It Started with a Crush by Piper James

Chapter Nineteen

Sage

The nightclub in Saddleback was crowded and warm, filled with people sitting at tables, standing near the bar, and grinding against each other on the large dance floor. Flashing lights cut through the steamy air, making me dizzier than I already was after the excruciatingly tense ride here.

I’d caught Chase’s gaze on my legs more times than I could count, heard his uneven breaths every time I shifted under the weight of that gaze. The tension had been palpable, and I hadn’t missed how he’d reached down to make sure his shirt covered his crotch more than once.

He wanted me. And watching him fight that desire all the way here had left my panties damp and an ache in my core.

I was fighting my own internal battle as my mind screamed that it was too soon. This was only our second date, and I didn’t want to rush things with Chase. I wanted to do this right.

Shit. I had no idea what I was doing. How many dates did we have to go on before it was acceptable to sleep with him? And who made the rules, anyway?

Chase and I should be the ones to decide when and where we have sex for the first time, not some unwritten rules on dating I thought I had to follow. And if it were up to me, I’d pull him into the nearest closet and jump his bones. Because, fuck, he was hot in those soft-looking pants that hugged the curve of his ass perfectly. The long sleeves of his dress shirt were cuffed and tolled to the elbows, and he had the top two buttons undone, giving me a sneak peek of the smooth, toned skin underneath.

“There’s a table. Go grab it while I get us some drinks from the bar,” he said, bringing his mouth close to my ear so I could hear him over the deep bass of the music pounding around us.

I spied the table he meant and nodded before heading that way. I swore I could feel his eyes burning into me as I went, and I had to remind myself to breathe. It felt like we were on a precipice, and I needed to decide if I wanted to jump or scurry back from the edge.

I took a seat in the booth, smoothing my skirt and fidgeting with my hair until Chase walked over with two cocktails. Sliding in next to me, he handed me one of the drinks as I tried to recover from the feel of his thigh brushing against mine.

He twisted the upper half of his body to face me, leaning in close. I felt his breath on my cheek as he spoke, smelled the minty freshness, and fought for coherence as my muddled brain tried to decipher what he was saying.

“This place is packed. And loud.”

“Yeah,” was my witty and brilliant reply.

“You okay?” he asked, bringing his mouth even closer to my ear.

A shiver wracked my body as I somehow managed to nod and smile. I wrapped my lips around the straw poking out of my glass and sucked, draining half the contents before coming up for air. A low sound vibrated in Chase’s chest, startling me.

Jesus. I was acting like a skittish colt. Chase made me feel things I’d never felt before. Sitting this close to him, breathing the same air, feeling that warm thigh pressed against mine—I’d never felt as turned on as I did right now.

I suddenly didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else, as long as it was quiet and private so I could hear myself think. So I could reach out and run my hand over Chase’s skin. To lift that damn shirt and see if he really was hiding a cock that was stiff just for me.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked, abruptly ending the fantasy.

I nodded and followed him out of the booth. He took my hand and led me out onto the dancefloor, and I changed my mind. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to be right here, my arms circling his neck as his hands gripped my hips and pulled me closer.

We began to move, and the mass of people around us disappeared. It was only him and me, our bodies bouncing as our hips bucked in time with the beat. Chase slid one foot between mine and pulled me even closer. His knee pushed between my thighs, and my body temperature spiked to a near-unbearable degree. My heart was pounding. My lungs fought for breath. And my clit was pulsing with need.

I wanted to bear down, to rub that sensitive nub against his thigh until I came.

Chase’s own breath was harsh in my ear as one hand slid off my hip. His fingertips brushed the bare skin of my thigh below the hem of my dress in the lightest of caresses. Before I could recover from the shock of that touch, his mouth pressed against the spot where my neck met my shoulder. His tongue brushed over my skin briefly before he sucked the skin into his mouth.

In a flash, his lips were on mine, kissing me deeply as his tongue slid inside. All thoughts fled as I kissed him back, my hands tangling in his hair to tilt his head for better access. My insides clenched, and a fresh wave of heat filled my center.

Chased pulled back, breathing hard as his amber gaze pinned mine. He was breathing just as hard as I was, and his eyes zeroed in on my mouth as my tongue darted out to moisten my lips.

“Are you ready to get out of here?” he asked.

I nodded. We’d only been here for twenty minutes. The drive to get here had been longer. But I wanted nothing more than to be alone with him.

All thoughts of waiting for the “right” time flew out of my head as he took my hand in his and led me outside. As far as I was concerned, now was the right time. I was so fucking turned on, there was no way my battery-operated-boyfriend was going to be sufficient. I still hadn’t replaced the batteries, anyway.

Chase helped me into the truck, and I watched him round the hood with greedy eyes. When he climbed in behind the wheel, I had to fight the urge to climb over the center console and straddle his lap. I watched as he adjusted his shirt, catching a glimpse of his erection straining against his pants before he covered it.

Without a word, he started the engine, shifted into gear, and pulled out of the lot. After pulling onto the two-lane highway that led back to Oakley, he held out a hand, silently inviting me to take it. I slid my palm against his, our fingers twining together as they rested on the large armrest between us.

His thumb skated over my knuckles, and the light caress kept me in a constant state of arousal. My legs spread slightly without my consent, and Chase’s harsh intake of breath echoed around me. A confidence I hadn’t felt before rushed through me, and I leaned back into the leather seat, letting my knees spread a fraction wider.

Chase untangled his fingers from mine and reached over to brush them across the top of my thigh. Because of the wide center console, he couldn’t reach any farther and muttered a low curse.

Without warning, he pulled his hand back and jerked the wheel, and we were suddenly bouncing down a rutted dirt road that cut between two wide swaths of trees. Once we were out of sight of the main road, he pulled the truck off to the side and shifted into park.

He looked at me then, taking my breath away as he whispered, “I need to touch you, Sage.”