Rolling my head on the back of the seat, I stared at West’s neck. The tan skin stretched over chords of muscle. He had those muscles that ran between his neck and shoulders that made some guys look bulky. Traps? Is that what they were called? His hand gripped my thigh, his thumb stroking my bare skin, and my mind whirled. The truck lurched as he yanked it to a stop. He’d read my mind and gone to my place. Rue would kill me later, but it was two blocks closer and, right now, I just wanted to find a flat surface. West swung open the driver’s side door and dragged me out through his side, too impatient to come around.

Lips fused, we stumbled up the steps to the cottage. I unlocked the door, and we stepped through. He closed it behind us and locked it. He tore his lips from mine long enough to ask, “Which way?” Ripping my dress over my head, I started walking, leading him down the hall to my room.

We didn’t turn the lights on. Didn’t even pull the covers back. I launched myself at him, and he grabbed my ass, lifting me up, and we tumbled back onto the bed. He turned us as we fell so he landed on the bottom, and I splayed across him, wearing only a strapless bra and panties. I braced my arms against his shoulders, shrouding him in my hair.

For several heartbeats we stared at each other, lingering, savoring the anticipation. His hand cupped my face, his thumb smoothing my cheekbone, and I leaned into the caress. Then his mouth opened, and that one tiny movement set me off. I became a whirlwind of motion, eager to feel his skin against mine. I tore at his clothes, and he tried to help, twisting and pulling until his shirt was over his head and his jeans and boxer briefs were around his ankles. After sliding from the bed, I yanked his pants off and tossed them in the corner, leaving him bare to my view. I paused, kneeling on the floor at the foot of my bed, between his thighs, looking him over as he leaned up on his elbows. His erection rose proudly in front of me, impossible to ignore. He was bigger than I’d expected, and my stomach clenched with desire. Leaning forward, I ran the tip of my tongue up his hard length from base to tip, pausing to swirl the velvety tip. I pulled back and blew softly against the head of his cock and watched as it jumped, his balls tightening. I was just getting ready to take him in my mouth when he grabbed my upper arms and hauled me up his body.

“No,” he ground out. “I won’t last, and I’ve waited too damn long for this to be over that quick.” He brushed my hair from my face and grabbed a loose fistful of it at the back of my neck, using it to bring me to him.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and crushed my mouth to his, eager for more of his kisses. Parting my lips, I licked into his mouth, dueling with his tongue and learning his taste. We kissed fiercely, both of us straining, trying to get closer. My tongue felt the rough edges of his teeth and his explored the inside of my lower lip. It was like I couldn’t get close enough, any molecule between us was one too many. I framed his face with my hands, holding him still so I could take what I wanted. Our lips tangled hungrily, too impatient for nuance.

With his arms, he pushed us up until he was sitting and I was straddling his lap, his cock pulsing against me. Breaking off the kiss, he dragged his mouth down my neck to nuzzle my chest, rubbing his face against the mounds of my breasts. He used his tongue to trace my skin where the black lace edged my nude bra. “I like this,” he murmured against me, nipping lightly. “It’s pretty. Sweet, but a little naughty.” His finger touched the center where the two cups were held together with black corset-style laces.

Slipping his other arm around my back, he made short work of the clasp, tossing my bra toward the dresser. His big hands cupped my breasts, squeezing gently. Freed, they seemed to swell, growing to fill his fingers. Arching, I pushed my breasts closer to him, wanting more. I closed my eyes and bit my lip at the feel of his rough palms against my tender flesh, his calluses thrilling me. I loved the slight abrasion of his touch, the contrast of our bodies heightening my arousal.

Ducking his head, he latched on to one of my hard nipples with a greedy mouth. An answering pull echoed deep in my core. I moaned, running my fingers into his hair and scraping his scalp with my nails. He gave my other breast equal attention, laving it with his tongue before taking the nipple into his mouth. I tipped my head back as I held him against me, all my focus on his touch, his lips, his tongue, his urgency.

He raced his hands up my thighs and around to cup my ass, bringing me tighter against him. The heat of him throbbed through my thin panties, and I undulated against him. With a groan, he twisted us on the bed until I was on my back, and he was half on top, half beside me, one of his heavy thighs thrown over mine. He rained kisses over my face — my eyelids, my nose, my cheeks, the tip of my chin. His hand crept down the plane of my stomach and dipped under the edge of my underwear, teasing the skin there and sending my nerve endings into overdrive. Oh, dear Lord, yes.

