He was lost in their heightened state of arousal. He buried his hand in her hair, cupping the base of her skull and angling her mouth so he could intensify their kisses. Somewhere beneath the lust, beneath the greediness pushing his hips harder against her, thrusting his tongue deeper, came a foggy warning.
He drew back, giving heed to the caution he needed to remember. Her dark eyes held him captive, full of disappointment and morphing quickly to a look of fierce determination. The music came into focus, and he recognized the provocative beat of “Way Down We Go” by Kaleo. Sensual beats climbed slowly, mounting to explosive crescendos, then dialing down to provocative vibrations before escalating again to a dominating thrum of electricity.
Crystal guided his hands tighter around her waist, rubbing her gorgeous body against him and wreaking havoc with his control.
She mouthed, Don’t let go, and arched back, her arms falling limply to her sides, her shoulders swaying like branches in the wind. If he let go, she would fall, and he knew it was another show of trust.
CRYSTAL GAVE HERSELF over to the adrenaline coursing through her veins, the desire rising through her core. Bear’s penetrating gaze heated up every inch between her face to the juncture of their bodies, where his strong hands kept her anchored against him. He’d cast such threatening glares at the other men on the dance floor, she’d wondered if he’d loosen up enough to dance, but her attempt at drawing his complete attention had worked.
She’d begun letting the music take her over like this when she was alone at night in her apartment after she’d first moved back to Peaceful Harbor. The nights when she was so restless nothing would quiet her ghosts. She’d come to Whispers a few times with Gemma before Gemma and Tru had gotten together, but she’d never danced like this with a man. Now, as pieces of herself she’d thought she’d lost long ago sparked to life, she needed this dark, erotic release. It was another step in finding herself, trusting herself. And she knew she was safe to explore that realm with Bear.
She grabbed hold of his leather vest, feeling his power in the press of his hands on her back, soaking in his strength as she pulled herself upright. Led by the auditory seduction, their bodies came together like the sun melted into the horizon. The music faded to a whisper, the nearly silent beat pulsing beneath her skin. Bear’s eyes blazed with desire.
“Kiss me again.” She drew his mouth to hers, anticipating the dominant thrum of the chorus.
He kissed her with the force of rolling thunder. She returned his efforts with fervor, her body vibrating in memory of what they’d done earlier. Her hands moved down his biceps, feeling the ridges of his muscles as he tightened his grip on her.
When the song ended and their mouths parted, she said, “I want to keep kissing you.” Her confession came unbidden, but it was as true as true could be.
“Not here.” His rough voice thrilled her.
His arm circled her waist, holding her so tightly she thought he’d like to unzip his skin and tuck her inside. He plowed through the crowd, straight out the doors. Cool air rushed over her heated skin, bringing rise to goose bumps. When they stepped out of the dome of light thrown from the club, Bear hauled her against him, taking her in one toe-curling kiss after another. They stumbled, kissing their way across the pavement.
“Where’d you learn to dance like that?” he asked.
“Taught myself. I needed a way to destress. Just kiss me.”
And he did. Urgent and rough, then slow and deep, in an intoxicating rhythm that made her want, and want, and want. Their hands were all over each other at once, and when they reached his motorcycle, they both stopped and stared at it. Getting on the bike meant no more kissing. She wanted to kiss! She stole a glance at Bear and knew by his grimace that he was wrestling with the same conundrum.
He touched his lips to hers in a kiss so sweet her insides melted.
“I love those kisses, too.”
“Sugar, I’ve got months of kisses with your name on them.” He hugged her, kissing her until she was light-headed.
She grabbed his vest. “You need to stop.”
He did. Immediately.
She banged her forehead on his chest, hating that she had a past that interfered on any level, but especially on this level. “Do you have to listen so well?”
“Damn right I do.” He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes with a serious expression.
“I love that you’re careful, and I want you to be. But I meant I needed you to stop because I was so caught up in you my knees were going weak.”
His lips curved up in appreciation. “Yeah?”
“Yes. And I hate that the sexiness of what I meant gets lost in the worry of what you think I need. I must not know how to send the right signals. But I’ll figure it out.”
“Trust me, babe. You’re sending all the right signals.”
A group of guys piled out of a car a few parking spots away, and Bear pulled her closer. “Come on, let’s go back to your place, where I don’t have to watch guys leer at my woman.”
“For a guy who says he knows he doesn’t own me, that’s a very ownerish thing to say.”
He helped her onto the bike, ignoring her taunt.
“How fast can you safely get us to my place?”
“Less than ten minutes. Why?”
“Because I want to kiss you!” She pulled him down for another kiss, and he straddled the bike, facing her, and proceeded to kiss her until every inch of her body went nearly numb. When he leaned in for another, she planted her palm on the center of his chest and shook her head.
“One more kiss like that and I’ll fall off the bike.”
“No kisses, then, but a massive vibrating beast beneath you.” He winked, and gave her one last quick peck. “Hold on tight, sweet girl.”
After getting their helmets on and resituating themselves, Bear reached behind them and hauled her forward, as he’d done the other night. The engine rumbled to life, and her girly parts threw a little party. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling the waist of his jeans beneath her fingers as he pulled out of the parking lot. Her mind was still on their kisses, and her body was completely engrossed in the vibration happening down below. She wondered if it was affecting him, too, and the longer they rode, the more curious she became. As he turned into the parking lot at her apartment complex, she let her hand drift south, over his zipper. The big bulge of denim was warm. So warm. She glanced in the mirror and could tell he was smiling.
He parked, and as she moved her hand, he placed his over it, squeezing lightly so she could feel all of him. She buried her face in his back, like a kid caught with a firecracker who hadn’t thought about the repercussions of being discovered. She felt him grow bigger beneath her palm, and her pulse sprinted, but she didn’t try to pull away. She liked this silent descent into naughtiness. She felt his fingers lace with hers and he moved her hand from between his legs. Removing his helmet, he turned toward her with a wolfish grin. For a beat they didn’t speak; she wasn’t even sure she breathed.