Rough Ride
Sneak Peek
“Kendall,” he laughs out my name, and suddenly those giant rocks of arms are wrapped around my entire body, embracing me in heat and safety and granite-like muscles.
I relax and let him hug me, laughing a bit myself at the awkwardness of the words lingering in this tiny room.
“Please, please don’t sweat it. It was forever ago.” He pulls his head away but keeps his arms locked around my back, meeting my gaze with a lighthearted spark.
“I know. And I’d basically forgotten about it – or at least repressed it. But now you’re here and you’re…” I look up at him, still savoring the strong security of him all around me. “You,” I finish, the syllable barely audible over my thumping heart.
He slips his arms away and I feel my tension ease. “Kendall…” Running a hand through his short, dark curls, he looks at the ground. “It’s not like I didn’t want…” He swallows, searching for the right words. “Turning you down wasn’t easy. It just felt like it would be wrong. You’re my best friend’s sister. And you weren’t exactly in the best state of mind to be making a decision like that. I just was trying to do the right thing.”
My heart squeezes in my chest and my throat tightens.
I look deep into his eyes, noticing the glimmer of tiny gold flakes. “Thank you.” The phrase tumbles off my tongue before I even understand why I’m saying it.
I just thanked him for rejecting me and mortifying me and burning into my brain the most embarrassing moment I can remember having?
“For what?” He smiles a little, angling his head towards mine, his lips dangerously close.
For not letting me lose my virginity like that. For being made of pure gold and reaffirming every reason why my teenaged self had our entire wedding and honeymoon planned.
“For doing that right thing that night,” I answer. “And for making me feel a lot better about it now.”
He smiles again, bright and wide this time. “See? No weirdness.”
“No weirdness,” I whisper, the words mixing with the heat of this room and floating around us, seeming to push us together like magnets.
“But Kendall…” He draws out my name.
“Yeah?”
“That wasn’t a secret. I already knew about that night. I was there, remember?” He winks.
I roll my eyes and give his chest a friendly shove. “And?”
He points playfully to the ground. “I believe we’re currently standing in the secret room, and by the power vested in me as owner of this lovely and bizarre mansion, I declare you have to tell a secret.”
Laughter tickles my chest and I brush my hair away from my face. “Come on. That was even worse than a secret.”
“Then it should be easy.”
I wrinkle my nose, watching his gaze study me and admire me. “Okay, fine. You want a secret, Andre Smoke?”
He nods. “Spill it.”
I suck in a breath, unsure if this room has some kind of truth serum infused in it or I’m just feeling weirdly confident, but I go with it. “I had, like, a major crush on you growing up.” I spit the words out as fast as I can and cross my arms. “There. Secret’s out.”
He gives an exaggerated gasp and leans back, a sexy, playful humor in his expression, putting me even more at ease. “You what?”
“Shut up,” I mutter, turning away and trying to stifle the blushing smile warming my face.
“Honestly, I’m floored.” He reaches out and gently holds my chin, turning my head back to face him. Somehow he’s even closer now. Or this room got smaller. “I never, ever could have guessed.”
I cringe a little, laughing. “It was that obvious?”
He holds up his finger and thumb. “Little bit. I noticed you’d barely speak when I was over and always conveniently go outside and read your books on the front porch when Wyatt and I played ball in the yard.”
I frown, narrowing my eyes. “What if I just liked reading outdoors? Not everything is about you.”
“In the snow?” He smirks.
I shrug. “I like the cold.”
“So you moved to South Florida?”
“Needed a change.”
“Yeah.” Andre inches closer to me, our bodies practically touching each other now. “Me too.”
As he gets closer, my back is pressed against the concrete wall. I feel my chest rising and falling, my heart rate skyrocketing.
His soft, sweet lips part slightly, teasing me and begging me and inviting me.
He slips his hand around my cheek and onto the back of my neck, drawing my mouth closer to his and sending waves of hot desire crashing over me.
I pull in a sharp breath, but words get caught in my throat as I meet his gaze. Those dark brown eyes are melting me, weakening me in a new and even more intense way than ever.
What is he doing?
I swallow hard as the concrete walls of the safe room seem to block out any sense of reality that could possibly slide into this moment.
Suddenly, he presses his lips to mine, and a tiny sound of surprise and pleasure and passion slips out of my throat.
Andre Smoke is kissing me. Hard.
Instinctively, I wrap my arms around his back, clutching his muscles and clinging to him as my knees turn to liquid and my chest fills with butterflies.
I kiss him back, letting the world spin and swirl and shift around me.
He moves his hand up to the back of my head, gathering my hair and giving it a gentle but commanding pull.
I give in to him easily, letting passion and desire wash over me as heat rushes between my legs and fireworks explode in the tiny room.
His body is solid and firm against me as he gently parts my lips and angles my head towards him, kissing me deeper and sliding his tongue delicately into my mouth.
More heat curls down my spine, aching for every inch of him to be on me and against me and inside me.
I wish this didn’t feel so God damn perfect.
A second later, he draws back, leaving me flustered and breathless and begging for more.
I take in a shaky breath and gather myself. “What was…that?”
He narrows his gaze, his eyes gleaming with lust and fire. “That was for your crush.” He holds my waist, his lips tickling my nose. “So was it everything you dreamed of?”
And so much more.
