The Stars in Her Eyes: Love in LA Quartet, #1

By C.M. Albert

"Hands down, this is the hottest book I've ever read!" ~ Author Elle Thorpe

One woman. Three men. Some things are best kept secret.

When Creslyn Knight auditions for the role of a life time, she never expects three things:
1.To know the casting director—intimately.
2.To be insanely attracted to the three stand-in actors at the audition.
3.That she'd soon be putting her morals to the test when her resolve weakens.

Acting is in Creslyn's blood, and she's focused her sights on one thing: landing the role of a lifetime. But she's always been told that everything comes at a cost. The casting director names his when he tells her she must make him believe she can surrender to a harem of men, or he can't justify giving her the lead role.

Determined to prove him wrong and show him she can tap into a passion that deep, Creslyn throws herself into rehearsals. But the fine line between script and reality soon starts to blur, leading her and three men into unchartered territory. The only problem? She has a jealous roommate, a disgruntled mother, and a string of paparazzi hot on her trail, making Creslyn question the cost of everything.

In a world where some things are best kept secret, is the price of fame too high when it comes to the heart?

The Stars in Her Eyes is a new adult, steamy contemporary romance that features all the heat you expect from a multi-partner romance, with a storyline and HEA readers crave with a contemporary love story. Finally, the best of both worlds!

• Language: English
• Publisher: FlowerWork Press
• Release date: Jan 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9780997664294

C.M. Albert

USA Today bestselling author C.M. Albert writes heartwarming romances that are “sexy and flirty, sweet and dirty!” Her writing infuses a healthy blend of humor, high-heat romance, and most of all—hope. When not writing, or kid-wrangling with her handsome hubby, she’s either meditating, kayaking, reading, hugging a tree, or asleep. But first, coffee. #TonyStarkForever Join C.M. Albert online at: Website: www.colleenalbert.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cmalbertwrites FB Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ColleensAngels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmalbertwrites TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJpyfT6C Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleenmalbert Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/cmalbert BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-m-albert Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cmalbertwrites Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/w5x4p1

Book preview

Don’t Ride the Roommate

CRESLYN KNIGHT BANGED on her roommate’s bedroom door. Sam, let me in! I mean it! She could hear the shift of sheets, a low groan. The thud that came next told Creslyn that Samantha was checking the time on her phone and then dropped it. 

Shit! her roommate yelped before softly padding her way across the old hardwood floors. The door creaked open, just an inch. It’s a little early! she hissed, her short, chocolate hair a curly mess from a night of only God knew what. Her usually warm, amber eyes were weighed down heavy with baggage from a night of no sleep, Creslyn guessed.

I have a casting call and my shower is broke—again. So let me in, will ya? I’m already running late. She went to push the door open when Sam blocked her, holding it firm. What the hell, Sam? I’m not in the mood to screw around. This is the audition of a lifetime, and I’m running late.

Just…promise me you won’t get mad, okay?

Creslyn narrowed her eyes at her roommate. They’d only known each other for a few months, since it seemed nearly impossible to find reliable roommates in LA, and lately her bungalow seemed to have a revolving door. What did you do? Creslyn gritted out between clenched teeth. She didn’t have time for games today.

Not what, Sam whispered, resigned as she stepped back and let Creslyn in. Who.

Creslyn’s heart dropped in her chest like a hundred-pound weight she was too weak to carry. She shook her head in disbelief as she eyed the naked man lying face down in Sam’s bed, sacked out and none the wiser. If the rumpled bed sheets and naked ass didn’t spell it out for her, the clothes strewn haphazardly around the room certainly would have. That and the torn condom wrappers on the bedside table. Yes—wrappers. As in not one. Not two. But three. Three!!

Creslyn took a deep breath, her hands shaking as she clutched her navy bath towel to her chest. I had one rule, and you broke it, she seethed. I want you gone by the time I’m done with my audition.

Sam sputtered, looking around in disbelief. You can’t—you can’t be serious, Creslyn.

Want to bet? Try me, she snapped. She walked over to the bed and smacked the guy’s round, tight ass, eliciting a deep, throaty chuckle. He rolled over, grinning as he cracked his bright blue eyes open.

Hey, Cres, he said lazily, stretching like a satisfied cat. His sexy, wide mouth rose at one corner, forming a cocky half-smile. Come join us?

