Las Vegas Sidewinders: Drake (Book 2) (4 page)

“Oh boy,” she breathed
heavily, leaning against him as she broke away. “This is not going to end well
for either of us.”

He chuckled, a rich
sexy sound. “Because you won’t take your clothes off?”

“Exactly.”

“So if I found a way to
get inside your panties but you could still keep all your clothes on, would
that work?” He had no idea what made him ask her that, but once he did, he knew
he wanted her more than he wanted to admit. Something about her vulnerability,
and the shadows beneath the mask, went way beyond just getting laid for him.
His gut told him she needed him to love her tonight, even more than he needed
to break his dry spell.

She gave him a look.
“Seriously?” She tried to look stern but a giggle escaped and she’d never
giggled before.
What on earth was wrong with her?

“I’ll make you a deal.
You get to keep your clothes on, we can keep the room dark, whatever you don’t
want me to see I don’t see—but we both get lucky. Come on, three years is too
long for anyone, especially with a hot body like yours.”

“I…I don’t know…” she
stammered. “I mean, how…”

“Do you want to have
sex with me?” he whispered against her ear. “Forget about your problems—just
right here and now—do you want to make hot love and have a bunch of orgasms?”
It was suddenly very important for him to convince her he could make this work.
He wished he knew why he wanted her so bad, but it was a subconscious need that
went beyond anything he could put into words.

She gulped nervously,
but focused on everyone telling her that she had to start living again. And
this guy was so incredibly hot. “Yes. Very much.”

“Then come on.”

“Drake, I want to, but
I don’t know if I’m ready for this kind of thing.” Her eyes searched his.

“My sister will beat me
upside the head if I’m unkind, and anyway, that’s not my style. Me, you, one
night of sex, and then we decide if Cinderella wants to see me again after the
ball.” He met her gaze intently.

“Just like that?”

He touched her cheek
with his fingers. “It’s not complicated. We both want it and I’m willing to
play by your rules. I won’t hurt you, Erin.”

“Where would we go?”
She knew this might be a mistake, but he was right that they both wanted it.

“My hotel is across the
street.” He tugged at her hand.

She sent a quick text
to Kate, so she wouldn’t worry, and then closed her hand firmly around his.

They strolled across
the street with her cape pulled tight around her and his arm around her waist.
The wind blew her hair out of place, but Drake kept her close to his side as
they entered the hotel and got into the elevator. Then he kissed her again,
ravishing her mouth with his. Only one other person had ever kissed her like
this, and she felt human again for the first time in seven years. She hadn’t
realized how much she missed a man’s touch until this moment.

They got into his room
in record time and he immediately doused all the lights. The bed had been
turned down for him and he quickly shed his jacket, belt and shoes. Carefully,
he took Erin’s cape and laid it on the chair. The curtains were open with a
fabulous view of Lakeshore Drive and he pulled her next to him as they stared
out the window.

“It’s beautiful,” she
said softly.

“Not as beautiful as
you.” He kissed the tip of her nose.

“You don’t have to
lie.”

“I’m not.” He caressed
her right cheek. “I don’t know what’s under the mask or the dress, but I see
beautiful lips, pretty eyes and a mouth I would love to have all over me. Your
skin is soft but sexy and toned. Your hair is thick and silky…everything I see
is beautiful.”

“But what you don’t see…”

“I’m not going to see
tonight, remember? This is all about what you want.”

“Kiss me,” she
breathed. “Just kiss me until I stop second-guessing myself.”

And he did. Over and
over. Until the pins had all come out of her hair and it was tumbling down her
back. He noticed immediately that there was a slight bald spot on the right
side, but he turned her head so that her hair would fall that direction and
cover it. It hadn’t bothered him in the least, but he knew it would bother her,
so he focused on making her forget—her nightmares, her scars, Afghanistan, and
most of all, her asshole ex-husband.

“Mmm,” she moaned
softly against his mouth. “I’m not sure, but I might have just died and gone to
heaven.”

“Not yet, baby,” he
nibbled the back of her ear. “We have a long way to go for that.” He felt the
goosebumps as he continued kissing his way around her ear, her neck and across
her throat. “Are you cold?” he murmured.

“Oh, no,” she
whispered, reaching for the button of his slacks. “I’m actually pretty hot right
now.”

