Strung (Seaside 0.5)(35)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

“Probably a poor choice considering…” My voice trailed off.

Nat nodded mutely.

“But I’m curious.” I turned down the TV and twisted my body to face her. “Would I be more of a Jacob or an Edward?”

Nat’s eyes watered with amusement as she covered her mouth and laughed.

“Forget it.” I cursed and tried to get up so she wouldn’t see that my face was probably red.

“I’m sorry, no, stay!” She laughed and tugged me down next to her. “You have to understand that guys don’t just go walking around asking things like that.”

“I know.” I clenched my jaw.

Nat let out a little gasp.

My eyes narrowed. “What?”

Red tinged her cheeks, “You’re kind of both.”

“As in a hybrid?” I asked, feeling cocky as hell. Did she say what I think she just said? That I was the best of both worlds?

My grin grew the more I thought about it.

“Yes, Alec. A hybrid, you’re like a vampwolf.” She burst out laughing and turned away like she was trying to escape. I pounced on her, tackling her against the couch so we were chest to chest.

“Is my man card gone now?” My lips almost grazed hers.

Nat’s eyes followed the line of my jaw before returning my gaze. “No.” She reached up and trailed her hand down my arm

I shuddered, unable to keep it locked in anymore. Her touch did not make me want to be in control. It made me want to lose it. “Damn it.” I snapped, my mouth was on hers within seconds. Damn, she tasted the same. I’d missed that taste, dreamt about it, wanted it so bad that even food wasn’t the same. Nat groaned as my body pressed harder against her, covering her, suffocating her with my presence, she gripped chaotically at my back, her fingers digging into my shirt. I broke the kiss off, turning my head to the right, so I could taste her neck. Nat wanted none of that; she wanted my mouth. On her. She said as much when she grabbed my head and forced my lips against hers so hard that a jolt of pain shot through me. Yeah, my control was shot to hell. I wedge my leg between her thighs and reached for her hips, grinding her against me. She let out a little gasp.

Everything about that moment was frantic, Nat reached for my shirt, meeting my hands as I was already trying to take it off. It flew to the floor. Her eyes went wide as she moved her hands across my chest.

“Nat, you drive me crazy.” I hissed when those same hands moved to my jeans, pulling me harder against her.

“Good crazy?” she asked breathlessly, her chest heaving.

I leaned over, my forehead touching hers, then tilted her chin towards me kissing the corner of her mouth, and then sealing the kiss with my tongue, “Crazy, crazy.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” I laughed against her neck then began sucking below her ear before returning to her lips. She reached for the buttons of my jeans, but I stopped her. Probably because I was an idiot, but even in that moment I knew I wouldn’t allow that innocent of a girl to lose her virginity on a couch.

She tried again. Damn, was she trying to kill me? I slapped away her hands playfully, and then pinned them to her side.

“Seriously?” She sounded as sexually frustrated as I felt.

I laughed and nuzzled her neck “I’m not that kind of guy.” Then again, pinning her down was kind of hot — I could definitely be that guy, the one that tied her up and tortured her until she was panting my name with reverence.

Sighing, she tilted her head, giving me perfect access to her neck. “Right now, I kind of wish you were.”

My hands stilled, blood pounded in all the wrong places, “You can’t say things like that to me, Nat. Not when we’re like this, because I want nothing more than to take you on this couch and very aggressively, very slowly, very purposefully, have my way with you.”

“Okay.”

“Nat,” I warned, my arms flexing so painfully hard that I wasn’t sure if I was causing physical damage to the upholstery.

Her eyes raked me over like she was imagining me without clothes. I loved it so much that I almost stripped for her right there. Her eyes were dilated, hair mussed, she was so aroused she couldn’t think straight — which meant I had to be the voice of reason. Oh joy.

“I know what you’re thinking,” I said. Maybe if I talked I wouldn’t be thinking about letting her unbutton my jeans.

“No, you don’t.”

“But I do.” I kissed her lips, softly tugging on the bottom one, then biting down causing pain I knew she’d find pleasurable. “You think it would be worth it, but I promise you, that’s not the case.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t know what kind of guy I am.” And things just got serious.

“But I do!” she whined.

I couldn’t look at her, if I looked at her she’d see the guilt, the pain, she’d see it all. “Nat, you don’t.”

“Then tell me, and let me make my choice.”

“What if by telling you, I lose you?”

“Do you really think I’m that kind of person?”

“Yes and no.” I wrapped my hands around her head. I was done talking. I pressed my mouth against hers, deepening the kiss, my tongue swirled around hers mimicking what I would do if I could… what I would do if I was free.

She pressed a palm flat against my chest and then the fight, the fun cat and mouse game we’d had going? Totally left her. It was as if she was me letting in despite my warnings. It was something my soul needed, something my body craved. With a growl I lifted her into the air so that I could press myself against her, so I could do what I’d been wanting to do for weeks. It was one of those moments that if she reached for me again. I’d let her. I wouldn’t stop her. Because I’d told her I was bad news — and she still wanted to kiss me. My hands moved beneath her shirt.

I would have pressed her further.

But I didn’t have the chance. Because Demetri chose that exact moment to come home.

He tapped my shoulder.

I turned around and swore. Out of anger and disappointment in myself I said, “Second again, brother. Don’t you have a little starlet to go screw?”

Nat’s hand hit my cheek so hard my teeth hurt.

Tears streamed down Nat’s face as I held her against the couch. She couldn’t leave, I didn’t mean it; she had to know. What the hell was wrong with me!

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Demetri