Hotline Bling

Chapter 17

"Why deny what you feel?" Roman asked as he held Essence close. Her skin was soft to the touch as he applied lotion to her bare legs. She gripped his wrist in an iron grip though it did nothing to stop his determination to pamper her. His hands moved further up her leg, grazing the inside of thigh.

She gasped, "Roman, stop! I'm not playing with you!"

He had her across his lap, her breast spilling over his leg on the bed. She twisted on his lap, slapping at his hand as it trailed up her backside. She shivered as his fingers moved over her bottom in a slow caress that made her stiffen up.

She stayed silent, unmoving, as his hands continued to move up her body, massaging her skin, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake. Her breath caught when his hands met her neck. She felt wetness pool between her legs, her heart began to pound in her chest. She kicked her feet wildly, "Stop it! Get off me!"

He stopped, his hands freezing just as they began to travel back down her body. She pushed away from him, struggling to crawl off of his lap. She slid across his bed, wrapping the comforter around her shoulders.

He watched her, his midnight eyes gleaming. She stared back, meeting his eyes head on. Her body was buzzing with arousal and she was sure that he knew. But no matter how much she still wanted him she would not leave herself vulnerable to this man again.

She swallowed the lump in her throat before licking her lips. "I agreed to spend the night but I didn't agree to have sex with you."

He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who said anything about us having sex?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't play dumb."

He laughed, it was obvious to him that she was more than nervous to be around him. Though they had shared a bed many times in their previous relationship the fact that she was still affected by his touch only had him smiling.

"I like touching you. I like the way you feel in my hands. I haven't had the opportunity to do so in a long time. But trust me, Essence, if I was going to make love to you, you wouldn't have to contemplate it. You'd be too busy screaming my name."

Her stomach flipped and she frowned despite the desire that surged through her. She honestly was at a loss for words. What could she possibly say to something like that?

After confessing all to him, he had kissed her until she had grown weak in the knees. And once she began to sag against him he had carried her into his bedroom, only to suddenly rub lotion along her skin.

She pulled the comforter tighter around her shoulders. She was, despite not wanting to admit it, already vulnerable and exposed. Not only did she feel it but it showed. He knew everything about her at this point. He knew that she was nothing more than an incomplete shell. A puzzle missing pieces and likely a puzzle that would never be completed.

"I want to go home." She said suddenly. Though she had agreed to spend the night the sudden realization that she was all out in the open, literally covered in open wounds before this man, the urge to get away from him was only intensifying by the second.

He raised a brow. "No." He said with conviction.

She frowned before moving to slide off the bed. He reached for her before she could even get a foot off the bed. His arm was hugging her waist, pulling her back toward him. She was completely caught off guard. He laid her on her back, gazing down on her with hard eyes.

"What are you doing?" She snapped as she struggled to sit up only to be pushed back down.

"What's waiting for you in that house, Essence?" He asked seriously.