CHAPTER Twenty-two

Thanks for defending my honor tonight.” She pulled up in his driveway and keyed the car off.

“It made my year that I got to finally punch that guy out. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, though. Now that I know what he looks like, I can watch out for him better. The bartender is a friend of Asa’s. He might know something.”

Duke got out and joined her on the driver’s side. “Should we go get Ginger and bring her to my house for the night?”

“Craig texted me earlier to ask if he could keep her until tomorrow. He can’t have a dog right now. He’s too busy usually. But he loves animals so he sometimes steals my dog to get a canine fix. Plus, he takes her to the dog park—so he can meet women—but Ginger loves it at his house. I’ll swing by his place tomorrow on the way home and grab her.”

He dug that little dog and couldn’t deny a twinge of jealousy that Craig had her right then.

“I miss her too,” Carmella said quietly.

What Duke liked most was that she didn’t joke about it. She was serious and it was cool that he was too.

“Right now, though, you’re sweaty and roughed up and unbelievably hot. I’d like to utilize this as it’s all my favorite.”

He bent and picked her up. “I vow that we’ll make it to my bed this time.”

“If you say so.” She kissed his neck as he got his door unlocked and them both inside. He kicked it shut, locked it, and headed straight to his bed, where he tossed her, pulling his clothes off as she did the same.

“I’m going to wash my hands as they’re covered in ratfaced goatfucker sweat and blood. Don’t go anywhere.”

He came back out with wet hair. “I dunked my head under. I hope I didn’t spoil that tousled sexy thing you liked so much.”

“Get down here and let me show you just how much you didn’t spoil it.”

She pushed him to his back and kissed him. Slowly at first. And fell under, her mouth on his.

Carmella kissed across his face, over his nose, digging her fingers into his hair as she moved down his neck and collarbone. She licked over his ink, tasting the salt of his skin. Loving the way he shivered and arched into her kisses.

She drew the tip of her tongue around his right nipple until it beaded and he made a ragged sound.

It did something to her to be able to evoke such a response from him. It drove her, pushed her, made her want more.

“I want to be what you see when you close your eyes,” she said without meaning to give voice to her thoughts.

“You are.” Voice ragged, he caressed her shoulders.

She nibbled across his belly, down the ridges of his muscles and then the trail of downy hair that led straight to his cock.

Sighing happily, she licked from balls to the tip and then once and twice more. His fingers kneaded the comforter as he groaned.

Carmella grabbed the base of his cock and angled him to swallow as much as she could. He got even harder each time she sucked and then pulled back. This big, gorgeous, powerful man who she’d just watch pummel someone else could easily turn that on her and he never had. Not even a shadow.

Even when he’d thought the worst of her, he’d never threatened her like that. For someone like Carmella, that meant everything. Watching her mother fall in with one loser after the next had hardened her heart to any hope of a relationship of equals.

And then there’d been Clifton and she figured the only way to survive was to never let herself be vulnerable with anyone again and she’d never turn out like Virgie.

Everything was different now. He changed everything. Whether she wanted it changed or not.

She licked around the crown and just below where she knew he liked it best. He grunted and said her name, letting go of the bedding and grabbing her instead.

“I don’t know why you always stop me,” she said, laughing as he flipped her to her back.

“I don’t always stop you. But I have been doing little but thinking about shoving my cock in you since about eleven this morning. Someday soon we need to talk about the discontinuation of this condom business,” he muttered as he suited up.

“Hush up and fuck me already.”

“On your belly.”

She quickly got into position, not even caring about how eagerly she shoved her ass toward him when he pushed her knee up the mattress to open her up more fully.

He played around her entrance as she attempted to shove herself back on his cock. But he held her in place with his thighs. Being wedged just how he wanted her drove her mad. She wanted more from him.

He played her desire, made her tremble, gasp, groan with satisfaction when he finally thrust into her pussy fully.

“Goddamn. What a fucking fool that piece of shit was to let you go. Good thing I’m not a fool.”

He kissed her back between her shoulder blades as he angled down over her body. She put a hand between her belly and the bed, finding her clit ready.

“Yes, gorgeous. That’s fucking it.”

She worked her clit in time with his thrusts, knowing that as she got closer to climax, he’d feel the changes inside her. Feel her heat up, tighten around him. That friction was so delicious all she really had to do was let him push her body up her finger, grinding and creating a wave of pleasure each time he fucked into her.

“Mine,” he whispered against her skin.

“Yours,” she agreed into the pillow. Not knowing if he heard it or not, not sure if she hoped he had.