During the ride back to my place, we talked about the barbecue and laughed over the funny moments. By the time we reached my apartment, I didn’t even pretend that he wasn’t invited up. I wasn’t even thinking about the case anymore. I couldn’t think about it just then.
I hadn’t figured anything out in regards to the Outlaw Souls involvement in any sort of illicit drug ring. All I knew was that I needed to be with Pin that night.
And that I really, really hoped he wasn’t involved with anything bad.
Nineteen
Pin
After our talk at the barbecue, I felt as if I was floating on a cloud. I had entered an alternate reality. Someplace I never thought I would gain entrance to. I wasn’t supposed to find this kind of connection with someone. I was too cynical, too rough, too poor.
Yet somehow I was there with Claire.
I had been scared to tell her about my past at the barbecue, but I’d known if I didn’t, I would feel like I was lying. Claire deserved to know that she was different from other women I had been involved with. She also deserved to know what she was getting into with me, so she could back out if she decided she didn’t want a damaged commitment-phobe.
Only she hadn’t backed out. Instead, she had met me halfway. And it only made me fall harder for her. I understood her fear of being tied down. I was determined to make sure Claire always knew that I wasn’t a weight around her neck or something holding her back. I wanted her to have her freedom to chase any adventure she picked.
She was quiet as she once again let me into her apartment. As soon as we were through the door, she kicked off her black boots. They hadn’t been very high heels, but she looked much smaller with them off.
She fixed me with a look that turned my insides to molten fire. The other night had been cozy and comfortable. We had been feeling out the waters, getting to know each other. This night was different. This time we wanted more from each other.
I stepped forward and pulled Claire against me like I had wanted to all night. Her torso was warm and alive under my hands. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss me, gently at first, but her mouth grew more and more urgent.
She pulled away and started to run her fingers over the light scruff on my cheeks while she plastered my neck with kisses.
“Claire,” I murmured. “I’ve wanted you all day.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
I couldn’t hold back. In a flash, I leaned down, put one arm beneath her knees and the other at her back, then scooped her into my arms.
Claire let out a delighted yelp. She wrapped her arms around my neck as if I had lifted her up a hundred times and continued to kiss me.
I walked over to the couch and sat down. Claire was a compelling weight upon my lap. She wiggled to get comfortable, and with each squirm, she sent lightning bolts of desire coursing through me.
I held her as tight as I could against my chest and kissed her soft lips. I started by flicking my tongue along her lower lip and then gradually thrust my tongue deeper into her mouth. Claire responded like clay, her petal-soft skin turning pink and flushed.
I willed myself to focus on the feel of her in my arms. I wanted to remember all the details with clarity, so I could take this memory out later and relive it. I was obsessed with how her body was simultaneously firm and soft. She had muscles lining her arms, back and abs, but nothing bulging with her every muscle coated in a delightful layer of tender flesh.
I could tell she was lithe and strong, but it was almost as if her body was spun out of a finer material than mine. The very fibers of her being were more complex and delicate.
Her hand suddenly fluttered across my chest as she moved her fingers to the button on her dress. The hem of her skirt was already hitched up around her thighs as I grasped her hands, stopping her from continuing to undress. I held her wrists with one hand and reached for her collar with my other.
“Let me,” I said. “I want to take my time, if that’s alright?”
Claire nodded as if in a daze. “Yes. I want that too.”
I unbuttoned her dress, but paused between each button to kiss her mouth or cheeks or neck. Claire sighed with pleasure and ran her own hands up and down my shoulders. I pulled her dress aside to reveal inch by inch of her creamy skin. The buttons ran all the way down her outfit, so soon the entire front was open. Claire’s pert breasts were encased in a lacy black bra with the silvery-white of her stomach exposed.
I leaned back against the couch so I could take her in. I wanted to remember the sight of her in addition to the feel of her body.
Claire didn’t let me look for long. She snuck her hands beneath my cotton T-shirt and ran searching fingers over my torso before lifting the clothing over my head. Once the shirt was discarded, she leaned over and started licking and nipping at my chest. I sucked in my breath and let her have her fun. I wanted us to explore each other. I wanted us to delight in one another.
I hissed in pleasure as Claire adjusted her legs so that she was straddling me. Now she was pressed up against my erection, and I liked knowing that she could feel how much she turned me on. I could feel the warmth of her as well, and I couldn’t resist slipping a finger beneath the hem of her panties.
I ran a teasing touch along the top of her thatch of curls before sliding it lower and just lightly touching her sensitive clitoris. I was rewarded by Claire whimpering in response and kissing me with renewed fervor.
She pressed herself against my hand with an eagerness that made me want to rush to the finish line. Something about her made me feel like a teenager again, desperate to hurry through sex to reach my satisfaction. I took a breath and regained control.
