drag of his breath in and out, the sound of his heart beating under her palms. She ached to feel him, stroke him, hear the groans from his lips as she pleasured him. A low whimper fell from her lips.
“They want more,” he said. “Do you want more?”
She licked her lips. “Yes.”
Reaching over, he grabbed her hands and pressed them to his chest. “Then take what you want.”
Arilyn realized she was in a packed room where everyone thought he was a paid stripper, and she couldn’t care less. It was literally the craziest thing she’d ever done, but she couldn’t stop now. Her fingers hit the hard wall of his pecs and she stroked him. He let out a groan through gritted teeth but remained still. The song switched to Prince’s “Get Off,” and then she heard her name chanted in unison, commanding her to take it all off.
Trembling, she savored the iron wall of his abs, gently tracing the edge of his belt buckle. She paused. Their gazes locked.
“No.” Her voice broke. Waves of his body heat radiated and uncoiled around her. “Not here.”
“Do you want me for yourself?”
His harsh question demanded truth. Logically, they were all wrong. But her body didn’t care, and a raw possessiveness caught her off guard. She wanted him to belong to her. She didn’t want a bunch of women watching him strip with greedy eyes and hands.
“I don’t want anyone else to touch you.”
He muttered a vicious curse. “Good. I don’t want anyone else to touch you either.”
He quickly refastened the buttons on his shirt. Loud boos filled the air.
Without missing a beat, Stone picked her up easily from the chair, lifted her high, and slammed his mouth on hers.
Arilyn was lost. Not caring that they had an audience, she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back with a hunger she couldn’t hide. The boos turned to catcalls and whistles, and a dollar bill floated down between them.
“Come with me now,” he growled against her lips.
“Yes.”
Stone took her hand and tugged her out the door. Gen jumped when they went past her, cheeks red and flushed. “Oh! Ugh, guess you guys found each other, huh?”
Stone gave her a look. “You’ll pay for that.”
She swallowed. “Hey, I was just trying to help.”
“I’ll deal with you later,” he warned. “I’m taking Arilyn home.” Gen shot her a look, checking to make sure it was okay. Arilyn nodded, and Gen relaxed.
A young guy dressed in a police uniform, complete with hat, stick, and handcuffs belted to his side, blocked their way. “This is the bachelorette party?” he asked. His brow rose. “Didn’t know we were doing a tag team, dude. I’m not splitting the tips.”
Stone jerked his thumb toward the door. “I warmed them up. They’re all yours now.”
He didn’t pause. Led her out the door and pushed her into the cab waiting at the corner for drunk patrons to take home. He snapped out her address. They didn’t speak during the short drive. Soon he pressed some bills into the driver’s hand and escorted her into the bungalow. Arilyn fumbled with the keys but finally got the door unlocked.
Then they were alone.
No foster dogs greeted them. The house was eerily silent and watchful. Arilyn embraced the floaty, warm feeling of being tipsy and allowing her body to win the war. He stood with hips braced, lips in a hard line, studying her with those dark eyes as if looking to unlock her secrets.
Tonight she wanted to fly and be impulsive. Tonight she wanted to be a bad girl.
“Why tonight? Why now?” he asked.
“Why not? You win. I want you for tonight.”
His brow arched. “How drunk are you?”
She smiled real slow and took a step closer. “Does it matter? I’m here. I’m ready.”
He muttered a curse. “I don’t want our first time to be a blur of memory. I also don’t want to leave room for regret in the morning.”
Annoyance surged. “I’ll remember. This is what you wanted. I’m asking. So, are you going to keep talking and questioning me, Officer? Or are you going to take it all off?”
He paused for a beat. His eyes burned. “We’ll compromise. I’m no saint, and I can’t leave you untouched tonight.”
“Should we go into the bedroom?” she asked bravely.
His smug grin caused goose bumps to prickle her flesh. “We don’t need a bedroom, little one. Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?”
Her tummy slid to her toes. His gaze raked over every inch