Chapter Five
DESIREE SURVEYED THE messy shop and the wine stains on her tank top. Reality sobered her up, but she was still light-headed. Unfortunately, she wasn’t so drunk that she didn’t realize how badly she’d made a fool of herself. She could hardly believe Rick was still looking at her like she was the most beautiful, interesting person he’d ever seen. Either she was totally misreading him, he was nuts, or this was by far the luckiest night of her life.
She was caught between wanting more of this free, light feeling, and being terrified by how quickly it felt like that freedom—not the alcohol—could become an addiction. She began straightening up to distract herself, and fell back on her safety net, defining who she had always been.
“I’m really not like this,” she assured Rick. She knelt to pick up the items on the floor, and realized Vi was right. Whether it was from the wine, the fact that she’d already stepped into Mortification Land and there was no further damage to be done, or because she and Vi had used the colorful pleasure rods as swords in a Battle of Shlongs, she no longer felt funny touching them. She realized Violet hadn’t told her what her Achilles’ heel was. She’d have to remember to ask her the next time…we drink together?
Rick crouched beside her and gathered a number of toys in his arms. He could hold a lot of them, and not once did his focus stray from Desiree. “This? As in someone who likes to cut loose every now and again?”
She shifted her eyes away and pushed to her feet, setting the toys on the table. “No, as in someone who wears strap-ons and drinks before a date. I haven’t showered, my shirt is stained…I’m sorry, Rick.”
He unloaded his armful on the table and took her hand, drawing her against him again. He felt safe and solid, and when his eyes turned serious, she didn’t know what to expect.
“You just accelerated the first half of our date. Now I can forget the wine and we can get straight to the taking advantage of you part.”
He paused long enough for alarm bells to go off in her head. And then a slow smile crept across his face, turning those bells into dirty little chimes.
How the heck did he do that with just a look?
“I’m kidding,” he said. “If I remember correctly, I gave you my number when you were drenched like a kitten caught in a storm. A sexy-as-sin kitten, but still. Desiree, I don’t care if your shirt is stained, if you’ve had a few drinks, if we stay here and take a walk on the beach, or if we go out to a fancy dinner. I just want to spend time with you.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. She was used to being wined and dined by men who would never say anything like sexy-as-hell kitten, and they definitely would have issues with her being tipsy and sloppy on their first date. Everything about Rick was refreshing and tempting.
“If you’re worried about what I think of all of this,” he said with a serious tone. “Don’t. It’s life. It’s fun. Besides, I’ve been known to sneak into my brother’s house and fill his drawers with ladies’ lingerie before his dates.”
“Really?” She loved how he made her laugh.
“Hell, yes.”
“I can’t believe you’re really not turned off by my wine drinking and sloppy clothes and all this…stuff.”
“Not even a little. But if it’ll make you feel better, go shower and change and take care of whatever else you might be worrying about, and I’ll pick up in here. Unless you’re using this as an excuse to blow me off?” A devilish grin lifted his lips. “In which case, I’ll have to turn on the charm and show you what you’d be missing out on with that very bad decision.”
“You can be even more charming than barely knowing me and being willing to change your plans and clean up my inappropriate toy mess?”
“Only if you’re lucky.”
She wanted to be lucky. Very lucky. No part of her wanted to leave him, not even for a minute. “I’d take you up on that very generous offer, but you’d probably clean the place out, and then I’d have to bring Cosmos over to swim in your pool morning, noon, and night as payback.”
“That would make me the lucky one.” Rick patted her butt, and she clamped her mouth shut to keep a squeak from slipping out. “Go do whatever it is you need to do, and I’ll start loading up my truck.”
How about you load me up?
Holy moly.
Rick made her feel bold and sassy. He was opening a door to who she used to be. Who she’d forgotten she was. She’d suppressed the sassier side of herself when she’d graduated from college. Sassiness had no place around three- and four-year-olds. But apparently Little Miss Sass was done being held back and was trying to rush to the head of the class.
“No, thanks,” she said. “I think I’d rather stay right here with you.”
“Don’t trust me alone in the store with her?” He grabbed the blow-up doll and set the empty wine bottle on the table. “She’s pretty damn sexy, and she doesn’t bitch when I curse or get mad when I leave the toilet seat up.”
