Page 7

I laugh, which to my embarrassment comes out sounding more like a snort a baby elephant might make. “I bet you’ve used that line a time or two, haven’t you?”

Tyler regards me for a moment, his eyes sweeping down my body in an audacious way. Every inch. There’s the burn again. He’s staring at me, a look I can’t decipher. “Maybe.”

Stop thinking, Raven! This is the moment you’ve always dreamed about.

“One thing always leads to another.”

Fucking Rawley and his rightness.

I nod this time. I don’t want things getting awkward by not talking and him potentially decidingnotto take me back to his place. I’m not going to lie, my curiosity nags at me. So badly. I want to know. I want to know how many he’s treated this same way, but at the same time, I don’t want to know. In some ways, I want to remain oblivious to this and enjoy it for what it is. A one-night stand.

As we make our way through the parking lot, my mind is racing with all my internal thinking and unfortunately, I’m not watching where I’m going. Which in my defense is easy to do when you can’t see a goddamn thing other than the moon and the lights of the bar. Forget about seeing your own feet. Zack really needs to put better lighting out here.

Tyler notices my lack of balance and says, “Hey, there, watch where you’re walking.” Before I can do that, I run right into a trailer hitch on the back of Rawley’s truck, only to be caught by two strong arms.

“Motherfucker! That’s going to leave a mark.” I turn in Tyler’s arms and push my finger into his incredibly sculpted chest. “I blame you for my inability to walk in a straight line. You let me get drunk,” I say, placing the blame on anyone but myself.

“You were alreadywellon your way to drunk when I got there.” Cupping my cheek, his thumb grazes my mouth, toying with my bottom lip. There’s a darkness sparking in his eyes. “I just joined you.”

All I have to literally do is turn my head and I’d be kissing Tyler. And just when I think I’m going to do it, he pulls away slightly. It’s the sensation, all tingles and sparks when the roughness of his fingers meeting my skin that sends my heart racing.

He keeps his tone playful but his look sears my skin and kick starts my heart. “Don’t get shy on me now.”

His fingers find the bare skin of my collarbone… hot, damp skin begging to be touched.

I don’t reply. I can barely breathe let alone actually reply.

“How long have you wanted to kiss me?” he asks, knowing damn well I’ve wanted to more than once tonight.

Unable to force my eyes from his, I breathe out slowly, stiffness to my posture, unsure maybe because there’s desire here but there’s also the need to leave this alone. “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to kiss you.”

As soon as I’ve said the words, without any more hesitation, his mouth is on mine. Pulling his bottom lip with my teeth, I bite down softly drawing him into me with my hands welded around his neck. He willingly comes forward, his kiss eager. It’s not one of those kisses that happens suddenly. He eases me into it, brushing his lips lightly before his tongue slips into my mouth.

He tastes so fucking good. A sweet mixture of the drinks and a taste I know is all him.

Steadily, his hand slides around my neck, and then the other, holding me there for him to kiss. He groans into my mouth, deepening the kiss. The sound causes me to shake. No lie.

Thatkiss. It sets fire to what was sparked by his flirting tonight.

I go a little crazy. My hands fisting in his hair, yanking his face to mine with more force than necessary. For years I’ve been wanting to touch him, have the weight of his body on mine and now that it’s a real possibility, it’s a little hard to take and has me desperate not to lose the connection.

Amused by my sudden eagerness, he chuckles against my lips and then kisses me deeper, angling my head to thrust his tongue inside my mouth.

If he can set my mouth on fire with a kiss like this, imagine what he can do with that tongue to other parts of my body.

Oh, the possibilities. My V will be so happy.

Needing air, he draws back and takes a deep breath, his hands moving over my body everywhere, from my neck to my breast to my ass. There’s no stopping him. He wants it, and I know a part of him would be willing to do it now in this parking lot.

Not happening. I’ve waited too long for this.

Our lips slide apart, our movements too frantic for a parking lot. “Let’s take this back to your place,” I whisper, my lips at his ear as he hungrily scrapes his teeth and tongue along my neck, teasing me. Pulling at the straps of my tank top, he’s already working on getting it off.

My hands seek his, pushing them away as I stand before him, rubbing my sore shin from the trailer hitch.

I reach for his hand. “You coming?”

He grins, grabbing my outstretched hand. “I’m hoping to.”