Chapter 935

Maybe it was the alcohol’s fault, or maybe the steady rhythm of the rain was just too intoxicating.

Noreen couldn’t hold back anymore.

Seth leaned in close, but he didn’t initiate the kiss.

Only their breaths tangled in the heavy air.

It was the first time he had ever shown such agonizing patience.

Trapped in the small, intimate space he had created, Noreen’s heart hammered wildly against her ribs.

From where she sat, she would have to straighten up and tilt her head back just to reach his lips.

But she didn’t move.

Instead, she reached out, grabbed his tie, and with a surprisingly effortless tug, pulled him down to her.

Without a second thought, she tilted her head and captured his lips.

Every ounce of Seth’s restraint turned to ash in that single instant.

The moment their lips met, he flipped the script, taking absolute control.

Giving her no time to react, his hand gripped the back of her neck, locking her in place as his mouth claimed hers with total, overwhelming dominance.

His technique was wild.

It was a kiss that bordered on predatory.

He ravaged her senses, stealing her breath and her heart all at once.

Within seconds, Noreen was entirely deprived of oxygen, her hands helplessly gripping and releasing his tie in a desperate rhythm.

Finally, like a cornered kitten, she scratched his chest in protest.

Only then did Seth release her swollen lips.

He rested his forehead against hers, the tip of his nose brushing against hers.

Their rapid breaths continued to mix in the charged air.

Noreen’s vision was entirely blurred, her eyes glistening with unshed moisture.

Seth brushed his thumb over her glistening, thoroughly kissed lips, his sharp Adam’s apple bobbing slowly.

“Little liar. It’s perfectly sweet.”

He was talking about her mouth.

She unconsciously licked her lower lip.

The temperature inside the confined car instantly spiked.

Seth’s gaze darkened into something dangerous, and without any warning, his mouth crashed down on hers again.

His hand was still firmly anchored at her nape, dictating the angle and the devastating pace of the kiss.

This time, it was far more aggressive, yet deeply, agonizingly tender.

Noreen surrendered to it, abandoning her previous hesitation.

The hands that had been clutching his tie instinctively slid up to wrap around his broad shoulders.

Her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt as they lost themselves in the moment.

When they finally parted, her cheeks and the corners of her eyes were dusted with a seductive, flushed pink.

Even the delicate skin of her neck was instantly painted with a flush of desire.

A few stray strands of hair clung damply to her collarbone, dampened by the heat between them.

He gently brushed them away, his thumb deliberately grazing the soft, hypersensitive skin of her throat His voice was impossibly raspy. “Are you hot?”

Noreen nodded honestly.

He tested the waters. “Should we find a hotel nearby so you can take a shower?”

The double meaning in his words was painfully obvious.

Even through the haze of alcohol, Noreen understood exactly what he was offering. Especially since the physical evidence of his arousal was undeniable.

But Noreen shook her head. Her hands slowly slid down from his neck, coming to

rest flat against his solid chest to push him back an inch.

“No, my honey is waiting for me at home.”

Seth closed his eyes and exhaled a heavy breath.

He had almost completely forgotten about his ‘little mother-in-law’.

As desperate as he was, he knew he couldn’t rush this.

Forcing

rolled doself to pull back, he

é

the window, letting the freezing rain and wind hit his face

unt his surging blood finally began to cool

The car soon arrived outside Noreen’s apartment building.

Before she could step out, Seth

hooked his

vet

looked fingers through hers. 4

looked at her, his voice laced with pure grievance. “Dot really need her permission?”

“Of course. She’s my family.”

Hearing her answer, whatever hope Seth had left instantly flatlined. “So if she says no, I’ll just be your dirty little secret forever?”

“During the hardest days of my life, if she hadn’t been there with me, I might never have made it out.”

She would never forget the sheer terror in Claire’s eyes the day she pulled Noreen back from that crosswalk.

Or the heartbreak on her face as she endlessly rubbed Noreen’s freezing hands, trying to warm her up.