“She sounds like the perfect girlfriend.” Picking up a box with MR. MASSIVE printed on the side, she said, “But maybe she’d like to meet a new, battery-operated boyfriend.”
“Someone’s selling women a load of crap. I’d say that’s Mr. Tiny.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Such a man.”
“I’m all man, baby.” He grabbed a whip from the floor and tapped her butt with it. “What exactly was going on in here?”
She gasped and grabbed hold of the whip. Their eyes connected, sending heat coursing down her body. How was she supposed to form a response when he was looking at her like she was dinner? And why wasn’t she running away?
Because dinner would be amazing with you. Dinner, dessert, tomorrow’s breakfast. The whip dropped from her fingertips. The sinful look in his eyes made her wonder if he could read her thoughts.
“Um…” He’d asked her a question. What were we doing? Right. “It started out as a sisterly bonding thing,” she managed. “And somehow turned into one ridiculous joke after another.”
“And this is your mother’s shop?” He picked up a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs, dangling them from his index finger. “Not that I’m into cuffs, but it looks like Mama knows how to party.”
She took the cuffs from him and set them on the shelf, glad he wasn’t into handcuffs. Am I glad? Yes! Of course I’m glad. I think. Hm…She tried to focus on her mother, which was surprisingly safer than where her mind was heading. “My mother is an anomaly. I don’t really know or understand her.”
“That must be difficult.” He stopped straightening up to give her his full attention.
She’d never shared her feelings about her mother with anyone other than Emery, and she wasn’t quite ready to share them now. Especially since she didn’t trust what might come out of her mouth at the moment. Apparently wine was the key to loosening up and the key to saying things she shouldn’t. She kind of liked the combination, but her thoughts about her mother weren’t cute or funny.
“It is what it is,” she said, hoping she sounded casual. “How about your parents? Are you close to them?”
A look of longing washed over him, and just as quickly it disappeared. “My mother lives in Hyannis, where I grew up. She’s great. Strong. Doesn’t take guff from anyone. She loves the outdoors, and spoils Mira’s son, Hagen. And my father…” His tone turned mournful. “He was a great guy. Unfortunately, he died when I was a teenager.”
That sobered her up completely, her heart breaking for him. They had more in common that she’d imagined. Her mother might be alive, but Desiree could barely remember a time when she’d felt like Lizza was more than a ghost. “I’m sorry. That must have been really hard.”
He nodded. “It was a long time ago.” His jaw tightened, and she sensed he didn’t want to talk about it.
They finished cleaning up, and as they left the cottage, Desiree found herself thinking about her mother and Violet again. She might not have a chance with her mother, but maybe something good could come out of this summer after all. A sometimes-cantankerous relationship with her sister would be better than no relationship at all.
She locked the door behind them, shivering against the brisk night air.
“Cold?” He wrapped his arms around her, his broad body warding off the evening chill. “I have a sweatshirt in the truck.”
Maybe two good things could come out of this summer.
“And exactly how would that be better than being in your arms?” slipped out. Clearly she was going to have to get used to her inner sass coming out if she planned on spending any time with Rick. Which she did. Hopefully a lot of time.
His lips quirked up, and oh how she loved the haughty grin.
“They’re not mutually exclusive.”
Their eyes held for a long, hot moment. It was all she could do to say, “Okay.”
He kept her tucked against him as they crossed the driveway. She’d never dated a man who was possessive, and she wouldn’t have imagined that she’d like it, but she was becoming very attached to the feel of Rick’s hands on her. There was something addictive about him. He grabbed a sweatshirt from his truck and helped her put it on. It hung to the edge of her shorts, and that, too, felt warm and wonderful, like she was wearing a piece of him.
He rolled up the sleeves and brushed his fingers tenderly over her cheek. He did that a lot, touching her face, her hair, her hands, her arms, and she found herself wanting more.
“Boy, do I like seeing you in my sweatshirt.”
“Not exactly the sexiest outfit for a first date.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong. You look beautiful, and now I can pretend you have nothing on underneath.” He winked, and put an arm around her. “Are you hungry?”
