Page 37 of Wilds of the Heart

“How about I kiss you instead?” he said, smiling.

Raw need swirled through me as his gaze darkened with desire.

“What about our friendship?” I asked, feeling my pulse rise.

He pressed his forehead against mine and let out a steady breath, keeping his gaze locked on mine.

“You’re my best friend, Emily. That won’t change.” The gruffness in his voice caught me off-guard and turned me on even more.

The thought of his lips elsewhere heated my body to insane temps as I searched his eyes for answers.

“That won’t change,” he repeated quietly as his lips met mine.

Closing my eyes, I felt the softness of his mouth caress mine as his fingers twisted through my hair.

Even in my wildest dreams, and I’d had plenty, the dreamed kiss between us wasn’t as powerful as this felt. His breath changed as I leaned into him, feeling his firmness dig into me.

He looped his arms around me and pressed me against the wall in the hallway. His mouth nipped at my lips as he cupped both of my hands in his, raising them above my head.

Lucas’s mouth slowly moved to my neck. His breath skittered across my skin as I breathed in slowly, feeling every brush of his lips and the heat of his breath.

“Lucas,” I whispered, opening my eyes to see him caging me in with one arm while his other stayed above us, cupping my hands. “I…”

His mouth came down to mine, harder this time.

I parted my lips, inviting him in as my heart raced with something I didn’t even understand. The peach of the seltzer mingled with my breath as he let out a little groan, moving his mouth away.

“You taste so good,” he said softly as my eyes fluttered open to reveal my best friend.

The guy I’d wanted from the beginning.

But I was scared.

He let go of my hands and softly swiped his thumb across my lips before kissing me again.

If he took me to my bedroom, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist.

And there was a really big part of me that hoped he’d do that.

He dropped his hands and gripped my hips, pulling me even closer to him as our kisses turned needy.

My hands roamed under his shirt. Feeling his hard abs under the fabric made me nearly delirious.

This wasn’t happening.

Was it?

The heat coursing through my veins melted away every worry I’d had about Lucas breaking my heart, replacing them with nothing more than a restless want. His tongue flicked against mine, and I let out a little moan.

His mouth broke from mine, and he took a step back, resting his arm against the wall again as if I weren’t the only one who needed to be braced.

Lucas’s gaze burned into me as I bit my lip, silently begging for more.

“That’s how I feel about you, Emily.” He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “And that’s what I’d planned on telling you at dinner the other night, but…”

“But life?” I asked, still feeling breathless and charged with something that scared me.

He nodded, still leaning toward me. “I know you don’t think I’m boyfriend material, but I’ve changed.”