Third Strike Page 7

  “You’re touching now,” I say, running my nose up her face. We still haven’t kissed. We’re touching, we’re exploring, and we’re pushing the boundary of being decent, yet I haven’t kissed her since she left my house after New Year’s. I need to rectify that immediately. I need her taste on my lips to remind me why I’m risking everything to be with her.

  After lifting my hand to her head, I tangle my fingers in her blonde curls, holding her in place. Her breath catches, and her heated eyes flash just before I dip my chin and kiss her how I’ve wanted to kiss her since the moment I saw her tonight. There’s no gentle teasing, no soft nips, and languid moves. No—this is a kiss full of promise. It’s hands and moans, fingers and groans. It’s my hips pressing into hers, her heel digging into my back. It’s her breasts crushed against my chest. Her tongue grappling with mine in a battle we both want to—and will—win. It’s everything I feel for her poured into a kiss I have no place in giving her but doing it anyway.

  When we finally break apart, we’re breathless. Ash rests her forehead against mine as she gulps in air, my own chest heaving as I will my heart rate—and libido—to slow.

  “We need to get out of here before we either get arrested, or I get killed by your brother.”

  Her answering smile is huge. “I have plans for you, Drew Peters, so you better go say your goodbyes and meet me in the lobby. I want you alone, and I can’t wait any longer.” She gives me a final hard and fast kiss, the tip of her tongue meeting my lips for the briefest touch before she pushes my shoulders back.

  “See you soon,” she adds before spinning on her heels, walking up the hall, and disappearing into the women’s restroom.

  I cross back to the VIP booth to tell Millen I’m calling it a night. He quirks a brow at my announcement but thankfully, the petite blonde draped over his side distracts him before he can question me and I have to lie to him again.

  Waiting in the lobby, I call for the penthouse elevator as soon as Ash arrives. Her hands are grasped in front of her as she wrings her fingers together.

  I reach out and snake my arm around the small of her back, pulling her sideways and around. Her front is pressed into mine as I walk her in and press the button for our floor. She braces her hands on my chest and looks up at me.

  Cupping her jaw, I reach out and rest my other hand on her hip, making sure I have her complete attention. “This is your night, Ash. You call the shots. You say how much and how far we go, and in no way…” I flex my fingers to accentuate my point, “… absolutely no way am I going to pressure you to do anything you’re not ready for.”

  “But you’ve done this before. You’re so experienced…”

  I shake my head. “I’m not experienced at this: wanting someone so damn much that it’s a struggle to keep myself in check. I’m scared I’m the one not ready when there’s nothing I want more.”

  Her eyes widen. “How can you be scared?”

  I smile as her hands start exploring my chest, her shock seemingly gone, her curiosity taking over. My cock—already halfway there—goes hard as fucking stone, pulsing when she tentatively rolls her hips against mine. “Everybody remembers losing their virginity. I’ve never been someone’s first, so let’s just say there could be a little performance anxiety at play here.”

  She pushes her hips forward again, this time not so shy, and gifts me with a mischievous smile. “Doesn’t feel like there are any problems in that department, but I look forward to finding out for myself.”

  I kiss her, hard, fast, and dirty, filled with the promise of everything that’s to come. “What am I going to do with you?” I whisper against her jaw when we pull apart.

  The final ding of the elevator signals the end of our ride.

  Stepping back, she holds her hand out. With a racing heart and a warring conscience, I lace my fingers with hers and follow her into her suite.

  She glances over her shoulder to meet my hungry eyes. “Let’s go, and you can show me.”

  As soon as the hotel door closes behind us, I have to take a moment to let it sink in exactly what we were about to do. “We don’t have to do anything,” I whisper.

  Ash moves across the room, dumping her purse on the sofa and removing her heels. She stops to stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the entire front of the room, the bright lights of The Strip below as her backdrop.

  I follow her, kicking my shoes off as I go. My fingers go to my shirt sleeves, rolling them up to my elbows by the time I’m behind her.

