Ripper (Hunter #1)(65)

Men liked it fast and hard and they wanted a woman who did, too. I reached over and turned off the light.

“Hey,” Gray protested.

“I want you.” I pulled the T-shirt over my head. I felt much bolder in the dark. I was determined to have him and to be the kind of lover he wanted. I couldn’t be the kind of woman he needed, but maybe I could give him what he required in bed. The last thing he would want is to waste a bunch of time kissing.

I stood up and slid out of my panties. I let my hands find the band of his briefs and tugged them until his cock came free. I felt the full length of him. He gasped as I squeezed his erection. He was big. He was much bigger than I’d ever had before and I didn’t have the addition of alcohol as a lubricant, but I was determined. I straddled him and, before I could convince myself it was a bad idea, I reached down and forced myself onto his incredibly hard dick.

“Kelsey,” I heard him say and it didn’t sound sexy. It sounded a little like a protest.

I wasn’t moving fast enough. It hurt, but I tried to work my way onto him. I had him about halfway in when he flipped me over forcefully and he pulled out. The light came on. I felt my body flush when I realized he was furious.

“What the hell was that?”

Embarrassment flooded my system, so much worse than anything I’d felt before. I knew I wasn’t great in bed, but I’d never had a man shove me away and ask what I was doing. It was usually obvious. I managed to sit up and reached down to grab the sheet. I pulled it calmly up to cover my body. Calm. That was the key to getting through this debacle. I didn’t do what I wanted. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run and lock myself in the bathroom because I’d made a complete fool of myself. I wasn’t sure what I had done to offend him because he’d been hard as hell, but he obviously didn’t want to have sex with me.

I shrugged as casually as I could. “Sorry, I misread the signals. Oh, well, can’t be sexually compatible with everyone, I guess.”

His jaw dropped open at the comment and he spent way too long a moment looking at me. I wished the light could have stayed off because I felt completely naked under his scrutiny. I had to look away and I wished he would leave. I thought about getting up and walking out. It was almost morning as it was. I could call Liv to come get me. I stayed where I was because I didn’t want him to see me naked again. It was obvious I wasn’t his type.

His voice came out on a low growl. “What the hell have you done to yourself, baby?”

“What does that mean?” I asked irritably. I had to find the one guy in the world who wanted to talk about his freaking feelings.

Gray sat down on the bed again and he reached out to take my hand. I wouldn’t give it to him, so he settled his palm on my knee. He seemed calmer, but I thought getting the pity lecture might be worse than actually having him angry with me. “Have you ever made love, sweetheart?”

I laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Gray. I’m not a virgin. I’ve had sex before.”

“With anyone who gave a shit about you?’

Now I was pissed because he’d hit the nail on the head and I didn’t want to face that fact. I no longer cared if he saw my tits. I pushed his hand off me.

“Fuck you, Gray,” I said with every intention of getting out of the house.

Any softness in his face was replaced with iron-hard will. As I started to get up, his hand shot out and grabbed my ankle. Before I knew what was happening, his full weight pinned me to the bed and he used his hands to twist something around my wrists. It happened so quickly. Before I could take a breath, I was on my back with Gray pressing me into the mattress. My hands were bound tightly together with what looked like black lace.

I stared up at the sight of my hands, too shocked at the moment to be truly pissed off. “Are those my panties?”

Gray didn’t move, continuing to use his two hundred twenty pounds of pure muscle to hold my one twenty down. He leaned to the side and I heard the nightstand drawer open.

“They are, indeed, sweetheart.” His erection was even harder than it was before and I hadn’t thought that was possible. He twisted his hips to grind it against my pelvis. “Those are your pretty little panties and these are my handcuffs. Regulation Ranger issue.” He snapped one around the material between my wrists and the other he clipped to the wrought iron in the headboard. My arms were completely useless, held over my head and locked to the bed. He felt safe enough to get up and look down at his handiwork.

I was completely naked to his roaming eyes. I’d never felt quite that naked before though I certainly had been. Sex had been quick. Get the clothes off. Get the deed done. Gray hadn’t gotten that memo. He left the light on and sat back, his eyes on my body.

“I think I’ll take charge now.” He leaned over and covered my mouth with his. I had nowhere to go and no way to protest so I got to do what I wanted to do in the first place—enjoy the feel of his mouth on mine.

The man knew how to kiss. Slow at first, like he was softening me up and he was. The longer he brushed his lips against mine, the more I relaxed. I let go of what had happened before when his tongue dragged over my lower lip and he started whispering to me.

“You’re too beautiful, Kelsey. I can’t go fast. I want it to last. I want it to last forever.” His hands framed my face, like I was something precious and had to be handled with delicacy. “I could kiss you forever.”