I pull into the parking lot between Sloan’s building and the Spirit of Hops, the engine purring softly as I bring the car to a stop. The movie in the park was a hit, the entire date having gone better than I could have planned. Laughter, popcorn—more thrown than eaten—and stolen glances made the evening feel like something out of a cheesy romantic comedy. And I’m not complaining.
Sloan unbuckles her seatbelt, ready to hop out of the car, but I tell her to stay before she can even make a move. I quickly unbuckle and maneuver around the front of the car, feeling a slight adrenaline rush as I open the door for her and offer my hand. She turns to me with those piercing blue eyes, a mixture of surprise and curiosity dancing within them.
“Allow me,” I say with a grin, inviting her to take my offered hand. Sloan stares at me, her eyes widening as though she’s witnessing a miracle. Her gaze shifts from my face to my outstretched hand and back again.
She stares at me for a moment, as if trying to process this unexpected act of chivalry. I can almost see the thoughts swirling in her mind, questioning if I’m for real or just playing a role, messing with her again. But there’s something about her, something genuine and captivating, that makes me want to be the best version of myself. So I keep that smirk on my face, waiting patiently for her to accept my offer.
“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
I meet her gaze unwaveringly, my heart pounding with a mix of nervousness and hope. “I’m being a gentleman,” I reply, my tone laced with amusement. “And perhaps… maybe a little bit more.”
A blush creeps onto her cheeks, and she hesitates for a moment before reaching out and slipping her hand into mine. The simple act sends a jolt of electricity through me, as though our connection is both fragile and profound. With my help, she steps out of the car, her fingers entwined with mine, and we stand in the parking lot, suspended in the moment. I close the door behind her, savoring the soft brush of her skin against mine. It feels natural, as if we’ve been doing this forever.
I guide her to the back door of her building, our steps in sync. There’s a comfortable silence between us that speaks volumes without needing words. The lights in the lot cast a warm glow around us, as though the universe itself is conspiring to create the perfect setting for this pivotal moment. When we reach the door to her apartment up the back stairs, I lean against the landing wall, facing her. Her eyes meet mine, and I can see a mixture of desire and uncertainty flickering in them.
I brush a strand of her rainbow hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Thank you for tonight,” I say softly, my voice filled with genuine gratitude.
Sloan’s lips curve into a smile, and she replies, “The pleasure was all mine.”
I’m not sure who moves first, but we both lean in, our lips meeting in a tender, sweet kiss. It’s a kiss that speaks of unspoken promises and a shared desire for something more. Time seems to stand still as we lose ourselves in each other, the world fading away until there’s nothing but the taste of her on my lips and the feeling of her in my arms.
Reluctantly, I pull away, my breath coming in short pants as I try to steady myself. The desire to take things further, to let our passion consume us, is undeniable. But I don’t want to rush her. I know she’s been through a breakup, not to mention her entire life getting turned upside down inheriting the bar, and I don’t want to push her into something she’s not ready for.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask, my voice filled with concern. “I don’t want to pressure you into anything. We can take things slow.”
Sloan looks at me, her gaze filled with determination and a hint of mischief. “Kendric,” she says, her voice tinged with playful exasperation, “I feel absolutely nothing for that asshat ex of mine. He was a prick, and I want this. I want you.”
Her words hit me like a revelation, and a surge of joy bubbles up inside me. It’s as if a weight has been lifted, and I find myself smiling uncontrollably. “Okay,” I reply, my voice filled with relief and excitement. “If you’re sure, then I’m all in. Just know that I could see myself falling for you, Sloan. And I don’t want to screw anything up.”
She grins, her eyes sparkling with mischief and desire. “Trust me, Kendric, I’m more than capable of handling you.”
Laughter bubbles up between us, breaking the tension and filling the air with a lightness that I can’t help but savor. We step closer to each other, the magnetic pull between us growing stronger with every passing second. As I wrap my arms around her, I can feel the warmth of her body against mine. This undeniable chemistry ignites whenever we’re together, flaring bright once again.
I lean in, my lips gently pressing against hers, the taste of possibility lingering in the air. It’s a kiss filled with promise, a promise that this could be more than just a fleeting romance, a promise of so much more than just tonight. She steps closer, her body melting against mine, and she’s a perfect fit, as if she was designed to fit against me.
