Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

V ivian had taken the train to Crazyville.

No, that was wrong. She was so far past Crazyville, she should be committed. What the hell was she doing?

She stared down at her hand on Dallas's fly, the red tips of her fingers dug into his denim. Then over to his hands, which were clenched at his sides. His breaths were as ragged as hers, and the bulge in his jeans told her all she needed to know.

Dallas Henhawk wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Her legs were like wet noodles, and sweat broke out across her skin, which in turn made her shiver. And that was strange because she was hot. So damn hot.

"You changing your mind before we even start?" His voice was rough and low, just the way she liked it.

She glanced up at him. God, he was beautiful. His deep blue eyes glittered, and his nostrils flared. She wet her lips, which wasn't easy to do considering her mouth had gone dry. She would regret this.

But the thing about regret is that it never bites you in the ass in the moment. It sneaks in later, when a person is weak and drunk off the thing that inspired the regret in the first place. Regret loved the weak, because the weak always gave in.

And Vivian was definitely giving in.

She moved closer and slid her hand inside his jeans. He was big and hard, and slowly, she began to massage him. He strained against her and growled low in his throat. Like an animal. Her animal.

"Damn, Viv. You keep that up and I'm going to blow before we get a chance to do anything good."

"I have faith in you."

He hissed when she opened up his zipper and took out his cock. She found that area under the tip that drove him mad, and used her forefinger to excite him more than he already was, as she stood on her tiptoes and pulled his head down with her other hand.

Before she gave him her mouth, she took the time to appreciate the beautiful man that he was. His eyes, normally a vibrant blue, shone with a darker light tonight, the thick lashes a foil that made them stand out. His bone structure was perfect, even with a nose that had been broken more than once. It gave him a rakish look that only he could carry.

Slowly, she slid her mouth over his, sensing that he was still on the fence about what they were doing. Gently, she kissed him, smiling when she felt his cock twitch, then she deepened the kiss, groaning into him when his hands sank into her hair to hold her in place.

His tongue was savage, tasting the whole of her, while his hips began to gyrate slowly, pushing his hardness against her.

The kiss was unlike any she'd ever had. It was like visiting an old friend who was angry and hot and demanding and a bit aloof. It lasted so long that her head began to swim, and she pulled back, out of breath and so damn horny, she squeezed her thighs together in order to deal with it.

"Last chance, Duchess."

Vivian stilled as the endearment fell from his lips. Duchess. His pet name for her back when she mattered. Such yearning welled up inside her that, for a moment, she was confused. Unsettled. Vivian wanted to matter again. To this man. And that was against his rule.

She looked up at him, in her mind knowing she was about to have a hand in the breaking apart of her life for the second time. And yet, she couldn't seem to help herself. She was already too far in, and as another wave of desire rolled over, she decided that being weak would lead to paradise.

If only briefly.

She stepped back and reached for her dress, slowly unbuttoning the bodice until she had enough room to slip it down over her hips. It pooled around her feet, so she kicked it aside. Braless, Vivian stood before Dallas in nothing but a small black thong and cowboy boots.

The feral look in his eyes fed her power. She ran her fingers over her pebbled nipples, smiling wickedly when he groaned and kicked off his boots and then tossed his jeans. Dallas was commando, had never seen the need for boxers, and he strode over to her with purpose. He reached for her thong and slid it down her body, then grabbed her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He proceeded to kiss the ever-loving daylights out of her.

Dallas used his tongue in ways that should be illegal, the kiss all but taking her breath away. She gasped when his mouth slid down her throat, suckling and biting softly, before he claimed her breast and clamped down on her nipple. The sensation was exquisite, almost painful, each pull felt deep in her belly, then shooting straight between her legs.

She whimpered, so wet and ready, and began to move her hips as the need continued to build.

He growled like an animal at her breast when he moved her back, and she winced when they fell against a wall.

"Jesus, Dallas, I can't wait much longer."

Heaving, he looked into her eyes, not bothering to hide his need. "Shit, I need a condom." Slowly, he let her down, and she had to grab hold of the wall behind her so that she didn't end up on her ass. "Don't move."

