Back In The Bedroom (The Wrong Bed #29)(43)

“I mean it,” she confirmed. She would have liked to negotiate for more, but Reilly was who he was, and she had no desire to change him; she just wanted him to let her in. For tonight. She’d deal with the rest later. Leaning in she rimmed his ear with her tongue, then bit gently on the lobe.

Again his arms tightened on her and he sucked in a harsh breath. His heart beat heavily against her breasts and beneath her hands, she felt his hard, hot muscles tensing. “Did you figure it out yet, Reilly?”

“You’re trying to seduce me.”

“Is it working?”

He looked into her eyes for a long, heated beat. “Oh, yeah. It’s working.”

“Good.” She had to remind herself that he wasn’t her warm, compassionate beta man. He was dark and edgy and dangerous, not to mention unpredictable and not a safe bet for a soul mate.

But he tasted good and she wanted him and for tonight, for right this minute, it would be enough. She’d make it so. “Kiss me, Reilly.”

“You took the thought right out of my head.” Then his mouth opened on hers and he slipped his tongue inside to languidly slide against hers. She didn’t fall to a boneless heap at his feet, but oh, she wanted to. Her fingers curled into his shirt and she held on for dear life as he delved deeper into her mouth.

It wasn’t enough and she tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head when he lifted his arms. When it went sailing across the room, she busied herself kissing all the broad, sleek flesh she’d exposed.

He let out a shuddering breath and pulled her blouse free from her skirt so he could stroke her bare ribs. His thumbs swirled over her belly button, delving a little lower to toy with the waistband of her skirt, even dipping beneath it to skim over her new purple panties. “Bedroom,” he murmured thickly, and bent his knees a little to scoop her up in his arms.

“Wait.”

He went utterly still and stared down into her face. “Wait?”

His entire body was taut with careful restraint and she could have hugged him—except she already was. “It’s just that I was seducing you, and you’ve…sort of taken over. I want to do it, Reilly.”

“You…want to do it?”

“Yes. So could you set me down? Please?” she added when he hesitated.

He set her down. “I took over,” he repeated, sounding baffled.

“You do that a lot, actually.” She took a deep breath because he was once again without a shirt and looked really…yummy. Not only did he look yummy, he looked hot and bothered and frustrated. She loved that look on him.

“Tess,” he said, running a finger over her shoulder, then following that up with a kiss to the spot.

She wanted to melt again.

“You wanted to run the show here,” he said. “Are you going to do that soon? Like maybe now?” he added hopefully when she just stood there absorbing his touch.

“Yes,” she said, laughing, then swallowed her smile, straightened and got serious. “Pick me up.”

His lips twitched. “Like I already had?”

“Yes.”

Looking amused on top of hot and bothered now, he scooped her up against his chest and looked down at her, her big, alpha guy awaiting her instructions.

She flung her arms around his neck. “Couch,” she commanded, ignoring his soft laugh, which turned into a groan when she bit his throat.

“I’m going to bite you back,” he growled and tossed her on the couch.

She hadn’t bounced once when his mouth found hers, hot and hungry while he unbuttoned her blouse, unhooked her bra and spread them away from her all in one movement. Before she caught her breath, a big, warm palm slid up the inside of her bare leg to touch her through her panties.

His gaze met hers as she arched into his hand. Pushing her skirt up to her waist, he slipped off her panties, then settled himself between her thighs, leaning in to kiss her again.

A little undone, she slapped a hand to his bare chest.

He let out a breath. “Not again. Too fast?”

“No. Fast is fine. It’s just that you’re doing that take-over thing again.”

He let out a disbelieving laugh. “I’m at the good part and you want to discuss my take-over tendencies? Now?”

She smiled because he looked so…bewildered. “Yes.”

With a long-suffering sigh, he came up on his knees and lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay. Go ahead. You take over.”

“Lose the pants.”

“Gladly.” He wrenched himself away from her and got off the couch. The rasp of his zipper seemed extraordinarily loud. Looking down at her, he slowly stripped off his shoes, socks, pants and underwear and stepped free, holding something he’d taken from his pocket.

A condom.

And then just stood there, larger-than-life in her small living room, the contours of his hard body revealed by the lights she’d turned on earlier.

Definitely larger than life, all of him. She could have just looked at him forever, but he shifted restlessly and gave her a look that seared.

“You’re so beautiful, Reilly.”

He moved toward her with sexual intent blazing from his eyes, but when he reached the couch, he paused, fists clenched at his sides. “What now?”

He was trying to let her be in charge, trying, but not quite succeeding, and emotion swamped her. “Come here,” she whispered and when she opened her arms, he settled himself back between her legs. He felt so good, so warm and strong. She wanted him, all of him, and she dug her fingers into his tight bottom, trying to push him in.