“Just wait.” He claimed
her mouth again, realizing with a start that having her hands on him was
blissful. Normally, he was in a hurry for the main act, ready to reach his
climax and be done. Not that he was selfish—he always made sure his partners
had pleasure too, but he was good at making that happen quickly. With Erin, he
couldn’t seem to go that fast, though he felt himself straining against his
boxers. He wanted to continue listening to the little moans coming from her
mouth and feeling her hands traveling up and down his chest.

“Drake?” She paused and
moved back slightly.

“Yeah, babe?”

“Do you have
protection?”

“I do. Don’t worry;
I’ll take care of everything.”

“Oh good.” She melted
against him again, this time resting her head against his chest. Without her
shoes on, her 5’10” body seemed small against his, even though she was tall
compared to most women. She listened to his heart hammering in his chest and
looked up. “Do you really want to do this with me?”

“Of course I do.” He
reached down to move her hair onto the opposite side, staring at the bald spot
where he could now see some hair was slowly growing back. Though it was dark in
the room, lights from the city shone brightly and he slowly bent to kiss the
bare part of her head. “Does that hurt?” he asked softly.

“No.” She shook her
head slowly. “It’s still pretty numb. The doctors said it could take 2 or 3
more years for the hair to grow back normally.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He
lifted her chin, gazing into her eyes. They were a pale blue, with dark lashes,
and though he couldn’t see the one behind the mask very well, he could see a
slight shadow, telling him that it was somehow different than the one he could
see clearly. “You’re beautiful, breathtaking even. Scars don’t scare me, baby.”

“You promised,” she
whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Don’t cry.” He gently
wiped a tear with his thumb. “I know what I promised. I want you to trust me.”

“If I didn’t trust you,
I wouldn’t be here, but right now, this time, it has to be on my terms.” She
met his gaze worriedly.

“Absolutely.” He nodded
slowly and led her to the bed where he paused, looking at her carefully. “There
are many things we can do while you’re still wearing that dress, but I’m pretty
sure we can’t do any of them with that underwire thing you’ve got going on.”

Erin looked down and
then chuckled. “Crap, I have no earthly idea how to get it off. Kate strapped
me into it.”

“Is it just the bottom
or full body?”

“Just the bottom.”

“We got this,” he said,
lifting the layers of her dress. “Which side is it that you don’t want me to
see?”

She pointed and he
turned her so that he was looking at her left hip as he sat on the edge of the
bed. “Um, remember when I said I wasn’t going to look under your dress?” he
chuckled too. “I’m going to have to if I’m getting this off of you.”

She giggled yet again
and wanted to smack herself; she was being an idiot but she couldn’t seem to
help it. “Okeydokey. But no cheating.”

“I do not
cheat
,”
he said primly. He handed her a handful of silky layers of cloth, so she could
hold them up while he ran his hand along her hip. He reached around to find the
clasp and then turned the skirt so that the back was now at the side. Once he
saw how it closed, he managed to get it unlatched and it promptly fell to the
floor, but still kept its shape. They both laughed as he held her hands so she
could step out of it.

“Damn,” he muttered.
“Who comes up with these things?”

“Not me!” She glanced
at it. “I’m a girl, but I’m not
that
girly!”

“You look pretty girly
to me,” he said, pulling her close to him.

“I feel pretty girly
right now,” she admitted, letting him find her mouth again. This time, he
kissed her deeply, his mouth possessing hers as their bodies pressed close
together. She unzipped his pants and let them fall to the ground. He stepped
out of them as she unbuttoned his shirt.

“You have the broadest
chest I’ve ever seen,” she said appreciatively.

“Do I get to see
your
chest?” he asked hopefully.

“Not tonight,” she
murmured. “If there’s a next time, yes.”

“So the girls are
damaged?” He ran a hand across her chest, though it was still covered by the
dress and he couldn’t feel much under the thick fabric.

“Nope.” She gave him a
smirk. “But a girl has to save something for the imagination. Especially since
I’m
putting out
on the first date.”

He grinned, loving how
she went from shy and embarrassed to cute and playful; somewhere inside was the
girl she’d been before the accident and for just a little while, he hoped he
would be able to draw her out. “Tell me what you want,” he said after a moment.

“I don’t know,” she
hesitated. “I just want to feel you. And touch you. And have you touch me.”

“Yeah?” He reached for
the foil packet he’d left on the nightstand and handed it to her before sliding
off his boxers. “Since I don’t get the pleasure of undressing you, you can take
care of business.”