She was too busy thinking about him imagining her with nothing under the sweatshirt to think about food.
His gaze moved to her mouth, lingering long enough for her mouth to go dry with anticipation, before drifting lower, hovering around her breasts, and then sliding down the length of her legs. His jaw clenched, his grip on her became stronger, and his eyes? Ravenous.
“Food,” he practically growled.
She couldn’t help but laugh as he helped her into the truck.
As he pulled out of the driveway, he reached across the seat for her hand, touching her for what felt like the hundredth time in two days. A little thrill raced through her as his big, warm palm swallowed hers. It was such a small thing, but it felt significant, and their hands fit together perfectly.
“Have you been to the Night Affair yet in Truro?” he asked.
“I haven’t been anywhere. I just got into town yesterday.”
He squeezed her hand, his eyes darting back to the road. “Good. I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, either.”
He drove through Wellfleet to Truro, which was only a few miles away. Rick parked on a side street, and as they headed for the event, the air buzzed with the din of the crowd, the beat of the music, and the heat pulsing between them.
“This reminds me of the festivals back home, in Oak Falls, Virginia,” she said, taking in the colorful lights twinkling against the dark sky and people milling around tented booths. A band played on a grassy lawn, where people danced and ate at picnic tables.
“You’re from Virginia? I live in DC.”
“I thought you lived here, at the resort.”
“I do for now. We’re renovating a recreation center. I’m going back to DC next month, after the work is done. I bought the resort as an investment with my brother, Drake, and our friend Dean. They’ll run it when I go back home in a few weeks.”
She mentally calculated how far they lived from each other.
“How long are you in town?”
“I don’t know exactly.” How could she not know what her plans were? That wasn’t like her at all, but then again, the last twenty-four hours had been anything but normal. “Violet and I are watching my mother’s business for the summer, and I have to be back at school in mid-August. I guess I’m here for five or six weeks. Unless my mother comes back sooner.”
They blended into the crowd and Rick draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer. “Are you a teacher?”
“Mm-hm. Preschool.”
“A naughty preschool teacher.” He smiled down at her. “I bet all the single dads find reasons for extra parent-teacher conferences.”
“Hardly, and I’m not exactly naughty.” Although seeing the glimmer of heat in his eyes made her want to be.
He leaned down and spoke with his mouth right beside her ear. “You were pretty naughty tonight.”
His gravelly, seductive voice made her insides whirl. “I have a feeling I’ll never live that down.”
They made their way to the food tent and ate chicken on a stick as they walked around looking at books and crafts and handmade clothing. Rick was easy to talk to, and Desiree felt happier than she had in a long time. After they finished eating, they stopped by the dessert display.
“Please tell me you’re not one of those girls who survive without sweets.” He flashed that killer smile, making her stomach flutter.
“Nope. I like everything. My best friend, Emery, teaches yoga and Pilates. I take her classes several times a week, and when I take the night classes, we almost always go out for dessert afterward.” They were just like the women Emery made fun of.
“Sounds like a great friend.”
“I love her like a sister. I can’t imagine what I’d do without her.” If Emery were there now, she’d be rooting for Desiree to cut loose and jump Rick’s bones. Her hormones were doing enough pushing; she didn’t need Emery’s pressure.
He took her by the shoulders and turned her away from the booth. “Are you allergic to anything?”
“No. Why? What are you up to?”
“Live dangerously, Desiree,” he taunted. “Don’t turn around.”
She heard him talking quietly to the vendor but couldn’t make out what he was saying. Anticipation bubbled up inside her. “Rick? Despite what you saw tonight, I’m not very good at living dangerously.”
She felt the heat of him behind her.
“One more second, beautiful.”
Every time he called her beautiful or sweetheart, she melted a little inside. His seductive voice and those smoldering eyes, coupled with a few well-placed sweethearts, made her mind wander down a dirty path. She felt herself smiling and wondered if he knew he could use those endearments to his advantage.
He draped an arm over her shoulder, holding a bag and a drink in one hand and startling her from her thoughts.
“Dessert.”
