Crave (Billionaire Bachelors Club #1)(23)

“It’s stunning.” She glances over her shoulder at me, the smile on her face slowly fading. “You’re looking at me weird.”

The sexy whisper of her voice doesn’t quite go along with what she’s saying. “How am I looking at you?”

“Like . . . like you want something from me.” She turns to face me but backs up a few steps, until she’s leaning against the deck railing. Her hazel eyes are wide, her cheeks flushed. A few wisps of hair have escaped her ponytail, brushing against her face. I move toward her, slow and easy, not wanting to startle her. Not wanting to ruin this.

“I want nothing from you that you don’t want to give,” I murmur, and I note the rapid beat of her pulse at the base of her throat.

“Archer.” Her voice is a warning, with the slightest bit of waver. That waver gives me hope. “My brother is right out that front door. What if he finds us?”

“We’re not doing anything that we need to hide.” I’m directly in front of her, crowding her, and I rest my hands on the railing on either side of her body, effectively trapping her.

“Yet,” she whispers, and that one single word gives me so much damn hope, I do what I’ve been dying to do since I saw her in the hallway of my house.

Dipping my head, I nuzzle her hair with my cheek, breathing in her scent, closing my eyes. My entire body tingles at having her close, hearing the catch of her breath, feeling the slight tremor that moves through her. She doesn’t touch me, doesn’t so much as move, and I settle my mouth close to her ear. “All I can think about is last night.”

“Archer.” She sounds like I’m torturing her.

Good. Feeling’s mutual.

“Do you think about it? I swear to God, Ivy, all I want to do is drag you into that bedroom right now and f**k you until you can’t see straight.” My control is about to snap. And I never let it snap. But this woman pushes all my buttons, does everything she can to tear me apart with just a look. A smile. It blows my mind how much power she wields over me.

She has no clue about her power either.

“You shouldn’t talk to me like that. Last night was a . . . mistake.” She settles her hand on my chest as if she’s going to push me away, but her fingers curl ever so slightly into my shirt. Pulling me just a fraction closer to her.

Triumph surges through me. She can’t resist this pull between us either. “You really think so?”

“I know so.” She pushes at my chest so I have no choice but to look at her. She’s not strong enough to get me to step back, though. No way am I moving from her yet. “We can’t continue this.”

“You want to.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“No I don’t.” But she’s nodding as I lean into her, and when I brush my mouth with hers, the shuddering exhale she breathes against my lips twists up my insides. “Archer . . .”

I love hearing her say my name, even if it’s in protest. Because really she’s not protesting. She wants this just as bad as I do.

“Just one kiss,” I murmur against her lips, darting out my tongue to lick. The soft moan that escapes her is my answer, and I settle my mouth fully on hers, our tongues meeting, circling, tasting. I rest my hand on her hip, stepping into her, wanting to feel her.

The breeze sweeps over us, a shiver moves through her, and I slip my arms completely around her waist, tugging her lower body close to mine. Fuck Gage. Fuck anything else. I want to pull her into that bedroom, slam the door and keep her in the bed pinned beneath me for the next twenty-four hours.

It wouldn’t be enough. But when it comes to Ivy, I’ll take what I can get.

A buzzing sound rings through my head as I continue to kiss her, lose myself in her. I slide my hands over her ass, groaning when she grinds subtly against me. The buzz gets louder, more insistent, and I break the kiss first, staring down at her, my breath coming in pants. “What is that?”

She blinks up at me, looking as wrecked as I feel. “I think it’s your phone.”

Shit. She’s right. I can feel it vibrating in my jeans pocket. Yanking it out, I see it’s a text message from Gage.

I gotta get back home. Meet me at the car.

“It’s your brother.” Damn it, I’m not ready to send her back to the city with Gage. I want to keep her here with me.

Like she’d ever go for it. She has a life. A relatively new career, friends—she probably has little time to spare, especially for me.

I’m delusional if I think I can make something between us work. Not that I want something real or lasting. A fling. That’s all I want. And then there’s the bet to consider.

You’re really going to let a bet guide your decision?

I ignore the shitty little voice in my head.

“What did he say?” She licks her lips as if she’s trying to get one last taste of me, and my c**k twitches as I reluctantly step away from her.

“He’s ready to leave.”

“That’s probably best.” She pushes away from the railing, glancing to her left, looking at the tub that sits outside near the deck. “You never did explain the reason for the tub being outside.”

“It’s built for two. The decks are all private; none of the guests can see each other.” I smile, imagining the two of us in that tub, our naked skin slick and soapy, Ivy sitting in my lap, her long legs wound around my waist. “It’s, uh, one of our most popular features.”