Page 177 of Rags's Awakening
With a final round of tight, lingering hugs, they parted ways. Zoe and Raven turned toward the parking lot, waving over their shoulders as they walked. Casey watched them for a moment, her chest feeling a little lighter under the golden sun, before turning in the opposite direction.
The sweet scent of the crabapples followed her all the way to her car. For the first time in a long while, the future didn’t feelentirely shadowed by what had happened and the possibility of a trial. She unlocked her car door, thinking of the new grill and the huge grin on Rags’s face whenever he fired it up. Starting the engine, she pulled away from the curb and rolled down the window. Basking in the warmth of the sun and the wind as she headed home, she couldn’t wait to feel Rags’s strong arms around her.
Casey was still singing along to the radio when she turned into the driveway. The garage door rolled up and the second she spotted his SUV and Harley, the song died on her lips, replaced by a huge smile. Her heart did a happy, familiar flip. She killed the engine in a hurry, her fingers fumbling with the seatbelt buckle in her sudden, impatient rush to get inside.
When she walked into the kitchen, the faint scent of ignited propane and sizzling metal tickled her nose. Looking out the window, she saw Rags on the patio. He was facing toward the dense forest of pine trees, his back to the house as he worked a long-handled wire scraper over the hot grates. He wore only black jeans low on his hips, the muscles in his back flexing smoothly with every stroke. Under the amber glow of the fading afternoon, the intricate tattoos on his arms flared bright against his skin. Anticipation coursed through her.
She kicked off her shoes on the hardwood floor and headed toward the sliding door. When she eased it open, Rags looked over his shoulder and winked at her. In two long strides, she was behind him, wrapping her arms around his bare waist, pressing her cheek to his warm back, and loving the solid feel of him against her.
“You look sexy playing a grill master.”
Rags let out a low chuckle. He laid the scraper on the side tray and turned within her embrace, his hands anchoring flat against her lower back as he pulled her flush against his hips.
“Is that right?” A wicked grin tugged at his mouth as he looked down at her. “Keep talking like that, baby, and the neighbors are gonna get a free show.”
Casey wrapped her fingers around his belt loops, locking herself against him. “Let them watch. You’re mine anyway.”
The grin vanished from Rags’s face, his eyes darkening with a sudden, heavy intensity that sent a thrill down her spine. His grip tightened around her waist, and she could feel the hard ridge of his belt buckle against her skin. He leaned down, his breath hot against her lips just a second before he claimed her mouth.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was possessive and deep and left her breathless. She tangled her fingers in his hair, tilting her head as his tongue parted her lips. He tasted of smooth whiskey and fresh mint, a lethal combination that melted her spine. When his hand slid down and squeezed her butt, she forgot about the neighbors and the entire world outside his arms.
He broke the kiss enough to drag his lips down her jawline, his rough stubble igniting against her neck. With his free hand, he reached behind him and twisted the grill knobs shut with aclick. The low, steady hiss of the gas died at once.
“Damn right I’m yours,” he rumbled against her skin. “Dinner’s on hold.”
Before she could answer, his hands hooked under her thighs.
“What are you doing?” She laughed.
“You said I was yours, baby,” he murmured, hitching her up until her legs locked around his bare waist. “I’m just going inside to let you prove it.”
Not giving her a chance to reply, Rags turned on his heel and strode back through the open sliding door, carrying her into the house. The cool air cut sharply through the heat outside. The scent of leather and the outdoors clung to him, filling her senses. He came to a sudden halt in the hallway, his grip tightening.
“Woman, you have no idea what you do to me,” he muttered, his gaze fierce.
The intensity of the moment settled deep within her. She brushed a strand of hair from his forehead and held his gaze. “And you don’t know how crazy I am about you,” she whispered.
His jaw tightened, a flash of pure hunger replacing the fierceness in his eyes. Without another word, he finished the trek down the hallway and carried her into the bedroom. He tossed her onto the mattress, the bed dipping under his immediate weight as he crawled over her, pinning her beneath his body.
She buried her fingers into his hair and yanked his head down to hers. “Show me how much you want me,” she murmured against his lips. “I’m right here. Willing and ready.”
A low rasp tore from his voice at her challenge. Rags’s hands gripped her wrists securing them beside her head as his mouth slammed back down onto hers, harder and hungrier than before. The friction of his jeans against her bare legs and the rough calluses of his fingers chafing her wrists sent a lightning bolt of heat between her thighs. She squirmed beneath him, trying to rub against him.
“No fuckin’ way, baby. Not yet,” he graveled against her lips, his hazel eyes burning into her dark ones.
“Rags,” she breathed.
“Keep your hands above your head,” he said, slightly pushing back.
His hands moved with an impatient, rough urgency, gripping the hem of her gingham dress and bunching the fabric upward. She lifted her hips to help him, and in one swift, commanding motion, he dragged the dress over her head and threw it on the floor. The cool air hit her bare skin for only a fraction of a second before the heat of his gaze replaced it.
Burning desire consumed her and she reached down, her fingers fumbling to unbuckle his leather belt. But Rags caught her wrists. He raised her arms and pushed them flat against the mattress above her head, pinning them there as a warning rumble vibrated in his chest.
“Keep them there,” he growled, his eyes burning into hers.
He released her wrists, but Casey stayed completely still, trapped under the weight of his stare. His hands slid down her neck, his thumbs tracing the line of her collarbone before dipping lower. When his fingers found the front clasp of her bra, breathless anticipation locked in her throat. With a single flick of his wrist, the clasp popped open, and the lace parted to expose her to him.
Casey bit her lower lip as she silently begged for him to touch her. Instead, Rags braced his weight on his forearms, hovering over her as his gaze slowly swept down her body. Her skin flushed hot, her nipples tightening under the sudden chill in the room and the sheer heat of his focus. The raw admiration in his gaze made her heart race faster than any touch could.
