The Virgin Next Door (Stud Ranch)

But then he saw Calla standing there in that bombshell dress beside Mel. Her face had been uncertain, though. She’d crossed her arms awkwardly, looking vulnerable and unsure of herself. So he’d asked her to dance. The smile that lit up her face was bright as the fucking sun.

He shoulda walked away right then and there. He wasn’t anyone’s knight in shining armor. But he’d ignored the voice of reason shouting in the back of his head and taken her arm.

Just like he was ignoring good sense now as he watched Liam look up at the numbers above the elevator doors. The elevator skipped the second floor and stopped at the third. Then it continued up to the fourth and paused again. The hotel was only four stories tall. Calla was either in a room of the third or fourth floor.

Liam must have had the same thought as Mack because he jerked open the door to the stairs right before Mack could reach for it himself. The bastard could run, Mack would give him that. He jackrabbited up the stairs and Mack had to push it to stay on his heels.

“You try the third, I’ll check the fourth,” Liam called over his shoulder as he hit the landing for the third floor and continued up.

Fine with Mack. He jerked open the door to the third floor just in time to see Calla’s back retreating down the hallway. She stopped in front of her door. As Mack got closer he could hear her swearing.

“Son of a bitch, where did I—”

She must have heard Mack’s footsteps because she whipped around to look at him, one hand down the top of her dress. She jerked her keycard out of her bra, then froze. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink.

She cringed before turning back around and dropping her forehead to her door like she was defeated. Mack almost reached for her but stopped himself just in time. Fuck, he didn’t want to spook her more than she already was. It was another long moment before she said anything.

“I don’t suppose we can all just forget the last half hour?” Her voice was so quiet, the only reason Mack heard it at all was because he took a step closer in spite of his determination not to make her any more skittish.

A racket behind him had Mack turning just in time to see Liam barreling through the stairwell door. “She wasn’t on the fourth, did you find—” he cut off, obviously seeing Calla. “Oh. Hi.”

“Oh my God,” Calla whispered under her breath, hand going to her eyes. “I’ve never been more embarrassed in my entire life.”

Fuck that. She had no reason to be embarrassed. She was beautiful and sweet. Having her in his arms downstairs had felt like the best thing that had happened to him since he got out of that fucking hellhole where he’d rotted for eight long years.

She’d made him laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed like that.

So he reached for Calla’s elbow and spun her to look at him. Her eyes were wide and if he wasn’t wrong, almost teary. God-fucking-dammit if there was one thing he couldn’t handle, it was seeing a woman cry. He’d watched his mother weeping over one bastard or another his whole life. He always swore he’d never be the kind of man that made women cry.

But here he was. Spreading his shit. Dirtying up a girl who was as poor as Mack had ever been but still hadn’t let it turn her bitter or ugly. Fuck. He shouldn’t have followed her. He shouldn’t have ever touched her.

All these thoughts flashed neon in his brain but he proved yet again exactly how much a shit he was—because none of that stopped him from dropping his lips to hers and stealing the kiss that should have been his earlier.

Her lips were warm and trembling. And soft. So fucking soft. He couldn’t help a low moan as he stepped into her, pulling her body flush against his as he kissed her deep, then deeper still. She was so much soft, warm, sweet woman, he went instantly hard.

When his tongue teased at the seam of her lips, she opened them on a gasp. Mack didn’t hesitate for a second before dipping his tongue inside and kissing her in a way that made his intentions clear.

Because suddenly he had to have her. He felt like a starving man presented with a feast.

When she went pliant in his arms, he felt like roaring in triumph. She wanted to be claimed as much as he wanted to do the claiming.

“Why don’t we take this inside her room?”

Calla jerked back at Liam’s voice like she’d just remembered he was there. Ha. Take that, you Irish bastard.

But then he saw Calla’s face as she looked toward Liam. Like she was stricken.