Ensnared (Brutes of Bristlebrook, #1)(57)

“Anyway, the Army was a good way to make a quick buck, especially since I was pretty physically fit and not qualified or interested in much else. Ended up getting pulled into the Rangers when I was twenty and met Dom and Beau then. They’d been in the squad together a while already. Jayk and Thomas came in about two years later—they’d been in other divisions and transferred. All came good in the end. Mom and Dad moved, got a new place. Worried about me too much. You know.”

My heart twists at the sadness in his voice. He’s open with it and it’s clear how much he misses them.

I wonder what that must feel like.

To my surprise, Lucky stretches impressively to place his other foot on the red circle beside my newly placed hand. It means his firm thigh is right by my face, pushing my already precarious balance uncomfortably, and I have to lean backwards to avoid falling down on top of him.

And yet he’s annoyingly stable. And he’s crowding all the space I had to move.

Despite myself, my eyes skim over him and I can’t fail to notice the hard length of him, er . . . at attention.

And very, very close to my face.

That seems to be the only strain on him, however, and, when my gaze finally makes its way to his face, he catches my shocked look with a cheeky grin.

Something about the naughty curve to his lips has me wondering what it would feel like to have them buried between my thighs. My core throbs and my balance wavers. I swallow hard, looking away as heat flames in my cheeks.

“What was that thought?” Lucky asks, voice dipping into a low, rough drip that shivers down my spine.

I half-shake my head before I stop myself.

“Nuh-uh.” Lucky laughs. “That’s my question, beautiful. What thought had you turning that pretty shade of scarlet?”

I glare at him, suddenly liking this game a whole lot less. I shake my head again.

Blue eyes dance. “If you don’t answer, I’m going to claim my dare. And I get to choose where you place your foot.”

Why did I agree to this stupid game again? Nervousness crowds me, and I lick my lips. Is it worse to tell him, or let him claim a dare? He seems creative; I’m not sure I trust him with a dare.

Decided, I open my mouth to tell him that I was fantasizing about him licking me . . . but the words won’t come.

He catches my panic, and his smile turns slow and lazy. “All right, beautiful.”

His free hand wraps around my free ankle and tugs, nearly sending me off balance. Biting my lip, I let him guide me, and he sets my right foot on the other side of him. My balance shifts until my body is curved over the top of his.

To my surprise, I realize the position stabilizes me—but it means I have a foot placed on either side of his head, and my skirt now barely covers my ass. He must be getting a full view of my now-soaking lacy blue panties. In this spread position, I feel my swollen lips part. My breath strangles.

“Um, what—” I clear my throat to try and rid the thick, raspy tone from my voice. “What is the dare?”

Hot lips brush the sensitive flesh behind my knee, nearly making it buckle. He smiles against my skin.

“Haven’t decided yet,” he says, all smug amusement. “Maybe after the game.”

His tongue rasps up my thigh, and I shudder, flinching away from the sumptuous contact. Goosebumps tighten my skin and wetness pools at my core, slicking me further. I want to clench my thighs together, sure he’ll be able to see my growing arousal, but it isn’t possible in my position. His spare hand lifts again and his fingertips skim up the back of my thigh.

“Lucky, I— That’s . . . cheating . . . ” The last word comes out on a sigh.

The hand flattens on my upper thigh, fingers brushing against my panties, just barely. He rubs slightly against the silk, and the wetness makes his hand slippery. I can smell my own musky sweetness.

“Fuck, beautiful. Do you have any idea how good you look?” Lucky groans.

He squeezes my thigh, then pinches my ass. I squeak, and he laughs, though the sound is tortured.

“Touching is not against the rules,” he informs me after a moment of shared unsteady breathing. “That would be a stupid rule.”

Oh, really? My eyes narrow, though he can no longer see my face. Sneaky blasted man. My gaze returns to all the delicious golden skin under me and competitive giddiness bubbles up.

I blame the monkey mix.

Before I can stop myself, I move my remaining hand to his stomach, lightly tracing the lines of his abs. The soft skin tightens at my touch and Lucky releases his breath. Hard. His thumb strokes the inner curve of my ass, baring me further to his gaze.

Trembling, I roll my lips together and trace my fingers down his V, right to the spot where it disappears into his pants. I love the textural feel of his skin, so different from my own, so different from Jaykob, even. So sensitive, like he can feel every brush of my breath like static electricity. I love his little shivers.

“Now who’s playing dirty?”

Despite the delight in his tone, there’s a hot edge to it that makes me want to moan. A pleased smile teases my lips at knowing I’m affecting him.

His fingers catch the edge of my panties, and I whimper as he peels them to the side and cool air teases my heated flesh. My fingers tease the tie at the front of his sweatpants, held tight by the strain of his erection.

I shake my head slightly, trying to think. What am I doing? Two men in two days and I’ve been turned into a puddle of lust by both of them. I can’t help but be shocked by the sharp suddenness of my attraction to Lucky. Maybe I should— Crack.