Chapter 54

54

DAPHNE

S terling held me close, the masculine scent of his cologne enveloping me as he led me gracefully around the dance floor. I relaxed into his arms, still amazed at how perfectly I fit against him. My eyes closed as I rested my head against his strong chest, intent on just relishing the moment while it lasted.

"I'm glad you're here," he murmured, his arm banding tighter around my waist. "I wasn't expecting you to be."

"I came with Eric," I explained. "He got a few offers from women back when the date was first announced, but he didn't want to accept any of them, so he told everyone he was bringing me instead. Mom was thrilled since it meant I could keep an eye on the proceedings tonight at the same time."

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "That sounds about right. How was the drive over?"

"Awkward, but good," I replied, tilting my head back to look into his eyes. "I told him to back off and get over it."

Sterling's eyebrows inched up. "How did he take it?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. We got here before he could say much of anything, but I think the message went through. He knows now that I won't have him making my decisions for me."

"That doesn't mean he's going to accept them." He exhaled heavily as he navigated us around the crowded dance floor, not once easing his grip on me.

I held his gaze intently. "It doesn't matter what he accepts. He doesn't ask my permission to date someone and I don't expect him to. The least he can do is extend the same courtesy to me."

"That seems fair, but I don't blame him for being protective of you. I haven't exactly always been a model boyfriend."

"Neither has he," I said, lowering my head back down to his chest.

With the steady beat of his heart against my ear, I allowed my eyes to flutter closed once more. One song melted into another, and we stayed on the dance floor until finally, dinner was served. He released me reluctantly, but when we checked the seating chart, we found out we were at the same table.

With Rachel and Jake—and Eric. Some others were with us too, Cameron Adams with his girlfriend and a couple more people who used to be on the football team. Thankfully, they carried the conversation at dinner, not even picking up on the tension between Eric and Sterling.

I was seated between them, and I felt the glares my brother was sending at us as he tore into his dry chicken. Sterling chatted to the others while Eric glowered, and Jake and Rachel seemed to be torn between joining the conversation and trying to appease my brother.

Dinner felt like it lasted an age, but when it was done, it didn't take long at all for people to start mingling once more. The Garrisons took off to go home, but not before Rachel gave me a tight squeeze. "You guys looked good together on the dance floor before. Get his ass back out there and don't let your brother stop you from doing whatever it is you want to do tonight."

I nodded against her hair and smiled as I released her. "I'm going to do my best. Bye, babe. Give Lizzy a kiss from me."

"Will do," she promised, sliding her hand into Jake's and leading him to the exit.

Once they were gone, I looked around for Eric, but he'd practically run to the bar and Sterling came to stand next to me. Those dark eyes blazed into mine when I looked up at him. "Would you like to dance some more, or should we just get out of here?"

"Let's get out here," I said without even giving it a second thought. "As long as you're sure you're ready to leave?"

"I came. I mingled. I'm done." He slid his hand into mine and held it firmly. "There's no one here that I'd rather spend time with than you. Do you want to go tell Eric that we're leaving?"

My heart skipped a beat. Sterling was willing to leave the reunion he'd come home for, for me. To spend time with me . I nearly swooned, but I managed to smile up at him. "Have you always been such a smooth talker?"

He winked. "It's one of the things I do best with my mouth."

Heat raced through me, making my breasts feel heavy and everything south of my hips ache, but I shook it off as I glanced at my brother at the bar. He'd struck up a conversation with a cute little blonde and I shook my head as I looked back at Sterling.

"I'll text him. At this point, I think it's better if I just get out of his hair. The formalities are done, so I can tell my mom that it went well and leave him to enjoy the party."

He nodded, and it was a welcome change when he started leading me to the door without arguing that I should at least go talk to my brother. "He's going to think that I'm just taking you home to have sex with you."

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing?" I asked playfully, wishing I had at least one demure bone in my body.

Sterling didn't seem to mind, though. He chuckled and tightened his fingers around mine as we reached the exit. "Actually, I was thinking we could just go for a drive and see where the night takes us, but I wouldn't complain if you just wanted me to take you home."

"A drive sounds nice," I said.

Someone called his name as we left, but neither of us even turned to find out who it had been. Sterling only seemed to have eyes for me, and he grinned as the doors swung shut behind us. "A drive does sound nice, but does it sound nicer than going to bed?"

"Never," I joked, relishing the heat of him so close to my side and that spicy scent of his cologne on every breath I took. "What about Fiona, though? She seemed pretty angry at you while you guys were dancing?"

