Page 34 of Hex Appeal

That's enough. I turn.

Her hand slips from mine as I face her. “Tell me not to.”

She doesn't. Instead, she catches the front of my shirt in her fist.

I kiss her.

And immediately realize I've been thinking about this far more than I was willing to admit.

Her mouth is soft and warm. For one second, neither of us does anything more than that.

One kiss. A first taste. Honey. Champagne. Something warm and spicy I can't quite place.

Then Serena makes a quiet sound against my mouth.

I'm a goner.

My hands slide around her waist, as if they have a mind of their own. Cupping her full, round behind. Bringing her flush against me. Adding fuel to the fire of need already building inside of me.

It’s too much, and not enough all at once.

Her arms circle my neck, and the kiss changes. Deepens.

All that brightness has heat underneath it. I back her against the edge of the worktable.

Her fingers slide into my hair. I kiss her again. And again.

I've spent a week trying not to think about this woman. Apparently, my body has been keeping score.

“Welles.” My name sounds different when she says it like that.

I drag my mouth along her jaw. Her head tips back.

“Still think I'm annoying?”

“Yes.”

She laughs breathlessly.

I kiss the spot beneath her ear.

“Asshole.”

“Woo-woo.”

She grabs my face and kisses me again. Hard. I love it.

My hands settle at her waist before slowly moving over her curves. I've noticed them from the second I walked into her shop.

Now I finally get to touch her. She shivers beneath my hands. I pull back just enough to look at her.

Her curls are mussed. Her lips are swollen from kissing me. Her green eyes have gone darker.

“Tell me if you want me to stop.”

“I don't.”

The answer comes without hesitation. She pulls me back to her.