Primal Instincts: Volume 2, page 16
Of course, if you factored in our brief phone encounters or the shitstorm that ultimately erupted thanks to me, perhaps it felt more like a lifetime of dates rather than just the beginning.
“I haven’t been on a first date in … as long as I can remember,” I admitted, surprising myself by how much I revealed. What I didn’t tell Journey was that I didn’t date vanilla women as a rule, although I had a few female friends who would indulge me from time to time. It kept the tabloids from making assumptions or digging for dirt that was better left uncovered.
Before she had revealed she was a member of an online kink community, I probably would’ve classified her as vanilla or perhaps a submissive who hadn’t fully tapped into that side of herself yet. Now I wasn’t so sure I hadn’t underestimated her experience.
Journey grinned up at me. “I’ve had two first dates, not counting this one, in the past two weeks.”
“Are you bragging?”
“Considering I haven’t dated anyone since high school, I’m not sure it qualifies as bragging.”
We kept walking toward my car, our pace incredibly slow.
Journey stopped suddenly and looked up at me, her expression almost serious but not quite. “I’m sorry. I didn’t consider it might be past your bedtime.”
A strangled laugh escaped me. “You’re teasing me about my age?” I didn’t tell her that I’d paddled submissives for less.
“I mean... I’m not the one who was alive when Top Gun came out in what, ’79?”
Her eyes glittered with amusement, and I wasn’t sure she’d looked more beautiful than in that moment, the moonlight cascading over her, bathing her in cool white.
“Try ’86,” I corrected her.
She tapped her chin, shook her head. “Nope. Not born then, either.”
I laughed because I couldn’t help myself. If she thought I was even remotely bothered by the fifteen-year age gap, she was wrong. I didn’t give a shit one way or the other.
“Let me ask you this,” I said, clicking the fob to unlock the car door. “What would you be doing right now if you weren’t out with me?”
Journey leaned against the car and stared up at me. “Well, if my parents weren’t out of town and I wasn’t cat-sitting for them...” She shrugged. “I’d be camped out on my couch at my apartment.”
Her answer reminded me of her innocence.
“And since they’re not home?”
“Camped out on their couch.”
“Not out with friends?”
“From time to time, sure. But I’ve only got one who lives close enough to hang out. Rhylee. The one you met at Austere. The other’s in Florida. We talk on the phone a couple of times a week, though.”
I crossed my arms over my chest as I stood in front of her. “Prefer solitude?”
She shook her head. “Not particularly, no. I had a few good friends in high school, but we didn’t keep in touch after. I ended up a bit of a loner in college. It took a lot out of me. With so many classes, I didn’t have time to do laundry, much less hang out.”
“But you have more time now?”
“I do,” she said slowly. “Why?”
Unable to resist, I placed a hand on her cheek and smoothed my thumb along her cheekbone. “I plan on filling some of that free time.”
A slow smile pulled at her pretty mouth. “Is that a request or a demand?”
“Does it matter?”
We stared at each other for a silent beat. I could feel the energy shifting between us. It was a potent mixture of curiosity and desire, one that I suspected would be explosive when we finally gave in to it.
Her voice took on a softer tone. “Can I ask you something personal?”
“I can’t promise I’ll answer.”
Journey’s eyes skimmed over my face. “Are you a Dominant?”
Of all the questions she could’ve asked, I didn’t expect that one.
“Would it matter one way or the other?”
She shrugged. “Not really, no.”
“Then why would you ask that question?”
“I don’t know. It’s just … I guess I got this vibe.” She waved me off. “Forget I asked.” Her smile returned, but even I could tell it wasn’t quite as genuine as before. “What would you be doing if you weren’t out with me?”
I considered that for a moment and opted for the vanilla answer. “If I’m not at Austere, I’m usually at the house. Playing poker or darts with Garrison and Hawk.”
“Do they come over often?”
“They live there.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows arched. “Like roommates? Or…” She shrugged. “Or whatever?”
I grinned. She was fucking cute. “Yes. Roommates.”
“And Nick?”
“He’s not around as much.”
“Falling out?”
“He got married.”
Her eyes rounded with concern. “Oh.”
“Not anymore. He recently went through a divorce.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I couldn’t stop touching her or staring into her eyes. Something about this woman tripped me up and made me see things from an entirely different perspective.
