Evin's Fight (Southern Charmers Book 3)

by Ahren Sanders

  Her honesty hits hard, and I crush my mouth to hers. “Mine,” I growl against her lips.

  She smiles, her hands framing my face. “I’m really glad to hear you say that.”

  I cup the back of her head, threading my fingers through her hair. “I’m adding brave to the ever-growing list of things that make me crazy about you.”

  “I don’t think of myself as brave.”

  “Twenty-one years old and all alone in the world, leaving everything you knew behind. That’s bravery.”

  “My friends were incredible, and once I got to Paris, Ryanne adopted me instantly. Dante came into my life later at an audition. I’ve never once felt alone.”

  “Now you have me.” His smile grows wider.

  “Now I have you, and you come with a gang.”

  “A gang which already adores you. I’m half tempted to blow off the wedding and keep you to myself.”

  “Do you want Annie to hate me? Scottie sent me the weekend itinerary with explicit instructions that my attendance is mandatory.”

  “That is exactly why I want to steal you away. Those asses are going to hijack your time.”

  She leans back, her eyes lit with humor. “Well then, it’s a good thing I changed my schedule to add a few extra days.”

  My grip on her head tightens. “How long can you stay?”

  “I’ll be there a week. Scottie is a terrific partner in crime. He got my flights arranged so I get the most out of my time in Charleston.”

  “What about work?”

  “I’ve had years of helping the other dancers. They had no problem stepping in and covering me.”

  I stare at her, trying to find the words to express how much this pleases me. It makes me a selfish asshole, but I wasn’t kidding about sharing her that weekend. She takes my silence the wrong way, her radiant glow fading and self-doubt forming on her face. “Maybe I should have talked to you first. If you think it’s too much—”

  “No matter how much time you have with me, it’ll never be enough. I’ll take whatever you can give me.”

  “If you’re busy with work, I can entertain myself.”

  “How many people know you're staying over?”

  Her eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “What?”

  “Scottie has a big mouth and tends to share things. Did he share your plans with anyone?”

  “I don’t think so. He knows it was a surprise.”

  “If you talk to him before I do, tell him to keep it to himself. I’ll deal with the weekend, but when we get back to Charleston, you’re all mine.”

  “I hope you don’t tire of me.”

  “Never in this lifetime.”

  “We just met, but do you feel like…” she pauses, the same hesitancy taking over.

  “… like the woman I’ve been waiting for all my life is sitting on my lap?” I finish for her.

  “It doesn’t seem fair that I’ve waited so long and you’re leaving.”

  “We’ll figure things out. This is uncharted territory for me, too. I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not letting you go.”

  She sighs wistfully, her hands curling around my neck. “When you say things like that, it makes me think we have a chance.”

  “A chance for what?”

  “For us to make it. Vegas odds are not in our favor. And tonight I flew off the handle, ruining everything.”

  “You ruined nothing. It’s understandable your history with men left you scarred.”

  She drags her lip through her teeth, regarding me. “You were right earlier. My instincts sent me into fight-or-flight mode. Not because Isaac scarred me. After the initial shock, I realized he wasn’t that special to me. He cheated, and I gathered my wits, moving on. But seeing that text from a woman waiting for you at home sent me spiraling. Isaac cheating stung, but thinking of you with another woman was devastating.”

  My pulse pounds, hearing her confession and knowing the doubt is out there. I pull my phone from my pocket, scrolling to find the message, and offer it to her.

  She scans over the screen, her eyes growing wide.

  “Sucks that I had to bring her back into this, but you need to understand. Look at the time and date stamp.”

  “Friday night at five-thirty-four.”

  “Exactly three minutes after you strolled your gorgeous ass in that bar and caught my eye.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “Yeah, I knew it then. I didn’t think twice about the Vegas odds or women back in Charleston. My sole focus became you. I asked you that first morning to give me these days to see what could happen between us. What I didn’t tell you was that my mind was made up. One night was enough for me to know. No hesitation, no games, no bullshit.