In your dreams! she said, tossing the sheet over Grady’s naked torso. It wasn’t as if she’d never seen him naked before. They were best friends and roommates, after all. But she was in no mood to see him spent and well used by yet another one of their shared roommates. Seriously, Grady. What’s this? Number five? Say goodbye ’cause Sam’s leaving this morning thanks to you.

Grady grinned and shrugged as if it were just a game to him.

I wouldn’t be so smug, she growled. You’re covering Sam’s part of the rent until we find another roommate. And I swear to God it’s not going to be a girl this time.

Grady stood up, the sheet dropping as he sauntered to the bathroom. He turned to Creslyn, oblivious to the sexy pout Sam was directing his way. Their eyes met and held, a dangerous spark pulsing between them that Creslyn found herself tamping down.

He was her best friend and nothing else. They would never be anything but friends—he’d assured her of that when they first met in their freshman year at Berkeley. Still, her pulse quickened at the sight of his solid, muscular ass as he sauntered to the bathroom, locking the door behind him before she even had a chance to protest. Damn it! She was never going to make it to the audition on time.

Creslyn brushed past Samantha on her way out of the bedroom—she’d need to come up with a plan B, and fast. She turned one last time to look at the pretty girl who never even stood a chance. He chews them up and spits them out. I tried to warn you, Sam.

She didn’t have time to worry about the tears forming in Sam’s eyes. It was in the girl’s rental agreement for a reason. She had no idea why Grady seemed so hell-bent on screwing his way through every roommate they’d had over the past year, but she’d about had it with him—best friend or not. Creslyn looked at the time and decided she now only had time for a coffee at G&B’s or a shower at the gym, but not both, thanks to Grady’s selfish grab for the shower. She ran to her bathroom and filled the sink with warm, soapy water and stripped down. Using a washcloth, she gave herself the world’s fastest sponge bath before slapping on some Dove and spritzing herself with Stardust perfume for good luck. She combed her favorite sea-salt spray through her long, blondish-brown hair for a fresh, just-off-the-beach look. It would have to do, because a day without coffee was like a day without coffee. And that was far more tragic than losing yet another roommate.

At the last minute, she grabbed Grady’s car keys off the kitchen island. It was his fault she wasn’t getting a proper shower this morning and might lose out on the best acting gig of her career to date. She couldn’t afford that—especially after saying goodbye to Sam today. She scrawled a note and pinned it to their shared bulletin board in the kitchen, a smile lighting her face as she bounded out the front door to Grady’s vintage Mustang.

A ride for a ride, the note read. Don’t ride another roommate again, k? Then I won’t have to steal the love of your life again. Be back later so we can surf the want ads for a new roomie. A GUY roomie—I mean it this time!

Creslyn shook off the morning and used the drive time to rehearse her lines. After grabbing a double espresso, she was flying high with excitement about who else would be auditioning today. Her agent, Bethany Fox, assured her she was a shoo-in for the lead female role—which both terrified and thrilled Creslyn more than she cared to admit. Suri’s Three Marauders of Verona was a post-apocalyptic, reverse-harem spin on Shakespeare’s play The Two Gentleman of Verona. No other movie came close to touching the taboo theme of reverse harems in such a tactful, mainstream way, but it was certainly one Creslyn could get behind. She’d had personal experience juggling multiple boyfriends during college—perhaps not in quite the same way as Commander Suri—but it wasn’t hard to imagine what that might’ve been like if she had. She’d hold on to that as inspiration during her audition. That, and the memory of Grady’s exquisite backside, would be enough to get her in the passionate place she needed to be to deliver the lines of a believable lead character.

Creslyn felt confident as she sailed into the audition, her coffee high and naughty fantasies leaving her a little too blissed out. That’s why she didn’t see the man she ran headfirst into as she rounded the corner to the auditorium where she’d be doing her reading. She saw stars from the hard collision of her head against a chest of steel. Well, maybe not actual steel, but a rock-solid wall of muscle. She gripped the sleeves of the man’s dress shirt and shook her head. She willed the stars to fade so she could focus on his features. There was something so soothing about the way he smelled—like a soccer player who’d just played a game in the rain, then took a long shower and scrubbed down with his girlfriend’s organic lemon-verbena body wash. Not that that was specific or anything. Familiarity and lust shot straight to Creslyn’s core as she dragged her eyes up, up, up that solid wall of flesh to the dangerous, glinting eyes of her college ex . . . well, one of them.

