by Lainey Reese
On the dusty, worn dance floor of the bar, he swayed to the music with her soft body pressed close to his. The effort to keep his touch gentle was just as hard as he remembered from the first time they danced. Every brush of her hair on his cheek, the glide of her cool fingers up his arm to his shoulder, or the all too brief press of her breasts or thighs against him stoked the fire burning in his blood. For her. Only her.
He was thinking to bring an end to their night and take her home, when the music changed to something low and sultry with a sexy, throbbing beat. “One more and then we’ll head out,” he whispered with his lips against her ear. Not that it was the type of place with blaring music or that he thought she wouldn’t be able to hear him otherwise. No, it was so he could bury his nose in the hair behind her ear and drink in the delectable scent that lingered there. It offered the added bonus of surrounding his face in silken warmth, and Luke decided he’d happily spend eternity exactly where he was.
With one arm, he pulled her hips flush to his and with his other tucked her forearm up to his chest with their clasped hands and held her as the music throbbed out a rhythm that pulsed in the air. She made him feel drunk with desire.
“Luke,” he felt Andie say, her lips damp as they brushed his neck.
“Hmm?” he murmured when she didn’t say anything else.
“Nothing,” she said. “I just needed to say your name.” Then she pulled herself in even tighter, and as far as Luke was concerned, all was right with the world.
The drive back to her place was a quiet one, both of them still throbbing internally from the evening. Good food in the company of a person who hit all the right notes has a way of rendering speech and a soundtrack unnecessary after a certain point. They had reached that point. Luke tried to keep his focus on the dark deserted road before him rather than on the incredibly turned on woman sitting mere inches away.
It was a futile effort. In his peripheral vision, he could see the evidence that she was just as affected by him as he was by her. She was breathing fast and shallow. Her nipples were hard little points straining against the front of her top, and the hardest thing for him to ignore? He could smell her. In the tight, warm confines of the cab of his truck, he was enveloped by the scents that clung to her. The shampoo she used, the perfume she’d spritzed on, and the underlying, unmistakable scent of female arousal. It was making him crazed.
Andie tried her best to appear calm, focused, and cool. She was glad for all those years of office work and dealing with difficult people; it gave her the opportunity to mask what she was really thinking and feeling. After a rapid-fire flashback of what it was like to have sex with Luke, she allowed herself a small smirk and squeezed her legs together in an effort to ease the resulting throb there. When that felt good enough to have her biting back a moan, she wiggled a little to discretely grind against the seat.
Andie smugly decided that it just wasn’t fair for men. Here she was, more turned on than she could remember being since the last time she had gone out with Luke, and he was none the wiser. A small turn of her head and a peek under her lashes revealed that Luke was focused on the road intently with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, and she felt almost sorry for him. If only he knew the lascivious things she was picturing doing to his body. And having him do to hers. He’d probably wreck the truck.
Her skin felt electrified. Andie pretended to have an itch so she could run her fingers over her neck and added a back arch and stretch to go with it. Every move slid her clothes along her sensitized skin in the most delicious way. It made it impossible for her to keep still. Thank God he has no idea. Andie squirmed again and, as subtly as possible, rolled her hips forward just enough to put pressure on her swollen clit and pulsed—just a bit—while she clenched everything she could below the waist.
“Wha—?” Andie barely had time to utter a full word when Luke suddenly pulled off the side of the road and jerked to a stop. The truck was still rocking from the abrupt halt when Luke jumped out of his seat like he’d been shot from it.
She watched, speechless, as he stalked around the hood, a thunderous expression on his handsome face, and before she knew it, he ripped her door open.
“Look,” he said to her with his chest heaving and his arms braced, one on the doorframe and one on the roof. “I was going to be a gentleman… a nice guy… and spend some time courting you first. But, holy Christ, woman, I can’t take another second of this.”
