Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

by Tracy Lorraine

  “Another?” the bartender shouts when I slam the glass down.

  Shaking my head, I spin around and go in search of who I really came here for.

  I locate the stairs and head down. As I descend, the chaos from above begins to quiet, and when I push through the doors to this section, I find the music is completely different. Gone are the fast-paced club tracks that were filling my ears, and instead a low, sexy R&B vibe sounds out.

  It’s quieter down here, but it still takes me longer than I would like to find her. She’s dancing with her friend, who’s in another minuscule dress. I smile as I watch them letting go to the beat of the music.

  I walk to the bar and order myself another while I watch them. Harlow has a wide smile on her face as she moves her hips and lifts her arms above her head.

  As her friend dances, I get my first proper look at Harlow. Her floral dress might be almost as short as her friend’s, especially with her arms up, but that’s where the similarities end. She wasn’t wrong last night when she said they couldn’t be more different.

  I down my drink and wait a few seconds, but I can only hold off for so long. She pulls me in, in a way I’ve never experienced before. My need to run my hands over her, to sweep my tongue against hers and taste her once again is all-consuming.

  I take two steps forward before her friend finds me approaching over Harlow’s shoulder. Her eyes run the length of me. Her interest is obvious, but my body doesn’t react to her attention one bit. It might have been a while, but she’s really not my type. Her friend, on the other hand… My cock swells from just watching her dance.

  I’m only a few feet away when Harlow stills. She stares at her friend, who’s still smiling at me, before turning to look over her shoulder.

  Her eyes land on me immediately as I continue my approach, but it takes a few seconds for Harlow to register that it’s me. When she does, her eyes go wide in shock, but to my delight, a smile curls at her full, red lips.

  “What are you doing here?” she shouts over the music when I’m close enough.

  “You invited me.” My brows pull together in confusion. That message definitely said it was her. I’m pretty certain I didn’t meet any other Harlows last night. I guess it explains the different number.

  “No, I—” A thought hits her and her lips purse, but sadly, it’s not in preparation for a kiss. “Bailey,” she seethes, turning towards where her friend was just standing, only she’s gone. “What the…” We both find her at the same time, dancing with a guy only a few feet away. She notices our attention and smiles and waves, a cheeky glint sparkling in her eyes.

  Blowing out a breath, Harlow turns to me. “I’m so sorry. As you can tell, it wasn’t me that invited you.”

  “Well, I’m here now. Fancy a drink?” Harlow looks from me to her now very distracted friend.

  “Sure, why not?” She takes a step around me and I place my hand on the small of her back as we make our way towards the bar. Her movement stills for a beat when my warmth hits her, but she doesn’t push me away like I first feared she might.

  “Rum and Coke, right?” She smiles and nods beside me as I repeat our order to the bartender.

  I don’t allow her to take the glass; instead I pick both up and turn. “Let’s go and find somewhere to sit.”

  “There’s a quieter section around the corner.”

  My eyes drop to her cleavage for a second, and my mouth waters. “Sounds perfect,” I mutter, my eyes finding hers once more. Her head tilts to the side, her brows rising in amusement but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she spins and leads the way. I could swear there’s more of a spring in her step than there was earlier.

  She comes to a stop beside a sofa that a few people are vacating.

  “Here?”

  “I’m easy.”

  “Is that right?” The music is quieter back here, so I hear her as I fall down onto the sofa beside her.

  “I guess that’s something you’re going to have to find out.” Her cheeks heat, but I don’t miss the darkening of her chestnut eyes.

  I slide over so we’re close enough that her bare thigh has to press up against mine, and I rest my arm over the back out the sofa, temptingly close to pulling her into me.

  “So what’s the occasion?” I ask, changing the topic for fear of coming on too strong and ruining my chances.

  “Uh…” She stalls. “No occasion, just a night out to…”

  “To?”

  She sighs. “Forget.”

  “Oh?” I ask, wondering if she’s about to open up. I’m usually not one for all the talk, I’m more of an action guy. But as a conflicted look passes across her face, I can’t help but want to listen to all her worries. It freaks me the fuck out, but still, I stay put, my need to get to know her bigger than my need to run.

  “It’s n-nothing. Just family stuff.”

  “Ah, now that is something I know all about.” Reaching forward, I grab both of our drinks from the small table in front of us. “To forgetting.” I lift my glass, and after a second she taps hers to it.

  I watch as she brings her drink to her lips and sips. Her eyes shutter slightly as the taste hits her and I find myself captivated.

  “Not thirsty?” she asks when she lowers it once again and notices that I’ve not had any.

  “Not so much.” Her eyes run over my face and focus on my lips when I run my tongue over my bottom one. “Last night wasn’t the same after you left.”

  “No? Bailey didn’t keep you company?”

  I laugh, because I’m sure she happily would have given the chance, but everyone kept her busy chatting and drinking before she had to be escorted into a car to get home.

  “No. I was pretty lonely, to tell the truth.” I down my drink before placing the glass on the table and turning my attention to her.

  “My heart bleeds,” she says with a smile.

