Rockstar Baby (Crescent Cove 6)

I laughed at him to see what would happen. This was all for science, after all.

I didn’t do one-nighters. Even in college, I just ended up hooking up with people in my circle of friends. Some stuck around, others drifted away. It had all been so light and easy.

Nothing seemed remotely light or easy with this man. And he was definitely not a boy.

“I don’t know whether to kiss you or throttle you.”

My eyes widened. I didn’t know him well enough to know if he was kidding or not, but it didn’t stop the delicious little shiver playing cross country track star down my spine. Should I be running for the side entrance to find Sage for safety?

Everything inside me screamed no.

Was I getting under his skin?

He was certainly making mine tingle and tighten in all the best places. A few others loosened and heated. I so wasn’t used to that. Or I’d forgotten what attraction felt like. I knew everyone in town—mostly. Oh, there had been a few new people now that the town was expanding exponentially, thanks to our own private little baby boom, but so far, none of the locals rang my bell.

Yet here I was with a perfect stranger who would be moving on before dawn, probably. And my bells were clanging like the end of Christmas mass.

I leaned across the console and dragged him to my mouth. Better to remind him why we were doing this. Besides, this was his idea. I’d never have been so bold if he hadn’t prompted me to wonder what he tasted like. About the accent that told stories without giving me any real information on the man.

He kissed me with the same intensity as before we got into the car, though his touch was soft. He tugged on the end of my braid, lightly playing with the end like a paintbrush. It was confusing and wonderful at the same time. Nothing made sense and yet this little moment felt righter than anything I’d experienced so far.

I fumbled with the belt to get closer to him. My gloves were gone due to the sauna level of the car. It allowed me to dip my fingers into his thick hair. His mouth moved to my neck and I tugged at his sweater with my other hand. I wanted more skin, more closeness, more everything.

Raking my fingers through his hair, I dragged him closer. He was ginger like me, but the deeper kind with lots of brown and blond mixed in. The golden glow of the lights around the bed and breakfast turned his hair to the color of an older penny. One that had been through a lot and somehow always ended up back in your pocket.

I groaned when his lips hit a certain spot on my neck. Most guys didn’t care enough about the foreplay part before they were trying to get their dick wet. At least that had been my entire college experience. One wild year before I came home.

This? Yeah, this wasn’t anything like the fumbling nineteen-year-old guys I’d been with in the past.

No, this was wild and wonderful.

I felt him smiling against my skin. So, he was able to smile. It was rare. Exasperation and interest often flared in his blue eyes, but not much laughter.

I’d have to change that. At least for tonight.

“As much as I’m enjoying all this foreplay, LC, I’d really like to get inside. I’ve heard Sage has very comfortable beds.”

He drew back, those shrewd eyes blurry and confused before he seemed to come back to himself. He brushed his nose along mine. “All your fault, fairy queen. You make me forget myself.”

“I thought I made you want to throttle me.” My lips twitched as he wrapped my long braid around his palm.

“Oh, you definitely do that. I’ll just have to find other ways to keep your mouth busy.”

The laugh rolled out of me. “Is that so?”

He seemed to realize what he’d said and frowned. “I’m sorry, I—”

I shushed him with my finger to his lips. “I don’t mind a cocky response now and then.”

“I’m not that guy. At least not with women.”

I drew the pad of my finger over the little wrinkle between his furrowed brows. “Neither of us are doing what we normally do tonight. Let’s just be spontaneous and go with it.”

“That’s not—”

I kissed him hard. “That’s what spontaneity is, LC. Not doing your usual. Now take me to bed or lose me forever.”

He let out a strangled laugh. “Did you just quote Top Gun at me?”