“That’s it then, you’re fascinated by me, and that’s enough to put your crew in danger?”
He leaned closer, mouth tantalizing and too close. “Do you think I need more? This is my crew. If they don’t like my decisions, they can leave.”
I chewed on my lip. “I never asked for your help, you know. And I never asked for any of them to get involved.”
“Don’t worry about that.” He touched my cheek. “You want to know what I want out of all this?”
I didn’t need him to say it. I already knew—based on the way he looked at me, the way he pinned me, his hand on my face, his body close to mine, I knew what he wanted.
The problem was, I wanted to give it to him.
That complicated things. I wasn’t being honest with him, and the deeper he dug himself into all this, the more guilt I felt. He didn’t have to take this risk and I almost wished that he wouldn’t, but every time I thought about running away, he touched me again, whispered to me again, and that wild pit of longing opened up in my stomach and kept me frozen in place.
I never felt like this before. I always wanted to, always wanted that crazy, spinning, dizzy, impossible lusting desire for someone, but it never happened, not really at least, not until Luke strolled into my life.
He was a killer though. The sort of man I swore off a long time ago.
And he murdered my father.
I should’ve wanted to get away, but what did my dad ever give me, except pain and misery? What did this world ever give me, except a struggle?
Here was something that could be good, a man that wanted me and was willing to do something dangerous to have it.
And all I could think about was how much I didn’t deserve any of this.
He leaned closer and his lips pressed against my cheek.
“Tell me,” I whispered, yearning for the words like nothing I’d ever felt before in my life.
“I want you,” he said, his hand on my thigh. I felt a thrill radiating up from his fingertips to that warm spot between my legs. “I want your mouth. I want your breasts and your hips and your eyes. I won’t force anything on you, Cara, but I won’t pretend, either. I want you stripped bare and sweating in my bed.”
Then he kissed me, his lips meeting mine like a heart beating in perfect rhythm. His tongue was vodka and sunshine, and his smell drove my mind into some black and perfect void where there was only pleasure and Luke. His hand gripped my leg while the other slid in through my hair, fisting it tight, and I melted into that kiss like nothing before, letting it build up through my chest until I wasn’t sure I could breathe anymore.
He broke it off after a moment with a maddening and incredible smile.
“Oh,” was all I could say.
He laughed softly and stood up, not looking at me. “Let’s get back to my place. The longer you’re in public, the more danger you’re in.”
“Right. Back home.” To that house where we’d be alone together and he could do anything he wanted.
Although I suspected he could do anything he wanted right here in the middle of this strip club.
He walked to the door and I followed, my legs like hollow jelly, my heart a rapid patter of butterfly wings.
5
Luke
As much as I wanted that girl, I knew she felt the same way.
It was hard to lie in a kiss. That was the best part of finally tasting her—I got to see the truth behind all her bullshit.
She was still lying to me, leaving something out. That much was obvious. I hoped my guys would find whatever she kept hidden, and if they didn’t, I’d manage to break her eventually.
In the meantime, I wanted to have a little fun.
I left the house early the next morning for a short little shopping trip. German kept watch on the house, and I was back before ten. I went inside and found Cara sitting in the kitchen, drinking some coffee and looking at her phone.
“Where were you?” she asked. “German wouldn’t tell me anything.”
I dropped a bag in front of her. “Getting you some extra clothes.”
She frowned but looked inside. I got her simple things, bra and panties, jeans and shirts, shit I thought would fit and look good enough. She went through it all with a discerning frown. “You have terrible taste,” she said finally.
I snorted and put another bag in front of her. “How about this then?”
She sucked in a breath when she pulled out a set of lacy underwear. “You’re joking, right?”
“There’s more.”
She went through it all, several pairs of lingerie and more than a few sports bras. I had a thing for women in tight yoga pants and sports bras.