a bang.”
I squirmed at being put on the spot.
“Tell me.”
“You’ve mostly been a ‘one and done’ or ‘two and through’ guy. You don’t want that with me. You want our relationship to be different from the start.”
“How can you know me so well in such a short span of time?”
I shrugged. “I pay attention to body language. I’m a good listener. Maybe I’ve been comforting myself throughout this date with the knowledge that even if you could kiss me breathless, we still wouldn’t end up naked together at some point tonight.”
“That bothers you.”
“Of course it does.” Leaning closer, I rested my forearms on the table. “Why do you get to decide that? It takes two to tango, Charming. My lust for you should get a vote.”
“Gabriella.”
God. The sexy, raspy way he ground out my name scraped along my nerve endings like a rough caress across my skin.
“But the truth is . . . I get it. It’s probably a good thing we’re not making out like fiends. I doubt I could come without being kissed anyway.”
Nolan choked on his coffee. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Kissing is . . . intimate. Or passionate. Or sweet. It sets the tone for sex. Without it? No real intimacy. Or passion. Or sweetness. I can’t come without those sensations being in play.”
He met me halfway across the table, eyes flashing fire. “I can make you come, harder than you’ve ever come in your life, without putting my lips on yours even one time.”
I laughed.
“I’m not even close to joking, Gabriella.”
“Well, it’s a moot point.” I signaled for the check. He’d become so broody he hadn’t objected when I paid for our meal.
Nolan continued to mutter on the way back to Snow Village. Once there, he parked sideways in front of the row of single-car garages.
When he still didn’t speak after shutting off the car, I’d reached my limit.
“Look. I don’t know what crawled—”
“Under my skin and into my thoughts to the point I can’t think of anything else?” he supplied. Then he faced me. “That would be you, Gabriella. Specifically the challenge you threw down that I can’t show you intimacy without us being in a liplock. I want a chance to prove you wrong.”
“Wait a sec. You mean you want to do this now?”
“Yes. Right here, right now.” Then he eased his seat all the way back and patted his thighs. “Come sit on my lap.”
“B-but . . . my apartment is right there.”
“We both know what’ll happen if we’re in a space with a bed. So let’s mess around, pace ourselves and not race to the finish line.” He reached over and curled his hand across my throat. “I want to make you mindless from just my touch, my whispers in your ear and my mouth on your skin.”
That might’ve been the hottest thing any man had ever said to me.
He kept that sexy gaze on mine as his thumb stroked my neck. “What do you say?”
My body screamed YES! But reluctantly, I replied, “No.”
Shocked, he echoed, “No?”
“I don’t want pieces of intimacy, Nolan. I want all of you, all of us, touching and kissing without limitations. Not only can’t I kiss your mouth, I can’t kiss you anywhere else. So as anxious as I am to explore this heat between us, I’d rather wait until I can get you as lust-drunk as I know you will make me.”
After a moment, he sighed. “Fair enough.”
My gaze fell to his perfect, pouting mouth. “I really want to kiss you good night.”
“You’ll have to settle for this.” He kissed my cheek. Then my temple. Then the corner of my eye. Then my ear, where he growled, “Fucking cookies,” before he nipped my lobe and retreated.
Then a beep and his car doors slid up.
I was surprised to see him get out of the car too. At my quizzical look, he said, “I’ll at least walk you to the door.”
“Not necessary.” I smirked at him. “I might be tempted to invite you in. You can watch me from here. Good night, Charming.”
“Good night, Happy.”
I wrapped my coat more tightly around me as I walked to my building. I turned and blew him a kiss after we were safely separated by a locked glass door.
Twenty-One
NOLAN
I hadn’t seen Gabi yesterday. Nor had we exchanged more than a quick text or two.
That worried me. Had I pushed her too far Sunday night? Even when all I’d done was suggest we mess around, mostly clothed, in a