When he reached for her with both hands, Andie was already releasing her belt and throwing herself toward him. The impact was solid and right. His arms felt like coming home. With lips that gave as much as they took, Luke kissed her like he was never going to stop. He pulled and she clung. With mouths never losing their intoxicating contact, he maneuvered them until she was facing where he stood in her doorway with her knees on either side of his hips and her ass still on the seat.
“I’m not going to fuck you,” he said against her neck as his hands started to gather and bunch up her skirt. “But I haven’t been able to get over the taste of you.” He was none too gently biting at her lips now as he tugged her hips closer to the edge. “It haunts me.” His tongue plunged into her mouth when that made her gasp, and he hooked his fingers in the lace of her undies. “You haunt me.” Rough and fast, he worked the underwear down her thighs, and when they got hung up on one of her shoes, he finally pulled his head back and looked her in the eye. “I will stop.” He dropped to his knees and drug her panties off the rest of the way. “Just not right now.”
Andie fell back onto the bench seat with a gasp as Luke wasted no time on teasing or working up to his goal. He sealed his mouth over her clit and kissed her there with just as much passion and skill as he did her mouth. His tongue was slick and hot; the friction of his taste buds as they rasped along her tender, responsive flesh was a benediction and a torment at once. The sensations built, and Andie had a flash of old Star Trek reruns. She had often wondered what it must have felt like when they got transported from planet to ship. Their bodies filled up from the center outward with shimmering, glittering light until that light encompassed everything and they dissolved into sparkling nothingness. This must be what that was like.
Feeling like she wasn’t in control of her limbs, Andie arched up and braced on her elbows. Luke’s dark, close-cropped hair with his sexy widow’s peak was all she could see over the bunched-up material of her skirt. She wanted to reach a hand out to caress his face or scrape her nails along his scalp, but he made a sort of hungry growling sound, wrapped one arm around her hip, and used that hand to press on her mound. The maneuver tightened the skin there, so her clit was even more exposed to his marauding mouth, and Andie fell back with a shout as her body disintegrated once again.
Beam me up, Scotty.
Panting, tingling, and seriously wondering if her feet were still attached, Andie lifted her head enough to look down her body to where Luke rested with his cheek pillowed on her thigh. His shoulders where heaving with his breaths, and the hand on her hip clenched and unclenched around a fistful of her skirt.
“Luke—” Good grief! Was that frog-croak really her voice? Andie swallowed a couple times and cleared her throat before trying again. “Luke?” Her fingers had barely touched him when he caught them and brought her hand to press against his lips.
“I’m fine,” he said in a voice that was about three octaves lower than normal. “I just need a minute.”
“Hey,” she said and squirmed a little in an effort to get him to look her in the eye. “We don’t have to stop,” she told him when he finally looked up at her. He looked as though he were going to deny her regardless. “I don’t want to stop.” She put action to her words by sitting up and reaching for his belt as he’d had to stand when she came forward. She watched his face as she worked, frantic to get to skin, and his hands stayed lifted by his sides, giving her the freedom to take over. As soon as leather and cloth parted, her hand dipped in to find him hard as iron in her grip, and he
r strong fingers clamped around the shaft eagerly while she used the other hand to cup and fondle the tight sac at the base of him.
“Fucking hell, woman.” The growly words sounded like a benediction to her ears, and when she lowered her head and took him in, his whole body shuddered in bliss. Andie shuddered too, in pleasure. He felt like heaven against her tongue. Andie cupped the head with her warm palm so she could run her lips along the shaft, and then she nuzzled the soft curls at the base. He smelled fucking delicious. Like soap with a touch of fabric softener from his clothing and under that his own unmistakable scent that was his and his alone. That’s what intrigued her, drew her tongue out for a taste. He tasted like her fantasies. So she drew back and drank him down the back of her throat like a shot of tequila. One smooth gulp.
“And that’s when I threw up on him.”
Kiki tried not to laugh, she really did. Andie was obviously mortified, but— “You actually barfed right on his dick?”
