by Sabrina York
If Logan was in Tibby’s claws all night, Hanna might not even want him back—him being all shredded and fondled and molested and all.
Amy nudged her and held up a red disc. “I got Mr. Red. The hottie with all the tats.” She grinned. “Who’d you get?”
Cody’s brilliant idea was to have the men wear bandanas that matched the discs the ladies pulled from the velvet bag. Brilliant. Except Tibby picked Logan right off the bat.
“I got Mr. Green.” Sidney scanned the ballroom until she spotted him and then she sniffed. Mr. Green was cute, with short, sandy blond hair and sexy bedroom eyes, but Sidney had noticed him rubbing himself all over one of Tibby’s friends, which was a definite turnoff.
Aside from that, he was shorter than her and not half as cute as Cody.
But none of them were.
Mr. Green sauntered over with a wicked grin on his face, then pulled her onto her feet and into his arms. All she was aware of was his heat, the scent of sweat on his body, and a mild roil of distaste.
She was hardly a prude, but this dude was half naked and groping her. And she hardly knew him. Not her favorite scenario.
But Cody was watching.
Intently.
His glare was bilious.
So she decided to play along. Just to be contrary.
Throughout the evening, she made it a point to smile and flutter her lashes and let her hand linger on Mr. Green’s bare forearm. The forearm thing seemed to really ruffle Cody’s feathers, so she did it again and again.
After a while, he stormed over and barked, “Can I speak with you?”
Sidney smiled at him, because that was just what she wanted. Oh yeah, she had some things to say to him all right. “Sure.”
“Not you.” He bent down and whispered in Mr. Green’s ear and Mr. Green paled. His bulky arm eased from around her shoulders.
To her annoyance, Cody shot her a grim glower and pranced back to the stage.
Mr. Green, who had gone decidedly pale, shifted farther away and turned to her with a stiff grimace that might have been an attempt at a smile. “So,” he said. “I . . . Ah . . . What do you do for a living?”
“Me?” she asked, although it was obviously a rhetorical query. He didn’t give a shit what she did for a living. He just wanted to survive the night. And whatever Cody’d said to him had him quaking in his boots. “I’m in coffee.”
“Really?” His expression became more strained. “I, um, love coffee.”
Of course he did. Everyone did. But what any of them did for a living was way beyond the point. “Can I ask you a question?”
His eyes went wide. “Um, okay.”
“What did Cody say to you?”
The tips of Mr. Green’s ears went pink. “I . . . shouldn’t say.”
She leaned closer, set her hand on his thigh, and whispered into his ear, “But you will.”
He froze. A trickle of sweat beaded on his hairline. His eyes flicked wildly around the room.
“Well?”
“He told me to keep my distance or he’d break my kneecaps.”
Something swirled through her, she wasn’t sure if it was fury or some kind of bizarre delight. “Did he?”
Mr. Green’s Adam’s apple worked. “He, um, did.”
“Well, isn’t that special.” She couldn’t help but grin. “Will you excuse me for a moment?” she asked.
Mr. Green nearly collapsed in relief. “Sure.”
Sidney tossed her napkin onto the table. “I’ll be right back,” she said and headed for the stage.
***
Cody saw her coming and couldn’t still the trill of excitement in his gut. He ignored his brother’s smirk, but couldn’t help noticing that Cade gave her a wide berth. In fact, when she bounded up the stairs, Cade slipped off the stage altogether, giving the two of them a modicum of privacy. More when she took his arm and yanked him behind the curtains.
He was pretty sure she was going to kiss him.
Until she snarled and said, “What the hell were you thinking?”
What was he thinking? He was thinking she was going to kiss him. But, yeah, given her snarl, probably not.
“About what?” That he had to ask seemed to infuriate her more.
“Warning him off.”
“Who?” He knew damn well who.
“Mr. Green.”
He gulped. “Do you . . . like him?”
“What?”
“Do you like him? He is . . . good-looking, I guess.”
He didn’t expect her to smack him. Or maybe he did, because he’d braced himself for it.
“That is hardly the point. You didn’t need to scare him like that.”
He set his teeth. “Didn’t I?”
“He’s just a dancer.”
“He was touching you.” He couldn’t help leaning in, dominating her space, breathing her scent.
“People touch each other.”
Her declaration made his nerves fizzle. “Goddamn it. I’m tired of watching you flirt with all those men.”
“Hardly flirting.”
“You were flirting with Logan.”
“What? When?”
“On the hayride. I was watching you.”
“I wasn’t flirting.”
“Weren’t you?”
“I was getting to know him.”
“Not what it looked like.”
“Hardly matters. It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business.”
“It’s hardly the point. Besides which, what were you thinking, serving Logan up to Tibby on a silver platter?”
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“But it did.”
“I was distracted.”
Something in his tone caught her attention. “By what?”
“How am I supposed to focus? Watching you flirt with men all night long?”
She cocked a brow. “I thought that was the point of this party.”
