My eyes are still shut tight, hands clenched at my sides, willing images of her soft, curvy body out of my mind when I feel it. Her lips on mine. I don’t usually kiss the women I sleep with. Besides the fact that it’s unsanitary, kissing feels more…intimate. But this is the second time Quinn has kissed me, and when her tongue licks the seam of my lips, shyly seeking entrance, I. Lose. Control.
Quinn pulls away from the kiss abruptly, as if she surprised even herself with her boldness, but I grab the back of her neck and claim her mouth with mine. She tastes like strawberries and cream, and I want to find out if she tastes like that everywhere. I slide my hand down her back to that perfect arse and squeeze. Quinn moans into my mouth and jumps up to wrap her legs around my waist. Acting purely on instinct, I grip her bottom and back her up against the door once more. She rocks her hips against my rock-hard cock, and I can feel her warmth even through my jeans. I grind back into her heat, and her head falls back on a gasp. Her neck and cheeks are flushed, her plump lips are parted, and I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my entire goddamn life.
“More, Carter,” she begs in her raspy, lust-filled voice. She reaches behind her and slides my hand up to cup her full breast. Softly, I graze my thumb across her hardened nipple over the fabric of her shirt. I duck my head down and swipe my tongue across it before catching it between my teeth. Quinn gasps and holds me in place by the back of my head. Her half shirt hangs off one shoulder, and I pull back just long enough to yank it down and free her tits. They’re gorgeous, slightly fuller on the bottom, with light pink, puffy nipples. I suck one into my mouth while her legs come undone from behind my back and she slides down my body. I bend with her, not breaking our connection, while she tries to claw my jacket from me. As soon as my jacket falls to the floor, she reaches for my belt. What the fuck am I doing? I can’t taint her. I’m poison, and she’s perfection.
“Quinn, you don’t want this—”
BANG, BANG, BANG!
Pounding at the door cuts off my protests. Quinn’s kaleidoscope eyes dart to mine, wide with panic, as she attempts to straighten out her shirt. I motion for her to get behind the door with a nod of my chin. No one else gets to see her like this. I take my time retrieving my jacket and smoothing it out, trying to give my dick a chance to calm down.
“Come on, lover boy! I know you’re in there. Sorry to be a cock block, but G called an emergency meeting.” Fecking Sinclair. The bastard keeps inching toward the top of my shit list, but I can’t deny that part of me is grateful for the interruption, so I don’t have to confront the flash of rejection I saw on Quinn’s face.
“I, uh, need to get to work anyway,” Quinn mumbles, avoiding eye contact, as she tucks her auburn locks behind her ear.
She opens the door to find Sin standing there with one arm propped on the doorframe, a cheesy grin painted on his face. He senses the awkward moment and wiggles his eyebrows at Quinn suggestively. I clear my throat and shoot him a warning glare. I want to say something—anything—to her. To stop her from walking out like this
. But we have an audience. Without acknowledging Sinclair, or even so much as a backward glance in my direction, she dips under his arm and scurries back downstairs.
Sinclair returns his expectant gaze toward me, and in response, I slam the door in his face. Graham can wait.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I mutter aloud as I slam two shot glasses down for a couple of faceless customers. I’m on autopilot, serving with a smile, but all I can think about is Carter. I don’t know what came over me. One minute he’s getting all alpha male and controlling, and the next, I’m kissing him like our plane is going down. It’s pathetic, really. In my fucked-up head, concern for my safety somehow equals romantic feelings. Normal people would take it for what it is—basic human decency—but I’ve concocted this ridiculous fantasy in my mind. But that kiss? That kiss didn’t feel one-sided. Last night definitely didn’t feel one-sided. I felt his need for me. Carter is reserved. He comes off a little unsure, but once our bodies do the talking, all of that melts away. His movements are confident and smooth, bold and rough. The way his hands felt on me—I shake the thought out of my head and attempt to focus on work.
The club is packed tonight, but the tension is tangible. The vibe is off. The mood has shifted. All the Savages are meeting with Graham, except for two of the younger dudes who showed up with Sin a while back. One of them is posted up at the entrance, the other at one of the emergency exits. I think one of them is Stiles. I only know that, because Selene has been actively ignoring his advances since the day he got here. He’s nothing if not persistent. I’ll give him that much. They’re glancing around suspiciously, and it’s making me even jumpier than usual.
What is going on here tonight?
Hands come around my face from behind and cover my eyes, and I practically jump out of my skin until I hear the familiar voice.
“Surprise!” Jade turns me around and pulls me in for a squeeze. “Whoa, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She feels my forehead with the back of her hand. “Are you sick?”
I slap her hand away playfully and school my expression. I need to get it together.
“I’m fine! What are you doing here? I thought Cole had you on lockdown,” I squeal excitedly and paint the smile back on my face. It’s not totally insincere, though. I really am excited to see Jade.
She cocks an eyebrow and gives me a devilish smirk. “I may or may not have snuck out.”
I spit out a genuine laugh at that one. “You snuck out. To…here? You do realize he’s here now, right?”
Jade’s bottom lip juts out in a little pout. I turn to greet another guest and take their order. When I turn back around, I see Slaughterhouse Savage himself stalking toward her, looking none too pleased.
“Well, duh. I want to keep him on his toes, not give him a reason to kill me. He’s been extra protective lately. I think something is going on, and he won’t tell me what it is. But, I’m so bored, I just had to get out of the house. I figure he can’t be too mad since I’m technically with him. He just doesn’t know it.” She smirks as she plucks a cherry out of the garnish bar.
“Can’t argue with that logic,” I tease while not so subtly jerking my eyes to the caveman behind her.
“He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”
“Yup.”
“Busted,” she grumbles like a five-year-old as he wraps his arms around her from behind and holds her pregnant belly.
“So fucking busted, Butterfly.”
“How’d you know?”
“You do realize there are cameras here, right?”
“Well, yeah.”