“Yes!” Andie wailed. “Well, all over his lap. His pants are ruined.” Despite her best efforts, Kiki lost it. She was perched on the lid of the toilet, since Andie had burst into the house, bolted for the stairs, and was in the shower by the time Kiki followed her into the bathroom. Doubled over now, Kiki grabbed a towel to try to muffle her chortles, but she figured Andie could hear her regardless, since she got hit on the back of her head with a sodden washcloth.
“It’s not funny!” Andie declared, but then Kiki heard her snort out a chuckle.
“Oh my God, it so is!” Kiki told her, giving up all efforts to restrain herself. “Oh, I wish I could have seen his face.”
“I nev-never knew someone’s eyes c-could actually go as big as saucers in real l-life!” Andie barely got out as she finally gave in to the humor. Then the two of them cackled like a couple hyenas on laughing gas.
“Well, I’m glad somebody’s enjoying this.”
While Andie screeched, Kiki whipped her head up to see Luke standing in the open doorframe, holding Andie’s shoes, purse, and her balled-up sweater in his hands. Hands that were not full enough to hide the fact that the entire front side of his jeans were revoltingly wet. Kiki’s whole body crumpled like one of those wacky giant air men on the roadside then rolled to the floor while uncontrollable laughter rendered her speechless.
“Oh for cryin’ out loud,” Luke grumbled, stepped over Kiki, and dropped Andie’s things in the sink. “Go ahead. Yuck it up like a couple crazy cat ladies. I’m the one over here scarred for life.” He gave a full-body shudder, his arms flopped at his sides like he was being tasered, and he made a gagging sound that sent both girls into new gales of laughter. “Worst experience of my life. But you guys feel free to keep it up. Don’t let my mental anguish detract from your amusement.” When they only laughed harder at his attempt to shame them, he gave up with a grunt of disgust and headed for the stairs. “I’ll just go take a shower downstairs before I go. Because I’ll be damned if I can stomach the smell another damn minute without barfing myself.”
“Bu-but!” Andie stammered out amid her snuffling chortles. “There’s not a shower downstairs. Only a t-t-tub.”
“Well then, Calgon can take me away!” was his shouted response, and it only made them laugh harder.
“Look, Brandi, it’s not my fault it took you a fucking hour to leave. If I’m late one more time, my mom is going to take my car away. No way am I riding the school bus again, just because you wanted to flirt with some guy.”
“Your mom isn’t really going to take your car away. She always says that, and it never happens.” Brandi whined dramatically. “My house is five miles from here, and I’m still drunk. And I only stalled so long ‘cause that guy lives out this way too. I thought I could talk him into giving me a ride home.” Since the rejection still stung, Brandi’s lip jutted out in a pout. “I put all night into him too. There were other guys there I coulda hooked up with. I— Hey!” Panic entered her voice when Melinda pulled over to the side of the road. “For real? You’re making me walk the rest of the way for real? It’s dark and I’m all alone and—”
“Cut the shit, Bran,” Melinda cut her off with cold finality. “You sneak out of your house and all the way into town on foot all the time. And that’s twice as far. Plus, this is the field you go through to get from your house to Becky’s almost every school night. Cut through the barley and go home. You’ll be home before I will. Quit acting like this isn’t normal for you. I. Can’t. Be. Late. I woulda taken you all the way home if you left when I asked you to the first time.” She leaned across her friend and shoved her door open for her. “Over an hour ago.”
Brandi got out of the car with a snarl. “Fine! If I’d’ve known you were gonna be a bitch and not take me all the way, I would’ve just stayed there. Thanks for nothing!” She slammed the door in furious indignation, completely forgetting that she’d begged her friend to take her tonight and had promised that, no matter what, she would leave when Melinda wanted to. Now Melinda squealed off with her middle finger flying high out the window of her car, and Brandi gave her two back with a few shouted suggestions of what her former friend could do with them for good measure.
Then, with a sniffle and a self-pitying sigh, she started the long trek home.
