5. Lyric

CHAPTER 5

LYRIC

I shoot a quick text to Lyra, letting her know that I may or may not be home tonight… which goes precisely how I expected it to go.

Lyra

Uh, no, ma'am. Not until you tell me where you're going and with whom.

I bite my lip, fighting a smile as I type my response.

Me

To Josh's.

Lyra

EXCUSE ME?! Your date was Josh?!?

Me

I'll explain later.

Lyra

Uh, damn straight, you'll explain later. I have so many questions.

If he's not good to you, I'm kicking his ass.

Be safe. Have fun.

Enjoy being bossed around!

I nearly choke on my tongue when I read her last text. She would go there right now.

"Everything okay, sweet girl?" Josh asks, glancing at me from the driver's seat of his SUV, one brow arched.

"Fine," I mumble, shoving my phone back into my purse. "My sister is just a nosy, crazy person."

"Ah." His lips curve into a grin. "I've heard that about sisters. I'm guessing she has questions about me?"

"Only two thousand or so." I eye him sideways. "Fair warning, but she isn't your biggest fan right now. I may or may not have told her how cranky you are. Lyra is… protective."

"Fair enough." He chuckles, reaching for my hand. His fingers link with mine on my lap. "I hope she gives me a chance to win her over."

"Maybe. I make no promises."

"I'll just have to work hard to earn her trust then."

"She can be a savage."

"I'm up to the challenge." He pulls my hand across the console, brushing his lips across my knuckles. "If you're trying to scare me off, it's not going to work, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

My heart flutters at his promise and the conviction in his voice when he delivers it. I think he means it. But my head is still swimming. This isn't how I expected my night to go at all. When I left his office this morning, my heart was in pieces on the floor. I spent all day avoiding him, trying to accept the fact that he and I were never going to happen.

Stepping into the private dining room at the steakhouse to find him standing there was the last thing I expected. At first, I thought maybe it was some sort of joke, just one more way for him to break my heart. But I'm pretty sure he meant every word he said. He's been acting like a crazy person because he's been falling for me, too.

We've both been slowly unraveling at the seams, and neither of us has handled it very well. I guess that happens when you fall for the one person you shouldn't. But we're both tired of pretending it isn't happening. We're tired of fighting it and pretending we aren't slowly going crazy.

I know I am.

If he's done fighting, so am I. But I am nervous.

Going to his place was my idea, but I've never done anything like this before. I don't know the first thing about being seductive or sleeping with a man. I'm running on pure lust and adrenaline. And I'm nervous as hell that I'm going to get it all wrong and mess this up before we even begin.

"Can I tell you something?" I whisper as we pull into his driveway. I glance out at his house—a beautiful Tudor-style mansion that could easily fit five of my houses in it.

"Anything," he says, killing the engine and turning slightly to face me.

"I'm nervous." I exhale a breath. "I don't want to mess this up, Josh. What if…" I lick my lips. "What if we do this and everything gets ruined?"

"Sweet girl." He unlatches his belt and then reaches for mine, hitting the dome light in the process, which floods the SUV with light. "Come here." His hands are unyielding around my waist as he lifts me out of my seat, hauling me across the console as if I weigh nothing.

I land on his lap with a shiver, wedged between his hard body and the steering wheel. His hand curves around my jaw, tilting my head back until my eyes meet his.

"You feel how hard I am for you right now, Lyric?" he asks, his gaze piercing into mine as he places my palm flat against his chest. "You feel how wildly my heart is beating for you, sweet girl?"

"Y-yes," I whisper. His erection is wedged between my cheeks, so damn thick and hard. God, he's massive. And his heart pounds like a jackhammer against my palm, jolting as if it's trying to beat its way free of his chest.

"This is how I feel every day," he growls. "This is what you do to me every single time I see you." His lips touch mine in a soft kiss. "You think getting my hands on you is going to change that? You think knowing you're mine every day is going to make me want you less? No, baby. The only thing it's going to do is make me even more fucking crazy about you."

"Josh," I whimper, overwhelmed. He's being far too sweet again, and I love it so much. But I don't want sweet right now. I want him—all of him. I need to feel him, be consumed by him. "Kiss me."

His eyes darken, dropping to my mouth. "Fuck," he groans, tugging me forward to slant his mouth down on mine. His tongue dances along the seam of my lips, demanding entry.

I open for him with a gasp, only to gasp again when his tongue slides against mine. He doesn't kiss me like he did in the restaurant—slow and sweet. He devours me as if he's been dying to kiss me this way for weeks. My hands fly to his shoulders, clinging to him as he ruins me for any other kiss, for any other man.

"Josh," I moan, heat rushing through me in a wave as he breaks from my lips to kiss a trail down my throat. My head falls back, granting him access. I dig my nails into his broad shoulders, tugging at the silk of his shirt, silently pleading for more. His scruff feels amazing against my skin.

"Spread those perfect legs for me, Lyric," he grunts, running his hands all over my body. One pinches my right nipple through my dress. The other squeezes my ass. "Straddle my lap."

