Because he shouldn’t do this. To her. To himself. The reason escaped him. She was open, wet, laid out on his table like a freakin’ banquet of delight, eyes shining.
With tears.
Tears? The sight, the question, snapped him out of his lust induced haze.
He looked around. Clothes strewn across the floor. Sunlight filtering in through wide-open windows, slanting across her br**sts. She was spread out across the same damn table they’d eaten dinner on.
She was a virgin.
He swallowed, knowing he should back off, leave her the hell alone. Right now, he was one thrust from changing their lives forever.
Maybe…maybe it would be different this time. Kimber wasn’t a teenager. She wasn’t from a troubled family. She wasn’t Heather. If he thrust into her, she’d be his. His. Completely. His to hold on bad days, his to share smiles with, his to surprise, to tease, to please, to f**k…
His to care for if something went horribly wrong. The lust jacking up his system iced over at that thought. He took a half step back.
“Weren’t you going to stop me?” His voice creaked. For chrissake, he sounded like he was a hundred.
Kimber hesitated. “Yes.”
But he wasn’t convinced. “When?”
“Well, I—I meant to. I tried.”
Deke pulled up his shorts, tucking his erection back inside with a grimace. “Do you actually love this pop star you’re chasing?” A blink. A glance away. A boulder of unease settled in his gut. Was she skittish because she didn’t love McCall or because she was trying not to throw her feelings for the pop star up in Deke’s face? She sat up, covered herself with her arms, drawing her legs up to her chest. “Would I be here trying to learn all this if I didn’t?”
“Only you know why you’re really here. But I know you don’t comprehend the fire you’re playing with, little girl. Next time, say no. If Luc had been here, I might not have stopped. Next time, I might f**k you—and f**k the consequences.”
Late that night, Kimber dozed on Luc’s shoulder while they snuggled to an old black-and-white classic. His warmth curled around her. Safe. Comforting. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t discuss Deke, but her thoughts kept drifting back to him. Where was he?
Somewhere in the house, a door slammed. The sound jerked her fully awake.
Sitting up with a yawn and a stretch, she looked around in confusion. Still just Luc and the old movie.
“Kimber!” A voice bellowed. Then she heard stomping in the rest of the house.
A bolt of gladness and relief struck her. “Deke?” She had only to say his name once and he appeared in the doorframe, filling the space with his massive shoulders and huge presence. His breath rose and fell in heavy, angry pants. He swayed on his feet. Those blue eyes of his zeroed in on her wrapped in Luc’s arms. They stripped her clothes off with a glance. Immediately, her ni**les beaded. She swallowed.
“You’re drunk,” Luc bit out in disapproval beside her.
“I wish. But not for lack of trying. If I was, I could have drowned out all desire to touch her.” Deke pinned Kimber to the sofa with a hot stare. “Then I could have passed out into oblivion without needing to feel her around my cock.” Kimber’s stomach clenched at his words. So did her sex. Why did this man get to her, despite being so dangerous and difficult, so angry? Luc was gentle and understanding, charming, seductive, talented. The desire he roused was gentle and beautiful.
And nothing like the hot blast of need that scalded her every time she experienced Deke’s demanding caress.
“Not when you’re in this mood.” Luc stood and crossed his arms, half standing in front of her protectively. “You know what we had planned next, and you’re in no shape to carry it out. You’ll hurt her.”
“I won’t.” He stared, then sent her a smile that glittered with danger. “Look at her.
Those pretty ni**les are hard. Her hot hazel eyes are eating me up. And her pu**y…”
Deke pushed past Luc in the small den and fell to his knees. Before Kimber had any idea what he had planned, Deke had pushed up her miniskirt and ripped out the crotch of her panties.
“Damn things,” he muttered. “Naked. You should always be naked.”
“But—”
He spread her legs wide, slammed two fingers inside her wet sex, and bent his head to her clit, consuming her in a devouring sweep of his tongue Moaning, she called out, “Deke!”
Immediately, fire sizzled down her legs, roaring into an inferno low in her belly.