"Did I pass the test?"
"I'd give you a B plus."
"Should I be flattered or offended by that?"
Arden pretends to consider me, her head tilted to the side. "Too early to say."
We go back to enjoying our breakfast, and once I've finished eating, I turn to Arden. "Let me wash the dishes. I insist."
"I won't argue with that." She consumes her last bite of pancake, leaving a smear of whipped cream right next to her mouth. "I like having a hot British guy as my kitchen helper."
Though I hear her words, all I can think about is licking that cream off her skin. Sweet, decadent cream. The word makes me picture her naked with my head between her legs while I taste the best kind of cream there is.
Arden lunges forward, pressing her mouth to mine.
I freeze, trying so damn hard not to kiss her back. Chance said not to touch her, but she started this. Doesn't that absolve me of any wrongdoing? She kissed me. And her mouth is silky and warm, her lips sweet from the cream clinging to her skin. I burn to taste her, to flick my tongue out and lick the cream off, then plunge my tongue into her mouth.
But I can't.
Her tongue slips out, gently probing between my lips, all but pleading for me to ravish her---or maybe for my mouth to open so she can ravish me.
I want that. Want it so badly that holding back is like a physical pain.
She pulls away just enough to speak, our mouths a hair's breadth apart. "I thought you wanted to kiss me. Was I wrong?"
"No, you're not wrong. I do want that. But..."
Damn my brother. But it's not his fault. I should've gone to a hotel.
"But what?" Arden asks.
"I can't."
"Why not?" She brushes her lips over mine, and her voice lowers to a tantalizing whisper. "I might be a virgin, but I can still kiss. I enjoy it a lot."
Now my cock is not only awake, it's clamoring for me to take her up on that offer and ravish her mouth, then her body.
I jump off my stool and trip over my own feet, grabbing the bar for support. "I promised I wouldn't."
Arden studies me, her lips caught between her teeth. "Who did you promise that to? Not me."
"Chance. He made me swear I wouldn't touch you. You're a virgin, for heaven's sake."
I spin around, meaning to run for my bedroom, but Arden grabs my arm and stops me.
"All I want is a kiss," she says, her voice hushed and sultry. "I'm not planning to have sex with you, Reese. Isn't it my choice who I kiss or don't kiss?" She moves in front of me, looping her arms around my neck and raising onto her tiptoes, her mouth so close I can almost taste her. "And I want to kiss you."
What am I meant to do? My willpower has never been that strong.
So I groan and kiss her.
Chapter Four
Arden
Reese is an incredible kisser. And I know what I'm talking about. I mean, I've been kissed a lot. His lips stay firm for a brief moment, then they soften and slide over mine, damp and with a touch of sweetness on them from our breakfast. I lick at his lips, and he teases mine right back. I sag into him, abandoning myself to the kiss, to the moment, to this virtual stranger who makes me want to taste him in every way imaginable.
I open for him, desperate for a deep kiss, and he thrusts inside to explore my mouth like he wants to spend hours doing only this, curling his tongue around mine, plowing deeper only to withdraw almost all the way. I wrap my tongue around his, loving the way he responds with a hungry groan and an equally hungry swipe of his own tongue. We dance a sensual tango with our mouths for several minutes, so long that I lose track of the time, lost to the sensations and flavors.