MANifesting

Kellan pulled his chair over so that he was sitting right beside me. “Allie, you’re absolutely right. We should celebrate the little things.”

He slowly reached out his hand to take mine where it was resting on my thigh. “Is this okay?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said gently, inching closer. “Am I a bad person for being glad you didn’t find anyone at that singles event?”

“Hey, maybe I’m a bad person for thinking that adults don’t need to play musical chairs,” I laughed.

I loved how easily he made me laugh, but he also made me feel funny. It was surprising how relaxed I felt around him. And it was outright shocking how roughly my heart was hammering in my chest as I found myself staring at his lips. I was nervous that he was going to kiss me, but terrified that he might not.

He released my hand, bringing both of his palms up to caress my face, then tangle in the back of my hair as he drew me toward him.

Those perfect lips brushed gently across my forehead, then down the bridge of my nose. His deep eyes flashed as he brought our mouths close together. “Do you want me to kiss you?” he breathed.

The second I began to nod, our lips caressed each other in a kiss so gentle it was soothing. Sweet.

My hands circled his shoulders as I felt his fingertips massage the back of my neck. “You’re so beautiful, Allie,” he murmured against my mouth. “Whatever you’re looking for in a man, let me be that for you.”

Pure lusty heat radiated through my veins as my body took over. My lips parted, our arms tightened, snuggling closer. My breath began to hitch as I felt my tight nipples brush against his chest.

Kellan lifted me so that I was sitting in his lap, our bodies curled toget

her as he held me. A rigid pressure against my hip spoke volumes as he murmured, “You’re the sexiest girl I’ve ever met.”

It had never occurred to me to speak at a time like this. My mind was blank except for the desperate sensation of needing him to touch me absolutely any way he wanted.

Kellan’s hand slipped down my back, then up underneath my shirt to trace along my spine. A tiny moan escaped my throat as I felt his smile against my lips.

“Do you like it when I touch you, Allie?” he asked softly, kissing a lazy line along my jaw, then the side of my throat as his hand slipped up to swirl his fingertips between my shoulder blades.

“Yes,” I gasped.

Such a tender touch from a big, rough-looking guy was making my hips quiver. For half a second, I wondered how far we could go here in the storage room of his business. Sure, it was inappropriate, but if he was the boss, did it really matter?

His lips crept up the other side of my neck, making me giggle and twitch. “Ticklish,” he smiled. “I like that.”

His hand slipped down my spine to caress my lower back, his other hand twisting in the back of my hair, pulling my lips back to his.

I’d barely been kissed before — just a few tiny good night pecks. Kellan kissed me with his entire body, so much raw need coursing through the undercurrent between us. My eyes blurred and I grew nearly dizzy, my fingers slipping inside the neck of his shirt to glide across his warm skin.

Then he kissed a path to my ear, murmuring, “Allie, think about coming to my place tonight. Think about spending the night snuggling in my bed, letting me kiss every single inch of your skin.”

My choked moan made him chuckle, then he silenced me with a kiss that was more like an energy surge. As his tongue cautiously entered my mouth, my lips parted, allowing him to take complete control.

There was no logical reason why it felt so incredible to let him take charge. For once, I wasn’t paralyzed with shyness or anxiety. I was just…free. He wasn’t taking me. I was offering myself to him. Somehow, that tiny detail made a world of difference.

The intensity of the emotion I felt through his kisses was shocking. The caring in each tender caress made my pulse unsteady, as my arms tightened around him, wanting to keep his body against mine forever.

When he finally pulled away, I was left breathless and blinking.

Kellan’s smile was pure saucy joy. “I wanted to do that the second I met you,” he grinned. “Thank you for helping me celebrate. Best business anniversary ever.”

He handed me a glass, and I copied his cautious small sip, followed by a larger one. “What do you think?” he asked.

The residue of the beer was heavy on my tongue and unlike anything I’d ever tasted before. “It’s sort of warm and heavy,” I said, searching for the right words. “Like banana bread.”

“Exactly,” Kellan laughed. “What else do you taste?”