Heat flooded my body and my mind, and I couldn’t think about anything other than getting closer. I wound my arms around his shoulders, then looped them around his neck. When I slid a hand into his hair, he growled low. His chest vibrated against mine while he deepened the kiss. With every slide of his tongue, my body softened and molded against his.

Through my clothes, I could feel the stiff length of his erection nudging my belly, and I moaned. Need and desire flooded my body as Lex’s hands slid from my face to my hips. His grip was firm but yielding, as if he was asking permission for something. Eager to be closer to his warmth, I pressed my body into his, and his hands flexed. My breath caught when his thumbs started to trace a path along the hem of my shirt where a strip of my belly showed.

Lex dragged his head back, and I mewled a protest. The answering uptick of his lips made my body contract.

When he spoke, his voice was barely recognizable. As if each word had to be forcibly ripped out of his throat. “Is this okay?” He used his thumbs to trace a path along my flesh again.

I swayed into him, unable to help myself. I couldn’t find any words, could only nod numbly as he played the pads of his thumbs over my skin. Fire tripped over every nerve ending, and I felt like I might actually combust if he kept touching me. But if he stopped, I was pretty certain I’d die.

Lex’s gaze was hot and intent. The silver-gray of his eyes had darkened to nearly black. He cleared his throat. “If I do something you don’t like or aren’t ready for, just tell me, okay?”

Again, I made a herculean effort to move my head up and down. Why was he talking so much? I needed him kissing me again. Needed to feel the zing of excitement, the need drowning out all other thought. The tingle and the pull of my body as it readied for him. I’d never felt anything like it in my life. And the good sense part of my brain tried to shout a warning, but I was in no mood to listen.

But he didn’t resume kissing me. He just kept touching me with slow lazy strokes. “I need to hear the words, Abbie. Can you do that for me?”

Shit. What the hell was the question again? There’d been kissing, then touching, then he’d pulled back and—Oh yeah, he’d asked me to tell him if he did something I wasn’t cool with. “Y-yes, I’ll tell you.” My voice came out all breathy and light.

Lex’s hold tightened before he muttered, “Good.”