  “Maybe we could make up for it tonight.” Not able to keep my hands to myself any longer, I reach out and take her drink from her before I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. The connection I remember all too well from last night crackles between us the second our skin touches.

  “I’m… um… not sure…”

  “I thought you wanted to forget.” My hand wraps around the side of her neck, my fingers twisting in her hair and my thumb brushing her cheek.

  “I do. But—”

  “Let me help you,” I interrupt. “I know the perfect way to distract you from whatever it is putting that frown on your pretty face.”

  “Corey, I—”

  I lean forward and cut her words off with a brush of my lips. She stills, her breath coming out in a rush and tickling over my face. “Shush. Don’t think. Just feel.”

  She nods ever so slightly and I make my move. My fingers tighten in her hair as I tilt her head to the side and seal my lips over hers. She shudders beneath me, and it’s all the encouragement I need.

  My tongue sneaks out to tease her, and her lips part almost immediately, allowing me entry.

  The taste of her mixes with the rum and Coke she just had a sip of, and my need for her quadruples.

  She turns to me, allowing me to run my other hand up her bare thigh. I push my fingers slightly under the hem of her dress, my addiction to her too much to deny.

  Everything around us disappears as her tongue twists with mine, but it hardly satisfies my need, which continues to grow by the second.

  “Jesus, Harlow. You’re addictive,” I admit when my lips brush her ear. Her increased breaths rush past mine, and I shiver.

  “Corey, I—” She can barely get her words out, she’s breathing so fast, but I help her out by cutting her off.

  “Dance with me?”

  “O-okay.”

  I pass her drink back and she immediately tips it to her lips and drains the lot before reaching for my outstretched hand and allowing me to pull her up and back towards where I first found her.

  We pass her friend, who’s grinding up against some gu
y, having the time of her life, but I pay her little mind. My entire focus is on having the woman holding my hand pressed up against me at any second.

  I come to a stop in a small bit of space and tug her arm gently so she has no choice but to step into my body.

  She looks up at me, her wide, chestnut eyes staring right into mine. I swear she can see deeper than most, and I’m not sure how that makes me feel. I don’t need anyone seeing into the reality that is my life.

  Taking her wrists, I lift her arms so they rest over my shoulders. Her breasts press against my chest, and I fight the need to growl. My hands drop to her hips and close any last space between us as we move in time with the music. Her curves fit the hard planes of my body perfectly, and I can’t help my mind wandering to just how we might move together when we’re naked.

  My cock swells in my pants. Fuck, I want this woman something fierce.

  Her eyes still hold mine, the hesitation in them from when I first arrived vanished. I drop my head, my lips brushing over hers gently to see how she’ll respond. Thankfully, she accepts my kiss. My tongue sweeps into her mouth. Her taste along with her drink mixes and only adds fuel to my raging fire.

  My hands slip around to her arse, and I press my hardening cock against her belly so she knows exactly what kind of reaction she stirs in me.

  “Corey,” she moans as I kiss down her neck, and I damn near lose my shit.

  “We should probably either stop or get out of here before I do something that will probably end with me in a police cell.”

  Her shocked eyes find mine, but the small smile on her lips gives me hope that she’s on my wavelength. She searches my face for a few seconds. I’ve no idea what she’s looking for, but she must be happy with what she finds because she reaches towards my ears and whispers, “We should probably leave then. You’re no good to me locked up.”

  Fucking hell. This woman is going to be the death of me.

  “Okay… oh… yeah.” She laughs at my obvious shock, and although it’s the pounding beat of the music that’s filling my ears, the sound of her chuckle hits me right in the chest. “Come on then.” I take her hand once again as we make our way from the dance floor.

  She pauses when she catches the eye of her friend. Harlow points to me and then the door, much to Bailey’s delight if the smile that stretches across her face is anything to go by.

  “Where to then?” she asks once we step away from the noise and commotion behind us.

  “Uh…” I don’t want to take her back to my place, it’s a mess. I look up and my eyes land on a fancy looking hotel. “Right here?”

  She follows my line of sight. “Sure, it’s probably better than me suggesting my place and having to spend the night listening to Bailey and whatever loser she’s pulled.”

  With a smile, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into me. Her sweet, floral scent fills my nose, and a wave of desire washes through me so strong I worry it might take me to my knees. Hopefully she’ll be naked by the time that happens.

  Chapter Seven

  Harlow

  One moment we’re at the reception desk asking about a room, and the next we’re in the elevator watching the doors close. The second we’re alone in the small space, he turns on me.

  His blue eyes stare down into mine, and I can see all his dirty thoughts playing out in his head. The memory of his body pressed against mine not so long ago pops into my head, and a thrill runs through me, pushing me forward and reminding me that it’s okay to let go for a night. To take the escape I need and just enjoy myself.

  Doing this, getting a hotel room with a somewhat random guy, isn’t me reverting back to my past mistakes. I’m an adult now, and I’m making an informed, okay, somewhat slightly drunk decision about how to spend the rest of my night.

  I know that if I walked away from him for a second night then I’d only lie in bed later and regret it. Regrets are good for no one. I’ve got enough of them lurking in my past to prove it.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs. His hand cups my jaw and tilts my head back to give him the access he needs to my lips.

