Dare to Stay

by Jen McLaughlin

  “Now I’m the one who needs more.” He gripped my shirt and tugged it up, but it got stuck under my arms. “I need more of you. All of you. Now. Lift your arms.”

  I did as I was told, without hesitation.

  He pulled my shirt up, slowly, as if he savored the moment.

  After he pulled it over my head, he tossed it behind him. His gaze dipped down, taking in my body, and I didn’t even think about covering myself up, even though my bra was sheer. If he wanted to look, he could look all he wanted. I wouldn’t stop him.

  After the way he’d made me feel, I was all his.

  He swallowed hard. The heat in his brown eyes burned right through me, leaving marks I had a feeling would never fully go away. The desire made the green flecks in his eyes more visible. Brighter. “You’re so fucking beautiful. Way too beautiful for me, but I don’t give a damn. I’ll take you, anyway, because that’s the guy I am.”

  “No, you’re—”

  He shook his head, gave me one last lingering look, and kissed me into silence. And that look—God, that look—said I was the only thing he needed or wanted, and I didn’t think I was imagining that. In his arms, I felt special. Unique. One of a kind.

  Like a princess. And he was my tarnished prince . . .

  Whether he liked it or not.

  CHAPTER 13

  CHRIS

  I’d seen a lot of tits. Kissed a lot of lips. Touched a lot of slim, sexy bodies. Fucked a lot of women. Sold a lot of guns that killed a lot of people. Broken a lot of noses. Done a lot of shit that any normal person would regret, but then again, I wasn’t normal. The thing about my lifestyle was, in a way, it was monotonous. Yes, I got laid. Yes, I killed people. But it was the same thing, every damn day, and all the women and guns faded into one long, boring, repetitive life that did nothing to excite me anymore.

  But with Molly—

  All that changed.

  She was like a breath of fresh air. Her pink, plump lips were parted and soft, making me ache to kiss them. Her firm, perky breasts were tantalizing, and I bet they would fit in my hands perfectly. Her slim body was curved in all the right places, and fit against mine as if she was my other half—and yeah, I knew how damn corny that sounded. I just didn’t give a flying fuck anymore. And being with her? Holding her?

  It was like all of this was brand-new.

  Like I could be brand-new.

  I closed my hands over her breasts, dragging the sides of my thumbs over her hard nipples. She arched into my hands, her body undulating with pleasure and desire. She held nothing back, and it was a refreshing change from the other women I’d been with. The other women, whom, try as hard as I could, I couldn’t remember.

  All that existed was Molly.

  I deepened the kiss and pinched her nipples between my fingers, pressing more firmly against her hot pussy. I couldn’t stop kissing her. Touching her.

  Sure, I wanted to fuck her. I would have to be dead not to.

  But this was the only time I would have her, so there was no way I wouldn’t savor every damn second of her lips. She tasted like a slice of heaven and hell, all wrapped into one. I knew I shouldn’t be taking her, and was damning myself by doing so, but, whatever. I was going to hell, anyway.

  Might as well be for something good.

  Her tongue swirled around mine, and after she undid the first few buttons, she gripped my shirt, lifting it up. I knew she wanted it off, but I didn’t want to stop kissing her long enough to oblige her. Growling, I broke off the kiss and let her yank my shirt over my head. After it was gone, I went to kiss her again, needing another taste of her sweet lips.

  The look on her face stopped me dead in my tracks.

  She watched me with parted lips and rosy cheeks as she reached out with a trembling hand. Running her fingers down my shoulder, over my chest, and around my nipples, she licked her lips and darted a quick glance up at me before focusing on my piercings again. Lucas and I had done it on a dare, years ago. He’d gotten one done, and I’d gotten them both pierced.

  They had hurt like a bitch.

  Worse than a bullet.

  “This is so hot.” She ran her finger over the ring, her face glowing with interest and desire—for me. And I couldn’t look away. “All these tattoos . . .”

  I swallowed. They covered me from shoulders to hands and went down my chest and across my back. “Do you have any?”

