Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
She gives a small, breathy laugh, but I can hear the tremor beneath it, the way her body leans into mine before she catches herself. We work side by side, flour dusting her shirt, her hair, even the tip of her nose. It’s in the air, swirling around us as we move through the tiny kitchen. And damn, I can’t stop looking at her—at the way her mouth curves when she concentrates, at the flush in her cheeks from the warmth of the stove. She fits here, fits into this space like she’s always been a part of it.
I nudge her with my shoulder when she’s not looking, grinning at the exasperated look she throws over her shoulder. “You sure this is how Italians do it? Looks more like a disaster waiting to happen.” I flick a bit of flour at her, enjoying the way she gasps, her eyes narrowing in mock outrage.
She retaliates fast, scooping up a handful of flour and tossing it in my direction. It catches me right in the face, a light dusting settling over my hair and shoulders. “How’s that for a disaster, Holt?” she says, her tone daring, her lips curling into a triumphant smile.
I stand there for a beat, blinking through the flour, and then my grin turns wicked. “Oh, you’re gonna pay for that, city girl.”
Before she can react, I lunge forward, my hands finding her waist, lifting her easily off her feet. She lets out a shriek, laughter bubbling out of her, and I spin her around until her back hits the counter. Her hands come up to my chest, but she’s still laughing, bright and breathless, and it’s the best damn sound I’ve heard in months.
“Put me down, Holt!” she gasps, but she’s grinning up at me, her cheeks flushed, and I can feel the way her breath stumbles against mine.
I lean closer, my grip firm on her waist, my thumb brushing a stray bit of flour from her cheek. “You look good like this,” I say, my voice rough, barely more than a whisper. “Messy, unguarded...real.”
Her laughter fades, the space between us tightening with something electric, something neither of us seems able to look away from. Her eyes drop to my mouth, then back up to meet mine, and I see the flicker of uncertainty, the way she hesitates for just a moment before she tips her chin up.
“Are you going to kiss me, or just stare at me?” she challenges, but there’s a tremor in her voice that betrays her, and I feel her fingers twist into the fabric of my shirt, pulling me closer.
My smile turns feral, a slow, dangerous grin. I let my lips hover a breath away from hers, close enough to feel the warmth of her skin, the way her breath catches. “Oh, I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than kiss you.”
And then I’m kissing her, hard and hungry, my mouth claiming hers with a need that’s been simmering for too long. She gasps against my lips, her hands sliding up to tangle in my hair, pulling me closer like she can’t stand the thought of any space between us. The kiss is messy, frantic, and perfect, like everything we’ve been holding back has finally snapped free.
I slide my hands down her sides, lifting her onto the counter as my mouth moves down the curve of her neck, nipping at the soft skin just below her ear. She moans, arching into me, her legs wrapping around my waist, and the sound goes straight to my head, makes my blood thrum with heat.
“God, you drive me insane,” I growl against her skin, my hands slipping beneath her shirt, finding the warm, smooth curve of her back. “Do you have any idea what you do to me, Lila?”
She shudders, her nails scraping lightly against my scalp, and I hiss at the pleasure of it, at the way she moves against me like she’s daring me to lose control. “Then show me, Holt,” she breathes, her voice breaking with the need that thrums between us. “Show me everything.”
And I do. I kiss her until we’re both breathless, until the pasta and the kitchen and everything else fades away, leaving only the heat of her in my arms, the way she responds to every touch, every desperate pull of our bodies. We tumble to the floor in front of the fireplace, a tangle of limbs and heat.
“I need you so much, Lila. I can’t breathe without you.” The words tumble out of me, raw and urgent, as I press my lips to hers, nipping her bottom lip with my teeth. The taste of her, the feel of her beneath my hands, it’s all too much, yet somehow not enough.
“You’re one of the only people in this world that matters to me. I–I love you like I’ve never loved anything in my life.” My voice is a low growl as my hands slide into her hair. I tug gently, tilting her head back as I trail kisses along her jaw, needing her to understand—needing her to know—she’s everything. I’d run to the ends of the earth for her. Hell, I’d tear apart anyone that tried to take her away from me.