Chapter 16
Cruz groaned. He had Rosie beneath him, sated. His hand on her throat, he could take her right now, rough or gentle. She’d let him, he knew it. But there was no reason to rush. They had all night.
Her words and her exploring fingers made his cock jump. He’d been hard since they’d gotten out of his truck. Just the thought of her naked curves made him crazy. And seeing her come apart, tasting her, he knew once would never be enough.
He was already addicted to her, and he planned to do all in his power to make her feel the same.
“You’ll get your turn, baby. But not this time.”
She stroked her hands down his back, her soft touch igniting fire as she drew lower. She reached the waistband of his boxer briefs and hooked her fingers under the edge. He released his hold on her and set his hands on the floor on either side of her head. Drawn to those sexy, naughty lips, he dipped to kiss her.
She met him eagerly, hungry, as if she were still as needy as he felt. Her little tongue darted along his, sweeping inside boldly. She arched her back, pushing those perfect breasts up into his chest.
He groaned, unable to resist cupping one full mound. “God, the things I want to do to you,” he murmured against her mouth.
Her breath hitched and she pushed at the fabric of his shorts. “I want whatever that means.” Her drawl tickled over his cheek in a verbal caress.
Hell. He stood and held her gaze as he pushed his underwear over his hips and let them fall. He tracked her eyes in the low light as she stared at his cock. Freed of its confines, it bobbed straight toward her. She licked her lips.
God, she was an angel. A sassy one. A sweet one. And one that needed to be satisfied again.
Reaching for his jeans, he dug a condom from one pocket. He tore it open and rolled it on, spurred on by those hungry eyes of hers.
He dropped to cover her body. She still had that scrap of a tank top around her waist and hips, and that’s where it could stay. There’d be time to get her completely naked later. She instantly reached for him, gripping his shoulders as he settled his weight between her legs. He let his cock brush against her center, intending to tease her. But just the hint of her heat was enough to tear through most of his restraint.
She leaned up and kissed his shoulders, anywhere she could reach on them. Her lips were a soft contrast to her teeth as she nibbled his skin. Her hair tickled, her body was hot, her breasts pressed against his chest.
Beautiful Rosie. He needed her this goddamn second.
“You ready for me, baby?” he rumbled, needing to ask. Needing to hear she was on board. Just to make sure.
“Yes. I want you,” she whispered and lightly scraped her nails down his back.
Thank the lord. He positioned himself at her entrance and pushed in an inch. Watching her face, he gauged her reaction.
“I can take you.” She caressed his upper arms again.
He nudged in farther. Her eyes went wide for a minute and she let out a deep breath. “I’m good, Cruz. Just like that.”
Thank god. Because stopping would be hell. She was hotter than he could have imagined, her body gripping him like a vise. He sank fully inside her velvet heat and a groan slipped from his mouth.
God, she was perfect. His balls brushed the soft skin between her legs. Beneath him her face was flushed, lips parted, and she mouthed his name.
He pulled back and rocked in again, coating himself in the evidence of her release. Slick. Heated. Her legs came up to lock around his hips.
She traced the ink on his shoulders before her hands wandered down to his abs. Every little brush made him ache for more, for her to touch him everywhere. Fascination lit her eyes as she explored him, like she was trying to memorize him. And hell, he’d give her every chance she wanted.
“You’re so tight and perfect,” he gritted. Her hands were magic. Her body so open and lush and ready. It all combined to urge him faster. “Need you, baby.” He curled his hands under her shoulders and started a steady pace.
Every inch of her squeezed him as he slid in and out. The pressure on his cock was sweet torture, every ridge of him stroked by her tight walls. He couldn’t remember when sex had felt this good. He rocked harder into her and her breasts bounced against his chest. Those fuckable breasts that he planned to spend lots of time on later.
She was breathing hard as he moved faster, but her eyes glowed with an earthy heat. She skimmed her hands down his sides, teasing the skin at his hips before moving around to grab his ass.
“Fuck, Rosie.” He thrust faster, past the point of no return. All that existed in his world was fucking her, and the mind-blowing orgasm that was building at the base of his spine. A light sheen of sweat slicked between them. Her hair fanned out around her head like a halo. So pretty, so perfect…a growl tore from his chest as he exploded inside her. His hips slammed hers. There was no way he could go slowly but thank god, she didn’t seem to mind. She grabbed his shoulders and hung on, nipping his skin with her little teeth.
As the last wave shook through him, he let his weight settle on her. His heart hammered in his chest as his lungs kicked into gear and remembered to breathe. “Baby,” he mumbled against her neck. Blissed-out numbness spread through his limbs.
