He shook his head. "Never. That's the problem with the grapevine, it's rarely accurate. I had one of my brothers check him out. You don't need to worry about him anymore."
"Why're you still looking out for me?" Standing next to him in a small space brought an influx of butterflies dancing inside her.
"Because I care about you." His gaze melted over her.
"You do? You could've fooled me. I mean, I haven't heard from you. You were at Cherry Vale tonight and I know you saw my car, but you never came down to my aunt's room."
"I know," he said softly as he ran his hand down her arm.
Tingles shivered through her as she watched his fingers against her skin. "Why have you been dissing me?"
"Because you asked me to. You told me to leave you alone." He grasped her wrist and pulled her closer. "But I can't. I want you, Hailey. You were right. You're a grown woman and I'm a man, and if we want to be together it's our damn decision."
"I've had a crush on you since forever, but I felt something pull me to you when I first saw you the night I got the tattoo."
"Me too. I wondered if you felt it. It was a jolt and it made me take notice. When I found out it was you, it was so fucked up. But now it's clear. I want to be with you."
"For tonight? I'm not into one-night stands. I like being with someone and having a relationship. I'm afraid of getting hurt."
"There's always a risk in getting hurt, but it's worth it. I'm gonna be honest with you. I can't promise you forever. Hell, I don't even know what the fuck to do in a relationship because I've never been in one. All I know is that you're in my head all the time, my dick's been hard for too fuckin' long, and I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know all of you-inside and out. I've never wanted that with a woman, so I'm pretty sure this is more than just lust."
"What about all the women you have?"
"Are you hearing me, woman? I want to be with you. You. Only you. I don't want any other women. Let's just see where this takes us. We don't have to figure it all out tonight."
She smiled. "First thing for you to learn about me-I'm an obsessive planner. I cringe at spontaneity and don't do so well with a change in plans."
"I know that. Remember how you'd make a fuss when Ryan and I would take you to the fair instead of swimming when the carnival was in town? You always could go swimming the next day, but you'd carry on like it was the end of the world. And you always ended up having a good time at the fair."
Shaking her head, she laughed. "I think it's going to be dangerous to go out with you. You remember too much."
He drew her into his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth. "I don't know what it is, but you do something to me." Kissing her again, his hand roamed down her back, landing on her ass.
"You do something to me too. I've never had a man make me feel things the way you do."
"You haven't seen anything yet." In one fluid movement, he picked her up and set her down on the front counter, his lips never leaving hers. He slipped his hand under her blouse and teased his fingers up to her breasts.
Pushing his hand away, she whispered, "Let me pull the blinds. I don't want anyone passing by to see us." Ignoring his protests, she jumped off the counter and pulled down the shades, then dimmed the lights. As she walked back to Goldie, his gaze tracked up her body, then locked on hers. Desire heated his eyes. The look sent a bolt of fire between her legs.
Licking her lips, she slowed her pace, his low growl fanning the lust inside her. Without warning, he reached out and jerked her into his arms, crushing his mouth on hers. His kiss was hot, hungry. Her mind reeled out of control as he thrust into her mouth, touching her body and making it burn. She clawed at his shirt in a desperate attempt to rip it from him so she could run her tongue over his taut muscles.
"Need some help with that?" he said in a low, deep voice that made her panties damp with want. He tugged his T-shirt over his head and threw it on the floor.
She pushed him away and stepped back far enough so she could take him in. Seeing him shirtless for the first time made her knees shake as her gaze traveled up and down. He was magnificent. Every muscle was taut, lean, and so wickedly delicious. He had a smattering of blond hair on his chest that trailed down and disappeared into the waistband of his jeans. She couldn't wait to see how far down it went.
"You're gorgeous," she murmured as she ran her fingertips across his chest and then lower on his stomach. A small groan ripped through his throat and she glanced up and met his lust-filled gaze. As her fingertips slipped into his waistband, he shook his head and yanked her to him.
"I want to see your body first. All of it." He feathered kisses up her neck and across her throat as she tilted her head back and moaned. "Fuck," he said. His warm breath on her skin sent tingles up her spine. Pulling away slightly, he grasped her blouse and ripped it open, buttons pinging everywhere. He bent his head and lavished a trail of kisses over the tops of her breasts as his hands traveled up to cup them. His thumb grazed over her nipples, then flicked them teasingly until they ached for his mouth. He jerked her bra down, the straps capturing her arms at her sides. The cool air from the AC suddenly felt icy against her hardening nipples. Leaning back on the heels of his boots, his gaze devoured her, stroking her with dark intent.
"Your tits are fuckin' beautiful," he rasped as he dipped his head.
Embarrassed by his gaze and words, she closed her eyes.
"Open your eyes. I want you to watch what I'm doing to you."
Fluttering them open, she met his and watched as he slowly licked the tip of her nipple. It was exquisite and tormenting at the same time. Arching her back, she thrust her breasts closer, hoping he'd take them in his mouth. He leaned back again. Damn! He chuckled.
"Do you want more?"
"You know I do. Touch them."
With a wicked glint in his eye, he slid his tongue around her nipple before sucking it between his lips. Heat flooded between her legs and she pressed closer to him, humping his leg. Harder and faster he sucked, and her low moans turned into cries. When he slipped his hand into her jeans and placed his palm on her damp panties, sparks rushed up her spine.
"That's so good," she muttered as she ground against his hand.
"What do you want me to do?"
Swallowing hard, she looked into his eyes. "I want your cock deep inside my pussy," she said in a naughty voice. Hearing her voice saying the words shocked her a bit. She'd never said anything like that to a man, but she'd been practicing how to talk dirty ever since she'd read several articles on the subject.
Silence. Goldie stopped playing with her breasts. His hand came out from her jeans. Embarrassment flooded her and she closed her eyes. What the hell was I thinking? Why did I say it?
Her eyes flew open when Goldie lifted her and then slammed her down on the front counter. Her legs hung off the side and her sandals fell to the floor. There was a feral, predatory look in his eyes as he pushed her down on the counter and stripped off her jeans, leaving her just in panties. Mesmerized by the hunger she saw reflected in his blue orbs, she lifted herself up on her elbows and watched as he grasped one side of her panties and ripped them at the seam. A wicked smile spread across his lips and he ripped the other side easily.
After kicking off his boots and shedding his jeans and boxers, Goldie's fingers dug into her soft flesh, spreading her bent knees wide until she felt a small stretch down the insides of her thighs. Goldie stared at her pussy, and instead of feeling shy about being so completely exposed, excitement filled her. She could feel her juices dampening the small strip of blonde hair on her engorged lips.
"Fuck," he said in a low voice as he slid his hands under her and cupped her ass cheeks. His shoulders kept her opened wide as he lifted her. She raised her head and flattened her hands on the counter as she captured his piercing gaze. Holding her breath, she watched as he slowly licked the length of her, his lips soon glistening from her arousal.
Her body jolted from the sheer pleasure of it, and her synapses sparked and sizzled as he shoved his tongue into her slippery slit. Over and over, he licked, nipped, and feasted on her until her insides were mush and she was half-crazed with frenzied desire. As he shoved his fingers in and out of her, he steadily licked her hardened nub while his penetrating gaze watched her. Never in her life had she been so aroused. Everything around them blurred; the only thing she was aware of was the tangy scent of their arousal, the sound of his tongue swishing in and out of her, the feel of his warm, soft tongue coaxing her to orgasm. And then the tight coil deep inside her unfurled with such ferocity that she didn't recognize the guttural screams coming from her. Thrashing on the counter, she came hard, raw, and completely.