“Josh . . .” I begged.

“Tell me what you need, Ember. I’ll do whatever you want.”

I’ll do whatever you want. The words bounced around my brain like a pinball, lighting up every sex-starved cell in my body. Josh Walker, who I’d fantasized about all through high school, was not only in bed with me, but offering himself on a platter. “You. I need you. I only want you.” The last part slipped out in a whisper before I could stop it, revealing way too much about what was really going on in my heart.

He must not have heard it, because he growled against my skin, and bit into the soft silk of my panties. I lifted my hips, and the man dragged them down without breaking my gaze. Holy. Fucking. Hot. He slipped them off my heels, slid his way back up my body, stopping to lick and suck the area right behind my knee. My breath labored to keep up with my hammering heart.

He brought his head up and stared at me for three breaths, like he was contemplating something. “I have to taste you,” he whispered. His head dipped, his tongue stroked over my clit.

“Josh!”

I’d heard stories of how this could feel, but nothing prepared me for the lightning streaking through my body, concentrating where his mouth worked me over. He slipped one finger inside me and stroked in time with the swirling motions of his tongue.

Once.

Everything built, pooling low, tensing the muscles in my legs as my feet dug into the bed.

Twice.

He slipped a second finger in, and my head thrashed on the pillow. My fingers tore into the sheets, and my body coiled tighter and tighter.

Three times.

I saw the stars. My body trembled and bucked against his mouth as bliss poured through me, stretching from my head, through my fingers, to my toes. He gently brought me down, stroking out every aftershock he could with his tongue.

When I finally drew a ragged breath, he moved up my body and kissed me deeply. He tasted like him, and . . . me. “You are fucking exquisite. Addictive.”

“I don’t even have words for that, what you just did.” My lungs heaved for air.

The smile that came across his face was heart-stopping and gorgeous. “I’ve been dreaming of that for . . .” His brows furrowed, like he was keeping himself in check. “A while.”

My hands slipped down the ridges of his abs, to the waistband of his jeans where his hardness strained. One flick, and I had the button open. Go me!

Josh pulled out my hand and refastened it all in one movement. “Not here.”

Was he rejecting me? Again? “I want this. I want you.”

He dropped to the bed next to me, burying his face in my neck. “God, I want you. But I’m not going to take your virginity in someone else’s bed during a damn party.”

I wiggled my naked hips against him. “I want you to.”

He slid his mouth up, kissing my jawline. His breath was ragged in my ears. “Not until you’re in my bed, Ember. Mine. No one else’s.”

A sound like a foghorn came down the hallway, followed by a shriek. “What is—”

“Fuck.” Josh snagged the bottom of the comforter’s side and jerked it over the two of us, rolling until he was on the other side of me and we were cocooned in darkness. My face pressed against his chest, completely covered by the blanket. As he tugged the blanket up to cover my hair, the door burst open and a foghorn sounded. I slammed my hands over my ears until it stopped.

“Playing through!” A drunken group of frat boys stormed the room, and it sounded . . . like they were putting? Oh yeah, the ping of a golf ball against a club was unmistakable.

Josh pulled me in closer to him. “What the fuck! Emory! Caleb!”

“Ah, shit! Walker! We totally thought Mark was in here!” Oh yeah, they were toasted.

“Well, apparently he’s not, so get the hell out!”

My cheeks burned against Josh’s chest.

“Who ya got under there, Walker? You know Jessica Kirtz is looking for you.”

Of course some girl was looking for him. A girl was always looking for him.

He sat up, careful to keep me shielded. “Out. Now!”

“Playing through!” they shouted again. With another shot of the foghorn, they retreated, leaving the door open in their wake.

I sat up, lowering the blanket just past my eyes, and caught a peek of plaid shorts, sweater vests, and pom-pom-adorned berets on three of his fraternity brothers. Those boys went all out.

Josh ripped his hand through his hair. “Fucking freshmen!”

I couldn’t help it, the laughter burst out of me, anything but ladylike. There were even a few snorts. After an incredulous look, Josh joined in until I collapsed against his bare chest, laughing so hard tears watered my vision. It was minutes before I could get myself under control.

I wiped away the last of my tears with a smile.

“I guess you can see why I choose not to live in the house.”

“It’s certainly entertaining.” I leaned up and kissed him softly before any awkwardness could set in. I thought about jumping him, but something about the open door and another foghorn sounding talked me out of it for the moment.

He kissed me back, lingering.

I ran my fingers over the ink of his tattoo, over his chest, curving with his shoulder and onto his arm. When I felt a scar the length of my pinky finger, I smiled. “Bar brawl?” I asked, bending to run my tongue along it.

“Ferocious lizard attack,” he joked.

“Oh thank God!” Sam shouted, barreling into the room like the devil was after her.