AllFreeNovel
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“What a shame. I was looking forward to our first real kiss.”
That shuts me down. The kitchen’s too damn small all of a sudden. Every breath rises and falls as if weighted by her words. I turn off the stove. Place the knife on the counter. Giving her plenty of time to withdraw her challenge, but she doesn’t. The distance between us vanishes, and before I know it, my fingers are trailing the line of her jaw, tilting her face toward mine. I’m drowning. She’s too close. Her breath mingles with mine, soft and tempting.
Then my lips find hers.
It’s slow, deliberate—every touch of our mouths setting fire to something deep I didn’t even know was there. Her breath catches, gasps, her taste frissons up my spine. Electrifying. I can’t stop. Won’t stop. My hand curls in her hair, pulling her closer, deeper. The sweetness of her lips envelops me—vanilla sugar—an intoxicating blend that sends heat coursing through my veins. The remnants of the mango sweet tea she drank earlier mingle with the warmth of her breath. I’ve never had iced mango tea—now I’ll never drink anything else. Our tongues dance, hesitant at first, then urgent, as if they’re trying to unravel the tangled tension threading between us.
When I finally pull back, breathing heavily, a fine sheen of desire coats her eyes. I search her expression. “God, Jeniah,” I murmur. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
She bites her lip and whispers, “I think it’s the other way around.” Her voice is a heady mix of mischief and sincerity. The way she looks at me, as if daring me to take the plunge, ignites a fire in my gut.
I step back, trying to regain some semblance of control. “We should eat before it gets cold.” My words are gruff from restraint. But she doesn’t move away.
“Wow,” she whispers, her fingers tracing her lips. “I didn’t know it could be like that.”
“You’ve… never kissed…?” Is she that innocent?
“I have.” A soft laugh lights her eyes. “In junior high, maybe. But trust me, it was nothing like this.”
“Junior high, huh? Sounds like a terrible first kiss.”
She slaps a hand over her face, laughing and groaning. “It was… very lizard-like.”
I let out a laugh, relaxing back against the counter. “My first was during a cousin’s wedding. Same age.” Her brow arches, encouraging me to continue. “It was awkward as hell. I tripped over my own feet and nearly knocked her into a punch bowl.”
Her smile widens and hits me in the gut harder than any punch ever could.
“Guess first times are supposed to be awkward,” Jeniah says, and I frown.
“Yeah,” I nod, trying not to think too hard about what she’s implying. “But it doesn’t have to be.” She looks down again, andI steer the conversation back to the food.
We eat at the marble counter, conversations light enough to float—but I don’t let my guard drop entirely. When she glances my way—curious, questioning—I answer it head-on. “Go to bed,” I say with a low laugh. She arches a brow, but behind the humor trails something deeper. Desire.
Milo meows by her feet as if he understands our conversation and the danger. He senses what she wants. He knows I want to claim her. But I can’t. Not yet. Not like this. Not until she understands and accepts what being mine means.
“Seriously, gorgeous,” I urge, forcing my body to listen to reason instead of the growing heat building between us. “Get some sleep.”
She heads down the hall, her soft gait carrying her away from me. She’s so damn small. Not small—short. I correct myself when I recall how she filled my palms with her curves. God, I want her so bad. Can’t remember the last time I wanted a woman this much. But I’m not going to fuck her unless she’s truly mine. Not just because I’ve decided. But because she’s made that choice, too.
Sighing, I head to the balcony, dialing Al Silvio.
He answers on the second ring. His smooth voice grating across the air. “I’ve been expecting your call.” He begins after I introduce myself.
I cut him off. “I’m sending you the bill for the damage you did to my fiancée’s house. Consider it a one-time pass since you may not have heard that Jeniah Reynolds is mine now.”
“Not yet,” he laughs. “And if there’s no ring, no paper, I’m coming for her. John Reynolds will pay for the trouble and embarrassment he caused me. I will hold her auction in ten days. If you’re married, send me the proof. If not, I have a claim that precedes yours. She’s collateral now.”
“If you think I’m letting that happen? You don’t know me.”
“Maybe. But you don’t know me either. If you did, you’d know I always get my due. And this won’t be any different. You have ten days.” Al’s laughs louder, more menacing. “Tick. Tock. Time’s running out.”
I hang up, fury pounding in my chest. I need to protect Jeniah. But I can’t pull a Leo and force her to marry me. I’m already falling for her. Craving her, and it’s only been three days. Can she fall for me in ten?
Ten days. The countdown has begun. And I know one thing for sure—I’m not letting her slip through my fingers. Not now. Not ever.
Jeniah
“Stop it, Milo,” I scold, shooing him from the pillow he knows is off-limits. Maybe he figures if I’m breaking all the rules, he can too. Staying in a strange man’s house, kissing him, exploring his mouth like an orthodontist. I can’t believe I was so bold. In the kitchen, no less. What was I thinking? Two days later, I’m still embarrassed but not ashamed. I promised myself I’d break out of my old life, but this feels like being shot from a glitter cannon at the circus. The desire that exploded in my belly when Gio’s lips claimed mine was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Raw. Intense. Consuming.
