“Those things are drugs?”
“Yeah. Dealing has become a big problem farther south, and apparently the supplier lives here.”
“Wow,” she intoned, leaning her head against the headboard. Then she jerked suddenly, like there was a sudden explosion of sound. Except the only sound was that of our breathing. My body tensed instinctively and my eyes scanned the room.
“What’s wrong?” I swear just being near her kicked my testosterone into high gear and had me thinking all these caveman thoughts. Mine. Protect. Claim.
“Is this dangerous?” she asked, her stormy eyes wide.
I shrugged. It was dangerous. Drug dealers were no joke. They were territorial, they were mean, and they only thought about the job. But the look on her face had me keeping my mouth shut. Clearly this idea scared her. She was likely wondering what kind of danger she was in now.
Julie yanked her fingers out of mine and wrapped her hand around my wrist, squeezing a little. “Could you get hurt?”
I paused. “What?”
“Blue,” she said, exasperated, giving my arm a jerk. “Could you get hurt?”
“You’re worried about me?” I asked, astonishment flowing through me like a river in a rainstorm. I hadn’t expected such stark concern on her face. I hadn’t expected her to completely bowl me over.
“Well, yeah,” she said, like it was a no-brainer.
I couldn’t take it.
Not another single second.
I slipped my hands along her ribcage and lifted her off the mattress, depositing her on my lap. Her bare legs straddled my thighs as I settled her a little bit closer. Slowly, I drew my fingers down the sides of her ribs so I could grip that soft spot around her waist, just above her hip bones.
Julie stared at me curiously, her hands falling between us. It took a minute of convincing, but I got my hands to leave her waist and cupped her face, brushing my thumbs along the creamy satin of her cheeks.
I pulled her in, keeping my eyes locked on hers, feeling the slight trembling of my insides. I never anticipated anyone or anything so much. I never before wanted to prolong the torture of waiting for the first touch of a woman’s lips on mine.
Her eyes fluttered closed and the softest sigh escaped her slightly parted lips.
I crushed our mouths together, mingling our breath, taking claim on exactly what I wanted. Her lips were moist and soft. Her kiss was giving, like she was offering up every single piece of herself, like she was laying herself bare and trusting me to keep her safe.
Holy hell, I would die to kiss her like this every day for the rest of my life.
I held her face still, being greedy with my need. My lips ravaged her mouth, being gentle but leaving behind nothing. I nipped at the corner of her lips and rang my tongue around the edges. My bottom lip fit so perfectly in the center of hers that they joined together like two halves of a whole.
When I wanted more, I pressed my thumbs into her jaw, ever so lightly, and her lips parted so I could sweep my tongue into her luscious mouth.
She tasted like toothpaste, like cool mint. It was a stark contrast against the heat of the kiss, the heat that was pulsing between us.
Her hands found the front of my shirt and she gripped it, taking large fistfuls and pulling herself closer to me. Her tongue swept the roof of my mouth, and I groaned, my pulse picking up as all the blood in my body rushed to the area between my legs.
With a deep groan, I ripped my mouth away from hers and she grabbed me back, covering my lips with hers, gently coercing my piercing into her mouth to roll it around her tongue. The gentle tugging sensation was unlike anything I felt before. Need slammed into my body. All the blood left my head and traveled south. All the air left my lungs, and the only thought I could summon was telling me to take her then and there.
She made a little purring sound and released the piercing, pressing a full kiss against my lips before she collapsed forward, burying her face in my neck. Every so often her lips would brush against my beating pulse and desire would sweep me all over again.
I put a leash around my lust and told it to heal. This wasn’t what I came here for.
No. That was a lie.
This is exactly what I came here for. She was exactly what I wanted.
It was bad timing. The worst.
How the hell was I going to do my job and keep Julie in my life?
11
Julie
Whoa.
It wasn’t much of a word, but it was a hell of a feeling.
I didn’t just bury my face in his neck because I couldn’t get close enough (can you blame me?). I did it because I needed a minute to compose myself. I felt like a pair of well-worn jeans, comfortable and stretched to the perfect fit. His lap was exactly right. It was almost a shame, really. Because now no other seat would fit me like this. I would always be wanting the feeling of being against him.