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  “Hell, babe,” he said with a disbelieving laugh, “You should be in front of the camera.”

  “Uh, thanks,” I whispered, suddenly feeling self-conscious about my hair, despite his praise, “Where are the others?”

  Donny’s face darkened and when he responded, his voice was rough, “Alec and Stone are looking for you, Briar’s dancing with some guy, Jamie’s gone outside with some chick and Fredi is being a stupid, dyke slut!”

  I blinked, startled by Donny’s anger.

  “Er…” I mumbled, searching for something to say.

  “C’mon,” he growled, “Let’s go get you to Stone. He’s been grumpy and impatient all night.”

  I let him tug me towards the bar, but we didn’t reach it. Two strong hands grasped my waist from behind and pulled me back against a big, hard body. Donny let go of my hand, threw us a distracted wave and strode toward a corner where a tableful of attractive girls sat. Stone waited long enough to let me watch Don smile and win himself a seat at their table. Within moments, the girls were all over him.

  Stone grabbed my hand and led me over to a table where Alec and Briar were now sitting, both of them looking uncomfortable as they snuck glances at the couple across from them. I looked too and was shocked to see Fredi sitting in a ginger-haired woman’s lap…kissing her passionately.

  I paused, not really wanting to sit next to them. I mean, woo-hoo, go lesbian pride and all…but I didn’t know if I’d be able to stop staring if I sat down. Hell, I couldn’t stop staring now. I blushed. Surely it was rude to stare, despite them carrying on in the open.

  God, get a room!

  I fidgeted anxiously and felt Stone’s chest rumble with silent laughter against my back.

  “Fred,” he said gruffly, but I could detect a small smile in his voice, “Get lost.”

  Fredi pulled away from ‘Ginger’ and grinned at us, “Don’t you mean get a room?”

  “I have one at the hotel across the street,” ‘Ginger’ purred.

  Briar giggled into her hand and Alec nudged her hard, fighting his own smile. Fredi looked ready to turn her down, but then Donny sat down at the table with two giggly girls and her face tightened.

  “Sure Ginger,” Fredi smiled in the next instant, “I’d love to go to your hotel.”

  “It’s Stacy,” ‘Ginger’ said with a laugh.

  “Whatever,” Fredi muttered, tugging the girl away.

  “Ow!” the blonde beside Donny complained, “Donny, you’re holding me too tight.”

  I glanced at the fierce look on his face and edged closer to Stone. We still hadn’t sat down and I wasn’t anymore enthusiastic about it than I’d been a few moments before.

  Donny’s hand loosened and he smiled charmingly at his hurt ‘friend’.

  “Sorry, baby,” he murmured, kissing her cheek and talking just loud enough for us all to hear, “Let’s go somewhere and I’ll kiss it better.”

  “Hey! What about me?” the brunette on the other side of him pouted. Donny laughed and Alec rolled his eyes.

  “The more the merrier darling,” Donny said, standing up with the blonde and holding his hand out in question.

  The brunette smiled and accepted it, but I didn’t notice anything else after that because Stone had lost patience and was smoothing his hands over the lace of my dress. He held me as if he owned me, spreading his fingers wide over my flesh as if trying to touch every inch of me all at once. His nose came down to nuzzle my neck and I felt him inhale against my hair. His grip tightened as his hands came to rest on my hips and he pressed a soft kiss behind my ear. I struggled to breathe, steadfastly avoiding making eye-contact with Briar as I pushed back into his body slightly, meaning to subtly push him away, but melting against his hard form instead.

  He grasped my hand and pulled me toward the door. Or so I thought.

  My jaw dropped as he led me onto the dance floor and forged a path through the crush of undulating bodies.

  No. Way!

  Not only couldn’t I believe that Stone was going to dance…but there was no way in hell I wanted to dance like the rest of the girls were. When I’d danced with Logan it had been chaste and brotherly…and I’d still felt self-conscious. I doubted I’d be willing to dance like this in private, let alone in public…with everyone watching us.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when Stone led me into a dark corner on the very edge of the dance floor. My muscles relaxed further when he brought my hands up to weave around his neck (just able to reach comfortably thanks to the high heels). His eyes didn’t miss my reaction. They glinted wickedly for a moment, then my breath caught as he pressed me back against the wall and crowded me with his body, blocking me from everyone’s view.

  I felt the heavy base music reverberate off the wall and pound through my chest, competing with the rapid thudding of my heart. I licked my lips nervously as I tilted my head back to look up at Stone. His mouth met mine immediately, demanding my surrender, showing me his frustration. I let him have his way. There wasn’t enough strength in me to deny him, even if I’d wanted to.

  I’d missed his taste. I’d missed the way his body felt against mine. I’d missed the firm way his hands would run over my body. His hands slid to my ass and squeezed me roughly as he pressed against my stomach, showing me just how hard he was for me.

  He had to bend his head at a funny angle to kiss me this way, so I raised up on my toes and used my hold on his neck to get as high as possible against him. He grabbed my left thigh and lifted it to rest on his hip, raising me to the very tip of my right foot. I felt the muscle clench too tightly in my calf, but I didn’t care.