“Anyone else live in that big house of yours?”
I shook my head.
“Just the three of you?” She put her hand around my wrist; mine was still caressing her cheek. “Y’all are close, I can tell.”
“We are.”
“So, how big’s this house you live in?”
I hesitated, then went with, “Big enough for the four of us.”
“You mean you, Garrison, Hawk, and Nick, right?”
“Who else would I mean?”
“Me, you, Garrison, and Hawk.”
My entire body hardened, and I tried to hide my reaction. For whatever reason, her comment triggered an image of her spread out between Hawk and Garrison, the two of them drawing out her pleasure slowly while I watched.
Journey smiled. “I’m teasing.”
I was aware of her fingers gripping the pocket of my slacks, a light tug encouraging me to step closer. I did, without hesitation, placing my other hand on her hip. I liked how she fit nicely in the circle of my arms and had to tilt her head back to meet my eyes.
“Are you?”
Her expression smoothed out. “Why would you ask that?”
“You pointed out you had two first dates in the past two weeks. With Hawk and Garrison.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No one asked for exclusivity.”
“Are you opposed to it?”
Her gaze skimmed over my face, and I realized I’d pushed too far.
Her husky voice lowered. “Is that you trying to tell me I can’t see them anymore?”
Because I wanted to be completely transparent with her, I said, “No.”
“Good.”
I frowned. “Good?”
“I know it might not be conventional, but I’m not ready to stop seeing Hawk.”
“And Garrison?”
Journey looked away, and once again, I wondered what had happened between them. The tension between them was palpable, although neither acknowledged it. Since I’d promised I wouldn’t ask, I couldn’t, and it was killing me slowly.
“If he wants to … see me again, I won’t say no.”
I didn’t anticipate this. I never expected Journey to insist on dating more than one person. I assumed she was the sort who preferred monogamy.
“We’ll play it your way for now. But anyone other than Hawk or Garrison...” I cupped her face more firmly and held her gaze. “You’re off limits to anyone else.”
Journey’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re serious? You don’t have a problem with me dating them while…”
“As much as I want to own you, hellcat, I don’t. Not yet.”
Her breath hitched.
“I told you. I’m a possessive man. I want to own your pleasure.”
I could see questions burning in the teal-blue depths of her eyes, but she didn’t voice them. I was grateful since I wasn’t sure I could answer them in a way that would make sense to her. Telling her how the thought of her with anyone else made me insane would likely have her running for the hills. At the same time, I’d done a lot of soul-searching over the past twenty-four hours, and I realized Journey was right about one thing. I was playing a game, and I dragged two of my best friends into it without considering the repercussions. It wasn’t until I was face to face with Garrison that morning that I realized Hawk and I weren’t the only ones she’d won over. Of course, Garrison was far too loyal to go against my orders. At least, he had been. I wasn’t so sure that was still the case.
We stood there in the parking lot of the pizza shop, the rest of the world falling away. It was just the two of us, lost in this thing brewing in the air, something that threatened to consume us both without warning.
“I don’t know what this is,” Journey said. “Between us, I mean. It feels...”
“Bigger than us?”
“Yes.”
“I know.”
She blinked once, twice. “What are we gonna do about it?”
That was the big question. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an answer.
Her head tilted slightly, her eyes still locked with mine. “If you say take things slow...”
My smile returned. She did that to me. “I’ve got your panties and bra in my pocket. I think we’ve taken slow off the table.”
“I’m glad.”
“Are you always this brutally honest?”
“You told me I couldn’t lie, remember?”
I stepped closer, my knees capturing her thighs between them. I tilted her head back and let my lips hover over hers for a second, then closed the gap, claiming her mouth. Like before, I had intended for the kiss to be quick and chaste, but she changed my direction with a soft moan as her arms went around my waist.
Sliding my hand to the back of her head, I held her there, consuming her. Her tongue played against mine in a sensual dance that made my body burn. It would’ve been easy to take what she offered, but I was reluctant. Not because I didn’t want to take this to the next level. I did. I definitely did. Hell, for the past two hours, I’d been thinking about peeling that damn dress off her body and using my tongue to learn every fucking inch of her. But there was a difference between not taking things slow and moving at warp speed, which we were most definitely doing.
“Creed.” Her breasts crushed to my chest, and her arms tightened around me.
