
“Kiss me.”
The words escaped my mouth before I had a chance to swallow them down.
A smile dusted his face as he closed the small space between us and parted my lips with his tongue, sweeping in and out of my mouth slowly and delicately. But, like moths to a flame, one touch sparked a fire. Moaning with pleasure, he delved deeper, increasing his need with each stroke.
I breathed my air into him, loving how he received each pant, pushing some of his own back into my mouth. Unclasping our lips, I knotted my fingers in the hair at the base of his scalp, slanted his neck, and dipped my head to suck on the collarbone that had been teasing me all night. Sweet and salty and twisted with a hint of Blake, it tasted as delicious as I thought it would as I ran my tongue over it and gave it a little nip.
A quake ran through Blake’s body as he expelled the air from his lungs. “Fuck, Angel.” He dropped his forehead to mine, and I raked my fingernails from his scalp, down the hard contours of his back, exploring the muscles lining his spine. With trembling fingers, I attempted to do away with the thin piece of cotton standing between me and what I wanted.
His chest heaved, and his body retracted from mine a fraction. “We have to stop. This isn’t happening like this. Not until you’re sure.”
I moaned in protest, wanting to tell him to shut up and keep going, but I knew he was right. I dropped my hands down to my sides and blew out the rest of the air in my lungs, a slow blush creeping across my cheeks.
He took a deep breath and must have noticed my embarrassment. “I want you, too. Fuck, I want you so bad I can barely think straight. But we can’t. Not like this.” He brought my hands around from his back and kissed my palm before settling them between us. Then he dipped his head once again to place a soft peck on my lips. “Come on.” Securing my hands, he rocked back, pulling me up with him.