Ryder Dalton.

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Son of a *#%!$

RYDER STEADIED CRESLYN, his hand shooting to her lower back to keep her upright. Easy there, killer. When we tell you to knock out your audition, we don’t mean literally.

Warmth spread up Creslyn’s neck, flushing her cheeks with a heat that had never gone away, despite their parting of ways. Ryder! What are you doing here? Are you in the business now? She gazed into his steely gray eyes, liquid pools of lust glinting back at her.

You could say that, he said, smirking. Let me guess—you’re trying out for the role of Suri?

I am! How did you know?

Let’s just chalk it up to intuition. You heading in for your reading? he asked, opening the door for her. You don’t want to be late. I hear the casting director’s a little bit of a task master.

Creslyn nodded, taking a step away from Ryder and toward the door. Thanks for the tip, she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she met her ex’s eyes again. It was good to see you, Ryder.

And she meant it. They’d parted on good terms, neither quite ready to take what they had to the next level during their brief college affair. Maybe we could do coffee later?

Ryder’s eyes warmed, driving the heat from her cheeks straight to her thighs. He squeezed her arm, commanding and confident. You can count on it, he said, brushing her cheek with his lips before they parted. Now, go break a leg in there—just not quite so literally this time.

Their easy banter relaxed Creslyn and she smiled at him—her day suddenly looking a whole lot brighter. She had a good feeling that this role was meant for her, and now she was going for coffee with her sexy ex—one she wouldn’t mind revisiting if the chemistry was still there, and it certainly felt as if it was on both sides.

When she entered the auditorium, the first thing she noticed were the three gorgeous actors standing together in a half-circle, the laughter dying on their lips as she entered. She suddenly felt self-conscious and unsure that she could pull this off if just the stand-in readers were this hot. She wet her lips, determined not to screw this up.

Creslyn Knight? a female voice called out from the front of the room. Creslyn had been so taken by the trio’s tangible masculinity and hunkiness that she hadn’t even seen the petite blonde sitting behind a long table, an empty chair to her left. Please come all the way in so we can get started.

Creslyn took the longest walk of her life to that front table, smiling shyly at the three men waiting for her. Hey, she said, flipping her script open to the scene she’d be using for her audition, barely able to meet their eyes. Damn! She didn’t understand the effect they were having on her so quickly. She certainly wasn’t a virgin—Ryder had taken care of that for her in college. But they were stirring up something unfamiliar inside her, by doing nothing more than standing there looking like a bunch of Greek gods. Her hand shook as she signed into the audition log, so she took a deep breath to pull herself together. There was no margin of error today, and she would not get thrown off her game by a couple of cute guys. Okay, so cute was an understatement, but still.

The young woman stretched her hand across the table to Creslyn. Hey, she said, a sunny smile exposing a row of perfectly straight, white teeth. I’m Dale. I’m the assistant to the casting director. He’ll be here in just a minute. These guys will be your stand-ins today, reading the lines of your three warriors. Knox, Matías, River . . . this is Creslyn Knight. Creslyn, the guys.

Dale went back to reviewing a stack of papers in front of her—headshots of the other actresses auditioning for Suri. She recognized a few of the faces but honestly couldn’t see any of them in this role, even if she hadn’t been auditioning.

Why don’t you go over your lines quietly until the director gets here. It should be any minute. He just ran to get a coffee. He’s particular . . . won’t let me near it with a ten-foot pole.

Seems like Ryder hadn’t been kidding when he’d given her the heads up about the casting director. He sounded a little like a control freak, and Creslyn was suddenly nervous. She kept her fingers busy by rubbing the rivet on the back pocket of her jean shorts with her free hand. Not knowing what else to do, she joined the guys, hoping to build some camaraderie before reading together.

Hey, she said, looking around at each guy and trying not to pant. The three sets of eyes that looked back at her couldn’t be more different, but each held an intensity she couldn’t look away from.

