He chuckled, a dark sound. “I don’t think I’m in much of a position to be telling people how to help themselves. I’m just very good at ignoring things I don’t want to deal with.”
It was shockingly honest, and it was also something she recognized.
“Yeah, me, too.”
“Something we have in common,” he said.
“Who would have thought?”
“Not me. Do you think it’s enough to play the part of convincing couple?” He took a step closer to her and her stomach quivered. She could taste him on her tongue, the memory of his kiss so strong it was enough to make her knees shake.
Enough to make her take a step toward him. Stupid, really, because she shouldn’t kiss him again. He didn’t even want to kiss her, she was sure. Because that first time had been a mistake. He’d said so.
He tilted his head to the side, his expression intense, as though he was studying her.
“We certainly have chemistry,” he said, his tone rough.
She laughed, shaky, nervous. “You think so?”
He nodded and took another step toward her. “Yes, and it’s a good thing, too. Many things can be faked, Paige, and some of them even quite convincingly. But the heat between us? That’s real. And no one will question it.”
“I don’t really know if one kiss constitutes as heat,” she said. “One kiss that you said was a mistake.”
His lips curved upward. “Are you challenging me?”
“No. I’m not that stupid.”
“No, you are certainly not stupid.” Strange, but that made her chest feel warm, made her heart lift. “But you might be trying to bait me into kissing you again.”
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
“For the same reason I’m hoping you are baiting me. I’d like to kiss you again.”
“You…want to kiss me?”
He nodded.
“B-but last time you said…”
“I said it shouldn’t have happened, because we both have goals to focus on. And I think we might both find it hard to focus while we’re tangled together in bed. And that, Paige, is where a kiss like the one we shared in my bedroom leads.”
“Oh.”
“I’m going to kiss you again.”
“I don’t think that’s a great idea.”
“Perhaps not, but in just an hour we will be interviewed as a couple, and it’s imperative we have no awkwardness between us.” He took another step toward her and she could feel his heat, smell the scent of him. Clean skin, soap. Man.
She took a step toward him. His gaze dropped to her mouth and she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.
He reached out and put his thumb on her lip. She raised her focus, her eyes clashing with his. “I find I envy your lip,” he said.
He couldn’t possibly mean…She touched her tongue to the tip of his thumb, tasting salt, tasting Dante. Then she took a breath and a chance, and bit him gently. He closed his eyes, a rumble of satisfaction vibrating through his chest.
Emboldened, she repeated the action, biting harder this time.
He moved quickly, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her up against his hard body. She pushed up onto her toes and kissed him. It felt so familiar and so foreign at the same time. So wickedly exciting.
He thrust his tongue between her lips and she reciprocated, the slide and friction sending a shot of heat through her veins. Making her breasts ache to be touched, making her feel hollow.
He put both hands on her hips and gripped her tightly, pulling her against him, letting her feel the hard jut of his arousal against her stomach.
He backed her against the desk and she adjusted so that the edge was just under her butt, supporting her weight. He moved in closer to her, parting her thighs slightly, settling between them.
He pressed his lips to her jaw, her neck, her collarbone.
She never wanted it to stop. She wanted more. And she didn’t want to have to look him in the face when it was over and see the same regret she’d seen last night.
The kissing was safe. The kissing was good. She wanted more of that.
But it ended, and when he pulled away, it wasn’t horror or regret she saw on his face. It was worse. It was nothing. Nothing but a smooth, beautiful, unreadable mask. Like he hadn’t just pushed her to a point she’d never reached before. Like he hadn’t introduced her to a whole new side of attraction.