Raiden was not so hesitant.
He drove her faster than I’d ever risk, testing her handling on the winding roads that led from my place to Willow.
This normally would frighten me, but he operated the car with a natural confidence, like he drove her every day, or like he drove NASCAR for a living. So I wasn’t frightened.
I was exhilarated.
And thus looking forward to the ride home.
We approached her, he beeped the locks and I saw the kick butt “Z” at the side illuminate in a flash when he did.
I loved my girl.
And, Bodhi and Heather notwithstanding, I was back to glad I made my decision months ago to broaden the horizons of my life.
Case in point: Raiden Miller walking me to my car at midnight on a Saturday night.
He moved me to the passenger side, but I turned my back to the car, blocking the door and looked up at him.
“You said at intermission that you thought Sunset Boulevard kicked ass. How did you feel about Chinatown?”
“You were right, that Dunaway-Huston gig was freaky, but it was a f**king good movie,” he answered.
He liked noir. For some reason, this thrilled me.
Yes, he just kept getting better and better.
Therefore, I blurted, “In case I forget, I’ll say it now to be sure you know. I had an amazing night, Raiden Miller.”
At my words, one of his hands moved to span my hip, the other one cupped my jaw. He shifted close and dipped his face to mine.
“Good to know, Hanna Boudreaux,” he rumbled through smiling lips.
I smiled back then shared, “I’m glad I didn’t eavesdrop and ruin the night by freaking out and being stupid.”
“I’m glad I didn’t leave a pretty woman at a table and make a poorly timed phone call,” he returned.
My smile got bigger. “I’m also glad nothing world rocking happened, like learning my best friend since forever, KC, was the evil mastermind behind a dire plot to take over the world, Homeland Security raided her house and hauled me in as a possible accomplice due to our copious phone conversations and pedicure appointments.”
His body was shaking as were his words when he replied, “Reason to rejoice.”
I was laughing softly when I finished, “So thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby.”
Baby.
I loved that.
So much I rolled up to my toes and kissed him.
Again, I was going for a quick peck. I was looking forward to making out with him on my porch (or wherever) when he took me home, but just then I was going to do what he did.
A brush of lips against lips.
Raiden, as I was learning anytime this happened, had other ideas.
Except this time, without reason, when Raiden’s arms locked around me, crushing me to him and his tongue slid into my mouth, the world exploded.
The other kisses were phenomenal.
Even though this one was not executed in the privacy of my farmhouse at the end of a single track lane that was surrounded only by trees, but instead in a public parking lot in our hometown after a movie just let out, the kiss detonated.
Maybe it was because I wasn’t freaking out, heartbroken and being stupid.
Maybe it was because we hadn’t just finished exchanging heated words or heartfelt confessions.
Maybe it was because my dream actually was coming true, bigger and better than I expected. I was in Raiden’s arms and he wanted me there.
Maybe it was just because it was the end of a really good date.
Whatever it was, it was like nothing I’d ever experienced. Nothing I even knew existed.
And something I wanted never to end.
It was huge. Consuming. The world melted away and there was just Raiden, his arms, his big, hard body, his mouth and his tongue.
I couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t give enough.
And Raiden felt exactly the same.
I knew this when he arched me into the car, pressing close, hips, chest, lips.
I knew it more when his hands slid down over my bottom and he jerked me up.
I had my hands in his hair and I held on even as my legs automatically circled his hips. He shifted down the car, planted my booty on the hood and bent into me so my back was to the Z, my legs circling his hips, his groin pressed deep to me and his tongue ravaging my mouth.
I was so lost in the kiss, in Raiden, I would have been happy for it to go on forever and more, even in the parking lot. No kidding, I would have been happy for it to escalate to bigger and better things.
But suddenly, my surprised cry drowned down his throat, he yanked me up and set me on my feet with a jarring thud.
I barely got myself steady before his hand clamped around mine. He dragged me the short distance down the car, wrenched open the door and shoved me inside.
He slammed the door after me. Out of habit I dumped my purse on the floor in front of me and I was trying to get my wits together, come to terms with the drastic and unwelcome turn of events, and, with shaking hands, get my belt around me when he angled in the other side.
“No belt,” his voice growled at me and my head snapped to look at him as he tossed the key in the cupholder, hit the button to start the car and shifted into reverse before the automatic ignition fully engaged.
We reversed out of our spot so fast, my body swayed with the movements. Then he rocketed out of the car park and through town, picking up speed quickly. My breath caught and I didn’t notice he was going in the wrong direction.
I didn’t notice this mostly because we left town behind in a blink, and we no sooner did that when his hand wrapped around the back of my neck and he roughly yanked me his way. Shoving my face in his neck, his other hand quickly captured my wrist and pulled it to him, then smoothed my hand over his hard crotch.
It was so hot, so forbidden, so dangerous; it felt like fireworks exploded in the car, their sparks landing everywhere, all over me, dazzling me at the same time making me burn.
I pressed my hand deeper, moaning into his neck, my tongue gliding out, tasting his skin.
His hand left mine. The car sped wherever he was taking us as I felt and heard his gruff, rumbled, “Fuck me.”
My body molten, my mind dazed, everything that was me was about everything that was him. I touched the tip of my tongue to his earlobe and whispered a desperate, “Hurry.”
My girl revved, Raiden shifted and my hand curled tighter around his crotch.
I trailed my lips along his neck, his jaw and reversed my path, using my tongue. I shoved my face deep into his skin, loving his taste, his smell, the feel of his stubble, the whisper of his hair against my forehead so much, I uncurled my hand and rubbed my palm hard down the length of him.