He kept it slow all the way as if to prolong her torture, but Tessa preferred to think that he just didn’t want to take a chance with her life since neither of them was wearing a helmet. No doubt he’d forgotten to grab them when he jumped on his bike to catch her before she’d made it too far down the road.
Tag pulled the big bike in front of her door without any prompting by her. They’d obviously checked into where she lived—exactly. For some reason, that didn’t upset her as much as it should have. She should have been worried that they had snooped enough to learn the apartment number and wondered if they’d followed her without her knowing it in the past. Instead of getting upset, Tessa chose to dismount the bike and forget about it.
“Thanks for the ride, Tag.” She gave him a brief smile without looking in his dark gaze. To do that would be foolish at this point. She was already much too aware of him to tempt fate.
As she started toward her door, she heard the motor cut and the creak of the saddle leather as he too dismounted the bike. She picked up her pace to reach the door before he caught up with her. No such luck. He somehow managed to pluck the key from her hand and unlock the door for her. Instead of allowing her to pass, Tag stepped into her apartment first, looking around as if he expected someone to be there waiting for her.
“What are you doing?” she asked, frowning at him.
“Making sure you didn’t have any unexpected visitors. It looks like its empty,” he said with a slow smile.
“Um, thanks. You can go now. Good night.” She held the door for him, waiting for her taxi driver to leave. He didn’t move. “What do you want, Tag?”
He walked over and gently closed the door for her, with him on the same side as her. Then he locked it, scowling at the flimsy locks.
“You need better locks. Hell, you need a whole new door frame. I could kick this one in without breaking a sweat.”
“Look. You need to leave now. I have things to do that don’t include you, Tag.” Tessa frowned as he walked up to her.
“So do I, and they most definitely include you,” he said.
Before she knew what he was doing, Tag had her backed up against the wall with his lips on hers in a kiss that was as hot as it was dangerous. Her gasp as her back hit the wall had left her wide open for his assault. There was no way she could remain immune to him with his hot tongue doing delightful things to hers. It claimed every part of her mouth before coaxing hers to do the same in his.
Tessa was helpless against the blatant sexuality of the man. His kiss consumed her, leaving nothing behind for her to use to rebuild her defenses. She had no doubt he’d planned it that way, too. Tag was relentless if nothing else. He didn’t give up when he wanted something, and for some reason she couldn’t begin to understand, he wanted her.
It was that intense obsession Tag seemed to have for her that had her falling a little more for him. He took what he wanted but never took more than she was willing to give. Maybe on the outside, she protested, but deep inside, Tessa knew she wanted him. It was the reason she hadn’t run before now. She wanted him, wanted them.
Hands that had been holding her at her waist to keep her still now roved up the sides of her body to cup her face as he slowly released her lips, only to eat at her chin, cheeks, and ear. He trailed a line of hot, wet kisses down her neck to the edge of her shirt. The low growl he gave let her know he didn’t like that her shirt was in the way, but he didn’t attempt to move it. Instead, he worked his way around the neckline of the shirt then moved back up her neck to return to her lips. All the time, he held her immobile by pressing his pelvis against her lower belly. The thick ridge of his engorged cock left no doubt that he wanted her.
“Son of a bitch, Tessa. You drive me crazy, and I don’t like it. Not one damn bit,” Tag heaved out against her lips.
“Then why are you here?” she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
“Because I can’t leave you alone. You’re in my blood, baby girl. All I have to do is think about you, and my dick turns into a damn hound dog after a bitch in heat.”
She tried to turn her head away from the brush of his lips, but Tag wasn’t letting her escape. His nasty talk should have turned her off, pissed her off, but instead, her already wet panties soaked up another wave of arousal dripping from her pussy.
“Stop thinking about me. Quit coming by the store just to harass me all the time, and you’ll be free of me,” she said. God knew she didn’t really mean the words, but she should.
“Not happening, Tessa. I’m already addicted to the way you walk and, now, to the way you taste. I can’t get that hitch in your voice when you talk out of my head. Just hearing you talk could make me come in my jeans like a fucking teenager, baby girl,” Tag said, his husky voice sending chills down her spine.