I fucking loved to hear my name whispered in that sexy, husky voice.
The sound of a horn honking in the distance had me slowing things down. I didn’t release her, but I did pull my mouth from hers. We were both breathing hard, and I knew if we kept this up, I would have her naked beneath me. I wanted it more than my next breath, and I suspected she did, too. However, something deep inside me warned that warp speed wasn’t the right way to go with her. Not with something as precious and fragile as what was happening here.
“I should take you home.”
“I knew you were gonna say that.” Another smile tugged at her lips, but this one faltered. “I assume you won’t make it past the front door?”
“Journey ... what are you asking me for?”
She stared back at me, a wealth of emotion churning in her gaze, but she didn’t speak. I couldn’t tell if she was bothered that I asked or was simply trying to decide how she wanted to answer.
I tapped her chin lightly. “For the record, I’ll give you anything you want.” I lowered my voice. “But you have to ask for it.”
“You said it yourself. You’ve got my panties and bra in your pocket. I figured it would be obvious.”
“I don’t take anything at face value. If you want me to understand something, I expect you to use your words.”
“I didn’t take them off for my benefit,” she rasped.
Fucking Christ. This woman made it impossible to resist her.
“I’m trying to do the right thing here, hellcat.”
“The right thing for you? Or the right thing for me?”
She pulled back, leaning against the car. Her legs were still trapped between mine, but I felt like she was now a million miles away.
Headlights from a car entering the parking lot swept across us, reminding me we were in public, and while I felt my resolve crumbling, I damn sure wasn’t about to do something that would put this woman on display. Not here, anyway. For the moment, her pleasure was mine and mine alone.
“Get in the car,” I told her as I stepped back.
She said, “You know, saying please might not kill you,” but she turned and opened the car door.
She was a brat. That much I knew.
I waited until she was inside, then closed the door behind her. I walked to the driver’s side, took a deep breath, then got in the car.
“Do me a favor, Creed.”
“What’s that?” I asked, my hand hovering over the start button.
“Don’t keep playing games with me.”
I glared over at her, shocked that she would think I was capable of that. Here I was, being a gentleman, and she was accusing me of what? Leading her on?
It was enough to flip a switch inside me. That primal beast that paced deep inside me stopped moving, alert to his surroundings. Everything slowed down as one thing became my focus. Her. She was prey, and I was the predator, and the only way to sate the primal urge was to claim what was mine.
It took effort to contain the exigency, the desire to grab her roughly, to take because she was willing to give. The last thing I wanted was to scare the little kitten, so I reached over and slid my hand under her hair, cupping the back of her head. I pulled her toward me as I leaned in. My lips found hers in the dark. She moaned softly, and I swallowed the sound, holding it deep inside while I plundered her mouth.
She was liquid fire, her body instantly pliant beneath the onslaught. It triggered that instinct, had me testing the strength of those tethers holding my lust at bay.
“If you think for one second I don’t want to get under this dress, you’re wrong. I want nothing more,” I growled against her mouth.
“Then why aren’t you?”
I was tempted to warn her off, to tell her there were things I wanted from her that she couldn’t possibly understand because she was too innocent and pure for the likes of me. But if I did that, if I told her there would come a time when there were no requests, only demands on my part, she’d find a way to run. Sure, I fucking loved the chase, but if it wasn’t as a predator after his prey, it held no appeal. And while I’d like to shield her from that darkness, I was too fucking selfish to give her up.
I held her stare in the darkened car, my face inches from hers. “Pull up your dress.”
I felt her shift.
“Higher,” I commanded roughly.
She shifted again, the material stretching across her hips, barely maintaining the secrecy of what was beneath.
“Now spread your legs.”
I felt the tension in her neck as soon as the words were out of my mouth, but I didn’t intend to soften it with a please or thank you. I teased along her leg, moving from her knee toward the top of her thigh. Her eyes skimmed my face, but I wasn’t sure what she was hoping to find.
“I can hardly breathe for how much I fucking want you.”
Her knees fell open. “Then have me, Creed.”
I’d be damned if that dare didn’t threaten to snap the choke chain keeping my hunger for her from shattering us both.
I held her by the back of her neck as I slid my hand beneath the stretchy fabric of her dress, my fingers seeking the heat of her. I could tease and caress, but clearly, she had an end goal in mind, and since she had already caused my control to fray, I figured it was futile to turn this into a game.
