Catching Red by Tara Quan

didn’t do something to take the edge off, he would lose his mind. He laced his fingers through her hair and fused his mouth with hers. She let out a soft moan as he slipped his tongue inside. Her response was hesitant but eager—her lips parted to accept his invasion; her neck curved to give him better access. She was warm and soft. Her tresses felt like silk. With each breath, he smelled hints of snow and a burning fire.
    He imprisoned her head and alternated between sucking bites and bold assaults. Her fingers fisted over his T-shirt; her breasts flattened against his chest. He continued to taste her until she grew limp. Relinquishing her lips, he watched her gasp for air and tried to keep amusement off his face. “That’s what happens when I take charge. The only way this can be easy and slow is if you set the pace.”
    “What if I want it to be hard and fast?” Shallow pants truncated her words.
    He couldn’t suppress a laugh. He planned to redefine those two words for her very soon. “We’ll try that later. It’s my decision, and I’m much bigger than you.”
    He saw a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “You’re being overprotective again. Let’s see if I can change your mind.” She circled her arms around his neck and leaned forward. Her mouth hovered an inch away from his. She blinked a few times—as if trying to recall a specific sequence of events. Then she caught his lower lip between her teeth and sucked.
    She mirrored each and every move. Her tongue darted over his and lured him into a sensuous dance. His heart pounded; his pulse raced. This time, he was the one who forgot to breathe.
    His good intentions crumbled by the end of the kiss. Instead of holding still, he trailed his mouth along the slope of her neck. When his progress was blocked, he yanked down her hoodie’s zipper and closed his hands over her breasts. Through the worn T-shirt, he could feel her nipples pebbling against his palms. She didn’t make a sound, but he could feel her vocal cords vibrate as he pressed his lips over the sensitive patch of skin just above the neckline. Needing to leave a mark, he nibbled her porcelain flesh.
    “Don’t stop,” she protested when he lifted his head.
    His breath ragged, he struggled to cobble together a sentence. “Your turn.” Her eyes widened. He captured her jaw and pressed his thumb over her lower lip. She nipped his fingertip.
    “How about…” She leaned forward to nestle into his neck before drawing small circles behind his ear with her tongue. Her mouth was hot and wet. Her teeth scraped and nibbled, but not hard enough to cause pain. When she moved down, he caught the sides of her hoodie and peeled it off her arms. After it drifted to the floor, he felt her fingers reach under his T-shirt.
    Her palms smoothed a path along his torso, nudging the hem up until it hovered just under his shoulders. He lifted his arms so she could pull it over his head. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she dropped the garment.
    He pulled her closer. “I’ll have to return the favor.”
    “Not yet.” She scanned his body. Her pupils were dilated. Her expression was hungry.
    He resisted the urge to preen. “Like what you see?”
    “Why is this the first time I’ve seen you this way?” She brushed her fingertips over his chest hair. His muscles tightened. He wondered how a simple caress could be too little and too much at the same time. “We slept next to each other. I touched you more times than I can count. But you never took your shirt off in front of me.”
    He fought to keep his hands immobile. “Should I have?”
    She traced the shape of his pectorals with her fingertips. “I think matters would have progressed much faster if you did.”
    Her too serious expression made him laugh. He shook his head. “Here I thought being a perfect gentleman was the way to a woman’s heart.”
    She lifted her eyebrows. “Why would it be? I didn’t know what the word meant until I met you.” Her