If Dahlia’s lips carried that much power, I could already imagine how the rest of her would feel against me.
My hands anchored to her hips, longing to fit her body to mine. To memorize every curve, every freckle, and every inch of her delectable skin.
Dahlia’s mouth molded to mine. And I melted against her.
We kissed a little longer, and I barely contained the groan threatening to escape.
When Dahlia pulled back, my lips missed hers the moment they disconnected.
“Thanks for tonight,” she said, breathless, as she raised her gaze to lock it on mine, her breasts pressing against my torso. Was she as reluctant as I was to let go?
Right about now, the pounding of my heart could shatter the entire town.
Every cell in me came alive as Dahlia rested against me, her heat radiating through me. My body ignited, a thousand flames erupting all inside me.
“Dahlia, is it okay that I wish to do this again?” I asked, drowning in the green pools of her eyes.
A smile drew on her lips. “Mm-hmm, because I’d love to. Very much.” She paused. The way her gaze bore into mine multiplied the scorching ache taking over all my senses. To touch her. To know her. “Tomorrow, I’m having a launch party for the shop. Would you come”—she stared at me, her lips pursed—“as my date?”
My heart drummed, its beat an addictive thrum. “Oh, you sure?” Whoa, I hadn’t expected this invitation. Fireworks burst inside me. Would I look childish if I pumped my fist?
Dahlia nodded, nibbling her lower lip, never averting her eyes. “I am. It’s a big night for me, and I’d like you there.”
Her words hit me straight in the heart. The attraction I felt, it was shared. She experienced it too.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. What time should I pick you up?”
“Well, I’ll be at the shop all day. But it starts at six. Meet me inside at five-thirty. We’ll have a drink beforehand. Some of my friends will come early too. It could be fun.”
I could already picture Carter Hills giving me attitude. That should be interesting. “Done. Count me in.”
Dahlia’s pressure over my chest steadied, and her face glowed in the dark night.
I cocked my head, and my lips traced a line to the corner of her mouth.
“I already love our friendship,” Dahlia whispered.
“Me too.”
My nose filled with the floral scent of her. The one that tipped my heart over the day we met. And did all night.
With my eyes closed, I took a big whiff, hoping I could bottle it up.
“Night,” I said with a step back as I forced the word out. Because there was no other place I’d rather be than here in that instant.
My eyes trained on her over my shoulder as I made it back to my truck. Earlier, I promised Carter Hills I’d be a gentleman tonight, but right now, the thoughts swimming in my head were a far cry from it.
Because I wanted to kiss Dahlia Ellis. Not only to kiss her, but to be kissed by her.
I wanted to hold her in my arms. Not only to hold her, but hold on to her, protect her.
I wanted to touch her. Not only to touch her, but to connect to her so deeply that she and I became one.
Once in the safety of my pickup truck, I emptied all the air lodged in my lungs. There. Now I could breathe. I watched the house until the light inside turned off, then drove away, not sure what I experienced, but longing for a do-over. Soon.
My body sizzled with need. In the comfort of my own home, I discarded my clothes, throwing them on the floor as I made my way upstairs, ready to relieve the tension combusting inside me and making my cock hard as a flagpole. In the shower, it was so stiff that it hurt as I wrapped my fist around it and pumped myself under the curtain of water.
The images dancing before my eyes were Dahlia’s. Her hair the color of fire. Her alluring smile. The way her eyes reflected her inner beauty. Yeah, she was everything I loved in a woman. And much more. Here and now, she took center stage in my mind, my body aching for her. For some reason, she had wiped out from my memory the image of any other woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. Fuck, I wished the night could have lasted longer. I closed my eyes, reliving that kiss.
My neck tensed. A zing traveled along my spine. My balls tightened. I clenched my jaw, pumping faster, my teeth gritted together. “Fuck,” I said as I shot my load all over the wall. I was doomed. Dahlia Ellis had made her way to the back corners of my brain—and my heart—and now I wanted more. A lot more of her.
Derek’s Bucket List – 3. Kiss a girl until my heart beats fast