“I hear you. It’s cool.”
His grin expands, and I narrow my eyes a little. I’m not playing games. I’m not interested in anything more than casual fun right now.
“I’m glad that’s sorted.” He twirls a strand of my dark-red hair around his finger, gently tugging on the loose curl. “Let’s dance.” He offers me his hand as he stands. Leaning down, he presses his warm mouth to my ear. “I can’t wait to get to know you better, Emery. You’re the prettiest girl in this whole damn town.”
He’s so full of shit, but I go with the flow, placing my hand in his and smiling as he leads me to the dance floor.
J is an incredible dancer, and he’s got all the moves. We get down and dirty, grinding and groping one another as we dance to song after song. A slow number starts, and he reels me in flush against his toned, muscular body, wrapping strong arms around me. Spicy notes with a subtle citrusy scent emanate from his skin as he holds me close, and I silently swoon. He smells utterly divine. Feels utterly divine. My hands slide up his ripped chest, meeting behind his neck, and we move as one, our mouths meshing in a hot kiss I feel all the way to my toes.
Beside us, Jude and Uma are devouring one another like caged animals just set free, and I guess we both got our wish tonight.
“Damn.” J grabs my head in his large hands and plants a searing-hot kiss on my lips before he pulls out and rolls off my naked body onto the mattress beside me. Propping up on his side, he traces his finger across my bare chest while smiling down at me. “That was incredible.”
My lips twitch. “I’ve had better.”
“No, you haven’t.” He swats me playfully with a pillow, and I giggle.
“Your ego is something else.”
“I told you I’m all about confidence.”
I turn on my side and face him. “You’ve got that in spades for sure.” I lean in and kiss him, memorizing the shape of his lips for posterity. “Tonight was fun, but it was a onetime thing.”
“I hear you loud and clear, beautiful.” He tweaks my nose before brushing his gorgeous mouth over my lips in a sensual, barely-there kiss.
“I don’t do sleepovers either.”
“Wow. Crash and burn,” he jokes.
“No labels. No expectations, right?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” Hauling me flush against his tempting body, he slams his lips to mine in a passionate kiss that curls my toes and spikes lust in my blood. Breaking our lip-lock, he presses a sweet kiss to my brow. “I had fun tonight too. Thanks for showing me a good time.”
I watch as he slides out of bed and grabs his clothes from the floor of my bedroom, admiring his tall, toned, broad body, chiseled abs, firm ass, and big dick. Tattoos cover both arms, the upper part of his chest, and the entirety of his back. “The ink on your back is spectacular. It’s like a work of art.” My gaze rakesover the intricate drawing of a hooded man, holding a sword perpendicular to his body, with expansive wings at his back.
“Tattooingisart,” he says, pulling his T-shirt down over the masterpiece. “I consider myself an artist.”
“Does it mean anything? Have any special significance?” Sitting up against the headboard, I tuck the bedsheet under my arms concealing my boobs.
“It’s the Angel of Death.” He perches on the side of my bed to put his socks and boots on.
“That’s a little morbid.”
He shrugs. “Depends how you interpret it.”
“What’s your interpretation?”
He glances over his shoulder, pinning me with intense brown eyes. “It’s a reminder that death comes for us all and we are more than the sum of our physical bodies. That some part of us will transition to the afterlife.”
“You don’t strike me as the religious type.”
“I’m not, but I choose to believe we continue to exist in another realm after this one ends. I need to believe it.” Pain washes over his face for a few beats before he hides it. J stands. “The tattoo is a reminder that death is a natural part of life and it’s not something to be feared. When our time is up, it’s up.”
“That’s brave and thought-provoking.” It’s clear there is more to him than I initially thought. I suspect he’s a complex guy, and if I hadn’t sworn off bad boys and relationships for now, I might be tempted to see him again.
“I’m a thought-provoking guy.” A cheeky grin ghosts over his lips as he grabs his leather jacket, tosses it over his arm, and walks toward the door. “Later, beautiful.” He blows me a kiss as he opens my bedroom door, turns to face me, and says, “You know where to find me if you want a repeat.”
Chapter Thirteen