Why, oh why, was she thinking he would make a much better dessert than whatever was in that bag? It’s like he’d blurred the well-defined boundaries she usually lived within. “Wonderful. What is it?”
“If I told you, it would ruin the fun.” He guided her to the next booth, where they were selling incense and scented candles.
“Oh, I love candles,” she said, bending to smell them. “I’m kind of a candleaholic. My apartment is full of them.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. I’m going to learn all your secrets, Desiree, and then you’re in trouble. What’s your favorite scent?”
Her mind was reeling with the worst kind of cheesy answers, all of which revolved around him, and she tried—oh, how she tried—to keep them from coming out, but there must have been something in the air, because out popped, “You could just bottle yourself up, add a wick, and I’d be very happy.”
The sinfulness staring back at her set her body aflame. Oh Lord, now she was thinking about his wick. Lighting it, touching it, tasting it. Holy cow. What was going on? A little wine, a little Violet, and a day in a sex toy shop, and suddenly she couldn’t stop thinking about sex. With him.
“That can be arranged.” His deep voice snapped her back to the moment.
“Summer,” fell hard and fast from her lips. “Anything summery,” she added, hoping to distract him from her earlier answer. But he was watching her, and she knew he was waiting for that sexy girl who was clawing around inside her and turning up her sassiness about a hundred notches to find her way out.
She focused on the salesgirl behind the table, who was pointing out candles with summery scents, but her mind was still wrestling with thoughts of Rick’s wick, and his eyes, and the heat of his hand on her waist.
“…Summer Night, and Summer Romance,” the salesgirl said. “We also have Coconut Delight and Sandy Harbor.”
Rick gazed into Desiree’s eyes with as much heat as hope, and she felt herself disappearing into them.
“What do you think, Desiree? Are you up for a summer romance?”
Summer romance? She wasn’t a summer-romance girl. She was a first-date-dinner-and-a-movie girl with a polite good-night kiss. A three-week-rule girl. If she wanted a guy after three weeks of dating, she’d consider sleeping with him. But right this second, she was a holy-hell-please-light-my-fire girl.
No.
Just say no.
I’m going to say no.
She swallowed hard, stood up straighter, the way she did when she faced her students’ parents, reminding herself she took pride in being a responsible person. I can do this.
She gazed up at Rick, who had yet to take his eyes off her, and her inner sexy girl gagged that good-girl chick, and “Absolutely,” came roaring out.
RICK STRADDLED THE bench of a picnic table near the band where they’d chosen to eat dessert and guided Desiree into the same position, straddling the bench and facing him. He reached behind her, put his hand on her butt, and hauled her forward, until her knees pushed between his legs and the bench. “Much better.”
“Not very ladylike,” she said with a tease in her eyes.
He bit back the dirty, though honest remark that sat on the tip of his tongue. You could sit naked on my lap and you’d still look ladylike. Christ, he wasn’t a scumbag, and he didn’t say things like that to women. But Desiree was awakening primal desires he’d buried beneath seventy-plus hours of work each week for years on end.
Reminding himself to slow the hell down, he said, “I want to see your face.”
He lit one of the candles they’d bought with the complimentary matches the salesgirl had thrown in as the band began playing a fast-paced song.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a romantic,” Desiree said.
“What would you have pegged me as?”
“I don’t know. You’re not like the guys I know.”
“Are they mostly teachers and single dads?” He tossed out a line, hoping she’d bite. He was dying to know if she dated often and what her life back in Virginia was like. He was all for blowing the competition out of the water.
“No, definitely not. I would never date one of my students’ fathers. I don’t date much, and according to Emery, the guys I usually go out with are a little boring. She calls them ‘nice.’ But you’re a nice guy, and you’re not at all boring.”
“Hey, nothing wrong with nice,” Rick said.
“No, she’s right. Nice guys can be a little boring.” She whispered the word boring.
He looked around. “Are they here? The boring guys? Why are you whispering?”
She smiled, and he wanted to see that smile all day long.
“Because it feels rude to say it out loud.”
“That’s the preschool teacher in you speaking. People say Drake is a nice guy, and he’s not at all boring. Then again, he’s also persistent and opinionated, but not like me. I’ll get in people’s faces and speak my mind. It’s a bad habit of mine, learned it from my father.”
