Solving For Nic by Lexxi Callahan

most beautiful mouth she'd ever seen. Lizzie blinked and pretended she hadn't been staring. His thigh brushed against her as he eased around until he was almost in front of her. Her weight sank back against the booth and her bones started to melt again. He blocked out the rest of the world as she could barely keep her head up.
    She forced herself to face him, then wished she hadn’t. The apex predator staring back at her wasn’t hungry. He was furious.
    “Oh.” She swallowed hard. If he was a predator, she was prey. She was not as upset as she should’ve been. A wildly inappropriate sizzle started deep inside her.
    “Yeah. Oh.” His smile was not nice. “You owe me breakfast.”
    The tone of his voice didn’t reflect the anger rolling off him. He had it under control. She shivered, wondering how she would survive the anger she could feel rushing out of him. She was in way over her head. When the backs of his fingers stroked slowly down the inside of her arm, she didn't care anymore. It was such a simple touch, a light caress, but it felt like electricity scalding down her arm.
    “Your skin is so soft.” The words were low and smoky, and sending her deeper into a drugged state she had no idea how to deal with. Not that she wanted to deal with it.
    “Nic, I…”
    Their wine arrived. He released her and waved off the server. He poured two glasses and handed her one. Cold and crisp, the wine was delicious.
    “Not too sweet?” He set his glass aside, turning toward her in the booth.
    “Perfect.” She sounded breathless and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She drank the wine too quickly and almost dropped the wine glass when he tried to refill it.
    “Relax.” His voice was husky and warm and tingling over her skin like static electricity.
    “How?” She whimpered, wondering if she was going to come right out of her skin.
    He was too close. She couldn’t think.
    “Close your eyes,” he suggested.
    “Not a chance.” She gasped out the last word when his hand moved over her knee and between her legs. His fingers burned the sensitive skin of her inner thighs as they pressed in, easing her legs apart.
    His smile turned devastating then. “You’re burning up, aren’t you?”
    She scooted back in the booth, making it easier for his palm to press against her inner thigh. His thumb teased over the damp lace. “Nic…wait…”
    “Don’t move,” he whispered against her mouth before claiming it with his own.
    Her head fell back as the kiss deepened. His taste rushed through her system, imprinting itself on every part of her. She couldn’t get enough. Never wanted it to end.
    “You left me.” The words grazed across her lips, as his teeth nipped and pulled her bottom lip. “I should punish you.”
    If what his fingers were doing was his idea of punishment, Lizzie decided she would be bad for the rest of her life. She gasped, no longer caring they were in a public place.
    “I panicked.” She whimpered when his fingers pushed the lace aside and there was nothing stopping him from sliding deep inside her. He stopped when her words sank in. “I woke up and panicked. Kind of like I’m about to do right now.”
    Something strange flickered in his eyes and his face softened into a more familiar version of him. He eased his hand back, his palm soothing down her thighs until her legs stopped shaking.
    “I’m sorry.” She traced her fingers along his shadowed jawline. He leaned into the caress, his eyes fluttering shut as he ducked his chin. She felt him shudder, but he was covering her hand with his. “I didn’t know what to do.”
    He cleared his throat, his voice raspy and not unaffected by what had almost happened. “I should have called you.” The words were low and filled with self-recriminations, not criticism for her.
    She nodded. “I wanted you to call.”
    She’d been devastated when he hadn’t and furious with herself for being devastated. That was not who Lizzie thought she was. She was