Chapter Eight

Dueling Heads and Rabbits

Gabe ran his hand down to the arc of her back and pressed her into his growing length. Lauren gasped. She gripped his face tighter, her teeth clashing into his. Her mouth tasted of peppermint and, at the moment, he loved peppermint. When he traced her lower lip with his tongue, she moaned. He delved in farther only to be stopped when she bit the tip of his tongue softly and teased it with hers. Another part of him stood at attention, pulsing, begging for her to do the same to it.

The way she touched him with her hands, her mouth, was erotically magical and driving him crazy. She had visited his sexual fantasies since the first day he laid eyes on her. But none of those dreams did justice to what he was currently experiencing.

Their lips still locked, he palmed her ass and lifted her off the ground. With a few quick strides, he had her back pressed against the brick wall of the townhouse. She wrapped her legs around him and dug her fingers into his scalp. He ground his need into her. Both moaned at the friction.

He cupped her chin with his free hand and traced her cheekbone as their tongues explored each other. Her muffled sounds of appreciation made his ache to be inside her much more intense. Lauren’s skin was soft, her mouth erotic, and she wanted him. It should be all he needed to know. But…

A distant voice in his head told him to stop.

He pulled back and looked down at her. She was panting and her cheeks were flushed, her mouth parted slightly. How could he stop? Not when she tasted so damn good. When she bit her lip, he went in for another serving. Gabe kissed her softly. Then again and again. The sweetness of her mouth combined with the way his very hard shaft felt rubbed up against her, made it impossible to listen to anything between his ears.

Gabe slid his fingers down the length of her slender neck, felt her pulse throb against his skin, and when he reached the top of the furry pink collar, he tugged on the zipper.

Lauren rested her forehead against his as the metal slowly inched down. Her chest rose and lowered with each breath. His mouth watered in anticipation of peeling the flannel clothes off her. Her cheeks stained red, lips swollen from their kissing, she was beautiful—even with puffy eyes.

The zipper almost to her breasts, Gabe stopped. The voice, AKA his conscience, now screamed at him like his drill sergeant used to. He stilled and listened to what it had to say.

She was hurting. It was the only reason she stood before him, wanting him.

The realization was like a glass of ice on his overheated body. His hard-on deflated. What the fuck was wrong with him?

With an exasperated sigh and profanities mumbled under his breath, Gabe pulled the zipper back up and tucked her hair behind her ear. Unwinding her legs, he planted Lauren on her feet. Her hands palmed his shoulders and felt their way over every dip and valley of his chest. He shuddered. God, those hands were magic.

Her breath blew against his mouth and he savored the taste of it. His hips stayed glued to hers. He bit her lip and tugged. “We can’t do this,” he mumbled, hoping she’d be strong enough to walk away so he wouldn’t have to.

She pulled her lower lip from his teeth and pressed her tongue on the sensitive spot behind his ear. The kiss went straight to his crotch and his cock inflated back to rock hard. His hands chose to listen to the head between his legs and cupped her flannel-covered breasts while he tried to ignore his brain.

“Why? Do you have an STD?” She ran a finger between his skin and the band of his boxers.

“No,” he gasped and kissed her.

She scratched into the patch of hair right below the waist. His ability to breathe ceased. When Lauren pulled her hand free, he considered dropping his shorts and begging her to go down farther. Before he had a chance to do so, she cupped his groin from the outside of the thin boxers.

Oh, God.

Gabe’s brain shut down. His eyes closed. He savored the pressure. In painfully slow motions, she traced the outline of his length while planting kisses along his neck. He imagined her mouth instead of her fingers peppering kisses below his navel. When she bit into his shoulder, he leaned his head back and growled.

“You’re obviously not suffering from erectile dysfunction.” Chuckling, she continued to stroke him.

His voice came out hoarse, “No. Never.”

She nipped at his lip and pulled. “Then?” Lauren mumbled while her fingers continued to play with the only part of him that mattered.

He opened his mouth to speak but decided kissing her was a much better use of his energy.

She’s not here because she wants you, dumbass. She’s using you to forget about the ex.

Damn voice.

Grabbing on to the brick wall, he dug his fingers into the hard surface and pulled his face away from hers. “It’s not a good idea,” Gabe choked out while he watched her magical hands move up and down his length.

“I think it’s a perfect idea.” With every stroke, she was shutting down coherent thought.

With strength he never knew he possessed, Gabe stepped back and pulled her hand off his crotch. She was using him and typically he didn’t care about those things. But this time, he did. Although his body protested, he focused on the hurt that flashed briefly across Lauren’s face before she turned away. Holding her chin, he turned her mouth to him and planted a long kiss on her.

“Why?” she whispered.

“Because I’m stupid.” He kissed her again. “And because having sex with you tonight would be me taking advantage of the situation.”

“What?” She stepped back. “I’m the one who came to you. That doesn’t make any sense.”

She pushed past him and walked toward her house. He followed close behind. How the hell was he supposed to explain to her something he himself couldn’t understand?

Physical.

No questions.

No expectations.

Nothing more.

This was all he ever wanted with women and, up until a few minutes ago, what he wanted with her. Now he was finally getting it, he couldn’t do it. “Look, I don’t understand it myself. But tell me something. If we have sex now, what happens in the morning?”

She paused, considering the question. “What?”

“In the morning, when you wake up and realize you had sex with me because you were upset about your ex showing up, what happens then?”

Realization flashed across her face. She shook her head and began to walk away. “Why do you care? I thought this was what you wanted. Apparently, I was wrong.”

He grabbed her hips from behind and pressed his erection into her. God she felt good. “Let’s be clear about something.”

She gasped. Lauren leaned back and rested her cheek against his.

“I want you.” He turned his mouth slightly and kissed the corner of hers. “There’s no question about that. And—” he planted a long kiss on her lips, “—when we do have sex, and we will…I want lots of it.” He rested his hand against her stomach while the other traced the side of her arm. He pressed his lips against hers and talked through the contact. “If you can tell me you won’t wake up tomorrow and regret this. That you’ll stick around for the sequels I have planned for us. Then I’ll have you on the grass naked in thirty seconds.”

He prayed he was wrong. Hoped her answer would surprise him.

Lauren closed her eyes. She pulled her face away and shook her head. “I can’t promise you that.”

He ignored the sting of her words and planted a final, chaste kiss on her cheek.

“Decision made. Tonight I’ll play the part of your friend and we’ll talk. Why don’t you go home and make me a cup of your fancy coffee while I lock up?”

She nodded and continued to her home. Gabe took in her ridiculous pink pajamas as she walked away. A large rabbit sat on each of her butt cheeks. He watched them rise and sink while the carrot in their hands waved at him with each step she took. For some reason, it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. “Pitiful,” he mumbled and adjusted himself. While his two heads warred with each other about his sanity, Gabe walked back to his house to put on some clothes and lock up.