  This time there’s no caution when he kisses me. There’s no sweet, gentle brush of his lips against mine, and there’s certainly no hesitation.

  His tongue parts my lips the second we connect and he dives straight in, demanding mine to join, which it does immediately.

  He steps forward, effectively ensuring that I take one back so that I’m pressed up against the mirrored wall.

  His hand finds the bare skin of my knee and hitches my leg up around his waist before running his hot palm down my thigh until he can palm my ass.

  “Oh God,” I groan into his mouth as his erection presses against my heated core.

  It’s been so long that I’d almost forgotten just how good this could be.

  He grinds his hips slowly, and the sensation makes my head spin. The unfiltered lust mixes with the alcohol I’ve consumed tonight, and all of it together helps to drag me from my own head and forces me to enjoy the moment.

  Fuck, I can’t even remember the last time that happened.

  Sadly, the elevator chimes, announcing that we’ve reached our floor and we’re forced to part.

  After a beat, Corey takes a step back. His blue eyes are so dark they’re almost black, his lips are swollen from our kiss, and his wide chest heaves as he drags in some much-needed air.

  “Come on. I need you out of that dress.”

  Desire pools within me, knowing that he wants me so badly. That I turn him on this much.

  The walk to our room is short, but it seems to take forever for Corey to get the door to unlock.

  “Fucking thing,” he mutters frustratedly as he frantically pushes the card in and out of the small slot.

  “As much as I like your eagerness, let me.” I place my hand on his and he pauses.

  Taking the card, I slide it into the machine with a little more grace, and the light immediately flicks to green.

  “How’d you—”

  “Do you really want to discuss technique right now?”

  “Oh,” he says, taking hold of my hips and pushing me through the door. “There’s a few of your techniques that I’m really quite interested in. Opening the door, however, is not one of them.”

  I begin to laugh, but the second he presses his crotch against my ass and I once again feel his hardness, all amusement leaves me.

  The door slams behind us, signaling that we’re alone for the first time. A shudder runs down my spine as the silence of the space fills my ears.

  Corey leans forward, his increased breaths tickling my ear. “I’ve been dreaming about this since you first fell into my lap last night,” he whispers, his rough voice making my panties even wetter.

  I groan in response.

  “Then I find you tonight in this sexy little dress, and the only thing I’ve been able to think about is getting you out of it. Discovering if what’s beneath is just as breathtaking.”

  My teeth sink into my bottom lip as his fingertips trail across my collarbones before dipping into the cleavage my dress exposes. He runs a line around the swell of my breasts before teasing my nipples beneath the fabric with his thumb. My back arches, my body silently begging for more of his addictive touch. We’re both still fully clothed, yet I’m pretty sure I’ve never felt more desired. More wanted.

  His hand drops to the tie that’s knotted at my waist, and his fingers make quick work of undoing it. My dress falls open and my skin erupts in goosebumps as the cool air surrounds me. His fingers continue with their exploration. They run over the lace edging of my bra before descending over my ribs, circling my belly button before tickling along the top of my panties.

  “Are you wet for me, Harlow?” he groans, his fingers dropping lower over the lace. I gasp, expecting them to connect with where I need them most, but at the last minute he moves them away.

  “Fuck,” I breathe in frustration. He chuckles, but the sound is cut off as I’m
suddenly spun around and pushed up against the wall.

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” he mutters, staring down at my black lace clad body. “You should be fucking illegal.”

  His hand reaches for my waist and his lips find mine once more. My fingernails run down his back before clinging to the fabric of his shirt.

  Unhappy with him still being fully clothed while I’m here half naked, I make my way to the buttons and begin undoing them. The second the fabric parts, my hands dive inside, desperate to feel his hot, taut skin against them. And shit if that’s not what I find. I knew he was cut—it was obvious even covered in fabric—but as my fingers trail across the definition of his abs, I realize I hadn’t given him enough credit.

  My hands slide to his shoulders and I hurriedly push it away. With a little help from him, the fabric flutters to the ground, and, after pulling my lips from his, I get my first look at his sculpted, tattooed chest. It’s pretty mind-blowing. His ink is stunning. It’s intricate, captivating, and clearly holds so many memories and stories. My eyes flick over each one, but I don’t get a chance to fully absorb everything because his hands drop to his waist and his fingers flick open the button before his pants fall to the floor, leaving him standing in just a pair of tight black boxer briefs. The fabric strains against his steel length, and my need to reach out and take it in my hand is almost too much to bear. I suck on my bottom lip as my fingers twitch to feel how hot and smooth he is.

  His thumb presses against my chin and successfully pulls my lip free. “Save the sucking for later, eh?” he says with a wink before his lips crash to mine once again.

  My dress is pulled from my shoulders before I’m lifted. The coldness of the wall bites into my back, but the second Corey’s lips trail down over my collarbone and toward my still lace covered breasts, I forget all about it.

  “I want to fucking devour you, Harlow. You taste so fucking sweet.”

  Arching my back, I offer myself to him, desperate for him to release my swollen, heavy breasts.