Rumor Has It Read online

  With Kate he remembered each and every look, each and every touch. Each and every kiss. And this one, here with her under a million stars was a world-class kiss. He was already hard. Hell, he’d been hard since he set her on the tailgate—but he wasn’t going to get any relief tonight. This was just about her tonight.

  Not him.

  Still, he groaned when she pressed herself up into him, with a soft sound from deep in her throat that shot need straight through him. Trying to get even closer, she tightened her grip, like she wanted to crawl inside him. Knowing he had to stop this now before he took it too far killed him. “Kate.”

  In answer, she nipped at his bottom lip and then sucked it into her mouth.

  Damn, she was no help at all. She had her tongue down his throat, her knee sliding up the length of his thigh so that she was open to him, her hands beneath his shirt, and oh Jesus, they were heading south, her fingers running along the button fly of his jeans. He thrust helplessly into her palm before he ruthlessly clamped down on the hunger roaring through him, desperately trying to access his common sense.

  She popped open the top button and was going for the next before he managed to catch her hand. “No,” he said, his voice low and raspy.

  She blew a strand of hair from her face. “No?”

  “This is about you, about showing you a good time.”

  “Yes,” she said. “And I was just getting to the good-time part.”

  He laughed and dropped his head to her shoulder. “This is about you, Kate,” he repeated.

  She stared up at him, her eyes twin pools of mystery. “So you’re only going to . . . give?”

  “Yes.”

  “And I’m supposed to just take it?”

  “Yes.”

  His voice was a little rough, but he couldn’t help it. She stared at his mouth as if she liked the sound of him like that, a little out of control. And then she lay back, legs and arms spread, looking like some sort of jean-clad goddess beneath the starlight. “Well then, get to it,” she said.

  Oh Jesus. Yeah. It was official. She was going to be the death of him.

  When he didn’t touch her, she opened one eye and looked at him, and then she narrowed her eyes as she got it. “Are you kidding me? Why did you get me all worked up then?”

  He considered her lush, gorgeous, prone body. “You’re worked up?”

  “Very!”

  “You should tell me about it. Slowly and in great detail.”

  She stared up at him and then closed her eyes again, lying back all trusting. “You know so much, figure it out for yourself.”

  He was smiling when he kissed her this time. Smiling. He couldn’t remember smiling while kissing a woman before. But then again, everything with Kate was either a surprise or new. He was the most jaded, cynical bastard he knew.

  Except with her.

  Twenty-one

  Kate smiled when she felt Griffin’s mouth cover hers, but the smile was short-lived because he kissed her with devastating care and seriousness, and oh Lord, the man could kiss. He had her panting in seconds. Rocking up, she tried to wrap her arms around him, but he took her wrists and held them over her head, pinning her body with his.

  “Don’t move,” he said.

  His commanding tone caused a very secret little thrill. “I’m not very good at following orders,” she whispered.

  “Move, and I stop getting you worked up.”

  His stern expression started a slow burn deep in her belly. “Well, hurry up and get back to it, then,” she said.

  “Still trust me?” he asked again.

  “Yes.”

  He held her gaze for a long beat and then bent to her. Still holding her wrists pinned over her head, his warm breath tickled her ear as his teeth nipped her earlobe. Then his lips slid down her throat as he peeled open the jacket and slid a hand beneath her sweater.

  The slow burn in her belly spread both north and south with shocking speed. Did she trust him? With her life? Yes. With her body? Yes.

  With her heart? She’d have to be a fool— “Oh,” she breathed, startled when his clever fingers peeled her bra down and teased her nipples. And then again when he unbuttoned her jeans and slid down her zipper. She should have been cold, but instead she was on fire, from the inside out. “Hey, you wouldn’t let me—” Her words ended on a breathy moan because he stroked a long finger over her.

  “You’re wet,” he said, a naughty accusation. “I bet it was the cookies.”

  She choked out a half laugh, half moan. “You said we weren’t going to—”

  “I said I wasn’t going to,” he corrected, placing soft, wet, devastatingly hot kisses along her neck, dipping his tongue into the hollow at the base of her throat. “But you are, Kate. You’re going to a lot.”

  “Ohmigod,” she managed, already shockingly close to orgasm. Her hands still pinned, she arched into his other hand, the one currently the center of her entire universe. His warm breath on her throat raised goose bumps along her skin. The hand he had in her pants moved possessively, hungrily, stroking her with knowing precision. She shuddered and spread her legs a little wider. Then, afraid that he’d stop, she closed them tightly, holding his hand to her.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he promised, and then he kissed her long and wet and deep, his fingers having no problem within their confined space, setting a rhythm that had every coherent thought vacating her brain. It also had her entire body trembling on the very edge, and she cried out, rocking into him, helplessly anchored by his body. “Griffin—”

  He didn’t answer. Instead he guided her movements, taking total control until she was gasping for air in jerky little puffs that dissipated in the chilly sky. She felt her muscles tighten, her toes curl, and she wrenched her mouth from his. “I’m going to—”

  “Good. Come.”

  She was already shuddering as he ground against her, his tongue in her mouth moving with her hips as she did just what he’d demanded and came for him. Hard.

  She had no idea how much time went by before she relaxed her body and blinked open her eyes.

  He nuzzled her neck. “Still with me?”

  “I haven’t the foggiest,” she said, surprised to find her voice hoarse. That’s when she realized, she’d been making all sorts of ruckus. Embarrassed, she tried to turn away, but he tightened his grip, smiling against her.

  “Stop it,” she said, shoving at him. “It’s all your fault. I’m not usually so noisy.”

  “It worked to our advantage. You kept the bears scared off.”

  With a horrified gasp she tried to sit up.

  He held her still, grin flashing, the bastard. “Just relax a minute.” He zipped the jacket back up to her chin but not before pressing his face to her throat and inhaling deeply. “God, I love the scent of you.”

  “A male emperor moth can smell his female emperor moth seven miles away,” she said inanely, her hands coming up to hold his head to her.

  “Lucky male emperor moth.” He gave her one smacking kiss and grinned.

  She studied his face. “You’re feeling pretty damn sure of yourself.”

  “Making a woman scream his name does that to a guy.”

  “I did not scream your name,” she said.

  “Do you see any bears?”

  She smacked his chest, and then she fisted her hands in his shirt, trying to tug him over her. “Tell me you have a condom.”

  “I have a condom.”

  “I love that about you,” she said fervently.

  “We’re not using it.”

  She went still then pushed him away. “Okay, I don’t love that. Why aren’t we using it?”

  “Already told you.” He hopped out of the truck bed and reached a hand back to help her. “Tonight’s about you.” He opened the door for her and then walked around and slid behind the wheel.

  Tonight’s about you . . . She stared at him as it sunk in that he was completely serious. Not sure if she was touched or frustrated, she frow