Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
Swayze
The air inside Colter’s truck fairly snapped with tension as he drove the short distance back to the house.
Neither of us spoke, and he didn’t lace his fingers with mine as he usually did while he drove.
Instead, he kept both hands on the wheel, his knuckles whitening, as if he didn’t trust himself to get us there in one piece if he touched me.
The idea that he wanted me that badly made me a little drunk with power and lust. I’d revealed far too much with that performance as Sophie.
But maybe it was just enough since it had finally pushed him over the edge into giving us both what we wanted.
Assuming he didn’t change his mind in the next five minutes.
In which case, I might actually die.
Another night with my personal toys was simply not going to cut it.
I needed to feel him with nothing between us but skin.
To know how that long, lean body fit with mine as he moved over me, inside me.
To have him take me apart in any way he wanted.
My core clenched at the thought of having his mouth and hands on me, and I ached to be filled.
He pulled into the driveway, parking next to my Rogue.
I stayed in the passenger seat when he slipped out.
I’d learned he preferred to open the door himself to help me out, and I’d take any excuse for him to touch me.
The door swung open, and I reached for him, glorying in the slide of my body down his as he eased me to the ground.
He was already hard. In truth, he’d probably been at the edge ever since he’d pressed me back on that stage.
With a low hum at the back of his throat, he held me there, pressed against him.
As if he needed to find a thread of control to do basic things like getting us inside.
He led me toward his front door. As he pulled the keys from his pocket, I said, “Wait.”
Colter froze.
“What are the chances that Oakleigh or Ludo or literally anyone else could interrupt?”
“Dog and daughter are at Lisa and Faith’s.” Which I well knew had been more often since rehearsals for the show had started.
“Yes, but how many people have a key to your place?”
He opened his mouth to argue. “Fair. Not taking chances.” So he led us around to my door instead.
My hand trembled so hard with anticipation, it took me three tries to get the key into the lock.
Then we were inside. I didn’t even have a moment to turn on the light before Colter pressed me back against the door, pinning me against it with his weight.
I heard the snick of the lock, and suddenly his mouth was on my throat, his hands nudging my jacket to the floor.
Absolutely on board, I returned the favor, shoving his coat from his shoulders.
His hands came back to me immediately, fingers tracing beneath the edge of the waistband of my joggers. “Can I touch you?”
“God, yes. Please.”
That was all the invitation he needed. He slid those callused fingers beneath my pants and underwear, down, down until he cupped between my legs and found nothing but heat.
“Jesus, you’re so wet.” His finger inched inside me in a slow, questing motion.
My head thumped back against the door, and I was forced to let it and him take most of my weight because suddenly my legs weren’t much interested in functioning. “If you had any idea how often that was the case around you…”
He lifted his head to look me straight in the eye.
“Don’t take my choice to wait as some kind of proof that I don’t want you.
I’ve thought about this, about you, more than is probably healthy, almost from the moment we met.
Imagined how you’d feel, how you’d taste.
What you’d sound like when you came. And I intend to memorize all of it tonight. ”
I shifted my hips to take his finger deeper. “I am completely on board with all of that.”
“Then let’s see how quickly you can come apart for me, right here.”
He eased a second finger in to join the first and flexed, gently stretching me as he slowly worked those fingers in and out, driving me up until my hips rocked of their own volition, riding his hand, chasing the high.
I was so keyed up, so ready for this, that I shot over the edge in less than a minute.
Colter growled in approval. “Fucking perfect. We’re gonna do that again. But upstairs.”
He didn’t wait for me to find a voice before gripping the backs of my thighs and lifting. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pleased to have the chance to drive him a little crazy as he made his way up the stairs. As I licked the column of his throat, he staggered into the wall.
“Maybe don’t do that when we’re a fall risk. A broken neck would put a real damper on tonight’s activities.”
I nipped the tendon I’d just tasted. “Then hurry.”
He was almost sprinting by the time we got to my bedroom.
When he dropped me without ceremony onto the mattress, I bounced.
But my laughter was cut off when he dove at me, working to strip off my joggers.
To save him some work, I pulled my shirt up and off, sending up prayers of thanks that I’d found sports bras that zipped up the front.
Two seconds, and I’d released my breasts.
From where he stood just beyond my feet, Colter’s eyes had gone nearly black.
He swore reverently, the joggers and underwear falling from fingers that had clearly forgotten what they were doing.
Delighted with his reaction, I scooted off the bed and began to tug at the hem of his shirt. “This needs to go.”
He reached back with one hand and tugged the shirt over his head. Then it was my turn to stare at the expanse of his muscled chest.
I’d known he was in good shape. Maintaining his body was a big part of his job as a firefighter, but oh, it was a playground of honed masculine perfection. I wanted to map every dip and swell with my tongue.
As I stared, he pulled his wallet out of the back pocket of his cargo pants. Very deliberately, he removed a condom and set it on the nightstand.
