DINNER WAS AWESOME. We’d driven over to this tiny pin dot on the map called Frogmore and eaten at The Foolish Frog. We sat outside, listening to live music and catching up with each other in between stuffing our faces. I was tired of red meat, and they had chicken piccata, my favorite, so I ordered that, but I was also stealing bites from Rue’s shrimp and grits and Theo’s Frogmore stew, a delicious mix of sausage, shrimp, potatoes, corn, and spices.
And I was drinking. Theo was DD for the night, so Rue and I were indulging. A lot. In fact, I may have already been partially drunk when we piled out of the restaurant and into Theo’s old beater.
“Ugh, take me home,” I said, moaning. It had been a long day, and the thought of dealing with Aubrey tomorrow was so depressing that I hadn’t even mentioned the whole episode at dinner.
“Nuh-uh,” Rue said, shaking her hair and making the pink tips swirl. “We are going out!”
Theo looked over his shoulder at her as she sprawled in the backseat. I had shotgun. “Where are we going?”
“To get laid!” Rue cried, throwing her arms up in the air. Theo and I laughed. Rue always wanted to get laid. “Let’s hit up Anchor for some tourist booty!” She pulled out her phone and started texting furiously. “And I may have told Boone we were headed there. You can thank me later, Sadie.”
I stopped laughing. Boone. I had kind of forgotten about him after Grady’s party. Boone with his floppy hair and his laid-back vibe. Boone could be fun. And then West’s face skittered through my mind, and I got butterflies. I frowned and tried thinking about Boone with his skateboarder’s body again. No tingles. I remembered West crowding me against my Jeep. Goose bumps.
Well, maybe I just hadn’t given Boone enough of a chance yet. Besides, I didn’t think I’d be in over my head with him. He didn’t strike me as particularly . . . deep. I could already tell West was going to be trouble for me. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for something that strong. I needed something lighter, easier. I needed a Boone.
“To Anchor!” I yelled through my open window, flinging my arm out to feel the sticky humidity blowing through my fingers.
Theo grinned and shook his head. “You guys are going to be crazy tonight, aren’t you? Just text me if you find another way home.”
When we pulled up to Anchor, the parking lot was almost full. Theo found an unopened bottle of water on his floorboards and made me and Rue each drink half, trying to pace us for the night ahead. Rue rubbed some pink lipstick across her lips that matched her hair and straightened her white eyelet dress. She was playing up the whole I-may-look-innocent-but-trust-me-I’m-not thing. I bet she wasn’t even wearing underwear, knowing her. I was buzzed enough I didn’t care anymore. I halfheartedly smoothed my dress down as I climbed out of the car. It was soft and short and red, and Rue had made my eyes all dark and smoky and lent me some crazy heels. I felt sultry, and that was good enough for me.
Theo shook his head at me as I stumbled over the crushed oysters in the parking lot. “Sadie, do you at least have your phone with you, so you can call me if you need me?”
I waved my phone at his face. “Yes, sir.” I did a mock salute and smashed the phone into my forehead and dissolved into giggles.
Theo sighed. “I swear, the only reason you guys invite me along is so you have a babysitter.”
Rue snorted. “We don’t need a babysitter. We just take pity on you and your love life. You should be thanking us for dragging your preppy ass out here for some action.”
Theo glared at her. “I don’t need help.”
“Of course not,” she mocked.
“Shut up.”
“Oh, Theo, you know we love you!” She kissed him on the cheek, leaving behind her pink lipstick.
“Aargh,” he muttered, rubbing at his cheek. “I feel sorry for whatever guy picks you up for the night. Does he know what he’s in for?”
She winked. “Not yet.” Rue linked her arm with mine, and we sashayed into the club.
I looked around. Jason, the bald, stubbly bartender was working again tonight. I was pretty proud of myself for remembering his name. Maybe I wasn’t as wasted as I thought I was. “Let’s get drinks!” I yelled at Rue, trying to be heard over the loud music, and she nodded. We wedged ourselves into a small open spot on the bar. Rue got a mojito, and I debated between a rum and Coke and a margarita. I decided on the rum and Coke.
I was just taking my first sip when a warm hand ran up my back and rested on my shoulder. It was Boone. I swallowed fast. Damn, he got here quick. Or maybe he’d been here waiting? He was wearing a surf company tee and cargos, and a beanie over his floppy hair. And I kind of liked it. It looked cute on him. I set my drink down and grabbed his hand. “Let’s dance!”