“Like Violet,” she said.
He nodded. “Probably very similar. I like her, by the way. She watches out for you.”
She squared her shoulders. “I don’t need watching over.”
“Everyone needs someone to watch out for them.” Thinking of how different his life had been since he returned to the Cape and how great it was spending time with his family and friends, he added, “Life gets lonely without close friends.”
“I have close friends, but I can take care of myself.” Her brow wrinkled, and she took a sip of the iced tea he’d bought with their dessert. “Who watches out for you?”
“Drake. Dean. I don’t know, friends and family.”
A wistful look washed over her face, and he remembered her comment about her mother. He wondered if she had any family in Virginia. “You didn’t seem to want to talk about your mother, so I won’t push even though I’m curious. But can I ask about the rest of your family? Do you have any other siblings? Is your father in the picture?”
“I have no other siblings, and my father’s definitely in the picture. He’s an investment banker, and he was transferred to Connecticut last year, but we’re still close.”
He was glad to hear that. She was so cagey about her mother, he wondered what was really going on, and it made him want to protect her from whatever it was.
“And we’ve already established that Violet watches out for you.”
“She’s a whole other story. My family is complicated, Rick. I don’t want to bore you with the details.”
“I can handle complicated, and I’m sure I won’t find it boring.”
She looked down, fidgeting with her hands.
“I’ll tell you what. Let’s eat dessert, and when, and if, you ever want to talk about it, I’d love to listen.” He pulled a container from the bag. “Close your eyes.”
She did, and folded her hands in her lap, which was about the cutest thing he’d ever seen. It was easy to picture her patiently leading a class of preschoolers, teaching them letters and games and how to make friends, keeping her naughty side locked up tight. She was kind and careful and perfectly self-aware, especially when she was thinking naughty thoughts and became flustered and turned on. He loved that so much, he wanted to push all her buttons.
“I can feel you looking at me,” she said sweetly.
“I’m undressing you with my eyes.”
Her eyes remained closed, but her mouth curved up. He didn’t know what had inspired him to play this game. He’d never done it before. But she seemed to be coming out of her shell more and more, and he wanted to keep peeling away those layers until he saw the very heart of who she was, not who she wanted everyone else in the world to believe she was.
“I’m going to put something in your mouth,” he said, thinking a slew of dirty thoughts. “And you tell me what it is.”
“You didn’t tell me this was a game of trust. It’s a good thing we’re not playing naked.” Her cheeks pinked up, and her fingers curled tight.
She had no idea what she was doing to him when she said dirty things in that sweet voice. “I’ll add naked desserts to our list of things we should do together. Open up that pretty mouth of yours, beautiful.”
He set a piece of dessert on her tongue, and a blissful look came over her.
“Mm—” Eyes closed, she licked her lips, swallowed, and licked her lips again.
Holy. Hell. That sound, her mouth…
“Oh my gosh. That is delicious. What is it? Chocolate, strawberry, something?” She licked her lips again, eyes still closed.
Every stroke of her tongue brought him closer to taking the kisses he was dying for.
“I know what it is,” she said excitedly. “It’s on the tip of my tongue.”
He was about to offer to lick it off the tip of her tongue when her eyes flew open.
“Cheesecake! Right?” Before he could confirm it, she pressed her hands to his thighs and said, “Let me do you!”
Christ, she was so fucking sexy, looking at him with those big green eyes, her hands squeezing his thighs. He wanted to pull her onto his lap and kiss her breathless. But she was so excited, he also wanted to keep this going.
“Anytime, sweetheart.”
“You are so bad. See? The guys I know would never say that. Or call me ‘sexy as a kitten,’ or look at me like you are right now.” Her voice trailed off to a whisper, and she fidgeted with the edge of the sweatshirt. “I like the way you look at me.”
“That’s a good thing, because I like looking at you, and I plan on doing it all summer long.” He was trying his damnedest to take things slow, but he was this close to kissing her, and once he did, he wasn’t going to stop.
Her smile twitched, and her gaze flicked up to his. “So, you meant it when you asked about a summer romance?”
