Kiss Me Katie! & Hug Me Holly! Read online

  “Not before the rest.”

  She didn’t want to talk to him because she knew that would lead—straight to getting hurt. He’d grow to know her, would realize how terribly unsuited she was for both him and Little Paradise, maybe even realize that she wasn’t a particularly good person, and then it would be over.

  But not before her heart got stomped on.

  Yes, she wanted him, maybe even in the way he wanted her, but it wouldn’t work, surely he had to see that! All she could give him was her body, not more, please not more.

  “Give me the rest, Holly, give me all of you.”

  “No.”

  What made him want to know her, anyway? He was her polar opposite. He saw the glass half-full, she saw it half-empty. He saw the good in everyone, she was always expecting the worst.

  She couldn’t help but wonder what he saw when he looked at her. “Let me get this straight,” she said. “That kiss? It’s going to lead to nowhere?”

  “Not unless you’re going to talk to me.”

  “About me.”

  “Yes.”

  No. It was humiliation that had her scooping up more frosting, with two fingers this time, and going at Riley.

  He was quick. Catching her wrist, he laughed. “Temper, temper…”

  Laughing was his second mistake. Her other hand was free, and she used it, swiping a good amount of the frosting across his jaw. “You made me want you, you…you jerk! And then you brought me here, letting me think that we would…that…” She ran out of steam, realizing she’d just admitted she wanted him more than he obviously wanted her.

  He stared at her in shock. But he had amazing regrouping capabilities. And unfortunately for her, she’d forgotten his strength. With little to no trouble, he pinned her back in the corner, both hands held captive behind her back with one of his.

  Which left his other free.

  Not good.

  He stuck a finger in the frosting, slowly, letting her suffer, then smiled down at her, his expression pure trouble. “I’m glad you want me,” he said huskily, chocolate dripping off his jaw. “I want you, too, but apparently I didn’t make that clear enough. I want you, but I want a lot more than a quick roll in the sheets.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Not me, that’s all I want.”

  “Really?”

  Struggling did her no good. Given how he had her arms behind her back, she was at a distinct disadvantage. Not to mention that in this position, her chest was thrust out, slammed up against his.

  Her body liked that, too much. She went still.

  So did he. Then he brought his finger to the pulse at the base of her neck, stroking it—and the chocolate—down, down, down to where her top began, just above the swell of her breasts.

  Against the white cotton material, her nipples thrust out.

  At the sight, he made a soft, aching sound. “Then I guess this will have to be enough,” he murmured. “For now.”

  “For forever.”

  “You’re wrong about that,” he said, making her nervous, because surely he couldn’t read her mind, right? He couldn’t know she’d been starting to dream about him, starting to hope and wonder?

  “I should just walk home,” she said bravely. “But it’s dark and dangerous.”

  “Princess, looking the way you do tonight, you’re in far more danger from me than anyone on the street.” Then he was back with the chocolate, reminding her that she was his captive. He made another path across the top of one breast, over the soft curve. He made that rough noise again, the one that caused an answering tug from deep within her, a tug that couldn’t—wouldn’t—be denied.

  She leaned forward as much as she could and nibbled at the chocolate still on his jaw. Bending his head, he returned the favor, sucking frosting off her skin, as well. Her hands flexed in his, and she couldn’t hold back her shameless whimper for more.

  “Good?”

  “Just this,” she repeated, absolutely breathless. “Just this. No talking, nothing more. Promise.”

  “I never make promises I can’t keep.” One of her straps had slipped over her shoulder again. With a nudge from him, the other fell as well, leaving the cotton just skimming across the top of her nearly exposed breasts.

  “I shouldn’t be here.” But she wanted to be, oh, how she wanted to be. She wanted to be in his arms, lost in his touch, in his kisses. She wanted him to make her forget all the impossibilities between them. “Let go of my hands.”

  “Why? So you can put the rest of the cake in my face?” But he did let her go, and she concentrated on his shirt, pulling it from his jeans, unbuttoning it to expose his broad, smooth chest.

  “I’ve never had fattening sex before,” she said, taking another fingerful of frosting and spreading it across him, down his belly. He had the most amazing stomach, she thought, loving how it quivered when she touched him. Then she dropped to her knees and began kissing it off one little nibble at a time.

  “Not fattening sex,” he growled, sucking in a sharp breath when she started on his zipper. “Love. We’re making fattening love.”

  “You’re determined to make this complicated,” she said lightly, gasping when he hauled her to her feet, lifting her so that she sat on the counter.

  Her skirt, a gauzy, weightless thing, was easily bunched in his hands and pushed up her thighs, which he opened to step between. “Say it,” he demanded. “That you’re giving yourself to me because it’s right, because it’s inevitable, because what we have can’t be ignored or shoved into any category so simple as just sex. Say we’re doing this because you’re giving yourself to me, not because I’m taking, because—”

  “Yes,” she whispered, giving in to his glittering eyes, to the need tightening his body, to everything. To all of it.

  “Yes, what?”

  “You’re going to make me say it?”

  “Oh, yeah.” He rocked his hips toward hers and her breath caught. “You’ve got to say it.” His hand stroked up her ribs to her breast. His thumb rasped over her nipple, then again. “I’ve got to hear it.”

  “Do you—” Her entire being was centered around what he was doing to her. “Do you always talk so much while you’re doing this?”

  He let out a low laugh, which turned into a groan when she pressed her breast into his hand. “Just with you apparently. Tell me, Holly, and I promise you, I’ll find something better to do with my mouth.”

  “A promise?”

  “One I can most definitely keep.”

  “Okay.” She couldn’t help but acquiesce. “We’re making love because I can’t help it. When I’m with you I lose brain capacity at an alarming speed.”

  Another low laugh. “Me, too.”

  It was the most arousing thing, laughing while being intimate. She’d never done both at the same time before.

  She liked it.

  “More words,” he demanded.

  “I thought you said you’d find something else to do with your mouth— Oh my,” she whispered as he did just that.

  “I’ll keep my mouth busy, you use yours to talk to me,” he urged. “Tell me more.”

  “Um…okay.” That she could speak at all was shocking. Always in the past, being with someone like him had been about power.

  What she was doing now, what he was doing to her, had nothing to do with power at all.

  Yet another shock for her awakening heart to absorb. “We’re making love because I want you,” she admitted. “I have to have you.”

  “Yes.” And true to his word, he continued to find better uses for his mouth, starting with her neck, kissing it with the most arousing hot, openmouthed kisses, eating off the frosting as he went. His hands slipped beneath her, snugging her up to the most impressive erection she’d ever felt.

  “You’re…big.” She wasn’t sure whether she was speaking in wonder or fear.

  With a laughing groan, Riley set his forehead to hers. “That’s sort of the idea.”

  “How do you know you’ll f