I should have hated how comfortable being in this position with him was, but I found myself craving more. Kissing James was supposed to repulse me, remind me that I was in enemy territory, but it only made me want to kiss him more. And, when he lifted me up like I weighed nothing, tossing my robe to the floor before carrying me back into my bedroom, I should have fought against what was coming instead of practically fiending for it.

Truth be told, I considered stopping what was about to happen for all of twenty seconds. Then, his fingers brushed along my inner thigh, and I forgot that I was supposed to hate him. All I wanted was more; my body reacted, my pulse quickened, and my heart raced. Add in the fact that I’d been fighting my attraction and desire for this man for the majority of my life, and you had a ticking time bomb ready to explode between my thighs.

I didn’t want to fight it anymore.

But I really didn’t want to hate myself for giving in either.

“I’ve thought about this at least a thousand times,” he said as he pressed kisses against my neck before his teeth nibbled on my ear.

“You have?” I asked breathlessly.

He stopped moving and looked at me, those blue eyes shining. “Haven’t you?”

“I might have had some fantasies starring your beard,” I admitted.

He bit his bottom lip before running a hand across it. “My beard, huh?”

I placed my hand on top of his and moved across his jawline. “Yeah. It’s sexy as hell.”

“Good to know.” He grinned. “This has starred in my fantasies,” he said before his thumb ran down the length of my neck. “You have the sexiest neck.” He leaned in and pressed kisses there before moving lower. “And your shoulders. God, I’ve wanted to bite them for years,” he said.

I giggled. “My shoulders?”

“Stop repeating my words, Julia,” he said.

I found myself shutting right up. Normally, I’d get a lot of joy out of arguing with him, but I liked this bossy version too much to do anything that might make him stop. His fingers moved along the curves of my body under my tank, my skin prickling to life with each touch.

He reached for the hem of my top and tugged it up toward my head. I ducked out from it and heard his breath hitch. I was completely exposed from the waist up, and it was exhilarating to see the look in his eyes as he stared at me. I’d never had any self-esteem issues when it came to my body, but seeing the way James looked at me was something else entirely. He made me feel beautiful and wanted without saying a single word.