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But this man, this insanely beautiful man with piercing dark eyes has put me in that spotlight tonight, right now. And he wants to know what I want.

“I…I want…” My words come out in a soft stutter at first because I am not used to this kind of focused attention. “I want you to kiss me,” I say to him as I look up at him through my dark lashes.

He raises his eyebrows with a hint of amusement on his lips.

“You want me to kiss you,” he says, and it’s more of a statement than a question. Maybe I said the wrong thing.

“Yes,” I answer confidently, even though I don’t feel very confident right now.

“That’s what you want, me to kiss you,” he says.

This is starting to feel like a test. A test where the right answer is the truth. As my breath quickens in my chest I lean closer to him. I know that is what I want, my answer is yes. My final answer.

“Yes,” I say confidently. “I want you to kiss me.”

“Okay, Natalie,” he says in a low, gravelly tone.

Then his hands come up to my face, and he cups my cheeks softly in his large palms. His eyes settle on mine, engaging them with a locked focus that I couldn’t escape if I tried. And finally, his lips press to mine, and it feels like our gondola just shot to the moon.

It’s a warm, sweet, deep kiss without urgency. It’s exactly how I want to be kissed. It’s magical.

I press my body to his and give in to him even more. I start to kiss him in a way that I wish I could do everything. With confidence and need, and an assurance of my own worth. I kiss him in a way that makes up for lost time, lost chances when I was too timid or shy or questioning of myself to take what I wanted, even when opportunity was right in front of me. I kiss him so long and fully that eventually, I can’t hear the voices of doubt anymore.

Eventually, Ash pulls back, and my eyes pop open. “Why did you stop?” I ask then blush because that sounded pretty desperate.

Ash just smiles. “Do you want more?” he asks.

I nod.

Why be shy now?

“Do you want me to kiss you again?” he asks, and I am about to nod again until he continues and says, “Or do you want…something else?” As he asks me, his fingertips trail from my jawbone, down my neck, over my collarbone down to the swell of my breasts, stopping just before making contact with my hard nipples.

“Something else…” I say, and I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth. I’ve shocked myself, but I don’t care. That’s the honest truth, and honesty is what he wants.

“Do you want more, Natalie?” he asks me in the most erotic way.

I nod my head slowly, but with an affirmation that can’t be confused.

He watches me intently and when I bite my lip, I see something almost primal in his expression.

“Yes,” I answer softly.

His eyes skim over my body, taking me in, careful not to rush. There’s an assuredness that he possesses; it’s a trust and a credence in himself. It’s a trust and credence in himself. When his eyes finally come back to mine, they’re still arresting, but in a way that makes me feel safe, wanted, and desired. I don’t feel trapped nor coerced. It’s like he’s driving the car, but I’m controlling the speed and the direction.

“Yes,” I say. “I want this. I want you.”

Ash studies my face for a moment before he starts to unbutton my blouse, in the most deductive way ever. I’m lost in the moment, in his touch, in his kiss; and the world outside this gondola is a million miles away.

He sucks in a small, sharp breath as he stares at my breasts that I’ve heaved up with a black satin push-up bra. Even I am impressed by how they look right now.

“Damn,” he says, keeping his eyes on my breasts. My head tilts back as his fingers trace over the swell of them, following down the curve of the bra to the front latch in the middle.

His eyes flash up to mine momentarily, asking silently for permission. I answer by letting my lips part and arching my back ever so slightly in his direction in invitation.

Ash unsnaps the latch with ease, and it pops open, exposing me fully. Ash’s expression softens, but his eyes darken even more.

“You’re beautiful,” he says as his fingers explore my breasts.