Next to Never (Fall Away #4.5)

I kept walking her backward, invading her space.

This was what I was good at. Threats and intimidation. I knew I shouldn’t, but I loved the way she retreated. I never felt powerful outside work, faced with my failures at home, and I was completely turned on.

“I’d pay you well,” I told her. “And at the end of the night, when I drove you home, I’d try not to pull off the road.” I reached down and grazed the inside of her thigh, still dripping with water from the sprinkler, making her gasp. “And I’d try not to get you into the backseat of my car.” And then I leaned down, whispering against her lips. “Because I have very good control . . . until I don’t.”

She ran into the wall and let out a whimper, and I let my eyes fall to her breasts, seeing the shape of them perfectly outlined through the wet fabric. I clenched my jaw, already feeling her in my mouth.

I placed my finger under her chin and raised it, tipping her eyes up at me. “Is that what you want?” I asked. “To be something for me to play with?”

Her hips grazed mine, and she bit her bottom lip, turning her head away.

The heat of her thighs was so close and I couldn’t hold back anymore. Reaching down, I grabbed the back of her thigh in one hand and cupped her face with the other and pressed the full length of my body against hers, our lips an inch away from each other.

“I don’t want that, Kat,” I whisper. “You know what I want? I want you to think about me. Do you think about me?” She stood frozen, her eyes squeezed shut, but her body started making little movements, grinding on mine and getting me hot.

“Yeah,” I gloated. “You do, don’t you?”

And I reached under her dress, grabbed hold of her soaked panties, and ripped them clean off her body, the tearing fabric like a shot of fucking heroin to my veins.

She let out a small cry and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“You think about wrapping these legs around me and opening that shirt for me, so I can touch you,” I recited as I lifted her up and guided her thighs around my waist. “You think about a dark room with a big bed and laying out on twenty-four-hundred-dollar sheets with nothing but me between your legs.”

“Yes,” she breathed out.

I inched my mouth closer to hers, layering our lips so that we were both just inhaling and exhaling, tasting each other.

I reached down between us and slid my fingers along the smooth skin of her heat, feeling how wet she was.

Fuck, I couldn’t wait.

Holding her with one hand, I worked at my belt, unfastening it, and then scrambled for the button and zipper of my pants.

“Okay, I’ve got everything!” a voice called.

But I barely fucking cared. I took her mouth in mine, sinking my lips and tongue into her and claiming her. The taste of water hit my mouth, and a rush of warmth washed over me as I gripped her wet thigh in my hand.

“Call when you’re done later!”

Kat pulled away from the kiss. “Thanks, Deena!” she shouted, out of breath. “I’ll pick him up later.”

And then her lips were on mine again as she slipped her tongue into my mouth and bit down on my bottom lip. It was so good, an electric shock coursed down my spine.

“Goddamn it.” I slammed one hand into the wall by her head, losing my cool.

But I went back for more, covering her lips with mine and feeling my hands hum every single place I touched and held her.

I didn’t know where the bedroom or living room was, and even though it would only take a moment to find out, we didn’t have that much time. I needed her.

“What are you waiting for?” she taunted in my ear. “Or does College Boy need his twenty-four-hundred-dollar sheets to fuck me like a man?”

I growled and spun her around, taking both of us to the ground. What a mouthy little brat.

On my knees, I whipped off my jacket, tie, and ripped open my shirt, throwing it off to the side.

Coming back down on her, I kissed her hard, while pulling the cold strap of her dress down and grinding between her legs.

I dove down, cupping her breast and covering the nipple with my mouth. “Jesus, you’re perfect.”

She moaned, squirming as I kissed and teased her, tugging at her with my teeth.

“Condom?” I was embarrassed to have to ask, but I hadn’t needed them in a while, nor was I planning on this.

She nodded and reached for her purse on the kitchen chair. I watched as she pulled one out and handed it to me.

I unwrapped the condom and reached down, rolling it on. “He’s not allowed to touch you at all anymore.”

Positioning myself at her entrance, I stared down at her and suddenly felt her tense.

“I’m a little scared,” she said.

I wasn’t sure what she meant, though. Clearly she’d been with at least one man before.

But then it hit me. The whole reason she refused the car. She was worried about where this all led, and I didn’t have the answers any more than she did.

I could only tell her what I could promise. “I’ve got you.”

She drew in a breath and pulled me back down, eating me up and clawing at my back as I pushed myself inside her.

“Ah,” she panted, throwing her head back.

“Oh, God,” I groaned, sinking deeper and shuddering at the wet heat. Fuck, she was tight.

Pulling slowly out, I thrust back in and felt everything in my body come alive. The hairs on my arms stood up, a buzz coursed under my skin, and I’d never wanted to kiss someone so hard she’d break.