I squeeze my eyes shut and brace for impact when I'm snapped to a halt. My breath hitches as the tips of my fingers barely graze the ground and my eyes flutter open. I rush out an exhale, easing the adrenaline in my veins, and blink at the dirty ground. I'm hyperaware of the strong, thick arm wrapped around my waist and the impossibly large hand splayed against my rib cage. Wow. That could've ended badly...
Selena howls with laughter as Seth eases me to standing position, but she's background noise to the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. I turn my head and peer up at him. He stares down at me, his face hard, his full lips pursed. He's irritated, but I don't care. All I care about is the delightful smell emanating from his body. Whatever it is, it's incredible, earthy, and rich.
And his arm feels good around me.
Too good...
...it's scrambling my brain.
With slow, careful movements, Seth releases me to stand on my own and I thank him in a whisper, looking away from his penetrative gaze.
"You can take her," Selena says, a residual giggle bubbling in her chest. "If she stays with me, we'll both break our necks before we get home."
My heart stutters and I widen my eyes, subtly shaking my head at her. I can't be alone with Seth. I can barely keep it together in public. If we're in a car alone, who knows what I'll do.
Selena rolls her eyes at me and leans in, planting a quick kiss on my cheek. "I'll call you in an hour to check in."
She steps back and I grab at her. My fingertips graze her bicep and she grins over her shoulder as she slips through the club door. It closes with a loud clank...and I'm alone with Seth.
In a dimly lit alley.
And he looks so good.
And smells so good.
My pulse thrums in my ears-louder, louder-faster, faster-and my body continues to burn with his touch. I wait a few heartbeats-five of them-before I gain enough courage to look at him. He stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jeans, surveying me with his dark eyes.
"Well," he says, his gruff voice penetrating the silence. "Your ex-boyfriend is a dick."
A laugh bubbles up my throat, relaxing my tightly coiled muscles as it goes.
"That's putting it nicely." I run a hand over my face, careful not to smear my heavy eye-makeup onto other parts of my face. "Can we go?"
He flicks his head and turns his large body. My feet ache in my heels as I follow him out of the alley and down the street. We approach a row of cars lining the road and I startle as the lights on a big, white truck flash. I pause and appraise the black glass and black rims. It's big, safe, and not what I expected at all. I imagined Seth to drive a motorcycle, a sleek sports car, or something completely dangerous and unnecessary. Instead, he drives this beautiful white and black truck.
Without a glance in my direction, Seth steps up to the truck and pulls open the passenger door. I watch him, unmoving until he frowns and sweeps his arm in front of him, gesturing for me to get in.
"Oh." I step forward as Seth holds out his hand and place mine in his. He helps me into the seat and, when I'm comfortable, I look at him. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me." A teasing smirk curves his lips. "What are boyfriends for?"
Fire blasts my cheeks as embarrassment hits me like a ton of bricks. I clench my teeth and suck air through them as Seth's smirk widens into a cocky grin. He closes the door, leaving me to stare out into the street, mortified. Groaning, I cover my burning face with my hands. I never should've provoked Blade. I should've denied any involvement with Seth when he asked. Instead, I let my hurt pride and bruised ego take the wheel. I deserve every sliver of embarrassment I feel carving its way through my chest.
Seth opens the driver's door and gracefully slides his large body behind the wheel. I take my hands from my face and keep my attention outside as he turns the key in the ignition and pulls away from the curb.
"I'm sorry," I mutter before we make it out of the busy street. "Blade's friend saw us talking at the steakhouse and told him we were dating." I rub the back of my neck. "I didn't deny it because I wanted to make him angry, and jealous. I didn't think...I didn't think you two would ever meet."
Pregnant silence hangs in the air and I die inside with every second that slowly ticks by...until Seth breaks it with a gorgeous laugh. "It's no big deal. I'm just glad I was there to help you."
Pressure evaporates from my chest. He's not mad. Good.
I sigh. "Yeah, me too."
"I don't blame him for being pissed though," he says, running a hand through his messy hair. "If your ex hadn't shown up, I would've pulled you off that guy myself."
