SECRETS & LIES 7 (Secrets & Lies #7) - H.M. Ward Page 0,4
lips are next to my ear when he speaks, “There’s always more to you—more to see, more to taste and touch, more laughter and more smiles.” His finger touches the tip of my nose lightly, and my heart beats faster in response.
“There’s nothing else.”
“There is.” He lifts his hand to my cheek, stroking it gently along my skin and making me shiver. “You have more talent in one finger than most people have in their entire body. You tap into it, try it on, and you don’t let fear keep you from it.”
I honk out a laugh. “Me? Not afraid? Guess again.”
His face is above mine, looking down, watching me as his body presses me to the wall. The weight of him is perfect, and, if I can avoid his eyes, I won’t give in. I won’t think about his lips on mine. I won’t remember the way he kisses me, using his entire body, like I’m air, and he’ll never have enough of me. “That’s what makes you incredible. You might feel fear, but it doesn’t stop you. You keep going. You keep trying. It’s breathtaking to watch. It’s impossible to be around you and not get caught up in you—every woman in the room wants to be you, every man desires you. They all marvel at your talent. They're all shocked by the innate way they appear to be one with you.”
Stare at his shirt. Don’t look up past the buttons. Don’t lift your eyes above his collar. Keep your chin down and push him away. Say you don’t want him. You’re going to rip his heart out soon. The longer this goes on, the worse it will be for him—the worse it will be for you. But I can’t ignore the magnetic pull toward him. I’m close to shaking, trying to stay there without moving, without touching him. As my head tips back and I catch his eye, Nate slips his hand along the side of my face and around the back of my neck. His dark lashes lower and his eyes dip between my lips and my eyes.
“Kiss me, Kerry.”
“We shouldn’t.”
“Kiss me,” his voice is a whisper, but the way he says it feels like a command. He lingers there, so close to me, his lips parted, breathing so close I can feel the heat of his breath on my skin.
Heart hammering, I lean in closer and feel my eyelashes lower. It’s just a kiss. It won’t turn into more. I can say no. I can walk away. The thing is, I don’t want to walk away from him. I don’t want to leave him, and that’s the problem. Thoughts of his slick body tangled beneath mine flash behind my eyes. I want him too much. I can already taste his kiss and feel his hands cupping me, holding me, and pressing inside of me.
Nate doesn’t move. He won’t start it. Every time he tells me to kiss him I do. He’ll wait patiently for me to make the first move. I tuck my chin, press my lips together, and inhale deeply, releasing the breath slowly. It forces my breasts to crush against his chest, and I nearly choke.
I’m about to tell him no, that this can’t be, but I don’t get the chance. His hands are in my hair, and he cups my face, tipping my head back, and treating me to his warm, delicious mouth on mine. His tongue sweeps past the seam of my lips. He kisses me slowly, deeply, taking his time. When he slows, he holds my cheeks and stays there, a whisper away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“To kiss me?”
He smiles, releases me, and steps back. “No, I meant to do that. I just didn’t want to pressure you.” He watches me closely, his blue gaze sinking into mine. “Why do you shy away from slower kisses?”
His question startles me. “What? I do not.”
“Yes, you do. You fuck fast and hard. You kiss fast and hard, too. It’s almost like—” He stops talking and presses his mouth shut, shaking his head.
“Like what?”
The corners of his mouth twitch like he can’t decide if he should smile or not. Those dimples flash and disappear over and over again. “Like it’s a defense mechanism. If we keep things fast and fun, there’s nothing to worry about. No one gets hurt.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. If that’s the only way I can have you, I’ll take it. But...”
“But what?”
He hesitates then drifts closer to