“Yes, I meant it. But don’t worry; you’re not locked in to anything. One date. Two. Forty. This will be whatever you’d like it to be.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to look past a first date, but he found himself hoping for forty.
“What do you want it to be?” A sea of emotions swam in her eyes—hope, trepidation, lust.
He wanted to take her in his arms and experience every one of those emotions firsthand. To give her reasons to smile, to discover what was going on with her mother and what made her the careful woman she was. He didn’t know what was going on inside him, but whatever this surge of desire and protectiveness was, he didn’t want to fight it. But he sensed that she’d been hurt, and though he couldn’t pinpoint where or how, he’d do everything within his power to keep her from getting hurt again. And that meant starting with not being too aggressive or scaring her off.
“I’d like it to be a daily occurrence.” He probably should have said he’d like to see her again tomorrow, and they’d take it one day at a time, but he was only capable of so much restraint. And at that very second, as music played and couples danced, the air between Rick and Desiree beat with a rhythm all their own, and his resolve to go slow frayed even more.
“I’d like that,” she said. “Very much.”
Their eyes remained locked for so long, he felt himself leaning in at the same moment she waved her hand nervously and said, “Close your eyes and open your mouth.”
It took him a second to remember they’d been playing a game. He did as she asked, and a sweet, chocolaty treat touched his tongue. When he closed his mouth, he felt her fingers slip out. Forget the chocolate. I want those fingers back.
He opened his eyes and caught her watching him intently, sucking the chocolate off her index finger. Her eyes widened, and her finger fell from her lips with a pop. For a beat, everything stilled. Her eyes bored into him with the same storm of emotions as earlier, and his resolve shattered. Their mouths collided, and he threaded his fingers into her silky hair, taking the kiss deeper. She grabbed his shirt, keeping him close. Damn he loved that. She tasted so sweet, kissed him so hungrily, he didn’t want to stop, and when she made the sexiest sounds he’d ever heard, he knew he wasn’t going to. Not yet. Not when kissing her was so much better than his fantasies.
His arm circled her waist, holding her as close as they could be in that position. He wanted to lift her onto his lap, to feel her legs around his waist, her sweet curves pressed against him, but they were out in public, and no matter how much she’d opened up, he knew she was pushing her boundaries. And hell, he wanted to push them, over and over again.
They kissed through the remainder of the song, and into the next, and by the time they came up for air, he was hard as steel and she was breathless and flushed. He wasn’t typically a passionate kisser. He liked to rush things along and get to the good stuff. But as he waited for the disclaimer Desiree seemed compelled to state every time she tiptoed out of her comfort zone, he realized he was a passionate kisser. He’d just been kissing the wrong women.
He was surprised when her disclaimer didn’t come.
She touched her lips, as if they were still tingling, as his were, and he couldn’t resist kissing her again, softer this time, longer, deeper. Oh yeah, he’d been kissing the wrong women, all right. He did not want to rush through Desiree’s kisses. He wanted to pile them on, to batten down beneath them for the winter and ride them into spring.
“I wanted to dance with you,” he said as they came up for air. He needed her to know he hadn’t planned on ravishing her, but he was unable to stop.
“Kiss me now,” she said breathlessly. “Dance another time.”
She didn’t need to ask twice.
Rick’s senses surged and skidded as they made out like they needed each other to breathe. Everything blurred together, the sensual sounds slipping from her lungs, the feel of her knees pressing against his inner thighs, her hot little hands on his arms. None of it was enough, and he fought against his own desire to take her back to the truck, pull off on the first dark street they came to, and make love to her. But that wasn’t slow. Hell, this wasn’t slow, and it wasn’t enough, either. He needed to feel her against him.
He tore his mouth away. “Dance with me.”
Rising to his feet, he practically lifted her to hers and swept her into his arms. Their eyes met for only a split second before their mouths came together in a kiss hot enough to join metals. Their bodies took over, swaying to their own sensual beat. Her hands claimed his back, her hips pressed against him, making his body throb with desire. His hands moved down her back, to the dip at the base of her spine, holding her tight so she could feel what she did to him. She moaned into the kiss, and her nails dug into his back through his shirt. They kissed and danced, lost in a world all their own, their emotions pouring out when they broke away for a few short seconds at a time.