He made an after you gesture with his arms, and I led us out onto the dance floor, ready to shake it. Boone was a pretty good dancer. His moves were a little awkward at times, but it was counteracted by his complete lack of concern over it. I laughed and moved with him through three songs before Rue and Theo joined us. Katy Perry came over the speakers, and Rue grabbed me. She loved Katy. She loved every girl power anthem for that matter. So when the chorus started, Rue and I ignored all the guys around us and got our groove on, dancing dirty with each other, which, of course, attracted that many more guys. Somehow in the mix, Boone disappeared. But that was okay, because there was Rue and a bunch of other guys, and we were all just dancing, twisting, and swaying to the beat.
I lost track of time as I stayed on the floor, my hips in constant motion. My buzz was wearing off, but I didn’t want to leave the dance floor. Rue drifted away at some point, tucked tight to a dark-haired guy with a full sleeve of tattoos on display. Taking her place, a guy with a sexy British accent and nerdy-chic glasses scooted over to me and complimented me over the music, and we started working it together, totally getting into it. By our second song, we had a feel for each other’s rhythm and were really starting to rock. I was beginning to think I had found my lucky guy for the night. Especially if he planned on whispering to me with that amazing accent of his.
I held my hair off my face with one hand as I spun in a circle and then dropped it low. As I came back up, a pair of hands grabbed my hips and pulled me back against a hard chest, dragging me away from the British hottie. Indignant, I grabbed the hands holding me and tried to remove them, but I stiffened when I recognized the bracelets—and my royal blue hair tie—on one of them. West. My breath hissed out.
Without turning around, I let my muscles relax, softening against him. He pressed his head to the side of mine, and his lips feathered over my ear. “Mind if I cut in?”
I should have said yes. I should wriggle back through the crowd until I found my British guy and stick with the tourist. Or figure out where the hell Boone escaped to. Either option was safer. Smarter.
Instead, I arched my back, letting my ass press against his front. His hands slipped down my hips and over the tops of my thighs before tracing a path back up to my waist as he moved us to the bass, our bodies sliding against each other, my hands still holding his wrists. The nerve endings where he’d stroked me shot to life, burning for more of his touch. I bit my lip and forced myself to release him and put a little more distance between us, trying to keep things light. The song changed, and the opening notes to Pitbull’s latest hit reverberated through the club. I loved this song. The beat was playful and flirty. It was just what I needed.
Spinning around to face him, I let the music move me. I raised my arms above my head and swiveled my hips, letting my hair fly around me in a wild tangle. I twisted and turned, and partway through the second chorus, I ran one hand down his neck, needing to feel the heat from his skin in that moment. His eyes darkened at the contact, and he hooked an arm around my back, forcing one knee between my legs and pulling me closer. My breath hitched as the feel went from fun to foreplay in an instant. He snugged us together from hip to thigh, and I allowed my hands to roam over his shoulders, not sure where to settle them.
Touching his forehead to mine, he did a slow, dirty grind against me with his hips, and my eyes drifted shut. I couldn’t help but compare this moment to the one with Theo a few weeks ago on my doorstep. Then, I’d felt nothing. But with West, even though we were pressed like sardines in the middle of the crowded bar, it wasn’t just a spark. It was the whole damn stick of dynamite. And every warning I’d ever heard about not playing with fire went right out the window.
With one hand, he brushed my hair away from my neck and then slid his lips down my exposed skin to where my shoulder started. I tilted my head to the side, giving him more room as he blazed a path back up to just below my ear, nibbling gently. Taking a shaky breath, I leaned back and looked at him. His lust-filled eyes locked with mine, and his mouth tipped up on one side. The little patterns he was drawing with his thumbs on the small of my back were robbing me of rational thought. Licking my lips, I leaned closer to his ear. “Wanna get out of here?” I asked, just loud enough for him to hear before catching his earlobe between my teeth.
Without saying a word, he grabbed my hand and headed straight for the door.
We got to his truck and he yanked the door open, the metal creaking in protest. He tossed me up on the seat and then stepped between my legs, wrapping his strong arms around me. My heart pounded beneath my ribs, and I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging impatiently. Groaning, he pressed his lips to mine in a hot open-mouthed kiss. There was nothing tentative or gentle about it. His mouth branded me as his fingers tangled in my hair, and I hooked my legs around his waist, digging into him with my heels. He nipped at my lips in response.
