I slip my hand into one of her pockets, my fingers hovering above her panties inside her skirt. “Maybe you like the dark side more than you originally thought.”
“Maybe.” She swallows, her breathing shallow as she slowly forms her thoughts. “I think I’d prefer spying to shut down nefarious groups rather than to propel them.”
“Are you sure about that?” I drag my nose along her jaw, nipping at her earlobe and relishing the way she moves with me as if she can’t fight it. “Some noble work is done in the shadows. Ty is a perfect example. He can only erase people pro bono because he makes money offothercases.”
“More to consider in the Mercy Phillips identity crisis.” Her voice is wispy as the festivities zip around us.
Fountains splashing. Band crooning. Feathers, beads, and pearls glimmering. It’s hard to focus on the darkness when so much life persists, so I lean into that.
“There’s a lot to appreciate about deals made in the shadows.” My fingers inch closer to her clit, my other hand concealing the bulge in her skirt.
She makes no move to stop me, her chest heaving. “I suppose that’s true sometimes.”
“Let’s make one. I have a proposition.”
“About?” she murmurs, evidently in a daze.
My finely trimmed stubble skims the shell of her ear as I whisper, “The milk.”
She laughs, bites her lip, and cranes her neck to obtain a better view of my face. “That’s not what I was expecting. You admit I made perfect sense?”
“Never. But I can speakMercyjust fine.”
“I’ll take it.” A smile blooms across her pink cheeks, but she shakes her head. “Milk dealing will get us into a worse situation than yesterday, but if we keep referring to sex that way, it will probably keep us from partaking anyway.”
“Agreed, so let’s call it what it is.” Removing my hand from her pocket, I slip it beneath her skirt from behind while draping my other arm across her hips to secure her in place. My index finger sails back and forth over her drenched panties. “Nothing more than me keeping good on my promise to prioritize your needs and provide a safe escape for you. A deal made in the dark.”
There is a barely audible whimper that reveals how mixed she is about shutting this down before her curiosity wins out, like I hoped. “I’m listening.”
“Good.” I continue teasing her pussy, only offering a fraction of the friction she craves, but delivering enough that her desperation is sure to grow. Otherwise, I treat this like any negotiation. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had a release. And I’m asking a lot from you with this engagement. I’m willing to help you in that area, but we need some ground rules. Conditions for clarity.”
“Ground rules?” She smirks over her shoulder—it’s a puzzled, disbelieving, you-can’t-make-this-shit-up kind of smirk. “You’re going to make me come with conditions? Like a climax contract?”
Fuck, she’s fun.
“Exactly.”
She rubs her forehead in exasperation, but she’s still more receptive than she’s been. “That’s absurd.”
“The contract is for you,” I explain as my tempo atop her panties increases, keeping time with the rumbling bass. “Not only do you thrive with absolutes, structure, and expectations, but this will keep your head from interfering with yourgoal.”
Her knees falter as she gives in to the sensations, causing me to tighten my hold on her to keep her upright. But my girl pushes through.
She digests my answer, her doe eyes romping all over the dance floor in fascination. “That is both the most asinine suggestion I’ve ever heard and the sweetest.”
My teeth skate over her neck, my tongue darting out to taste her skin, which is as delectable as her dessert scent. “That’s how things tend to go with us.”
“True,” she concedes, lolling her head to the side in a subtle invitation. “So, what are the conditions?”
“You obey me without question, so I can give you what you need.”
Her heart rate thunders so vehemently that it thrums against my chest.
She likes that idea.
“Next,” she breathes.
This one will be a struggle and really falls under the first condition, but I’d like her to know what she’s signing up for. Or part of it. She still doesn’t comprehend the magnitude of how much I want her, which is for the best. That would surely have her making good on her speed-dial threat.
