“Ye should be more careful when ye step out into a dark alley, lass,” Lachlan’s accented voice whispered in my ear.
I smiled, grabbing his hand and swiftly knocking it away from my shoulder. I spun around, swapping positions with him in a flash and pinning him to the wall, my hands on his broad chest.
“And you should be more careful about who you walk up behind,” I murmured, my voice rough and breathy. “I could’ve killed you.”
He leaned in, his lips just inches from mine, one corner twitching into a smile. “I think I might enjoy ye tryin’.”
With that, he knocked my hands away, grabbing my wrists. Our positions changed again, and I yanked free of his hold and whipped up my arm, attempting to send a bit of magic at him, but he grabbed my wrist and pushed it back against the cinderblock wall.
My heart was thundering in my chest, and I smiled, purring, “I think I might enjoy that too.”
This time, I pushed against his hold to rub my chest against his, letting him keep my wrists pinned to the wall. He groaned as our bodies touched, heat sparking between us despite the layers of clothing that separated us. I pressed against him even harder, and he leaned down and crashed his lips against mine.
All the sexual tension that had built up between us during the fight exploded like a bomb in the dark alleyway. He pushed against me, grinding his hips against mine, and I pushed back, kissing him deeply. His hand ran up to the back of my head and wrapped around my hair, gripping it tightly. Our tongues swirled back and forth in each other’s mouths, and my hand drifted to his thigh, dragging my fingernails just inches shy of his crotch.
Lifting one leg, I wrapped it around him, opening myself up to feel him press even further against me. He wrenched his lips away from mine, trailing them down along my jaw and neck, lighting my skin on fire.
“Fuck, I missed you,” I groaned as he feasted on me like a starving man.
“Same,” he grunted, his mouth moving even lower as one large hand tugged open my jacket, giving him access to more of me.
The passion between us was insane, and I was pretty sure if things kept going the way they were, I would end up fucking him right there in the alleyway. Actually, I really didn’t have a problem with that idea at all, but the sound of a semi truck’s horn blowing loudly as it drove past on the street finally broke the tension that coursed between us.
Lachlan chuckled, releasing the pressure against me and stepping back. He grabbed his junk and rearranged himself as we both breathed heavily, trying to collect what little bit of control we had left. I ran my hands through my hair, pulling out the knots that he had just twisted.
My clit was throbbing, and every bit of friction from my clothes seemed to push my body even higher, making me bite my lip.
The feeling inside of me was more than just want or need. There was something solid and more to it. I’d been attracted to Lachlan and the other two men from the start, but now it was about a lot more than physical desire. I was starting to truly care about them. It was strange and new to me, since I’d made a point of being a loner ever since my dad had died when I was young.
I’d kept to myself, and I’d kept my emotions pretty well locked down. I hadn’t wanted to get attached to anyone, which was precisely why I’d ghosted Merrick when things had gotten serious between us the first time.
I was determined not to make that same mistake again. Not to let my emotionally closed off nature ruin what was developing between me and the three men in my life. What was happening between us was exciting, but it also terrified me in a lot of ways.
Lachlan had stepped back far enough that there was a foot of space between us, but I could still feel the heat radiating from his body as I looked up at him. I was no little waif, but he towered over me anyway, and I secretly loved it.
His arm muscles filled out his leather jacket perfectly, and his dark jeans clung to his thick legs. He looked good enough to fucking eat, and the hungry look in his eyes made me think maybe he might return that sentiment.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tongue darting out to lick my lips. “I thought you were going back to Ireland.”
His emerald gaze never left mine, and even though he wasn’t touching me, I could sense the coiled tension in his body.
“Thought about it. But I missed Boston more than Ireland when it came down to it. I’ve gotten used to this place, and it feels like home now. I missed my bike, and my club is here. I missed the guys. Besides,” he added, his voice growing deeper. “I thought maybe I’d run into a certain lass. One with black hair, milky skin, and fuckin’ gorgeous eyes.”
Something I couldn’t quite describe swelled in my chest as he admitted that he’d come back to Boston for me.
“Yeah?” I grinned. “Well, she’s glad you found her.”
“Aye.”
He nodded once, a predatory look entering his eyes, and my pussy clenched.
Fuck. I want him so damn bad.
I’d kissed him a few times before, and he, Merrick, and Trace had worshipped my body in a cave in the godly realm—until a collapsing ceiling had interrupted our fun. Stupid clam-jamming gods.
“Where are you staying while you’re here?” I asked.
He nodded in a random direction, presumably toward his place. “Staying at the clubhouse. They had an extra room, and it’s nice to be around the blokes.”
I chuckled. His place sounded a lot nicer than mine, but his reasons for coming back were eerily similar to mine, although I hadn’t even known there was a chance of running into him here. But we were both craving the normalcy of our old lives, it seemed.
“Makes it harder to want to go back to the academy, that’s for damn sure,” I said.
Lachlan shook his head, stepping closer to me and running his knuckles down my cheek. Goose bumps traveled across my skin, and I leaned into his touch unconsciously.
“It does,” he murmured. “But it’s not like we’ve got a lot of choice in the matter.”
Irritation flared inside me, dousing some of the lust coursing through my veins. I wasn’t pissed at Lachlan, but at this entire fucked up situation.
“I was serious last time I talked to you guys,” I said, my voice hard. “We have to do the Gods’ Challenge again. We have to go back there. There’s something seriously fucked up going on at the school, and it’s costing people their lives.”
Lachlan chuckled. “Ye sound like some kind of superhero trying to rid the world of evil. But I agree, we need to go back. And if I didn’t agree, there’s no fuckin’ way any of us would let ye go to the godly realm on your own. I told ye we’ve got yer back, and I meant it.”
My hands landed on his chest again, grabbing the supple leather and pulling him closer. I could feel the press of his cock against me as his body caged mine against the wall again, and my breath came a little faster.
“It just makes me so angry,” I muttered, continuing our conversation even as I moved against him, sparking sensations everywhere in my body. “None of this is our fault. The gods are the ones who gave us these powers, and now we’re being forced to go to a school that apparently wants to kill its students. That’s some fucked up shit, and I won’t stand for it.”
Lachlan’s hands moved down to cup my ass, and he hiked me against him, grinding his hard-on against my swollen clit. I groaned, he smiled wickedly, squeezing my ass cheeks hard. “While I appreciate yer motivation to save the world, Ari, part of me thinks ye just want to do this because ye love a good fight.” His chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Don’t try to deny it, I’ve seen it in yer eyes.”