Chapter 26

He peeled off his shirt slowly, eyes never leaving mine, and leaned in to kiss me again, deeper this time, and hungrier. My breath caught in my throat. I was trembling, not from fear, but from the ache that had been building between us for so long.

Then, without a word, he hooked his fingers around the waistband of my panties and slid them down my thighs. The cool air kissed my skin, but his heat was all I felt.

My heart thundered in my chest. God, I wanted him. Too much.

His lips crashed into mine again, rough and claiming, and then I gasped, my eyes flying open when I felt the sudden pressure of his fingers sliding inside me.

“F–uck,” I moaned, clinging to his shoulders.

He swallowed my cries with another kiss, his fingers moving at a slow, rhythmic pace, stretching and teasing me with maddening control. It wasn’t rushed. No—he was deliberate, like he wanted to memorize every reaction, and every sigh.

My hips moved in sync with him, chasing ever