  I did, however, care that my dress had hitched right up and his hand was making its way toward my panties. And we were still in public. I stiffened, but didn’t tell him to stop. I’d frustrated the guy enough. I didn’t think he’d be happy with me if I denied him now. He was already in an intense mood. If I wasn’t so turned on I’d have been frightened. Hell, I was a little scared, but the fierce look on his face made me even wetter. I’d never had anyone look at me like that. I’d never been so close to such a fierce, dangerous and powerful man.

  I snuck a nervous glance at the crowd behind his back as he attacked my neck and fingered the outline of my underwear. A few people were sneaking glances at us, but it was the Brazilian wax that made me tense further in worry. Again, I didn’t move to stop him and my breath came in anxious little puffs.

  Stone froze and then growled, dropping my leg and gripping my shoulders tightly as he gave me a brief, but firm shake.

  “Evelyn!” he snapped. My eyes flew wide at the anger in his voice and my hands clenched involuntarily on his shoulders.

  “If you want me to stop, fucking say so,” he said sharply, “Don’t ever let anyone touch you if you don’t want it!”

  “I-” I tried to find my tongue, shaking from the overexposure to his deep, grizzly voice.

  “I-I-I want it,” I managed to whisper, curling my hands in his shirt and tentatively snuggling back in.

  “Just…” he leaned down a little to better hear my soft words, “Not here.”

  He relaxed a fraction and took my hand, leading me away from our corner and toward the exit. He walked quickly, leaving me to scurry after him in my stiletto-heeled boots. He tugged me towards his car and pushed me back against it, not hard enough to hurt, but firmly enough to make my heart pound with nervous excitement. He watched me with those hard, silver eyes, assessing me as he propped his hands on either side of me and slowly leant toward me in challenge. I met him half way.

  I slid one arm around his neck and arched my body into him, my back and ass leaving the car entirely. My hand splayed across the back of his skull as I met his kiss and I wished that he had some hair to hang onto. He groaned into my mouth and pushed me back against the car again. My leg wrapped around him on instinct this time and he didn’t waste time sliding his fingers into my panties.

  We both stilled as his calloused fingers touched my bare f
lesh and I blushed as he chuckled. His fingers slid against my folds in a gentle, explorative caress and I gasped with pleasure.

  “Surprise,” I whispered breathlessly.

  His chuckle was quiet, but deeper than before. He slid a finger roughly inside and I cried out into the still, dark night. His finger felt incredible inside me (better than anything of Ben’s I’d had inside me). His fingers were long and hard, and knew just the right places to stroke, press and rub. He nipped at the base of my neck, before kissing his way up to my ear.

  “Do you like it?” I asked nervously, my voice breaking a little as he slid another hard finger inside me.

  “I like it all ways,” he grunted with distraction as he tried to tug on the narrow, deep neckline of my dress.

  My jaw dropped and I made a small whine at the back of my throat.

  He liked it all ways? I didn’t need to get it done? I WENT THROUGH THAT FOR NOTHING?!!

  I must have said that last part out loud, because Stone snorted quietly next to my ear. His mouth closed over mine and my brain stopped working. I kissed him back instinctively, forgetting my worries, forgetting where we were, just giving myself over to the pleasure he was inducing.

  My sounds were quiet, muffled either by Stone’s kisses or his chest as I leant into him. I undulated desperately against his hand as the ache between my legs intensified. He slid my leg higher, opening me wider as his fingers drove deep and hard. He sucked at my neck, licked it, bit it. I held on tightly as the pressure built and I came with a soft, ragged cry.

  I panted for breath as Stone gently lowered my leg and massaged the knot forming in my inner thigh muscle. I slowly relaxed my fingers from their steely grip on his shirt. He kissed my cheek softly, breathing rather hard himself as he opened the door next to me and helped me slide in. He walked around the car and slid into the driver’s seat. He groaned softly and adjusted his tented crotch as I fixed my seat belt.

  I worried my bottom lip between my teeth as I stared at his jean front. I was curious to know what Stone felt like, looked like, tasted like. He started the car and reached for his seatbelt, but I held my hand out to stop him, unbuckling my own seat belt and rising to my knees on my seat. He watched me silently, his face carefully expressionless, but his hard breathing giving him away.

  I slid my hand slowly over one of his hard thighs, inching closer and closer to my intended destination. He didn’t watch my hand. He watched my face, grey eyes examining me a little too close for comfort. I crawled into his lap, straddling his thighs, thankful that his legs were so long that the seat was pushed right back. His hands moved to slowly caress my bare thighs, his eyes still glued to mine.

  I hesitantly reached for his fly, hoping he’d do the job for me. No such luck. His eyes narrowed slightly, telling me that if I wanted to touch him, I had to take the first step myself. I stroked my finger along the ridge of him, jumping a little when it leapt at my touch. I swallowed noisily, then carefully pulled down his zipper and parted the denim. Stone pushed them down a little further, then moved his hands back to my thighs, leaving me to stare at his dark blue boxer briefs.

  His fingers began to stroke my skin soothingly and I bravely reached forward and released him through the hole in the front. I heard his breath suck in, but refused to look at his face. I couldn’t look at his intense eyes right now.

