I leaned all the way into him, forcing him to catch himself on the counter, because even with my mouth hungrily licking and nipping at him, and even with my breasts flattened against the clearly defined muscles of his chest, he didn’t lay a hand on me. He wouldn’t, when I opened my mouth to give his gently seeking tongue access or when I lifted up on my tippy toes so that I could have a better angle to get my hand around the back of his neck so that I could pull him down more fully into the kiss. I wanted to make this moment last forever.

It was sweet. It was hot. It made me forget, for just a second, that I was afraid.

His teeth grazed my bottom lip and I shivered but not because I was scared that he was going to bite. I shivered because that little nip made my heart race and had all the parts of my body that had sworn off men reconsider their vow. My nipples pulled tight and rubbed against the lace of my bra. That spot between my legs that I told myself I was going to pretend didn’t exist after Oliver, reminded me that it was still there and in perfect working order by pulsing quick and hard. The quiet ache made me shift uncomfortably and there was no refuting the fact that being this close to him, having his tongue dance across mine, was making me wet with want.

It was such a foreign feeling. So much stronger and bigger than the innocent desire fostered from believing empty promises and perfect lies that fell out of a pretty and practiced mouth. This was the kind of yearning that had teeth. The kind that sank into your bones and worked its way deep under your skin. This was the kind of longing that could and would push out everything else until it was the only thing left. There was no room for fear or regret because craving and hunger took up all the available space. Instead of being empty, I was full of all the amazing things this man made me feel. My starving soul and hungry heart wanted to be greedy and gluttonous. They wanted to eat him up and go back for more.

He turned his head, slanted his mouth a little, and then moved in deeper and with more determination. His hands stayed firmly at his sides but I still felt like he was touching all over. His breath whispered across my lips, the very tip of his tongue slicked across the seam, and I opened without a second thought.

He didn’t touch me with his hands but his tongue left no damp, slick surface unexplored. He tasted. He teased. He taunted when I asked for more without words. He was gentle but there was no mistaking the fact that he was kissing me in a way that would be remembered. The imprint of his lips on mine, the flavor that was all Wheeler, was going to linger forever on the tip of my tongue. He was everywhere and yet the only places where we were touching were the places where I was clinging to him.

Tongues twisted, teeth clashed, breath mingled, and I was pretty sure his name escaped on a whisper but I was so busy trying to inhale every single second of this moment that I swallowed it and kissed him back like I was ravenous … because I was. This kiss fed something deep inside of me that had never been fed. I didn’t know what it was like to get what I wanted. I didn’t know what it was like to be treated like … to be kissed like … I was something precious and prized. It was all enough to go to my head and make any common sense I had fizzle and wave. It might be too soon but this kiss had me ready to remember what it was like to dream and hope for something and someone special.

I let go of the counter and was lifting up my other hand to touch the side of his face when a loud crash had us both breaking apart. I gasped, he swore, and we both blinked at each other like someone had suddenly turned on the lights in a very dark room. He took a step back as I steadied myself and we both jumped as another crash sounded from the living room. His dark eyebrows shot up as I suddenly bolted into action, barking out, “The dog!” as I ran toward the other room. I heard his heavy footsteps behind me as we raced to see what kind of destruction our lack of attention had caused.

Happy had the entire coffee table knocked over on its side and was eagerly licking up the spilled contents of Wheeler’s abandoned beer. The puppy’s little tail was wagging furiously as he stopped lapping up the mess to look at us, so proud of himself and looking for accolades.

Wheeler groaned and stepped around me to pick up the sturdy little dog. He held the wiggling animal up in front of his face, much like he did the day I first brought him to the garage. “Not cool.” The puppy yipped excitedly and fought to lick Wheeler’s face. “Is the beer bad for him? Do we need to worry about him getting sick or anything?” He bit the words out and his face shifted from post-kiss bliss to something much harder and angrier. His adorable dimples were long gone and that scowl that seemed to have staked claim between his brows was back.

I bent to straighten the coffee table. “How much was left in the bottle?”

Wheeler looked at the now empty bottle on the floor and shifted his gaze back to mine. “Less than half.” He seemed far more upset than a little spilled beer called for as he shifted the puppy in his arms and started to pace back and forth in front of me as he waited for me to answer.

“It should be fine. A little bit of beer isn’t bad for dogs. Just keep an eye on him throughout the night and see if he gets sick or seems to act funny. If he does, text me and I’ll come back over and look at him.”

Wheeler rounded on me, eyes wide and a heated flush working its way up underneath the ink that covered his throat. His sharp cheekbones turned a furious shade of pink as he ground out between gritted teeth, “You can’t leave him here with me. You have to take him.”

The puppy looked up at the man holding on to him like he could sense his mood and the happy, tongue lolling stopped, replaced with a whimper and a full-body shake. I had a similar reaction. I crossed my arms over my chest and told myself not to freak out as the butterflies he woke up in my stomach turned into stone. I’d had my share of men that seemed good only to end up as something beyond bad in my life. I watched them change right before my eyes. I hated to think that Wheeler could be one of them, that I had been so wrong again, but the chill coming from those arctic eyes of his and the way he was looking at me like all he wanted was for me to take the puppy and go had me seriously second-guessing everything I thought I knew about this man.

“No, not tonight. Tonight he’s supposed to stay with you. That’s why I brought him over.” I wasn’t used to saying no, so the words came out far weaker than I intended them to. I knew how important it was to stand my ground now, to make my boundaries clear. So, even though it was hard, I didn’t back down even when he growled at me in frustration.