I scramble to obey, willing to give him anything at this point. I don't care if we're in his driveway or the middle of the parking lot at work. So long as he keeps touching me and kissing me, nothing else matters. He yanks my dress up when it tangles around my legs. The fabric tears, but I don't care about that, either.

"Shit. I'll buy you a new one."

"Less talking, more kissing," I demand, running my fingers through his hair as I lift up to straddle him.

"Bossy girl." He grins at me, something dark and satisfied flaring in his eyes. He leans forward, his teeth closing around my nipple.

A jolt shoots straight to my clit. His name rings out around us as I pull his hair, holding him to me.

"Again," I plead, writhing on his lap. "Oh, God. Please do that again."

"You mean this?"

I sob his name when he bites me again, harder this time.

"Touch me, Lyric. I want those perfect hands all over my body while I make you come right here, just like this," he growls. "I can't fucking sleep at night, thinking about your hands on me."

"Me neither," I admit, running my hands down his hard chest. I drag his shirt up, whimpering at the sight of his rock-hard abdomen. Jesus. He's carved from granite, every inch of him.

He leans forward, helping me drag his shirt up over his head.

"Josh," I breathe, staring in shock at the tattoos littering his skin. They're so damn beautiful. Oh, who am I kidding? Everything about this man is gorgeous. I trail my fingers down his chest, making him groan.

"Harder, Lyric. I want to feel those hands on me." He yanks my dress higher, his fingers sliding against my thighs.

My hands shake as I touch him, exploring his body. He does the same to me, only he's exploring where no one ever has before. His fingertips dance against my inner thighs, teasing so close to where I ache for him.

"I can feel how wet you are, sweet girl. You want to come, don't you?" The rasp in his voice is the sexiest thing I've ever heard.

"Yes," I admit. Something about this moment and this man has me too far gone to feel shy or unsure. I know what I want. It's right here beneath me, staring at me like he wants to devour me… like he never wants to stop looking at me this way. "Please, make me come, Josh."

I drag my nails down his abdomen, earning a growl from him.

He flicks my panties to the side, and then his fingers are right there.

"Oh, God." My thighs tremble around his as he parts my slit with his thumb, his eyes locked on my face.

"Keep your eyes open, sweet girl. I want to see you when you fall apart for me," he breathes. His bottom lip sinks between his teeth as he plays with me, stroking and teasing. One thick finger presses inside, spreading me open. His thumb runs in circles around my swollen clit.

I reach between us, wrapping my hand around his erection through his pants.

"Ah, fuck," he growls, bucking his hips into my hand. "That hot little hand is going to get you into trouble, baby."

"Good," I moan, rocking against his hand as the pleasure grows. "M-maybe I like getting into trouble with you." I grip him tight, stroking him through his pants. "M-maybe I want to make you snap, Josh."

"Yeah? You want me to take what belongs to me right here, huh?" He adds a second finger, stretching me. God, it feels so damn good. And the look in his eyes… This is way better than any fantasy I've ever had.

"I just want you to take me," I gasp, struggling with the zipper of his pants. I need to feel him in my hand, need to touch him the same way he's touching me. I may actually explode into pieces if I don't get to touch him.

The zipper inches down as he twists his hand, fucking me with his fingers. Wet sounds fill the SUV, my juices dripping down his wrist.

"Look how wet you are for me," he growls, his gaze flickering between my legs and my face. "Christ, Lyric. I can't wait to taste that."

My core clenches hard.

"Ah, fuck. Squeeze my fingers like that again."

I delve my hand into his pants, sobbing when I manage to wrap my hand around his hard length. Jesus. He's going to split me in two with it. I pull him out of his slacks, and my core clenches again at the sight of the moisture welling from the broad head.

"Like what you see, huh?"

"You're going to break me with this thing," I groan.

"Yeah," he breathes, his eyes dark and stormy. "Again and again and again. And you're going to fucking love it, Lyric. Especially when you're coming all over it." He curls his fingers up, rubbing against some magical spot deep inside me.

I sob his name, coming apart at the seams.

"That's it," he croons. "Give it all to me, sweet girl. Soak my hand."

I do, rocking against him as wave after wave of euphoria crashes down on me, stealing my breath. I can't think. I can't talk. All I can do is moan, my gaze tangled with his as he works me through it, leaving me gasping and shaking.

"I gotta taste that," he groans when I fall limp, whispering his name. "Jesus, Lyric." His lips crash down on mine in a hard kiss. "You're fucking beautiful when you come, baby."

I whimper, my hand still wrapped around his cock. I squeeze, but he grabs me, pulling my hand away. My eyes meet his, a question on my lips.

"If I don't get you inside right now, I'm going to be eating this pretty little pussy spread across the hood of the SUV, Lyric," he says, his eyes blazing with heat. "And then the whole fucking town is going to hear me fucking my kid into you while you scream my name. In that order."

"Then get me inside, Josh. Now."