Read Online Bittersweet by Sareeta Domingo - Free Book Online Page A

neck, moving down, tracing his jaw as it works—
    A car horn honks outside suddenly and we break apart, coming up for air. I glance at the rear-view mirror in time to see the cab driver’s eyes flick away, and I bite my lip a little. It feels raw from Greg’s attention.
    I take a deep breath, but he speaks first.
    “I was trying not to do that all night,” he whispers, his hands still inside my jacket. He slowly pulls them out and moves away a little, and I try not to groan at the absence.
    “Hmm. I’m sorry you didn’t then… But I’m glad you did now.” I tip my head to one side, looking at him. “I thought you said if I didn’t buckle up it would get dangerous?”
    He chuckles. “Oh, yeah. That was a line.”
    “Oooh, that was a line ,” I say, smiling—though I worry, somewhere in the back of my mind, how many other lines he’s tried, and on whom. But as I press my thighs together, trying to find some relief, I find it hard to care. Cars rush past the window, and I turn to stare out at them for a moment, then back to him. “Why did you have to try not to?” I ask, but then worry about hearing the answer. Maybe he was worried he wouldn’t get the reaction he wanted?
    “Because you scare me,” he murmurs, avoiding my eyes. Jeez, maybe I really was too hostile.
    “Oh.”
    “No, I mean…” He trails off and turns to me. “I’m trying to be careful, not get caught up in something, so soon after—” He breaks off again, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath. “I should be focusing on my work. I just … find it hard to be around you. I mean, as soon as I saw you outside the station…” He doesn’t finish, and it’s his turn to look out the window now.
    Careful? I want to press him, but then a voice in my head tells me that maybe this is best, us stopping now. The same voice that says I shouldn’t trust him, the voice that says I might like him too much already—I could get hurt. I clasp my hands together and sigh, noticing we’ve made the turning toward town. I feel foolish. I feel kind of upset. I feel … his fingers now, brushing over my hands, teasing them apart.
    “Cathy, I didn’t mean to make it sound like I don’t want to—” His eyes drift back down to my lips, and I tell that voice to shut the fuck up. At least for tonight.
    His fingers entwine with mine and I lean over to him, pushing my mouth against his, sweeping my tongue against his, telling him, showing him. I don’t care. I want this. Now, tonight. I’ll worry about the consequences in the morning.
    “Here’s the Fairview, folks. Who’s getting out?”
    I pull back and open the cab door. “Both of us.” I swing my legs out, feeling bold and reckless and … I don’t know what. But I do know that I don’t want to leave him. Not yet.
    * * *
    We stand side by side on the quiet street by the hotel. Just like before, there’s nobody around. I step toward Greg, look up at him. The moon seems brighter here, creating a halo around his dark head of hair.
    “You shouldn’t have done that,” he murmurs.
    “Why not?” My voice is a whisper too.
    “I should walk you home…”
    “I don’t want to go home.”
    I slide my hand up his arm and reach my fingers into the sleeve of his T-shirt, where it’s warm, and I feel the muscles in his upper arm tense. His hand moves up and hovers at my hip, not touching me. Holding his gaze, I lick my lips slowly, deliberately. It’s been a while since I’ve tried to seduce someone, but I think it’s working. His eyelids lower heavily.
    I step closer, until one of my feet is in between his, and press my body closer to him. He looks up and away toward the sky, so I take the opportunity to brush my lips against his neck, to taste it with my tongue. God, he even tastes good. My head swims, but I know the alcohol is floating out of my system. I think I’ve moved on to being drunk on lust. But is it only that? I don’t know. I remind myself I’m not supposed