“Might want to close those,” I said, with a smile to ease the rejection.

She laughed and moved to stand up and slide in beside me. “Maybe if I sit here, then you can’t keep focusing on your friend, who seems to be enjoying herself just fine. And if I open my legs, no one but you and I can see,” she said, leaning toward me so her tits were on display again.

If I could actually get up the desire to play with those toys she was intent on flashing at me, then I might not be so wound up. But not being able to see Blaire was pissing me off. “Look, you’re hot. No doubt. But I’m here to keep my friend safe. It’s about her,” I explained, as my eyes found Blaire walking toward the dance floor with the guy she’d been talking to. His hand was on her back now. Not mine. Jealousy was painful, and I’d never experienced it before. But damn, when it takes hold of you, then you feel it. You fucking know what it is.

“See, she’s dancing. Not at all worried about you,” the blonde said, pressing closer to me and sliding her hand up my leg.

I reached down and grabbed it before she slid it over my cock. Even if I didn’t want to fuck her, my damn cock would react to the attention and give her the wrong idea. I put her hand back in her own lap.

“She has you in all kinds of knots, doesn’t she? Damn.” The woman looked over at Blaire and shrugged. “Guess that young, fresh thing does it for men. It grows old, though. She won’t always be so sweet and new.”

She had this all wrong. Most women like her did. They didn’t understand that a man could want someone for more than just her looks. That it wasn’t always sex that drew them in. That sometimes it was more. More . . .

“I can make you forget she exists,” the blonde said, moving her mouth to mine.

“Whoa.” I grabbed her head to stop her. I didn’t kiss. Not mouths I knew had been on too many cocks to count. “Not going there, sugar. Sorry, but you’re right. She has me all kinds of wrapped up. She might not want me that way, but she has my complete attention. No one else is gonna compare.”

The woman stuck out her bottom lip in a pout that looked ridiculous, then ran her leg up my side. She wasn’t giving up easily. “One kiss. Just one really good kiss,” she said, leaning into me again.

I had to hold her body back forcefully this time. “I don’t kiss mouths that I know have sucked a cock that isn’t mine,” I said bluntly, knowing it would stop her.

She froze, and her eyebrows shot up. “You mean you only do virgins?” she asked, incredulous.

I laughed and shook my head. “No. I mean I don’t kiss. I fuck, but I don’t kiss,” I clarified.

She leaned back and looked at me. “Really? And girls are OK with this?”

I had started to respond when I saw that Blaire’s date was alone on the dance floor. Fuck! Where was she? “Move,” I demanded, shoving the woman back so I could get out of the booth. “Now, dammit, move!” I yelled.

She scrambled backward, glaring at me, but I didn’t have time to explain. Blaire was gone, and I didn’t see her leave. I was supposed to be watching her. I sucked at this.

I had to find her. Her dance partner started for the door, but some woman walked up to him and distracted him. I’d deal with him later if I needed to. Right now, I was going to see if Blaire had gone outside.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

My heart was pounding so hard that the relief when I saw her standing outside the bar, leaning against the building, made my knees weak. She was here. She was fine.

“Blaire?” I called out to her.

She had her arms crossed over her chest defensively. I wasn’t sure what had happened in there, but if the redneck wannabe cowboy had stepped out of line, I was going to rip his arms off.

“Yes,” she answered. There was a hesitation to her voice. Something was wrong. She didn’t sound like herself.

“I couldn’t find you. Why are you out here? This isn’t safe.”

“I’m fine. Go back inside and continue your make-out session in our booth.” She was jealous. Fuck. But I wanted her to be jealous. It made a warmth course through me that felt so wrong, but I couldn’t help it. I liked knowing she was jealous. Even though there was nothing for her to be jealous of.

“Why are you out here?” I asked, slowly taking another step toward her.

“Because I want to be,” she said, shooting an angry glare in my direction.

“The party is inside. Isn’t that what you wanted? A honkytonk with men and drinks? You’re missing it out here.” I was trying to lighten the mood. The look on her face said it wasn’t working. She was really pissed. All this because she thought I was making out with the blonde in the booth?

“Back off, Rush,” she snapped. Well shit, she was mad at me. I hadn’t done anything. She’d been the one dancing with the cowboy wannabe.

I took another step toward her. I couldn’t see her clearly enough in the darkness. “No. I want to know what happened.” She was upset, and I had a hard time believing it was all because of the blonde in the booth with me. There had to be something else.

Blaire put both of her hands on my chest and shoved me. “You want to know what happened? You happened, Rush. That’s what happened.” Her voice verged on a scream. She turned and starting walking away. What the hell?

I reached out and grabbed her before she could go too far. I wasn’t letting this one go. She was pissed, and it made no fucking sense. All this anger, even though she’d seen me with other women. She had been dancing with another guy just minutes before. Had it all changed for her, too? Was this not just all me now? Because if she wanted more, then I wasn’t going to be able to say no. I was past that. “What does that mean, Blaire?” I asked, pulling her back up against my chest.

She squirmed in my arms, making frustrated little growls. “Let. Me. Go,” she demanded.

Not a chance. “Not until you tell me what your problem is,” I said. She began to twist and fight against me harder, but I held on to her easily enough. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I needed to understand what was wrong. Either I’d pissed her off or that guy in the bar had.

“I don’t like seeing you touch other women. And when other men grope my ass, I hate it. I want it to be you touching me there. Wanting to touch me there. But you don’t, and I have to deal with it. Now, let me go!”

