Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World), стр. 32

“I’m sorry.”

“Get out of your own head and enjoy yourself.”

“Trust me when I say that I’ve done that more in my short time with you than I’ve done in the last few years.”

“Really?” he asks, glancing over.

“Really.”

“Then I think we should definitely spend some more time together.”

“How’d you figure that?” I ask with a laugh.

“I’m clearly good for you.”

“Hmmm… so what are you suggesting?”

“Another date? Say, Friday night?”

“I’ll need to check my calendar. I might already have one.”

His eyebrows rise in surprise. “Oh, I wasn’t aware I was one of many of your conquests.”

“Never assume, Brit boy. Never assume.” I hate to make out like I might be playing the field when it’s the furthest thing from the truth, but I’m happy to keep him on his toes.

He glances over as we turn into my street. His eyes are darker than before, but I can’t get a read on him as to why.

He brings my car to a stop outside my house and pulls his cell from his pocket, hitting a few buttons before pushing it back inside the fabric of his pants.

I hesitate, not sure if I should get out or wait for what he has to say.

I’m about to reach for the door handle when he turns to me.

My breath catches at the look in his eyes. They’re dark, much like when he looked at me in only my underwear earlier, but there’s also a hint of anger in them.

My stomach clenches for the briefest moment as I wonder if I’ve got him all wrong.

“I strongly suggest you cancel on your Friday night plans.”

“Oh,” I squeak. “Why’s that?”

“Because you’re mine.”

“Am I?”

“You are.” His hand comes up, his fingers wrapping around the nape of my neck as he leans closer. Our noses brush before his lips tease mine. The touch is so light, yet it sends a shockwave through my body, causing my temperature to soar. My skin tingles for more, to feel his hands all over me once again.

“Corey,” I moan when he doesn’t move to kiss me properly.

“Mine,” he whispers against my lips, his breath almost burning hot against me.

My heart pounds, trying to escape my chest as I wait for him to deepen the kiss, but it never comes.

After a beat, he frees me from the confines of the seat belt and pulls away. He climbs from the car like that moment between us didn’t happen before walking around to my side and opening my door.

He holds his hand out, and although I don’t want his help after the way he just teased me, I’m powerless but to slide mine into his larger one just to feel him once again.

Something happens when we touch, something I can’t describe, but I know it’s powerful enough to have me addicted.

I allow him to pull me from the car and slam the door behind me before he pushes me up against it. Movement from my left catches my eye, but I ignore our one-woman audience. I’m too consumed by the man who’s pressed up against my body and stealing all my air.

“I’m so glad you found me today,” he admits, his voice deep and gravelly as his dark blue eyes stare down into mine.

“It seems the Universe—or Bailey—wants us to be together.” Something flickers in his eyes at my words, but he doesn’t give me a chance to ask.

“It seems that way. And who would we be to deny the Universe what it wants?”

His hand slips up the length of my neck before his fingers tangle in my hair. He grips and tips my head back slightly so I’m at the perfect position for him.

“Friday night can’t come soon enough,” he mutters before his lips crash down on mine.

My lips part the second his tongue seeks entry, and I can’t help a groan rumbling up my throat when they connect.

I sag back against the car, relying on his body to hold me up, and he renders me useless with his intoxicating kiss.

My head spins as he consumes me. His fingers grip tighter on my hair, his hard length pressing against my stomach and driving me crazy with need.

His hand slips down from my waist and hooks my leg up around his hip. It causes him to press exactly where I need him.

Knowing how easily he could make me fall completely under his spell is like a bucket of cold water. I pull my leg from his grasp and press my palms against his solid chest.

After a few more seconds, he pulls back and looks down at me. His pupils are shot, the blue almost swallowed by the black of his desire.

“Harlow?” His chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath.

“Friday night?”

“Y-yeah. I might need to move some clients around. Can I… call you?”

I nod, heat creeping up my neck. I was just basically dry humping him against my car for all my neighbors to see. Why is it that the suggestion of him calling me turns me into an excited teenage girl with her first crush?

“You can.”

A car pulls up somewhere behind us, and, after a quick glance at it, Corey’s focus is back on me.

“That’s my Uber.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you for today, Vixen. It was… unexpected from beginning to end.”

A chuckle falls from my lips as he steps back and turns toward his awaiting car.

“Hey, Brit boy,” I call.

He looks back at me over his shoulder, a panty-melting smile on his face. A bolt of lust hits me as his eyes drop to my body.

“Sneaking out this morning might have been the best thing I’ve done in my life.”

His smile lights up his entire face. He knows as well as I do that if I were still in that bed when he woke this morning, none of this would have happened.

“Until Friday.”

I nod and smile at him, feeling dizzy with excitement. It’s a feeling that’s eluded me for a very long time.

After watching his car speed off, I push through the