She took it from him
and gently ripped it with her teeth, her gaze never leaving his. He was
glorious to look at naked. Lean hips, broad shoulders and you could bounce a
quarter off his six-pack abs. His thighs were like nothing she’d ever seen,
thick and muscular, the kind only someone who’d been ice skating all his life
could have. She seriously wanted to lick him from head to toe. However, right
now, she just wanted him inside of her.

“Kiss me again.
Please,” she whispered as she rolled the condom down his lengthy shaft.

He did as she asked,
using his tongue to duel with hers until her knees were weak and whimpers of
pleasure escaped her. They fell onto the bed together and his hand managed to
slip beneath the many layers of dress until he found the tiny thong Kate had
convinced her to wear. He pulled it down with one swift motion and let his
fingers glide slowly between her legs. The evidence of her arousal wet them and
he used it to caress her delicate folds until she sighed with desire. She
moaned when he slid one long finger inside of her.

“Ooh,” her voice
cracked when he began to stroke her, moving in and out repeatedly.

“You’re so wet,” he whispered
against her, his other hand wrapped around her tightly.

“I need you,” she
whispered back.

“Take me.” He rolled
onto his back and helped her straddle him. He pulled up her dress so that she
could position herself above him. Then she slowly inched her way down, gasping
slightly at the invasion, until he was sheathed deep inside of her. She was so
tight and wet he groaned with need. Clenching his fists to keep from flipping
her over and driving into her like he wanted to, he gripped her hips instead.
She leaned down and kissed him, softly, slowly, until he couldn’t even think
anymore. She was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted and he felt himself losing
himself in this woman he’d only known a couple of hours. Her mouth was
delicious, like champagne and dessert rolled into one, and he didn’t ever want
to tear his lips away.

“God, you feel so damn
good,” he murmured.

She’d almost forgotten
how to be sexy, how to love a man. Clay had been so sterile in the bedroom,
always under the covers, always on top, never wanting to tease or bother with
foreplay. She’d had just one lover who’d taught her what lovemaking was
supposed to be like, and tonight she remembered it all. She began to glide over
him, using her thighs to move up and down. He was thick and hard, and when he
was fully sheathed she almost couldn’t stand the pleasure.

“Is this okay?” she
whispered, her fingers searching his.

“Yes!” he ground his
teeth as she rode him. “Give me more, baby.”

She felt herself
letting go as she moved faster, her own orgasm building deep in her belly. He
lifted himself up so he could kiss her again, his hands on her ass, finding her
rhythm and moving with her. She was breathing harder now and he felt her
tightening around him.

He snapped his hips up
to hers. “Tell me what you need, Erin.”

“Harder,” she
whispered. It had been a long time and she wanted him in the worst way, the
rougher the better.

He sensed that she
needed something grittier than what they’d done so far and gave it to her,
thrusting up and holding her in place as she started to come undone. One finger
moved to her clit and he knew she was a goner, her fingers digging into his
hair as she clenched around him. He ground up against her until her felt her
start to shudder and swallowed her scream with his mouth. He didn’t even try to
hold back, joining her in the sensations of their bodies connecting. This was
perfectly in sync sex; hard and rough but tender and mutually satisfying in a
way he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

She finally collapsed
against his chest, both of their hearts racing and neither moving for a long
time. It had been intense, but too quick, and he silently vowed to make the
next time last longer.

Next time?
he thought to himself
in surprise. That hadn’t been the plan, but who was he kidding? This woman
wasn’t one-night stand material and he’d known that before bringing her back to
the hotel. He’d known all along he wanted to actually take her out; the only
problem would be convincing her of that.

“I knew you would be
like this,” she said after a while.

“Like what?”

“Hot and sexy, but
gentle and giving too.”

“How did you know?”

“You’re so much like
Sh—” she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I
didn’t mean, it wasn’t…” She quickly pulled away, gathering her skirts and
rolling off the bed.

“Erin, wait.”
Struggling to get up, Drake reached for her but she’d run into the bathroom and
shut the door. “Shit.” Who, he wondered. Certainly not her ex-husband, of that
he was sure. Whatever she’d been trying to say had been meant as a compliment,
but obviously comparing one man to another in bed was not exactly politically
correct. Somehow, though, it didn’t bother him. She’d been on the verge of
telling him, or at the very least discovering, something important. But her
fear and insecurity had interrupted the moment; now he was desperate to get it
back because he knew he would never see her again if he didn’t.

“Erin?” He gently
knocked on the door. “I’m not mad. Please come out.”

He could hear her
sniffling inside but the door was locked. He knocked again. “Please don’t cry.
Just come out and talk to me.”