Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
“Saxon,” I breathed, my brain short-circuiting.
He crossed the floor in long, unhurried strides, each step deliberate. By the time he reached me, my heart was racing.
He stopped close enough that the heat of his body brushed mine. “Couldn’t let that go unanswered, sunshine.”
Then his hand slid to my waist, and before I could blink, his mouth was on mine.
The kiss was deep and unapologetic, his thumb tracing lazy circles against my hip as though he didn’t care who was watching. The world blurred, our surroundings fading until there was nothing but the taste of his mouth and the solid press of his body.
When he finally pulled back, I was breathless and certain my cheeks were the color of fresh roses. Between that kiss and how fiercely he’d claimed that I was his, I was also stunned silent.
The same couldn’t be said for Mrs. Parker. She fanned herself with her hand and chortled, “Mercy me, that was some kiss.”
“And completely unprofessional,” I mumbled, settling my trembling hands on my hips while I tried my best to glare up at Saxon. The only reason I was even close to pulling it off was that I was annoyed with myself over how hot I found him when he got all growly and possessive.
Not that it did any good when all he did was shrug and stare at me while he smirked.
As I picked up my scissors again, Mrs. Parker winked. “You’re a lucky girl, Ivy.”
I stifled a sigh, knowing full well she was right.
That kiss had been completely out of line…but I couldn’t wait for another when we were somewhere more private.
Mrs. Parker was still smiling when I slipped the cape off her shoulders. She was utterly unfazed by the fact that I’d just been kissed senseless in front of half the salon. “You two are adorable.”
“Not the word I’d use,” I muttered, dusting stray hairs from her collar.
“Oh, don’t look so flustered, dear.” She patted my arm, kind and amused. “If I were twenty years younger, I’d want someone to kiss me like that too.”
My laugh came out strangled. “Let’s just keep that between us, okay?”
She winked. “No promises.”
By the time she headed for the register, I was certain my face would never return to its normal color. And I knew exactly who was to blame.
12
SAXON
The second the salon door shut behind us, Ivy spun to face me. Her coat flared slightly with the motion, her chin tilted high, and her hands landed on her hips in a posture that would’ve looked defiant if not for the flush painting her cheeks and the faint tremor running through her voice. The blustery wind caught strands of her hair and made them dance around her face. She was trying to look furious, but she just came off as adorable.
“You can’t just announce that I’m yours, Saxon,” she huffed, her eyes flashing.
I took a step closer, eliminating the gap between us enough that her breath brushed the front of my chest when she exhaled.
“I can.” I let the words land slow and heavy. “Because you’re mine, sunshine.”
Her jaw dropped a fraction.
“You—” She shook her head, the motion sharp. “You are infuriating sometimes.”
I could see the pulse flutter at the base of her throat and feel the heat radiating off her body even through the cold. There wasn’t an ounce of real anger in her—just flustered energy and the kind of tension that hummed between us whenever I pushed too close.
“Prove me wrong,” I murmured.
Before she could fire back, I caught her mouth with mine. Her breath hitched, and she melted against me in an instant. Her hands pressed against my chest, then slid up to curl at the base of my neck. The taste of her—the faint sweetness of mint and caramel—hit me like an ache I hadn’t realized I’d been starving for. She sighed into my mouth, her body yielding and soft and so fucking perfect.
When I finally pulled back, her lips were swollen and her brown orbs dazed. A slow grin cut across my face.
“Yeah,” I said roughly. “That’s what I thought.”
It wasn’t a boast. It was a fact, plain and simple.
I brushed my thumb over her slightly puffier lower lip once more before I forced myself to step back. She swayed slightly, catching her balance as I opened the passenger door.
“Get in, sunshine.”
Her glare came back, so weak this time that it was barely there. “You’re bossy.”
“Only when I’m right,” I answered, guiding her in with a hand at the small of her back. My fingers grazed the curve of her breast when I reached for the seat belt, and the accidental contact sent a sharp, electric jolt up my arm. She gasped, and my control fractured another inch. Quickly, but carefully, I buckled her in, then straightened, shutting the door before I did something stupid.