37. Rosie
Chapter 37
Rosie
“I find it surprising that Nash can dance,” I muse, breaking the silence. I fiddle with the undone button on his shirt, my fingers skirting along the skin exposed there.
Dane smiles and my belly swoops in response. “Nash loving to dance isn’t all that surprising. He speaks best with his body. Building. Football. Cooking. Dancing is an extension of that.”
“That’s very observant,” I say sincerely.Dane is absolutely right. The sweet way Nash led me earlier on the dance floor even made me feel graceful. Dane’s explanation reminds me of what Quinn said earlier about the move and makes me wonder what exactly makes this alpha tick. “How is it that a football star doesn’t like attention? Quinn told me that’s part of why you came home.”
Dane doesn’t answer right away, taking his time. “I know you don’t like football, but I love the game.”
“I like the game, just generally, not the atmosphere,” I cut in.
“That’s exactly why I came home.” It takes him another minute, but eventually he explains. “I kept chasing all these things that didn’t seem to matter, and I was dragging my pack along with me. It felt like coming back here would let me get back to the game and give our pack a chance to plant some roots.”
His answer wasn’t what I would have expected before I chatted with Quinn earlier, but his words confirm what I’ve begun to suspect—the image of my teenage crush that I’ve had in my mind and been using to make assumptions is based on speculation and my own baggage. The truth is, I don’t know Dane all that well, but what I do know makes me want to know more.
“Tell me three things you like that have nothing to do with football,” I say.
“These,” he says, skirting a finger over the garter that connects to my tights. “I’m absolutely in love with these.” He keeps teasing me there, running that finger back and forth in a maddeningly light touch.
“That doesn’t count, and you know it.”
“I beg to differ, but I’ll honor the spirit of the question.” Dane’s hand squeezes my thigh before snapping the band against my skin with a pop. The smack makes my nipples hard.He doesn’t remark on the gasp I make or the way I squirm on his lap, continuing as though he isn’t trying his best to turn me on. “I like being outdoors and most things physical. Nash and I spend way too much time playing video games, and I’m a sucker for baked goods.”
His thumb rubs along the inside of my thigh, slow and hypnotic. “What about you? What do you like?”
The words are filled with double meaning, and I decide to take him up on his game. It’s dark out here at the edge of the long dock, the two of us hidden from view. I wiggle around until I’m sitting astride him, running my fingers along his sharp jaw.
“I like gaming, crime shows, and scary movies. I prefer coffee in the morning and tea at night, and making clothes is my passion.” I cup a hand around the back of his neck, bringing our faces inches apart. “I also like you, even if you have a flex pose.”
“How forgiving of you,” he teases, tracking his hands up my thighs.
“I’m very magnanimous,” I say in my best haughty voice.Keeping up the train of conversation, I say, “Tell me about your most embarrassing moment.”
Dane winces. “You mean that time I made a move on my pretty neighbor and she told me to get lost?”
I throw my head back on a laugh. “Right."
Dane sobers, his hand going back to tracing the edge of my thigh highs. “The first time I signed an autograph, it was at this championship game when I was, like, sixteen. I hadn’t practiced or anything, and I couldn’t remember how to do cursive. I had to scribble it out and write it again. The guy caught it on camera, and the clip went viral. For weeks after, I practiced writing my signature. Every time someone asks me for it, even now, I panic a little.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat at the serious way he answered my question. I don’t think I expected him to, nor did I expect to relate so closely to his story. “Yeah, that would make me panic too. I hate being recognized in public, as you know.”
Awkward, since last time I was running from him.
He shakes his head as if he can hear my thoughts and disagrees. “Let’s skip the embarrassing moment. Tell me about what you were doing on your twenty-fifth birthday.”
“Damn. Good question!” I tap my nails against his chest, thinking. “Bambi and I came here. We danced all night, and I ended up at her pack house, where we made waffles. I found syrup in my hair for, like, two washes after.”
Dane chuckles. “It sounds like a good night. I like that they’ve been keeping an eye on you. It makes me crazy to think of the two of you barhopping alone.” He smiles at me, the kind that turns me into a gooey mess. “You know I pride myself on discipline and routines. Ever since I saw you that day in town, my instincts have been driving me hard. I don’t seem to have any control when it comes to you.”
“So don’t,” I say, bold as hell.
He leans in for a kiss, and I don’t hesitate this time. Dane’s fingers dig into my hip, and he ravishes my mouth.There’s no other word for it— like bodice-ripping, chest-heaving ravishing . Dane takes. His lips mold over mine, and his tongue twists in this rhythm that makes me ache.
“Are you gonna give me what I want and let me walk out of here saturated in your scent?” he growls.
His words hit some primal switch that floods my body with heat. My short dress is barely any cover, and I rock my hips against him, loving that I can feel his hardness beneath me.
“You’ve been driving me wild with these tights and your gorgeous ass shaking while you dance.” His hands travel farther up my thighs, his long fingers skirting across my skin. “I’ve been dreaming all night about getting my hands on you.”
The first slide of Dane’s fingers over the lace of my panties makes me shiver in anticipation. Dane drags the edge of my panties to the side, skating two fingers down my wet center. I moan into his mouth, and he swallows the sound before moving to suck along my neck. He plays with my clit, alternating between slow circles and perfect pressure until I’m shamelessly grinding against him.
“Come for me, sweetheart,” Dane growls, and that slight bark in his command ripples along my skin, lighting me up. He sinks two fingers inside at the same time he flicks my clit.
He swallows the sound of my orgasm, kissing me through it until the desperate hunger turns tender. I pull away, running my fingers through his hair. We don’t say anything, but it feels like the start of something new between us.
Curling into his chest, I hang on for a little longer.Drowsiness sets in, the warm buzz of my orgasm and the quiet river lulling me to sleep.
“Let’s find the others,” I say with a yawn.
“They’re already here,” Dane rumbles.
“What?” I ask, popping up to look around. The dock is empty, and I can barely see the edge of the deck from here.
“They’ve been keeping guard. Do you think I would let anyone but them watch you come for me?” he asks, his voice so deep I feel it in my belly.
Well, hello hotness. I didn’t know I needed that kind of alpha possessiveness in my life, but the fact that he was watching out for me like that makes me feel really safe and the needy part of me feel desired. My heart officially turns to melted butter for this man.
“But how?—”
Dane taps his chest. “Bonds, sweetheart. And they’re going to smell exactly how much fun we’ve been having.”
He puts my panties back in place before cupping my pussy and giving it a little pat. It’s dirty as hell and so hot I’m wide awake again and ready for round two. Preferably, this round, I can get my hands on him.
Instead of risking arrest for public indecency, I brace myself on his shoulders and climb off his lap. “It’s time to take me home, Coach.”