“Hey, I’m not a stranger,” he said, as he took the back way into The Grove. “The sex-crazed part is dead-on though.”
She laughed. “I will not deny this.”
He reached out and cupped her neck. “You should put your head in my lap.”
The flip in subject threw her. “What?”
“If you want to be safe, make sure no one sees us.”
“Oh.” She shook her head, trying to clear her head of other thoughts. “Right.”
He guided her down to his thigh, his fingers stroking her hair as he drove the winding road that led to his place. She felt a little ridiculous at the sneaking around, but soon his touch was too distracting to let her think of much else.
“When we get to the house, you’re all mine, Rush. Your safe word applies always, but you need to let me know now if you have any qualms about this. We can take things down a notch if you’re not ready to continue what we started at the club. It’s your call.”
His fingertips were gentle against her scalp, bu
t the words were like droplets of ice water against her skin, making everything hyperaware again. What did she want? What was she ready for?
She closed her eyes, giving the question honest consideration. She was a novice at this. She had no idea what she was doing. Taking the safe route would be smart. They could take things nice and easy, cover the basics. Sex with Donovan was going to be fantastic no matter what. But a little pang of disappointment went through her at the thought of going that way. She wasn’t experienced. But some part of her knew instinctually that her wires weren’t straight and neat. They were crossed, tangled. That was one of the reasons things had gotten so electric with Donovan so quickly in college. All those vague cravings and fleeting fantasies had been given names when she’d listened to Donovan’s recordings.
So all she could muster up at the thought of what might happen if she gave him the green light tonight was anticipation. She’d gotten the painful part out of the way with her virginity, so she wasn’t worried about that. And Donovan had told her he liked things rough, but she didn’t get the sense he was a sadist who’d bust out whips or knives or anything. Even if he was, he’d listen to her safe word. “I’m ready for this.”
His fingers paused for a second, and his thigh tensed beneath her cheek. She worried then that he’d take it back, that he’d decide for her that they’d go easy tonight. But after a moment, she felt him relax. “Me, too, Rush. Me, too.”
The sound of a garage door opening and shutting was the last moment before Donovan slipped right back into the place he’d been in the darkened hallway of the club. He palmed the side of her head and lifted her from her spot on his lap. His blue eyes were dark when they landed on her. “Stay put until I get you.”
That left her with a shiver as he got out of the car and walked around to her side to open the door. His steps seemed interminable, her heartbeat hopping at the sound of his shoes on the concrete floor. By the time he helped her out of the car, her lungs felt like they weren’t capable of expanding. He was so close. So intent. He cupped her chin, his gaze coasting over her face and then sliding lower, taking his time and not hiding his open perusal. Her nipples strained against her bra as his attention moved over them. “You ready to play a game, Marin?”
His tone was smooth, dangerously enticing, like a stranger holding the most delicious candy out to her. She could almost taste the sweetness on her tongue. She concentrated, forced her voice to work. “Yes.”
His lips ticked up at the corner ever so slightly, something new there in his eyes, a sinister eroticism that drew her in like a winding trail of breadcrumbs. This was the Donovan who’d made the tapes, the private side beneath all those other layers. “You have five minutes. You’re going to go in the house and find a good hiding place. You want it to be really good because for each minute it takes me to find you, that’s how many times you get to come tonight.”
All remaining air left her. Whoosh. Gone.
“But also for every minute I can’t find you, I’m going to add another item from your list to cover tonight. Items of my choosing.” His thumb stroked her cheek. “And there are some doozies on there.”
Oh, God. The list ran through her mind on fast-forward. Some were things she’d love to try, others she was half-terrified. And she had a feeling he wasn’t going to choose the simple ones.
“So you’ll have to decide if more pleasure is worth the risk of more boundaries pushed. And the longer it takes me to find you, the more frustrated I’m going to get. I’m not very nice when I’m frustrated, Rush.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers, sending hot chills radiating straight downward. “Understand the rules?”
Her tongue swiped over her lip, catching the taste of his kiss lingering there. “Yes.”
“Good.” He released her and stepped around her to unlock the door to the house and deactivate the alarm. When he turned back to her, his smile was predatory. “Better get going, gorgeous. Your time starts now.”
It took her a second for the words to make it through her lusty haze, but when they finally registered, she kicked off her heels and launched herself into the house. Part of her felt ridiculous for joining in some adult version of hide-and-seek, but that small part was drowned out by the sheer thrill of it. How often in her life did she get to have pure, unadulterated fun? To forget that you were supposed to be serious and responsible and practical? She was supposed to be a grown-up, for God’s sake. But this, running from Donovan turned all kind of dials for her. Fun ones. Sexy ones. Competitive ones. The edge of anxiety weaving through all of that only added to it. Her senses were heightened already, and they hadn’t even made it to the naked stuff yet.
So she didn’t care what the stakes were at this point. She was determined to find a good place. She didn’t play games to lose. Though, she had a feeling neither of them were going to lose tonight.
She hurried through the house, considering alcoves and behind couches and beneath curtains, but every place seemed too obvious. She tried the door to his bedroom but found it locked. That gave her pause, but she didn’t have time to waste. She hustled barefoot into the guest bedroom. She peered under the bed but she wasn’t skinny enough to wiggle under there.
“Time’s ticking away, Rush.” The voice came from the direction of the garage. He hadn’t come in yet, but it wouldn’t be long.
She yanked open the louvered doors of the guest closet. Donovan’s winter wear hung from the rack and the floor had a few pairs of shoes. When her eyes alighted on a pair of black cowboy boots, she paused. Firstly, because Donovan West had cowboy boots. She’d never seen him in such a thing and wanted to rectify that immediately. But secondly, it gave her an idea. She peered over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t already heading down the hallway and then grabbed a black peacoat from the hanger and slipped it on. It was far too big and too long, but that’s what she needed. She quickly slipped her feet inside the cowboy boots, happy to see the shoes and coat completely hid her bare legs. She snagged a knit cap from a shelf and pulled it over her head. Then she stepped into the far corner of the closet, shut the doors and turned her back to them.
The bad news was that she wouldn’t be able to watch and see if the light changed between the slats on the louvered door. But the good news was that if he opened it, she’d have an outside shot that he wouldn’t see her unless he looked closely. There were enough jackets between her and where he’d be and she had everything covered. She closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against the wall of the closet, and strained her ears to listen.
A minute or so later, she heard Donovan call out. “Time’s up. Clock’s ticking for a new reason now.”