She drags her hand back down my arm and fuck if that light caress doesn’t make my dick twitch.
Yeah, not dead at all anymore.
She links her arm with mine, a warm loop, and we walk, our sides touching. She doesn’t let go while I fumble in my pocket for the keys and let us into the building. We stagger inside, and it’s funny, although I’m the one who keeps knocking into the wall, dragging her along.
She still doesn’t let go.
We stumble up the stairs, and despite my hand on the banister and her arm tugging on mine, I still have trouble. Goddamn, how many did I have with Ocean before Seth showed up?
“Sorry,” I mutter, and she just grins at me.
“Almost there,” she says, and I focus on my uncooperative legs, trying to control them, trying to keep my balance so I won’t send us both tumbling down the stairs.
That thought sobers me enough to navigate the last two flights, leaning away from her, making sure nothing happens to her. My dreams and fantasies with her may be twisted and violent, but I don’t wanna hurt her.
Never wanna hurt her. No matter how sick my desire for her is, I’ll never harm her.
With this mantra running in a loop in my drunken mind, I pull away from her to unlock my door. The only problem is I can’t fit the key in the lock. For some reason the keyhole keeps moving.
“Here, let me do it,” she says, stepping in front of me, and I should step back, give her space, but instead I find myself rooted to the spot as she inserts and turns the key, her round ass pressing back against my thighs.
Christ. Bracing one hand on the doorframe, I struggle to keep from grabbing her hip and rutting against her like an animal.
Before I lose the battle, she pushes the door open and enters my apartment, and I’m not sure if I’m relieved or fucking sorry she moved away. I follow her inside, my dick hard and heavy, straining against my zipper, hampering my movements.
She turns when I click the door shut behind me. “Have you eaten something? Shall I make you a sandwich?”
“No.” My breathing is harsh, too loud in my ears. I lean against the wall, watch her from under my lashes.
God, she’s so fucking sexy.
“Okay.” She tries for a smile, fails. Her hands twist together at the front of her long gray coat, her pale hair gleaming against it. “I could order something—”
“Cassie.” If she doesn’t go now, I don’t know how to keep from touching her, holding her.
“What?” Her small, pretty face looks about to crumble. “Look, I get that you don’t like me or want me, okay? But I happen to like you, Shane Tucker. Now I’ll go and leave you in peace, don’t worry. I just wanted you to know.”
Fuck. “I don’t want you to go.”
In two strides, I’m right in front of her, because dammit, I can’t stop this from happening, or what comes after.
I grab her face in my hands, lifting it to mine, and when her lashes lower and lips part, I kiss her.
Chapter Six
Cassie
Shane is holding me, his large, callused hands on my cheeks, and then his mouth descends on mine, and he’s kissing me. His mouth is hard and hot, tasting of whisky and fire, and I’m lost against him.
He just holds me close, moving his mouth over mine. He groans when I lick his lips, letting me in. His tongue tangles with mine, and the fire spills from my mouth to my belly, setting me alight. He kisses like someone who hasn’t done it much—a little hard, a litt
le awkward.
Perfect.
Because it’s him, it’s Shane, and the cool silk of his long hair brushes against my face as he kisses me, his tall, strong body close enough to touch if he’ll just take one small step forward. If he’ll let me close the gap and press myself to him.
He doesn’t. Even as I loop my arms around his neck, tugging, his hands on my face are like steel vises, keeping me in place, just near enough for our mouths to meet and the most scorching kiss I’ve ever been given.