“Hunter, please what? Do you want me to touch you? Drive you wild? Make you come? I can, you know.” Proving his point, he pressed her into the wall with his body, chest to chest, hips to hips. Grabbing her thigh, he lifted her leg, rubbed his erection against her center, and she moaned in agony. “I can do so much to you. Make you feel so good.”
She leaned her head against the wall with a soft thunk, exposing her elegant, long neck. Dipping in, he pressed his mouth to her pulse, licking her sweet skin, nipping at her flesh with his teeth. She yelped, her hands tight in his hair.
“It’s so easy between us, Gracie. Why do you want to deny it?” he asked, his mouth pressed against her neck before he darted out his tongue to lick. She tasted sweet, so damn sweet and he licked again. Like he couldn’t get enough of her.
Hell, he couldn’t.
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” she whispered. She wound his short hair around her fingers, gripping his head tight and dragging him back up so he had no choice but to face her. “This can’t happen. It’s a mistake we shouldn’t repeat.”
“You want to, though.”
She gave a little sound of frustration and stomped her foot, narrowly missing his. “I can’t do this.”
“Why not?”
“Because it messes with my head!
You
mess with my head.” She pressed her swollen lips together, her eyes pleading with him to understand. He got it, really he did. But logic wasn’t playing a part in his actions tonight.
He was reacting on pure emotion. And pure, all-consuming need.
“You mess with my head too, Gracie. Both of them.” With a chuckle he wrapped his hand around her wrist, bringing her hand down and resting it against his straining erection. It pressed against the front of his trousers, desperate to be set free, and her gentle touch set his skin on fire for her.
“Hunter.” She stroked him, as if she couldn’t help herself, and he swallowed hard. Desperate to stave off the urge to attack her and fuck her where she stood.
Yeah, he was behaving like a pushy bastard, but he wasn’t going to be a total jerk about it. Never again. He needed to let this woman know the truth.
“Can you feel what you do to me?” His voice came out a harsh whisper and he leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. Gazing into her beautiful green eyes, she was all he could see, all he could feel. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop thinking about the nights we spent together. They weren’t enough. I want more.” He breathed deep. “I know it’s not right, the position I’m putting you in. Trust me, I feel like a complete asshole, but you have to know. You have to know how I feel.”
She sighed and closed her eyes. Dropped her hand away from his cock, and he felt bereft. As if she was slowly but surely pulling away. Devastation waited to crash over him and his entire body went tense. “What do you feel? For me?” She cracked open her eyes, the irises brilliant with unshed tears.
Ah, God. He’d made her cry. He was a complete and utter ass. “I don’t know,” he said truthfully, and he saw the flicker in her gaze. He needed to make this right. “But I want to explore it—us together—and see where we take it.”
“It’s probably a big mistake,” she warned again.
“Huge,” he agreed, lifting his head from hers. He wasn’t going to lie. It felt like a huge setup to failure.
But maybe, just maybe, they could succeed. Together.
“I don’t like letting anyone in too close. You know this.” She hitched in a breath as if those few words took a lot for her to say.
“Why, Gracie? Because of your childhood?” He had a suspicion it all stemmed from her past, not that he could blame her.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just say I’ve been hurt. A lot. I’m trying to work through that.”
“Everyone’s been hurt.”
She smiled ruefully. “You’re right. Maybe I just have a harder time dealing with it.”
Anger rushed through him. He wanted to ease her pain. Protect her. Keep her safe and treasure her like she deserved. Cradling her face with his hands, he stared deep into her eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you. But—I can’t make any promises. Things happen. People do and say hurtful things all the time. It can’t be helped.” He had to be truthful. She deserved no less.
Gracie closed her eyes, tears clinging to her lashes. The sight of them tore at his heart. “I can’t expect you to make such a promise.”
“But I’ll do my damnedest to make you feel good. To treat you like you deserve to be treated.” Leaning in, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “With respect,” he murmured against her mouth before he kissed her again. “With honor.” Another kiss. “With passion.” One final, clinging kiss. “You deserve all of that and more.”
Emotions clutched at his heart, clogged his throat. A wave of tenderness washed over him at the way she leaned into him, how her breath hitched. She was overcome, maybe as overcome as he was and he didn’t know what to do next.
Well, he knew they needed to get out of here and quick. “Come home with me,” he whispered, kissing her again because he couldn’t resist. “Spend the night with me, Gracie.”
“We—we can’t leave together. Everyone will see.” Her voice trembled and he knew she worried.
“They’ve probably already noticed we’re gone.” If he remembered correctly, and Lord knew he’d been at Mick’s often enough the last ten years, he believed there was an exit door not far from the small banquet rooms in the back of the pub. “I think I know what we can do.”
He took her hand and led her out of the room, checking the hallway for anyone near before they emerged. He saw the glowing exit sign to his left in the distance, and he turned toward the door that loomed at the end of the hall.
She followed him, her fingers curled around his. Her trust in him was overwhelming. That she was willing to go with him still, after everything they’d gone through, it touched him deep.
Deeper than he ever wanted to admit. She’d wound her way around his heart so fast, and he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to rid himself of her.
Wondered further if he even
wanted
to rid himself of her.
Gracie was a thousand times a fool.
But a happy, blissed-out fool, in any case.
Hunter had kissed her continuously in the cab, kept her firmly in his embrace. His mouth never far from hers. She’d enjoyed it, reveled in it, loved the way he tasted, how he felt. Warm and protective, sexy and sweet, he’d reluctantly released his hold on her when the car had pulled in front of his apartment building.
And immediately pulled her back into his arms when the elevator doors shut and they were alone.
