“I want you too much,” he mutters, a flush rising to his cheekbones. “I’ve wanted you for too long.”

God, he’s fascinating. I’m torn between kissing those cheekbones, his long lashes, the tip of his nose, his lips—his chest, his stomach, his cock.

Then his words sink in, and my heart trips over. “You have?”

He shakes his head, looks away. “Fuck.”

“Didn’t know you were—”

“I wasn’t.” He captures my wrists, stilling my wandering hands. “Forget it.”

I bite my lip. Didn’t know he’d been interested before. What’s on his mind? Why is he denying what he said?

“Come here.” He drags me onto his lap and we both shudder when his hard-on throbs between our naked bodies. “God, you feel so good.”

He does, too. Way too good. Never knew it’d feel so wonderful to be skin-to-skin with a guy. So hot. I love the way the muscles roll in his thighs as he settles me there, my knees on either side of him, the way his biceps bulge when he lifts his hands to my face, his rough fingerpads stroking my cheeks.

“Don’t overthink this,” he says, his voice low and rich like mulled wine. “Take what you need. Tell me what you like. I’m—”

I kiss him. He’s too delicious to resist. Kissing him is like swallowing fire, like tasting spiced cake, or spiked hot chocolate. And he wants me… He wants me. Doesn’t matter what he said or meant, what he denied, he wants me right now.

He can’t deny that. I feel it in the way his body reacts to mine, I’m learning the signs. His mouth crushes to mine, and his arms wrap around me, so that his heart beats frantically against my breasts. His hips roll upward, rubbing his cock between us, smearing warm wetness, and he gasps.

It’s thrilling, kind of magical, knowing this is because of me. I spent so long feeling invisible—as a person, as a woman—that I can hardly believe a guy like Seth would want me.

The more time I spend with him, the hotter he is. My breath catches just looking at him.

Too bad he doesn’t really want to be with me, be my boyfriend.

I break the kiss as the thought surfaces. Whoa. Where did that come from? Just two days ago I was thinking I don’t have a real connection with Seth—no topics and areas of interest in common. A relationship would never work, even if he was interested—which he’s not! So why even entertain the idea?

Besides, this is probably just reaction to finding Fred with that woman and realizing he was stringing me along all this time. Seth is… my rebound guy.

A really hot rebound guy, for sure. Take what you need, he said. So I will, even if I want more. Or think I do. This is so confusing.

Don’t be stupid, Manon. You hardly know the guy. Okay, so I’ll take what he offers. It’s already a lot more than what I’ve ever had with a guy.

I’ll just pretend I’m with someone who cares about me, who really desires me, body and soul—even if the lie breaks my heart by the end of the day.

At least I’ll have known what it’s like.

***

“What’s on your mind, girl?” He has pulled back, dark eyes intent, searching my face. They’re a warm chocolate hue with darker flecks, slightly exotic, fringed by those long lashes. “Manon? What is it?”

So pretty. Such pretty eyes for an inked, muscular bad boy. So gentle for someone so strong.

“Nothing.” I give him a tiny smile, and he exhales softly when I press my hands to his shoulders.

“Listen, this doesn’t have to mean anything,” he says and for some reason it stings, as if deep inside, I wanted him to tell me the opposite. That this felt right to him.

I’m so confused.

“If I push you too much, if I ever fucking hurt you in any way, you need to tell me right away, okay? I have to know I’m not hurting you.”

I nod.

Not his fault I wish for more. Any pain I may feel once he’s done with me will be my fault and nobody else’s.

Enough. I kiss him again, before he gets to say anything else, and shove my fears down deep, daring them to stop me from snatching what little happiness and pleasure I can.

He falls into the kiss, thrusting his tongue against mine, our teeth clashing, lips melding together. His hands stroke down my back to my ass and squeeze, sending delicious shivers straight to my core. My body is a live wire, his every little shift and touch sparkling through me, shaking me, making me burn.

“Holy shit…” He slides his hands up my ribcage to the front, puts them over my breasts, and I pant at the pleasure coursing through me. “You’re smoking hot, baby.”

His words, his fingers clamping on my nipples, his erection pressing into my belly make me moan and writhe. My pussy is throbbing, clenching uselessly. I need him. Need to feel him inside me.

“Seth.” I moan when he rocks against me. “Please.”

“What do you want?” he breathes. “Tell me.”

“Inside me. Oh God…” I can’t believe how much I need it, I need him. Never felt like I’ll weep, like I’ll die if he doesn’t do it. If he doesn’t push that big cock into me all the way.

Jesus.

Before I freak out at myself, he reaches for something on the low table. His wallet, I realize, from which he pulls a square foil.

A condom. Right. Christ, can’t believe I wasn’t even thinking about protection in my desperate need of him.

Shit, what’s happening to me? Why am I still sitting in his lap, throbbing between my legs, my breasts aching—why did I come back here and tell him I wanted what he’d offered? Oh crap, what—?

“Hey. Still with me?” He stills in the process of rolling the condom on his cock, and as my eyes focus again, my mouth waters. No guy’s cock has any right to make me salivate.

Except this one apparently does. Without conscious thought, I lower my hand to it, outline the flared crown through the rubber, the thick vein running on the underside, all the way down. His hard length twitches under my touch, his stomach clenches and he grabs my arm, breathing deeply through his nose.

When I look up into his eyes, he smiles, a sexy curl of his full lips—and the heat is back, scorching me.

I look down at his hard-on, lick my lips. “Please.”

He groans. “Fuck, say it again.”

“Please, Seth,” I whisper. “I want you inside me.”

“Goddammit.” Suddenly he twists and lowers me on the sofa. I’m flat on my back, and he’s between my legs, braced on his hands over me, his cock rubbing on my folds, spreading me open. “Hold on to me.”

He lifts my legs, one after the other, drapes them over his hips, wraps them around his waist—and oh God, the tip of his cock nudges at my entrance. I throw my arms around his neck as he presses into me, my head falling back at the incredible feeling of his cock slipping into me, filling me.

Just when I think I can’t take any more of him, he stops, lips parted, breathing ragged, his chest rising and falling, making his dark ink dance. He’s looking down at me, and I’m transfixed by the intensity of his gaze. There’s a question in his eyes, and I nod.

Yes. Please. More.

One side of his mouth tips up in a crooked smile that makes my breath hitch, and he starts to move. Pulls out, a long, slow drag that has me squirming, and then pushes back inside, a deep, smooth slide that makes me arch on the sofa. Pleasure pools deep inside of me, threatening to drown me, and I claw at his shoulder blades, trying to anchor myself.

This is… huge. I can feel it building in my core, a gathering tempest, an impossible pressure that’s bound to shatter me to a million pieces. I buck against him, and as if he’d been waiting for my signal, he lowers his head, puts his mouth on mine, and starts moving faster.

Good God. What he’s doing now, rocking in and out of me fast and hard, it’s pushing me so fast toward the edge I can’t find the brakes. I moan helplessly in his mouth as the pressure crests and I clench around his length so hard I see stars.