Page 59 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

The laugh that passed those beautiful lips was bitter and sad. “Trust me, my heart was shattered long before I ever met you.”

Gabe wanted her, wanted to believe that he could find comfort in her body without the complications that would inevitably come, but he’d seen her heart firsthand. She had one. It might be wrapped up in a mile-thick layer of cowhide, but a part of Caroline Willis was still open to new emotions. New love.

And he wasn’t.

But he wanted to kiss her anyway.

He dropped his head until his lips hovered above hers, and he watched as they parted, the closer he came. Her hot breath teased his mouth, and he couldn’t stop while she was warm and willing. He might not get another chance to taste her, and while a better man would have walked away, he wasn’t that guy.

So he took her mouth with his, sweeping his tongue inside, savoring the sweet and salty taste of her. His fingers slid up into her ponytail, and he knew he was being rough, that he should slow down, but the way her hands gripped his shoulders told him she didn’t mind. He took her soft moan into his mouth and, slipping one hand out of her hair and down her body, he did what he’d been dreaming of for weeks. Gripping one of her lush ass cheeks, he lifted her onto his desk and stepped between her legs.

Damn, but his cock did love pressing against her.

Her legs hooked around him, bringing him closer as he dragged up her tank top. Gripping the fabric in his hands, he broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, his breath coming fast and hard.

“You have exactly three seconds to get out of here before I do everything I’ve been thinking about since the first day I saw you. You decide. Now.”

Her hands slid into the back pockets of his jeans and, gripping his ass, brought him back into her body, giving him her answer.

Using both hands, he pulled her tank up and over, tossing it across the room as he took in her lush breasts, curving above the cups of her bra. Covering them with his hands, he squeezed them, molding them into his palms until the gasps and moans escaping her were too much.

“You are so fucking sexy,”

he said, bending down to tease the lobe of her ear, drawing it into his mouth with his teeth and loving that she countered his teases with the scrape of her nails on his skin.

“Oh, yeah?” Her voice was hushed and breathy.

He reached between them and cupped her through her jeans. “Hell yes.”

Her head fell back, and he took advantage, kissing below her chin and delivering open mouth nips and sucks until he reached the top of her breasts. He’d been dreaming of her like this, and as badly as he wanted to savor the taste of her skin, he found himself feeling frenzied. What if she changed her mind? She had to know that he’d let her go in an instant if she asked.

God, please, don’t let her ask that. It might just kill him.

Reaching behind her back, Gabe released her bra, and after slipping it down her arms, he cupped one breast in each of his hands before dipping down to take one of her nipples into his mouth. Her hand cupped the back of his head as he closed his lips around her and sucked hard, gently grazing the peak with his teeth until she was writhing under his ministrations. Her soft cries were music to his ears and encouraged him to experiment. He wanted to please her, to make her feel safe and cherished.

Cherished? You need to stop thinking like that, man. This is sex—raw and hot, heat-of-the-moment play, and the minute it’s over, she’s gonna walk away.

Which is exactly what he’d been looking for, right? He’d wanted sex with no strings, just pure physical release. So why did the thought of meaningless sex with Caroline make him almost hesitate going further?

“Oh, Gabe,” she whispered softly.

It was exactly how he’d imagined she’d say it.

Gabe pulled away from her breast and moved his other hand down her body until he had the button of her jeans flicked open. The zipper was tricky one-handed, but when it finally opened, he pushed his hand down the front of her jeans. His fingers slipped inside her panties, pressing between her folds until he found the hard button of her clit. When her hips jerked up, he leaned over and placed his mouth against the shell of her ear.

“The ride’s not over yet, princess.”

Chapter Seventeen

“Sex is supposed to be messy, chaotic . . . and fun. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

—Miss Know It All

“OHHH!” CAROLINE CRIED as Gabe swiftly lay her flat on the desk.

Before she could move, he was removing her boots, tossing them to the side so fast, it caused laughter to bubble up her throat.

“Are we in a hurry?”

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