“Come on, it’ll be fun. We can get to know each other better. You’re my friend’s twin sister, and I barely know you,” he insists.
That’s because we have nothing in common, and his eyes were usually too focused on some cheerleader or blonde with double Ds to pay any attention to anyone else in the room.
“I guess we can call The Tap and order something,” I reply as if the words fly from my mouth entirely on their own.
“Great.” Tate pulls up the menu on his phone and starts tapping away. Suddenly, he’s thrusting it at my face, an indication it’s my turn to enter what I want.
I scan the menu for my favorite entrée and toss in an order of fried cheese curds for good measure. I mean, it’s a celebration, right?
When I hand him back the phone, our fingers touch. A jolt of electricity bolts up my arm, causing me to jump back and put a little more separation between us. Tate doesn’t seem to notice, which makes me feel like one of those silly football groupies who swoon whenever he walks into a room.
“We have forty minutes,” he replies, finishing up our order and slipping his phone into his shorts before disappearing into my brother’s kitchen. A few minutes later, he comes back with two glasses of wine. “I hope you like white. It was all your brother has besides a bottle of scotch, and you don’t strike me as a scotch drinker.”
“The wine is actually mine, so this is perfect,” I reply, taking the offered glass.
Before I can take a sip, he holds up his glass. “To Ashtyn and her new job at the library. May your new position bring you happiness and continued passion,” he states. There’s a flash of something in his eyes when he speaks that one word.
Passion.
Suddenly, the room is entirely too small, and I’m desperate for a little liquid to cool and soothe my dry throat.
By the time ten o’clock rolls around, I am nurturing a healthy buzz and my side hurts from laughing. Who knew Tate Steele was so funny? Not me, but after spending the evening with him, eating, drinking, and talking, I’m pleasantly surprised by how laid-back and witty he truly is. Plus, I could be way off base, but there’s something else there. An underlying desire I feel every time he looks at me. My body has been strung so tight the last hour, I’m afraid he can tell I’m practically crawling out of my skin with need.
“I think I’m going to bed,” I mumble, getting up out of the chair and stumbling a little as the room sways.
Strong arms wrap around my shoulders. The swaying stops but only because I’m pressed firmly against a hard chest. A nice, warm chest. The rich scent of sandalwood fills my entire being, and before I even realize what I’m doing, I have my nose buried in the material stretched across his pecs.
My face burns with mortification.
I really just sniffed my brother’s best friend.
Cheese and rice, I’ve had too much to drink.
“I’m going,” I start, pointing a thumb over my shoulder toward the bedrooms.
But Tate doesn’t let me go. He walks with me, even though I have my footing enough now. It’s only when we reach the guest room I occasionally sleep in that I realize the problem. Tate’s stuff is there. His suitcase thrown on the floor and a pile of clothes strewn on the chair.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you were staying here too. I’ll just bunk with my brother. As long as he’s not bringing home anyone, he won’t mind if I’m there. Or he can just sleep on the couch. It’s not that uncomfortable. I’ve crashed there before too. I just wouldn’t recommend the chair because your neck will hurt and—”
I’m cut off by his hot mouth. It slams into mine with urgency, one I reciprocate willingly as if kissing him is a necessity. Like air. His tongue pressing into my mouth at the same time he lifts me and pushes my back against the wall. My legs wrap around his lean hips and his erection presses firmly against my core. Holy hell, this man is…wow.
I rip my lips from his and suck in a greedy breath of air. Tate’s mouth trails along my jaw and moves to my earlobe. I gasp and rock my hips into him as he sucks on my lobe before sliding those amazing lips down the side of my neck. “Oh God,” I groan, my panties so wet, I’m certain he can feel them through my shorts.
His hazy eyes meet mine. “Do you want me to stop?”
Well, if that isn’t a loaded question. My brain says yes, definitely stop. This shouldn’t go any further. Tate Steele is an egotistical bad boy, and even though I’m sure the sex will be great, that’s all it will ever be. I’ll be a notch on his infamous bedpost. Something I’ve never wanted to be. Plus, there’s the fact he’s linked to my brother, and the chances are I’ll see him again at some point soon. This has bad idea written all over it with a big black Sharpie marker.
Yet, my gut—and maybe a little bit of white wine—is telling me to do it. Have fun. Enjoy what is sure to be a good time and then leave it all behind. Move on and forward, ready to start my new job with a smile on my face and the memory of a few orgasms. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, a man like Tate is good for at least two, maybe three. So why not?
“No, don’t stop,” I whisper.
My response seems to take him by surprise. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
That’s all it takes. Like a can of gas thrown on a smoldering fire, we ignite spectacularly. Clothes fly, hands are everywhere, and mouths taste and suck on every piece of exposed skin possible.
When I’m completely naked, his eyes greedily consume me from head to toe. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he whispers, his voice hoarse and gravelly.
Part of me wants to cover myself. I’m not one to completely undress in front of a man, especially one I’m not dating, but I hold fast. It allows me to take in the man before me once again. He’s completely hard, from head to toe. There’s not an ounce of fat on him. Dark hair is sprinkled across his chest, with a line below his belly button that leads to his erection. It’s large—larger than I’ve ever seen in person—and frankly, I’m equal parts nervous and excited.
Tate goes over to his suitcase and digs a condom out of the pocket before returning to where I stand. I watch as he rolls it on and tosses the wrapper on the floor. Then, his eyes are set on me like I’m the prey he’s about to devour.
He threads his fingers in my hair as he slowly kisses me. My hands glide up his chest and wrap around his neck. There’s a major height difference between him and my mere five foot five frame, but the way our bodies line up, it’s almost comfortable and natural.
Tate wraps his hands around my rear and lifts again, my legs instantly locking around his lower back. The position puts his erection right where I want it, where I need it. His eyes meet mine once more as if he’s giving me one more chance to stop, but when I kiss him, I practically feel all his restraint and control melt away.
He presses forward, stretching and filling me completely in one thrust. I gasp and close my eyes, savoring the sweet burn that disappears as quickly as it started. Tate doesn’t move, just holds still for a few long seconds. “Good?”
“God, yes. So good. Do it again,” I beg.
He glides his lips along my neck and whispers, “Hold on, Sweetness. This is going to be one hell of a ride.”