Brandi pulled off her heels and wished she’d worn a jacket tonight. Not that it was cold, just that since she was walking the rest of the way home, she felt a little underdressed. Her hot pink sequined halter dress looked downright modest compared to most of the outfits the other girls wore to the rave tonight. But that was at the rave. And this was a country road out in the middle of Bumfuck, USA.
When a particularly sharp rock bit into her heel, Brandi yelped out a curse. She was so sick of living so far away from everything. Out in the middle of nowhere, where she had to beg rides off three different friends just to go to a rave. Then couldn’t even stay for the whole thing either.
Oooh, Melinda had a curfew and was too goody-two-shoes to break it. “Won’t even be late to take her friend all the way home,” Brandi said in a whiny mimic of her friend, totally bypassing the dozen times her friend warned her that she had to leave. Not to mention the innumerable times Melinda had been late because of her in the past.
Nothing ever happens in Harmony, she thought morosely. Nothing but farms and more farms. But at a rave, everyone felt like they were all the same part of one living organism. The music and the dance melding humanity together unlike anything Brandi had ever known was possible. She loved the hot press of bodies, loved how they used bubbles tonight, and that plus sweat made them all slick, so everyone slipped and slid against each other’s overheated and ultrasensitive skin. She’d throbbed inside and out, turned on by the tight press of all those hot, sweaty bodies grinding against hers. Especially Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious with the dreamy eyes and too long hair. A little of Brandi’s pique faded as her mind lingered on the last few hours, when he’d been pressed so tight to her ass he’d practically been fucking her right there in the middle of everybody. His hands had been everywhere on her too. God, he’d been so hot for her she was sure he would jump at the chance to give her a ride home. But… nope. Not even when she made it clear she was willing to give him the ride of his life in return either. The chill of his refusal chased away the heat from earlier, and Brandi was back to feeling petulant.
Out on the streets, her skin felt too exposed and too cold with the sweat drying in the open air. It left gooseflesh in its wake.
And now Brandi couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following her. Without looking back, she picked up her pace. Not a run, not exactly, because if someone was following her, she didn’t want to let them know she was onto them, but faster than a walk. She probably should cut through the barley like Melinda had told her to do. Going around was going to take twice as long, and now she felt exposed, but there was enough pique left at her friend that even with this unsettling feeling she kept to the road.
The back of her neck felt like someone had it in a
Vulcan grip, and no matter how hard she tried to convince herself to cool it, she still felt her shoulders climb all the way up to her ears. There was something just a little off out here tonight though, and even though she couldn’t have put what she was feeling into words, it wasn’t good, that was for sure. Melinda was right about one thing; Brandi had walked every inch of these backroads under the cover of darkness. She could find her way home blindfolded from here, and she’d never once had a moment of fear. But there was just this feeling that she couldn’t shake tonight.
“Hey, wait up.”
Brandi squealed and jumped about a foot in the air when a big hand landed on her shoulder. Even as she turned to face her assailant, her arms pinwheeled. She flailed her shoes around like ineffectual nun chucks.
“Whoa whoa whoa!” protested a melodic male voice. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Brandi took two hasty steps out of reach before letting herself stop and take a good look at him. She was out in the middle of a country road in the dead of night; she wasn’t about to let anybody get too close. Then she let out a whoosh of relief when she saw who was following her. It was the dreamboat from the rave.
“Oh! You scared the crap outta me!” She slapped at his shoulder with equal parts flirtation and exasperation. He really had given her a fright. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? I thought you were some kind of stalker dude after me. I was about ready to start running.”
“Stalker? Me?” he asked, one brow arched and his lips quirked as if amused by the idea.
“I know, right?” She forced a girly giggle and gave his shoulder another halfhearted shove. “What are you doin’ out here? I thought you said you weren’t interested.” The pout was back, but she was careful to make sure it was an appealing one. Secretly thrilled he’d followed her, but she wanted him to sweat a little for giving her the cold shoulder first.