Chapter Nine
Kori’s tongue wouldn’t form the word yes. And even if it would, her mouth wouldn’t open to allow the assent out. On the flipside, the words no thanks didn’t grace her lips either. Instead, she stared at his outstretched hand and willed herself to make a decision.
The right decision.
The smart decision.
Lucky had stuck to every promise he made her. He’d been a complete gentleman, a great conversationalist, and a fun dinner companion. He also looked good enough to be the dessert that capped off her amazing meal.
Who was she kidding? This had nothing to do with her general rule of not dating bikers, and everything to do with the fact that she was wildly attracted to a man who flat out told her he never stuck around for more than a night or two.
Hello, disappointment.
Kori knew herself too well to think she could sleep with Lucky a time or two and be done with it. Maybe if he’d just been the cocky, womanizer she met a few days ago, but nope. He had to go and be sweet, and attentive, and easy to talk to. Qualities that appealed to her emotions as much as his muscles appealed to her libido.
“Do you even know how to dance?” Where the hell had those words come from? They sounded dangerously close to flirty consent.
A mesmerizing smile transformed his face. When he was genuinely amused, not the I’m-trying-to-charm-you-out-of-your-pants smile that he so often flashed, but a real smile of happiness, the left side of his mouth rose just a hair higher than the right. It gave him a carefree, almost boyish look and she couldn’t help but return the grin.
“Ahh, you’ll have to find that one out for yourself.”
“Okay.” What? No, that wasn’t the word that her brain had sent to her mouth. “Just a few dances. And this is not a green light for anything else, mister. Understood?”
“Si, senorita,” he said as he snatched her hand and pulled her toward the dance floor. He moved fast, as though he was afraid she’d change her mind in the ten-foot trip.
With practiced efficiency, he spun her and drew her into a perfect salsa hold. Her eyes widened and she stared up at him.
“Guess I do know what I’m doing.”
Kori couldn’t help but laugh. His crooked smile and teasing were infectious. She knew the basic steps, plus a few extra moves, but was no expert herself. However, with a good lead, as he seemed to be, she shouldn’t have any trouble keeping up.
He spun her again and she ended in the same position she started in. In a salsa hold, close to him, but not touching. True to his word, he kept his pelvis and torso on his side of the line. It wasn’t long before she was relaxing into his hold and following his competent lead. The next thing she knew, she had her head thrown back and excited laughter was bubbling up from her as he twirled her in a complicated pattern.
Their hips swayed, a few platonic inches separating them, and while it should have placated her need for space, all she could think about was how it would feel if she closed the distance between them. His firm chest was the kind a girl would love to press against as he held her close. Was he turned on? Did this closeness affect him as it did her?
The thought of him erect and wanting her, just inches away had moisture pooling between her thighs. It was as though an unseen force was pulling her pelvis closer to his. She resisted it with everything she had, but the reasons for doing so were becoming muddled in her head.
The music changed and a slow, sultry pulse meant for lovers filled the restaurant. Lucky drew her flush against his body and she stiffened. Holy shit it felt good. Brain scrambling good.
“Fuck. I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking.” The serious look that stared down at her verified his words. “The song just…demanded it.” He shrugged, his lower body moving against hers.
“It’s okay,” she said, her voice low, raspy, almost unrecognizable. “You’re right. It’s how the music should be danced to.” She allowed herself to relax against him and truly process the sensation of him against her.
Her breasts pressed against the hard planes of his chest. As they swayed to the music, his upper body moved against hers and her nipples beaded to tightened points. The answer to her earlier question was a resounding yes. The man was turned on. Hard. Very hard, and nestled into the softness of her stomach as though she’d been made for this very reason, to cushion his steely length.
The problem was, that left her throbbing center, too low to grind against him. An insane thought crossed her mind and she almost shifted, straddling one of his legs so she could apply pressure to her core and find some kind of relief.
Her gaze met Lucky’s and she couldn’t tear herself away from the intensity staring back at her. Somehow, he read her mind, and as their hips rolled and moved to the music, he shifted, inserting one thick thigh between her legs. Then, the hand on her back drifted downward and came to rest a millimeter above her ass, anchoring her to him.
He kept to his word, hands in appropriate places, and had she any brain cells not focused on lust, she would have laughed at the irony of it. Hands dutifully in the safe zone while she practically rode his thigh.
She had no idea how many songs they stayed that way for, gazes locked, bodies gently grinding to the sensual Latin beat. With each second that passed, a bit more of Kori’s resolve crumbled. Her body’s demands overrode her brain’s sensible wishes and she pressed even closer to Lucky.
His erection ground into her stomach at the same time her clit rubbed over his thigh and she was helpless to stop the small moan from slipping out.
“Christ, Kori,” Lucky whispered in her ear. “Do you have any fucking idea what you are doing to me, babe? I’m trying to follow the rules, but you’re making it damn near impossible. There’s only so much I can take.”
He spoke through gritted teeth, as though in pain. Would it really be so harmful? Breaking her no biker rule for one night. Would it even be fully breaking the rule? She told Lucky she didn’t do bikers, but it really meant she didn’t date bikers. Because she didn’t do anyone. Not without a few dates and at least the possibility of a semi long term relationship.
Perhaps it was the pleasant hum of two margaritas coursing through her bloodstream, but her determination weakened. She’d been given all the information upfront. There would be no dating. There wouldn’t necessarily be a second…encounter either. She was an adult. She could have a one night stand and survive to tell the tale. And if her instinct was right, it would be quite a tale to tell.
Fuck it.
She opened her mouth and the words just flew out. “Take me home, Lucky.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Lucky’s entire body grew nearly as rigid as his cock. He was dangerously close to shooting off just from the way her soft stomach cupped his straining erection and the heat of her pussy against his leg. All he could think about was gripping her ass tight with both hands and rocking her on his thigh until she flew apart. Christ, he wanted to watch her come. Over and over.
“Take—” He cleared his gravelly throat. “Take you home to Rebel’s?”
“No, Lucky.” She shook her head as she spoke. “Take me home to your place.”
There was a God. Almost. He needed to be sure that she was one hundred percent certain of what would happen the second they walked through his door before he let himself feel triumphant. “Kori, you know what’s going to happen once we get there, right? It will be fuckin’ amazing. More amazing than I think either of us can imagine, but you know, right? If you walk into my home, there’s only one way this night will end.”
She drew her lower lip between her teeth and he groaned. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear everything she was doing was a calculated move to drive him insane. But it wasn’t. Kori was just naturally sexy as fuck. “I know. And I want it.”
“I’m a biker. It’s in every cell in my body.”
“I know that too.”
There it was. Verbal confirmation. He tried to swallow, but his throat was thick and made the action near impossible.
Just one more test.
By now, they’d completely stopped moving with the music and Lucky cupped the back of Kori’s head. His plan had been to shoot for slow seduction, but the sight of her lips parting as she realized his objective blasted his good intentions to hell. He captured her mouth in a soul-searing kiss that rocked him to his core.
The air heated as his brain registered the softness of her lips. There was no hesitation on her part. She met him head on and battled him for control of the kiss. He stroked his tongue against hers and had to forcibly remind himself they were in public. Another two seconds and he’d be tearing at her clothes like a madman, other diners be damned.
With his last shred of sanity, Lucky tore his mouth away from hers. Kori’s puckered nipples pressed against her tank top and rose and fell with the heaving force of her breathing.
Yeah, she wanted this. Maybe as much as he did. They were in for an explosive night.
He disentangled their bodies and grabbed her hand.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said as he tugged her toward the door.