Page 127 of Lost Lyrebird

“See what?”

“See why you’re really here.”

Panic flitters through my nervous system.“I’m just living my life.It has nothing to do with you.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes!”

“Then tell me why you can’t keep yourself from looking my way.Why you’re so adamant about stayin’ away when you’ve nearly fucked every brother here?”His voice lowers.“Why can’t I get you outta my head?And why, when I dream, do I see a woman who looks an awful lot like you?”

I shiver at his words, a full fucking body tremor.“I don’t know.”

“Bullshit.”

“I don’t know!”

“Jesus, man!”Taz hollers.“Can y’all take this shit somewhere else?Somewhere fuckin’ private, and let us sleep?It’s seven fuckin’ a.m.”

Goose grabs my hand and drags me down the hallway.I try to pry myself from his grip so I can get the fuck out of here, but his hold on me is unrelenting.He walks into the Chapel, their meeting room, and I fight yet again to free myself, slapping at his chest.Because going in there is a death sentence.I know this.He knows this.But he’s dragging me in anyway.

He slams the door once we’re inside, and he uses his body to force mine back.I stumble over a chair and push it to the side when he keeps coming.“You’re here to fuck, right?Then let’s fuck.You wanna be a clubpiece, then I’ll treat you like a clubpiece.”Brows pinched and eyes hard, he shoves my shoulder until I fall back, ass on the church table.

With quick, harsh movements, he shrugs off his cut and throws it onto a chair.Then his hands go to his belt, and he starts unlatching it.I get up to move past him, but he pushes me again.I swear to God, I nearly punch him, because what the actual fuck is happening?How did it come to this?

When he tries to grab my hands, I scream in his face.“Knock it the fuck off!I’m not fucking you.”I shove him.He retaliates by caging my hands.

Leaning closer, he snarls down at me.“Why the fuck not.Isn’t this why you’re here?For a good-fuckin’-time?Well, I’m ready for that, Lil’.Show me what I’ve been missing out on.”

He manhandles me, goes for my T-shirt, attempting to lift it.I fight to keep it in place.Eventually, he wins and yanks it off me.With his lower body, he pushes into mine and forces me back against the table.The second his hand goes for my panties, I slap him, hard.

He stops, but only for a heartbeat.Then he tunnels his fingers harshly into my hair and crashes his mouth over mine.It’s the whiskey, I tell myself.The motherfucking whiskey on his breath that has me stilling.His mouth claims mine.His teeth bite my bottom lip, and his kiss softens, transforms into something altogether different.That’s when I start kissing him back.

The kiss builds like a storm gathering force.

He gives me his tenderness, his untamed desire, and his fucking soul in that kiss.It’s consuming, raw, pent-up, primal, and shreds any control of the situation I had.

When he interweaves tender, sweet caresses with his tongue, I let go completely and just feel.

His grip, which was unforgiving, becomes an exploration as his hands begin to travel over my skin.

His kisses are devastatingly deep, and he moves my head so he can worship my mouth.It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced and feels as if it could go on forever.It fucking shifts my world.The arousal flooding through my body has me moaning.“Jesus, Goose.”I breathe those words against his lips when we come up for air.

I weave my hands under his cut and black Henley and let them trail up his chest.My fingers study the sparse chest hair there, and the prominent muscles.

My heartbeat jackrabbits out of control.And the taste of him, of his skin as I nip and nibble my way to his jaw, as I place hard kisses over his neck, spins us both out of control.

He lets out a half-growl half-groan.“Woman, you have no goddamn idea what you do to me.”

He retakes my mouth in a savage kiss.It doesn’t stop there.His mouth trails over my jaw and neck, while his fingers knead my breast.Using his other hand, he grips the space between my thigh and ass so he can grind his cock against my pussy.

The jean fabric is abrasive and unpleasant, but feeling him through the material is thrilling.

The confession spills from his lips.“You’ve got no idea how hard it’s been to stay away.Knew it would be just fuckin’ like this.”

When his kisses journey to my neck, he sucks on my skin there until it stings, until there’s no doubt in my mind, he’s left a bruise behind.He does the same to the other side, only this time he doubles down, leaving what I imagine are two hickies branded on my skin.

I go boneless and lie down on the church table, as fucking sacrilegious as it is.He follows me down and latches onto my breast with a growl.His tongue swirls around the peak, and his blue-eyed gaze meets mine as he plays there.Like a traveling prophet, he spills his truth, his absolute desire for me into the devotion he shows to every inch of my skin.