  She traced the cross on my chest, her touch light. “God no. I don’t like needles.”

  “It’s not so bad.” I skimmed my fingers down her shoulder and over the swell of her breasts. She had the prettiest, smoothest skin I’d ever seen. I lowered my lips to her throat, placing a kiss there. “But to blemish a single inch of this perfect body would surely be a mortal sin.”

  Her breath hitched in her throat. “Chris—”

  I melded my mouth to hers, cutting off whatever she might say. She moaned and played with my nipple rings, tugging gently. The slight pressure sent a knife of pleasure shooting straight to my cock, and I kissed her harder, my teeth digging into her lips. She gave a slight nod and did it again, rolling her hips in a circular motion as she strained to get closer.

  “Take me,” she whispered against my mouth. “I need you.”

  I nodded in return, gripping her ass, hauling her into my arms, and kissing her as I walked her up the stairs. I never broke contact, not even as I carefully stepped over the congealed blood on the wood floor. I would clean that up later. Over the years, I’d gotten quite good at it. By the time I was finished, she wouldn’t even see a trace of the stains from those lives I’d taken in front of her.

  And she wouldn’t see a trace of me, either.

  I owed her that.

  Hands on her ass, supporting her, I stumbled into her room, leaving the door open. I could listen for any more threats that way, even though I was positive I’d killed all the men sent to kill me. It’s what I did. Ensured I removed all the threats. I wouldn’t be fucking her if I thought our lives were in danger. I knew the ins and outs of Bitter Hill, and we were safe.

  Well, as safe as she could be with me here, anyway.

  My knees hit her bed, so I lowered her to the mattress, making sure to support her fully. When she hit the soft comforter, I reluctantly let her go. I straightened, watching her as she reached for me with both hands. “Chris.”

  I gripped the waist of my jeans. Even though I tried to keep my cool and treat this like any other sexual encounter I’d ever had, the truth was, it wasn’t. Molly was special, this was special, and out of all the shitty things I ever did, I refused to let this be one of them. She had to know what this meant to me, before I left.

  “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this. You lying on a bed, naked, or almost naked, watching me as I got ready to fuck you. I never thought it would happen, because I’m me and you’re you, and there’s no world where the two of us are together.” I undid the button of my pants. “But no matter how many times I thought about it, or wanted it, nothing compares to this. To the reality of having you lying there, waiting for me.”

  “I thought about it, too.” She focused on my chest and pressed her thighs together. She seemed as obsessed with my nipple rings as I was with—well, all of her. “You and me.”

  I unzipped my jeans. Her gaze dipped down, and her breathing increased. “What did you picture? I want to know every dirty detail.”

  She rose on her elbows, her focus locked nowhere near my face. “Nothing like this. Just kissing, and you touching me”—she pressed a hand right above her breasts—“here.”

  I ground my teeth together and grabbed a condom before letting my pants hit the floor. There was no hiding just how much she affected me anymore, even if I wanted to. “Is that all?”

  She swallowed. “Yeah. I’m not exactly the most experienced person . . . in . . . bed. And what I�
�ve done wasn’t all that memorable. So my fantasies aren’t all that dirty.”

  I smirked. I couldn’t help it.

  Knowing she hadn’t been with a lot of men, yet wanted to be with me, felt better than winning any other competition ever would. And believe me—I liked to win more than I liked anything else besides her. She was the ultimate prize.

  Too bad I couldn’t keep her.

  I ran my finger down the soft skin of her leg. “That’ll change, after me.”

  “God, I hope so.” She squeezed her thighs together even more. “Have you gotten your fill yet? Or do you need more?”

  “I’ll never, ever, look my fill of you. Not in a million years. Oh, and, Princess?” I stepped closer, unable to look away. “You can press those sweet little thighs together all you want, but it won’t change a damn thing—you need me to ease that ache you feel deep inside of you. You need my cock, driving deep into your pussy, until you forget everything and everyone but us.”