  I stop barely an inch away, my front warmed by the heat of her back. She sucks in a breath when our eyes meet in the reflection of the glass, her tongue darting out and wetting her lips.

  Lowering my mouth to her ear, I run my teeth against her earlobe. She shudders, hooking an arm over her head to grip my hair, the other reaching back to pull my hips hard against hers. “I want it all,” she moans, turning her head to the side and giving me more access. I drag my jaw along her skin, kissing and sucking as I work my way up her throat.

  I roll my pelvis, pressing my hard cock against her ass as she pushes back against me. “Fuck, Ash. I wanna do this, but I’ve gotta do it right.”

  She stills, and I follow suit. There’s no way I’m going any further if there’s any uncertainty on her part. Your first time is something you never forget, whether you’re a horny fifteen-year-old boy under the bleachers after school with a thirty-second draw or an eighteen-year-old woman who’s waited until the time is right.

  Slowly spinning in my arms, she turns to face me, soft hooded eyes meeting mine.

  I glide my hands up her torso, my thumbs grazing the sides of her breasts, snagging the silky red material of her dress. Cupping her cheeks in my hands, I rest my forehead against hers. I breathe her in, loving the calm that courses through me as I inhale, vanilla, coconut and temptation. The scent overwhelms my senses in the best possible way.

  I meet her hooded eyes, hoping she can see just how important this is to me. “Ash, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, inside and out. I need to know this is what you want?”

  I want to hear her say the words. I may never deserve the gift she’s about to give me, but it’s one I’ll cherish more than anything else. She launches herself at me, hooking a hand behind my head and crashing her lips to mine, her tongue delving inside without hesitation. This is her answer. There’s absolutely no uncertainty in the way she’s kissing me.

  “Infinity pool,” she breathes, lacing her fingers with mine and walking backward, pulling me with her toward a short hallway.

  A wolfish grin plays on my lips. “You want to go swimming, mini Ross?”

  The grin falters when she lets go of me, her hands dropping to the hem of her dress as she slowly—achingly so—drags the slinky red dress up her body, revealing inches of tanned smooth skin as she goes. She’s completely fucking naked beneath that dress, and it snaps my self-control. I rip my shirt over my head, my fingers fighting with my belt before I undo my zipper and drop my pants and boxers in one go. Her eyes give me a slow up-down as she continues to move toward a glass door at the end of the corridor, only stopping when her bare back presses against it. I bend to remove my socks, then straighten to bring my body flush with hers, loving the whimper that escapes the second my mouth takes hers. This time our kiss is reckless, her nails biting into my biceps as I brace myself against the door frame, drowning in my feelings for her.

  She kisses my jaw, her breathing as hard as mine is ragged. “You’re fucking gorgeous,” I say gruffly, cursing when she sucks hard against my neck, no doubt leaving a mark I’ll cherish like it’s a god damn trophy.

  Without stepping back, she turns the handle, and we’re moving again. I hold on to her until we’re out in the night air, the muted dark sky a stunning backdrop as I look for the pool.

  Without further warning, I let her go. Her eyes widen until I hook one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders, and I lift her up and carry her into the refre
shing water.

  “Aren’t you a romantic,” she teases, leaning in and smiling against my lips.

  “Gotta bring my A-game with you.”

  She kisses me once more then pulls back, her eyes dancing as she quirks her brow. “You’re only just bringing your A-game? Have I not been worth it before?”

  “You’re worth everything to me,” I rasp before locking my mouth to hers and plunging us under. We’re still connected when I bring us up again, the water dripping everywhere. She wriggles free, standing on her own with her hands on her hips, glaring at me, her lips twitching. I get within arm’s reach of her before she jumps forward, dunking me back under the surface.

  She’s stretched out, leaning against the pool wall when I emerge again. She bites her lip, her expression amused innocence as I stalk toward her.

  “Don’t move,” I say on a low growl as I slowly press my body hard against hers, my fingers tangling with her wet hair and pulling her head back so I can rub my lips up her throat. Her pulse races against my touch. I brace my hands on the tiles on both sides of her head and move in close. Her warm breath fans over my wet skin, threatening to break my resolve to take things slow.