Knox was all blond hair and blue eyes, looking a little older than the other two with his full beard à la Chris Hemsworth. Matías was a panty-wetting dreamboat with tan skin that was smooth and brown. His short, black hair held some curl but was shorn close to his head. He was the biggest of the trio, his chest broad and his presence commanding. Arrogant and street smart, Creslyn decided. Last was River. He was leaner than the other two, with light, golden brown hair pulled back into a messy man bun. His eyes crinkled when he smiled at her, but they positively smoldered when their gazes connected. He looked like a creative, sensitive type. Judging by his long fingers and the guitar pick necklace, Creslyn could only assume he was a musician in his spare time.

Her insides warmed. Yeah, she could easily imagine this trio as her harem. Too bad they were just stand-ins and wouldn’t be the real actors cast for the movie. She usually didn’t care and could fake chemistry with most anyone. But the men in this movie would be all up in her business, and it would be her first time shooting nude scenes. But she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Remy LeDuc, the director, or Piper Sinclair, the New York Times best-selling author whose book the film’s screenplay was based on.

Which scene are we reading? Knox asked, his voice deep and gravely.

Creslyn showed the men her script, highlights and all, pointing to the scene she was prepared to read. It had been battered from holding it so much, and little neon tabs played peekaboo from the top of the pages, marking all the scenes she’d have to memorize.

Matías snorted. You should get along with the director just fine, he quipped, digging his hands into the front pockets of his trendy, bleached-out jeans that were strategically ripped around the knees. He’s just as anal and organized as you are.

Creslyn started to reply when the door opened and a familiar shape filled her line of sight for the second time that day. Ryder sauntered in, his dark gray eyes lasering in on Creslyn as he made his way to the front of the room. She swallowed hard, turning to Dale with a questioning look in her eyes. He’s the director? she mouthed silently.

She must’ve understood what Creslyn was asking because she gave a quick nod before resuming her busy work of organizing the headshots.

Well, son of a bitch. This just got interesting.

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So Much for that Coffee

DESPITE HAVING A shared past, Ryder was all business during the casting call, and his commanding presence rattled Creslyn. He put her through the wringer, asking her to act out several more scenes than she’d been prepared for. But she loved the adrenaline that came from the unexpected and did her best to nail every scene.

Miss Knight, can you stand on the center of the stage with the three actors around you? I want you to read the scene where Suri finds herself alone in the bombed-out warehouse with her three raiders, exhausted and emotionally spent. This is a scene that really has to capture surrender. She’s been the leader of this rebellion the whole time, and they’re literally days away from gaining their freedom. Her resolve is both strengthened by hope and weakened from spending so much time intimately with the three men who loyally stood by her side since day one. I want to see if you can balance both the strength and softening that’s required of Suri during this scene—if you can really let go of Creslyn Knight and embrace what it would be like to surrender to three men who all want you so passionately for different reasons.

Creslyn looked toward the trio who flanked her and swallowed hard. Could she really do this? How far did Ryder expect her to go to convince him she could immerse herself during filming? She knew she had to give it her all or the role would be lost to someone else who could.

Creslyn nodded, her mouth suddenly dry. She shook her arms out and rolled her neck, loosening her muscles as she drew in deep, shaky breaths. She had to focus and get her mind frame to that place—the place she needed to be in order to forget that Creslyn existed and where she actually believed, just for a spell, that she was really Suri.

I thought I’d lost you this time—too many times, Creslyn said, her voice hitching as she brought her hand tenderly to Knox’s face, real sparks shooting down her arm and causing her eyes to widen in surprise. She cleared her throat, hoping he hadn’t noticed, and pressed on.

They’re closing in on us, but the rebels aren’t far behind. If we can just make it to the Outlands of Verona, to where the mages are hiding in wait, we’ll be safe again. We’ll be safe forever. She looked at each man, making eye contact, reaching out to one after the other until their body parts were all entwined in some way.

Then we can truly be together. All of us. Let Aryana have her warlord. He was never really mine of heart. He may have ruled my body, but my love is for each of you. She ran her hands along Matías’s chest, her fingers warm from the heat radiating back to her from beneath his black T-shirt. Tonight, I want to forget about the darkness that surrounds us. Tonight, I—she looked up at River through heavy lashes, wrapping an arm around his back as she reached for Knox with her other hand—I need to feel you against me. I need to feel human again. Not Suri the rebel leader, but Suri the woman. Your woman.