I arch a brow. "You would have, would you?"
He glances at me, then back to the road. "He wouldn't've walked away unscathed either."
Seth would've hurt him for touching me? Is this one of those red flags I'm known to ignore until I'm six years deep into an unhealthy relationship?
"He wasn't that bad."
Seth cuts his dark, dark eyes at me.
"He was a douchebag, Olivia. You're too-I don't know." He rakes his teeth over his lower lip, apparently finding the right word. "Good. You're too good to let a guy like that put his hands on you."
"Good?" I ask, my question turning to a scoff. "I'm too good?"
"Yeah. I mean, your dress is a little on the bad side, but I can tell you're a good girl at heart."
I cross my arms over my chest and look out the window. How can he tell I'm good? So far, all I've done in his presence is stare at him, touch him, and let a guy grind against me in a nightclub. None of that screams I'm a good girl.
I let the conversation fall to the wayside because for one, I'll probably say something stupid. Two, I feel like puking, and three, any man who makes you want to take your clothes off and give him free rein over your body before you know anything about him is the kind of man you want to stay far away from.
The rest of the drive home is quiet, but I'm unable to lose myself in my thoughts due to Seth's powerful presence. His tantalizing, rich, and earthy smell swirls around the car, caressing every one of my pores, accompanied by a warmth that licks at the hems of my short dress. I keep my attention out the window, but I barely notice the streets and houses whipping past. When he asks for directions to my home, I force it out and he follows them without hesitation. Now and again, I peek at him. His attention is always glued to the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turn white. Have I irritated him? I replay our conversation over and over in my head until he pulls into my drive.
"Thank you," I say as I open the door, slide out of his truck, and close it behind me.
A heartbeat later, the thud of his door closing echoes down the quiet street. My stomach clenches in fear and excitement. What happens now? Do I invite him in for a nightcap? Do people still do that in the age of Snapchat and Tinder? Seth follows closely behind me as I climb the stairs and unlock my front door. I turn the handle and the hinges squeak, falling open an inch. I swallow hard, then let out a shaky exhale. I want him to come in...but I don't know how to ask. I delay turning around, mostly to gather my thoughts. When I do, I'm face to face with him-the most beautiful man I've ever seen. He holds each railing in his large hands, his face almost level with mine as he stands a few steps down and leans forward. My belated sensor light finally flicks on, scaring away the shadows that obscured his face, illuminating his features. I rake my stare over him-his black, disheveled hair, dark eyes with tiny golden rivers, and finally a set of luscious lips. A sudden, wild urge to reach out and press my fingers to them tickles my palms. I want him. I want to have him.
I open my mouth to ask him in, but all that comes out is a pathetic exhale.
"I meant what I said," he tells me, his voice low. It draws my attention from his lips to his eyes. "You're too good for guys like him...and me."
"Who says I'm good?" I demand, slipping my house key into a tiny pocket hidden in the side of my dress. "You don't know anything about me."
Seth leans further forward, and my breath catches in my throat. He's close, so close his scent tears through me and desire swells between my thighs.
"I know you're good because you flush whenever I get close." Seth's eyes remain focused on mine as he slides his hand against my hip, then wraps his arm around my waist. He tugs me forward and air whooshes from my lungs as my pulse hits overdrive and my skin prickles all over.
I swallow hard. "And?"
My eyelids flutter and the urge to inhale him as deep as I can burns at my lungs. Heat blooms in every one of my intimate places and flushes across my body in unbearable waves. Oh, God. I want it. I want to lick his neck and kiss his lips. I want to feel his rough hands all over me. It's wrong-so unlike me-but I can't stop the pure, animalistic desire he stirs in my core.
"Your breathing speeds up. Sometimes, it disappears completely."
He reaches under my dress with his other hand and tingles explode the second his rough, manly flesh touches the insides of my sensitive thighs.
"Seth..." I gasp and snap my legs shut, trapping him short of my most intimate place.
