Chapter 41

• Roxanne’s POV
• The weight of Joaquin’s body over mine still felt like the safest place in the world. His gray eyes held mine after that fierce kiss, the one that had stolen the air from my lungs and left me trembling. My fingers stayed locked at the back of his neck, refusing to let him pull away even an inch. I kissed him again—deeper this time, slower, hungrier. Our mouths opened, tongues sliding together in a long, wet tangle that made heat pool low in my belly. He tasted like the quiet promise of forever, and I drank it in. Every brush of his lips against mine sent sparks racing down my spine. I arched up into him, needing more contact, needing him closer.
• Joaquin’s hand slid beneath my shirt, palm warm against the bare skin of my waist. He broke the kiss only long enough to trail his mouth down the side of my neck. Soft, open-mouthed kisses turned into slow, deliberate sucks that left faint marks. I tilted my head back with a soft gasp, giving him all the room he wanted. His lips moved lower, following the curve of my collarbone, then lower still.