Page 48 of It Takes a Thief
Increasing the pressure of my hold, I lick his tip and take him into my mouth. At least, I take as much as I can. Then I suck until my cheeks cave. I must be doing it right because he doesn’t give me any more directions. But he doesn’t let me do much, either. I feel like I’ve barely begun when his hands slide down, grab my arms and lift me back to my feet.
“You shouldn’t be on your knees, Princess,” he rasps.
“I’ll gladly go to my knees for you,” I say.
With a groan, he slides his hands under my dress, and my entire lower body jerks forward when he rips my panties off.
“Linc!” A little shocked and a lot turned on, I jump into his arms, wrap my legs around his waist and hold on tightly as he spins us into an empty stall. My back hits the wall and he lifts me higher, lining our bodies up. I’m hot and aching. Yearning for him to fill me in every possible way. “Please…”
God, I’m begging.
At the same time, I sink down and he thrusts up. Our bodies come together hard and fast, full of desperation and visceral need. I can’t think straight as his cock stretches me to my limit. My nails dig into his upper arms as he powers into me, and I try not to cry out. It’s too good and I don’t last.
Biting down on his shoulder—returning the mark he left on my ass cheek the other night—I stifle my shouts as uncontrollable shudders surge through my body. My orgasm iswild, uninhibited, and I buck like a bronco then collapse against his chest. He comes right after me, stiffening, and exploding.
For a long moment, neither of us can move, and our heartbeats seem to sync.Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.
Through the haze of bliss, it occurs to me that we forgot to use protection. It’s the first time we’ve been careless, and I quickly do a mental check of where I am in my cycle.
Linc swears, probably coming to the same realization, and carefully lifts me up and sets me on wobbly legs. The loss of him inside me leaves me instantly cold. Slightly bereft.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ve never forgotten protection.”
“I forgot, too.” I brush my hair back and chew on my lower lip, still tasting him. “It should be okay.”
He searches my face for a moment then lays a big hand against my cheek, leans down and kisses me into sweet oblivion. It’s slow and tender, and my heart breaks a little. Because in the back of my mind, I know this is goodbye.
And I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to manage since I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen in love with Lincoln Decker.
Chapter Eighteen: Linc
Shoulder propped against the wall, I look out over the extravaganza the King and Queen of Arcadia have thrown for their daughter’s twenty-fifth birthday. A table loaded with desserts lines an entire wall and a fountain flows with champagne. On the opposite side, waitstaff stand at round tables, serving up food to guests from silver trays. A band provides the music, and couples fill the ballroom dance floor. At the back of the room, the walls have been rolled back to open up onto the veranda which is dotted with tiny fairy lights, endless flowers and balloon bouquets. The ever-present smell of jasmine tickles my nose, blowing in on the breeze.
There are over one hundred guests—a bodyguard’s worst nightmare—but I looked over the list and vetted every last person currently in this house. Although I’m not expecting trouble, it’s nice to have the royal guards helping me keep an eye on things.
My gaze moves over the guests, zeroing in on the woman I can’t seem to stop thinking about. Merritt is surrounded by a gaggle of admirers and has been keeping up a steady stream of chatter for hours. Although she’s smiling and seems engaged, I know she’s tired. And I take full blame because I snuck into her room and kept her up all night. With my mouth, my hands and my cock. We were both insatiable, unable to get enough, and I’mnot quite sure how I’m supposed to just walk away from her once this job wraps up tonight.
Nothing about it feels right.
Her parents already gave me the go ahead to leave, and Addie confirmed a private jet, courtesy of The Man, is ready to fly me back to Denver after this shindig. But the idea of leaving makes my gut twist.
I try to chalk it up to being concerned about Merritt’s welfare and leaving her solely in the hands of her royal guards. But I know that’s bullshit.
I not only broke all three of my rules when it comes to her, I fucking obliterated them. It doesn’t matter, though. The moment I saw her step out of her room tonight, I knew it was over. The sparkling diamond and pearl crown perched atop her lustrous brown curls reminded me how astronomically out of my league she is, and how I’m just a washed-up fighter who has no business touching her with my rough, scarred hands.
I refuse to regret what happened between us, though. Every minute with Mer has been nothing short of heaven.
Sighing, I realize this is the first time in my life I’ve ever wanted more with a woman. The first time I’ve been ready to say fuck my rules.
But I don’t fit in here. She’s a damn royal princess and has an entire kingdom to take care of, while I’m…nobody.
“Hey, Lights Out,” a voice says, and I look over to see Jeffrey Dumas walking over.
I know it’s not fair of me to hate him, but I do.
Because he’s the man Alain and Eliza Fontaine, the King and Queen of Arcadia, have chosen for their daughter.
“Thought you might be interested in a fight happening,” Jeffrey says. “Maybe I could tempt you to get back into the cage? For old times’ sake?”
