Page 29 of Strike
“Doesn’t matter,” I finished.
“Of course, it does,” he replied, resting his forehead against mine. “That’s why I feel like a bastard right now.”
“Now it’s my turn to say don’t.”
He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping. “I have no fucking idea what it is about you, but… I want you, Callie.”
There was no denying that signal. I cupped his face gently, studying his chocolate eyes as best I could in the dim lighting of the bar.
“So you do feel it, too,” I muttered.
“Yeah,” he whispered. “I feel it, too.”
11
Callie
Mark caressed my face, smoothing my hair behind my ear. If he asked, I would get on my knees below the table and suck him dry. The thought was a little alarming, and I squirmed, beginning to ache unbearably between my legs.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. I flushed scarlet, and his lips quirked. “Don’t worry. I can guess.”
“I…”
“You’re different, Callie,” he murmured. “All I want to do is take you home and fuck all night, but…”
“But?” I squeezed my thighs together, a movement that didn’t escape his notice.
“You’re different.”
“I’m not reassured,” I quipped. “I feel like rubbing one out myself, you jerk.” I shoved my hand between my legs, and Mark smirked.
“Your place or mine?” He frowned, then made the decision for me. “Your place. Definitely your place.”
He slid out of the booth and held out his hand. Wrapping my fingers around his, he helped me up, and I fell against his chest. Smiling, he kissed me once more, his tongue diving and retreating before I could catch my breath. Then he turned and led me through the bar.
Grasping my phone, I quickly typed a message to Macy.You had better not be home, and if you are, you had better put in some earplugs.
Outside, Mark walked over to a shiny black and chrome motorcycle and retrieved the helmet from where he’d put it over the handlebars. Watching me stare apprehensively at the bike, he grinned.
“By now, you’ve figured out I’m the bad boy your mother warned you about,” he said, holding out the helmet. “What are you going to do about it?”
“What about you?” I asked.
“I don’t give two fucks about me,” he replied. “You on the other hand…”
“That’s a sucky attitude.” And one I was fast coming to realize was his default reaction when it came to his own well-being. Macy was right in that regard. He had a bag full of his own problems.
He smiled, his lips pulling up on one side more than the other. “I know.”
I wanted to ask so many questions, but my brain was too fuzzy from the lust he’d ignited with that kiss. Oh, God,that kiss. Snatching the helmet, I handed him my purse, and he stowed it in a saddlebag. Then I waited for him to straddle the motorcycle before making a move.
“Where to?” he asked before he kicked the machine to life.
Giving him the address, I put on the helmet, knowing I was taking a huge risk. Not just by riding on the back of his bike while he broke the law but by taking him home. We were going to have sex, and once I let him have me, I knew I would be a goner. I already was pretty much, so I figured I may as well get an orgasm out of it.
I gasped as he floored it, the motorcycle bumping over the gutter and out onto the road. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I felt his muscles tighten as I held on for dear life. He was a daredevil the way he cut through traffic and split lanes. Luckily, it was a short ride to Northcote and my bedroom.
He parked the motorcycle out front, and I slid off the back, my knees wobbling unsteadily.
