Dare To Run (The Sons of Steel Row #1)(29)

Her nails scraped over my chest, digging in through the thin cotton of the T-shirt I’d thrown on before meeting up with her tonight, and then her muscles seized up. “Oh my God. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” Her * tightened on my fingers, and then she sagged against the wall, her breaths coming hard and fast.

I dropped my forehead on hers, my own breathing less than steady. I’d started this whole thing to prove a point. And I’d wanted to see what she felt like in my arms, what it was like when she came apart. Turned out? She felt pretty f*cking amazing.

I wanted more, but my time was up. I’d asked for a minute, and she’d given it to me. The challenge was over, and I’d won. Forcing myself to let her go, I stepped back, slipping a grin into place. It wouldn’t do to let her know that I’d been as affected—if not more so—as she had been by that one minute in heaven.

More affected than I wanted to admit. Or ever would.

“Now, that was hot, darlin’.”

Her cheeks turned bright red. “You . . . how . . .?”

“You want to know how?” I cocked a brow. “Okay, I can walk you through it, if that’s what gets you off.”

If anything, her cheeks got even redder. It was adorable. No one should be so adorable with their shorts undone and their lips swollen from my kisses. “Lucas.”

“Well, first, I kissed you. And then I opened your shorts and thrust my fingers inside of your hot little p—”

Lurching forward, she slammed a hand over my mouth. “Oh my God, stop it.”

“What? I was only—” Realizing my words came out more like Whe? I wav oooney, I flicked my tongue over her palm, and she snatched her hand back as if I’d bitten her. I almost had. That had been next on my list. “I was only trying to help. You did ask me how I—”

She swiped her hand across her tee and then glanced down with wide eyes. Frantically, she buttoned up her shorts before glaring at me. “I don’t need you to explain my orgasm to me, thank you very much.”

I grabbed the whiskey and poured myself a glass. Before I could ask her if she wanted more wine, she took my glass and chugged back its contents. I was impressed. That shit was strong enough to put hair on a man’s chest.

“Please. Help yourself,” I murmured dryly.

She ran the back of her palm across her mouth and watched me, those bright blue eyes of hers sparkling with desire and irritation and . . . life. “Don’t mind if I do.”

I laughed. “Obviously.”

“So, uh.” Her gaze dipped down to my cock, and I swear she did more than just look. If I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I’d swear she touched me. “What now?”

I poured myself another glass. Judging from the raging erection she’d given me, I’d need it. And more. Maybe a whole bottle. I dumped some more whiskey into her wineglass and handed it to her. She took it but didn’t drink. “What do you mean?”

“You made me . . . you know. Finish.” She licked her lips, and her gaze dipped down again. I followed her bad example and chugged back my whiskey, my heart pounding in my ears. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Don’t you need . . .?” She bit down on her swollen lower lip. It was sexy as hell. Damn her. “. . . to finish, too?”

“Is that an offer?” I asked, turning and facing her completely. I leaned against the counter and gripped the granite edges so tightly it hurt. “Because I only asked for a minute, and that minute is up.”

“No.” She straightened, her normal self-assurance slipping back into place. I’d thrown her off for a bit, but she was back now. The sparkle had returned to her eyes and it was like the events of the last day had never happened. I liked that about her. She kept her cool under fire and bounced back quickly. “But I can give you a few minutes of privacy if you need to take care of things.”

I choked on a moan. When I managed to swallow it down, I chuckled. It came out raspy. “Wow. Thanks.”

“Anytime.” Her mouth quirked up into a tiny smile. “Speaking of privacy, you won’t really have any. I’m off for the next two days. So I’ll be here all day, every day. Is that okay?”

No. I needed to distance myself from her. After that short time I’d spent making her cry out in pleasure, I knew one thing. I couldn’t let her get inside my head.

“Of course. This is your safe house for now.” I swallowed back the remainder of my drink and slid the glass across the counter. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Anything at all.

She nodded once. “Okay.”

An awkward silence fell, and I knew why. I’d dismissed her, and she didn’t know what to make of that. One minute, I’d been all over her, making her come. The next, I was acting as if she was a complete stranger. It’s what I did.

And that wasn’t about to change.

“Look, I—,” she started.

At the same time, I grabbed a shop rag off the counter. “I’ve got something—”

We both stopped talking.

“Go on,” she said, giving me a smile. It looked forced. “You first.”

“I was just going to say that I have some work to do downstairs.” I rubbed the back of my neck and glanced at the clock. It was after three a.m., and I was exhausted as hell, but I knew I wouldn’t be getting any sleep until she was tucked away in my bedroom, safe and sound. “I have a Mustang down there that needs to be finished by nine.”