"You're a good girl." His dark, lusty eyes dance with wicked amusement, daring me to refute him. "You're not for me to ruin."
There's an inkling of disappointment lacing in his tone and I want to pry, to convince him otherwise, but I remain frozen, completely entranced by the thick hand I've trapped between my legs. I don't know how long we stay like this, in our precarious pose. Seconds? Minutes? Maybe hours? Days could've gone by and we'd be none the wiser.
"And if I wasn't good?" I reply, breathless. The warmth of my blush spreads down my neck and across my chest. "What would happen tonight?"
"Nothing. If you weren't good, I would've had you in the gym two days ago."
I blink, sobering. In the gym? The day we met? Uncontrollable irritation bubbles in my chest and it's laced with incessant and unwarranted jealousy.
"It's that easy for you to get laid, huh?" I ask. "You don't have to lift a finger. They just come running to you?"
His face darkens, his perfect eyebrows drawing in. "That's not what I meant."
"No. Of course not," I utter, sarcasm thick in my tone.
I open my legs and he takes his hand back, but not before sliding his finger along my lace panties. A half moan, half gasp falls from my lips as something detonates inside me-surprise, and embarrassment, then a surge of hot arousal. A tight noise sounds off in Seth's chest and, without warning, he crushes the lips I've so desperately wanted to kiss, to mine. He glides his big hands up and down my delicate curves, urging me harder against him. I go with it, pushing myself as hard as I can against him, uncaring if he loses balance and sends us tumbling to the bottom. My hands fly to his hair and I push my fingers through it, kissing him back with wild abandon. The feel of him is everything I thought it'd be.
Firm.
Commanding.
Flawless.
I've never felt so desired, so wanted. Seth flicks his tongue along my bottom lip, coaxing me into letting him inside. I open my mouth and he claims it with feverous hunger, consuming me with his tongue. I've never been kissed like this. I've never been kissed so hard my head swims and my bones liquify. My heart races and the desire between my legs grows unbearably strong. Thoughts of Blade seep into the back of my mind, sending pangs of guilt shooting through me, but I'm too aroused to stop. Seth is what I want. Tonight. Right now. Blade doesn't deserve a second of my time. I'm not his anymore.
I'm free.
Seth's hands leave my hair and he grabs me by my thighs. I squeak as he lifts me and pulls my legs to surround his hips. The rough denim of his jeans sparks goosebumps across every inch of the exposed flesh of my inner thighs.
Seth breaks the kiss, leaving me gasping for air, his nose grazing mine. "We're not doing this. A wholesome woman like you has no business being with a man like me."
"A man like you?" I lick my kissed-swollen lower lip. "What's so bad about you?"
His lips quirk at the corner and I can't help myself. I kiss him. Hard. I suck his bottom lip into my mouth, then plunge my tongue inside, claiming him for myself. A small groan releases from his throat sending shockwaves of pleasure through my soul. Forget good. I don't want to be good. I want to be bad.
Walking forward, Seth forces my door open and crosses the threshold into my dimly lit living room. Kicking it shut behind us, he continues to kiss me passionately as he carries me across the floor. Then, I'm dropped, and my breath catches in my throat as our lips break apart with a loud smack. My eyes shoot open as I land on my soft couch and bounce. I let out an amused rush of air and look up at him, admiring how tall he is.
Licking his lip, he reaches out and drags the back of his hand along my knee. "Tell me what you want."
What do I want? I tilt my head. "If I do...will you give it to me?"
He flickers his attention to my legs and drags it up my body to meet my stare once more. "Yes."
I lift myself on my elbows, then sit further forward. My heart thunders in my ears as I reach for his black shirt and snag the hem of it. Seth bends, allowing me to ease him closer until I'm flat on my back and he's pinning me hard against the cushions. I feel tiny underneath him. I feel safe and secure, even though his intimidating arousal presses firmly against my core.
"You know what I want," I utter, angling my head so our lips graze. "You. All of you."
He crushes his mouth to mine and bears down on me, pressing harder between my legs. I let him take what he wants, let him kiss me as hard as he wants, and he does without hesitation. I'm at risk of being completely devoured by a man I barely know...and I don't care.