“You want to play rough, huh?” His voice was ragged.
I kissed my way up his jawline. “I just want to play. Naked.”
After one last taste, he drew away and then jogged around the front of the cab to hop inside. As he pulled out of the lot, steering with one hand, he used the other to slide me to the middle of the bench seat, and I rubbed my palm down his thigh. He brought my hand back up and farther into his lap, and I let my hand hover above his crotch, rubbing him with just one finger, up and down, as he drove. “Any nicknames I need to know about before we get started?” I teased.
He slanted me a glance, his mouth curving up. “For my cock? No. But I might be open to suggestions later.”
He grabbed my hand and stroked himself with it once, then twice, before raising it to his mouth and sucking one of my fingers all the way to the knuckle, biting the tip before releasing it. I closed my eyes and tried to remember if the condoms were in the nightstand or if they were in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Now was not the time to be searching, and the bar was less than a mile from the cottage.
Rolling my head on the back of the seat, I stared at West’s neck. The tan skin stretched over chords of muscle. He had those muscles that ran between his neck and shoulders that made some guys look bulky. Traps? Is that what they were called? His hand gripped my thigh, his thumb stroking my bare skin, and my mind whirled. The truck lurched as he yanked it to a stop. He’d read my mind and gone to my place. Rue would kill me later, but it was two blocks closer and, right now, I just wanted to find a flat surface. West swung open the driver’s side door and dragged me out through his side, too impatient to come around.
Lips fused, we stumbled up the steps to the cottage. I unlocked the door, and we stepped through. He closed it behind us and locked it. He tore his lips from mine long enough to ask, “Which way?” Ripping my dress over my head, I started walking, leading him down the hall to my room.
We didn’t turn the lights on. Didn’t even pull the covers back. I launched myself at him, and he grabbed my ass, lifting me up, and we tumbled back onto the bed. He turned us as we fell so he landed on the bottom, and I splayed across him, wearing only a strapless bra and panties. I braced my arms against his shoulders, shrouding him in my hair.
For several heartbeats we stared at each other, lingering, savoring the anticipation. His hand cupped my face, his thumb smoothing my cheekbone, and I leaned into the caress. Then his mouth opened, and that one tiny movement set me off. I became a whirlwind of motion, eager to feel his skin against mine. I tore at his clothes, and he tried to help, twisting and pulling until his shirt was over his head and his jeans and boxer briefs were around his ankles. After sliding from the bed, I yanked his pants off and tossed them in the corner, leaving him bare to my view. I paused, kneeling on the floor at the foot of my bed, between his thighs, looking him over as he leaned up on his elbows. His erection rose proudly in front of me, impossible to ignore. He was bigger than I’d expected, and my stomach clenched with desire. Leaning forward, I ran the tip of my tongue up his hard length from base to tip, pausing to swirl the velvety tip. I pulled back and blew softly against the head of his cock and watched as it jumped, his balls tightening. I was just getting ready to take him in my mouth when he grabbed my upper arms and hauled me up his body.
“No,” he ground out. “I won’t last, and I’ve waited too damn long for this to be over that quick.” He brushed my hair from my face and grabbed a loose fistful of it at the back of my neck, using it to bring me to him.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and crushed my mouth to his, eager for more of his kisses. Parting my lips, I licked into his mouth, dueling with his tongue and learning his taste. We kissed fiercely, both of us straining, trying to get closer. My tongue felt the rough edges of his teeth and his explored the inside of my lower lip. It was like I couldn’t get close enough, any molecule between us was one too many. I framed his face with my hands, holding him still so I could take what I wanted. Our lips tangled hungrily, too impatient for nuance.
With his arms, he pushed us up until he was sitting and I was straddling his lap, his cock pulsing against me. Breaking off the kiss, he dragged his mouth down my neck to nuzzle my chest, rubbing his face against the mounds of my breasts. He used his tongue to trace my skin where the black lace edged my nude bra. “I like this,” he murmured against me, nipping lightly. “It’s pretty. Sweet, but a little naughty.” His finger touched the center where the two cups were held together with black corset-style laces.