“Fuck,” I groaned when my fingers brushed the apex of her thighs.
She was baby-smooth, which meant she’d waxed recently or she shaved often. I found the slick lips of her sex.
Twining my fingers in her hair, I pulled her head back forcefully, meeting her gaze and holding it. “Once I touch you, that’s it for me, Journey. You understand what that means?”
Her expression was a wild combination of confusion and lust. “What does it mean, Creed?”
“It means your pleasure belongs to me. Me. No one else. One taste of you won’t be enough for me. And kitten, I’m not the sweet, gentle lover you’ve fantasized about.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t go thinking you know anything about me, Creed Granger. Sweet and gentle have nothing to do with this.”
That comment surprised me, but I didn’t let it deter me. “I’m demanding and possessive,” I said against her lips, my voice dropping an octave. “I take what I want when I want, and you … you’ll give it to me because you need it, too, little cat. You’ll crave what only I can give you. It’s an addiction, a need so potent you won’t understand it, but once you experience it, it’ll call out to you. Do you understand me now?”
She nodded as much as my firm grip on her hair would allow.
I nudged her legs wider, dragging my finger along the slick, warm lips of her sex before pressing deeper, seeking her tight entrance. “Your pussy’s so fucking wet.”
She groaned, her head falling back when I glided my finger upward along the seam. I found the little nub and circled the tip of my finger over it.
“Creed...”
“Tell me, hellcat. What do you want me to do to you?”
“Everything.”
I wasn’t expecting that, but it triggered my primal instinct. The dark, possessive beast inside me reared its head, gearing up to take what was mine. I slid one finger inside her, slow and deep, feeling the smooth walls of her cunt as they clutched at me. She was so damn tight and so fucking hot.
“Is this what you want?”
“Yes.” She bucked her hips, trying to fuck my hand.
“Then open your eyes and look at me,” I demanded gruffly.
Her eyes snapped open, meeting mine. The brilliant blue glittered in the dim light from the restaurant.
“Keep them open. On me.”
Her eyes held steady as I added another finger, sliding them through her slickness, filling her as those husky sounds grew louder. She was so fucking beautiful like that. The problem was, I knew if I fucked her, I’d never want to stop.
“I haven’t been on a first date in … as long as I can remember,” I admitted, surprising myself by how much I revealed. What I didn’t tell Journey was that I didn’t date vanilla women as a rule, although I had a few female friends who would indulge me from time to time. It kept the tabloids from making assumptions or digging for dirt that was better left uncovered.
Before she had revealed she was a member of an online kink community, I probably would’ve classified her as vanilla or perhaps a submissive who hadn’t fully tapped into that side of herself yet. Now I wasn’t so sure I hadn’t underestimated her experience.
Journey grinned up at me. “I’ve had two first dates, not counting this one, in the past two weeks.”
“Are you bragging?”
“Considering I haven’t dated anyone since high school, I’m not sure it qualifies as bragging.”
We kept walking toward my car, our pace incredibly slow.
Journey stopped suddenly and looked up at me, her expression almost serious but not quite. “I’m sorry. I didn’t consider it might be past your bedtime.”
A strangled laugh escaped me. “You’re teasing me about my age?” I didn’t tell her that I’d paddled submissives for less.
“I mean... I’m not the one who was alive when Top Gun came out in what, ’79?”
Her eyes glittered with amusement, and I wasn’t sure she’d looked more beautiful than in that moment, the moonlight cascading over her, bathing her in cool white.
“Try ’86,” I corrected her.
She tapped her chin, shook her head. “Nope. Not born then, either.”
I laughed because I couldn’t help myself. If she thought I was even remotely bothered by the fifteen-year age gap, she was wrong. I didn’t give a shit one way or the other.
“Let me ask you this,” I said, clicking the fob to unlock the car door. “What would you be doing right now if you weren’t out with me?”
Journey leaned against the car and stared up at me. “Well, if my parents weren’t out of town and I wasn’t cat-sitting for them...” She shrugged. “I’d be camped out on my couch at my apartment.”
Her answer reminded me of her innocence.
“And since they’re not home?”
“Camped out on their couch.”
“Not out with friends?”