All hesitation dissipates in that moment. We stumble into her apartment; the door closing behind us, sealing our fate as the night unfolds with passionate intensity. The world outside fades away, leaving only the two of us entwined in a dance of desire and connection. We continue to make out like teenagers, hands roaming and groping as we fumble further into her apartment, kicking shoes off as we go. At some point, we collide with the back of her couch, both of us nearly toppling over onto the cushions. While I may be totally on board for that development, Sloan breaks our kiss, head thrown back in a deep, unrestrained laugh as she clings to my shirt to keep from falling.
I’ve had so few occasions to hear her true laugh since she moved here, and in this moment, I resolve to hear it every chance I get. “I could listen to that laugh forever, Kitten,” I say, pressing another kiss to her jaw, trailing my lips down to the hollow of her throat.
“As much as I fully support where your mind is going, I think we should get out of some of these clothes and, like, actually get to my bed? I have a strict ‘no ball sacks on the couch’ policy,” she says with a saucy grin as she wiggles from my hold.
“Oh, Sloan, sorry to break it to you, but I will absolutely be breaking that rule. Many, many times. I fully intend to bend you over the arm and fuck you till you forget your own name,” I say, letting all the heat and need racing through me seep into my voice as I lean in for another kiss. “I’ll let you have your rule for tonight, though.”
She throws her head back again, rolling her eyes at me as I shrug out of my overshirt and toss it carelessly over the back of the couch.
“You laugh, Kitten, but I’m serious about taking you on every goddamn surface of this apartment. And mine,” I all but growl, my voice dropping even further than usual as I pin her with a smoldering look.
“Put that smolder away, Mr. Tie-Me-Up-Tie-Me-Down. I need to lock up quick. Meet me in there?” she says, pushing against my chest to wiggle past me before disappearing out the front door, presumably to lock the outside door at the bottom of the back stairs.
“Tie you up and tie you down? Oh, we can make that happen,” I call after her, a laugh rolling from deep in my chest as I hear her steps thundering back up the stairs again already. She bursts back into the apartment, her eyes bright and chest heaving from exertion, as she quickly throws the lock on the apartment door and sends me a teasing smirk before darting into her bedroom.
Oh, the kitten wants to play? I can absolutely get on board with that. Wanting to make her wait and build the anticipation, I go to her kitchen and rummage through a couple of cupboards until I find what I’m after. The rest of our Agave of the Gods bottle and two glasses. After pouring each of us a healthy drink, I head into Sloan’s bedroom and find her just as I expected, kneeling in the center of her bed, clad only in her lacy bra and jeans, one hand between her legs and the other teasing one of her nipples through the thin fabric. Her long rainbow-colored hair is swept over one shoulder, highlighting the graceful curve of her neck. Her brightly colored tattoos curl up both arms and onto the backs of her hands. I haven’t had a chance to get close enough to inspect the pieces, but anyone can see its quality work. She is all sharp angles and hollows from her knees to her cheekbones. She’s tall and lean, and I don’t think she has an ounce of jiggle on her. Even her tits are small, firm, and perky. Perfect.
Taking in the sight before me, I lean back against the wall, watching her continue to play with herself as I take a slow sip of my drink.
“You found booze?” she asks, giving a surprisingly awkward and shy laugh despite the brazen way her fingers are still moving over her body. Without answering, I lean forward and hand her the other glass, clinking mine against it before stepping back again. I settle back against the wall again to watch the show. Still, I can see the nerves quickly taking hold of her, her movements slowing and her expression shuttering as she settles back onto her heels.
A need to ease those nerves, to bring her into this moment with me overtakes me, and I lean forward, bracing one knee on the bed, and place my glass on the nightstand. The bed dips under my weight, and she looks up to meet my gaze, her blue eyes wide and questioning. Seeing no resistance from her, I crawl forward until my hands are braced on either side of her hips, my nose barely brushing hers. “You with me, Kitten?” I whisper, eyes blazing.
At the challenge in my voice, something shifts in her eyes. The hesitance is replaced with eagerness and a smoldering heat as her body sways toward me. Instead of the nod or affirmative words I was expecting, my name escapes her lips on a whimper. And fuck, if that isn’t the sweetest, hottest thing she could do in that moment.
With a growl, I capture her lips in a fierce kiss. She melts into me, her lips yielding to mine with a little moan. Pressing closer, I swipe my tongue across the seam of her lips, begging entry. She parts for me with a sigh, and I take full advantage, diving into her mouth eagerly. My hands tangle in the silken fall of her hair, and I press her into the mattress as our tongues tangle. Sloan meets me touch for touch, taste for taste, our legs tangled together as her hands clutch me to her. I lose myself in her kiss, her taste, and the way her hips begin to seek mine.
