Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
But Matt felt different. Her instant ease around him wasn’t like any vibe she’d ever experienced with a guy. He was fun, but he had a serious side. He was friendly, but she sensed he could be very protective. And if EM Security had offered him a job, the man had skills. Zy was a demolitions guy, Trees the scary tech of the team, while One-Mile was obviously the sniper. What role would Matt fill?
He unfastened the button of her dress at her neck and lowered the zipper along the small of her back. Then he reached under the fabric and settled his hands over her hips, bringing her against him, where she felt exactly how much he wanted her.
Madison closed her eyes, absorbing the sizzling sensation of his hands on her skin. June had barely started, but his touch made her feel hotter than an August Sunday on the bayou. And nearly as wet.
He skated his palms up her stomach, tracing her ribs, before he cradled her breasts while he skimmed her shoulder with his lips, inciting another tremor.
God, he was melting her.
Madison’s head fell back to his shoulder as his thumbs skimmed her nipples. Everything between her legs tightened to a gnawing ache that made her weak in the knees. She didn’t care what happened next as long as he eased this staggering arousal.
“Oh, honey…” he murmured in her ear. “Aren’t you soft and sweet?”
The aching part of Madison told her to listen to her heart, let go, and just feel. What was left of her rational side told her to be careful. Shouldn’t she know a man longer than two hours before she jumped in bed with him?
She wriggled free and turned in Matt’s embrace, panting as she held her gaping dress against her chest with one hand. With the other, she pushed him away. “Wait.”
Bracing his palm on the wall above her head, he ogled her. He wasn’t touching her with his hands, but that stare… She had no air to think.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-I don’t…” Her words dried up. She couldn’t hold him responsible for the way other men had hurt her, but she also wasn’t ready to make herself vulnerable. “I don’t normally do this. Whatever Zy told you—”
“Nothing.”
But Matt still knew what had happened between them. “I usually get to know someone. Date them for a while, you know? Before…this.”
He cradled her cheek in his rough hand. “We can take a step back, if you need. This place is loaded with movies, streaming channels, and games. Or we can talk, tour the grounds…whatever you want.”
His understanding quelled some of her fears. If he was merely like the others and all he wanted to do was use and forget her, would he even care if she thought things were moving too fast?
She couldn’t stop herself from nuzzling into his touch. “No. I just needed you to know that.”
“I never thought you were easy, honey. That isn’t why I approached you at the wedding, and that isn’t why I asked you to get dessert with me. I saw you, and I couldn’t stay away. Our attraction is strong. It feels almost chemical.”
She nodded. “It does for me, too. I’m willing to risk trusting you.”
“I know.”
Then there was nothing left to say. Even if she should exercise more caution, the pull between them was too overwhelming to fight. He’d said it felt chemical. But to Madison, it felt like fate.
“Then take off your dress.” His seductive voice was as soft as silk.
He wasn’t asking; he was demanding. He was calling to that something inside her desperate to ignite a fire in one man’s heart and be his everything. The yearning was foolish and fairytale. It would probably never happen, but in that moment, she could almost picture the two of them being completely wrapped up in each other forever.
If there was such a thing as falling in love at first sight, Madison feared she’d done it. Yes, the notion of death-do-us-part was a lot for a guy she barely knew, but this was more than lust. And if she didn’t give in to this moment with Matt, she would regret it and wonder what might have been for the rest of her life.
Holding her breath, she slid one strap down her shoulder, then the other. His eyes, which had appeared a pale blue earlier under the bright lights were actually gray. Ringed by black and flecked with both a shimmering silver and a dark azure, they mesmerized her as he watched the lycra slide down her body and pool at her feet, revealing the fact she hadn’t been wearing a bra.
Now, she stood in nothing more than a tiny thong, which he gestured to with an impatient finger. “Take it off.”
With shaking hands, she slid the garment from her hips and let it skate down her thighs before she stepped out and left it where she stood.