If I let go, it will all come rushing back. How does she do it?
I’m helpless to the allure of her siren song.
But a savage for plundering it.
I shouldn’t be so close to her. I can’t trust myself.
What the fuck am I doing?
“Ty?” Those blueberry-field irises frolic all over my face, brimming with the threat of a drizzle beneath her mask. A plea. “Do it,” she whispers, her attention flicking to my lips with a lingering ogle.
What kind of monster would deny her anything?
But what kind of moron would share a single breath of hers with anyone?
“Not here, Little Moon. Whatever this is, it isn’t theirs.”
She peers around us, heeding the curious gazes of a few observers before returning to me. Her nails scrape over the scruff on my cheeks, ring-clad thumbs exploring, much like mine were moments ago. Pressing her chest against me, she erases any space between us, her lips brushing so gently over mine that it barely constitutes a kiss. It’s more of a tease, but it rockets a shock wave of greedy yearnings through me.
“Okay, well, whatever this is,” she says, slow and controlled, her mouth forming each syllable with intention, “when we figure it out, I wouldn’t mind you tightening your grip.”
It takes a minute for her words to register because I’m stuck, relishing the sweet apple-scented plushness of her lips.My grip. My hand is still splayed on her throat. A necklace.
“Fuck me,” I hiss.
A coy grin blooms on her rosy cheeks, and her voice is raw and breathy. “Sure. But we definitely shouldn’t do that here.”
Christ, she needs to stop saying things like that to me.Headboards and shackles and wanting me to chase her, choke her, fuck her.So much bolder than I would have expected.
Visions flicker in my mind—wholly different from the onesthat have been annihilating me for the last couple of months. These are the type I rarely entertain. Throwing her down right here, my hand binding her wrists while I thrust inside her sopping cunt, those long-as-fuck legs coiled around my waist as she writhes beneath me, begging for more. I’d want a taste first. I bet she’s sweet and decadent—butterscotch-infused. She probably croons beautiful whimpers when she comes and looks … I wonder how her innocent face twists. I’ve never wanted to know that about anyone.
I’d have to kill everyone here. That’s unreasonable. And messy.
Snapping out of it, I regain my composure. “You’re trouble.”
“You have no idea, but I warned you.” She giggles into my neck as I hoist her into the air and bolt for the exit. “Where are you taking me?”
“Home,” I answer, and her body stiffens in my embrace. “Not home,” I correct, aware of her misunderstanding. “To whatever place you’re calling home right now.”
Her ankles lock behind me, and her arms tighten around my shoulders, her slender fingers lacing into my hair. “I should’ve known you’d move fast like this, trying to get me into bed after only a few minutes of foreplay.”
“Rena,” I warn because she’s making me dizzy and confusing everything, but that’s the least of my concerns when a deep tenor cracks through the thudding beat of the band.
“Little Moon. Where ya going?”
I level the guy with an admonishing glower. He seems harmless enough. Clean-cut. Wrinkled button-down. Manager name tag. He’s mildly nervous as he notes my scowl, but doesn’t back down.
“It’s okay, Fender,” she assures him, squeezing me with her own warning. “This is my … guyfriend.”
That response plunges me into a feral rage. I’m not sure what I’d have expected her to introduce me as, butnotthat.Jesus, this is one tangled mess after another. I want to end this guy for calling her Little Moon, and her brothers would want to slaughter me for nicknaming her, coming here in secret, and fantasizing abouther. But I can’t find it in me to hold on to the latter, not while she’s curled around me.
“Nice to meet you, Fender. I’m takingmygirlhome now. Thank you for looking out for her.”
His focus flits between Rena and me. “No problem, bud. Just wanted to make sure she was safe.”
“She istonight.” I stress the last word because where the hell was this Good Samaritan last night when she got attacked? Shifting my weight forward so it’s clear we’re done, I tack on another important detail for him. “And so we’re clear, only I call her Little Moon.”
Rena’s breath crashes over me, an exhale that has me soaking in her pretty face. She nods, her teeth sinking into her lower lip before addressing Fender. “Yeah … about that, I might need to change my stage name, but I’ll let you know. I mean, it’s not like Little Moon belongs toanyoneright now. The girl and the name are currently free agents.” Her eyes flick to me as she beams victoriously. “Right?”