“Cruz.” Her voice was barely audible and she tapped his back.
“Shit.” He pushed up, straightening his arms. “Sorry.”
She took a huge breath. “It’s okay. You’re just a lot bigger than me.”
An image flashed into his head of her on top of him, along with the plan to do it that way next time so she could collapse on him. Hell. They were still connected, and his dick throbbed inside her.
“You’re amazing.” She pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, and the sex glow of her eyes made him swell with pride.
“So are you.” He dipped down for a quick kiss, then slowly withdrew from her. “Be right back.” He stood and headed to the bathroom, where he quickly disposed of the condom.
Returning to the room, he found she’d turned off the light. She stood silhouetted against the window, framed in the barely there light of a half moon, soft hair wild from his loving. She stepped toward him and he pulled her close.
“Can you stay?” she asked softly.
“Of course.” Had she thought he wouldn’t? That he’d fuck her and leave? Anger bubbled up in him, wondering if that’s how she had been treated in the past. He slid a finger under her jaw and tilted her head to look at him. “I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”
She smiled, a sweet, genuine, delighted smile. “Let’s go upstairs.”
“You got it.” She could ask him to go anywhere with her right now and it would be fine. Upstairs, outside, out on the grass, on the porch. He scooped up his jeans, which held his condom stash, and grabbed the rest of his clothes.
She did the same and led the way up the stairs in the foyer, but hell if he could pay any attention to things like steps. Her bare, sexy ass was right in front of him and he couldn’t keep his hands off. He dropped his clothing and grabbed her hips.
She let out a squeak as he pressed a kiss to her lower back and squeezed each of her perfect cheeks.
“You have…” He kissed down the swell of one side. “The hottest ass.” At the bottom of her sweet cheeks, the scent of her release was concentrated and damn intoxicating. He licked her skin, moving closer to her core.
She gasped and clutched the railing. “C-Cruz?” She twisted to look at him.
He straightened, keeping one hand firmly on one buttock. Maybe that was new for her. He leaned in to her ear. “Have you ever…” he kissed the shell of her ear. “Let anyone…” He slid his fingers closer to the center of her ass.
“No.” Her eyes were wide, but the more he massaged her, getting close but not touching her directly, her lids dropped lower. A tiny sigh escaped her lips.
“One day, baby.” He dragged his fingers up her ass from bottom to top and back down. “But not tonight.”
“Okay,” she whispered on a shy smile.
Christ, she was killing him with her mix of naiveté and knowledge. Inexperience in one thing, a pro at another. And the thought of what she had just agreed to sent blood surging to his cock. He smacked her bottom. “Let’s get to bed.”
She whirled and darted up the steps, turning left. He charged after her and found himself in a large dark room. Bare wood floors, smooth under his feet, glowed faintly in the light of windows on two sides of the room. Rosie stood next to a bed with an antique intricate white iron headboard. He stalked toward her beautiful naked body and pushed her down onto a soft quilt.
Rosie giggled and scooted over to make room for him to lay next to her. A soft breeze lifted gauzy curtains, but the bed was all in shadows. Talk about one place he never expected to be—naked in bed with Rosie Marlow, with an unfinished poker game downstairs.
She lay on her side, facing him, eyes devouring his chest. “I want to know about all of these,” she murmured, and reached out to trace the tattoo on his right pec. “What does this mean?”
“Vivir por la espada, morir por la espada.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Live by the sword, die by the sword.”
A tiny frown knitted her brows. “Why?”
He rolled to his back, still holding her hand. “That kind of life was all I could envision. Constant violence. I figured I’d end up dead soon. Definitely never thought I’d live to be twenty-eight.”
Shock strained her voice. “Oh my god, Cruz.”
“I saw so many brothers die. And guys in rival gangs. Teenagers. Drop outs like me.” He studied her smooth unmarked skin. “Then there were the innocent people in the neighborhoods, caught in the crossfire. It happened all the time.”
“Why doesn’t it get better? What about the police?”
“They can’t be everywhere at once and they can’t keep up.”
“I’m so glad you’re here and away from all that.”
“Me too.” He forced a smile he didn’t feel. Because, like he’d tried to tell her, he’d carry the scars of that lifestyle forever. He was hundreds of miles from the city, but the darkness still lived inside him. Rosie was too sweet, too pure, for him to deserve her. But he was pulled to her as if by gravitational force. He was a bastard for stealing this time with her, but he couldn’t stay away.