My gaze returned to Clara’s face, and my gut clenched. It was impossible to keep club shit from ever spilling over and putting those close to us in danger. This woman had quickly become thecenter of my world, the one vulnerability I absolutely couldn’t afford.
“Ready to go, baby?”
Her brows rose, but her smile was playful. “No dessert?”
I stared at her, making her shiver from the burning desire in my eyes. “Taking my dessert to go.”
She blushed and scooted to the edge of the booth. “As long as I get a taste too.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose. “Fuck, baby. You can’t say shit like that to me right now.”
Her response was a wink and a wicked smile, making my dick leak with desperation.
“Let’s go.” Pointedly ignoring the strangers, I made sure I seemed completely at ease when I stood and held my hand out to Clara.
Once she was on her feet, I positioned my body protectively between her and the rest of the diner and slipped a territorial arm around her waist. With her tucked snugly against my side, we walked toward the exit. My posture was casual on the surface, but every nerve was on high alert, tracking the strangers’ movements without betraying my suspicion. As we passed their table, I made brief, deliberate eye contact with one of them—a silent warning, my gaze cold and deadly. He dropped his gaze first, turning his attention to his coffee.
Outside, Clara turned to me, her brow furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
I should have known she’d see through my act and felt the subtle tightening of my muscles. But I didn’t want to alarm her unnecessarily. Especially before I even knew if my instinct about those men had been correct.
I stopped and turned her into me before bending my head and sealing my mouth over hers. When I raised it again, we were both breathing hard, and her dazed expression told meI’d successfully diverted her attention. “Just anxious to get you home, baby. I need to fuck you.”
She blinked a few times to clear away the haze of passion, then put her hands on my chest and pushed hard. It surprised me enough for me to take a step back and my grip on her loosened. She danced out of my arms, putting at least a foot of space between us, then gave me a haughty sniff. Which was hot as hell, even if she was only trying to tease.
“Who says you’re about to get in my pants?”
“You did.” I grinned.
Her lips twitched, but she maintained her attitude. “Well, that was before I realized this was only our second date. I don’t sleep with guys before the third date.”
My eyes narrowed dangerously. “We both know that’s bullshit, baby. I’m the only man you’ve ever fucked—and it’s gonna stay that way—so the number of dates is irrelevant. And don’t ever talk about fucking another man, Clara.”
She opened her mouth to say something that was more than likely to push me over the edge. Before she had the chance, I’d closed the space between us and yanked her into my body.
“Baby, the second you open your mouth to sass me, my cock gets hard. So go on. Piss me off.”
12
REBEL
Something in me snapped when the door shut behind us and the lock clicked into place.
One second I had control, the next, she was pinned to the wall.
Clara gasped as her back hit the solid surface, her breath catching in her throat just as my hands slid down her body and hauled her up. Her legs wrapped around my waist automatically, as though her body already knew exactly where it belonged.
“Fuck,” I groaned as my lips crashed down on hers.
There was nothing slow or careful about this kiss. I took her mouth hard, my tongue pushing inside as she clung to me, her fingers digging into my shoulders, her nails scraping through my shirt. She made a soft, needy sound that went straight down my spine and settled low in my groin, right where I was already aching for her.
I rocked forward without thinking, and I could feel the heat of her pussy pressed against my cock, even through the denim layers between us. Hot, wet, and already fucking ready. It dragged a guttural sound out of me that I couldn’t hold back.
Clara broke the kiss with a cry, her head tipping back against the wall as her chest rose fast under her thin shirt. Her thighs tightened around me, and she gasped, “Ronan?—”
“Yeah.” I dragged my mouth down her jaw, my teeth scraping lightly along the sensitive skin just below her ear. “That’s it, baby. Let me hear you.”
Her breath hitched, and her hands fisted in my shirt as I ground into her again. Slower this time, more deliberate, letting her feel exactly what she did to me. My cock was hard as fucking steel, straining against my jeans, and every little movement had her rubbing against me as if she wasn’t in control of her own body.