  “I’ve never strayed because I’m not that kind of man. No matter how many Rinas are in the world, no one stands a chance. You can trust me not to ever damage what we have. I’m smart enough to appreciate the perfection that is you and will fight like hell for a lifetime of it.”

  Tears slide down her cheeks, but unlike before, her hazel eyes are glowing. She sucks in a shaky breath and places her forehead to mine. “One night was enough for me, too. It’s crazy, impulsive, and unbelievably fast, but I’m falling head over heels for you, Evin Graham.”

  My heart rate picks up, my blood racing through my veins. “Means the world to me to hear you say that, baby. And since we’re in the sharing mood, I have a confession to make.” My hand finds hers and twists the ring on her finger. “This ring was a lot more than a birthday present. It’s a sign of my commitment to you.”

  Her eyes now bulge and drop to our hands. “You bought me a promise ring twelve hours after meeting me?”

  “I’m not a teenage boy dating the prettiest girl in high school, but the meaning is the same.”

  “That’s insane! We’d only shared a few kisses.”

  “One night. No hesitation, no games, no bullshit,” I repeat. “You’re not a man, so you’ll never understand the power of your kiss. The taste of heaven. I knew to appreciate what I had in my arms.”

  “You know how to make a statement.”

  I want to correct her. Tell her it would make me a lot happier if it was on her ring finger to make the statement I intended.

  But I’ll keep that to myself for now.

  She’ll know soon enough.

  Chapter 10

  Evin

  I grunt when Poppy’s thigh slides higher, her knee grazing my cock. “Baby, you restless?”

  “Not exactly,” she whispers, skimming her nails down my stomach.

  “You have to stop.”

  “I don’t want to stop.” Her hand slips under my waistband, and I hiss when her fingers scale along my dick.

  “Poppy,” I warn.

  She grips me tighter, pressing her weight to my side. “I’m not stopping. Tonight the man of my dreams told me he was crazy about me, gave me a promise ring, and told me he’s aiming for a lifetime together. I may not have had sex, but I’m not completely inexperienced. This is the kind of night that ends with more than fantastic kisses before falling asleep.”

  I bite my tongue when her thumb grazes over my crown, circling gently. “It’s not nice to torture a man.” She strokes a few times, my control slipping as the blood rushes south. Her lips move to my neck at the same time she rolls completely on top of me, straddling my hips. “You can lay there and let me play.”

  At the word ‘play’, my already throbbing cock lurches in her hand. She grinds down, and the heat of her pussy seeps through the thin material of my shorts. I twist, turning on the light, and my heart stops. She’s sitting astride me in nothing but her tiny tank top.

  “Baby, where are your shorts?”

  “I got hot.”

  How the hell did I miss her taking off her shorts?

  “I’m still hot, burning up actually.” She releases me and in a swift move, tears the tank off.

  “Poppy, you’re not playing fair here.”

  Her eyes l
ock with mine, the beautiful hazel now a deep shade of blue, scorching with need. “I’ve played fair for days and it was time to get your attention.”

  My gaze roams over her body, memorizing every curve. Her naked body, tight and firm, but with curves in all the right places. It’s beyond anything in my imagination. I lick my lips, my tongue begging to taste every inch of her skin. “You’ve had all of my attention.”

  “I may have your mental attention, but I want your physical attention, too.” Her hand goes back in my shorts and wraps around my dick.

  “Baby, you know everything you do makes me hard.”

  “So you’ve told me. It’s time to do something about it.”

  “I do something about it every morning in the shower, jacking off to the thought of you in that bikini.”

  Excitement and satisfaction cross her face as she strokes. “That’s my kind of image.”

  Her soft palm grips me harder, picking up speed. I close my eyes and try to find the will to shut this down. The vision of her creamy skin, her hard nipples, the glistening of the jewel in her navel are all burned in my eyelids.

  “Evin?”

  My eyes fly open at the rasp in her voice.

