I reach for him, and he doesn’t move, letting me place my hand on his rock-hard back. “Why would any of this be your fault? I thought we agreed the guy is a psycho.”
A sigh rumbles through his chest. “There’s something I have to tell you.” He’s still hunched over, not turning to meet my gaze. “It’s about my past. I just… I pieced together what the messages were saying. I fathered a child before.”
My hand drops off his back as I take a step back. “A child?”
What is he saying?
“There was this girl I dated when I was seventeen, at school. We slept together a few times. Then I left to Milwaukee, and never saw her again. Never heard from her again, either. But it turns out I got her pregnant before I left.”
“Oh God…” I don’t know where this is going, but it can’t be anywhere good. “What happened?”
“She left town to stay with an aunt. Lost the baby. And killed herself.”
I stumble backward, his words a physical blow. I sit back on the kitchen table, my legs weak. “I’m so sorry.”
“I think…” His hands clench on the edge of the counter, white-knuckled. “I think her brother is after me. For revenge, I’m guessing. Although I didn’t fucking know any of this. And now my kids and you are in danger.”
This is crazy. And it means Ross is off the hook for good?
“I’m okay,” I whisper. “Your kids, too. Maybe he isn’t really trying to harm us.”
He finally pushes off the counter and turns to face me. The pain in his gaze has shifted to anger. “He won’t touch you, or my kids. I’ll feed him his balls if he ever comes near you again.”
My whole body prickles at this declaration. God, is it wrong that I’m throbbing between my legs when he goes all caveman on me? I want to wrap my legs around his slim hips and kiss him, I want him to spread me on the table and fill me up.
His eyes narrow, his muscular chest rising and falling faster. “Tay…”
“I don’t care,” I inform him. “It’s not your fault. And it changes nothing for me.”
He takes two steps closer, hands fisted at his sides, his gaze moving over my body, and my nipples tighten until they ache under his scrutiny. “You could get hurt for real.”
“I won’t stop living. I won’t let the bullies win. Ever.”
“I could hurt you.”
“I can take it, if it means I can be with you.” I lick my lips, needing his hands on me, on my bare skin, needing him to cover me and overwhelm me. Make me feel I’m his. “What am I to you?”
“Tay.” He’s so close I can see the emotions rolling through his eyes like clouds over a night sky. So close I could put my hand over the hard bulge in his sweats where his stiff cock is clearly outlined. I could wrap my arms around him and not let go. “I can’t…”
“Nothing has changed for me,” I say again, giving in and putting my hands on his chest, over warm skin. “I love you.”
I let my words hang between us. Watch him as he blinks ridiculously long lashes, a spark lighting up in his dark eyes.
Then he grabs me in his arms, lifting me up and spinning me around, making me gasp and squeal. He slows down, lets me slide down his body and buries his face in my neck, still holding me, keeping me close. His big frame is shaking, his breathing is harsh.
“Matt?” What have I done? “Just…”
“Me too,” he breathes against my neck, then against my lips. “God, Tay, me too.”
And he kisses me.
We kiss and kiss, and I can’t stop. Don’t want to. He presses me into the wall, his tongue invading my mouth, tangling with mine. He tastes delicious, like burnt caramel and spicy cake and sexy man, and his body crushes me, a solid wall of muscle.
It’s so good. His muscled arms bracket my face as he eats up my mouth, his muscular chest mashes my boobs, and a thick thigh is pressed between my legs, lighting sparks deep inside me.
A thrill passes through me wherever his naked skin touches mine.
And it’s not close enough.
I squirm, running my hands over his ribs, down to the small of his back, and God, his body strains under my palms. He growls deep in his throat, removes his thigh from between my legs—then grabs both my wrists in one large hand and holds them over my head.
I gasp when he slams them lightly on the wall, gasp again when he shoves his other hand under my dress and goes back to fucking my mouth with his tongue. His fingers slip under my panties, between my folds, into my pussy.
Oh dear God. I’m going to come just like this. I’m going to…
The world splinters, a blinding explosion, a clench and release, a detonation of pleasure.
I shudder against the wall, against him, fucking myself on his strong, long fingers as I come and come, moaning in his mouth.
Holy shit. Every time is better, every time—
I shake as he drags his fingers out of me slowly, teasingly, making me clench again.
“Matt…” My voice is strangled and hoarse as if I’d been screaming.
He lifts the fingers that were inside me and locks his gaze with mine as he licks them, his eyes darkening. “Sweet,” he whispers, his voice husky like hell.
That’s so hot.
“I want…” I swallow hard.
“What do you want, sweets?” He runs the fingers he just cleaned with his lips and tongue over my throat, down my chest, between my breasts, tugging the fabric down. “Tell me, because otherwise I’ll just fuck you into the wall, fast and dirty.”
I swallow again. My mouth is dry. “The kids…”
“Like I said, fast.” He tugs the fabric lower, revealing my bra. “And tonight… tonight we can take it slow. I want to put my mouth on your tits, on your pussy, fuck you with my tongue, and then with my dick, again and again, until you come, screaming.”
“Scream? But—”
“I’ll gag you. I’ll put my hand over your mouth.” He leans in, whispers in my ear, “Or maybe, if you get loud, I’ll just put my cock in your mouth to keep you quiet, how about that?”
Fire licks at my cheeks, but also my insides, and I moan helplessly. “Oh God, yes.”
“You like that, huh?” He licks a strip down my throat, bites at my shoulder, everything he does lighting me up all over again, my pussy wet and clenching on nothing. “You ever gone down on a guy before?”
I shake my head, shivering when his hand cups and kneads my breast, playing with my stiff nipple.
“You’ve been a good little girl. But you’re a woman now. And you’re mine.” His fingers squeeze my nipple to the point of pain and it’s a bolt of lust straight between my legs. “Say it. Say you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” I whisper back, moaning and shaking, a toy in his hands. “I love being yours.”
“Fuck, you don’t know what you do to me.” He grunts, presses his body to mine, and the feel of his rock-hard erection inside his sweats makes me see stars. Never wanted anyone like this. “Need you now.”