"I miss being touched, Cole."The confession spills out like water through broken glass."Having this constant panic roaming inside me is exhausting.I want to feel normal again, to be close to a man without shutting down.You're the only one that..."I swallow hard."For whatever reason, my body and mind trust you completely."
He cups my cheek in his palm, and when I lean into the warmth of his skin, he bends his head to rest his forehead against mine.Our breaths mingle, and I can't control—or maybe I just don't want to control—my fingertips as they start to trace his defined pecs through his shirt.The steady thump of his heart under my palm grounds me in this moment.
"Alisha..."His hoarse voice reverberates through my spine, and when I don't stop my exploration, he lowers his other hand from the wall to grip my waist.My skin melts into his touch like ice cream in a warm bowl.This is what I crave.This is what I need.The ability to feel, to want, to trust.
"Please," I whisper, my voice raw with need, "keep touching me."When his thumb trails the contours of my red-stained lips, my tongue darts out to taste the pad of his finger.
My name leaves his mouth in a throaty moan that sends heat pooling low in my belly."Alisha."I shake my head softly."Don't think, Cole.Please—"
Pure delight explodes through me when his warm lips crash onto mine.I never knew I'd love facial hair this much, but the scratch of his beard against my sensitive skin adds an extra dimension of sensation that makes me whimper.His tongue brushes against mine, demanding a response, and I gladly surrender.With exquisite care, his right hand descends along my waist and stops at the hem of my black dress, where it caresses the naked flesh of my upper thigh.
This simple touch makes my core throb with want, and when I moan my approval, he presses me harder against the wall.The solid weight of him should frighten me, but instead, it makes me feel anchored, safe, desired.
Needing him closer, I lift my leg.He grabs my ass with both hands and lifts me off the ground in one fluid motion.My limbs wrap around his waist like a hungry snake, and my fingers slide into his hair—tugging at his blond locks.Fuck, I need him so much.My dress rides up to my hips, and I can't focus on anything but his mouth on mine and the growing hardness pressed against my aching center.When he molds my buttocks firmly, my head falls back, and his lips trail fire down my neck, licking and sucking as if he's starved.
My heart rate speeds up, but not from fear, but from pure, molten need.When his right hand releases my ass to brush across my soaking wet thong, a sound between a gasp and a moan escapes me.
"Fuck, you're so..."He lifts his head and captures my gaze.There's no smile on his lips—only the hot intensity of his stare promising the inferno to come.His hand travels back, and I cry out like a cat in heat when he cups my pussy through the thin fabric.
"Is this what you need?"His voice is gravel and silk.
Desperation colors my answer."Yes!"
One hard yank and my thong is gone, dropped carelessly to the floor.Without warning, he pushes two fingers into my warm depth.
"Oh, god, yes!"I close my eyes, lost in sensation, but as I do, he halts his movements.
"Open them."
I obey instantly, meeting his gaze.His blue eyes have darkened to stormy seas, pupils blown wide with desire.
"I will make you come so fucking hard that no other man will ever be enough.Do you understand me?"
My heart ignites like a struck match.I love this raw, alpha male side of him—how he can be so commanding yet so careful with me.It's turning me on like nothing else ever has.Without hesitation, I nod.
We crash into the most passionate kiss I've ever experienced.Fuck!I grab his shoulders and dig my nails into his flesh when I feel my core muscles tensing as he keeps thrusting in and out.This man knows what I need before I know it myself.His digits fill and stretch me better than any cock I've had before.
"You want to come?"he growls against my lips.
"Yes."
The moment that three-letter word leaves my mouth, his thumb finds my clit.He rubs it with perfect pressure, sending me straight into sensory overload.As the body-shaking orgasm takes over, he covers my mouth with his, swallowing my scream of pleasure.His movements shift from fast to slow, drawing out my climax until the last aftershock fades.Only then does he remove his fingers from my satisfied warmth.
He holds me patiently in his arms as I float back to earth, and I realize I could stay here forever.
My breath catches.What the hell am I thinking?Overwhelmed by these thoughts and the tsunami of emotions flooding my system, I open my eyes and unwrap my legs from his waist.As he carefully slides me down his body, his hard length presses against my abdomen.God...I swallow hard, desire warring with panic.
"Let's go home."The raw tenderness in his voice touches something deep inside me, and it terrifies me more than any panic attack ever has.This is too much.I need space, air, distance from these feelings I'm not ready to face.
I smooth my dress with trembling hands and shrug, aiming for casual."Don't bother.I'm taking a cab."
The second these words leave my lips, his body goes rigid.I force myself to meet his gaze and find his eyes blazing with emotions that make my knees weak.Even his mad face is sexy."Are you fucking kidding me?"
Tongue-tied, I bite my lip.Way to go, girl.This man just gave you the best orgasm of your life, and you react like this?I try to move away, but he's not having it.Before I can blink, my feet leave the floor, and I'm staring at his backside.
When my brain catches up to what he did, my fiery side comes rushing back."What the hell, Cole Walker?Put me down, you neanderthal!"
"Call me whatever you want, but you're coming home with me."
