She turned to me with a smile, and I wasn’t the type of guy to turn down a challenge.
I picked up a few pebbles of my own and skipped those across the water. Mine went farther than hers and she skimmed some more, competing aggressively against mine…till we were both laughing and booing at each other’s attempts. I’d never met my match at skimming rocks before, and I couldn’t believe I had found it in this girl in the hot red dress.
“You look surprised!” she exclaimed, still laughing.
“That’s because I am.”
“So is it always what you see is what you get with you?” she asked and I shrugged.
“I’m not sure what else to be.”
She nodded, like she agreed. I realized that I had let my guard down. She was still a stripper from Teasers I was supposed to be working, so I could use her help. Instead, now we were skipping rocks on a creek and discussing my personality.
“I didn’t know what to expect from you guys when they brought us here last night. But I definitely wasn’t expecting to be sitting here skipping rocks with you,” she continued and sat down with a thump on the bank of the creek.
She didn’t care about the muddy twigs and leaves that were now probably spoiling her dress. She seemed to have abandoned all self-consciousness and leaned back on her arms as she stared at the creek quietly. I wasn’t sure what to do, so sat down beside her. How long did she want to sit here? Was she expecting me to say something?
I glanced at her profile, realizing that for the first time, I was actually starting to feel a little nervous around her. I had never been nervous around a girl before. There was something different about Mercy.
She was staring at something in the distance and I found myself wanting to ask her what she was thinking. Was she worried about her grandmother? About money? Her nursing career? She couldn’t be worried about Crash…
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked all of a sudden, turning to me with her big blue eyes.
“This is on the way back to my place and I figured you could use some fresh air,” I replied. She had me on the spot, I couldn’t think of a better answer.
“That’s very generous of you. I wouldn’t have pegged you as a generous man. But then again, I clearly know nothing about the people in your world.”
We were sitting close together. Our legs brushed. She spoke in a calm low voice and I wanted to pull her to me, feel her body against mine the way it had been on the bike.
I looked away from her.
“Sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable with my compliments? Okay, I’ll stop complimenting you,” she said with a giggle. When I turned to look at her this time and her face was bright with a smile, I had no intention of holding back. I reached for her by the front of her dress and yanked her to myself roughly.
She gasped as she thudded on my chest.
I put a firm hand on the back of her neck, keeping her in place, keeping her stuck to me. Then I pinched her chin lightly, tipping her face up so I could breathe in her breath.
I had to kiss her.
8
Mercy
When Ghost pulled me to him, it felt like the earth was spinning. I fell on him, and he forced my face toward him and then his mouth was on mine. I gasped with delight. I couldn’t believe this was happening. The sexual energy between us was palpable but I didn’t expect him to act on it.
His mouth moved against mine while I eased onto him. His tongue parted my mouth deliciously and then he tasted me, exploring my mouth. A light moan escaped my lips. I was on top of him, and he was sinking back on the muddy ground. His hands flew down my back to my hips, till he was cupping my ass. I moaned again. It felt amazing to be touched and held by him, with his big palms.
His tongue inside my mouth was ravaging me. I must have been hot to the touch and could feel the burning desire in the pit of my stomach. No man had kissed me like this before. I was ready to do whatever he wanted. Anything to make him feel good…till I remembered who he was.
My mouth stopped moving while his tongue was still inside me. I groaned and pulled away. His shoulders heaved as he glared at me in surprise. It was like he couldn’t believe a girl would pull away from him, and I couldn’t believe it either. Who wouldn’t want to be kissed by a muscular bad boy like him?
But if I gave in to him now, what more would he expect from me? I didn’t know the rules of this world. What else would I be expected to do? I may have been a stripper, but I wasn’t a whore. My mind was spinning along with the earth.
I struggled to straighten up and then backed away from him.
Ghost clenched his jaws tightly, like he was disappointed, then he ran a hand through his hair and sat up.
I didn’t know what to say or do. Was I supposed to apologize? Did he think he had some kind of authority over me?
I held my chin up. “I…I’m tired…I think…”
“Get on the bike and I’ll take you home,” he said in a clear and firm voice. He didn’t wait. Just turned and went back over to the bike. I followed him sheepishly, still waiting for him to react in some drastic way. But he didn’t.
I got on the bike like he bid me to and this time, when I wrapped my arms around his stony
