Page 36 of The Billionaire's Promise

I crossed the room until I was standing right in front of Magnolia, looking down into her angry face. “We are together, Magnolia.”

“We aren’t!” She raised her hands to push me away. Catching her fingers in mine, I tugged, pulling her to my chest.

"Vance!" Magnolia went to step back, but it was too late. I dropped her hands and wound my arms around her back, bringing her body flush to mine.

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned.

She opened her mouth to say God only knows what, and I kissed her. She wasn't drunk, and she wasn't half-asleep. If she really didn't want me, I'd know in a few seconds.

It would kill me to do it, but if she really didn't want me, I'd walk away.

Her mouth was soft under mine, her lips full and sweet. I ran my tongue along the inside of her lower lip, and she moaned. Tilting my head, I closed my mouth over hers, tasting her, her breath mingling with mine, swallowing the tiny, needy sounds she made.

Fuck, just a kiss and I was hard as stone. The way her heart pounded in her chest, I would've bet Magnolia was just as turned on as I was. I wanted to strip her clothes off and fuck her right there in the kitchen, but I wasn't going to. Twice, I’d rushed her and twice, she’d frozen me out. This time, I was in control. If I let her call the shots, we’d still be dancing around each other on our deathbeds.

I dropped my arms and took a step back, leaving her standing there, wobbling a little, her eyes dazed, her pupils dilated. Her tongue licked her bottom lip, lingered, as if tasting me there. I thought I was going to lose it. Reminding myself that I had a plan, I shoved my hands in the back pockets of my jeans and said, “We aren't together?"

Magnolia shook her head as if trying to wake up from a daze. "Vance, we can't."

"Why not?" I folded my arms over my chest and stared her down. "Why not? And don't tell me you're on the rebound or that I can't do commitment. Those are copouts. You've known me for years. You know by now whether you have feelings for me. If you really don’t, if we’re just friends, then fine, I'll let it go."

"I really don’t. We’re just friends,” Magnolia shot back.

"Liar," I said. She looked away. "You're lying," I said again. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have any feelings for me beyond friendship. Make me believe you."

"Fine," she snapped. She crossed her arms over her chest, mimicking my own posture, probably not realizing the position plumped her tits up until my mouth watered. Her eyes skittered around the room, glancing off mine twice before settling somewhere around my shoulder.

"Magnolia, you have to look me in the eyes. My shoulder doesn't count."

"I know." Her eyes traveled up, slowly, meandering over my features until they met my gaze dead on. My gut clenched at the raw emotion swimming there. She was scared. Underneath all the lust, so was I. For me, lust was winning out over the fear of fucking up our friendship.

That was the difference between Magnolia and me. She was a lot better at self-denial.

I waited for her to say something. Anything. She opened her mouth and drew in a breath, then closed it, biting down on her lower lip so hard the soft flesh turned white.

"You can't do it, can you?" I asked softly. "You can't tell me you don't want me."

"I do," she finally admitted. "You know I do. But I don't want to."

"I want to enough for the both of us," I said.

"That's what I'm afraid of. You want to, but what happens when you get bored? This is going to change everything."

"And you don't like change," I said. "Just trust me, and stop thinking so much. This doesn't have to be complicated unless you make it complicated."

The fear in her eyes turned to doubt, and she looked away, still chewing on her lip. Unable to stand it anymore, I framed her face in my hands and kissed her again, stroking the side of her jaw with my thumb until she opened her mouth to me.

My cock strained against my jeans as she melted into me, her arms wrapping around my back, one hand sneaking beneath my T-shirt to lie against my skin. That was what I wanted.

Her skin on mine. All of it. All of her soft, smooth, creamy skin rubbing against me. I had the hem of her T-shirt in my hands when a cry sounded through the monitor, fretful and muffled. We jumped apart as if Rosie had toddled in the room and caught us red-handed.

"I've got her," Magnolia said, stepping out of my arms. She high-tailed it out of the living room and up the stairs before I could stop her.

"Coward," I called after her.

She didn't slow down or say a word, just shot me the finger and disappeared upstairs. I'd let her go for now. She wouldn't escape me so easily the next time.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN