Page 26 of Ghost of a Chance

M ake out with me .

The heat from the fire seemed to have doubled, but his entire focus was on her. On that sweet body. On how she somehow made him both comfortable and terrified.

It was like his brain had shut down and his base masculine instincts took over. He was glad to hear that she was in her feelings, too. It made him more hopeful that this might be more than a reaction to the odd ghost hunt they found themselves trapped in.

There was no one else he wanted to be trapped with.

The first time he’d held her in his arms everything had happened so fast. A blur of drunken lust. This time he was determined to enjoy every second of it.

He pulled her into his arms, tipping her head back so he could stare at her brilliant eyes. He liked that he was taller than she was. That her curves fit seamlessly against the strength of his body. Humming a bit of a song that wouldn’t get out of his head.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“I want to make sure I don’t miss a moment this time. Those shots of tequila we did at Dead Boys might have tinged the way I remember you.”

“What song are you thinking of?”

“Not a Dead Boys’ one.”

She absently licked her lips, causing a groan to escape him.

“‘Just Another Girl,’” he said. It was there in the back of his mind.

They swayed to the beat as he continued humming.

She tilted her head and her hair brushed against his arm soft and silky, leaving a trail of flames in its wake.

Her breath was warm against his bare chest, sending shivers through him, making him even harder.

“Am I just another girl to you?” she asked. There was a note of uncertainty in her voice.

“No. That’s what the song is about. The singer doesn’t want any other woman.” He wasn’t one to hold back, but after twenty-five years of being this way he wasn’t going to change. “Just the one he can’t have.”

Some risks were worth it. Kirsty definitely was.

“Ah…seems like you can have me,” she said.

“Just for now?”

“For tonight, and then we’ll see. I like you too.” She walked her fingers down his chest, following the line of hair tapering down toward his jeans.

She caressed him right above the waistband. His cock hardened and he groaned. The feel of her fingers teasing his bare skin was addicting.

“You’re a bit overdressed,” he said.

“Yeah? You should do something about that,” she said. Her hands refused to leave his body. He worked out and tried to stay in shape. All those early-morning runs and gym sessions were worth it.

He inched his hands under her sweater, causing her to shudder as he began to rub his hand on her back, gently scraping his nails down her spine. He wanted to share pleasure with her, to make her unravel.

As he inched her sweater up, he remembered her tattoos. The temporary ones were starting to fade. As he swept the sweater up over her head, he traced the pattern of the one on her chest. The edges came down to the inside of her breasts.

“I like this.”

The pattern was intricate and delicate. Strange that it was temporary when it fit her so perfectly.

As he traced the fading lines of the tattoo, she reached behind herself, thrusting her breasts forward against his chest. She shrugged out of her bra, exposing her creamy skin. Cupping both of her breasts, he leaned down to kiss her neck and used his tongue to trace the pattern of her tattoo.

She smelled like fall. Cinnamon and rain and something else that was unique to her. He breathed deeply as he let his tongue travel over her, watching goose bumps appear. Her nipples tightened at his exploration, pressing into the palms of his hands.

He teased them in slow circular motions until she arched her back even more. Taking his time, he slowly took his hands away from her breasts, replacing them with his tongue, sucking one of her rosy buds into his mouth.

She moaned, low and feral, and her hands tightened their grip in his hair. Her hips rubbed against his erection. He needed her more than he’d realized.

Oddly this was what he’d been waiting for. She just wiped everything else away. At this moment, if he had to choose between having Kirsty and getting rid of Paul…there was no choice.

He’d pick her. Every damn time.

* * *

The way that Jasper looked at her body made her feel like she was the sexiest woman alive.

That was a heady feeling and for a moment she indulged herself in it.

It was a bit alien though. In her past relationships she’d never felt like she was enough.

Buck hadn’t been half the man that Jasper was. Jasper was imperfect and real.

All things she stopped thinking as his mouth closed around her nipple. Immediately she was wet and empty and needing. She wanted so much more from him than she could admit, but for tonight in front of the fire with Jasper holding her, this felt like enough.

God, actually it was more than enough.

All she could do was dig her fingers into his shoulders and enjoy his touch. She slipped her hand down his chest, the light dusting of hair brushing her fingertips, abrasive in the best possible way. Then she went lower to his flat stomach, his belly button.

He groaned and pulled away from her breast, the puff of his breath against her nipple a revelation.

She circled his belly button.

His erection jumped each time she did it. She lowered herself, kissing a path down the center of his body before he lifted her off her feet and settled her down on a blanket in front of the fire.

Thankfully she’d put it there earlier, because in romance short storys and movies couples always made love in front of a fire.

The firelight danced over his skin, shadowed patterns playing over the planes of his body. For a few moments she stilled, entranced in a sort of fire meditation. But it wasn’t just the flames that captured her mind.

He pushed her gently back and lay down on his side.

His hand swept down from her shoulder to her arm.

Lingered at the curve of her hip where her palm rested against her black jeans.

She held her breath as he slowly caressed the curve of her waist, settling on her belly button half covered by her midrise jeans.

He undid her jeans and then his finger was there. Brushing over her skin, sending delicious shimmers up and down her, heat pooling in her center.

“Like that?”

“As much as you do,” she said. Her voice sounded raspy to her own ears.

“Not possible,” he said.

Gooseflesh spread out across her stomach. Her panties and jeans felt too tight. Why hadn’t she taken them off before?

Rolling away from him, she pushed her jeans and underwear down her legs, kicking them off her feet. Thank God she wasn’t wearing her boots. Sitting up, she fumbled in her pocket for the condom she’d put in there earlier.

She hadn’t even attempted to pretend that tonight would be innocent.

He took the condom from her, having stripped off the rest of his clothes. His hand stroked his erection, his eyes sharp and hungry.

“Everything I can think of sounds trite and corny but dammit, woman, I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful than you,” he said.

Reverence laced his voice with deep guttural need that shook her to her core.

Her heart was pumping hard and making her feel things…

things she was going to ignore because he was so sexy and hot, and there was nothing as important right now as getting him inside of her and taking every ounce of pleasure she could from it.

A log shifted in the fireplace, flames hissing, a stray spark landing on the hearth, as if the waves of heat from inside of her had manifested. He pulled her close, his mouth coming down on hers as he rolled her under his body.

“I want to be on top this time, okay?”

“Yes.” She wanted his strength on her, his cock inside of her. She wanted it all.

* * *

Pulling on the condom, the heat of the fire on his back, Kirsty spread out in front of him with her legs open and that dark brown gaze of hers… He wanted this to be perfect.

She’d been brutally honest that one-night stands were her hookup of choice so he didn’t kid himself that this would turn into anything more.

So he’d make it last. But of course, how could he do that when she devoured him with hungry eyes and kept touching his dick with one hand, her clit in the other.

God, there was nothing hotter than how she wanted him.

Except how he desperately needed her.

Bracing himself on one hand, he used the tip of his cock to fondle her clit. Arching her back, she moaned and shifted until his cock slid down her body.

There were still so many parts of her that he hadn’t explored but he needed to be in her. Right now.

Cupping her ass with one hand, guiding her hips upward, he drove himself deep into her. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his hips so he could go deeper. She pulled his head down to hers, kissing him deeply as he drove himself into her.

He wanted to wait for her to come, but the moment he entered her tingles ignited throughout his body. His cock was so full and hard, a moment from exploding. He drove into her harder and harder, chasing her pleasure.

She tore her mouth from his, arching her back. “Now.”

He groaned as he pumped harder and faster, responding to her keening moans with his own, until everything exploded inside of her and he came long and hard. He kept thrusting as waves of ecstasy hit him, feeling her pussy walls tightening around him as she wailed in her own release.

He rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed, breath sawing out of him. Her fingers lightly grazed his back as her own breathing slowed. He opened his eyes.

Her gaze was soft, making him feel like he was the only man in the world.

He rolled off of her and drew her against his side.

Wanting to hold her even though the condom was sticky against his lower belly.

She shifted around and pulled a box of tissues from the floor behind the couch, handing him one.

“Thanks.”

“Figured it might be nice to cuddle after,” she said, slightly breathless.

“No blanket?”

“You’re pretty hot-blooded and the fire should keep us warm,” she explained.

How had he missed this? He’d been swept up in the goth paranormal energy that veiled her like an aura. But she was a planner. She liked fixing things so that they worked out the way she wanted.

“When did you start working on making this happen tonight?”

“At your car, when Dan interrupted us. Didn’t you?” she asked.

“I mean I hoped we’d connect, but until you asked me to have sex with you… I didn’t really think it would happen.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You totally underestimate your effect on me.”

“My effect?”

She shook her head. “I’m not going to explain it.”

Well, now he had to know. “You have to. I mean is it that I’m a stud or so irresistible—”

He broke off as she started tickling him. He had to roll away to escape it. “Let it be.”

It had been a long time since he’d felt this kind of joy. The freedom of being entirely himself with another person. “I’ll clean up and grab us a blanket. Then we can cuddle by the fire.”

“It’s a bit chilly,” she said.

He went and got his T-shirt. Tossed it to her and stared as she pulled it on. The fabric hung loose on her frame but still hinted at her supple curves. He wanted her to see him as he was. All the screwups and the uncertainty and the fact that when he was with her that sort of melted away.