“From time to time, sure. But I’ve only got one who lives close enough to hang out. Rhylee. The one you met at Austere. The other’s in Florida. We talk on the phone a couple of times a week, though.”
I crossed my arms over my chest as I stood in front of her. “Prefer solitude?”
She shook her head. “Not particularly, no. I had a few good friends in high school, but we didn’t keep in touch after. I ended up a bit of a loner in college. It took a lot out of me. With so many classes, I didn’t have time to do laundry, much less hang out.”
“But you have more time now?”
“I do,” she said slowly. “Why?”
Unable to resist, I placed a hand on her cheek and smoothed my thumb along her cheekbone. “I plan on filling some of that free time.”
A slow smile pulled at her pretty mouth. “Is that a request or a demand?”
“Does it matter?”
We stared at each other for a silent beat. I could feel the energy shifting between us. It was a potent mixture of curiosity and desire, one that I suspected would be explosive when we finally gave in to it.
Her voice took on a softer tone. “Can I ask you something personal?”
“I can’t promise I’ll answer.”
Journey’s eyes skimmed over my face. “Are you a Dominant?”
Of all the questions she could’ve asked, I didn’t expect that one.
“Would it matter one way or the other?”
She shrugged. “Not really, no.”
“Then why would you ask that question?”
“I don’t know. It’s just … I guess I got this vibe.” She waved me off. “Forget I asked.” Her smile returned, but even I could tell it wasn’t quite as genuine as before. “What would you be doing if you weren’t out with me?”
I considered that for a moment and opted for the vanilla answer. “If I’m not at Austere, I’m usually at the house. Playing poker or darts with Garrison and Hawk.”
“Do they come over often?”
“They live there.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows arched. “Like roommates? Or…” She shrugged. “Or whatever?”
I grinned. She was fucking cute. “Yes. Roommates.”
“And Nick?”
“He’s not around as much.”
“Falling out?”
“He got married.”
Her eyes rounded with concern. “Oh.”
“Not anymore. He recently went through a divorce.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I couldn’t stop touching her or staring into her eyes. Something about this woman tripped me up and made me see things from an entirely different perspective.
“Anyone else live in that big house of yours?”
I shook my head.
“Just the three of you?” She put her hand around my wrist; mine was still caressing her cheek. “Y’all are close, I can tell.”
“We are.”
“So, how big’s this house you live in?”
I hesitated, then went with, “Big enough for the four of us.”
“You mean you, Garrison, Hawk, and Nick, right?”
“Who else would I mean?”
“Me, you, Garrison, and Hawk.”
My entire body hardened, and I tried to hide my reaction. For whatever reason, her comment triggered an image of her spread out between Hawk and Garrison, the two of them drawing out her pleasure slowly while I watched.
Journey smiled. “I’m teasing.”
I was aware of her fingers gripping the pocket of my slacks, a light tug encouraging me to step closer. I did, without hesitation, placing my other hand on her hip. I liked how she fit nicely in the circle of my arms and had to tilt her head back to meet my eyes.
“Are you?”
Her expression smoothed out. “Why would you ask that?”
“You pointed out you had two first dates in the past two weeks. With Hawk and Garrison.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No one asked for exclusivity.”
“Are you opposed to it?”
Her gaze skimmed over my face, and I realized I’d pushed too far.
Her husky voice lowered. “Is that you trying to tell me I can’t see them anymore?”
Because I wanted to be completely transparent with her, I said, “No.”
“Good.”
I frowned. “Good?”
“I know it might not be conventional, but I’m not ready to stop seeing Hawk.”
“And Garrison?”
Journey looked away, and once again, I wondered what had happened between them. The tension between them was palpable, although neither acknowledged it. Since I’d promised I wouldn’t ask, I couldn’t, and it was killing me slowly.
“If he wants to … see me again, I won’t say no.”
I didn’t anticipate this. I never expected Journey to insist on dating more than one person. I assumed she was the sort who preferred monogamy.
“We’ll play it your way for now. But anyone other than Hawk or Garrison...” I cupped her face more firmly and held her gaze. “You’re off limits to anyone else.”
Journey’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re serious? You don’t have a problem with me dating them while…”
“As much as I want to own you, hellcat, I don’t. Not yet.”
Her breath hitched.
“I told you. I’m a possessive man. I want to own your pleasure.”
