Gena Showalter - Playing With Fire (tales of an extra ordinary girl)

He released me with a low, guttural growl. “Come on.” He pushed out a shuddering breath. “I can’t fuck you the way I want right now, and holding you is torture. Let’s go inside and eat.”

He strode away from me without another word.

Happy place, happy place. “I’ll be there in a minute,” I called. “I need some alone time to decompress.”

He nodded but didn’t look back.

Even though I was famished, I needed time to calm my racing blood. I was panting (a little) and aching (a lot). I didn’t think I’d find complete satisfaction until that man had me penetrated. Right now I didn’t fear I’d start a fire or anything like that. It was just, well, I feared I was giving Rome more of myself than was wise. Frissons of love had already sprouted, but giving him any more of my heart was completely idiotic.

I plopped onto the grass, which was damp from the rainstorms I’d produced. The wetness seeped through my jeans, but I didn’t care. Every minute I spent in Rome ’s presence, I fell a little deeper under his erotic spell. He was animalistic (obviously), addictive, charming when he wanted to be, sexy without meaning to be, and protective.

Who could resist that?

Not me, I thought with a small twinge of dejection.

I kind of understood now why Lexis had walked away from him. To love him, but have him love another… was there any greater torture? No, probably not. When a woman looked at him, she wanted all of his focus to be on her, all of his strength under her hands, all of his passion directed at her. She simply wanted him to be hers.

He pulled you into his essence, and you were helpless to resist.

I was in serious danger of falling completely, I’m-in-deep-shit in love with him, of losing myself to him, and I knew it. I was too excited by him, too aware of his every touch. I plucked at several strands of grass. I wasn’t going to walk away from him-it was too late for that, and I was honest enough with myself to admit it. But I needed to erect better guards against him.

How did a girl do that, though?

If it involved rejecting Rome ’s touch and not getting naked, then no, I couldn’t do it. I had to know what it felt like to make love with this man. I’d always had a strong fantasy life. This time, however, I needed the real thing. After the way I’d exploded for him, I knew that everything else I’d ever experienced would pale in comparison to Rome.

He’d given me an orgasm while we were dressed, for God’s sake, not a single stitch of clothing removed. A first for me.

“Belle,” he suddenly called, breaking into my thoughts. His deep, rough tone made me shiver with remembrance. “You okay out there?”

“Yeah.” I pushed to my feet. “I’m coming in.”

“Lexis phoned. She’s with your dad and he’s doing great. He even tried to hit on her.”

That was my dad, I thought as relief flooded me. I hadn’t realized how deep my worry was until just that moment. I wished I could have talked to him, but it was enough for now that my dad was alive and well, with no bad guys lurking around him.

“The, uh… sandwiches are ready,” Rome added.

From the hesitation in his voice, I suspected Tanner had done something to the food. It had better be something good, by God. The noises my stomach made were deafening. I trudged up the porch steps and past the front door. Cool air caressed my bare skin and cooled the damp flesh under my clothes.

The cozy scene that greeted me had me blinking in surprise. Both Rome and Tanner sat at the table, their elbows propped on the surface. A plate of sandwiches rested in front of them. Neither was eating. Like gentlemen, they were waiting for me.

Rome didn’t look at me. He radiated a supreme arousal he couldn’t quite manage to hide.

Tanner grinned wickedly when he spotted me. “I prepared a meal, just like you told me.”

Mouth watering, I plopped into the chair beside Rome and gazed at the food. My jaw dropped. Sure enough, Tanner had prepared dinner. Sandwiches, just like Rome had said. Except these sandwiches were cut into round globes and each was topped with an olive.

“They look damn good,” Rome said.

“Yes,” I said, “but they also look like-”

“I know.” Tanner’s grin widened. “I was inspired, what can I say? You asked for food, and I delivered.”

“You are such a punk,” I replied, but I, too, was grinning.

His black brows wiggled up and down, momentarily hiding under his hair. The silver piercings winked. “Now you can tell everyone you’ve sampled grade A boobies.”

Rome snorted, but he leaned toward me and whispered, “I already have.”

Grade A? Ha. More like A-cup. Still, I shivered at the intensity of his words. Instead of allowing myself to jump him as I always seemed to want, I reached for a sandwich. Rome and Tanner reached for one at the same time. The boys were lucky they didn’t pull back bloody stumps, I was that hungry. Apparently, the more I used my powers, the hungrier I became. With my first bite, I almost died and went to the pearly gates. Turkey and Swiss. Mmm. I ate three pairs of breasts.

“So, Rome,” Tanner said, after swallowing a gulp of milk. “How’d you get Belle into bed so soon?”

I choked on the olive currently in my mouth.

Rome fought a grin and slapped me on the back.

“I mean, you guys have only known each other, what? A few days? And you’re already going at it like rabbits. I wish you could have seen yourselves. She was moaning, you were groaning. Live porn for sure.”

The moment I could breathe, I shouted, “Are you calling me easy?”

“Close your pie hole, Viper. I’m not meaning no disrespect, okay? Rome obviously has some skills I need to know about, and since you haven’t exactly given me any tips that work… ”

I scowled at him. “They work when executed properly.”

“Oh, really?” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his middle, the picture of disbelief. “I told Lexis she had pretty hair and you didn’t see her stripping and falling into bed with me, did you?”

“You’ve got to try it on someone your own age, moron.”

Rome slammed his palm against the table surface. The plates jostled and clanked. “You’re teaching him to con women into bed?”

What was this, dump on Belle hour? “Not con. Exactly.” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “Seduce.”

“There’s a difference?” He studied Tanner, letting me off the hook for a minute. “You shouldn’t sleep with a woman unless you care about her.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Tanner grumbled. “You’re getting some.”

“Not really.” This time, Rome was the one grumbling. His eyes darkened with savage need.

My nerve endings reacted to that need, springing to instant attention. Again. Why couldn’t I have civilized men in my life? Instead I was stuck with a horny teen determined to nail some booty and a horny adult determined to nail my booty.

Never mind that I liked the latter.

And never mind that I planned to offer said booty freely and eagerly.

Just remember to guard your heart, my mind piped up.

“Well?” Tanner banged his empty glass on the table. “Are you going to share your expertise or not?”

“Not,” Rome said succinctly. “We have more important things to do than talk about your lack of a sex life.”

“Hey, now. There’s nothing more important than my sex life.” The kid straightened, adamant and offended. “All we’re doing is eating. Nothing wrong with a little erotic conversation during a meal. Especially when we’re eating booby sandwiches.”

No way to refute that.

Flustered, Rome pushed his plate away. “Fine. I’ll talk to you about sex and how I-how I got Belle to like me, but I’ll do it later. Right now I need to talk to you guys about tonight. Have either of you ever broken into someone’s home?”