  “Your first time should not be in a pool.”

  “I thought the water would make things… easier,” she says softly.

  After giving her another quick kiss, I lift my head to meet her gaze, trailing my hands along to frame her face. “I want this to be good for you.”

  “I want it to be good for you too, but I know you’ve done this before, and—”

  I shut her up with my mouth, not easing into her at all. No, this kiss is full of purpose and intent. I glide my palms over her shoulders, brush my knuckles over her collarbones and move down to graze the swell of her breasts. She arches her back, and taking it as encouragement to continue, I go lower, cupping them in my hands and running my thumbs over her hard nipples. I shift back, easing her with me so her torso is floating, her legs pulling me in close to her heat. My mouth waters at the sight of her displayed before me, and without any hesitation I lean forward, pressing my lips over her heart, before dragging them against her skin, circling my tongue around the stiffened peak, and sucking it into my mouth. Her answering moan urges me on, the harder the pull, the deeper she pushes into me. Her fingers grip my hair tight and hold me in place.

  I move to her other breast, paying it the same attention as its counterpart. Ash squirms her hips against my hard length, making it near impossible to think straight.

  Desperate to feel her again, I move forward until she’s back against the wall. I claim her mouth with renewed vigor and trail my hand down over her stomach to cup between her legs. I drop my head to her shoulder with a guttural groan at the feel of nothing but silky slick skin. Cupping her, I lift my eyes to meet hers, seeing nothing but want and burning lust shining back at me. “You ready for more, Ash?” My voice is hoarse, my need unmistakable.

  “I want it all, Drew, and sooner rather than later.” She flexes her hand against the back of my head. “I’m not some precious princess. I want to feel you, Drew. Show me how much you want me, and I want to do the same. I don’t need romance and rose petals, soft music, and dimmed lights. I just need you.” She punctuates her declaration with a rough, desperate, probing kiss and I snap, rolling my hips against her leg, letting her feel just how hard I am.

  I trail my index finger through her slick heat. I take the kiss deeper, my tongue seeking hers as I run my thumb in tiny circles around her swollen clit, loving the whimpers and moans she’s making into my mouth. Her body undulates with mine as I slowly press a single finger inside of her.

  “Finally,” she breathes.

  Chuckling against her lips, I smile. “Feel okay?” I murmur, withdrawing and pressing in a little deeper.

  Her head drops back, and I cover her throat with kisses, trailing my tongue against her skin, relishing the taste and scorching hot feel of her.

  Her hand on the wall snakes down between us until she wraps her fist around my shaft and gives it a firm squeeze as she adjusts her grip and moves up, then down. There’s absolutely no hesitation on her part, and the fact she’s only like this with me makes me want to stand up and beat my chest like a caveman.

  Her strokes begin to speed up, her breaths quickening as I ease one finger out and push two back inside. My entire body is ready to spontaneously combust. She’s all I can see, all I can smell, all I can feel. Every pull of her hand drives me closer, and every run of my thumb on her clit winds her up like a tightly coiled spring. Her legs circle my back, her muscles clenching my fingers like a vise, her cries getting louder and faster until my thrusting into her fist becomes sporadic and uncontrolled. With a final arch of her back, her entire body goes taut, and she moans my name, the sound like the most reverent prayer escaping her lips. I grit my teeth and focus on her, struggling but somehow succeeding to hold my own climax at bay as I ease her back down to earth. I smooth my hand over her hip and through the water until my fingers glide through the hair at her temple. Soft, sated eyes turn to mine, a lazy smile playing on her lips. Her hand is still loosely wrapped around my still hard cock.

  “Is it my turn now?” she whispers. I grin and shake my head, leaning down to nuzzle her neck, grating my teeth gently against her skin. I stand up straight, pulling her flush against me until we’re nose to nose.

