She released his shirtfront, slid her hands around his torso and squeezed him tight. “Thanks for being there.”

Joel slipped his hands around her and was shocked to discover naked skin. He leaned away to figure out what the devil he was touching. “God damn it, what happened to your dress?”

“That’s why I had to go outside. I don’t think they meant to rip anything.” Vicki took a stuttering breath as she lifted her fingers to touch her cheek.

“And that handprint was an accident as well, I suppose.” Joel caught her gaze. “You should press charges.”

Her expression tightened. “I don’t even know who they are.”

Which made it worse, not better. “No one should be able to attack you for no reason, Vicki.”

“They had a reason, only I’m not the one to blame. I told you, the woman who hit me called me a whore. Said she was surprised to see me in public.”

Joel’s anger wasn’t cooling, if anything it was getting worse. “You think they got you and your sister mixed up?”

Vicki broke her gaze away, and Joel wanted to hit something. Yeah, that didn’t make the attack any better at all.

Screw it. Joel sat on the bed beside her and pulled her into his lap, cradling her close. “What do you want to do?”

She wiped her eyes then rested her cheek on his chest. She was so still he thought she might be holding her breath. Then she brought one hand up to trace the buttons on his shirt, and all the tension in the room flipped the corner, his body stupidly tightening with need.

Vicki spoke clearly, without a waver. “I want to forget the last thirty minutes happened and go back to you being as hot for me as you were on the dance floor.”

“God, Vicki.”

She lifted her face. “I mean it. I was having the time of my life until, like everything else in my world, the fun and the laughter got torn away. And that sucks. So if you really want an answer, I want you.”

Her hand cupped his face, fingers so soft as she stroked his skin.

“Darling—”

“If you still want me.” The words whispered out as she buried her fingers in his hair and broke his remaining protests.

To deny his desire would be another slap in the face.

Joel let his gaze shift down her body. Watched her chest rise and fall far too rapidly for how calm and cool she pretended to be. The pulse at the base of her neck fluttered.

Ignore the past thirty minutes? He couldn’t do that. He’d never be able to get what he’d just learned out of his soul.

But he could give her what she needed right now. What they both needed. To feel alive and in control.

“Let’s see what happens, okay?”

Something lit in her eyes and she swallowed hard. “You mean it? We’re gonna…?”

He leaned her over to reach her lips more easily, pressing her onto the bed. He spoke against her mouth as he smoothed back the long strands of hair that fell between them. “We’re gonna see what happens.”

Gentle kisses followed. Fleeting. Tender.

It wasn’t time to wait anymore, but there was no need to rush.

“You have a whole lot of things you haven’t experienced, remember?” Joel adjusted her until she lay flat on the bed, easy to touch and pet and stroke.

“You mean I get my blowjob lessons?” She smiled so earnestly before breaking into a grin of sheer mischief.

“We’ll leave that one for a bit later. Now shut up and let me kiss you.”

He cupped her face carefully to avoid bumping where the imprint remained. She’d likely have a bruise by the morning, and he didn’t want to remind her of the stupid cruelty of others.

He laid his mouth over hers and kissed her. Used his tongue on her lips until she cracked them apart and he could slip inside. Gentle. Delicate. Still intoxicating enough that their breathing grew ragged and his body hardened.

He left her lips and glided lower, pressing another kiss to the throbbing pulse in her neck, drawing a finger down the neckline of her dress to one breast.

Vicki stared with wide eyes. “No padding this time either, I swear.”

God, that she could joke? He wanted to wrap her up and protect her, and instead she was already forging ahead, dealing with what life had handed her. Damn brave, so much to admire.

So he followed her lead and teased right back. “Then you’d better prove it. Let’s get that pretty dress off you. I want to hit second base properly this time.”

Vicki shot upright, reaching behind her for the zipper.

“Not so fast. That’s my job.”

Getting a woman out of her clothes for the first time wasn’t something to be rushed. Joel kissed her, tangling his fingers in her hair. Letting her set the pace so he didn’t take it too far, too fast. Vicki moaned into his mouth and pressed against him, eager in her response.

Joel caught the back of her head in one hand, twisting her hair to the side to expose the long zipper. He tugged downward until the shoulders of her dress loosened off and allowed the neckline to gape open.