She watched him walk away until he disappeared from view, and in less than a minute, he reappeared with a foil wrapper between his teeth. Did he keep a stack of condoms in the barn?

"Do you have a lot of barn sex?"

"I thought we were done with the talking."

"Let me," she said, reaching for the condom. She unrolled it along the length of him, and she grinned when she spied the veins sticking out along his neck. He was so close. Barely hanging on.

But so was she.

She stood up, and he was there, his hand between her legs, his fingers relentless as he teased and stroked her swollen clitoris. Vivian felt the pressure start to build inside, and she whimpered when he removed his hands and slid his tongue up along her cheek until his hot breath was at her ear.

"Not yet, Duchess."

Dallas picked her up once more, and as her legs wrapped around him, he pushed her up against the wall, and then he was inside her.

"Oh God," she whispered, "yes."

He filled her completely, like no one else she'd ever been with, and he paused, inhaling deeply before he began to move. Each stroke sparked ripples of heat and desire, and as he increased his tempo, her pleasure expanded until her entire body thrummed with the weight of it.

"Faster," she said.

"No."

He smiled when she gave him the look.

"My house, my rules."

"Technically," she gasped, "this is your barn."

"Barn rules, then." He held her gaze while he continued to thrust in and out, each time deeper, each time longer.

"You bastard," she managed to say, hands dug into his shoulders as she tried her damnedest to hurry him along.

"I've been called worse," he said, his voice now rougher.

"By me," she got out.

"Yep."

He moved slower yet, and, frustrated, she glared at him. Their bodies were slick with sweat, and as he continued to tease her into oblivion, something shifted. Something changed. Was it the look in his eyes? The touch of his hand?

A lump formed in her throat. Overwhelmed with a bunch of stuff she didn't want to think about, she bent close and kissed him. Eyes closed, she savored the taste of him, and with Dallas buried deep inside her, as the pressure built to a breaking point, Vivian battled desire and pain.

"I'm coming," he said, breaking off the kiss. His eyes blazed, a feral look that made her blood boil.

She gasped as her orgasm exploded, her whimper becoming a scream because the feel of it was that exquisite. Dallas emptied himself, and the two of them stayed locked together for so long, they began to tremble.

When he finally pulled away and gently let her down, she would have fallen if not for his strong arm around her waist.

She couldn't look at him. Not yet. Not when there were hot tears pooling in her eyes. Not when she was so damn exposed.

Head down, she pushed away from Dallas and walked over to her dress. She pulled it on and took her time doing up the buttons.

"Viv," he said gruffly.

She shook her head and fiddled with the edge of her dress, trying her best to get her shit together before Dallas realized just how screwed-up she was. Because what sane woman would open herself up to this kind of hurt again? What sane woman would take a bite of that apple and not want to keep it forever?

Especially one with the kind of secrets she had. Secrets that could destroy whatever this was that she was too foolish to stop.

So, Vivian did what she was good at. She cleared her mind, pushed all that stuff into a corner she'd visit later when she was alone, and turned to face Dallas.

"Thanks," she said lightly. "That was good."

He'd pulled on his jeans, though they were undone. His abs and chest still gleamed with sweat, his arms loose at his sides.

"Good?" An eyebrow shot up, and though a lazy smile spread across his face, his eyes were unreadable.

That made her nervous. Dallas Henhawk had a way of seeing beneath the surface. She needed to leave. Now. She forced a smile.

"It's been so long, Dal, I don't have anything to compare it to." She headed for the door. She almost made it free and clear when his voice rang into the darkness.

"I'll see you around, Duchess."

She bit her tongue, and though she wanted to run, Vivian managed to walk to the truck like a normal person. Only when she was clear of Dallas's place did she let the tears flow. They came hot and furious, and they stung like hell.

Vivian had just done something she swore she'd never do again. She'd just put her heart on the line. On what planet could she be with Dallas if there were no strings? Hell, the invisible string that bound them together all those years ago was still there. It might be weak. But it was there. And this time, she wasn't so sure she'd survive if things went south. Because this time, there was more to lose than just her heart.

"What the hell have you gotten yourself into?" she whispered into the dark.

There was no answer, of course. Just more tears.