Page 188 of Unexpected Hero

LETTIE

After my second song of the night with no James in sight, my heart was nearly shattered.

And as I finish my third, it’s ready to explode. But with joy instead.

He’s here.

My pulse thrashes so wildly I feel the telling jolts of energy in my neck as I finish the song. A twinge of nervousness ripples through me, and it has nothing to do with the raucous applause as I hand the microphone back to the KJ.

James has never seen me dressed like this.

Will he be upset? Jealous that other men can see me wearing this?

Freya reassured me at least fifty times today that he’ll be turned on by it. Jealousy and possessiveness tend not to work that well around kink clubs.And this is his element.

Given she’s experienced in the lifestyle, I trust her judgment. But as I approach him, there’s a tentativeness in my steps. My lip is caught between my teeth, distracting me from the dancing butterflies in my stomach.

He’s got his knee bent with the sole of his foot propped up against the wall. His arms are crossed at his chest. As usual, his face is somewhat unreadable.

But some of my nerves fade after a quick glance down his frame.That bulge in his pants doesn’t lie. Freya was right.

He’s hard. For me.

All the apprehension of the last twenty-four hours since Freya and I went shopping for this getup is worth it.

This outfit isn’t merely outside my comfort zone, it’s light-years from it. I talked myself out of dressing up no less than a hundred times. I might have broken club alcohol protocol by having a smuggled shot of tequila in the locker room when Freya shoved me in there to get dressed before karaoke started. It’s called liquid courage for a reason.

Modest is hottest, huh Mama? Tell that to how James is devouring me with his eyes. This moment was worth all the panic and second-guessing.

When I’m a few steps away, he presses off the wall and strides up to me with a determination I’ve not seen from him outside the bedroom. Grabbing my neck with both hands, he tilts my head up and slams his lips to mine.

I’m momentarily stunned, but my shock quickly fades into excitement. I squeeze his shoulders to pull him close. Damn. I’ve missed him since I left his bed this morning.

His kiss overflows with possession and lust. Instead of waiting for me to open my mouth, he demands entrance, his tongue forcing its way past my lips.

My knees tremble, and my core clenches. Holy shit.If he didn’t have such a tight hold on me, I’d fall.

The music of the next song fades to nothingness, and the noise of the rowdy crowd seems to disappear. All my senses are keyed into James and the ferociousness of this kiss.

He’s laying claim to me.

In much the same way, I’m claiming my body with this corset and thigh-highs in front of the whole club.

One of his hands leaves my neck and skims my back, coming to rest right above the curve of my ass. He yanks my lower body to his, and my back arches reflexively. His erection digs into my lower abdomen, causing my channel to flood with arousal.

Despite the crowd of onlookers, I’m seconds away from stripping and begging him to fuck me.

He growls into my mouth as if he’s reading my dirty thoughts.

When the need for a deep breath finally forces our lips apart, he keeps his face directly in front of mine. “Am I fucking you at the club or dragging you out of here right now?”

“I have to finish my shift,” I answer through quivering breaths.

“Here then,” he grits out.

Before I can offer an objection, he scoops me up in a bridal carry with my knees bent over his forearm and the other arm supporting my backside. Everyone clears a path for us as he obliterates the space between the main room and hallway in long, hurried strides.

I’m hit with a huge wave of giddiness, so I bury my face into his neck to hide my reaction.

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