I sucked in a breath, letting it out in shaky pants. He rubbed his nose across my jaw and buried it in the crook of my neck, pressing his face against me, and then he lowered one finger to delve into my folds. I knew he could feel how wet I was for him. He growled my name and sucked at the bottom of my neck near my collarbone.

A raw sound of need escaped my throat, and I ran my hand from his shoulder down his chest and over his hard abs, feeling his muscles contract in my path. I followed that sexy muscle that ran from his hip to his erection, wrapping my fingers around his hardness and stroking him, loving the way he felt like silk over steel. He covered my fingers with his own, guiding me, showing me how he liked it.

“Sadie. Condom. My wallet.” The words were a soft staccato against my neck.

Letting go of him, I rolled across the bed and opened my nightstand drawer. Groping blindly, I felt the crinkle of foil and tossed the packet on his chest. He made short work of the wrapper and, with one hand, yanked my panties down my legs, throwing them somewhere beyond the bed. Returning his hand to my center, he pushed a finger inside of me. “Jesus, Sadie, the way you feel against my hand—” His voice was husky with need. He added another finger, and I lifted my hips to meet his thrusts.

I ran my hands over his torso, following his contours, unable to settle on one spot. He was all heat and lean muscle, and I couldn’t get enough, couldn’t stop moving. I opened my legs wider, trying to get him where I wanted him most. Taking the hint, he rose over me and braced himself on his forearms while he nuzzled my ear.

Unable to wait any longer, I reached between us and guided him to my opening, and he pressed the first inch of himself inside me. I put my feet flat on the bed and lifted up, impatient to feel him deeper, stretching me, filling me. He withdrew except for the tip and then thrust again, wrenching a soft moan from my throat. I whispered his name. “More,” I demanded.

He moved his hands down to my hips to hold me still, and with his next plunge, he entered me fully, staying deep while I adjusted to the size of him, my muscles tensed. He swore under his breath. “You ready?” His question was a harsh exhale against my ear. “Because I want it hard and fast, and I think you do too.”

I dropped my hands to his tight ass and squeezed. “Waitin’ on you,” I managed to get out.

He laughed once and then started to move, setting a pace that had me clinging to him. I clutched his shoulders, his arms, his neck, whatever I could reach, and matched his rhythm, the force of his hips pushing me into the mattress. He groaned, pinning me beneath him, his weight forcing me to take in shallow breaths. A light sheen of sweat slicked our skin, and our movements became jerkier, less coordinated, our primal instinct to chase release overtaking finesse.

Heat, friction, need, desperation — everything was magnified, and all I wanted was more. I lost control, abandoning myself to the moment knowing he was as close as I was.

My heels dug into his ass, and he ground deep against me, rubbing his pelvic bone against my clit. I flew apart, tightening before shattering beneath him and calling out his name as I came. He wrapped an arm under my lower back as his movements became a blur, his hips plunging over and over until he gave two hard thrusts and shuddered against me, rocking slowly as he rode out his own orgasm. He held his breath as he flexed one last time, and then he pulled his arm out and collapsed, his cock still throbbing faintly inside of me.

I rubbed my hands up and down his back, relishing the way his body pinned me to the bed, anchoring me, as I gradually recovered from his onslaught. My body felt boneless, like putty to be molded by his hands. Our heartbeats eased in unison, and his breath slowed against my neck. He pressed soft kisses there, tickling me a little. My skin felt oversensitive and raw now that we were done.

Lifting off of me, he slipped from the room for a moment. I heard a rustle in the bathroom, and then he was back, pulling the covers down and gathering me to him until I lay on top of him, my head pillowed on his shoulder. He drew the quilt up to our waists, and I snuggled closer, utterly content. His fingers sketched an abstract pattern over my back, and he pressed his lips to the top of my head before rubbing his cheek against me.

“That was almost as good as I imagined.” His chest rumbled against my ear as he spoke, and it took a minute for his words to register.

I reared back. “Excuse me?”

“We skipped a step.” His tone was soft, almost sad, and it was the only thing saving him from a slap in the face.