  “I love you want to be patient and know you won’t make love to me tonight. But I won’t break. It’s time to let go of that ironclad control.”

  In a flash, she’s on her back, pinned under me, and my shorts gone. “My self-control is overpowered with you. I don’t stand a chance.”

  Triumph beams in her expression.

  “You set the boundaries, Poppy. Tell me what you want.”

  Her fingers sift through my hair, and she brings her mouth to mine. “There are no boundaries. I trust you—with everything.”

  A throaty growl sounds from deep in my chest. “Jesus, you don’t know how much that means.”

  “Show me.”

  My lips brush over hers, kissing along her jawline and down her neck. When they reach her chest, I lick lightly around her hardened nipple before sucking it into my mouth. Her legs lock around my waist and she arches up, grinding her heat along my cock.

  Electric pulses race up my spine, shooting through my veins. I shift my weight and skim my fingertips over the slope of her torso, twirling her piercing once before sliding my hand down between us. My fingers glide along her slickness and she whimpers at the first contact.

  “Shit, you’re soaked.”

  “I know, for six nights, I’ve slept next to you shirtless with your perfectly sculpted body wrapped around me. It was its own form of torture. You aren’t the only one that wakes up turned on.” There’s an undeniable hunger in her eyes and need in her voice that drives me crazy.

  I slip a finger inside, grazing my thumb over her clit. Her head rolls back at the same time she loosens her legs, giving me room. My finger twists inside her and I slowly add another.

  “Tight, slick, hot, your pussy feels like silk against my fingers.”

  I lean in, using the tip of my tongue to trace the script on her ribcage and curve of her breastbone. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” I say before sucking her nipple back into my mouth.

  My fingers work inside her gently, giving her time to adjust and testing how far she can take them. I know I’ve hit the right spot when she squirms, letting out an appreciative moan. I lick the pebbled flesh once more, raising my face to watch.

  She’s softly panting, her eyes burning with hunger and locked on mine. I pick up speed, my thumb circling back over her clit. The walls of her pussy clench tight as her hips grind.

  “Come for me.”

  “Not yet. I want you…” She trails off, pressing her lips together, and struggling to hold back.

  “I’ll get my shot, baby. But right now, I need to feel and see you come apart against my fingers so I can finally get a taste of you.”

  Her eyes close and back arcs off the bed, driving herself down hard and taking my fingers as deep as possible.

  “Evin!” She bucks, coming apart.

  My cock throbs against her thigh and my balls grow heavy at the sight below. This woman doesn’t even have to touch me to push the limits of my self-restraint. Savage desire to drive into her and feel that heat coating my dick as she takes all of me threatens to explode.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck, hold it together. Take it slow.

  Sweat slides down my neck and back, my body strung tight. Her muscles convulse again and the control snaps.

  In a flash, her thighs are spread wide, pressed to the mattress, and my mouth is on her. The second my tongue dives in, I growl. Primal possession sears through my bloodstream and takes over. I devour her roughly, unable to get enough. My hands slide under her ass, adjusting for better access.

  She wriggles helplessly, her whimpers getting louder.

  My mouth is consumed with touching everywhere. The muscles in her thighs flex, trembling as they hook around my shoulders. I pull back enough to suck her clit in my mouth, flicking it over and over with my tongue.

  “Please, oh God, oh God, again…” she begs shamelessly and I gladly indulge.

  Her body reacts instantly, her pelvis thrusting wildly.

  My eyes rake up her body, and my dick lurches again. Every inch of her skin is flushed, her head pressed deep into the pillows, her hands gripping the sheets. My thumb moves to her slickness, caressing lightly.

  She flies off the bed, one hand clutching my head, the other to brace on my back as she cries my name.

  A rush of satisfaction shoots to my chest and I keep going, hungry for more. My tongue darts back inside her, licking everywhere.

  “I can’t… too much…” Her nails dig into my back and scalp.