Slipping his other arm around my back, he made short work of the clasp, tossing my bra toward the dresser. His big hands cupped my breasts, squeezing gently. Freed, they seemed to swell, growing to fill his fingers. Arching, I pushed my breasts closer to him, wanting more. I closed my eyes and bit my lip at the feel of his rough palms against my tender flesh, his calluses thrilling me. I loved the slight abrasion of his touch, the contrast of our bodies heightening my arousal.
Ducking his head, he latched on to one of my hard nipples with a greedy mouth. An answering pull echoed deep in my core. I moaned, running my fingers into his hair and scraping his scalp with my nails. He gave my other breast equal attention, laving it with his tongue before taking the nipple into his mouth. I tipped my head back as I held him against me, all my focus on his touch, his lips, his tongue, his urgency.
He raced his hands up my thighs and around to cup my ass, bringing me tighter against him. The heat of him throbbed through my thin panties, and I undulated against him. With a groan, he twisted us on the bed until I was on my back, and he was half on top, half beside me, one of his heavy thighs thrown over mine. He rained kisses over my face—my eyelids, my nose, my cheeks, the tip of my chin. His hand crept down the plane of my stomach and dipped under the edge of my underwear, teasing the skin there and sending my nerve endings into overdrive. Oh, dear Lord, yes.
I sucked in a breath, letting it out in shaky pants. He rubbed his nose across my jaw and buried it in the crook of my neck, pressing his face against me, and then he lowered one finger to delve into my folds. I knew he could feel how wet I was for him. He growled my name and sucked at the bottom of my neck near my collarbone.
A raw sound of need escaped my throat, and I ran my hand from his shoulder down his chest and over his hard abs, feeling his muscles contract in my path. I followed that sexy muscle that ran from his hip to his erection, wrapping my fingers around his hardness and stroking him, loving the way he felt like silk over steel. He covered my fingers with his own, guiding me, showing me how he liked it.
“Sadie. Condom. My wallet.” The words were a soft staccato against my neck.
Letting go of him, I rolled across the bed and opened my nightstand drawer. Groping blindly, I felt the crinkle of foil and tossed the packet on his chest. He made short work of the wrapper and, with one hand, yanked my panties down my legs, throwing them somewhere beyond the bed. Returning his hand to my center, he pushed a finger inside of me. “Jesus, Sadie, the way you feel against my hand—” His voice was husky with need. He added another finger, and I lifted my hips to meet his thrusts.
I ran my hands over his torso, following his contours, unable to settle on one spot. He was all heat and lean muscle, and I couldn’t get enough, couldn’t stop moving. I opened my legs wider, trying to get him where I wanted him most. Taking the hint, he rose over me and braced himself on his forearms while he nuzzled my ear.
Unable to wait any longer, I reached between us and guided him to my opening, and he pressed the first inch of himself inside me. I put my feet flat on the bed and lifted up, impatient to feel him deeper, stretching me, filling me. He withdrew except for the tip and then thrust again, wrenching a soft moan from my throat. I whispered his name. “More,” I demanded.
He moved his hands down to my hips to hold me still, and with his next plunge, he entered me fully, staying deep while I adjusted to the size of him, my muscles tensed. He swore under his breath. “You ready?” His question was a harsh exhale against my ear. “Because I want it hard and fast, and I think you do too.”
I dropped my hands to his tight ass and squeezed. “Waitin’ on you,” I managed to get out.
He laughed once and then started to move, setting a pace that had me clinging to him. I clutched his shoulders, his arms, his neck, whatever I could reach, and matched his rhythm, the force of his hips pushing me into the mattress. He groaned, pinning me beneath him, his weight forcing me to take in shallow breaths. A light sheen of sweat slicked our skin, and our movements became jerkier, less coordinated, our primal instinct to chase release overtaking finesse.
Heat, friction, need, desperation—everything was magnified, and all I wanted was more. I lost control, abandoning myself to the moment knowing he was as close as I was.
My heels dug into his ass, and he ground deep against me, rubbing his pelvic bone against my clit. I flew apart, tightening before shattering beneath him and calling out his name as I came. He wrapped an arm under my lower back as his movements became a blur, his hips plunging over and over until he gave two hard thrusts and shuddered against me, rocking slowly as he rode out his own orgasm. He held his breath as he flexed one last time, and then he pulled his arm out and collapsed, his cock still throbbing faintly inside of me.