The feel of her fingers skimming down my spine sets my muscles rippling under her touch. I drop my head to her neck and place open-mouthed kisses along the column of her throat, down to her collarbone. Sloan gasps and pulls me closer, her hands sliding under the hem of my shirt as she leans her head to the side, submitting to my attention. The contact of her skin on mine sends a bolt of need through me as I nip along the ridge of her collarbone, swirling my tongue and sucking at the hollow there. She lets out little mewling noises, living up to her pet name, as her hips grind up into me and her back arches, pressing her breasts into the solid wall of my chest.
Shifting my weight to the side, I trace a hand down her side, my fingertips brushing the swell of her best as I skim over her ribs and along the soft tuck of her waist. When I reach the waistband of her jeans, I lightly drag my knuckles across the soft skin of her stomach, loving the breathy moan the gentle contact pulls from her.
The need to feel her and the desire to savor every inch of her softness rage within me as I flatten my palm against the expanse of her stomach. She writhes under my touch, the muscles of her abdomen rippling under my touch. My need to discover her wins out as I slide my hand higher, pushing the cup of her bra out of my way as I brush my hand across her breast. My palm grazes her taught nipple, skimming small circles over it for a moment before I close my hand fully over her, kneading the soft flesh. The perfect damn handful, firm and yielding. I swallow her keening moan as she arches into me, my tongue sweeping into her mouth and tangling with hers again.
Her legs spread beneath me, and I settle between them, fitting myself against her and letting her feel her effect on me as I grind my aching cock against her center through our jeans. Moving back to her neck, I nip and suck at the hollow where her shoulder meets her neck as I take her nipple between my thumb and forefinger and roll it lightly. Her fingers dig into my shoulder, and she cries out, again arching into me.
Unable to play nice any longer, I kneel over her, quickly reaching behind to unclasp her bra. Thankfully, she is in the same rush and sits up enough to pull the offending fabric off her shoulders, flinging it blindly behind me. We collapse back down, and I angle myself to land with her nipple in my mouth. She pants my name as my lips close around her, and my cock throbs against its confines at the sound. I could die a happy man if the last thing I ever heard was my name falling from her lips in that breathless, broken voice. Swirling my tongue around the taut peak, I moan as she clutches me tighter, her nails adding a sharpness to her urgency.
“So responsive, Kitten,” I murmur against her skin, then capture her nipple again, rolling it between my teeth. Sloan’s thighs are wrapped around me, her ankles crossed against my lower back, trembling under my ministrations. With that realization, I’m desperate to see if I can make her come just from this. Switching breasts, I take her other nipple into my mouth as my fingers tease and tug at the one my lips just vacated. She groans and bucks her hips against me again, seeking contact, seeking friction to ease the ache building in her. Dropping my hips more firmly against her, I grind my cock against her entrance, pressing the straining bulge in my jeans against where she needs me most.
“Kendric, god, please. More. I need more,” she pants, her hands slipping from my back and into my hair, both clutching me to her and trying to pull me away, unable to decide which she wants. Releasing her breast, I lean up over her and kiss her before sitting back up and pulling my shirt over my head. The heated, appreciative look on her face as she takes in the sight of my bare chest makes me puff up in ridiculous masculine pride.
“Like what you see?” I ask with a cocky grin.
“You know I do, you cocky asshole. Now get back here before your head gets any bigger,” she teases, grabbing for the waistband of my jeans.
With a laugh, I fall back down over her, bracing my arms on either side of her head. “Oh, I’ve got a big head for ya, Kitten,” I say, grinding my hips into her again. She tries to fight the moan as she rolls her eyes at my horrible attempt at humor.
“You’re doing a lot of talking for someone who still has pants on,” she sasses. I reach up and give one of her nipples a teasing flick. She gasps in mock horror at my action and I laugh at the reproachful look on her face.
“Just for that…” I say, flashing her an evil grin as I jump up from the bed, quickly unbutton her pants, and yank them down her luscious legs. My mind short circuits on what I find underneath; all I can think of are three words.
Black. Lace. Thong.
Fuck me. Sloan was made to wear lace. That perfect mix of sweet and sexy with the delicate fabric shining against her pale skin, setting off the intricate, brightly colored tattoo that curls up her thigh and onto her hip. I let out a growl as I take her in, palming myself through my jeans. She pushes up on her elbow, looking up at me with an intense, heated look. As I watch, her legs spread, knees falling open, giving me one hell of a view.
“Oh, game on, Sloan,” I growl, grasping both her ankles and tugging her down the bed, “Come here, Kitten.”