Page 11 of Savage Truth

“You’re a prick. And I’m not teasing.” She rose a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “All you have to do is ask.”

Fuck.There had to have been a reason why I couldn’t control myself around her, why I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anyone.

She got off the bed and stood before me. Then her hand was on my chest—so softly. Her fingers shook as if she’d never touched a man before.Oh God, she’s touching me like she’s a fucking virgin.

My body tensed, and I didn’t move an inch for fear of scaring her away. Everywhere her fingers grazed, I felt a zap of electricity. My pulse kicked up another notch. There was something addictive, impossible to resist about her. I’d been with a lot of girls, but none had affected me as she did. I let her skim her fingertips over my abs and up my chest then curl around my shoulders. She was on her toes with her head tilted at just the right angle.

Jesus, my dad was going to kill me. Didn’t matter. From the moment she ran into me at school, I’d wanted her. I moved closer then brushed her long chestnut hair over her shoulder to gain access to her neck. I grazed my lips along the slender curve, breathing in her unique scent.

My thumb caressed the sensitive skin where her pulse thundered at the base of her neck. I eased back enough to read her. When her eyes softened and her lips parted, I couldn’t resist the pull. Desire charged the connection between us, and it felt right.

I slipped my hand behind her neck to bury my fingers in her hair, moving slowly to give her a choice to pull back. I was tense with the anticipation of kissing her again. I’d dreamed of how she felt, waking drenched in sweat multiple times.

She was so soft. Intoxicating. I brushed my lips against hers, teasing, needing her to move with me. When her tongue darted out to meet mine, my body ignited. Something roared inside me, a deep possessiveness I couldn’t deny. Everything in me snapped to attention. The need was primal, stamped into my DNA. I wanted to be her first, her last, and everything in between—which was not normal for me.

Ruthlessly, I shoved the thoughts aside. I would examine them more closely another day.

Her arms wound around my neck, and she buried her fingers in my damp hair, tugging on the strands as her hips pressed into mine. I lifted her into my arms, and she wrapped her legs around my waist.

When she moaned, I deepened the kiss, losing myself in how right it felt to hold her. She was so addictive. Jolts of intense awareness traveled through me, making it harder to stop. I’d never forgotten that first kiss, and I never stopped wanting another. And holy shit, could she kiss.

CHAPTER FIVE

RILEY

Ihave craved this kiss ever since the first time our lips met last summer.

It measured up to the memory and to my dreams. Different but just as addictive. Everything between us faded: the hate, the games, the distrust. As his lips masterfully moved over mine, that moment was all that mattered.

My head spun as I pressed my hands against his hard, rippling muscles. He deepened the kiss, exploring, taking his time. I swore, he kissed like all those guys in the movies—hand on my face, fingers in my hair, perfect head tilt. Desire raged through my body. I wanted him so badly.

I tried to tell myself that I was using him. That if I ended up sleeping with him, it would be the ultimate blackmail. Because if his dad found out about us, Cole’s college plans would be in jeopardy. It was the only leverage I had against him.

And while I would use that, the truth was that losing my virginity to Cole was one hundred percent for me. I wanted something to hold onto when the time came that Mom and I would inevitably have to run again, one perfect moment with the guy I couldn’t stop thinking about—I even got a thrill out of our blackmail games.

He broke the kiss, and I sucked in a breath, tilting my head back as his lips trailed a path to where my pulse thundered at the base of my neck. When he eased back and met my gaze with dark promise swimming in his eyes, my body reacted, quivering with need.

I didn’t want the separation between us and tugged on the back of his neck until he lowered his head and captured my mouth again. He took control, and I melted against him, loving every second. He drove me crazy.

Air was overrated—I could’ve kept going for another hour at least. When he broke the kiss again and his hungry eyes met mine, I stilled at the questions swirling in those captivating green irises.

“Are you a virgin, Riley?”

His voice was thick with desire, and I shivered. “Does it matter?” Because to me, it mattered less by the second.

“I want you, but yeah, I need to know.”

Heat traveled up my neck to my cheeks and ears. I nodded. There wasn’t any point in verbalizing it, but when he hesitated, inching back, I had to speak. “I want this, Cole.”

His pupils dilated, and after a half second, he crowded me again. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes.” I was ready, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous. I needed to do it, if only to even the playing field so that we were on equal footing again—I hated him having the upper hand. Having sex with him would tip the scales in my favor. All I had to do was tell my mom what happened, and she would go to Cole’s dad. Something about that felt like a splash of cold water, though. It didn’t sit right. There were other ways to mess with him.

Most of all, I wanted him for myself, and I needed to unpack that—later and alone, as I replayed the perfect memory to take with me once Mom and I moved on.

With his hand at my waist, he backed me toward the bed then paused. Excruciatingly slowly, he trailed his fingers beneath my T-shirt then eased it up and over my head.

He’d seen me in a bathing suit before, but standing in front of him in nothing but a bra and a tiny pair of cotton shorts made me feel more vulnerable than ever. I trembled as a guttural moan slipped from his mouth. Then his lips were on mine again, and all the previous tension melted away. He took his time, exploring my mouth and teasing me while he eased my bra straps from my shoulders then undid the clasp with one flick of his fingers. My shorts and panties quickly followed. A rush of cold air hit me before he pulled me close. I shivered at the sensation of skin on skin.

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