  A small moan escaped her.

  “So do it already.” She undid her pants and yanked them down. I stood there, mesmerized by all the smooth, creamy flesh she uncovered. “Take. Me. Now.”

  Urgency punched me in the gut. Sucking in a deep, calming breath, I took my boxers off. And I stood there, in front of her, naked. She let out a soft sound of admiration, pressing her thighs together again despite my warning. “Oh my God.”

  I cocked a brow. “Look your fill yet?”

  “Not in a billion years.” She sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed, licking her lips. “Don’t move. I need to touch you. It’s my turn now.”

  Well, hell.

  That meant I would be dead by the time she finished with me, because with only a few kisses and a little bit of groping, I was already primed, locked, and loaded.

  If she touched me—I would fucking explode.

  But since I refused to tell her no, I nodded and said, “Okay.”

  “Come here.” She took the condom out of my hand, set it on the bed, and spread her thighs. I stepped between them easily, and it felt like home. She skimmed a finger across my stomach, going from one side of the V above my cock to the other. Women loved that spot, and it appeared she was no exception. “You’re so beautiful.”

  I opened my mouth. “The hell—”

  “Uh-uh.” She held a finger up, dangerously close to the tip of my cock, yet not close enough, her brows slamming down. “Don’t even think about telling me you’re not, or I’ll stop this—right here, right now.”

  Part of me wanted her to. Giving her control over my body couldn’t go anywhere good. But the other, sadistic part of me craved it. So I kept my mouth shut.

  She smirked. “Good boy.”

  Reaching out again, she wrapped her hands behind me, cupping my ass with a firm grip, and pulled me even closer. I sucked in a breath when her nails dug into the skin, and shifted till my knees hit her mattress—less than an inch from her pussy.

  I gritted my teeth, because being so close yet so far did things to my self-control. On top of that, I never gave control over my body to another person like this. It was new. And I wasn’t sure I liked it. “You’ve got two minutes. After that, you’re mine.”

  “Authoritative. I like it.” She smiled. Even half-naked and eye level with my cock, she managed to toss out big words, all while looking sweet and innocent. “Deal.”

  Without warning, she leaned in and flicked her tongue over the tip of my cock. I tensed, my abs jerking, and threaded my fingers in her hair. “Jesus Christ.”

  She didn’t say anything, just closed her perfect lips around my cock, sending me straight into heaven or hell—I had no idea which one. She sucked, her cheeks hollowing out, and ran her tongue over me at the same time. Groaning, I cupped the back of her head, watching her, because there was no way in hell I was gonna miss this show.

  She moved her mouth down my shaft and back up it, and I was torn between being incalculably thrilled that she was so damn good at that, and angry that she was.

  Inexperienced, my ass.

  I pumped into her mouth, pleasure punching through me like an iron fist. “Molly, fuck. More.”

  Moaning, she did as she was told and took more of my cock in her mouth, so deep I was sure I died and impossibly ended up in heaven with a dirty angel. Her nails dug into my ass, but she released the pressure and snaked them around the front of my body. With expert precision, she pulled on my balls, increasing the pleasure she caused with her mouth tenfold.

  I gritted my teeth so hard they should’ve snapped.

  And my tenuous hold on restraint did.

  “Enough,” I rasped, my voice foreign even to my own ears.

  I tugged her hair till she released me, inch by torturous inch. If she wrapped those lips around me for another second, this would be over too fast. She released me with a popping sound, staring up at me with warm hazel eyes that seemed as if they stared right into my soul and didn’t judge me—

  Which was even more impossible than her being in my arms was.

  Yet, there she was.

  She licked her swollen lips, and with way too much practiced ease, she undid her bra, letting the straps fall down her arms. Latching gazes with me, she shrugged it off, baring her perky, pink-tipped breasts. My fingers itched—physically itched—to draw them. The way the light played on her aroused nipples. Her pouted lips. The soft curve of her hip. Hell, I wanted to draw her. All of her.

  But it would have to wait.

