Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men #9)(16)

“Julianna,” I tried to caution her, though it sounded more like a breathless plea than a warning.

The tips of my fingers found the bottom edge of her bustier in the back of her dress and bit in at the top swell of her ass. Then I dipped my face next to hers, making our cheeks brush enough that I’m sure she felt the sandpapery texture of my jaw.

She whimpered and shuddered, then ground her pelvis against my hard, aching cock, clutching my shoulders. I gripped her ass harder, unable to stop myself, grinding her slowly into me.

“Careful, baby doll. I kind of want to do really obscene things to you right now.”

“Yes,” she sighed the word, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. “That sounds wonderful.”

It really did. So I leaned in and ran my tongue up the side of the neck she’d so willingly exposed to me before I gently nipped her earlobe with my teeth, tasting her silver dream catcher earring.

She gripped my shoulders, whimpering for more. “I want you. I want you so bad.” Her voice was high and desperate, and I swear she sounded astonished to be wanting such a thing.

It turned me on as much as it worried me. “Shit.” I leaned my face down enough to press my forehead to hers so I could keep myself from going in for a kiss. Trying to collect myself, I moved my hands to a more respectable place, running them up and down the sides of her arms before tugging her back and putting a good two feet between us.

“Colton?” Her tone was angry and begging and exasperated all at the same time.

I pressed a couple fingers to her lips. “Wait. What about tomorrow?”

She grabbed my hand and gently removed my fingers as she frowned in confusion and shook her head. “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I...” I swallowed, knowing I was cock-blocking myself by doing this but also knowing it needed to be done anyway. “I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow morning with a hangover and bloodshot eyes, mortified by what you did with me. I’m not going to be anyone’s f*cking drunk regret.”

Been there and done that. Hated it and wasn’t looking for a repeat. Especially with this girl.

Julianna blinked. Then her gaze softened. The sympathy and understanding on her face nearly slew me before she cupped my cheek in her hand. “Oh, honey, I wouldn’t regret you.”

In that second, I actually believed her.

“Swear it,” I whispered. Grasping her wrist, I held her fingers against her own heart as if making her take a solemn vow, then I held up my other hand, palm facing her, and told her to set hers against mine. When she actually did, I softly ordered, “Now repeat after me.”

She nodded, smiling softly as if intrigued by my gravity.

“I, Julianna Elizabeth Radcliffe...” I started, only for her to giggle that cute-ass giggle of hers.

“My middle name isn’t Elizabeth.”

“Margaret?” When she shook her head, I tried again. “Harriet?”

“Dacia,” she relented.

“Dacia,” I murmured, feeling the word ripple through me from the inside out. I liked the name Dacia. “That’s beautiful,” I told her. Then I delved my gaze deep into hers as I started over.

“I, Julianna Dacia Radcliffe, being of sound mind and...” my stare roved down her dress before I hummed deep in my throat, “very sound body, do solemnly swear that I want nothing more on this earth than to press my mouth against the mouth of Colton David Gamble, and maybe even spike my tongue deep into his—”

She interrupted me by huffing out an impatient breath and removing her hand from mine. Then she curled her fingers around my neck and jerked me forward, smashing our mouths together.

Okay…

So I guess Julianna liked to seal her promises with a kiss. She still hadn’t said the actual words, though, which worried me.

Ergo, I resisted her…for all of half a second.

But then her lips softened against mine, and her body went warm and liquid, and fit perfectly against me. I groaned as I gave into defeat, opening up and touching my tongue to hers.

She tasted like champagne, cola, and whiskey. The mix was addictive. I needed more. I backed her toward the conference table before picking her up by the hips and sitting her back down on the hard, glossy surface.

Julianna gripped my shoulder, her nails biting through two layers of cloth. She tried to part her legs to let me fit my hips between them, but her dress would only let them go so wide. Eager to help her out, I set my hand on her knee and slid my fingers up the outside of her thigh, directly toward that cock-teasing slit in her dress.

She was soft and warm. I wanted to concentrate on that and nothing else, so I tore my mouth from hers and pressed our brows together, so I could watch my hand move. The contrast of my skin against hers made the moment even more intense. I held my breath as my fingers disappeared under the dress’s slit and gathered up the material as I headed toward her waist.

I kept expecting her to slap me and shove me away, but she only caught her breath as if she liked watching my touch.

The instant my palm met her hip, she banded her legs around my waist and used them to tug me in close. My cock slammed into the crotch of her soaked hot pink panties, straining against the zipper of my dress pants.

“Damn,” I grunted, dazed by how good it felt and how fast this was happening.

She whimpered something desperate and incoherent before gripping my hair and dragging my face down to her level. And then our mouths were attacking each other again.