  “This whole night is your turn. Let me cherish you and show you how much tonight means to me. How much you mean to me.”

  She stares at me, her teeth sinking into her lip when she slowly nods. I drop my hands to her hips and hoist her up onto the side of the pool, leaving her legs dangling on either side of me. I slowly run my hands over the outside of her thighs, my palms caressing the back of her knees then moving down her calves. My fingers wrap around her ankles as I hook them over my shoulders. Bracing my arms on either side of her hips, I push myself up, and she drops onto her back. Her chest heaves as I place my hands against the inside of her legs and smooth them up her thighs, spreading them wide as I go.

  Leaning forward, I run my nose along the crease of her hip, inhaling deeply, willing my cock down from its insistent throbbing long enough to take care of my girl like she deserves.

  She trembles beneath me. A quick glance up finds her perched on her elbows looking down at me, a wry smile playing on her lips. Not breaking the connection, I shift to her center and run the tip of my tongue along her seam, watching the wave of pleasure roll through her body till she closes her eyes, and her head drops as she eases down onto her back. I bring a hand between us and open her up to me.

  I spend the next short while using every trick in my arsenal to drive her wild. Wrapping my lips around her clit, I push first one, then two fingers inside of her, her wet heat sucking them in and clenching around me. She bucks her hips, driving me wild when her hand finds its way to the back of my head once more, her nails biting into my scalp, testing my restraint. “God, Drew,” she whines. “You’re killing me here. Please…”

  “You want me to stop?” I murmur against her sensitive skin. I lave my tongue around the nub in teasing circles, getting closer and closer to the prize.

  She tightens her grip and lifts her head, her eyes pinned to mine. “I need you inside me. I’m about to explode.”

  “That’s the point, sweetheart.”

  “I want to do it with you inside me. I want you to feel me. I want to feel you.” Her words reach through me, and the last fragments of my determination snap. I slide up and pull her close. Her lips latch onto mine as she kisses me so deeply I swear I’m about to swallow her whole.

  “Not here. Let me do this right. Let me do right by you, Ash.”

  She nods and wraps her arms around my shoulders, holding tight as I rise and lift her onto her feet.

  I grab a towel from a small folded pile against the wall, then shake it open and drape it around her. After a languid kiss on her lips, I slide my hand in hers and wrap another towel around my waist before leading her
back into the suite and toward what I deduce is the master bedroom.

  “Lucky guess,” she says teasingly. A quick glance at her eyes gives away her nerves as she averts her attention, looking toward the bed. She tries to pull her hand away, but I give her arm a gentle tug until we’re pressed against each other again.

  I cup her jaw and hold her gaze, watching as she bites her lip, a surefire tell that she’s as anxious as I am. “Hey. I want this. I want you, but you can still stop us at any time.”

  “But—”

  I press my thumb against her mouth to stop her. “No buts, Ash. When it comes to you, I’m a patient man. I’ll wait for as long as you need me to. I’ll—”

  Now it’s her turn to shut me up, but she does it by stepping back and dropping her towel to the ground, her eyes blazing with unadulterated lust. She reaches out and slips her fingers beneath my towel, loosening it until it falls to the floor. Stepping closer, she hooks her hand behind my neck and pulls my lips to hers, rendering me stupid with a mind-bending, determined kiss at the same time as she fists my cock, tight and firm, just the way I like it.

  “Now, I’m only going to say this one more time. I want you, Drew, and I don’t want to wait any longer because the person I was waiting for was you.” She moves back, taking me with her but not once easing her strokes on my cock. When her knees hit the mattress, she lets me go and falls onto her back, crooking a finger at me with a wicked smile, urging me to follow.

  I put a knee to the bed and lower myself down, pressing my hands on either side of her, my eyes studying her face. I see nothing but absolute certainty in her expression.

  My entire body feels electrified. Every cell in my body is attuned to the woman beneath me.

  Reaching up, she runs her palms up my chest and over my shoulders. “Condoms are in the top drawer. I um…” She looks away from me again, but I’m not having a bar of it.