As they kissed, Caroline felt Zander’s hands drop to her hips. He squeezed, then turned her so her back was to the tailgate. He pulled their lips apart as he backed her up, then lifted her. He stepped between her knees as she sat on the end of the tailgate. His hands slid down from her hips to her bare knees. With his eyes on hers, he separated her knees and leaned in, capturing her lips again. He stroked his big hands up and down her thighs, his fingertips dipping under the edge of the denim each time.
She ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, down to his biceps, where she squeezed as she arched closer.
“Please, Zander, I want this. I want it all.”
Breathing hard, he stared into her eyes. “I’ll give you all I can.”
She knew he meant that. She knew that he wanted to give her more and just felt that he couldn’t. She understood that he felt that way because of all the people he loved. Possibly even because of the way he felt about her.
She nodded. “Please.”
He stepped back and took another look at her, his hot gaze sweeping over her. “Fuck, it’s never going to be enough.”
“But it’s better than nothing.”
He gave her a smile and shoved his hand through his hair. “There’s no way I’m tough enough to just walk away from this.”
She let out a breath of relief. She didn’t know for sure if he meant just tonight or everything but either way, she’d take it. She’d take whatever she could get.
She watched as he started moving around the truck, grabbing additional supplies from behind the seat, and then returning to the truck bed. He climbed up inside and within minutes, there was possibly the most romantic scene she’d ever seen laid out in front of her.
The sleeping bags were stacked together like a thick mattress with a blanket over the top. On the edge of the truck bed were four lanterns that softly lit the area, and two insect-repelling fans sat on the top of the cab. The night was still warm, but there was a breeze that helped stir the heavy air. Caroline couldn’t wait to get out of her clothes. For many reasons.
Overhead the stars were starting to appear and they were surrounded by the sounds of the bayou gurgling by and crickets and frogs starting to sing.
“You really must camp a lot,” she commented as he jumped out of the truck bed a final time and came to stand in front of her.
“I do.”
“For fun?”
“Usually I’m helping Theo. When he’s watching a campsite or tracking animals.”
They all had one another’s backs and she knew that brotherhood meant a lot to him.
“I have never considered myself an outdoorsy girl, but right now, in this moment, with all of this, I can’t imagine anything better.”
He lifted his hands and cupped her face, bringing her in. “This is not how it usually goes for me, Caroline. I need you to know that. This really feels different.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
“I know.”
He leaned in and she shifted and their lips met. The kiss was sweet. For about three seconds. Then they both moaned, her knees parted, he stepped between them, their mouths opened, their bodies leaned in, and his hands dropped to her hips while her arms circled his neck.
“Need to see you,” he said huskily against her mouth. He lifted his hands to the bottom of her shirt and slid it up her body.
She leaned back and helped him pull it up over her head.
Then she unhooked her bra and let it drop.
His grin died quickly as he blew out a breath. “Holy fuck, you’re so damn gorgeous.”
She took one of his hands and lifted it to her bare breast. “And I’m all yours.”
A little shudder went through him. But he ran his thumb over the hardened tip and pulses of heat streaked through her. Her breath hissed out. “Yes, Zander.”
He tugged gently on her nipple as his mouth found the side of her neck. He kissed his way to her collarbone, then nipped lightly. “I want to spread you out on those blankets. Naked under the moonlight. Crying out my name as you come harder for me than you ever have for anyone.”
She straightened, almost knocking him in the nose with her shoulder. She grabbed his face, laughing softly. “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. But yes. Yes to what you just said. All of that. Right now.”
He kissed her. “Get your sweet ass up on those blankets then.”
She scrambled backwards into the truck bed, her butt hitting the edge of the sleeping bags and sliding up onto them. When she was on her back, she kicked her shoes off and she unbuttoned, unzipped, and pushed her shorts down her body.
Caroline took a moment to just feel the sultry air caress her skin. She was sure her hair was already frizzing, and she could feel the light moisture making her skin glisten but she didn’t care. It felt so amazing to just let go like this.
“What are you doin’, cher? You’re still a little ways away from being bare-assed naked.”
She propped up on her elbows to look at Zander. He was standing at the tailgate. His eyes were fixed on her but his big, thick fingers were working the buttons of his shirt.
“I just got a little ahead of you. You need to catch up.”
He finished unbuttoning and shrugged out of the shirt, tossing it onto the tailgate. She drank in the sight of his hard muscles and tan skin lit by the golden glow from the lanterns. The muscles bunched as he braced his hands on the tailgate and lifted himself up into the back of the truck. He crawled toward her on hands and knees and her heart rate kicked up.
He didn’t stop until one hand was braced next to her hip and one knee was between hers. He dragged his palm up her thigh to the center of the panties she still wore and cupped her.
Caroline gasped then arched closer to his hand.
Zander grinned a sexy, knowing grin that made her press up even harder, grinding her clit into the heel of his hand.
“You know that cliché move from novels and movies where the guy takes the woman’s panties and tucks them in his pocket and keeps them?” he asked, his voice low and gruff.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded.
“I’m so doing that tonight.”
She gave a little moan and started to reply but all thoughts flew from her mind as his thumb tucked into the top edge of her panties and he pulled, stripping the silk down her legs to her ankles. When she lifted her feet so he could unhook them from her heels, he gave a little growl.
Her eyes flew to his face, and she saw that his hot gaze was locked on the area between her thighs. She immediately grew hotter and wetter, aching right there for him. He tucked the peach silk he just removed into his front jeans pocket, as promised, then stroked his hand back up her leg from her ankle to her hip, causing goose bumps to ripple in its wake.
“Goddammit, Caroline, you’re so fucking gorgeous like this. In my truck, under the moonlight, the bayou goin’ by. It will never be better than this.”
She realized that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted him to never find anything better than this. That was probably incredibly selfish of her, but she couldn’t find it in her to be sorry.
Without a word, she reached for his face, pulling him down and kissing him deeply. His hands stroked up over her hip to her ribs and back down, squeezing and kneading and stroking. He kissed her hungrily. Then pulled back. “I have a lot of territory to cover here.”