And then I stop talking altogether and kiss her.
Chapter Fifteen
DELPHI
I give in to him.Not because he turns my brain to mush, though that is partly true, but because I’m so damn tired of fighting this pull between us.
Ever since I lost Lee, I’ve been cautious about my approach to everything and everyone. Yes, I’d had a couple of one-night stands and even a fling or two, but I keep my heart guarded. I was okay with sharing my body, though the first time I freaked the guy out by crying my eyes out afterward, but my heart was off limits. Then Legs crashed into my life, and all my cautious decisions went out the window. I knew letting her in would cause trouble. That’s why I never blamed her for anything that happened. She tried to keep her distance and handle shit herself, even warning me of the dangers. So no, I never blamed her. But she did blow up my life more than a grenade ever could.
Would I go back and change anything? Maybe call in sick that day so we didn’t meet, or turn her away as soon as I saw that tattoo? No. I saw a kindred spirit in Legs. And even knowing now what would happen, I’d still welcome her in.
What I didn’t account for was Kruger. How could I? I was prepared for anger and hostility, not gentle hands and soft kisses. It’s taken me far longer to get my head around him being nice to me than everything else thrown my way. I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop this whole time.
But sitting here, going over in my head his actions since I first woke up in that hospital bed, I can’t deny that he cares about me. But is it enough? It’s never going to fix what happened. The past has been cauterized to stop the bleeding, but it will always be raw. The question is, can I work around the pain and find a way to deal with it, or will it always be the thing between us that holds us apart?
Fuck it.
I slide my good hand into his hair and wrap my legs around his hip, pulling him closer. His hard cock presses against me, and I feel inexplicable anger at the fabric separating us.
“Fuck, Delphi, baby, we have to stop or I won’t be able to,” he growls against my lips.
“What if I don’t want you to stop?”
He pulls back so he can look in my eyes. “Be fucking sure. Because once you let me in, it will be impossible to dig me out.”
I let my eyes drift closed. For a moment, I feel that cold, hard fear wrapping its hands around my neck, trying to choke me. But then I feel Kruger’s hand on my cheek and his lips on my jaw, then my forehead, and then the tip of my nose.
“I want you, but I’m scared,” I admit.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret, chestnut. I’m fucking scared too. I’m beyond terrified that you’ll finally let me in and then you’ll regret me.”
I reach up and cup his face, my lips placing whisper-soft kisses against his scars, making him shiver.
“I regret a lot of things, but you’ll never be one of them. Just…don’t hurt me, Kruger. Not again. Not you.”
“I can’t guarantee I won’t mess up and make you cry. I can be an idiot sometimes. But I give you permission to kick my ass if I do. I swear I won’t do anything to risk losing you.”
I let out a shuddering breath, throw caution to the wind, and live recklessly for once. I press my lips to Kruger’s ear. “Fuck me, Kruger. Show me what it’s like to be yours.”
It’s as if my words steal his breath. For one single moment, the air between us is so electrically charged I worry we’ll combust. And then he’s on me, tearing at my clothes as I shove his cut down over his shoulders and pull his T-shirt up his body so I can catch a glimpse of his chest. I press my lips to the warm skin there as he shucks off his cut and places it on one of the display cases next to me.
I reach out to grab hold of him once more, but he’s lifting me with one hand and yanking down my shorts and panties with the other. He pushes me to lie back on my elbows before he pulls the material free from my legs and throws it on the counter with his cut.
I glance over at the door and feel my breath stutter in my chest. “Did you lock the door?”
“There’s a closed for business sign on it,” he mumbles before he spreads me wide and dives in.
I cry out, my hands going to his hair, but my eyes drift back to the door. “Someone might walk in.”
“If they do, it won’t be for the service but for the show.”
I growl at him even as my hips lift of their own accord. “It’s not that kind of porn shop, dammit.”
But then he drags his tongue over my clit, and I start to lose my sanity piece by piece until I’m so turned on, I don’t give a fuck if a choir pops up and starts singing “Get Your Freak On.”
“Ahh,” I gasp when he nips my clit with his teeth, making the synapses in my brain spark. The second he slides his fingers inside me, I detonate. I’d be embarrassed about how quickly Icame if it weren’t for the growl of delight coming from Kruger as he laps away at my arousal like some sex-starved animal.
Only when my legs start to shake does he relent. He lifts his head and stares at me, his lips wet with my cum. Dear sweet baby Jesus, I swear the way he’s looking at me is enough to get me pregnant. He slides his hand around the back of my head and leans over me as he kisses me. I can taste myself on his lips, and something about the illicitness has my pulse speeding up once more.