I rubbed my hands up and down his back, relishing the way his body pinned me to the bed, anchoring me, as I gradually recovered from his onslaught. My body felt boneless, like putty to be molded by his hands. Our heartbeats eased in unison, and his breath slowed against my neck. He pressed soft kisses there, tickling me a little. My skin felt oversensitive and raw now that we were done.
Lifting off of me, he slipped from the room for a moment. I heard a rustle in the bathroom, and then he was back, pulling the covers down and gathering me to him until I lay on top of him, my head pillowed on his shoulder. He drew the quilt up to our waists, and I snuggled closer, utterly content. His fingers sketched an abstract pattern over my back, and he pressed his lips to the top of my head before rubbing his cheek against me.
“That was almost as good as I imagined.” His chest rumbled against my ear as he spoke, and it took a minute for his words to register.
I reared back. “Excuse me?”
“We skipped a step.” His tone was soft, almost sad, and it was the only thing saving him from a slap in the face.
What the fuck did he mean, we skipped a step? My brows knitted in confusion. I came, and I sure as hell felt him finish.
Smiling, he smoothed my wrinkled brow, ran his finger down the length of my nose, and then traced my lips. I made a sound in the back of my throat and jerked my face away from him, and he dropped his hand.
“It’s okay.” He leaned up and pecked my lips. “We can fix it.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Look, maybe I’m not as experienced or flexible or—”
He pressed his finger against my lips, silencing me. “You were great. Fucking mind blowing. But in my fantasies,” he paused to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, and his words echoed in my head—you’ve had fantasies about me?—“I always fall asleep with the taste of you in my mouth.”
I blinked at him, and he traced my sex until I understood what he was implying.
“Oh. Well.” I licked my lips. “What are you waiting for?”
He gave a wolfish grin before flipping me on my back. Pinning my arms next to my head, he slid down my body until he was nestled between my thighs. He let go of my arms and drew my legs over his shoulders, shifting until he had me how he wanted me. Reaching back up, he took hold of my breasts, caressing them.
He placed soft kisses all around my folds, taking his time, teasing me, but not touching me where I wanted it most. I squirmed, restless, and rotated my hips. He pinched my nipples in reproach and then soothed them with his palms. I stilled. Finally, he took the flat of his tongue and slowly, oh, so slowly, licked all the way up my center.
Yes.
My hands gripped his short hair, and I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. His lips and tongue explored every inch of my slit, licking and sucking, but always keeping the pressure light to tease and torment me. I tugged his hair and lifted my hips, needing more friction.
His fingers converged from my breasts to just my nipples, rolling and tugging them. I moaned, burrowing deeper into the bed. Finally, his mouth zeroed in on my clit. Taking that sensitive nub between his lips, he sucked, stroking it with tongue. When he hit that perfect spot, the one that made every nerve in my body fire simultaneously, I couldn’t help bucking against him, and his lips stretched into a smile before he did it again. And again. He increased his speed and pressure, sucking me harder until I was writhing beneath him, my head digging into my pillow. His fingers tightened on my nipples, and he stroked me with his tongue until I was crying out, “Right there . . . right there . . . oh God, yes . . . now . . . now! West!”
Light splintered behind my eyelids, and I bowed my back, pressing my hips upward, desperate for more of him. I clutched his head to me with my hands and my thighs until it was just too much, and when I relaxed my death grip, he slowed, kissing me as the aftershocks rocked through me. When I could do nothing but lay there in a helpless puddle of satisfaction, he climbed back up next to me.
His eyes glittered as he took in my slack features. “That’s what I dreamed about. That look right there. And knowing that I put it there.”
I tried to come up with a snappy retort to keep his ego in check, but really, what could I say? The man had a golden tongue. So I’d let him have this one.
Smiling, I rolled over onto my stomach, snuggling into my pillow and closing my eyes. Who needed sweet dreams with sex like that? He gathered me in his arms and pulled me up against him. His thigh worked its way between mine and his hand reached under me until he cupped my breast. His nose brushed against my hair, and he inhaled, breathing me in. He kissed the back of my head softly. Almost tenderly.
I was more asleep than awake as I tried to figure out what was happening. He was snuggling me. Granted, I loved to snuggle. It was the one thing I missed the most about being in a relationship. But West? He didn’t strike me as the staying-to-cuddle-afterwards type.
So why wasn’t he leaving? It was the last thought I had before sleep claimed me.