“Positive,” Crash replied as he smiled down at Shannon. He pulled her hands from around his waist, lifting them to press a soft kiss on the knuckles of both. “Be right back, Princess.”
Shannon watched him move off to shower and change. When he was gone she turned back to Angel, who was smiling from ear-to-ear and an equally smirking Cole.
“What?” she asked, playing dumb.
Cole pulled her close, his hand on the back of her head, his mouth at her ear. “You treat my boy right now, you hear?”
When he pulled back, and she saw the teasing look on his face, she rolled her eyes, embarrassed and teased back with a promised, “I’ll give it my best shot.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Crash pulled the bike into the garage, and Shannon climbed off. Excitement rippled through her. And if she was being honest, a little nervousness, too. She wasn’t sure if she would ever live up to Crash’s expectations.
They entered the elevator. Crash shut the metal accordion gate, threw the lever, and they began moving. He stood there, leaning back against the metal bars. Their eyes connected, and a split second later he was across the three feet that divided them lifting her up and slamming her back against the wall. The elevator shook with his action. Her legs wrapped around him as his mouth devoured hers.
His strong arms held her as his mouth worked down the side of her neck, and pleasure danced along her skin like an electrical charge. She shuddered from the heat of his mouth. She couldn’t believe they were actually going to do this. Tonight there’d be no more stopping. She was actually going to have sex with the hottest bad boy she’d ever met. No, not boy. Man. He was all man, make no mistake about that. With a man’s desires and a man’s hunger.
The elevator came to a shaky halt on the upper level. Shannon moaned as Crash let her down, his hands going to the bars above and to the side of her head. His arms spread high and wide, caging her in. Her breathing accelerated as she saw the heat in his eyes. He leaned into her and brushed her lips softly. Pulling back, he whispered, “Feels like I’ve waited for this night forever.”
Shannon looked up at him, wondering why he was waiting. The hunger was written plainly in his eyes. It was a powerful lure, to be wanted that way. She hadn’t been this aroused in a long time. He must have seen the anticipation shudder through her, for his eyes moved over her face as he muttered, “You have, too.”
A statement, not a question. But she answered it anyway. “Yes.”
“I’m tryin’ to slow down here. Don’t want to rush this. I want to make this good for you, Shannon.”
“You will.”
He smiled at the faith she had in him. “I want you to tell me if I do anything you don’t want. You just say the word, Princess, and I’ll back off. Understand?”
She nodded.
“I can do you fast. I can do you slow. I can do you rough. I can do you sweet. Whatever you want. Whatever you need.”
“Yes,” she bit out breathlessly.
His lungs expanded with his indrawn breath. “Yes to which?”
“All of them.”
She watched the grin spread slowly across his face. “Oh, darlin’, this is gonna be one hell of a night.”
Ducking under his arm, Shannon pulled the elevator door open and stepped out. His arms still on the bars, Crash twisted his head, his eyes tracking her. She paused by the wall, flipping the switch, and a couple of dim lights came on. Turning to him, she began walking backwards as his arms dropped, and he followed, moving toward her like a predator. She shivered, unable to take her eyes off him as he advanced on her, stalking her across the room. As she watched, he pulled his cut off, tossing it toward the green felt of the pool table. Next came his tee shirt. He yanked it over his head, dropping it to the floor.
She kept moving backwards.
“Your turn.” He nodded toward her tank. “Take it off.”
He stopped advancing, and she stopped retreating. When she hesitated, her chest rising and falling, he whispered, “Not a good idea to keep a starved man waiting, Princess.”
She watched his gaze drop as she slid her hands under the hem of the draping silver sequined tank, the fabric gathering as she lifted it, obeying his command. She watched his eyes track every movement, taking in every inch of skin revealed to him as she slowly dragged it up and over her head.
She let it fall, dropping softly to the floor and met his gaze, suddenly nervous. His eyes dropped to take in the pretty bra revealed. Deep purple lace with a little bow.
He came toward her, stopping just a foot away from her. “You’re so damn pretty, Shannon,” he told her quietly. His eyes held the conviction his voice revealed.
She lifted her hand and touched him hesitantly, running her palm down his chest, over his rock-hard abs and perfect six-pack. His head dipped as his eyes followed the movement of her hand, watching her fingertips trail over his skin. He blinked slowly, and his eyes lifted to hers, his head still bent low.
“You’re playing with fire, baby,” he warned, a