I want it.
Seth lifts his hips enough to push my dress up the rest of my thighs and over my hips. I'm lost to the euphoria of it, the texture of his rough hands, the way he makes my blood sing without effort. Kissing me deeply, he grazes his hand along my abdomen, then moves lower to caress my lace-covered pubic mound. I shudder, rocking my hips against him, encouraging him to move lower. I want him to touch me there.
To lick me there.
I want him to do anything and everything to make me feel...good.
He moves to the hem of my underwear, his knuckles brushing my inner thigh. My heart bashes my ribs, desperate to escape the adrenaline being pumped through it. I wonder if he can feel it? How hard it's pounding? Seth breaks our kiss with a low growl, exposing my quick, shallow breaths. Lifting his head, his gaze flickers to mine, and fireworks explode inside of me.
"Tell me you're not good." He curls a finger around the hem of my panties and my breath hitches painfully. "Tell me you're a bad, bad girl so I can do everything I've wanted to do to you from the moment I saw you."
"I'm bad." He tucks his fingers under the soaking fabric and pulls it to the side. Wait. I tighten and lift my head off the couch. "Seth-"
"Easy," he murmurs. "I just want to touch."
Touch. What's so bad about a touch? I swallow hard and nod, earning a gentle peck on my lips as he touches my smooth center. My insides coil tightly at the feel of his rough skin on my most sensitive part, sending overwhelming ripples throughout my body. I moan and rock my hips, enticing him to touch more, to give me what I've wanted from the moment I met him, too. As if hearing my thoughts aloud, Seth shakes his head, then lowers it to my neck. There, he kisses and nips at my flesh. It's restrained at first, an obvious fight between his head and his hormones, but the more he kisses, the more passionate it becomes until he gives in and finally slides his long, thick finger between my creases. I grip his shoulders and sink my teeth into my bottom lip, biting back a whimper. Cursing, he pulls his hand from between my legs and I groan in protest.
"I want to do so many things to you." He exhales and straightens my dress by its hem, pulling it down to cover my thighs. "But I can't."
"You can't?" I whisper, still dazed by his passion.
Seth kisses me, a quick peck on my lips, and lifts himself off me. In his absence, I blink up at the ceiling, panting. This isn't happening. I don't want to stop. I'm too aroused, too far gone, to stop now. I'm the one who recently ended a long-term relationship. I'm the one who's supposed to get the sudden attack of morality, not him.
Seth's phone rings as he stalks toward my front door. I lift myself onto my elbows and watch him retrieve it from his back pocket. He brings it to his ear.
"Yes?" he snaps. "Yes, I am."
Raking his fingers through his dark hair, he sighs in exasperation and grabs the front door handle. Pulling it open, he steps out and slams it closed behind him. The small frames I have hanging on the wall shudder, then still. What the hell just happened? With a frustrated grunt, I kick off my heels, blow air from my cheeks and drag myself from the couch to the bathroom. As I undress, I try not to think about Seth, our kiss, or his hand between my legs, but it's all that occupies my mind. His touch made my body zing. It liquified the ground beneath my feet and made a dizzy mess of my brain.
In the shower, the hot water gushes over me and I stand there, unmoving, letting it caress me all over. My eyes sting as my makeup runs into them, but I don't care. I'm too fixated on the way my skin still tingles from his touch. I want him to come back. I want him to finish what he started.
When I'm done brooding in the shower, I wrap myself in my favorite pink towel and saunter from the bathroom, dejected and tightly coiled. I don't bother drying myself completely or switching on my bedroom light as I pass its threshold. Instead, I throw myself face down onto my bed, my hair still damp from the shower, and I close my eyes. Of course, it's Seth I see on the backs of my eyelids. His perfect form and gorgeous face are seared into my memory. I imagine him smiling, his sweaty skin glistening in the sun, and my pulse quickens. It continues to flutter throughout the night until my consciousness can no longer shoulder the weight of reality and eases me to sleep.
