“Awesome!” Spencer grabbed his food, then returned to the living room and stuffed the first bite into his mouth before he’d even sat down again.
Kyle was next, followed by Gage, who made a point of glaring at Scotty the entire time he stood at the counter. Finally, there were only two plates left. Scotty picked them up, along with silverware and napkins, then walked over to where Hayley had commandeered a love seat for her work.
“Hey,” he said, setting the plates on the coffee table in front of her before taking a seat at her side. “You need to eat something, Red.”
“In a minute.” She kept her attention on her computer screen. “I just want to finish this.”
Scotty studied her profile—the delicate way her nose turned up at the end, the luscious curve of her lips, the darkening bruise on her temple.Screw it.He couldn’t go any longer without making sure for himself she was all right. He closed her laptop slowly with one finger, giving her time to pull her fingers out and give him a harsh stare.
“I was working.”
“I need to see you.” He took her hand, noticed it was trembling slightly, and pulled her to her feet. The condo was part of an old warehouse, meaning basically one big open space. Only the bathroom had a separate door and, therefore, privacy. “Alone.”
“But what about our food?” She glanced around at the other guys, all of whom were too busy devouring their meal to pay them any attention. “What about your team—”
“I don’t care what they think.” Scotty tugged her behind him across the room. To prove his point, he shouted, “We’ll be out in a minute, guys. Anyone who lays a hand on our grub will lose a limb.”
A chorus of uninterested grunts was the only response. Someone clicked on the flat-screen TV, and Scotty grinned. “See?”
Hayley looked dubious but followed him into the tiny bathroom.
There was room for a walk-in shower, a small vanity with a sink, and a toilet. Not much else. He closed and locked the door behind them, then leaned back against it, arms crossed. “So, how are you, Red?”
“Fine.” Nose wrinkled, she looked around the tiny space. “Not exactly a paradise here, is it?”
“Paradise is what you make it.” Drawn by the invisible cord that connected them, he moved closer, inhaling her strawberry scent. Jesus, he loved that scent. He placed his hands on her waist and held her still in front of him, his forehead to hers. “Did those bastards hurt you, Hayley?”
Eyes closed, she shuddered, her voice small and quiet. “No.”
“Why are you shaking?”
“Why are you holding me?”
He kissed her forehead, her russet brows, the lump where that bastard had smacked her with the gun. “Because I can’t help it.”
She tilted her head back and to the side, allowing him better access to the long, graceful line of her throat. “Me neither.”
Groaning low in his throat, Scotty captured her lips with his, pulling her hips tight against him, craving more—so much more—of her. He needed to stroke her creamy, freckled skin, taste the salty spice of her mouth, bury himself inside her hot, silky wetness until he didn’t know where she stopped and he started.
Hayley wrapped her arms around his neck. He grasped her hips, lifting her up to sit on the vanity while he quickly removed both of their shirts and her bra. She bit her lip as he cupped her breasts, kneading them while his thumbs flicked over her hard nipples. He gazed down at her lovely curves, pure lust surging through his veins. “You are so gorgeous.”
“I’m not.” She shook her head, then ran her fingertips over his chest and down his abs to the waistband of his jeans. “But you are.”
“No, Red. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Ever.” He stifled a moan at her soft caresses. “I need to be inside you. Now.”
“I want you inside me. Now.”
Hell, yes.With sure, fast moves, Scotty finished stripping them both, then pulled a condom from the back pocket of his jeans and put it on. Hayley, still seated on the vanity, gave him a deep, open-mouthed kiss and took his rock-hard cock in her hand, guiding him between her legs. His sensitive tip nudged her wet folds, and now she wasn’t the only one trembling.
He had more than his share of experience, yet this tiny redhead made him feel like an inexperienced schoolboy.Christ Almighty.He cupped her face and stared into her lovely green eyes. “Ready?”
“Hell, yes.” She locked her feet behind his lower back for emphasis.
He guided himself into her, inch by delicious inch. She was so tight yet so giving that he didn’t stop, couldn’t stop, until he was in all the way. Locked together, as deeply as two people could be, he slid his fingers through her long hair and kissed her to swallow her cries of pleasure.
This.This was what he’d needed since he’d lost her.
This was what he’d craved since she’d returned to him after her ordeal.