“Well … damn.” Lincoln is still frowning. “How do you get it off?”

“I have a special remover.”

“Oh. Huh.” He’s still staring at my mouth, still holding my hair while I straddle his lap. “So, kissing you isn’t going to make it come off?”

“No.”

“Not even if we kissed for, like, the next six hours?”

“I’m sure it would wear off by then, but then, so would my lips. Any other questions?” I’m snarky because this is a bit awkward.

He shakes his head. “No. Uh, actually, yeah.” He moves his hand around to cup my ass through my skirt and pulls me in tight against him. “What do you think about taking this to the bedroom?”CHAPTER 14FIRECRACKERLINCOLNAny concerns I may have had about Wren’s lipstick evaporate the second she settles over my erection. It doesn’t matter that there are several layers of fabric between us. I’m still painfully hard, and every single muscle in my body responds by trying to contract at the same time.

Then she has to go and roll her hips. I drop my head against the back of the couch, watching her through half-closed eyes. I try to remember the last time I had sex. It’s been a while. An embarrassingly long while. But then, when your accommodations lack privacy and hot showers are a rarity, sex really isn’t on the brain. Well, that’s not true; it’s definitely on the brain, but it’s not so much a viable option.

Wren makes another slow circle with her hips. I bet she’s a good dancer. I bet she’s going to be incredible in bed. At least I’m hoping that’s where this is headed.

She slides her warm, soft palm—her hand is going to feel so good wrapped around me—up the side of my neck. Her fingernails drag along the edge of my jaw, and she presses her thumb against the center of my chin, right over the divot.

Wren rises, taking away the friction I’ve been enjoying. “Do you think this is a good idea?”

I know what she’s asking. It’s the reason I haven’t given in to the urge to lock her in my office again and see if we could get that almost-kiss moment back. “I think it’s probably the best idea I’ve ever had.” I bite the end of her finger when she skims my lip. “Don’t overthink it, Wren. We’re already here. If we give in to it, I bet we’ll both feel better.”

As I say it, I realize it’s actually quite true. We’ve been fighting against the draw pretty much from day one, even when I was being an unbearable, antagonistic ass.

She bites that sexy bottom lip with that stupid lipstick that never comes off and nods once. “Let the record show that I tried to be the logical one for five seconds here, and you had zero interest in listening to reason.”

“It wasn’t much of an argument, but if that makes you feel better, I’ll let you believe you thought about saying no.”

Wren shrieks as I grab her ass, slide to the edge of the couch and stand with her wrapped around me. She nibbles along my jaw as I walk us down the hall to the bedroom.

We kiss as clothes come off and drop to the floor. I’d like to say I take my time undressing her, but we’re both fairly frantic, stripping the other down as fast as we can to get to bare skin. In all fairness, I’m not wearing much. I take a moment when I get her down to her panties to appreciate what I’m about to unveil, though.

I cup her delicate face between my hands and kiss her again, slow this time, with the intention to savor her and not make her lipstick disappear. She tastes like white wine.

I pull back and run my palms down the sides of her neck, allowing them to roam over the contours of her body, memorizing her softness and this first unveiling. I dip a finger into the waistband of her gray satin panties with red lace accents, and she sucks in a breath as I drag them down over her hips. She steps out of them when they pool at her feet on the floor.

She’s tall and curvy and acutely feminine. “You’re stunning.”

“So are you.” She runs her hand down my chest, fingers gliding along the waistband of my briefs. “You should lose these, though.”

“In a minute. I want to enjoy you first.” Mostly I’m worried that the second she puts her hand on me, I’m going to lose what’s left of my control.

She pulls herself up onto the edge of the mattress. Keeping her legs closed, she moves up until she’s at the headboard and I prowl after her. I smooth my hands along her shins, over her knees and all the way up her thighs. Instead of parting them, I straddle her and cup her face in my palms again.