I hadn’t been expecting that. She took advantage of the fact that she’d just surprised the hell out of me and jerked free from my hold, then took off running. I wasn’t sure where she thought she was going in the dark by herself.

She wanted me to touch her . . . there. Shit. I was sunk. I couldn’t fight this. I needed to. If I wanted to save us both pain later, I could turn around and go back inside. But damn, I couldn’t find the strength to fight this need. I wanted her. I wanted her so fucking badly I was ready to make this work. Denying myself was one thing, but denying Blaire was a whole other issue.

I didn’t think about it. I couldn’t. I just acted on instinct.

I went after her.

Once I was close enough to the Range Rover, I clicked the unlock button. I was touching her tonight. Right now. Right fucking now. And it was the stupidest thing I could do. For both of us. But I just didn’t give a shit anymore. I was taking what I wanted. What she wanted.

“Get in, or I’ll put you in,” I demanded.

Her eyes went wide with shock, and she scrambled quickly into the backseat. Her sweet little ass was stuck up in the air, and my dick was instantly hard. God, why did I want her so badly? I shouldn’t do this. Blaire was the one person I couldn’t have. She knew nothing about Nan and her dad and me. This would all end up destroying me. Or maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe she would listen to me. Understand all of this.

I climbed in behind her.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

I didn’t answer, because I wasn’t fucking sure. I pressed her up against the seat and took another taste. The innocence pouring off her was intoxicating. She was pure. Not just with her body but with her thoughts. She wasn’t spiteful. She didn’t seek revenge. She trusted me. I was the world’s biggest dick.

I grabbed her hips and moved her so that I could settle between her legs. I needed the connection. The warmth. Blaire didn’t fight me but did exactly as I prompted. I wanted to claim her. Completely. But it was wrong. Too much stood between us. Things she’d never forgive. Things she would never understand. Frantic, I reached for the hem of her shirt.

“Take it off,” I said, as I lifted it over her head and threw it into the front seat. The soft, perfect skin of her breasts peeked out of the top of the lacy bra she was wearing. I needed to see it all. I wanted to taste it all. “I want it all off, sweet Blaire.” I reached for the bra clasp and quickly undid it, then slid the bra down her arms. She was beautiful. I’d known she would be. But seeing the hard pink nipples against her creamy, smooth skin made me realize I wouldn’t be able to go back. “This is why I tried to stay away. This, Blaire. I won’t be able to stop this. Not now.”

When someone is handed a piece of heaven, he can’t just forget it. My breathing was becoming difficult as I pulled her closer and lowered my head to pull one of those nipples into my mouth and sucked on it, as I’d imagined doing more than once.

Blaire grabbed my shoulders and cried out my name, making any control I had thought I was holding on to vanish. I let her nipple pop free of my mouth so I could stick my tongue out and let her see the silver barbell she’d been so interested in flick over her skin. “Tastes like candy. Girls shouldn’t taste so sweet. It’s dangerous,” I told her, then ran my nose along her neck and inhaled deeply. “And you smell incredible.”

Nothing would ever smell as good as Blaire. Nothing. Her mouth was slightly open, and she took fast little breaths as I cupped her breasts with my hands. That mouth and those lips. I couldn’t get them out of my head. Kissing had always been something I didn’t do easily. But with Blaire, it was all I could think about. She tasted so sweet and clean. Her mouth was mine and only mine when I kissed her lips.

Tugging on her nipples, I teased her, and she moaned into my mouth. Her small hands slipped under my shirt and began exploring my stomach. She was spending a lot of time on my abs, causing a smile to tug at my lips. My girl liked my stomach. I’d give her better access if that was what she wanted.

I reached for my shirt with one hand, jerked it over my head, and tossed it away, then went right back to kissing those now-swollen lips of hers. I loved the way they felt against mine.

Blaire arched her back, rubbing her breasts against my now-bare chest, and I had to suck in to catch my breath. Shit, that felt good. It was so simple, but it was incredible, because it was Blaire. Everything with her felt like it was new. I didn’t want to miss any of it. I wanted to soak in every moan and cry from her lips.

I wrapped her up in my arms and pressed her against me, and she clawed gently at my back as an excited sound came from her mouth.

“Sweet Blaire,” I said, and I freed her mouth long enough to pull her bottom lip into my mouth so I could suck on it. I loved how full it was. I could spend hours with just her mouth. But she was wiggling under me and opening her legs wider. She was searching, and I knew exactly what she wanted, even if she wasn’t sure.

I wanted to take my time and cherish her, but her sexy little body was getting needy and moving frantically beneath me. I touched her knee, and she jumped from my touch and then stilled. Slowly, I ran my hand up her thigh, giving her time to stop me if this was too fast.

Her legs fell open completely, as if offering me an invitation, and the smell of her heat hit me. Holy shit, that was good. So so so good. I inhaled deeply before running a finger along the wet fabric of her panties.

Blaire jerked against my touch and let out a small whimper. God, how was I gonna be able to control myself? This was too much. She smelled too good, and her sounds . . . fuck, they were hot.

“Easy. I just want to see if it’s as fucking sweet down there as the rest of you,” I told her, and she trembled in my arms. She didn’t want me to stop. The trembling and the desperate look in her eyes let me know everything I needed to know. I held her gaze and my breath as I slipped a finger inside the satin and felt the wetness there, waiting for me.

“Rush,” she said in a desperate voice as she squeezed my shoulder.