She’d never felt so wanted in her life. Of course, she’d never let down her barriers long enough to allow a man to treat her like a goddess. And that was exactly what she felt like, a sexy, sensual goddess who drove a handsome, powerful man such as Hunter Worth to absolute distraction.
It was a heady feeling. One she wasn’t willing to let go of.
The moment they slipped into his apartment, he had her in his embrace once more, pinned against the wall. His large hands held her in place, his thumbs pressing into the soft flesh of her stomach. More thorough, breath-stealing kisses, his tongue licked wickedly at hers, and her entire body lit up.
She might regret it later, but she doubted it. She’d regret their eventual break-up, but never the sex, the intimacy they shared. Their connection was so strong, so immediate. She knew exactly what he liked, what he needed. And he knew her needs too.
“I wanted to take you in the pub,” he murmured in her ear before he nipped it with his teeth. She hissed out a breath and her body throbbed at his words. “Reach my hand up your skirt, ease your panties down your legs and take you right up against the wall.”
Her knees wobbled. He liked walls. And so did she. Thank goodness for the wall now. She’d slide to the floor if it wasn’t there to prop her up. “What stopped you?”
He chuckled and slid his mouth down her throat in a wet, hot path. “I didn’t want you to be embarrassed if we got caught.”
That he thought of her first touched her. He really was too sweet. Nuzzling her cheek against his, she sighed. “Nothing’s stopping you now, though. No one can catch us.”
“You’re right.” He slipped a hand beneath her skirt, his fingers skimming up her thigh, coming closer, closer…until they brushed the front of her panties. “Mmm, you’re wet.”
She’d soaked through her panties, how mortifying. But he seemed pleased, if the note in his voice was any indication. And when he slipped his fingers beneath the front of her underwear and murmured his approval at what he found, she knew he was extremely pleased.
And so was she.
“Your skin is so soft,” he said just before he captured her lips with his. His tongue thrust in time with his fingers, and she whimpered, overcome with the sensations washing over her. She was going to come and quick, just like this. Hunter’s hand in her panties, his fingers touching her intimately, pressed against a wall.
A thrill moved through her, and she lifted her hips, trying to get him to touch her in just the right spot. He broke the kiss and smiled at her. “Tell me where, Gracie. Where do you want me to touch you?”
“Higher,” she whispered, shocked that she so easily did as he asked. He dragged his index finger through her folds at her direction, until he hovered just above her clitoris. “Yes, right there,” she sighed.
His touch was light, teasing as he circled the swollen nub. Holding her breath, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back against the wall, focusing solely on that one spot he touched. Her legs shook, and she slapped her hands against the wall, palms flat, fingers curled. She was close, so close…
“Come for me, Gracie,” he urged, and pleasure flooded her, filled her to bursting. A little cry escaped her lips, and she shivered uncontrollably with her orgasm, so thankful when he held her close until the quivering subsided. She plopped her head forward, leaning her forehead against his shoulder.
“Don’t fall asleep on me yet.” He sounded amused but strained, and he released his hold on her, went to work on his belt buckle, pulling off his belt, throwing it to the ground. Before he could start on his pants, she dropped to her knees and knelt before him, undoing the snap, sliding down the zipper, exposing his black boxer briefs. She gazed up at him reverently, renewed energy suffusing her when she caught sight of his erection straining against the front of his underwear.
“You don’t have to do that,” he started, but she cut him off with a pointed look.
“I want to.” She stroked his cotton-covered erection, smiling at the strangled sound that came from him. Her hands shook, an after-effect of her overpowering orgasm, and she carefully tugged the front of his briefs down, his erection coming free.
A wistful sigh escaped her. He was so big and beautiful. She hadn’t gotten a good look at him the other times they were together. Most everything had happened in the dark per her request.
What a fool she’d been, to shroud his naked glory in darkness. She’d missed out.
Well, she wasn’t missing out any longer.
She wrapped her hand around his cock and came forward, dropping a delicate kiss on the tip. He moaned, and she parted her lips wider, taking him inside her mouth. He was hard yet soft, salty yet sweet, and she wrapped her tongue around the head, licking the underside and making him groan long and hard.
“Gracie.” His voice was full of agony. “Stop. Please.”
Ignoring him, she continued her ministrations. Why would she stop? He tasted so good and his gut-wrenching reactions to what she did thrilled her. She dragged her tongue down the length of him, lifting her gaze to find him watching her.
The smoldering intensity she saw in his gaze sent a jolt straight to her core.
“Stop.” His voice was firm, and he picked her up by her shoulders with ease, holding her against the wall. “I want to come inside you.”
Oh.
Her insides loosened, his words touching her to the very depths of her soul. He entered her easily, sliding deep, holding himself there for a long, breathless moment before he withdrew almost all the way out.
They both moaned when he thrust back inside her, and he kept the lazy pace, driving her wild. He took his sweet time, ratcheting up the pleasure between them until it became almost unbearable.
Had she ever been so caught up in passion? So needy and eager to have a man inside her body? She didn’t think so. Hunter did something to her, made her feel so strongly, it was almost scary.
She opened her eyes to find him watching her, a languorous expression on his face, his eyes hooded. Sweat misted his forehead. He’d somehow in the excitement of it all had torn off his tie and unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt. He looked reckless, dangerous and when he reached for her, slipping his hands beneath her shirt to caress her bra-covered breasts, she moaned her encouragement.
“You are so gorgeous.” His voice was husky, thrilling along her nerve endings, and she arched into his hands, wanting him to touch her bare skin. “Why is it I can never wait when I’m with you? Why am I always taking you against a wall?”
His words thrilled her and she smiled. “I can’t wait either. And I happen to like walls.”