Mere hours ago, this man was responsible for my endless loop of pleasure. How did we flip upside down so fast? The memories I was planning to use are already tarnishing. Those smudges spread the steeper his scowl dips. I should’ve known, of course. This is a lesson I’ve learned enough to truly sink in. What goes up must always come crashing down. “No wonder you live alone in the woods, Ford. Pushing people away must be your specialty.”
The sound that rips out of him is bitter. “At least I don’t bother hiding it. You have imaginary walls built so high no one stands a chance at climbing over.”
I sputter. “Me? That’s ludicrous.”
“Is it?”
Isn’t it? I part my lips to say just that, only to snap them shut a second later. There’s no way Crawford could know how close his words slice to the truth. “I should’ve stayed the hell away from you.” The words are spat at him, but the reminder is all mine.
“No regrets, yeah?” The bastard winks at me.
The desire to throw something at his head flexes my biceps. I curl my fingers into trembling fists instead. Why did I sleep with him?
The answer is simple and standing three feet in front of me. Arrogant prick he might be, but our chemistry is combustible. My wits haven’t reached their end, but those flimsy strands are splintering beyond recognition. The ability to think rationally is following close behind. Fuck second guessing. Caution doesn’t exist in this equation.
Crawford yanks on his jeans, not bothering with briefs. The denim bulges over his hard length. How he’s still aroused is beyond me. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’m getting turned on by this standoff. An electrical current zaps over my skin as I match his fierce glower with one of my own. His exhales are ragged, puffing into the stagnant room. I watch the veins in his neck pulse. There’s so much anger thrumming just below the surface. Is all of that hostility because of me? And why does the potential of that get me so…hot?
He tears his gaze away to search for his shirt. I gasp at the loss, sucking much-needed air into my lungs. Had I been holding my breath? Everything slows down for two sluggish blinks. After that, a burst of vibrant awareness widens my eyes. Crawford has narrowed the space separating us, hovering on the edge of my bubble. His proximity sends a bolt of electricity through me. I smash my mouth shut to trap a squeak. His lip curls in a silent snarl.
“Taking a souvenir?”
I cross my arms. The question is a puzzle, but I’m not willing to admit defeat. “That won’t be necessary.”
He’s staring at my breasts, pebbled nipples and all. “Sure about that?”
“Such a gentleman,” I mutter.
Crawford prowls closer, fury swirling in his eyes. I remain rooted in place, but my stomach is doing somersaults. “A nice guy is the last thing you want right now.”
I scoff at that. “Because you know me so well.”
The remaining space keeping him from me crackles with too much tension. “Claim ignorance toward me, but I studied every inch of you last night. Your body is betraying those lies spilling out of you.”
My chest is rising and falling too fast. “Don’t start something you don’t have the balls to finish.”
His expression is thunderous. “Are you giving me permission?”
As if he needs it. I tip my chin even higher. “Didn’t I already?”
Crawford is on me in the next beat of my thundering heart. His pants sag with the motion, putting him on display. He doesn’t give me a chance to register how this situation is affecting him. We crash together in a turbulent avalanche. The force is powerful enough to crumble the most solid structures into dust.
His massive palms grip my thighs and haul me up against the wall. I grapple against him for some fake sense of stability. This position has me spread and exposed and his for the fucking. Crawford takes full advantage of my pinned form, not wasting a moment.
He slams into me with one savage thrust, the air whooshing from my lungs from the force. The energy passing between us is super-charged. I could almost reach out and grab the rope tethering him to me. But concentrating on anything other than this man and the riot of desire flooding my veins is impossible.
Within two pumps, speckles skip along the edge of my vision. I’m going to come embarrassingly fast. My body is too primed, already nearing the cliff of what will be utter humiliation. Every piece of me is humming for release. He will no doubt use the pleasure against me, but fringes of climax tickle my spine. I squeeze my eyes shut, shoving off the tingling plea for oblivion. Not yet. I refuse to surrender.
He rams into me with a particularly vicious shove. My bones chatter from the impact and a shudder wracks through me. I manage to keep the keening glee on lockdown.
“Where’s your sass, huh? That bold woman from last night had a lot to say.”
I jut out my jaw at a defiant angle. “That was different.”
The brown in his eyes darkens. “Give me your wrath, wildcat.”
The angry purple stain on his neck mocks me, reminding me of my wanton behavior. I latch my lips on the mark, bruising him further.
Crawford hisses as he pounds into me. “Oh, it’s like that?”
I release his skin with a pop. A smile I can only hope looks wicked curves my mouth. “Absolutely.”
“All right, then.” His fingers dig into my ass and hips, hard enough to leave another set of reminders. “I’m not letting you wash me off that easily.”
The hint of pain has me bucking against him. Not to dislodge, only for encouragement. There’s nothing nice about what’s happening between us. He’s fucking me so hard we might crack the drywall. A flurry of emotions bombard me, all of them conflicting. How should I feel
