Chapter 1: Introduction
The thumping bass from the speakers at the Ground Round frat house rattled my ribcage as I weaved my way through the writhing crowd, scanning every face for Reese's pixie haircut and radiant smile. I couldn't seem to find her through the pulsating sea of bodies, some writhing sensually on each other and others lost in euphoric dancing. Lights strobed, leaving fragmented trails of color throughout the room, while steam cannons periodically spewed jets of smoke.
The scent of cheap cologne and allure of neon-colored cups filled with overpriced drinks created an environment reminiscent of a carnival scene twisted into something significantly more sensual.
Beside me, Maddie, my tower of a friend with her curly chestnut hair, swayed to the rhythm, her laughter piercing through the commotion. "Hey, Jay!" she called over the music. "You nearing find Remy?"
I shook my head, my eyes still searching the dimly lit crowd. "No dice," I shouted back.
But my mind diverted from Reese as a figure emerged through the darkness of a corner booth, a woman with waist-length golden locks and a petite frame, clad in a scandalously low-cut dress that hugged her ample chest like a second skin. My gaze transfixed upon her as she sashayed toward the dance floor, her hips swaying and breasts bouncing.
"Fuck," I murmured as Maddie slapped my chest playfully, her eyes widening with recognition. "What is it?"
"That blonde bombshell just walked in.
Damn," Maddie said, her gaze glued to the woman who was now dancing, her hips grinding in time with the heavy bass. "She's definitely got your name written all over her."
My thoughts exactly, I thought, unable to tear my eyes away from the stranger's exquisite form. A dark sexual hunger clawed its way up from the depths of my being. I knew I had to have her.
As if sensing my eyes on her, she turned her head, her emerald gaze locking with mine.
Instantly, something raw and primal surged through me, sweeping away any trace of inhibition. My gaze locked on the stranger, and I felt an intense and irresistible desire to touch her, possess her, claim her as my own.
"Oh shit," Maddie whispered beside me as I forcefully pushed my way through the sea of bodies, my eyes never leaving the entrancing woman. I arrived at the edge of the dance floor, my heart pounding in my chest, and extended my hand.
She took it without hesitation, sending a shiver racing down my spine. I pulled her close, and she pressed herself to me, her full breasts mashed against my chest. She rotated her hips, grinding on me while we swayed together. The heat of her body ignited every nerve ending.
The crowd around us vanished as we merged into our own rhythm.
I ran my hands over her smooth, lithe body, my fingers scooping possessively into the soft, round curves of her ass. I couldn't get enough of her. The taste of her beer-laced lips hung on my tongue, fueling an insatiable hunger within me.
Her lips parted as I deepened the kiss, nipping at her bottom lip and dragging my tongue inside her mouth. She emitted a soft sigh, melting further into my embrace. Her body undulated against mine with a level of expertise I hadn't expected from such a mysterious stranger.
I growled, my fingers digging deeper into her ass. My other hand snaked up her spine to tangle in her golden tresses. With each thrust of her hips, my need to consume her grew more manic. There was a desire coursing through me to brand her, make her feel my presence when I left, and leave her craving me as I craved her.
My lips trailed down her neck and collarbone, biting and sucking with just enough force to leave an imprint and to hear the sweetest of whimpers escape between those plump lips.
The crowd around us blurred as we made our way to the dimly lit alleyway behind the bar, my strong hand gripping the small of her back, pulling her steadily along. She yielded to me, giving herself without any hesitation to my dominance. Our breaths mingled as we entered the secluded enclave, our bodies fusing together with the desperation of two lost souls craving a moments respite.
I pressed her against the rough brick wall, feeling the texture of the mortar beneath my fingertips as my fingers explored her delectable form. She threw her head back, offering me full access to the tantalizing column of her throat.
"You want me, baby," I whispered, my voice low and menacing. I claimed her lips once again, my tongue delving deeper as we both moaned, the sounds dampening in the cool embrace of the night. She grasped at my shirt, practically shredding the fabric in her eagerness to feel my bare skin.
I smirked against her lips before leaning back to remove the ruins of my shirt, tossing it carelessly aside.
My hands roamed freely across her porcelain flesh. Her skin goose-bumped beneath my fingers as I dipped below the neckline of her dress, my lips following the trail blazed by my fingertips.
I tugged at the skimpy fabric, desperate to release her ample breasts and replace the restrictive material with my greedy lips and tongue. My cock raged beneath my jeans, demanding entrance to her moist heat.