“Love kissing you.” His hands slid south, holding her ass, and earning another heady moan.
“Don’t stop. Kissing or touching,” she pleaded.
As if he could.
Rick didn’t know how much time had passed as they devoured each other, dancing beneath the stars, but eventually he realized that they were the only ones dancing; there was no music. The sparkling lights had gone out, leaving only the light of the candle. He smiled against her lips, and her eyes opened, sucking him right into another lustful kiss. She melted against him with the force of an ocean, constant and demanding.
“I don’t want to stop,” she said breathlessly.
He brushed his lips over hers. “We don’t ever have to.”
Sometime later—half an hour, an hour, he wasn’t sure—they made their way to the truck, stopping every few steps to devour each other. She snuggled up to him on the way back to her place, kissing at the stoplights, the sexual tension in the truck an inescapable entity all its own. When he parked in front of her house, he didn’t want the night to end, and at the same time, he didn’t want to take it so far that she had a chance to regret a minute they’d spent together.
He took her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes, intending to tell her as much, but no words came. Their mouths joined like metal to magnet, in an urgent, exploratory kiss. She quivered against him, sending a surge of heat through his veins. Her hands moved over his chest, his arms, his thighs. Hot damn, she was right there with him. He leaned into her, and she went willingly onto her back, never breaking their connection. His mouth moved over hers with reckless abandon, and when her hips rocked up, he nearly lost it. He shifted her up toward the passenger door, wishing they were anyplace other than the cramped cab of his truck. He pushed his hands beneath her ass, lifting her hips so he could grind against her center, and sealed his mouth over her neck, earning more sinful, breathy noises.
“You feel so good,” she said. “Don’t stop.”
He ground his hips, utterly lost in her, and she opened her knees wider.
“Oh God. There.”
He wanted to strip her bare and make her come, but Christ, they were in his truck.
“Don’t stop,” she pleaded.
She spread her knees wider, and he angled her hips. He had a cottage, she had a house, and they were making out like horny teenagers in her driveway. This was not how he’d imagined they’d end up, but he was powerless to resist her.
“Let me make you come, baby,” rushed out before he thought to stop it.
Her eyes opened, and he feared he’d blown it.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I got carried away.” He pushed up on his palms, and she wrapped her hand around his neck, tugging him back down.
“We are getting carried away,” she said with a shy smile. “I don’t usually…”
“We don’t have to.” He touched his lips to hers, wishing he had used the fucking head on his shoulders instead of letting the one between his legs lead.
She guided his hand to her thigh. “I want to.”
Her knees fell open wider, and he took her in a deep, passionate kiss. His hand moved along the edge of her shorts, slipping beneath, and he teased her through her damp panties.
“Rick—”
Her breathy plea obliterated his control. His fingers pushed beneath her panties, sinking into her tight heat, and they both went a little wild. She mewled and arched as he found the pleasure point that sent her hands clutching the seat.
“Oh God. There.”
Their desperate kisses echoed through the cab of the truck. She dug her nails into his neck; their tongues and his fingers moved to the same erotic beat. Her hips rocked, matching his rhythm, and he teased slow circles over her most sensitive nerves. She made the hottest, greediest sounds with each thrust of his fingers. Her head tipped back, eyelids fluttering, lips swollen and glistening from their rough kisses. He’d never seen anyone more beautiful. Her breaths came in short bursts, and when he slicked his tongue along her neck, sucking on the sensitive skin, she clawed at his back, bowed up beneath him, and buried her face in his shoulder.
“Ohgod. Rick—”
“That’s my girl. Let go.”
Heat and ice collided inside him as she shattered against his hand. He covered her cheeks with kisses, and when he lowered his mouth to hers, she breathed out his name, rocking him to his core.
He gathered her against him in the tight space, and they shifted onto their sides. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy.
“There’s my beautiful girl.”
She pressed her forehead to his chest. “I don’t usually…”
“Shh. I don’t either.” He tipped her chin up and gazed into her eyes. “All that matters is this, right here. You and me and this powerful thing happening between us.”