Her bra was in the way, but there was still a lovely amount of bare flesh before him.

“You gonna stare down my top all night or take off my clothes?” Vicki teased.

“Both.”

Zipper dealt with, Joel stroked from her neck outward, pushing aside fabric. He leaned over and kissed the newly exposed skin.

He repeated the motion on the other side, only this time when the material slipped from her shoulder, her top fell away, leaving her naked from the waist up except for the bra.

Vicki hesitated for a moment. “It’s nothing fancy—”

“Your tits? They don’t need to be fancy to turn me on.”

She shook her head. “Joker.”

He had to touch. Teasing her skin until she arched against his hands, little whimpers of need escaping from the back of her throat.

Joel paused. Once he got started, he wasn’t going to be able to stop. So he planned ahead. Jerked his shirt free from his jeans and tore off both layers at the same time, discarding them to the side.

Vicki smiled, approval in her eyes. “Nice floor show so far. Don’t stop.”

“This is about you.” Joel leaned forward, the heat of her skin brushing his as he reached behind her and undid her bra.


He peeled the final layer away and the urge to cover herself arrived. It didn’t matter that he stared as if he were starving, heat and desire clear in his eyes. She’d never been naked in front of a man before, and Vicki clutched the bedding under her fingers to keep her hands in one place.

“Beautiful.” Joel closed in, and she was sure he’d go straight for her breasts. She ached to have him touch her, the heavy sensation of want strange and yet perfect.

Only he moved forward until their entire upper bodies connected. Skin to skin, mouths together for another air-sucking kiss. Stars floated before her eyes as she took advantage of his nearness to run her hands over his naked shoulders.

The twist of his tongue playing with hers wasn’t enough to distract her from the heady sensation of her breasts compressed to his wall of a chest. His fingertips on her shoulder spread electric pulses to her core as he inched lower, shifting sideways far enough that he could wrap his big hand over her breast.

Oh God, it felt good. “Don’t stop.”

“You have no idea…” His lips left hers and moved downward. Vicki took a deep breath in anticipation as he traced patterns on her collarbone with his tongue. The cooler room air hit the moisture and she shivered. Waiting. Wanting.

Another kiss, this time to the top of her breast. He still held her cradled in his palm and actually seeing his tongue sneak out to make contact with her nipple was overwhelming.

When he wrapped his lips around the peak, Vicki swore. Such a strange connection, that his lips tugging on her breast could create the same tug lower in her body. She smoothed her fingers through his hair, keeping him in place, loving the attention and the incredible pleasure.

When he switched to the other side, she wasn’t sure she was going to last. “How can that feel so unbelievably good?”

“Hmm.” Joel sucked harder then popped off the tip, leaving it shiny with moisture and achingly hard. “Don’t try to figure it out, just enjoy.”

Back and forth, as if he couldn’t decide which side he liked better. Enjoying his caresses was one thing, but even his focused attention on her breasts wasn’t enough. Vicki squirmed, looking for more pressure, something to counter the ache between her legs.

Joel pulled off, a light chuckle escaping him. “You’re wiggling like a worm on a hook.”

“Nice visual, but…oh God, Joel. I want more.”

He laid her back on the bed and rose over her. “Hang in there, we’ve got all the time in the world.”

“If you take that long, I’m going to change into some kind of zombie creature.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” Joel smoothed his hands down to her naked waist, his gaze following his touch. When he stripped off her dress, he took her panties as well, and in less time than she thought possible she was flat-out butt-naked.

She’d been watching his face as he’d moved, and she was glad of it. There was no faking the hunger she saw. The pleasure he experienced as her body was revealed. His obvious desire was exactly what her soul needed after the chaos of the day.

Joel lifted his gaze to hers, shaking his head lightly. “I’m in heaven. You’re so damn beautiful.”

Vicki’s cheeks heated at his compliment. “Touch me,” she whispered.

“Everywhere.”

He worked his way down her body, and for the first time in her life pleasure overwhelmed her. Joel used not only his hands but his mouth and seemingly his entire body. Unexpected, and oh so good. Like the sweet rasp of the stubble on his jaw as he rubbed against her belly. His tongue stroking the underside of her breast. The subtle caress of his forearm along her rib cage. She squeezed her eyes shut to concentrate on not jumping off the bed every time he fondled a new section of skin.