17. Lincoln
17
LINCOLN
I have no idea what I'm doing right now. I'm just drawn to the beacon in the night. I don’t know how I missed the new girl transferring here; she must have blended in with the arrival of the kids from Florentine’s. It’s a damn shame I’m only just seeing her now, but hopefully, she's not too disappointed in having to wait for my attention. I'm about to steamroll her and make up for it; I just need Dean to get his damn hands off her.
I was so enraptured in watching her dance that I was still staring at her as she drifted from the crowd and found a seat on the fallen tree. Her hair floated around her shoulders as she swayed to the music, lost in her own world, and that bubble she thrives in stayed wrapped around her. When she slipped over here, hiding from the sound of the party, I got an honest look at her.
Her hair, her eyes, her silky skin.
She reminds me of midnight, when the sky is at its darkest shade of blue-black, with the moon bright in the sky and the stars sparkling like a glimmer in the distance.
Her hair is the sky, her face the moon, and her eyes the stars.
I don't know where she came from, and I have no idea who she is, which is perfect for stumbling across her at a full moon party because any insignificant details don't matter. She doesn’t have to be a wolf; she doesn’t have to be anything but mine for the night.
Dean just needs to fuck off.
“Yeah, your bad, man. Now fuck off.”
His eyes widen, panic flickering across his face, and I bite back the grin threatening to transform my face as he rushes off into the crowd. The second he’s out of sight, I turn my attention to the spectacle beside me.
Dropping my hand from her shoulder, I skim my fingers around her waist, erasing the touch Dean left behind, and instead mark her for myself for the night. The touch has her eyes meeting mine, and even under the dark sky, the pink hues on her cheeks are noticeable, along with the dimples.
Fucking dimples.
She peers up at me, a hint of hesitation in her eyes as I grin.
“What's your name? Midnight?”
Her tongue sweeps across her bottom lip as she stares deep into my eyes. “Midnight?” she questions, her eyebrows gathering in confusion, and I shrug.
“Yeah.” That's all I have to offer. I can decipher the meaning behind it later, but she never needs to know that. I expect her to push me for more, refusing to let it slide, but to my surprise, she shrugs, glancing away from me.
I can sense it. She's a deer caught in the headlights. She's clearly never felt the attention of Lincoln James before. That's all going to change tonight.
It’s hard to get a read on her. I can’t tell if she will come up with an excuse to take a step away, just like she did with Dean, or whether she’ll lean into me, aware of the man she has in her grasp.
The seconds spread out so far that I’m considering another approach when she turns her attention back to me.
”Does my name matter at a full moon wolf party?”
My dick stirs to life at a simple question and my fingers press into her side. Hands down, that’s the perfect response.
“No, I don't suppose it does,” I say with a grin, bringing my other hand to her cheek as I shift us so we’re standing face to face.
Her name doesn't matter anyway, not when I've already given her a nickname to last an eternity. Besides, everyone knows who I am. Forgetting her name come morning and having an awkward interaction tomorrow is foregone under these terms. Let’s just hope she doesn’t fall for my magical dick and expect anything more.
Tomorrow doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is this moment. Introductions aren't necessary, but feeling her lips against mine is.
Running my thumb back and forth over her cheek, she locks onto my gaze like a warrior, ready for battle. There's a feisty side to her, one hiding behind the innocent vibe she’s got going on, along with a hint of familiarity, but I have no clue how.
“Do you want to get out of here?” I ask, and once again, she rubs those pretty pink lips together as uncertainty wars inside of her.
“No.”
My fingers tighten around her waist as my grip on her chin pulls her an inch closer. That’s not what I expected, not even a little bit. That was clearly my first error.
“That's a shame,” I breathe, and our noses touch as we move closer.
“Why?” Her breath blows across my face, teasing just how close she is, and the noise vibrating from the party dwindles to nothing more than a background whisper, dimming as she holds my attention captive.
“Because I want to get to know you better.” My fingers curl under the hem of her silk shirt and she scoffs.
“You want to get to know me better, or my body?” she quizzes, and all I can do is grin because fuck, she's got me there.
Leaning in, I press my lips against her ear and she shivers at the contact before I've even uttered a word. “I want exactly what it seems your body wants, Midnight,” I whisper, feeling the tremor run through her body even more intensely.
She tilts her head back, bringing her lips to my ear, and I can't deny that I'm enjoying this game we're playing.
“My body can't be trusted. It doesn't know what’s good for me,” she states, and I have to bite back a groan as my dick presses against the zipper of my pants.
“Trust me. Let me help you figure it out.”
It's an offer on the verge of a plea as her skin warms beneath my touch.
I feel the corner of her mouth tilt up in a silent grin, a snicker threatening to ripple from her throat. “Trusting you seems like the worst thing I could do.”
“Low blow,” I whisper, leaning back, and our noses touch as I position her face in front of mine again. But this time, I let go of her chin and place my hand on my chest. “Please, I'm a stand-up wolf. Besides, I've got a solid forty-five minutes before my wolf takes over and zero chance of any fun after that.”
That's the downside to finding her at a full moon party, but it’s just my luck to find a mystery in the night, and there's a time constraint on it.
She doesn't seem to understand the importance of that because she snickers for real this time. “You're insufferable.”
I shrug. “Am I? Or do I just know what I want?” I retort, and she grins, her hands lifting to my chest, tugging me closer as I place both hands on her waist, blindly curling my fingers into the belt loops on her jeans. One small tug and we're hip to hip.
“And what’s that?”
“You. What I want is you.”
Her pupils dilate, but the grin is still playful. She's not just fighting me now; she's fighting herself. Her next words confirm my observation.
“Nice. Do those words work on everyone?”
“I’m a ladies’ man with an ego to match. There's no use denying it,” I say with a shrug. She'll see it for herself. Come tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, this is just who I am.
Her lips purse a little as she assesses me, and I can't help but stare at them, eager to feel if they're as plump as they look and as soft as they promise.
Her fingers curl around the neckline of my t-shirt and my body tenses, excitement buzzing through my veins as I expect her to yank me closer and eliminate the remaining distance between us. I love a woman with control that promises to send me over the edge, but unfortunately for me, that's not what she offers.
“Unfortunately, I'm the opposite of what you're looking for.” She moves to take a step back, but I stop her before she can move a single inch.
“I can't think of a single reason for that to be true,” I insist, acutely aware that I'm pushing the same line that Dean just was. But she's not pushing me away like she did him. Not yet, at least.
She stiffens her shoulders, eyeballs glaring into mine as she tries to tell both herself and me at the same time. “I can tell you if you?—”
Her words are cut short as I slam my mouth to hers, crushing our lips together, and I groan. Her lips are soft and full, just as I expected, but the stunned pause is not. Gently molding my lips to hers, I encourage a response, and just when I think she's not going to move, the slightest pressure pushes against my mouth, and the world around me ceases to exist.
Her fingernails claw into my neck, pulling me closer as I pry her lips open with my tongue, devouring every inch of her. She tastes just as delicious as I hoped, just as sweet, just as wicked, just…midnight.
Slipping my hands under the back of her shirt, her skin prickles even more intensely under my touch, goosebumps left in my wake as she battles for control, desperate for more. I need everything she has to offer. I yank back, lightheaded and dizzy, and stare deep into her eyes. She slowly flutters hers open.
“Tell me how you think this wouldn't be a perfect end to the night?” I insist, and she sighs, the harsh sound becoming a scoff.
She runs her fingers down the side of my face as if she’s committing me to memory. Something passes in her eyes, and I know whatever she’s about to say is going to ruin me.
“Because it’s experience you're looking for, and I'm a virgin.”