“You know damn well it’s not.”
“Then what is it?”
He stared at her. God, she was magnificent. He couldn’t help himself. He cupped her cheeks and brought her closer.
Her eyes widened. Her nostrils flared. Something that might have been fear, or excitement, flashed over her features. “Is this your kiss?” she asked in a whisper.
“Yes,” he said. “This is my kiss.” And his mouth closed on hers.
It was glorious. Not just her taste or her heat or the little sound she made, a muffled cry of surprise or delight.
She responded.
Responded.
Like a wildcat in heat.
It was delicious, delightful, delirious. He felt his sanity reeling, receding.
“Because if this is your kiss,” she murmured against his lips, “you should know that—”
“Shut up,” he growled. “Just shut up and kiss me.”
And she did. Holy fuck. She did.
As he deepened the kiss, walking her farther into the shadows, she fisted her fingers in his hair and kissed him back. It was a savage exchange. As though they’d both been starving for this and simply couldn’t get enough.
They hit the wall. He barely noticed, except for a flare of satisfaction that he now had leverage. And he used it.
He pressed into her, glorying in the feel of her curves against his angles. That she rubbed against him, arched into his erection, made his mind spin. An insane need coiled within him. A need to taste her . . . everywhere.
Madly, he worked his way over her cheek to her earlobe and nuzzled her there. He remembered. Oh, he remembered. And yes, she went a little wild, moaning and tipping her head to give him more room to work.
She loved it when he nibbled on her neck. He knew, because of the way
she sank her nails into his shoulders. Slowly, he began unbuttoning her blouse with nerveless fingers. But it didn’t take long for him to find his way beneath the fabric and curve his hand around the full, warm weight of her breast.
Her nipple gored his palm and he growled, tightened his hold. “God, I want you,” he muttered against her skin. She was warm, soft, perfumed. Her scent made his mind spin.
“I know.” She slid her hand between them and cupped his cock.
Holy fuck. He nearly came right then and there. It took everything in him to hold back. Because seriously, he wanted more. Needed more.
He yanked her lapels apart and stared down at her lace-covered breasts. It was dark, there in the corner, surrounded by the velvet curtains in a cocoon of passion, but he could see the contours of her breasts and the contrast of the black lace against her skin. It made his mouth water.
Without hesitation, he lowered his head and took her nipple into his mouth and sucked. Yeah, it wasn’t skin to skin, but a guy had to take what he was offered. And apparently, she liked it, because she lifted her leg and curled it around his waist.
If that wasn’t encouragement, he didn’t know what was.
With shaking fingers, he undid the snaps on her jeans and slipped his hand inside.
She stilled and then, to his delight, spread her legs wider.
It was still a tight fit inside her jeans, but he worked his way closer and closer to heaven.
When he found what he was looking for, his whole body went on point.
Because she was wet. Ready.
Insanity howled through him. She was hot. For him.
He lifted his head and stared at her, as he worked at her hard nub.
God, she was beautiful like this, her lashes half closed, her lips parted, her face softened by pleasure. “Do you like this?” he asked as he rubbed her, circled her, teased her.
“Yes.” A huff. “Yes.”
“I like it too.” He shifted position so he could ease into her with two fingers and still stroke her clit with his thumb. He shuddered because she was tight and hot. Mercilessly, he played her.
She seized, shuddered, shook. He suspected it was an orgasm, but a man could never be too sure, so he kept at it, stroking her, nuzzling her, nipping at her hard nipples as she writhed and moaned and urged him on.
As she neared her crisis, she became louder. He didn’t remember that about her, but he could hardly complain. She was lost in her passion. Crazed and needy. Thank God Cade had put on some music for dancing that was loud enough to cover her cries.
Cody knew she was close. He could feel it in the torturous hold she had on his fingers, feel it in the hot, wet kiss of her body. He redoubled his efforts. He wanted nothing more than to make her come again and again, to break her apart, to set her afire.
But he was not prepared when it came. When she came.
She went wild.
Madly, she clutched at him. Holding him close. Whispering nonsense in his ear.
His fingers ached, but he didn’t care. Her body closed on him like a vise, but he didn’t care. She wailed in his ear at about a hundred decibels but he didn’t care.
He was with her all the way.
Well, except in one way. One very important way.
He knew he had her. Now. In this moment.
But he needed more.
If he was going to fuck her—which he absolutely intended to do—he needed to seal the deal. And he wouldn’t have a better opportunity than this.
He captured her gaze with his. “Spend the night with me.” He punctuated the offer with another light stroke against her clit. Her lids drooped. Her body twitched. She sighed.
Her answer came out in something of a wail. “We agreed on a kiss.”
“I know. But I want more. I want you.”
“I’m not a groupie.”
He had no idea what that meant, but it seemed like a good idea to agree. “Of course not.” He stroked her again. “Spend the night with me.”
Her eyes narrowed. She studied him intently. “One night?’
“Just one night.”
