on my tiptoes, and kissed his cheek. Pressed my lips against his smooth chin.
He’d shaved before coming to my house for dinner; he’d wanted to look his best for my family. Somehow, out of all the things he’d done today to chip away at the little bit of resistance I had left, that was what razed through the last of it.
He sucked in a breath as I pressed my lips to his face. I stayed there for a second, unable to pull back. His scent, lemon verbena, and a little bit of cat fur, enveloping me.
“Julia.” My name on his lips was an invocation and I wanted to succumb. In the back of my mind, something nudged me to step back, to go to my room like I’d said I would. Trying to edge out the need in my body. But that was not what I wanted. My hands came up around his neck and when he said my name again, it was with his lips against mine.
My heart thundered in my ears as I opened my mouth to whisper, “Rocco.”
I felt a shiver run through him as he tightened his arms around my waist and anchored me. This was the place where things made sense. His arms were a harbor and I needed...
“Can I kiss you?”
Of course he’d ask.
I didn’t answer. I pushed closer until our bodies were flush together. We were touching in so many places. I slid my tongue out to lick his bottom lip and it was like a jolt of electricity. He nipped at my lips, hungry for me, and I responded as if I’d been starved too.
That night at his place had been a small taste, but this kiss was sultry, slow, his hands on my hips, possessive. I threaded my fingers through his hair, and when my nails grazed the back of his head, he growled. A lusty sound, like every touch was revving him up. But before I could process that these were not the sounds of the restrained man I’d gotten to know, he was moving down to my neck, the edge of his teeth against the tender skin there, making me tremble.
“Oh, God.” Was that me? I didn’t know I could sound like that.
I gripped his back hard as he tongued my ear, shivers wracking my body. My core ached, wetness pooling there. I wanted to sink into the floor, let him take my clothes off and fill me up with his touch, his words, all of him.
“Rocco.” I wanted to say we should stop, that my sister was just down the hall, but what came out of my mouth was a long, tortured moan, which sounded a lot like “Besame.”
It was as if my breathless request for his kisses snapped the last thread holding him back. He moved his hands from my hips down to my ass and squeezed.
“I’ve been wanting this ass from the moment I saw you.” Those growls, there was no chance of me not seeing this through. I’d expected more softness, but this Rocco was self-possessed, just enough of an edge to send my pulse racing. I was licking into his mouth as he ran his hands over me, and everywhere he touched, I was burning. I wanted him everywhere. Especially where I needed him most.
I dragged one hand from his neck and gripped his cock. “You’re so hard.”
He pulled up from where he’d been nibbling on my neck, and looked down at me, his eyes blazing. “I’m like this half the time I’m around you. When I saw you in those pajama shorts this morning, I almost came in my pants.” He growled, still running a possessive hand over my ass.
“Your body does things to me.” He was flushed and his lips were red and swollen, but what made my heart stop was the way he looked at me. It would be very hard to walk away from this.
I ran my hand over his erection and licked my lips, wanting him to see that I was right there with him. “You’re one to talk. I don’t even know how to process what happens to me whenever I see you shirtless.” That cocky grin that I’d only seen a couple of times blossomed on his face. I was melting for him, literally.
“What happens to you?” he asked in a voice I’d never heard before, the gentle and nice Rocco gone now, replaced by a man who was completely focused on making me lose every ounce