But nothing came out.
We glared at one another, anger and lust and the devil in our eyes, and then we collided in acombination of limbs and lips. Of kisses and scratches. Gauge walked me backwards toward the patio table, his lips never leaving mine. His arms were around me, holding my body close, his grip tight and commanding, and Ifought him even as Ikissed him back.
“Ifucking hate you!” Igasped between kisses.
“Ifuckin’ hate you too, you crazy bitch,” he said, leaving wet kisses down my chin and throat, and Ilaughed.
My ass bumped the table and Ilaughed harder. The sheer ridiculousness of this—us!We were the worst combination ever. We were toxic. We were oil and water. We were salt and vodka because we were all out of tequila. We were everything that shouldn’tbe, and couldn’tbe, and yet all Icould think about were his hands and lips, the heat from his tongue as it glided down my chest and flicked against my nipple, and the fact that Ifelt recklessly in control around him, despite what he had said about not controlling me.
Gauge put his big, rough hands on either side of my waist and hoisted me up onto the table. He placed one hand around my throat and then he trailed afinger down between my breasts, going slowly lower. My belly flipped and my heart shuddered and stumbled, tripping over its own feet as it fought to keep the panic at bay. Gauge’sheated gaze burned into mine and he sucked his lower lip into his mouth before releasing it.
“Goddamn, Jolie,” he growled.
That was all it took for my panic to settle, for my worry to ease and my lust to bloom into an inferno. Three words to put me at ease once more. Those three words told me everything Ineeded to know. Everything Iwanted to know.
Asmall whimper of desire escaped my lips, and his mouth opened to release asmall sigh. Iwanted him, Irealized. No, Ineeded him. Ineeded the power and control and Iwanted the release that he could give me.
Isaw the hesitation on his face, the reality coming back to him. Of my age. Of Dom. Of his loyalty toward the club and his brothers and how wrong he thought this was. Gauge was just like me; he didn’tdo control. He saw what he wanted and he took it, and for once he was having to restrain himself, amove he wasn’tused to. His own desires were at war with his loyalty to his club, and Iknew that Iwould lose that battle unless Idid something about it.
“Stay with me, Gauge,” Igasped, my tongue flicking out across my lips.
“Fuck,” he said on aheavy breath. “Fuck, Jolie…”
His grip on my throat loosened, his hand lifting from where it rested on my belly.
Icouldn’tlet him stop. Ijust couldn’t. There was some inexplicable need to have him take me, right there, right then on that table. Ididn’tknow where the feeling had come from, but Iknew that right then it was the only thing that mattered to me and Iwould do anything to make it stay, because for the first time in along time Ifelt seen. Truly seen.
‘You’re smart and you’re strong as shit and beautiful too.’
Ireached down between us, pressing my fingers against my clit, and began to rub, and his eyes automatically followed my actions, asmall groan leaving his mouth. Igasped as warmth spread through me and then Ilowered my fingers further, spreading myself open to him.
“Jolie… fuck…stop.” Gauge sucked in his lower lip and let it back out, his eyes fixed on my movements. “Ican’t…fuck…”
“Ineed you, Gauge,” Iwhimpered, reaching for his jeans with one hand while my other continued its soft circular motions. Ifumbled with his zipper, my fingers feeling uncharacteristically clumsy.
After several moments of trying to do it one-handed, Istopped touching myself and reached for his zipper, sliding it down slowly. Gauge still hadn’tmoved, and his eyes were frozen on my body like he’dnever seen something so beautiful before. His hand was still on my throat, the soft pulse from his fingertips throbbing against my own pulse.
His touch wasn’tterrifying, it was beautiful. Ifelt safe, secure, wanted, needed. Ifelt beautiful in away that Inever had before.
Istruggled for several more seconds in an effort to pull down his jeans, but his restrictive hold on my throat and my suddenly clumsy hands made it almost impossible.
“Fucking hell, Gauge, can you help agirl out!” Isnapped, and his eyes shot to mine.
My heart and belly flipped as our eyes collided, because this man…this seriously brutish asshole of aman that Ihated everything about looked like he was going to eat me up and spit me back out. He was awolf and Iwas arabbit and he was going to devour me in one bite. My courage suddenly wavered and Iwondered whether Ishould be doing this, or if Ishould call his bluff. But even as Ihesitated, Iknew it was too late.
It was happening.
And it was going to be violent and beautiful.