I could see questions burning in the teal-blue depths of her eyes, but she didn’t voice them. I was grateful since I wasn’t sure I could answer them in a way that would make sense to her. Telling her how the thought of her with anyone else made me insane would likely have her running for the hills. At the same time, I’d done a lot of soul-searching over the past twenty-four hours, and I realized Journey was right about one thing. I was playing a game, and I dragged two of my best friends into it without considering the repercussions. It wasn’t until I was face to face with Garrison that morning that I realized Hawk and I weren’t the only ones she’d won over. Of course, Garrison was far too loyal to go against my orders. At least, he had been. I wasn’t so sure that was still the case.
We stood there in the parking lot of the pizza shop, the rest of the world falling away. It was just the two of us, lost in this thing brewing in the air, something that threatened to consume us both without warning.
“I don’t know what this is,” Journey said. “Between us, I mean. It feels...”
“Bigger than us?”
“Yes.”
“I know.”
She blinked once, twice. “What are we gonna do about it?”
That was the big question. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an answer.
Her head tilted slightly, her eyes still locked with mine. “If you say take things slow...”
My smile returned. She did that to me. “I’ve got your panties and bra in my pocket. I think we’ve taken slow off the table.”
“I’m glad.”
“Are you always this brutally honest?”
“You told me I couldn’t lie, remember?”
I stepped closer, my knees capturing her thighs between them. I tilted her head back and let my lips hover over hers for a second, then closed the gap, claiming her mouth. Like before, I had intended for the kiss to be quick and chaste, but she changed my direction with a soft moan as her arms went around my waist.
Sliding my hand to the back of her head, I held her there, consuming her. Her tongue played against mine in a sensual dance that made my body burn. It would’ve been easy to take what she offered, but I was reluctant. Not because I didn’t want to take this to the next level. I did. I definitely did. Hell, for the past two hours, I’d been thinking about peeling that damn dress off her body and using my tongue to learn every fucking inch of her. But there was a difference between not taking things slow and moving at warp speed, which we were most definitely doing.
“Creed.” Her breasts crushed to my chest, and her arms tightened around me.
I fucking loved to hear my name whispered in that sexy, husky voice.
The sound of a horn honking in the distance had me slowing things down. I didn’t release her, but I did pull my mouth from hers. We were both breathing hard, and I knew if we kept this up, I would have her naked beneath me. I wanted it more than my next breath, and I suspected she did, too. However, something deep inside me warned that warp speed wasn’t the right way to go with her. Not with something as precious and fragile as what was happening here.
“I should take you home.”
“I knew you were gonna say that.” Another smile tugged at her lips, but this one faltered. “I assume you won’t make it past the front door?”
“Journey ... what are you asking me for?”
She stared back at me, a wealth of emotion churning in her gaze, but she didn’t speak. I couldn’t tell if she was bothered that I asked or was simply trying to decide how she wanted to answer.
I tapped her chin lightly. “For the record, I’ll give you anything you want.” I lowered my voice. “But you have to ask for it.”
“You said it yourself. You’ve got my panties and bra in your pocket. I figured it would be obvious.”
“I don’t take anything at face value. If you want me to understand something, I expect you to use your words.”
“I didn’t take them off for my benefit,” she rasped.
Fucking Christ. This woman made it impossible to resist her.
“I’m trying to do the right thing here, hellcat.”
“The right thing for you? Or the right thing for me?”
She pulled back, leaning against the car. Her legs were still trapped between mine, but I felt like she was now a million miles away.
Headlights from a car entering the parking lot swept across us, reminding me we were in public, and while I felt my resolve crumbling, I damn sure wasn’t about to do something that would put this woman on display. Not here, anyway. For the moment, her pleasure was mine and mine alone.
“Get in the car,” I told her as I stepped back.
She said, “You know, saying please might not kill you,” but she turned and opened the car door.
She was a brat. That much I knew.
I waited until she was inside, then closed the door behind her. I walked to the driver’s side, took a deep breath, then got in the car.
“Do me a favor, Creed.”
“What’s that?” I asked, my hand hovering over the start button.
“Don’t keep playing games with me.”
I glared over at her, shocked that she would think I was capable of that. Here I was, being a gentleman, and she was accusing me of what? Leading her on?
