Page 91 of Need You Now

Lacey gasps and lifts her stunned eyes to him. “That’s Givenchy.”

“Not anymore.”

Seth drags her leg up around him and plunges into her, pinning her against the wall.

Lacey tilts her head back, knocking the wall, her hair tangled up all around her. Her nails dig into the hard muscle of his shoulder. Leaving marks he likes. Territorial. Claiming. Seth’s hers and no one else’s. And that’s how he wants it to stay.

“Goddamn,” he growls. “You feel so fuckin’ good, Lace. I can’t stop thinkin’ of you. I want you, no one but you.”

She closes her eyes. She writhes restlessly, tightening her leg around him, urging him deeper, faster.

He captures her lips to his, a desperate groan erupting. He’s so far gone, over the edge of pleasure. He ain’t gonna last. Not tonight.

She clenches around him, hot, soft.

Seth gathers her tighter in his arms and thrusts. There’s no more waiting. His hips slam her back into the wall, their bodies melted together, merging like wild atoms. Magnetic. Atomic.

And then, Lacey lets out a cry that’s half torment, half pleasure. With a roar, hearing her need finally satiated, Seth spills into her. He buries his face in her neck, panting against her feather-soft hair. “Lacey,” he whispers.

Breathing hard, she goes limp against him, and Seth catches her in his arms. He picks her up and carries her to the bed. Gently, he places her on the pillows, grabs a towel for cleanup and then joins her.

He pulls her close. Lacey snuggles in his arms, letting out a content sigh. He kisses her brow, studying the angular planes of her face. Contemplative. Content.

In that moment, his chest aches. She’s so fucking beautiful. So unfiltered coming to Seth and showing off her sexy side. That’s brazen, ballsy. It takes trust. And they have that. Something he’s never had with anyone else.

Lacey twists in his arms to kiss him. “That was fun.” She makes a face. “Although my underwear will never be the same.”

“Hey, you come in here lookin’ like that, I ain’t responsible for what happens next.”

His hands find her hair, weaving a golden strand between his fingers, the chaos of the day settling around them. “You doin’ okay? After tonight?”

“I am. Believe it or not, I had fun.” Her face turns wry. “Even with the whole scar debacle.”

He scowls. He could kill Greyson for egging Lacey on, for upsetting Sal. The last thing he wanted Lacey to do was relive her mugging in front of everyone. But he knows what she was trying to do—take the attention off him. He’s still stunned by the selflessness of her actions.

“Did you see Sal?” Lacey pushes up, rolling over to face him. “She was really upset, Seth.”

“Yeah,” he says around the rock in his throat. “She was.”

“If she’s that upset about a scar ... what about us?” Lacey’s eyes are wide. “What if we tell Sal and she flips? Oh my God, or what if she’s so upset, she goes into labor? What—”

He kisses her lips, silencing her. “Lace, you’re spiralin’.”

She settles back into his embrace, making a sharp sound of frustration. “I hate lying to her.” She gives him a look. “Sal hates liars.”

Seth flinches. “I know.” His low rumble fills the silence. He tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “We’ll find the right time.”

Ping.

The soft chime of Lacey’s phone breaks the tension. Seth laughs. “Hell, I don’t think I’ve heard that sound since LA.” Carefully, Lacey untangles from his arms. She rolls to the side, to the nightstand. He watches her stiffen as she stares at the phone.

“What is it?” he asks, stroking a hand down the curve of her hip.

“Nothing. Wrong number,” she says, her face unreadable as she returns to his arms.

He stares at her, gathering her close. “You missin’ your job?”

“Kind of,” she says with a little laugh. “I’m trying to enjoy the moment. It scares me not having a job to go back to but ...” She inhales a determined breath. “That job wasn’t my life.” She roves her eyes around the room and then meets Seth’s gaze. “All this is. I missed out on so much with Sal, and I won’t miss out with you.”

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