Page 34 of One Mistake

His low groan, husky and deep, vibrated through me, and there wasn’t a better sound I’d ever heard. My blood burned with need. My body tingled for more.

“Reese.”

I pulled him inside because Mom’s neighbors didn’t need to know or see firsthand what was about to happen if I had my way about things. Then it was all him. Urgent. Frantic. Eager. So hot I could hardly breathe. His hands slipped under the hem of my shirt, pushing it up as he glided along my skin, teasing me with his touch and the air and the perfect set of lips trailing along my throat.

My shirt landed on the kitchen counter. I kicked off my shoes on the way to the bedroom. When we stopped against the wall and he lifted me again, this time I wrapped my legs around him, and bucked my hips enough to rub my aching core against his cock.

Every step toward the bedroom and every kiss built the pressure inside of me. I didn’t have the time or patience to wait for foreplay. Not today. Not now. As soon as he cleared the bedroom door, I slid down his body to stand on the floor, then pushed him back toward the bed until the backs of his legs hit the mattress. Then it was all sliding down the jeans—his and mine, kicking mine away—and climbing on top of him. This time, we were condom careful, and I held back for as long as I could, adjusting my pace and my breathing and my focus on drawing out the pleasure for both of us.

Until finally, he flipped me onto my back and drove into me with power and passion and determination that made my body explode. And when his body went rigid and his breath held, when he shuddered and closed his eyes, I fell into the feeling of the moment. “Oh, God, Ryder.”

“Mmm.” He collapsed on me for a second, then rolled off onto his back and flung his arms over his face. “You make me weak.”

The illusion of my feminine power washed over me. I clung to it until it disappeared. Then I chuckled. “I think I’m the one in need of oxygen.”

He kissed my forehead, stood, and walked to the bathroom. The water ran, steam rolled into the bedroom, and he came along with it, lifted me from the bed, and a moment later, lowered me into a steaming tub. Then he climbed in behind me, and after some awkward jostling and moving back and forth, sloshing water over the sides of the old claw foot, I leaned back against him.

Ryder. A tub of oil-scented water. Steam rising. This was what heaven had to be like.

The light flickered and went out. Another reason to let the house go. The wiring was ancient. Probably installed by Benjamin Franklin himself and would cost me thousands to replace.

“Could just be a bulb.”

But it wasn’t. Not with my luck. And I wasn’t going to let it bother me. Not until this water and the man behind me both cooled.

“Could be I don’t care.” I let my head fall back onto his shoulder and enjoyed the kiss he pressed against my temple.

“You want to just sit here in the dark?”

“Like I’m keeping my eyes open anyway.” Nothing was more relaxing than the spot I was in, lights or not, but my stomach growled. I’d ignored our takeout. Still, I didn’t move. This was the place I wanted to be and the man I wanted to be with. For the next couple days, anyway.

One Decade Ago

Why I’d thought a new look would erase all those old habits—shying away, not asking for what I wanted, not holding my head up high—made no sense.

I still had to walk or drive past the Alpha house every day, new hair and clothes or not. Fraternity Road was directly between campus and my place to live. Beth hadn’t been around much. Had a new boyfriend and a new cause with her revenge against the Alphas. And she hated my new look. Hated everything about the way I’d changed myself.

So I was dealing with all of this alone and it was too much. Too much not to indulge in a few drinks, anyway. Besides, with the way I looked these days, people expected me to either be dancing on top of the bar or slinging drinks from behind it. Made sense for me to spend some time soaking up that atmosphere.

It was two o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. I belonged in Economics class sitting behind the nervous laugher who punctuated his notes with an involuntary chuckle. But instead, I sidled up to the bar and smiled at the bartender. He was young, probably my age, also probably a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday class taker.

“What can I get for you?”

I wanted to drink something as badass as my new look, but I didn’t know what to order. “Surprise me.”

He looked me up and down. Well what he could see anyway-from my hair to my chest, then settled on my chest before he grinned. “I got you.”

He disappeared down the bar then came back with a long, tall glass with an umbrella sticking over the rim on one side, pineapple on the other, and an orange slice halfway down the frozen concoction.

“Wow. That’s…tall.”

“Try it.”

I took a sip, let it sit on my tongue and melt just a little so I could enjoy every tropic burst of flavor. “This is like a party in my mouth. Well done.”

He laughed and moved down the bar as someone slid into the seat beside me. He gave the bartender his order—Jack and Coke sounded so smooth the way he said it—then sat back and folded his hands over his midsection. I felt him watching me, like a hand on my back. And I almost checked to see if there was one there or if it was in my imagination.

Finally, he moved to rest his arm against the bar and to make his stare more blatant. “Do I know you?”