  And why would I want to look away from the amazing cock in front of me?

  I blushed at my own graphicness and reached forward to stroke him from root to tip. Stone growled, but again, I didn’t look at him. I focused all my attention on pleasing him, on learning what he liked. I wasn’t brave enough to use my mouth, but he taught me to make him come with my hands.

  He kissed me afterwards, long and sweet and tiredly. He slept in my room that night…and I slept better than I had in days.

  EIGHTEEN

  Chapter 18

  “Good afternoon sleepy-heads!” Candy chirped cheerfully as she bustled into our dorm, slamming the door behind her.

  My heavy eyes fluttered open and I blinked at her. She was dressed in a small netball skirt and a tight, matching singlet. Her bright red ponytail bounced with her energetic movements.

  Right. Sunday. Netball at one o’clock.

  I’d promised Candy I’d come and watch this time. She’d tried to get me to join her team at the start of the year, but I’d politely declined. I knew how feisty and rough netball girls were and I didn’t want that much attention either. I’d watch safely from the stands thank you very much.

  I glanced at the time and realised it was in fact afternoon. Twenty-three minutes past noon to be precise. I’d slept all morning.

  Beneath the sheets, Stone’s hand moved from my breast to rest low on my stomach and I blushed. I didn’t know if he was watching me or staring at Candy, but I knew he was awake. Hell, Stone had probably been awake for hours.

  Why hadn’t he left the bed?

  “Afternoon Candy,” I said quietly, biting my lip and trying to wriggle forwards to leave the bed. Stone’s arm tightened around me, not letting me out. He moved back slightly so he could roll me onto my back and then leaned over me to take my mouth in a slow, hot kiss.

  I blushed again, realising that Stone hadn’t worn a shirt to bed and Candy was getting quite the show.

  She whistled and laughed, telling me to hurry up and get my ass to the courts as she jogged out the door. As soon as the door shut, Stone flicked the sheet off the bed and manoeuvred himself over me, his kiss becoming deeper and more possessive. I tentatively reached for his bare ribs and soothed my hands over his hot, taut skin.

  Mmmm, man oh man did he feel good.

  He started sucking at my neck and I arched into him, loving the way his mouth felt against the delicate tendons there. His lips moved to the other side of my neck and he paused, chuckling softly as he pressed three kisses against my skin.

  I looked at him questioningly and his eyes smiled back at me.

  “Hickeys,” he growled out and I felt my eyes widen. I gave him a gentle push and he grudgingly flopped onto his back with a groan as I leapt from the bed to examine my neck in the bathroom.

  Great, I thought as I fingered the purple marks. It was the third week of September. Spring had begun. It was now too hot during the day to wear a turtle-neck jumper and at this time of day it would be too hot to let my thick hair hang about my neck. I reached for my new makeup to conceal it, but remembered one of the new tops Briar had bought me on our latest trip to the shops. I hurried back into the bedroom and rooted around in my closet, making myself ignore Stone, who had sat up in bed and was watching me.

  Aha! I found the top I was looking for and smiled. It would do nicely. It was a thin, black, turtle-neck top, without sleeves and with an oval-shaped hole in the front that exposed some of my collarbone and upper chest. It was a little dressy to watch sport in, so I teamed it with a pair of tiny denim shorts and trainers. I hurried my outfit back to the bathroom to change, tying my hair in two low ponytails, but not pulling the ends all the way through, creating a messy bun beside each of my ears. I let my layered bangs fall about my face, shoved Vicky’s old, women’s rugby team cap on my head and grabbed some 30+ sunscreen on my way back into the bedroom.

  Stone stood at the door, a clean shirt on and his keys in his hand, obviously waiting for me. I paused. He was coming with me? I’d planned to walk down to the courts a couple of blocks away, but it looked like he was giving me a lift. Would he stay and watch with me?

  “Fredi’s playing,” he told me, seeing the question in my eyes.

  Oh.

  His lip twitched as he examined my outfit and hair, but his brow furrowed ever so slightly when he read my hat. He raised an eyebrow in question, looking again at my slight figure and obviously recalling how much tinier still I’d been when I’d arrived at the beginning of the year. I flushed a little and pulled the bill further down to hide my face.

  “My older sister played in high school,” I explained, waiting for h
im to ask about my family. I’d met his, but he’d never asked me about mine.

  His lip twitched in amusement and I knew he was trying to imagine me with a bruiser of an older sister, instead of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, tall, athletic, intelligent, big-breasted, gorgeous fighter-pilot Vic actually was. He didn’t ask about my family though. He just took my hand and led me out of the room.

  ***

  Every girl froze as Stone and I sat down in the stands. I shifted uncomfortably, hoping they’d snap out of it soon and continue with their warm up. Fredi obviously heard my silent prayer, because she deliberately passed the ball to her distracted warm-up partner. I winced when the ball made solid contact with her stomach.

  “Wake up Star,” Fredi said with a laugh and the brunette snapped out of her shock with an embarrassed laugh, picking the ball up and throwing it back at Fredi. The rest of the girls quickly went back to work and I relaxed a little.