Creslyn parted her lips and closed her eyes, leaning in toward River’s soft lips when she heard, Cut!

She blinked, momentarily forgetting it was River in front of her and not one of her sexy marauders she was about to surrender to. Her face flushed as she dropped her hand and backed out of the circle of men. It was getting hot in the small auditorium. She fanned herself with the bottom of her tank top, letting the air flow up under the fabric and brush her skin. It pebbled, causing her nipples to harden, which only made her blush more. She glanced at Ryder and found him staring back at her. His eyes raked down the front of her shirt, pausing at her high, perky buds poking through the thin fabric. Creslyn didn’t need a bra, but now she wished she’d worn one.

Christ in a basket! Creslyn’s breaths came in short bursts, the adrenaline still coursing through her as she looked to Ryder for feedback on the scene.

That’s all for today, he said. Disappointment coursed through Creslyn. She was worried she hadn’t made the impact she wanted, and Ryder’s normally expressive face was flat, giving nothing away. He leaned over and made some quiet comments to Dale, who took notes on the back of her headshot.

Creslyn’s stomach plummeted. If she didn’t get this role, she had nothing else as high profile on the horizon. And with no prospective tenant to replace Sam, she’d be up shit’s creek without a mortgage payment. Yeah, she had the inheritance sitting in an investment account, but she refused to touch it unless she absolutely had to. So far, she hadn’t needed to, and she was determined to keep it that way by means of acting alone. She refused to go back to modeling or voiceovers. Not with how far she’d come and how close she was to her big break.

Suri’s Three Marauders of Verona felt like that break—if she could just convince Ryder.

Ryder. After all these years, it was surreal to run into him. And even crazier to think that of all the people in LA, he was the casting director for one of the most important roles of her career. Would he hold their past against her? There was only one way to find out. After the casting call, Creslyn lingered, trying not to look too obvious.

Dale breezed by her in the hallway, pausing as she passed. Did you forget something?

Creslyn blushed. But the thought of seeing Ryder again—alone—made her feel like she was sneaking around, doing something she wasn’t supposed to. No. I just need to talk to Ryder before I leave, she admitted. He’s still in there, right?

Dale shook her head. No, actually. He headed back to his office. But I can pass along a message if you need me to. I’ll see him later today for the remaining auditions. With Suri being the lead role, the sooner we cast her the better.

Oh.

Dale was giving nothing away about how Creslyn’s audition went, and now she was nervous that maybe it hadn’t gone as swimmingly as she suspected. She nodded her head in agreement. Absolutely. I completely understand. However, I actually need to speak to Ryder—I mean, Mr. Dalton—about something else. Something personal. She knew that probably didn’t sound too good, but she wasn’t about to dish about their past to his assistant.

So . . . which way is his office?

Dale eyed her, as if assessing whether she was a stalker or not and whether she should disclose the location of Ryder’s office. She nodded her head to the hallway off to their left. Just follow that hallway around the auditorium. You can’t miss his office. It’s the only one at the end of the hall. A word of advice though—he doesn’t sleep with leading ladies. So if your goal is to convince him to give you the role, don’t go the seduction route. He’s one of the few who plays above board with that.

Creslyn nodded, relieved. It hadn’t been her intention to seduce him for the role. But it didn’t mean she didn’t intend to seduce him for her own pleasure eventually. Right now, she was just interested in grabbing a coffee and catching up on what they’d missed in each other’s lives over the past six years.

She followed the hallway around until she came upon a massive office, a wall of glass windows revealing the man inside. Dale was right, there was no way she could’ve missed it. There was a gold name plaque next to the door that read Ryder Dalton, Casting Director / Capella Films. Ryder sat at his desk, his back to the door and his feet propped up on the bookshelf in front of him. He was tossing a football in the air and catching it as he talked to whoever was on the phone.

Creslyn didn’t want to interrupt him—he looked busy. And important. He’d have her number from the audition process anyhow. She’d leave it in his court. She turned to leave, trying to be as quiet as possible so she didn’t disturb his call.

Creslyn, she heard him call out, wait.