“No strings?”
“None.”
He thought it might be helpful to suckle her nipple again while she thought it over. He ended with a nip, and for some reason, she pulled away. It took a moment for him to un-wedge his fingers from her jeans—and he hated leaving that warm, wet nest—but if she wanted some space to think it over, it was only chivalrous to give it to her. But he couldn’t let go of her completely. For some reason he couldn’t. He needed the connection, so he took her hand. And kissed it.
“What do you say?”
“Let’s get something straight,” she said, panting. “If we do this—”
“Which we should.” Oh yes. They absolutely should. For one thing, he was dying. Just dying.
“This is nothing more than a one-night stand.”
Something shafted through him. It felt like annoyance. Disappointment, maybe, but he ignored it. If she wanted a one-night stand, it dovetailed perfectly with his desires. Namely, fucking her out of his system. So he nodded.
“Say it.”
Damn, she was demanding. He liked that in a woman. He liked that a lot.
“Fine. A one-night stand and nothing more.”
“Nothing more.” She wriggled her hand free and thrust it before him.
It took a moment for his brain to catch up, but when it did, he took her hand in his and they shook on it.
Hardly a romantic way to seal such an agreement, but he refused to let it bother him.
Because he was going to fuck Sidney Stevens again, and he was going to do it tonight.
Chapter Five
Cody led her, not down the stairs into the dining room, but out the back door of the stage, which she appreciated. Her knees could barely hold her up.
She wasn’t sure what he’d done to her, but it had been mind-blowing.
She didn’t really understand why that tsunami of pleasure had hit her so hard, because Cody hadn’t done anything any of her other lovers hadn’t done—not that there were all that many. But she had to acknowledge that whatever this was between them, it was mostly chemistry.
Chemistry in the sense that all she had to do was step into his presence, breathe in his scent, soak in his warmth, and she was ready to hump like a bunny.
That was probably why he’d overwhelmed her so quickly, why all her resolve had melted like cotton candy in a rainstorm.
But now that it had, now that she was free of her carefully crafted restraint, she was glad.
It was like an excuse, permission to do what she wanted to do, what she’d wanted to do since she clapped eyes on him. Since before that maybe. Forever, maybe.
One night with Cody Silver. That was all she wanted.
That was all she could allow herself.
She intended to steep in every fricking second. Even this.
She reminded herself that chemistry was tricky. In high school, she’d set fire to the lab more than once. So it would be wise to be wary and aware.
His palm was warm on her lower back as he guided her through the hall. She had no idea where he was taking her, and she didn’t care. She just hoped he’d hurry up and take her there because—
They both skidded to a halt as Cade stepped into the hall and blocked their passage. Shit.
“There’s a problem,” he said in his low, no-nonsense voice.
Shit.
Sidney frowned at him, but his attention was locked on Cody.
“What is it?”
Cade held out his hands in that classic mea culpa gesture. “I lost her.”
“What?” Cody shot a panicked look at Sidney. She had no idea why he was panicked and hardly cared. Her body was still humming with need. Though he’d completed her more than on
ce, she wanted more. Needed more. Wanted him over her and in her and—
“I was watching, but she managed to slip away.”
Cody scrubbed his face with his palms. “Okay. Okay. What about Hanna and Logan?”
Cade shrugged. “They’re both gone too.”
“Gone where?”
“How should I know?”
“Were you watching anyone?”
“I was watching everyone. That’s the problem.”
“Did you see Logan and Hanna leave?”
“Yes.”
“Did they leave together?”
“I think so.”
“You think so? Damn it, Cade!”
“Yes. Okay? They left together.”
“And Tibby?”
Sidney’s stomach lurched at the mention of her name.
“No idea where she is.”
“Shit.” Cody scrubbed his face again and then he stilled, shot Sidney a glance. “Okay, thanks, Cade.” And without another word, he grabbed Sidney’s arm and tugged her around Cade, down the hall, and into the kitchen.
She had no idea why he was taking her to the kitchen, but decided to follow along without protest, and was glad she did when he turned another corner and pulled her up a narrow flight of stairs at the back of the rambling house.
“Is this your escape route?” she asked as they came out in the hall on the third floor.
“Shh,” he said. “She’ll hear you.”
“Who?” she asked, but he frowned her into silence. And then, to her surprise, he opened a door across from the landing and pushed her in.
It surprised her because she knew whose room this was, and it wasn’t his.
He closed the door behind him, locked it, and then paced toward her with an intent glimmer in his eye.
“Oh, no,” she said. “We can’t do it here.”
“We have to.” He pulled her into his arms and walked her backward toward the bed. The pink tulle-festooned bed.
“This is Claire’s room.”
“I know.” He began unbuttoning her blouse.
“She’s my best friend.”
“I know.” He knew, and apparently he didn’t care.
She grabbed his wrists until he made eye contact. “Cody, I can’t fuck you in Claire’s room. It would be weird. Why can’t we go to your room?”
