I'm going to lose the bet.
I'm going to lift my dress and beg him to slide inside me in a room full of strangers. The entire world can watch as long as he keeps touching me.
"Fuck." Lucas growls, snatching his hand away and gripping my hip. He pulls me back as he rocks forward, thrusting against me one final time before he lets go and steps back. "You need to leave."
The words are barely out of his mouth before he grips my wrist and leads me toward the exit.
The door cracks against the wall as we burst out of the crowded bar and into the empty night. Lucas raises his arm toward the stream of cars racing by until a yellow cab pulls up beside us.
The cold night air clears the lust clouding my head, and reality sinks in. I yank my wrist free and scowl at him. "Why do I have to leave?"
Lucas shoves both hands into the shaggy mess of curls on his head and curses under his breath. "Because you're driving me crazy."
"I want you." The confession surprises us both. Even though I agreed to the bet, I never openly admitted my desire.
"Fuck, Avril." His eyes are wild as he stalks toward me, forcing my back against the cold metal door of the cab as his arms cage around me. "You can't give in."
"Why?"
"Because if you win, you set the boundaries. You set the rules. I need those rules."
A spike of fear skitters up my spine as heat blooms in my core. I've never seen Lucas this unhinged before. "Why do I need to make the rules?"
"Because I'm too wound up. I won't stop." His eyes drop to my lips, our mouths so close the air between us puffs white. "I'll take everything you offer, even what you don't."
My heart rate spikes at his words. They should scare me, but arousal flows through my veins like oxygen. "What if I want to lose?"
He lets out a ragged breath, the taste of whiskey sliding across my tongue as though I've taken a sip. "Then you better be ready for me."
A visceral need shudders through me. Years of wanting what I can't have, build like the perfect storm between my thighs, ready to shatter my world.
There is a side of me that wants him to lose and see what will happen. But he's right. We need rules and boundaries.
They will make it easier to walk away.
He pushes himself away from the door, and I scramble into the cab.
Lucas leans through the passenger window, recites my address to the driver, and hands over cash before he looks at me. Dark and dirty promises burn behind his eyes as the cab driver steers into the flow of traffic.
I shift on the seat, unable to get comfortable. My dress is too tight, and my skin is too sensitive. My clit pulses, too desperate for release. I press my thighs together, but the pressure only intensifies the ache.
My fingernails scratch at my thigh. It would be easy to slide one finger inside and rock myself to release.
But that will forfeit the bet.
What would Lucas do if I gave in?
I part my legs slowly as the driver focuses on traffic, oblivious to the scent of arousal sticking to my inner thighs. The memory of Lucas's hot mouth so close to my skin and his hard length pressed against me fuels my hunger.
I can't wait any longer.
I slip one hand beneath my dress and find the edge of my panties. I muffle a groan against my shoulder, but I can't hide the involuntary arch of my hips as I slip two fingers beneath the lace.
I'm slick, messy, and so sensitive that I'm ready to burst.
My fingers slide up and down quickly, swirling around my clit then slipping between my lips to tease my entrance. My eyes flutter closed, imagining Lucas's thick cock throbbing where my fingers stroke.
The cab glides through the streets, and my fingers play, lazy and indulgent, as I try to keep the movements small.