Page 88 of Until the End

Moaning from the delicious suckle of his mouth, she massaged the hard bulge in his pants, needing to drive him just as wild. She needed to touch his bare skin, strip his clothes off, and have him. Her trembling fingers found his buckle and undid it.

“Maybe we should slow down,” Castle said, his breath ragged.

“Why?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been with someone and I don’t want to take you in a rush. Not the first time, anyway.”

All the wild and wicked things they could do to each other tumbled through her head. “How much time do we have?”

“Two and a half hours, maybe three before Reaper gets here.”

Plenty of time to savor this. She spun his big body around and nudged him to sit on the bed. Lowering to her knees between his spread legs, she said, “Then let’s slow it down.”

She unlaced his boot and removed it, holding his heated gaze.

He slipped his fingers into her hair and kissed her. It was possessive and hungry, only intensifying her own appetite.

She unlaced and pulled off his second boot and noticed something hidden in the leather upper. “What is this?”

“Universal handcuff key.”

“Oooh. You like it kinky. Where do you keep the cuffs?”

He chuckled. “I’m not into sexual bondage. Unless you want me to be.”

“Hmm.” She slid his thick belt out of the belt loops and a metallic glint caught her eye. A small knife. The blade was sheathed in the leather on the inside of the belt and had a finger loop instead of a handle. Both appeared custom-made and the belt cleverly concealed the knife. No one would have any idea it was there unless they were looking for it.

“That’s new,” he said, eyeing the customized knife. “A little gift from Grace Tanaka. She knows how I like my toys.”

They had vastly different ideas of what constituted a toy. Kit’s were usually battery operated and never failed to give her an orgasm. “Why do you have this stuff hidden in your clothing?”

“I like to be prepared.”

“Of course.” She tossed the boot, dropped the belt, and ran her hands up his muscled thighs to his hips. “I have two questions.”

“Shoot.”

“I get that you’re attracted to me,” she said as he ran his thumb over her nipple and stroked the swell of her breast. “But do you like me?”

She’d slept with her fair share of men, and as it turned out, not many had actually liked her. Was this just a quick physical release? Or, against the odds, had they formed a connection?

Either way, she’d sleep with him. Her feelings ran deeper, and she was hot for him, but she had to know.

“Like is too tame a word. Kit, you overwhelm me,” he said with a raw intensity that rumbled over her skin, as powerful and seductive as the caress of his hands. “I can’t think straight around you. I just want to feel. Enjoy the thrill of you.”

She sighed inside. “You know how to compliment a woman when you want.”

“Before you get to your second question, I have one.”

She nodded. “What?”

“Do you like me? Considering the domestic beer, NRA membership, insane muscles, drinking good bourbon from a red SOLO cup, calluses. And my freight-train personality.”

That was almost verbatim. I must’ve struck a nerve.

“I love that you’re different. The men I’ve been with before ended up being total scum, only interested in using me. You needed something from me too, but I never felt you were only ever after the drives.” He was such a miraculous surprise. “I’m sorry if it came across as an insult. That wasn’t how I meant it. You overwhelm me too.” Good thing that was mutual.

She stood, his gaze following her, and peeled her leggings down, leaving on her barely there panties. Reaching her ankles, she kicked the leggings off.