“Smart on my part, I meant.”
He tilted his head and stared at her. Then he nodded, went over to the couch, picked up her socks, gathered her boots and came back to where she was still standing.
He held them out to her with one hand and turned the key in the deadbolt with the other. But before he could open the door, she reached up and locked the deadbolt again.
“I won’t be needing what you’re holding for a little bit.”
He stifled his grin, but let the boots and socks drop to the floor at his feet. “Means you won’t need what you’re holdin’, either.” He worked the coat out of her clenched fingers and hung it back up. “Scared?”
Her throat worked, but she shook her head. “Nervous, I guess. I haven’t... It’s...”
Jesus fuck, that was good fucking news. “How long?”
Her throat jumped and her gaze dropped to his chest as she whispered, “Years.”
Fuck yes.
Was that fucking selfish of him? Fuck yeah it was, but he didn’t give a fuck. That meant that marriage was over years ago. She was not pining away for her ex. There was no lingering bullshit between her and Lange to get in the way with everything he wanted to give her tonight.
“Gonna think this is a mistake afterward?”
Without hesitation, she answered, “Probably.”
“Least you’re fuckin’ honest about it.”
“You’ve been honest with me.”
That he had. “Can you live with that mistake?”
She lifted her face to his again. “Won’t know until I make it.”
He pressed his lips together to keep from grinning. “Got a plan.”
“What is it?” Her question held a little shake to it.
“Starts with your mouth.” When her lips parted, he dropped his head, dug his fingers into the hair on both sides of hers, and whispered, “Then it goes from there.”
Her ragged breath beat against his lips and he hesitated.
She was probably going to regret this in the morning.
He wasn’t from her world.
He probably wasn’t even close to her type.
The biggest issue she ever dealt with in her life was the shitty hand her ex-husband dealt her.
But none of that mattered right now.
He just wanted tonight. And so did she.
So, he’d take what he wanted and give her the same.
When the sun came up in the morning, she might see things differently than she did right now. But he had until then.
And he was going to enjoy every fucking second of it.
He closed the small gap between their lips and swallowed the breath that rushed from her.
And the groan that followed.
Fuck yes...
Her lips were soft and her mouth sweet as he explored every fucking corner of it. He expected her to be hesitant with her kiss, but fuck no, she wasn’t. Her tongue clashed with his, fighting to explore his mouth instead.
But hell no, that wasn’t how it was going to go. Not tonight.
He was taking what he wanted. At least, everything she was willing to give him.
He tilted his head and drove her tongue out of his mouth. By her giving him her mouth, he was claiming it. Tonight, it was his.
One of her hands was fisted in his thermal, the fingers from her other lost within his beard, holding on, keeping him close. He didn’t care that it pulled at his skin, as long as she wasn’t yanking him away, wanting him to stop.
And hell no, she wasn’t. Her tongue was now toying with his as their mouths moved together. He had never been into kissing. To him it had been a waste of time and always preferred to get right down to business, especially with a woman who wasn’t sticking.
But he couldn’t get enough of Cassie’s mouth. The way her lips moved against his, the way she tried to steal the power with her tongue, the little noises she made at the back of her throat.
It all made his hard dick ache for her.
He released her hair from one hand, sliding it down her neck, feeling the pound of her pulse, then around and down her back until he got to her ass. He curled his fingers around the generous curve and pulled her tighter against him.
Now, she had no doubt how much he wanted her. The proof was unmistakably pressed into her stomach and when she whimpered softly into his mouth, he broke the kiss.
She pressed her forehead into his chest, and he could hear her gasping for breath. He was struggling to find his, too. Because he hadn’t been this worked up over a woman in fucking years.
Years.
But it was when her hand, the one gripping his thermal, loosened and slid down his gut, over his belt and brushed over his jeans where his hard-on was caught... That was when he knew they were done standing by the door kissing.
If he didn’t move now, he was going to fuck her against that door. Or on the couch. Or even on the floor. Maybe even all three places.