I stiffen, taken aback by his forwardness, especially in such a public place. But that’s short-lived, a burning lust for more making me blind to everything else.
This is one of the most spontaneous things I’ve done in quite some time. I’ve never been one for overt displays of affection. At least not in places that are so…public. A busy Manhattan bookstore is the definition of public. But that doesn’t bother me right now.
And it obviously doesn’t bother him, either.
Instead of pulling away at the sound of nearby whispers and snickers, he deepens the kiss, his hand on my waist steering me down the aisle until my back comes into contact with the wall.
He moves his hips, his erection grinding against me. A low groan rumbles from his throat as I dig my hands into his thick hair that’s a cacophony of shades, from brown to copper and even a few hints of blond at the ends.
When he tears away, our ragged breathing pervades the space between us. “Let’s get out of here.”
“And where shall we go?” I zero in on his plump lips that shine with the remnants of my gloss.
“Somewhere more private.”
I arch a brow. “Private?”
With a slow nod, he lowers his mouth toward my neck. His breath on my skin is intoxicating, causing a pleasurable ache to build deep within me. One I doubt will be satisfied until I have him.
All of him.
“Yes, gorgeous.” His lips skim against the sensitive flesh where my neck meets my shoulder. “Somewhere I can take my time indulging in every single inch of you.” He nibbles my earlobe, eliciting a whimper from me, one as innate and uncontrollable as breathing. “Where I can make you scream without having to worry who will overhear.”
Needing to maintain some semblance of control, which escapes me with every word he speaks, I place a hand on his chest and gently push him away. “And here I thought you didn’t mind making a scene in public. Why else would you have shoved your tongue down my throat, then groped me for everyone to see?”
He smirks. “I didn’t hear any complaints.”
“That’s because there were none to be had.”
“Even so, I know where to draw the line.” His tone had dropped to that toe-curling decibel once more.
He leans closer but doesn’t touch me, maintaining his distance, regardless of how slight.
“And I most certainly draw the line at allowing anyone else to witness your blissful expression when I make you come. Over. And over. And over. Until you beg me to stop. But even then, I won’t stop making you feel good.”
Playing the part of the vixen to his fox, I trail my fingers down the buttons of his shirt and grab his tie, pulling his mouth to within a whisper of mine.
“Then let’s go somewhere so you can make me scream.”
His pupils dilate, nostrils flaring. He clutches my cheeks in his calloused hands, slamming his lips against mine in a punishing kiss that leaves me breathless once more.
Breaking away sooner than I’d like, he grasps my hand, not allowing me to catch my breath as he pulls me through the aisles. I do my best to keep up with his determined strides, but it takes two of my steps to meet one of his, my five-four frame no match for his estimated six-four stature. Still, the conviction and resolve in his movements send a thrill through me.
“I almost forgot.” He spins around, nearly giving me whiplash as he changes direction.
“What is it?” I ask, my skin warming from the stares and snickers coming from those who witnessed our…moment.
“Why this, of course.”
He stops at the proverbial scene of the crime and picks up my abandoned copy of Rebecca.
“What about it?”
“You should have it. I’m buying it for you.” He pauses, brows furrowed. “You don’t already own it, do you?”
“Actually, no.”
As much as I adore this book, you’d think I’d own a copy. Having spent the better part of the last decade living in a tiny Manhattan apartment, I’ve learned to only buy the essentials.
“Now you will.” He squeezes my hand and leads me toward the cashier.
“You sure know the way to a woman’s heart. Books and the promise of sex? What did I do to win the jackpot?”
He edges toward me. “More than you’ll ever know, gorgeous.”
There’s that word again. The one that turns my insides to jelly. He must sense it, too, wrapping an arm around my waist to support me as we wait our turn. If I didn’t love books as much as I do, I’d tell him to forget about it and take me to bed, to hell with waiting in line.
But I want this reminder of today. One I know I’ll cherish in the months ahead.
After what feels like an eternity, he pays for my book, then steers me toward the large, glass door, holding it for me as I step out onto the busy Greenwich Village sidewalk.
Finding my hand once again, he wraps his around it, pulling me toward the nearest corner as a dark SUV pulls up. He approaches and opens the rear passenger door.
“Is this your ride?” I ask playfully.
“It is.”
I’m about to climb in when he stops me, pinching my chin. He urges my mouth toward his, running his thumb along my bottom lip. “I can’t get enough of these lips.” He dips his head toward me, tasting them in a soft kiss.
“Let’s go so you can have more of them. And then some.” I waggle my brows.
He all but tosses me into the back of the SUV, giving a small smile to the man behind the wheel as he merges into the early evening traffic.
“Eager much?” I jest.
He wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his embrace as he buries his head in my neck. “You have no idea, gorgeous.”
I sigh, melting into him, savoring every second of the twenty-minute drive to the Upper West Side. I want nothing more than to get out of this SUV and continue where we left off in the bookstore, but at the same time, I want to stay here, too. It’s a strange sensation to be pulled in so many directions at once. To yearn for the future, but also want to live in the present. To want to hurry up, yet also slow down.
When the SUV pulls up in front of a tall apartment building in a quiet neighborhood, he turns toward me, a single brow raised. “You sure you don’t want to change your mind? Go back to the bookstore? Pick out a different book? Perhaps one with less…complications?”
I shake my head, brushing my lips against his. “Not a chance in hell.”
He presses a chaste, yet invigorating kiss to my mouth. Once he slides out of the SUV, he helps me to the ground. Hand on the small of my back, he leads me toward the lobby of a building at which I could never fathom being able to afford to live.
The doorman offers us a warm greeting as he opens the glass doors, then runs ahead to call for an elevator. One arrives immediately. We step inside, the steel doors sliding closed, shutting out the rest of the world.
I attempt to step away, but he tightens his grip.
“Don’t think you’re getting away from me that easily,” he croons into my ear.
I glance up at him. “Is that right?”
“Now that I’ve brought you back to my lair, you’re mine.” He grins, a devilish glint in his eye.
“How very primitive of you.” I adjust his tie, smoothing it down his body, able to make out the defined chest and abdominal muscles underneath.