Page 12 of Renascence

“I’m single, no kids, and I’m clean. What else?”

“You think throwing out a few pieces of random information is going to get me to sleep with you?” I ask, completely taken aback.

“Not random, completely relevant. Besides, who’s talkin’ about sleeping, darlin’?”

“I… you… what?”

My sputtering turns his smirk into a grin. He’s infuriating but gorgeous in a disarming way. It’s the only reason I’m still standing here. There’s something about him, something I can sense but not recognize, underneath all the conceit and swagger. It makes me want to dig deeper, to find what he’s hiding… to unearth his secrets.

“Emily.” I snap out of my haze, meeting his stare. “That look you’re giving me? It’s getting my dick hard.”

My mouth falls open in shock. “Wh…what?”

He takes a step forward, standing so close his chest is rubbing against my breasts. My lids flutter closed, nipples aching from the contact. His scent. It’s some kind of woodsy, manly cologne with a hint of leather.Christ, he smells delicious.

“This little innocent thing you got going… I can’t tell if it’s an act. Is it, Emily?” A firm hand grips my hip, pulling me forward. As his hardness presses into my thigh, I realize he wasn’t kidding. “Are you just a cocktease?”

I shake my head, eyes still closed. There’s no way I can look at him now.He thinks I’m a cocktease. I’m notanykind of tease.

“Open your eyes.”

Ugh! Why does this man want to wreck me?

“Look at me, Emily.”

I slowly open my eyes, gasping at his proximity. If I licked my lips, my tongue would probably touch his lips, too. It’s a struggle to stop myself from doing just that.

“I want to fuck you… in every position I know. Hell, I’ll probably make up a few just for you. I want you under me, on top of me, on your hands and knees. I want your naked body in my bed. I want to spread your thighs and sink my dick so deep inside you, you won’t question what I want ever again.”

Jesus.

Buddha.

Shiva.

Zeus.

Holy Mother of God.

My knees weaken. I have to press my palms into the side of the truck to keep myself upright when he pulls away.

“Do you understand?” I think I nod, because he continues, “Glad we cleared that up.”

He motions for me to get in the truck. I climb in, my entire body trembling. The door closing startles me, and I look over to see him walking to his bike. With shaking fingers, I start the truck and slowly make my way out of the parking lot. One question is playing on a loop in my head: What the fuck just happened?

Venom wants me.

The gray-eyed, bearded, tattooed god of a man wantsmein his bed. He wants to do all sorts of things to my body and… I want him to.God, I want him to. Iwanthim to do all the things he wants. How can I feel like this when I just met him? I know absolutely nothing about him!

Other than he’s single, has no kids, and no STDs.

Well, at least that’s what he says. What I do know is that I haven’t felt like this in a long time. I know that, when I was practically in his arms, I didn’t want to move. I know he charged into the back of the pet shop like a superhero to save me from a box of mice. It could have been anything, but he didn’t care. A man who’d known me for only a few seconds was willing to put himself in danger for me. I wish I’d met someone like him a long time ago.

I glance in the rearview mirror, and there he is behind me. Every turn I make, he follows. I think nothing of it until I turn onto Uncle Jeff’s street.What the hell is he doing?Does he think he’s going to do all those things to me tonight? I didn’t agree to anything earlier, did I? Shit.

When I pull into the driveway, he stops at the curb, though he doesn’t shut the bike off or make any attempt to dismount. I watch him as I hop down and lock up the truck. Still no movement. I make my way toward the porch, tossing the occasional look over my shoulder. With the front door open, I turn to face him.

That’s when it hits me. He only wanted to make sure I got home okay. That’s… sweet.