Love Loyal and True (Must Love Diamonds 2)

The heat making her so very uncomfortable was no longer strictly from sexual longing. “Oh, God. That’s embarrassing.”

“It was cute. At least, when you weren’t being mean to me, you were cute.”

She bit the corner of her lip and arched her brows in apology. “Sorry.”

“I deserved it.”

As the seconds ticked by, she gathered enough courage to say, “So…if I shouldn’t use that kiss to judge…”

Why aren’t you already kissing me?

As if he’d read her mind, he stayed right where he was and said, “You told me not to push it.”

Roxanna frowned in disbelief. “Yeah, but then I brought up the kiss I apparently begged for when I was drunk.”

“And?”

“Well, I thought I was being pretty obvious, but if you need me to print out a formal invitation…”

She trailed off when his wide-ass smirk told her he was teasing.

“God,” she muttered past a reluctant grin. “You’re still an ass.”

Damn man was as exasperating as his brother. Difference was, she’d never once wanted to kiss Asher more than she wanted her next breath.

Chapter 13

Roxana’s lungs constricted when Loyal reached his arm out from under his cape to slip a hand around her waist and tug her close. Hip to hip, his hard thighs branded hers through the soft, supple leather of her suit.

“You sure about this?” he asked.

Be cool. “Yeah. And if you’re not as good as I imagined, we can go back to hating each other.”

His lips quirked at her flippant challenge. “I don’t think I can ever go back to hating you, Roxanna.”

She loved the way he said her name, especially when he got all serious. His tone dropped an octave, turning his voice slightly raspy. It gave her stomach a little flutter every time.

He threaded his other hand through her hair to the nape of her neck, his warm touch sending a cascade of anticipation tingles down her spine. She slid her hands up to his shoulders, her lashes drifting closed as he leaned in.

She had one moment to drink in the pure yummy masculine scent of him before the press of his mouth on hers jolted her already frantic heartbeat. She sucked in a quick breath, her hold tightening on his shoulders while his lips moved over hers. Firm yet gentle. Purposeful yet patient.

So much more patient than she want—

He licked at the seam of her lips, and she opened to him eagerly. The slide of his tongue against hers made her stomach wobble. As he angled his head to deepen the kiss, the dark stubble on his chin scraped against her skin. Her soft moan of approval made his arm band tighter, pressing her against him from thigh to chest.

He took his time with the seductive kiss, his exploring strokes deep and sensual, then shallow and teasing, and back to tummy-tumbling, tingle-inducing, core-clenchingly sexy. He proved her fuzzy memory was not an adequate judge of his skills, and her fully sober self acknowledged his self-confidence was one hundred percent justified.

Loyal Diamond wasn’t merely a good kisser, he was indeed exceptional.

If he’s this talented with his lips, imagine what he could do with the rest of his body.

She did, and another soft moan crawled up her throat as she wound her arms around his neck to thread her fingers into his thick, soft hair.

His mouth moved more urgently, stoking her hunger. He slid both hands down to palm her ass, the strength of his grip pressing her against his very rapidly growing erection. Those Batman pants weren’t going to conceal anything, and she felt the full effect of him through the thin, soft leather of her costume.

When she rubbed her leg against his, hooking her boot along the back of his calf, he grasped behind her knee and dragged her thigh up toward his hip. The move ground his hard length against her pelvis, setting off a deep, primal throb that weakened her knees. His splayed fingers skimmed back along the underside of her thigh, his pinky so close to her core her inner muscles clenched hard.

She was nearly panting when he dragged his mouth from hers at the same time he wound her long hair around his wrist to tug her head back. His breath rasped hot and heavy against her cheek, then under her jaw, and down along her neck. He nipped and licked and sucked at her skin, leaving a damp trail along the collar of her costume that instantly chilled in the October air. The contrast only heightened the fiery desire sweeping through her from head to toe.