lead.
Ariel found herself plastered against him from groin to breasts while his mouth opened over hers in ravenous demand. His tongue thrust in and he groaned low in his throat, the vibrating sound thrilling her.
He slanted his head and drew her even closer, still holding her hands behind her, straining her shoulders, almost lifting her off her feet. Her head was pressed back, leaving her mouth open and vulnerable to his. His whiskers scratched her chin, his erection pressed into her soft belly, and he tasted so good she didn’t ever want him to stop.
But he did. She was limp in his arms, merely accepting the onslaught of his kiss, unable to do anything else with the controlling way he held her. With a visible effort, he raised his head a mere inch and stared down at her. An incandescent hunger burned so brightly in his eyes, it almost frightened her.
He looked at her mouth, breathed hard for a moment, then growled low in warning, “You shouldn’t push me, little girl.”
The way he said that, it wasn’t an insult so much as an endearment. Getting enough breath to speak wasn’t easy. “You…You kept ignoring me.”
His hands tightened on her wrists, making her wince. He immediately loosened his hold, but didn’t release her. Every muscle in his big body was bunched. His eyes were bright, his cheekbones flushed, his mouth hard. “You were my baby brother’s girlfriend.”
“No, just a friend,” she gently reminded him.
“He still cares about you.”
“Not anymore. He’s seeing someone else.”
“You’re only twenty-four-fucking-years old.”
He sounded desperate, giving her hope. “I’m a grown woman, Sam. I know what I want. And I want you.”
His head dropped forward, almost touching her shoulder. She could feel his angry, hot breath against her throat, sending chills down her spine, building her sexual excitement to a fever pitch.
Necessary arguments crowded her brain. She had to convince him. “Sam? Look at it this way. It’s only sex, and you’re known for wanting sex.”
His head jerked up. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You have a reputation.”
“Several actually.” His eyes narrowed. “Which reputation are we talking about?”
She wanted to shrug, to act cavalier. It was well beyond her. “For mind-blowing sex.”
For three heartbeats he didn’t move; then he gave a rough guffaw. “I hate to break it to you babe, but I only give run-of-the-mill sex.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
“No? Who you been talking to? Besides me?”
That made her smile. Sam was prone to bragging. She’d heard him once when she’d come to visit Pete. He and his two brothers were in the backyard and didn’t hear her approach. Sam and Gil had been teasing Pete, accusing him of being a virgin, which Pete vehemently denied with a red face. Gil offered advice, but Sam told Pete he should come to a pro if he wanted to learn how to make a lady squeal in pleasure.
The graphic details she’d heard then had held her immobile in fascination. Even Gil and Pete had looked awed.
When Pete mentioned Ariel, Sam had froze up and changed the subject.
“Your family goes on and on about what a lady’s man you are.”
“Yeah, well they have to sing my praises because they’re family. Ask any lady, and she’ll tell you I’m a pig.”
“A cop.”
“No, I meant in bed.”
Ariel shook her head. “I’m not buying it, Sam. Especially not after that kiss.” Her voice went husky. “That almost did it for me right there.”
“Don’t.” He tightened up again, and then, slowly, a new light entered his eyes, one of challenge and determination. “So you want to get laid by the best, is that it?”
A trick question, if ever she heard one. “I want you.”
He looked down at her mouth. “I think you need to learn a few lessons.”
A shiver of alarm slipped up her spine. “A lesson?”
“On why you shouldn’t taunt bad-ass cops with ugly attitudes.”
“You do not have an ugly
Elizabeth Amelia Barrington