Page 116

The air in the room suddenly shifts, an electric charge crackling between us. My skin tingles with anticipation as the significance of the moment finally sinks in.

“I want this with you, Jordan.” Locking my gaze on his, I rest my hands on his chest, loving the way his heart thunders beneath my palms. “I’m ready.”

His eyes soften, and he sweeps a lock of hair from my face. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

He lowers his mouth to mine for a quick kiss, then hops off the bed and goes to his dresser. After digging through the top drawer, he tosses a strip of condoms onto the mattress. Then he kicks off his gray sweatpants, and sweet Jesus, I nearly come undone as my gaze traces the outline of him straining against his boxer briefs.

With a knowing grin, Jordan crawls up my body and dips his head to capture my lips again. “Same rules as before. If you want me to stop—”

“I won’t,” I blurt as I coil my arms around his neck.

He brings a finger to my lips. “But if you do, you tell me.”

I nod, and his mouth comes down on mine again, drugging me with slow, deep kisses that go on forever.

“You set the pace,” he murmurs into my mouth. “We’ll go as fast or as slow as you like.”

Emboldened by his words, by the power he willingly relinquishes to me, I suck his bottom lip between mine and tug on his silver piercing with my teeth.

A low groan rumbles up his throat, and I take that as encouragement, snaking a shaky hand between us to cup him through his thin boxer briefs. He swells in my hand, but before I can explore him further, long fingers wrap around my wrist, stilling me.

“Damn it, Kennedy, I’m trying to be good here.”

“Then be good.” I release one piercing and flick my tongue over the other. “Be so good I’ll never want anyone else.”

Cursing under his breath, he drops his head to my shoulder, but his hand slides down my stomach and between my legs, palming me over my underwear. His fingers glide across the damp fabric, making lazy circles over my center. Like before, he takes his time exploring me, first with the pads of his fingers, then with his mouth—blazing a trail of open-mouthed kisses down my body and licking me through the silky nylon.

A rush of heat spreads through me, pooling in my center and drawing an unholy sound from my throat. He brings me to the edge, holding me there until my stomach bottoms out and liquid fire flows through my veins. Every time my heart stops, he shocks it back to life, turning every inch of me into one giant exposed nerve, crackling with electricity.

He trails kisses down the inside of my thigh, drawing soft moans from me as he slides my underwear down my legs, then quickly removes his own.

“Remember what I said.” He opens the foil package with his teeth and crawls back up my body, rolling on the condom before bringing his lips to my ear. “You say the word, and I’ll stop.”

“Please, don’t stop,” I beg, hooking an ankle around his waist and dragging him closer.

When he finally positions himself between my thighs again, there’s nothing but whispered endearments and heat between us. Nothing but his skin searing mine.

The delicious weight of him presses against my entrance as he settles over me. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

“You won’t,” I promise, though I know it’s a lie. Nervous, but not afraid, I place a kiss over his new tattoo—over his heart. A little pain never hurt anyone.

“I love you.” With his gaze locked on my face, he slowly pushes into me, stretching me beyond what I thought was possible.

A sharp sting steals my breath, but Jordan’s lips find mine, edging back the pain until all I feel is him, moving inside me.

His kisses grow more frantic as he cups my breast, rasping his thumb over the peak . . . driving me mad with desire.

I let out a shuddering breath, and he stills above me.

“Are you okay?” He rests his forehead against my sweaty brow, breathing heavily.

My hands tremble as my fingers dance down his spine—over his sweat-slick muscles to his perfect ass. I grip him in both hands and pull him into me. “Don’t stop.”

His lips curve into a crooked grin, and he claims my mouth again before picking up his tempo. Every caress of his lips, every stroke of his tongue across mine draws a low moan out of me.

My heart beats out of my chest as we quickly find our rhythm as if we’ve been building toward this moment since the day I bumped into him in the quad all those weeks ago. Maybe as far back as freshman orientation, when I fantasized about his shiny piercings scraping my lips, my breasts, my thighs . . .