Chapter 151

• The kiss deepened like a storm breaking, Howard's world narrowing to the velvet heat of Charlotte's mouth against his, her body a live flame in his lap. His hand roamed her back, fingers tracing the elegant dip of her spine through the thin black dress, pulling her closer until no space remained between them. She was real—warm, yielding, her curves pressing into him with an urgency that shattered every doubt. This isn't imagination; this is her—flesh and fire—driving me wild like some hormone-ravaged teenager.
• He'd fantasized about this before, in stolen moments of fury and unwanted longing, picturing her beneath him, satisfying the ache she'd ignited without mercy. Back then, it was revenge in his dreams: touching the woman he despised and claiming what he thought she chased for Carter's gold. But now? Reality burned hotter. His body responded instinctively, hardness straining against his pants as she shifted in his lap, her hips grinding softly with the rhythm of their kiss. A low groan escaped him into her mouth, swallowed by her eager response.
• "Charlotte," he murmured against her lips, voice rough with need, breaking just long enough to nip at her full lower lip. His mouth trailed fire down her jawline, savoring the silky skin there, the faint salt of her day-worn pulse. She tilted her head back with a shiver, granting him access, and he descended to her neck—kissing and sucking lightly at the tender hollow beneath her ear.