“Kiss you?”
“That’s what I said.”
“What’s that going to do?” I asked, my eyes jumping to his lips again. Other than drive me crazy, my brain added.
“It might help you let out some of that aggression. On something other than plants, I mean. Someone.Me.”
I blinked at him, taking in his face. He was much more relaxed than when we were outside earlier, easy going as always. Yet I could tell he was being serious.
I felt my body heat, suddenly hyper aware of how close he wasto me—how close he had been ever since he pulled me in here. And the crazy part about it was, the feeling of his body hovering near mine, of his hands on me, was not unwelcome. And his sudden proposition was propelling my mind back just a couple minutes to when he grabbed me and my first thought was to get turned on… if that was the case, what in the world would I feel if he kissed me?
I shook my head.
“I can’t kiss you, Harper,” I whispered. “Not without a reason.”
“Okay…” he said, voice trailing. “Kiss me and I’ll participate in that party.”
“I thought you said you’d do it if I asked,” I said.
“Conditions can change,” he answered.
Nervousness aside, I chuckled. “That’s sexual extortion.”
His smile was lazy as he said, “Sounds like fun to me.”
I giggled, then caught myself doing it, and rolled my lips into my mouth. “Why do you want to?”
“Truthfully?”
I nodded.
“Otherthan the way you look right now? Like youwantme to kiss you.”
I swallowed. “Other than that, yeah.”
“Cause I would rather you take it out on me than play that sweet shit,” he said. “For whatever reason, you can’t let it out with other people. You were this close to snapping out there with your brother, but you didn’t. You waited until you found me. You’ve never had a problem letting it out on me. And I don’t mind when you do.”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
“And you want me to kiss you because…”
“Iwantyou to kiss me so I can feel that sweet, violent little mouth on mine,” he said. “I wanted it as soon as you blew in here, Boss.”
My stomach curled up, a million little flutters taking flight inmy body. Distantly, I wondered if he meant today or before, but my immediate attention was caught on him taking another step closer, his body near hovering over my own. It was almost criminal, the teasing amount of space left between us now. For the life of me I wanted that distance to close, just to put this aching need to know what it was like to rest.
“I’m supposed to be mad at you right now.”
“Frustration and anger are two different things,” he said, throwing my earlier words back at me. “I can help with frustration. And I don’t want to make you mad.”
“Instead, you want to make me, what?”
“Moan. Scream. Say my name?” A devilish grin crossed his face. “All of the above if that’s what works for you.”
“Harper,” I breathed, exasperated.
He chuckled, his voice lowering. “I want to help you out. I fucked things up for you earlier. Let me make it up to you.”
