Ara hadn’t been one for drinking or acting out as a teenager. She was one of the least rebellious teens in existence. I’d never seen her drink back then and having been out of contact with her for so long after, I’d never seen her cut loose before.
Watching her tonight was definitely an experience. A painful one for my straining dick trapped in my pants, but pleasant for the rest of me.
Tonight, I was her watchdog. I promised to watch over her and her friends, to make sure they all got home safe, to let her get a little wild. Thank fuck I didn’t have to go to Ellis’s bachelor party. I’d much rather watch the girls get drunk and get them home safe than deal with his bullshit all night.
I’d barely taken my eyes off Ara all night. The little black dress she wore was driving me fucking crazy. Kate was pulled away by another wedding guest, and Chiara’s eyes were on me, studying, weighing. I wanted to know what the hell was going on behind her eyes, but at the same time felt it was safer if I didn’t.
I wanted her. Fuck, did I want her. But I wasn’t sure that was a good idea anymore, not after realizing we wanted different things. My dick almost wept at the idea of never fucking her again, but Chiara’s heart meant more to me than what my body demanded of me.
Christ, it was hard to keep that in mind when she looked at me the way she was right now. The moment a little smile tilted her lips, and she began walking over to me, hips swaying enticingly, that voice telling me to keep distance between us began to fade. That was the power of this woman over me.
The heels she wore made her legs look longer than they were, and I had to drag my eyes from them as she got closer.
My lips quirked upwards at the slow smile on her face that looked equal parts innocent and seductive.
“Enjoying yourself?” I asked when she stopped in front of me.
“Yes, but you should come dance with me,” she offered, leaning down to take my hand. She hadn’t wanted to be around me all afternoon, and now she wanted me close after a few drinks? Little alarms blared in my head that I’d likely regret it later, becauseshewould.
I shook my head. “I’m not much of a dancer with this kind of music.”
Her gaze remained trained on mine as she searched my face, and I almost swallowed my tongue when she slowly stepped closer, putting her legs on either side of mine before she slowly lowered herself onto my lap. My hands reached out immediately to hold her, to keep her from falling, but she was steady. Fuck, I’d wanted to get my hands on her all afternoon, and now she washere, and I couldn’t have her.
She adjusted herself, and the sight of her straddling my lap didnothingto ease the ache in my pants. Her dress had ridden up some but still covered everything important.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice gruff.
Her smile was slow and seductive. “Enjoying myself. Want to join me in that?”
I shook my head, heart pounding. “You’re drunk.”
She shrugged. “No, just slightly buzzed, but Iamhaving a lot of fun.”
“I can tell,” I replied, stroking my thumb back and forth on her bare thigh. Try as I might, it was impossible not to touch her soft skin, not with the way she was sitting on my lap. “Want some water?”
She shook her head slowly, reaching up to trace my jaw, her thumb brushing my bottom lip.
Fuck.
“No, I don’t want water.”
I was trapped in her dark gaze, lost in whatever spell she was weaving. “Whatdoyou want?”
She didn’t answer me, but her gaze dropped slowly to my mouth and locked there. I swallowed hard, straining for restraint, but when she leaned closer, my restraint threatened to snap.
We were out in public, friends scattered everywhere… this was all for show, right? This was just more of what we’d been doing this whole event.
The touch of her lips against mine caused an explosion somewhere in the back of my head, and I took control of the kiss almost immediately. Sliding my hands up to her hair, I bunched the long, thick locks and kissed her deeper, harder, kissing her the way I’d wanted to kiss her allfuckingday.
She moaned into my mouth, her tongue brushing mine, her hands sliding up my chest to undo the top two buttons. I wasbeginning to lose myself, and it was only when she ground her hips down on me that I jerked back to reality. Pulling away from her mouth, I buried my face in her neck and groaned but slid my hands to her hips to halt her movements.
“No, Chiara,” I whispered, wincing when everything in me wanted to screamyes!
I lifted my head to look at her and hated the shadow of hurt in her eyes. She moved to climb off me and I gripped her hips harder to keep her there.
“Talk to me, Angel. This isn’t me rejecting you.”
“It feels like it,” she said, eyes sad.
