I narrow my eyes. “I’m not. We either do this or we don’t. Your choice.”
His jaw flexes, a muscle ticking as he studies me. “I’ll do it if you know what you’re gettin’ into.” He leans in closer, voice low and rough. “If you say you only want some casual hookup, I’ll play that game. But don’t fool yourself into thinkin’ you won’t end up wantin’ more.”
I scoff, though my pulse stutters. “You do casual hookups all the time. Why couldn’t I?”
A crooked grin pulls at his mouth, but there’s something more serious beneath it. “Maybe I’m over those.”
My brows shoot up. “Wait. Is the big, bad cowboy finally admitting he wants a relationship?”
He growls playfully, eyes narrowing. “I don’t recall sayin’ all that.”
I grin, poking at him. “What are you saying? That you want me to be your girlfriend? That’s adorable.”
Then he hooks an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. “Watch that pretty mouth of yours. That word’s off-limits.”
Before I can sass him back, his fingers dig into my side, tickling until I squeal, shoving at his chest. We wrestle back and forth in playful chaos, snickering until my lungs burn with breathless giggles, until suddenly it quiets. His forehead brushes mine, his breath hot against my lips.
“I wanna do this,” I whisper, my voice trembling with certainty. “And I wanna do it with you.”
He closes the last inch between us, and our mouths crash together on the back of his tailgate, the whole world falling away.
He breaks away, lips grazing my cheek as he murmurs, “You can have whatever you want.” His fingers tighten at my waist, a subtle claim of a squeeze that sends a shiver racing through me.
I asked for Trouble, and here he is—all six-plus feet of denim, boots, and a drawl that could ruin me.
“You’ll do whatever I want?” My voice comes out softer than I mean it to, shaky from the way he’s looking at me.
“Whatever you want,” he repeats. Then the corner of his mouth kicks up. “Don’t tell me you’re fixin’ to cash in on that little idea of yours tonight?”
I give a one-shouldered shrug. “I don’t have much time left.”
My feet are dangling off the edge of the tailgate. He hovers over me, his breath skimming the shell of my ear, sending goosebumps racing down my neck. “Then pull that pretty little skirt up for me.”
I hesitate for a second, glancing around at thefirepit, at the shadows of people scattered, their laughter and voices muffled by the darkness. “Here?”
“It’s dark. They can’t see you.”
My pulse is racing, but I do as he says.
I slide my skirt up slowly, revealing my neon pink panties to him like I'm just begging to get caught.
“Fuck,” he says. His eyes darken, and he doesn’t waste a second. His fingers catch my chin and tilt it up so he can kiss me. It’s not soft, not sweet or gentle. It’s all possessive and demanding, and I melt into him, my hands gripping the edge of the tailgate for support. His tongue brushes mine, claiming me in a way that makes my skin flush hot and my core clench with need.
He moves to my neck, his lips trailing down to the hollow of my throat slowly, like he’s teasing himself with the taste of me. I can’t help it—a tiny whimper escapes me, and I feel his smirk against my throat, the arrogant bastard. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
His teeth graze me, sharp and fleeting, and I swear I can feel the ache of his bite echoing between my legs. My head falls back, my hands clawing at whatever I can reach. He’s moving lower now, his mouth a fucking branding iron everywhere he kisses, bites, and sucks until I’m a mess of shivers and gasps.
And then he’s at my tits. His oversized hands slide the low-cut fabric down, exposing my aching nipples to the dark night. My skin prickles, and my nipples harden into tight little peaks, screaming for his mouth. He doesn’t waste time. His lips close around one, and fuck, it’s too much.
“Has anyone… ever told you—” he breathes, his tongue swirls, hot and slick as he continues. “—how damn perfect you are?”
A shaky laugh slips out of me. “Actually… no.” My head tips back as his mouth finds my other nipple. “You’re the first.”
“Then they’ve all been blind,” he growls, lips moving against my skin, each word broken by another kiss.
I can’t fucking think, can’t breathe. All I know is his mouth, his hands, the way he’s taking control has my thighs trembling, my body desperate for more. His hand slides down my body, over the curve of my hip, down to my thigh, and then into where I want him, fingers gently brushing against the damp fabric of my panties.
“Damn, you’re so goddamn wet,” he says, and I can’t help but arch into him, my body begging for more.