  Tremors rock her body as her pleas turn to murmurs and she’s coming again. I force myself away, catching her before she falls and twisting us to my back. She collapses limply, her chest heaving. My arms secure her protectively and guilt slams into me.

  “Fuck, baby. I lost my goddamned mind.”

  She doesn’t move, her breathing slowing with each pant.

  “Poppy? Sweetheart?”

  Her hands go to my ribcage, and she knifes up, her face glowing. “I’m okay, Evin. I’m not that fragile.”

  Relief fills me at the same time my universe shifts. Her rainbow hair is wild, her eyes bright blue, and the smile on her face strikes straight to my heart.

  She braces on my stomach, slipping down and curling her hand around my dick. “Now it’s my turn.”

  “It won’t take long, baby. My cock is jealous and pissed.”

  “Didn’t know it had emotions.” She grins smugly.

  “It didn’t until you.”

  Her soft hand caresses my length and she holds my eyes. “This may not be exactly what you’re used to—”

  “Don’t,” I cut her off. “Don’t ever fucking go there. For me, my brain annihilated anything before you. You want to sit there all night with your hand around my dick while I have the taste of your pussy on my lips, go for it. Your taste fades, I have no problem going back for more. But warning you again, it will not take that long.”

  Her eyes heat to a deeper blue as her tongue slowly trails over her lip. She tightens her grip, stroking faster, at the same time swiveling her hips.

  “Dammit,” I curse, her dripping heat coating my balls.

  “Hmmm?”

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Your drip—” A low hiss rolls through me when she does it again, this time pivoting to slide up and down.

  “You set the boundaries, Evin. Tell me what you want.” Her voice husky as she repeats my words from earlier.

  I grind my teeth, clutching her thighs. The innocence disappears, a bold vixen locking into place.

  “Maybe I should ask if you’re okay?”

  There’s no missing the teasing in her question. She may claim inexperience, but she knows exactly what she’s doing. I reach out, circling a nipple before pulling it between my fingers and pinching l
ightly. The heat in her eyes flames and the hunger I recognize reappears, sending a message straight to my dick.

  Fuck! She’s ready to go again. I do the same to the other side, repeating over and over until she’s breathing hard.

  My eyes drop to her hand and my heart thunders. The first glance at her naked body burned into my brain, but this is burned into my soul. I was a madman earlier, too focused on getting a taste, and not taking the time to fully appreciate the vision. Now, everything is different. Her sliding on my cock while expertly working my dick, the pink scratches covering her thigh to thigh from my scruff, the determination in her eyes.

  The primal possession turns brutal. I crunch up, my mouth going to her nipple while my fingers strum her clit.

  She arches into me, her hand cupping my balls and rolling them gently. The searing pleasure is too much and I increase my pressure, thrusting into her palm.

  That’s all it takes and I explode on a growl, latching tightly to her nipple, and faintly hearing her cries over the ringing in my ears.

  Warm liquid shoots to my stomach and chest, her hand slowing until she sinks into me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

  We stay like this until I can catch my breath and lift my mouth below her ear.

  “Swear to God, one touch and my self-control shattered.”

  She smiles against my neck. “Finally.”

  Poppy stirs, her eyelashes fluttering against my skin. I kiss along her temple, soaking in the feel of her naked body tangled with mine. A heavy weight settles in my gut knowing these are our last few minutes in this bed.

  A little over a week ago, I flew into this city indifferent, untouchable, and satisfied with my bachelor lifestyle. Lives were changing all around me with marriages and babies, but it didn’t affect my views. Rina was one of many women that unsuccessfully tried to take things further. The thought of commitment was foreign, and the idea of settling down was far-fetched. I had no damn clue how quickly my perspective could change.

  Now, I want it all. Everything my friends and family have makes sense.

  Fuck me if I have any clue how to make that happen. Poppy mentioned her contracts are reviewed each year before renewal, but she’d never had a problem. Against the odds and having no family support at her back, she chased her dream.