He said a quick goodbye and stood up, his six-four physique every bit as fit and athletic as he’d been in college. Where you running off to? Come on in, he said warmly. When he set the football back on the shelf, she noticed it was autographed by a Los Angeles Ram player, the team’s logo proudly displayed on the case.

Nice. He’d certainly done well for himself.

I didn’t mean to interrupt your call. I just wanted to give you my number in case you were serious about grabbing that coffee sometime. She adjusted the large boho bag on her shoulder as she leaned over his desk. She grabbed his business card and flipped it over, scrawling her name and number on the back before handing it to him.

Can we talk for a moment, Creslyn? he asked, looking more like the sexy boy next door she remembered from their college days and less like the successful film executive who had her future balanced in the palm of his hands.

Uh, sure, she said, glancing over her shoulder. Now? Her mind fluttered back to what Dale said. She didn’t want anyone mistaking her intentions of being in Ryder’s office or thinking she got the role through any other means other than her acting ability.

Yes, come in and shut the door behind you, he said.

He walked around to the front of his desk, leaning back against it as they talked. So, how have you been personally? he asked. I know you’ve been doing well professionally—I’ve been following your career.

She was speechless. You have?

I have, he said low, all sexy-like. You haven’t changed a bit. How is it you do that?

She grinned, her eyes meeting his and finding less of the professional demeanor she’d seen in the audition room with Dale and more of the intense passion she remembered from college. His eyes were full of heat when she caught him staring at her mouth.

You haven’t changed much either, Creslyn said truthfully. She swept her hand around the luxurious office space. Well, except for a little career success, she teased.

Ryder unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. Creslyn couldn’t help but notice his muscular forearms and the way his biceps strained against his crisp, blue shirt. I’ve busted my ass since college. He shrugged. It paid off.

Creslyn nodded, her eyes taking in the chestnut color of his hair more than the upscale modern furnishings that surrounded them. Her eyes fell to the five o’clock shadow that roughed up his jawline, drawing even more attention to its chiseled angles. I promised Dale I wouldn’t try to corrupt your decision by trying to seduce you, Creslyn blurted out. She closed her eyes and winced.

Why did I just say that?

Ryder’s throaty laughter filled the office space, but the lighthearted response betrayed the predatory look that filled his eyes. Yeah, it’s not my thing to sleep with the actors—gets too messy.

Creslyn nodded, taking the hint. Despite the immediate chemistry that crackled in the air between them, Ryder wouldn’t be dipping in the talent pool. She respected him for it—she truly did. So why did she suddenly feel a little disappointed? She blamed it on the tug in her belly she got every time her eyes landed on that manly-as-fuck jawline of his.

Well, it was good seeing you again, she said, needing to get out of his office and put some distance between them. I don’t want your decision to be personal, either. I want to earn this role on my own merit. So maybe the coffee should wait.

She turned toward the door. The pang in her stomach called her a liar, but the fire in her heart that led her to follow her dreams was stronger than any physical attraction ever could be . . .

. . . until she felt Ryder’s firm grasp around her bicep, turning her with ease so she was facing him, their chests nearly colliding. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reveling in his familiar scent. What she wouldn’t do to have met him out in a bar after all this time so things could be simpler. So she could bring him back to her place without thought of the consequence to her career.

Ryder lifted her chin so she was forced to meet his smoky gray eyes. His eyelashes were longer and more beautiful than they had any right being. You’re not just some starlet who’s trying to make it big by blowing the casting director—I know that. As a rule, I never mix business with pleasure. He lowered his mouth within inches of Creslyn’s, their breaths mingling from the proximity. But damn you’d be worth breaking the rules for.

His hand found the back of her head, bringing her mouth just millimeters from his. Creslyn’s lips parted, as if from muscle memory of all the hours spent making out with Ryder in college. She melted into his arms as they wrapped around her, pulling her even closer. She wanted to crawl inside him and taste every inch of his lips, his tongue, his mouth.

Her chest pressed against his, heaving with a sudden aching for him that was palpable. He lifted a thumb to her lower lip, touching it so it lowered, opening her mouth even farther for him—preparing her for the kiss. Their bodies trembled with raw heat, melting against one another. Creslyn closed her eyes, longing to feel the first swipe of his tongue.

She heard him groan before