Fat Cat Liar

“I saw your face when Enrique announced Chinese.”

“You were watching me?”

“Could barely take my eyes off of you the whole night.”

This time, my heart and stomach flip and flutter in harmony. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me.”

He doesn’t answer, instead tightening his hold and resting his chin on my shoulder. The warmth from his body radiates into the skin of my back, and I press close as we view the last bit of the sunset behind the building.

I slant my head to the side, my cheek scraping against the soft stubble on his until our lips are a breath apart. “Thank you,” I whisper.

His eyes transform into a rich shade of green and bronze right before lowering to my lips. I press up on my toes at the same time he brings his mouth to mine. The instant our lips touch, an electric current shoots through my body. The kiss starts slow, his tongue slipping inside and swirling lazily with mine.

I melt into him, twisting my shoulder into his chest and sliding my hand around his neck. My tongue follows his lead, each stroke igniting a fire inside and searing through my veins. One hand trails up my back and neck, fisting in my hair and angling my head so he can go deeper. I whimper into his mouth, opening wider to give him what he wants.

The shattering of glass sounds through the air right before he turns me fully, one hand caressing my scalp while the other is at the curve of my back, pressing me close. I’m careful not to smash my own glass as he tries to eliminate any space between us.

My lungs scream for oxygen, and I suck in a breath through my nose, inhaling all that is Lawson. The faint smell of his cologne mixed with his own personal scent fills my senses.

This goes so much deeper than a first kiss. I grow dizzy with lust, dissolving even more into him. He growls, sucking on my tongue and then sweeping his throughout my mouth.

Every nerve ending in my body comes alive, tingling and sizzling as he devours me. His strokes become faster, his hold on me tighter, as he takes everything I’m giving him.

I clutch onto his neck, using him as an anchor to keep me standing as my knees threaten to buckle. Never in my life have I experienced something so consuming, so powerful… so right.

He breaks away, sucking in a deep breath but keeping me close. The rise and fall of his chest mirrors my own as we fight to regulate our breathing.

My eyes flutter open and are met with the deepest bronze glow I’ve ever seen. If I weren’t already breathless, the smoldering color of his eyes would knock the air from my lungs.

“Jesus,” he pants. “Are you okay?”

His question takes me by surprise, and I jerk in his arms. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I lost control.”

I smile, tipping my head back to see his face. “I thought it was perfect.”

“I’ve never felt anything like that in my whole fucking life.”

“That makes two of us.”

His lips quirk before splitting into a one-sided grin. “I was wrong earlier. Maybe I am a wine type of guy. The taste of wine on your tongue may be my new favorite flavor.”

“Too bad you shattered your glass.”

“Necessary casualty. I can drink it from you the rest of the night.”

His brazen statement sends another shiver down my spine, and I shift my arms from between us, swallowing a large gulp as he watches me intently.

“That sounds like a terrific idea,” I tell him before bringing my lips back to his.

He growls his approval before giving me the second-best kiss of my life.

Chapter 6

Lawson

The hair on the back of my neck prickles, and I sense her behind me. I instantly regret my decision to get my own coffee instead of asking Janice. For weeks, I’ve been able to avoid any confrontation that would put me in this situation.