When he opened his eyes he looked at me as with a torturous glance. “No . . . I shouldn’t.”

I shook my head, pretty certain I wasn’t interested in fighting him on this again—it felt exhausting. If he didn’t want me, that was one thing. I could accept that and move on.

But I knew with every fiber of my being that he did want me, desperately. Just like I wanted him. But he wasn’t allowing himself to embrace it, feel it, see where this could lead us. I was a big girl and I needed to keep a clear head. I also needed to keep my self-respect.

“Okay, Nate.” I extracted myself from him, opened the door and climbed out. “It’s really hard to watch you fight yourself. So let’s just take a pass on this. On us. For good. Thanks again for the ride.”

I walked up the sidewalk to my separate basement entrance without looking behind me. But I knew that he was watching me because I didn’t hear him drive away. Unless he was just being a gentleman and waiting for me to get inside.

Which I did, swiftly, and shut the door behind me. I leaned against the frame, gulping in air and trying not to feel too bummed.

I couldn’t help but to touch my swollen lips where Nate had kissed me like his life depended on it. I could probably get off on the way his mouth touched me alone. Nate had admitted that he didn’t use his tongue, but he continued to use it on me, which only confused the hell out of me.

He was passionate and all consuming. Not sloppy like some other guys, or misguided in order to get in my pants.

Nate knew just how much tongue to use, how much pressure to give my lips to leave me wanting more. And right now, I still wanted more. Fuck.

There was a tap on the wood and when I heard Nate’s voice, my stomach rose to my throat. “Jessie?”

I cracked open the door open to peek at him. His elbow was against the frame and his one ankle crossed over the other. He looked so damn hot but something else was glistening in his eyes. Something that looked a lot like determination.

“Is there still an open invitation?”

“Promise you won’t change your mind?” I said opening the door wider for him to step through.

“I know I’m fucking this all up. But I can’t let you walk away.” He shook his head, maybe to deflect the honesty. “Just being this close to you makes me so damn hard.”

Tension seemed to radiate through his stiff shoulders as he continued speaking. “I can’t seem to stay away and I don’t know if I can explain this or face this or figure out what I’m supposed—”

“Just fucking kiss me, Nate,” I growled, effectively cutting him off.

In one swift move he had me backed against the wall, my hands braced above my head. He flattened his body against mine and I felt the full weight of his erection bearing into my abdomen. “All I could think about for days is tying you up and having my way with you.”

Oh. My skin tingled pitifully, that’s how badly I wanted it.

When I didn’t say anything because I was too lost in my own desire, he said, “Does . . . does that scare you . . . do I scare you?”

“I’m not afraid of you, Nate. I think you’re afraid of yourself,” I whispered. “I want you to do those things to me. I want you so bad.”

He let out a long groan before his mouth overtook mine. His hands gripped my ass and he lifted me, my legs winding easily around his waist. Our hot centers ground together and I became almost liquid in his arms.

“Bedroom,” he panted out.

“Behind you.”

He walked me backward toward my bed, which was behind the far wall. The basement was an open concept, like an efficiency suite, with a tiny sink and bathroom, and then a bed at the end.

Instead of rounding the corner to lie down, he forced my back against the wall, and pushed his arousal into me. “I’m going to taste you and then bury myself deep inside you.”

“Oh damn,” I said, his words sending pings of electric energy over my skin.

He ripped my shirt away from my body all while holding me suspended in his arms and then grunted, “Take your bra off, now.”

I reached behind me and did as he said, flinging the material to the floor. His gaze roamed all over me before his hot mouth captured one of my nipples. “You have the most amazing tits I’ve even seen.”

I gasped at his words and at the things his tongue was doing to my breasts. I would allow him to take the lead because I needed a release so badly and I liked when he was in control. In fact, I loved it. Every now and then he’d pause in his assault on my chest and lick my camera tattoo, almost reverently.

He spent time with each of my breasts while I clung onto his shoulders and tugged hard at his hair. My chest was swollen from his mouth as he bit and sucked and I was sure he had left marks that I’d notice in the morning.

I was able to get his shirt off in between licks so that I could play with his nipples as well.

In fact, I think I shocked him by seeking them out and pinching them. I was going to guess no women had ever done that to him before. He paused, his nipples hardening at my touch and his gaze blazed into mine before he attacked my mouth again.

He finally lifted me away from the wall, walked a few steps forward, and then tossed me on the bed. I sat up on my elbows to watch him strip his jeans and boxers down. It was quite a sight. His erection was engorged and all I could think was that I had done that to him.

My hands moved to my jeans to tug them down and he growled, “Don’t. That’s my job. In fact you’ve used your hands enough tonight.”