Page 28 of Stealing Embers

Run my fingers down his abs…

Gio steps closer still, lowering himself onto the couch until he’s straddling my lap. His knees press into the cushions on either side of my thighs, body radiating heat as he wraps himself around me like a second skin.

The proximity is the best kind of overwhelming...

…and when his hands rest lightly on my shoulders,I forget how to breathe.

The music pulses around us, filling the silence, and for a moment, all I can do is stare up at him.

His confidence is magnetic, intoxicating, and when he starts to move—slow, fluid rolls of his hips perfectly in time with the beat—I can’t look away.

How is he so good at this?

Seriously?

Did he practice before he arrived?

Was he an exotic dancer in a former life?

Before I know what’s happening, his fingers take my wrists, prying my hands off the couch, guiding them to his rib cage. His skin is ablaze under my touch, and I can feel the ripple of his rock-hard muscles as he moves. He moves with practiced ease, like he knows exactly the effect he’s having on me.

“Gio,” I whisper, though I’m not entirely sure if it’s a plea or a warning.

He lifts my arms, pinning them behind my head.

Leans down, nuzzling my hair so he can kiss my neck.

“You smell amazing,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky. “Like vanilla.Sweet like your pussy.”

My heart skips thirty beats; my body responding to the wayhis words drip with intention. His teeth graze the spot just below my ear, and I can’t stop the small gasp that escapes my lips.

He kisses me on the mouth.

"Touch me," he croons against my lips, rough with desire.

I don’t hesitate.

My fingers slide down his back, his skin warm and taut under my touch. He takes my hands lower, placing them firmly against the curve of his ass, and I feel the flex of his muscles as his hips continue their maddening rotation.

I can feel his erection against my core.

He knows what he’s doing—he has to—because the subtle grind of his hips sends a jolt of heat racing through me.

Every roll of his hips, every brush of his lips against mine, every whispered breath that tickles my skin—it’s all-consuming. My fingers grip his waist, pulling him closer as if I could somehow fuse us together, and he lets out a low groan that sends a shiver straight down my spine.

I want to be naked beneath him.

I want…

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me, Austin,” he murmurs, his voice thick with need as his lips trail down my jawline, finding the curve of my neck. “You’re the only thing I can think about.”

Gio reaches for the hem of my shirt.

Tugs until it’s up and over my head.

On the floor.

He adjusts himself, dick straining toward me, as he unbuttons my pants and pulls down the zipper. When my jeans join my shirt on the floor, he pauses for the briefest of moments, his hands resting on my bare thighs as his gaze flicks up to meet mine.The look he’s giving me is so exciting…