  Her hair was messy, and her makeup was smudged, but in this moment, for this short time, against all rhyme or reason, she was all mine.

  And I’d never seen anything so unattainably beautiful in my whole life.

  “I want to do that to you again,” she said, leaning in and licking my cock, watching me the whole time. “And again.”

  A strangled groan escaped me. She was trying to kill me.

  “I love watching you fuck me with that sweet mouth of yours, and trust me—it feels amazing. But if you keep licking me and sucking on my cock, I’m gonna come, and I’ll be damned if the first time I come, I’m not buried deep in that tight, wet pussy of yours.” Gripping her shoulders, I pushed them until she lay on her back, and I stood between her legs, naked and towering over her. “So it’s my turn, Princess.”

  I made quick work of rolling the condom on my cock, not wanting to take time to do it later, when I had her naked and panting and screaming my name so loud the neighbors called the cops. The second the protection aspect was taken care of, I dropped to my knees between her legs, my attention firmly set on that tiny strip of red satin that kept me from what I wanted most—to worship her with my mouth until she saw heaven, came back, and went on another trip.

  And I wouldn’t stop until she did.

  Leaning in, I nipped the skin on her soft inner thigh. She tasted sweet, like strawberries. She moaned and arched her back, undulating her hips. “Oh my God, Chris.”

  I bit her other thigh, a little harder. “Yeah, Princess?”

  “I need you,” she managed to say, her voice strangled and strained. She lifted her hips again, breathing heavily. She still wore her panties, and I couldn’t wait to unbury the rest of my treasure. “Please.”

  “Since you asked so nicely”—I grabbed the top of her panties and pulled, tearing them off her in one smooth motion—“how could I say no?”

  Burying my face between her thighs, I breathed in her musky scent and closed my mouth over her clit, rolling my tongue over the hard bud in short, firm strokes. She screamed and lifted her hips, her whole body twisting and turning in a desperate attempt to get closer. To get more. “Chris.”

  The way she said my name—part cry, part curse, part admiration, and part fear—struck me all the way to my core. It would have sliced straight through my heart if I’d had one. I deepened my intimate kiss, rolling my tong
ue over her.

  She was so close to coming that I could taste it.

  I gripped her thighs, digging my fingertips in so I held her right where I wanted her. She thrashed against me, fighting my hold, but I didn’t relent. Didn’t back down.

  Her back bowed, her mouth opened, she buried her hands in my hair—and she came. She motherfucking came. I thought the last orgasm was the hottest thing I’d ever witnessed? I was wrong. This was. Growling deep in my throat, and filled with a deep, searing possession I’d never before felt, I climbed up her body, slid my hand under her head, and kissed her with all the pent-up passion and desire I’d held back for so long.

  And she gave it all right back to me.

  Holding my cock, I squeezed it to relieve the pressure, and bumped it against her clit once. She screamed into my mouth, nails scraping against my upper back as she held on and came again. While she still trembled from that orgasm, I drove inside of her with a force that I couldn’t control. The second I was buried inside her, we both froze.

  Breathing heavily, I rested my forehead on hers. “Jesus Christ, you’re so fucking tight. You’ve done this before, right?”

  I hadn’t felt any signs of her being a virgin . . .

  But shit if I knew what those signs were.

  “Yes. Once.” She wrapped her legs and arms around me, holding me close as she took a deep breath. “Let’s make it twice.”

  I kissed her tenderly, moving my hips as my tongue swirled around hers. I pulled almost all the way out of her, but her body fought me as I did so. Once I was perched at her entrance, at the entryway to heaven, I glided in again, gritting my teeth at the insane amount of pleasure her tight walls gave me. Nothing, and no one, would ever compare to this moment, in this bed, with this woman.

  Her lids drifted shut and she clung to me, arching her back. I kept up my smooth, easy strokes, driving her higher and higher with each one. It was clear her last experience had been lackluster—she’d told me as much—so this one had to knock it out of the ball field. It had to be a night to remember after I left.