Page 35 of Riot

My wolf stirred, content and possessive, wanting to close the remaining inches between us.

Reaching up, I cupped the side of his face with my palm. His skin was warm from the night air, and he leaned into the touch immediately, eyes fluttering half closed.

“Calvin.” His name came out rougher than I intended.

“Yeah?”

“C’mere.”

Calvin closed the distance. His breath ghosted across my lips, warm and faintly sweet from the soda we’d shared. Up close, I caught the clean scent of laundry detergent and something underneath it that was just him.

“You’re going to kiss me now,” he whispered, not a question.

“Yeah.”

“It’s about time.”

One corner of my mouth lifted. “Thought I was being patient.”

“You’ve been patient for days. It’s getting excessive.”

Laughter rumbled in my throat, and I slid my hand from his jaw to the nape of his neck, fingers threading through the short hair there. The touch made him shiver despite the warm night.

“Bossy,” I murmured.

“Impatient.”

I leaned down, giving him every chance to pull away. He didn’t. Instead, he rose up on his toes, meeting me halfway. I pulled him the last few inches and pressed my mouth to his. The kiss started soft, just the brush of lips and the catch of breath. His hand landed on my shoulder, gripping the leather of my cut like he needed something to hold on to. My other hand found his hip, my thumb pressing against the jut of bone through his jeans.

His lips parted on a small sound, and I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue against his in a slow sweep. His fingers tightened on my shoulder, and he swayed forward until his chest brushed mine.

The world narrowed to the press of his body, the warmth of his mouth, the small noises he made when I nipped at his bottom lip.

Breaking the kiss, I pulled back just enough to breathe. Calvin’s eyes stayed closed for a beat before fluttering open. His lips were red and slightly swollen, and he looked at me with an expression that made my wolf want to howl.

“That was…” His voice trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. Those sensual hazel eyes held something like wonder mixed with hunger.

“I could kiss you all night, beautiful.” I smiled softly, biting his bottom lip. He looked thoroughly wrecked.

Dragging my thumb along the edge of his jaw, I watched the way his eyes went soft and dark. “We should do this again. Soon.”

“Dinner or kissing?”

“Both.”

Laughing, he dropped his forehead against my shoulder. The sound vibrated through me, warm and genuine. I slid one hand up his back, steadying him, feeling the ridge of his spine through his shirt. He fit against me like he’d been standing between my legs for years instead of minutes.

“I should go inside,” he mumbled against my shoulder.

“Probably.”

“In a minute.”

“Take your time.”

He lifted his head, and his eyes were bright, crinkled at the corners. “You’re not supposed to agree with me. You’re supposed to be disappointed.”

“I’m always disappointed when you leave.”