Finding Chrissten: Legacy, Book 5 by N.J. Walters Page B

He didn’t like it. Not one bit.
    “There’s nothing wrong with us sharing a kiss. You didn’t give anything to Brian. Not freely. This is your choice. No one else’s.”
    He wanted her to choose him, to want him as much as he wanted her. Unrealistic? Probably. No, definitely. But he didn’t care.
    “One kiss,” he coaxed. “What can it hurt?”
    She licked her lips again and he barely suppressed a groan. If his body got any hotter he was going to burst into flames. He wanted it to be his tongue stroking her lips, delving inside to taste her heat.
    He waited, his heart pounding, his chest hurting as he sucked in much needed air. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow. He resisted the urge to swipe them away.
    “Chrissten?”
    Maybe he should leave. She didn’t need him here pressuring her. And that’s what he was doing. Disgust filled him. What the hell was he doing? She deserved better than this.
    “I should go.” He started to push himself off the floor.
    “No.” Chrissten threw her arms around his neck and held on. Hank froze, crouched in front of her.
    “Tell me what you want.” He placed his hands palms down on the mattress on either side of her, partly to help keep his balance and partly because he wanted to be as close to her as possible without touching her. This was her show. It was up to her to do the touching.
     
    Chrissten stared into Hank’s pale blue eyes. They were filled with an enticing combination of determination and lust. He’d been ready to leave her in spite of the fact he was aroused.
    She could smell the combination of heat and musk rolling off his skin. See the flare of his nostrils as he breathed. His pupils were dilated and a muscle beneath his left eye began to pulse. It was late afternoon and already a shadow covered his jaw making him appear even more male, more intimidating.
    He fascinated her.
    She’d forgotten just how wide his shoulders were. But she did remember the roughness of the pads of his fingers when he touched her so gently. The combination gave her shivers. The good kind. Not the scary kind.
    The muscles in his arms bulged beneath his shirt. She suddenly wished she could see them. See every inch of his beautiful masculine body.
    What did she want? He’d asked her that but she wasn’t sure of the answer. Or rather, she was sure but she wanted something she knew she couldn’t have. She wanted him.
    But she was mated to another male. Yes, it had been against her will, but that didn’t change the fact Hank had to be able to smell Brian’s scent on her.
    “How can you want to kiss me?” She blurted the words out.
    He cupped her face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her lips. “How can I not?”
    In that moment, she was lost to the sense of wonder, of possibility. She leaned forward and parted her lips. Hank met her and their mouths joined. Oh yes. It was even better than she remembered.
    He tilted her head to one side to get a better angle and deepened the embrace. He nibbled on her lips before stroking them with his tongue. She did the same, tasting him, learning the shape of his mouth. His lips were firm but surprisingly soft for such a hard-looking male.
    Hank was a study in contrasts. He was around the same size as her brother yet appeared larger because his shoulders were so much broader. His build was heavier, but there wasn’t an ounce of fat on the man. He was all hard, sleek muscle.
    She brought her hands to his shoulders, wanting to touch him. Thick shoulder muscles bunched and rippled beneath her palm. She should be afraid. But she wasn’t.
    Her breasts ached and her core throbbed. She was aroused. Completely and utterly aroused. And by nothing more than a kiss.
    The terry robe felt confining and she almost ripped it off. Only caution and a glimmer of common sense kept her from doing so.
    Hank slipped his tongue past her lips and delved into her mouth. He touched her tongue with his, encouraging her to play. She dug her nails into the fabric