Dale didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her waist as he leaned in and captured her lips in a tender kiss. It started soft, gentle, but as he felt her respond, it deepened, turning into something more. The tension in her body seemed to melt away as she relaxed against him, her arms sliding up around his neck.
When they finally broke apart, they were breathless, and the look in Sadie’s eyes had changed. The frustration and worry were gone, replaced by a warmth and affection that rushed through his chest.
“Something like that?” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers.
She laughed softly, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Yeah, something exactly like that.”
He smiled, kissing her again, slower this time, savoring the moment. The craft room, once a place of anxiety and frustration for her, now seemed to hum with a different energy—one of connection, of intimacy and possibilities. Dale felt the shift and knew this was what Sadie needed. A reminder that no matter what had happened, this was stillherspace, and it could still bring her joy.
As always happened when they kissed, it grew in intensity into something deeper, more urgent. He gently guided her backward to the desk, lifting her onto the edge. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around him, pulling him closer, heating his blood.
The craft supplies, the colorful chaos surrounding them, all faded into the background as they lost themselves in each other.
He wanted to create a new memory for her, a good one, a moment that would stand out against the shadows of the past few days. And as Dale held Sadie close, he knew they were starting to reclaim what had been taken from her.
Together, they were stronger, and together, they would create something incredible out of the chaos.
But first, they needed to turn off the security cameras in the apartment, and second, they needed to get naked.
Chapter Nineteen
After another kiss.
He had zero control where she was concerned.
As Dale’s lips brushed against Sadie’s, he could feel her tension quickly dissolving and replaced by a growing heat. He wanted to take her out of herself, sort of reboot her psyche, and make her feel so good, it overpowered the negativity taking up too much space in her mind. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, a thought occurred, and he reluctantly drew back.
“Can I borrow your phone for a second?” he asked, his voice low and husky.
She blinked at him, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of curiosity. “My phone? What for?”
He held her gaze and smiled. “I need to disable the apartment cameras. I don’t think our…contentis something you want to share with an audience.”
A pretty blush filled her face, and she quickly reached for her phone on the counter-height desk. While she was unlocking the device, he pulled his phone out and shot Coop a quick text, warning him he was about to turn off the apartment cameras.
“Here.” Sadie handed her phone over, and Dale swiftly moved his fingers over the screen as he accessed the security app. The thought of those cameras watching them wasn’t exactly conducive to the moment he wanted to create.
“Done. No more audience,” he said, setting both their phones aside before meeting her gaze. “Now, where were we?”
Without giving her a chance to respond, he leaned back in, capturing her lips in a kiss that was filled with a renewed urgency. The world outside faded away as he pulled her closer,determined to make this moment about just the two of them, with no interruptions and no distractions.
He kissed her long and deep, running his hands up her arms then over the beautiful swell of her chest. Sadie moaned and kissed him back, cupping his face before brushing his bottom lip with her wicked tongue. Heat instantly spiraled through his body. He grunted and crushed her closer. The wildfire of intensity consumed his thoughts and actions, and he got the sense she needed this as much as he did.
By the time Dale broke the kiss for air, Sadie had his shirt balled in a death grip.
“You okay?” he asked, tipping her chin so he could see her eyes. They smoldered with desire, and his body throbbed in response.
She nodded. “Except we need to get naked. Fast.”
He loved that they were on the samenakedpage. He also loved how she didn’t even wait for him to respond. In less than ten seconds, she was on her feet and her “Eat. Sleep. Craft. Repeat.” T-shirt and a sexy navy-blue bra hit the floor by her discarded sandals.
Appreciation twitched through Dale’s groin, and a smile tugged at his lips. “Keep going,” he encouraged, folding his arm across his chest to watch the sexy Sadie show premiering before him.
A matching grin stole across her lips as she slowed her movements and seductively wiggled out of her jeans and black panties.
God, that was hot.
Longing rolled through him, reducing the space behind his zipper in a mere heartbeat.
