meant to lift her up. Show Mona all she was capable of being.
The power she held.
But this.
This might be a problem.
“You brought me here.” His attention fell to her lips. The same lips he’d tasted not so long ago. “You did this on purpose.”
“I don’t like when you try to lie about who you are.”
“Who is it you think I am, Love?”
Her gaze lifted to his. “You are the man here with me now.” Her hands came to rest on his chest in a touch so light he could barely feel it. “The man who kissed me first today.”
His whole body buzzed as his vision narrowed. “Who the fuck else kissed you today?”
Mona’s fingers did a slow crawl along his chest, following the line of his lapels, before stalling out on the button placket of his shirt.
Her calm usually spread, blanketing him with one of the many things he didn’t naturally possess, but right now it was maddening. “Who fucking put their mouth on you, Mona?”
Her skin instantly flushed and her pupils dilated. Her tongue slid across the inside of her lower lip. “No one put their mouth on me.” She rubbed her lips together. “I put my mouth on you.” Her eyes dropped his, falling to his chest.
Then dipping lower.
This was supposed to be slow. Carefully calculated steps to ease her into all he wanted.
Strategically maneuvering her life closer to his until there was nothing keeping one from the other.
Her fingers flicked the top-most done button on his shirt, sliding it free. The pad of her pointer slid into the opening to skim over his skin.
He caught her wrist. “What are you doing?”
Mona’s lips rolled together again, torturing him. “I’m not completely sure.”
“Certainty is an important thing, Love.” He lifted her wrist to his lips and brushed a kiss across her pulse point, expecting to feel her heart racing.
She wasn’t comfortable around him which actually made things significantly easier. It gave him a purpose.
A need to fulfill. One that made his own needs easy to control.
But while the beat of her heart was steadily fast, it was by no means racing out of control.
“Certainty isn’t the issue.” Mona’s other hand moved down the center of his chest. “It’s more an issue of what to do first.” Her hand reached his waistband.
Letting her continue with whatever terrible plan she had was not an option.
Pierce snagged her other wrist and brought it to his mouth, delivering a matching kiss, this time lingering a little longer against her soft skin. He breathed deep, hoping her closeness would help him the way it always did.
Her small frame moved against his, sliding in a way that would bring most men to their knees.
Leave them begging for the chance to serve her.
And he was no exception.
Pierce tightened his hold on her wrists, pulling them high and holding them to the wall over her head. “You’ll do nothing first.” He leaned into her, gritting his teeth against the feel of her against him.
The scent of her around him.
“I am the one who goes first.”
Mona scoffed. “Typical man.” There was a bitterness in her tone as she worked against his grip. “In that case you can go back to wherever you came from.”
And it brought him no small amount of joy. “I don’t believe you understand what I mean.” Pierce held both her hands with one of his. He slid his free palm down her arm and along the curve of her jaw bracing it there to force her eyes to his. “He who goes first brings the first pleasure.” Pierce shook his head. “Not receives.”
“Oh.” The single word rushed out with an exhale. “Well that’s different.”
“Very different.” He nosed along her neck, breathing deep. “Is that something you want from me, Mona? Pleasure?”
Her body went still. “Honestly, I don’t know what I want from you.” Her head tipped to one side as his lips found her skin. “Maybe I need a little more clarification on what exactly you’re proposing.”
He shouldn’t be proposing anything. He should be walking right back out of this place. Banning himself to his rooms until he could rein this poor behavior back in.
But that would mean walking away from her. Leaving this moment.
“I want to touch you. Show you what I have to offer.”
“I thought that’s why you made me dinner.” She wasn’t giving in as easily as he expected and it made it easier to keep going.
“Dinner is the least of what I can give you, Mona.” He could give her