Adley

I use my time in the kitchen to drink half a bottle of water and calm my nerves. I didn't know how Crew would react when I asked him the question about his first time, but he hesitated only briefly before he answered.

I can feel that we're edging toward something more intense than the just friends arrangement we agreed to after we first met. The thought of losing Crew as a friend scares me, but not taking a chance when there could be something more between us, terrifies me even more.

Crew Benton is without a doubt, the once-in-a-lifetime type of man all women dream about.

"Did you fall asleep in there?" There's amusement in his tone as he calls from the other room.

I adjust the hem of the T-shirt I put on. I wish I would have had more time to get ready before he walked through the door. I didn't expect to see him tonight, so I wasn't exactly worried about what I looked like.

I round the corner and walk back toward where he's sitting. I feel his eyes on me when I lower myself on the sofa next to him.

It's a risky move, but I want this.

"Do you want to keep playing, Crew?" I look over at him. He stretches, resting his arms on the back of the sofa. My eyes trail over his chest and tight abs before they land on the front of his pajama bottoms. The outline of his erection is clearly visible.

"Truth or dare?" His voice is deeper; the tone gruff.

I turn so I'm facing him, my leg bending at the knee as I rest it on the sofa. I know I'll likely regret this in the morning, but life isn't all about playing it safe. I've done that for the past few years and look where it's gotten me.

"What will it be?" He tilts his head, studying the spot where the tattered hem of my jean shorts meets my thigh.

"Dare."

"Kiss me."

My head shoots up. I stare at him but he's still focused on my body. His gaze is now carving a path over my pebbled nipples. "You want me to kiss you?"

"I dare you to kiss me." He makes the subtle correction with a tilt of his chin as his eyes meet mine.  "We talked about memorable first kisses. I'm daring you to see how memorable my kiss is."

The sly smile that curves his lips only makes me want to taste them more.

"What do you say, Adley?" he whispers roughly as he leans closer. "Are you up for the dare?"

I'm not one for backing down from a challenge. The consequence of what I'm about to do bears down on me, but I don't care.

I move quickly, my legs sliding over the soft leather of the sofa before they straddle him. I land in his lap, his lips closer to mine than they've ever been.

His hands dart from the sofa's back to my thighs. He pins me there, pushing me down so I can feel the steely length of his cock pressing into me through the barrier of fabric that separates us.

I raise my hands tentatively, twisting my fingers through his hair. It's as soft as I imagined. A brief image of his face between my legs while I yank gently on the strands invades my thoughts. I pull lightly, tilting his head until his lips align perfectly with mine.

His eyes are hooded, dark and full of the restless need I feel inside of me.

"I accept the dare," I whisper against his cheek before I move to cover his mouth with mine.

His lips part to invite me to taste more. Our tongues collide instantly, lashing against one another. He groans into the kiss, his hips grinding up to meet my body, the movement an invitation for me to take what I want.

I slide myself along the length of his thick cock, shivering when I hear the low moan that comes from his throat.

I've never been kissed like this before. It's exquisite, indulgent, intoxicating.  I want it to last forever. It makes me dream of more, and touches that are only from him; his fingers, his mouth, his cock.

"Jesus," he hisses the word out as he moves. His hands slide to cup my ass before he flips me over in one swift movement. My back lands on the soft leather and suddenly he's hovering above me, one strong hand pinned to the back of the sofa to support his weight.

"I. Want. More," he growls against my mouth as his hand inches up my stomach.

I don't stop the kiss or his hand. I can't. Every inch of me that is blessed with his touch feels alive. I've never felt this desired before. I'm so wet that I know he can feel it through my shorts. He has to know what he's doing to me.

I arch my back to show him that I want everything he does.

He deepens the kiss, his tongue moving as slowly as his hand. It's an achingly delicious path to a place I've only imagined in my mind.

I feel his fingers when they glide along the underside of my right breast. I moan because I can't control what my body wants.  The sound brings a smile to his lips that I feel through the kiss.

There's nothing between us but pure lust and need.

For the first time in a long time, I feel safe and wanted.

"Crew." His name escapes my lips in a low hum when I feel his fingers on my nipple.

He pinches it so hard that I yelp.

"Dare me to do more." The raw need in his voice draws goosebumps to my skin.

I stop him with a hand to his chin. I look into his eyes. They're the same mesmerizing eyes that I've seen for the last two years but they're reflecting back differently to me now. The hunger that I see in his gaze is a perfect match to what I feel inside.

"Crew," I murmur again, while I struggle to think of the right words to say. I want him to strip me bare and take me to his bed.

"I'll take care of you." His gaze travels slowly over my face. "Let me show you."

I nod. I've never wanted anything more in my life than to make love to this man.

Just as his hand trails over my stomach, he pulls back suddenly, rushing to get to his feet. His abrupt movement and the loud music that fills the room catch my breath in my throat. I reach for him to steady myself but he's not there. Even though I'm on my back on the sofa, I feel as though the entire world is falling away beneath me.

"My phone," I mumble as my mind catches up to what's happening. "That's my phone."

It's in his palm before I'm upright. I take it from him, our fingers touching briefly.

"Adley York," I answer breathlessly. "What is it?"

I listen intently as a female voice from the answering service for the clinic explains something to me about a dog and an accident.

"I'm coming," I tell her calmly. "I'll be there in fifteen. I'll call Dr. Hunt myself."

When I look up, Crew's not there. The only reminder of what we just did is the tenderness of my lips, the ache in my core and the feeling that I just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life.