“I might regret asking, but for what?”
“If you’d be willing.” More so to disprove our chemistry, which was an epic fail on my part.
Her gaze is wild as she searches mine. “What leverage are you trying to gain?”
“None, in this moment.” Only truth rings from my statement, which will certainly bite me in the ass later.
“I’m not falling for this swoony routine you’re trying to pull. You can take the sexy allure and shove it.”
I create a cage with my arms, leaning in until our noses almost touch. “Where do you suggest I put this?”
“Holy shit. Are you talking dirty to me?” She sputters when I roll my hips along hers. There’s no mistaking the solid ridge for anything other than the fiery need that’s pumping through me. “Oh, you’re making a big play with all that.”
I lick my lower lip, biting the edge when her gaze follows the wet path. “You started it.”
Vannah is well aware she can escape, but makes no move to break free. Her chest is rising and falling with labored breaths. She stares at my mouth, desire shimmering in her green gaze. “Oh, what the hell.”
She fists the front of my shirt and hauls me in. Our lips reunite with a mutual groan. She doesn’t hesitate in deepening the kiss, parting her lips for me with a seductive purr. The sound lulls me in a hypnotic daze, much like her tongue sliding along mine. Heat infuses our connection instantly, flooding through me in a molten rush. The feverish spike has me craving more.
I bury my fingers in her hair and guide our position to opposing angles for wider access. In return, her nails dig into my shoulder with piercing force. The meaning is simple—any power I’m trying to wield is shared with this bombshell.
This isn’t a taste. This is quenching weeks of thirst, gorging ourselves until the fire snuffs out.
I lash at her while she nips my bottom lip. Vannah’s previous resistance melts from her limbs as she clutches onto me. Passion bleeds between us, spilling from her mouth to mine. With an arm cinching her waist, I meld our bodies together for maximum impact. The effect is heady and zaps straight to my balls. Warmth flares from my groin and spirals outward. My cock is demanding and refuses to be ignored, tenting the fabric below my belt. I press the throbbing ache against her, shoving us farther into the corner where we’re met with shadows. She moans when I apply more direct pressure to her squirming pelvis. Her wanton desire fuels my own. I drift an open palm down her side, over grooves and dips, to reach the supple curve of her ass. My initial assessment all those weeks ago was correct—she’s round and firm as fuck.
Another husky sound rasps from her throat. I’m nearly dizzy from blood loss as she presses into my touch. Vannah fights for control, yanking my hair at the roots. There’s not a shy bone in this girl’s body. She kisses with the same intensity as she argues—bold, deliberate, captivating, and without remorse. I might’ve initiated this, but she will be the one to stop. There’s no pumping the breaks for me. I’ll take her against this wall if she lets me.
Vannah wraps a leg around me, piercing my calf with her heel. I barely notice the sting as she clings to me with a passion fit for lovers. All that exists between us is barely contained loathing. It would seem, for this brief moment, that our feud is on a temporary hiatus.
I’ve lost track of who I’m trying to convince, or what’s being accomplished, other than my cock demanding entry to a no-fucking zone. We’re tumbling down a slippery slope into a complex vortex. She’s determined to put me under her spell. I’ll allow her to believe she has it in this instance. This woman is taking what she wants, and I’m happy to assist in the downward spiral.
“Dude, is there an admission fee?”
I break apart from Vannah with a snarl directed at our intruder. Jordan is standing there with a jaw so slack, it’s nearly touching his collarbone. My vision narrows into lethal slits as I glare at him. If I were capable of incinerating a man, he would be bursting into flames right about now.
“Fuck off,” I growl.
He releases a shrill whistle. “Well, hot damn. I saw you vacate that booth, but figured you ditched us for a better location. Turns out you found one, eh?”
“Hey, Peeping Tom. Mind your business.” I gnash my teeth like a rabid dog, all sense of composure annihilated by the woman still clutching onto me.
His smile glows in the dim lighting. “Me? You’re making out at the bar like two horny college coeds.”
He’s not wrong, but fuck him anyway. “Just give me a damn minute, yeah?”
“Uh-huh.” Jordan chuckles. “You’ll need more than that.”
With amusement bouncing his shoulders, he saunters off to harass someone else. I drag my focus to Vannah and assess the damage, preparing for the worst. Her lips are wet and swollen, any trace of that red gloss long gone. That badge of honor will stick with her for at least an hour—maybe more if she comes back for seconds. The sight manages to rejuvenate my deflating arousal, thrumming through me with renewed energy.
She peels herself off the wall with a harsh exhale. “Well, that was embarrassing.”
“Why? Displaying affection in public is commonplace.” It’s frequent enough that even I witness it on a daily basis. Catching a couple slobbering over one another is debasement in its rawest form. I’ve never understood the temptation. Falling victim to a woman’s charms is laughable. It’s safe to admit that surrendering my wits to this degree is very uncharted territory. There will be more adequate opportunities to contemplate this uncharacteristic whim later.
Vannah untangles a section of snarls from her hair. “Yeah, that’s all fine and dandy and not the issue. He caught me kissing you.”
A gruff scoff rips from me. “Are you ashamed of me?”
“More so in myself,” she admits.
“Regrets?” I can’t seem to dredge any up regardless of her response. The drop in my gut is a disturbing sensation. To counteract that odd feeling, I smooth my features and mask any notable reaction.
A twitch at her mouth reveals her twisted sense of humor. “Never, but this doesn’t mean I like you.”
“I’m well aware, and the feeling is entirely mutual.” Which reminds me to cut the power supply surging from my cock. I need blood to regain a normal flow to the brain in my skull. This agenda won’t get back on track otherwise. “Shall we return to our friends?”
Vannah quirks a brow. “Oh, are you finished with whatever this little stint was meant to achieve?”
“Our business is far from done, sugar. We just need a change of scenery.” I wave a hand forward. “Ladies first.”
She snorts. “It’s a little late to start acting like a gentleman, Lannie.”
I rest my hand at the base of her spine as we walk down the hallway. “I’m just trying it on for size. It might bode well with my new improvements.”
Her eyes roll to the mirrored panels along the ceiling. “I won’t hold my breath.”
I steer her toward Brance and Jordan before she can protest. They stand from their stools as we approach. Jordan is still grinning wider than a clown at the fucking carnival. His broody counterpart is scowling like someone pissed in his whiskey. Business as usual, it seems.