“Oh, that’s not going to do the trick.” I opened the tin sitting on the bottom shelf of the crate and pulled an entire new box out.
His lips twitched. “Ambitious.”
“I’m certain you’re up to the challenge.” I glanced deliberately at the bulge behind his fly. “But maybe I should check?”
He opened his arms in invitation. “Feel free to inspect. Just know that turnabout is fair play.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it.”
I closed the distance between us, taking my time unfastening his belt, keeping my eyes fixed on his as I lowered the zipper, deliberately grazing his erection with the backs of my fingers.
Those eyes went hooded and delightfully feral, but he didn’t move as I slipped my hand into his boxer briefs, curled my fingers around the hard warmth of him and stroked the velvet skin.
He didn’t quite manage to stop himself from bucking into my touch.
“I think you’re wearing entirely too many clothes.”
“I can fix that.”
Moving almost faster than I could follow, he toed off his boots and shoved down the pants and boxers, stepping free of the pile and back into my touch.
“Well, that was efficient.”
“We’re trained to get dressed fast. The reverse is also true.”
“Noted for future quickie opportunities.”
He pumped a little in my grasp. “That won’t be tonight.”
“No. Definitely not. I have a lot of exploring I want to do.” I crouched, running my tongue over my lips.
Colter’s fingers gently gripped my upper arm. “As many fantasies as I’ve had of you on your knees with that pretty mouth of yours on me, the first time I come, I want it to be buried inside you while you scream my name.”
I closed my eyes and let the image bloom in my brain and lower. Unable to resist teasing him a little more, I tipped my head to one side. “How do you know I’m a screamer?”
“I’m very motivated to inspire you.” On that declaration, he scooped me up again by the back of the thighs, settling me on the bed all spread out for his perusal.
His gaze was a physical caress as he dragged it over every bare inch before settling between my thighs.
I might’ve been embarrassed but for how I could see his erection straining harder at the sight of me.
“Before this goes any further, is anything off limits?”
I appreciated the seriousness with which he asked the question and knew he’d abide by whatever restrictions I set. “Exits are exits only. Most everything else is negotiable.”
“Understood. Anything feels weird or off or just not amazing, say no, and I’ll stop.”
Because, of course, this man would be completely focused on taking care of his partner in every way. Did he have any idea what that did to me? To the heart that was trying very hard to drag itself into what was happening here?
Because my throat had gone just a little tight, I only nodded.
Colter pulled me to the edge of the bed and lowered his mouth, and I promptly forgot whatever my heart was trying to say because holy hell, this man could make me feel things.
He worshipped me with single-minded intensity until my hips were rocking against his face and my hands had threaded into the short strands of his hair.
And the sounds he made. God. That deep, possessive growl was unmistakably pleasure at everything he was doing.
From his position between my legs, he looked up the length of my body, and that expression of possessive triumph broke me apart with a cry.
Dimly, I heard the rip of a foil packet, but I could barely focus past the fireworks still flickering behind my eyelids.
This man had serious skills. My body still trembled with aftershocks as he joined me on the bed, stretching out beside me and hauling me against his body.
He was so warm, a part of me wanted to just snuggle in.
But that required muscle control I didn’t actually have at the moment.
So I simply lay there, enjoying the little nibbling kisses as he explored the shell of my ear, down my throat, and his hands traced nonsense patterns on my skin.
The trembling faded, replaced by a renewed heat.
I turned into him, finding his mouth with mine and tasting myself in his kiss.
We’d both been in such a hurry to get here tonight, but somehow now, we’d slowed down, taking our time to explore and savor and touch.
The frantic edge had given way to something infinitely more fragile, more important.
On some level, that scared the shit out of me because I didn’t do that kind of serious.
But I didn’t turn away. I couldn’t. Instead, I pulled him to me, rolling to my back so that he settled that long frame into the cradle of my hips.
He braced himself above me, and I cupped his face as he slowly, inexorably sank into me.
We both let out shuddering sighs as the distance between us shrank to nothing.
Then he held there, staring down at me with something that might’ve been wonder.
Or something else I absolutely wasn’t ready to think about.
So I was the one who began to move, squeezing my walls around him and rolling my hips.
Colter shifted, beginning the slow thrust and retreat that presaged the final climb.
I rose to meet him, and he gradually picked up pace.
Our breaths went short and sweat slicked our skin as heat built between us.
My body, already sensitized by two orgasms, was sprinting toward the finish line.
“Colter.”
“Not yet,” he insisted. “Hang on just a little longer.”
So I did, gripping his shoulders as he drove into me over and over. Only then did his relentless rhythm falter. I bore down with my inner walls, determined to bring him with me.
He gripped one of my legs and pressed back, driving in one final time and striking some sensitive spot that had his name ripping from my throat before all pleasure broke loose to incinerate us both.