It was enough to flip a switch inside me. That primal beast that paced deep inside me stopped moving, alert to his surroundings. Everything slowed down as one thing became my focus. Her. She was prey, and I was the predator, and the only way to sate the primal urge was to claim what was mine.
It took effort to contain the exigency, the desire to grab her roughly, to take because she was willing to give. The last thing I wanted was to scare the little kitten, so I reached over and slid my hand under her hair, cupping the back of her head. I pulled her toward me as I leaned in. My lips found hers in the dark. She moaned softly, and I swallowed the sound, holding it deep inside while I plundered her mouth.
She was liquid fire, her body instantly pliant beneath the onslaught. It triggered that instinct, had me testing the strength of those tethers holding my lust at bay.
“If you think for one second I don’t want to get under this dress, you’re wrong. I want nothing more,” I growled against her mouth.
“Then why aren’t you?”
I was tempted to warn her off, to tell her there were things I wanted from her that she couldn’t possibly understand because she was too innocent and pure for the likes of me. But if I did that, if I told her there would come a time when there were no requests, only demands on my part, she’d find a way to run. Sure, I fucking loved the chase, but if it wasn’t as a predator after his prey, it held no appeal. And while I’d like to shield her from that darkness, I was too fucking selfish to give her up.
I held her stare in the darkened car, my face inches from hers. “Pull up your dress.”
I felt her shift.
“Higher,” I commanded roughly.
She shifted again, the material stretching across her hips, barely maintaining the secrecy of what was beneath.
“Now spread your legs.”
I felt the tension in her neck as soon as the words were out of my mouth, but I didn’t intend to soften it with a please or thank you. I teased along her leg, moving from her knee toward the top of her thigh. Her eyes skimmed my face, but I wasn’t sure what she was hoping to find.
“I can hardly breathe for how much I fucking want you.”
Her knees fell open. “Then have me, Creed.”
I’d be damned if that dare didn’t threaten to snap the choke chain keeping my hunger for her from shattering us both.
I held her by the back of her neck as I slid my hand beneath the stretchy fabric of her dress, my fingers seeking the heat of her. I could tease and caress, but clearly, she had an end goal in mind, and since she had already caused my control to fray, I figured it was futile to turn this into a game.
“Fuck,” I groaned when my fingers brushed the apex of her thighs.
She was baby-smooth, which meant she’d waxed recently or she shaved often. I found the slick lips of her sex.
Twining my fingers in her hair, I pulled her head back forcefully, meeting her gaze and holding it. “Once I touch you, that’s it for me, Journey. You understand what that means?”
Her expression was a wild combination of confusion and lust. “What does it mean, Creed?”
“It means your pleasure belongs to me. Me. No one else. One taste of you won’t be enough for me. And kitten, I’m not the sweet, gentle lover you’ve fantasized about.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t go thinking you know anything about me, Creed Granger. Sweet and gentle have nothing to do with this.”
That comment surprised me, but I didn’t let it deter me. “I’m demanding and possessive,” I said against her lips, my voice dropping an octave. “I take what I want when I want, and you … you’ll give it to me because you need it, too, little cat. You’ll crave what only I can give you. It’s an addiction, a need so potent you won’t understand it, but once you experience it, it’ll call out to you. Do you understand me now?”
She nodded as much as my firm grip on her hair would allow.
I nudged her legs wider, dragging my finger along the slick, warm lips of her sex before pressing deeper, seeking her tight entrance. “Your pussy’s so fucking wet.”
She groaned, her head falling back when I glided my finger upward along the seam. I found the little nub and circled the tip of my finger over it.
“Creed...”
“Tell me, hellcat. What do you want me to do to you?”
“Everything.”
I wasn’t expecting that, but it triggered my primal instinct. The dark, possessive beast inside me reared its head, gearing up to take what was mine. I slid one finger inside her, slow and deep, feeling the smooth walls of her cunt as they clutched at me. She was so damn tight and so fucking hot.
“Is this what you want?”
“Yes.” She bucked her hips, trying to fuck my hand.
“Then open your eyes and look at me,” I demanded gruffly.
Her eyes snapped open, meeting mine. The brilliant blue glittered in the dim light from the restaurant.
“Keep them open. On me.”
Her eyes held steady as I added another finger, sliding them through her slickness, filling her as those husky sounds grew louder. She was so fucking beautiful like that. The problem was, I knew if I fucked her, I’d never want to stop.