He groaned. "This again? She was angry with me, Daph, but she was angry because I told her that I didn't want to give our relationship another shot. She was never right for me, and deep down, I think she knows I'm not right for her either, but she just got divorced and I suspect she was just after something familiar and comfortable."

As we walked into the cool night air, I felt bad for her for the first time in my life. "Is she still moving to New York?"

"I doubt it, but I don't know and I don't care. I don't hold the keys to the city, so I can't keep her out. If that job offer is as good as she's been saying it is and she takes it, it has nothing to do with me and she knows that now."

"Would you see her?" I asked quietly, hating myself for the jealousy that flashed through me when I thought about the two of them going out for drinks or dinner at some ritzy, big-city restaurant with romantic lighting and people proposing all around.

God, I've watched too many rom-coms.

We'd reached the old farm truck and he opened the passenger door for me, helping me in and then sliding both of his hands onto my thighs before I could turn. His eyes locked on mine, intensity coming off him in waves as he held my gaze.

"I can't promise that I won't run into her if she does move. I can't promise that she won't reach out to me or even that we might end up having drinks at the same place, but I need you to hear me when I tell you that I do not want her, Daph. All I want is you."

My heart stammered in my chest. As I looked into his eyes, I really believed him, and I reached out, lacing my fingers together at the nape of his neck and drawing him to me. His lips brushed against mine in a gentle kiss and I moaned, closing my eyes as the whiskey and mint taste of him infused my senses.

"Let's go to my place," I murmured into the kiss. "We can take a drive tomorrow."

"Can't argue with that." He lingered for a moment before he groaned and pushed himself away, shutting my door before jogging around to his own.

Climbing in, he turned over the engine and reached for my hand, holding it all the way to my house and only letting go for the time it took to get out of the truck. He took it again as I let us in, spinning me into him as soon as my front door shut behind us.

He didn't kiss me immediately, though. I tilted my head back, my hands on his chest, and we stared at each other. He slid his arms around my hips and brought his forehead down to mine, breathing in for a minute before he finally slanted his lips over mine.

My fingers curled into his shirt, my thoughts scattering from the feel of his soft lips against my own juxtaposed with the hardness of his body as he pressed into me. Walking us back, I led him to my bedroom, praying that my brother wouldn't barge in on us again tomorrow morning.

Sterling groaned when I pushed his jacket off his shoulders, my fingers making quick work of the buttons on his shirt. He reached for my back, cursing when he felt the hard nubs of all the buttons holding my dress in place.

"Damn it. This thing is going to take way too long to get off," he murmured against my lips as I slid his shirt off.

Smiling, I broke the kiss and strode over to my dresser. Even though it was dark in my room, I found what I'd been looking for fast enough. I walked back to him, smacking the scissors into his open palm. "Cut it off."

His eyebrows lifted. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly." I gave him my back, a shiver of anticipation running through me as he sliced carefully through the fabric. "I've always wanted to have someone do that because they just wanted me too bad to wait."

He pushed the dress past my hips, grabbing my hand and spinning me around again when it hit the floor. As I landed against him, he picked me up and carried me to my bed, then jumped in with me.

"Happy to oblige," he murmured. His hands started tearing at my panties. "I want you bad enough to do a lot more than that."

As he said it, he rolled his hips against mine and I moaned at the rock-hard bulge grinding against my sensitive core. Winding my legs around him, I reached for the waistband of his slacks. Whenever I was with him like this, I tended to lose track of all logical thought and reasoning, and it was no different tonight.

I gave myself to him wholeheartedly and without reservation, despite knowing that he would be gone soon. We got each other naked within seconds, and then he slowed us right down, kissing me everywhere and sliding his hand between my legs when I couldn't wait any longer.

As he pushed his fingers into me, a keening cry left my lips and my hips came off the bed. "More. I need more."

He smiled, his head hovering right above mine. He dragged his thumb across my clit. "Anything, Daph. I'd give you anything."

Sparks of pleasure shot through me and I moaned. Kissing him, I rode his hand. I'd never been so brazen with anyone before, but he wasn't just anyone and he made me feel free to chase whatever I needed to get to where I wanted to go.

Watching me closely, he gave me exactly what I needed and I came apart around his fingers, the orgasm powerful but only leaving me wanting more. I was always like this with him. Insatiable. It was never over for me until I'd felt him lose it deep, deep inside my body. I reached for him, waiting impatiently as he rolled on a condom. Then he positioned himself between my legs.

Looking deep into my eyes, he pushed into me, his brow furrowing and his lids slamming shut. I wrapped my legs around him, feeling like I was bringing him home. In that moment, it felt impossible to believe that he was leaving and even more impossible to imagine letting him go.