Crimson Warrior (Onyx Assassins 3)

“So, we just…do it,” she whispered.

“That’s the idea.” I tugged on her wrist gently, pulling her toward me.

“Okay.” She rose up on her toes, tilting her face back toward mine.

Holy shit. Was I seriously about to kiss one of my closest friends? My heart hammered against my ribs as I lowered my face.

She tilted her face at the same time and angle I did, and our noses collided.

“Sorry!” She jerked back, cringing.

“My fault.” I sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to steady my heart rate. “Let’s try again.”

She nodded, and we went for the kiss again, only to switch our angles to the same direction. “Let’s try—”

“Here—”

We both switched again, and she stepped forward, our lips grazing before she jerked back. “Oh God, I stepped on your foot. I’m so sorry!”

“I didn’t even feel it.” My lips curved into a grin. How could we be so athletically matched in every department and not get this right? It was downright comical.

“This isn’t funny! How are we going to get through the next two weeks if we can’t even manage to—”

“Shhh.” I cupped the nape of her neck to hold her steady and kissed her.

It was chaste, close-lipped, and over in the span of a heartbeat, but I felt the caress in every cell of my body.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked, raising my head so I hovered just above her lips. Fuck me, she smelled so damn good.

“A little awkward,” she whispered, her hands rising to rest on my chest. “Maybe we should try again?”

Hell yes.

“Just to be sure we get it right.”

“Exactly.” She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine.

Heat raced through my veins, and instinct roared to life, demanding I part her lips and sink my tongue into her welcoming mouth. I needed to take, to taste, to consume, to claim. I ran the tip of my tongue along the seam of her lips.

She gasped and broke the kiss, yanking herself out of my arms and backing away as she lifted her fingers to her lips.

“Olivia?” I anchored my feet to the floor with sheer willpower to keep from going after her and giving her the kind of kiss my body demanded.

She swallowed but didn’t say anything as she stood there, staring at me with wide eyes and a racing pulse. I could hear every heartbeat in her chest and every catch in her breath, but her scent hadn’t altered. Well this is awkward. I was ready to pin her to the wall, and she looked like she was going to vomit.

“Was it that bad?” I’d never had any complaints in the kissing department, hell, usually the females were at my door for round two or five, but I couldn’t get a read on Olivia’s reaction.

She shook her head.

“So, do you think we’re ready for the midnight feast?” I glanced over at the chair where I’d haphazardly thrown the jacket to my tuxedo.

She moved faster than I’d ever seen before, and before I could blink, she was in my arms, her mouth against mine.

My shock lasted less than a second. Then I speared my hand through the hair at the nape of her neck, gripped her waist, and kissed her back. Her lips parted. I took advantage, laying claim to her mouth with lazy, thorough licks of my tongue. She tasted sweeter than honey as she melted against me.

Lifting her in my arms, I turned toward the bed, sitting her on the edge so I could move between her thighs, pressing against the voluminous folds of her skirt as I kissed her again and again, taking her a little bit deeper with every thrust of my tongue.

She whimpered, her arms twining around my neck as she arched into me, her breasts pressing against my chest.

Closer. I had to get closer. Had to taste more of her.

Her tongue stroked against mine, and I sucked it into my mouth so she could explore the same way I had, learning just how she liked to be kissed. Her fingers sank into my hair as she pulled me closer, and as much as I cursed the layers of fabric between our bodies, I was thankful, too, because I was harder than the posts of the bed, my dick pushing at the unforgiving zipper of my pants.

“Olivia,” I groaned, my mouth skimming the soft line of her neck.

She moaned when I licked and sucked my way down her throat.

“More,” she demanded.

“Yes.” More was exactly what I wanted to give her. I reached for her thigh, finding the slit of her dress until I caressed bare, warm skin. Fuck, she felt like silk under my fingers. So soft. I shifted my grip upward until I reached the curve of her hip and a very, very thin strap…

Fuck me. She was wearing a thong that was thin enough to break with my fingertips…or my teeth. The lush scent of her rose up between us, dark and heady, making my mouth water. I wanted to push her down on the bed, drop to my knees, and lick her until her scent filled my lungs and my tongue memorized her taste.