Walk On The Wild Side by Jami Alden Read Free Book Online Page B

outside, standing apart even when you were in the thick of the crowd.
    He stepped outside into the cool night air and saw her, leaning up against the side of the building, arms wrapped around herself to ward off the chill.
    The glow of the lamplight turned her hair a warm gold and cast deep shadows on all the curves and hollows so perfectly displayed by the formfitting bridesmaids dress. The silky fabric clung in all the right places, making his hands itch to discover every rise and hollow.
    Not what you’re here for man. A point brought home when she looked up to see who’d joined her with eyes that were suspiciously wet.
    “Oh, hey,” said, sniffing as she straightened up and wiped delicately at her eyes. “Do they need me inside for something?” She started toward the door.
    Even though he knew he was entering dangerous territory, he caught her by the arm to halt her. He could feel the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her dress. He allowed himself one stroke of his thumb before he dropped his hand. “I saw you leave. You looked upset.”
    She looked up at the sky and blinked hard. “Yeah.”
    “You want to talk about it?”
    “With you?” she cocked a finely arched brow.
    He shrugged. “I know you can’t talk to your mom or your sister, or even Sadie. Not tonight, anyway.”
    “So you’re generously offering me a shoulder to cry on?” she said.
    “If you need it.”
    She gave him a sad smile. “I know it makes me pathetic, but when I came here tonight I was really hoping you’d offer something else.”
    “What do you mean?” he said through lips gone suddenly bone dry, even though he was pretty damn sure he knew where this was going.
    Please don’t say it. I can resist you if I can pretend the little touches and accidental brushes against me are just for show.
    “The way you used to be—before you left. The things you said—” She cut herself off with a little laugh. “God, I can’t even believe I’m admitting this out loud. Never mind,” she waved her hand. “I was just being stupid,” she said and went to move past him.
    Even though he knew the smartest thing to do would be to let her go, he hated the idea that he had done anything to add to her pain tonight. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Why would you feel stupid?”
    “Because I thought, you meant, you felt—look, I know it was just a joke. I know you never really wanted me.”
    What the fuck? Could she seriously have no idea how much restraint he’d had to muster to not jump the second he learned Josh was no longer in the picture? How fucking torturous it was not to react when she pressed those sweet, soft tits up against him on the dance floor or pressed her leg against his under the table last night at dinner.
    Christ, it had taken everything in him not to slide his hand up the inside of her thigh and show her what happened when she played with fire.
    In a split second his restraint snapped. He didn’t have time to think, but the next thing he knew he had her pinned up against the wall and her hand pressed to the rock hard column straining against the fly of his pants.
    “You feel that?” he said, pressing her palm more firmly against his cock, breath hitching as her fingers instinctively curved around it. “It’s been like that since I first laid eyes on you the other night.”
    Her sharp inhale echoed his and in the dim light he could make out the shocked expression on her face.
    “Christ, it’s been like that practically nonstop from the moment I met you.”
    She swallowed hard. “Then why aren’t you using it?” she whispered.
    Blood surged, his eyes squeezing shut as she stroked him through his clothes. He should stop, pull away. He didn’t want to start this way with her, he reminded himself. He didn’t want her to fall into bed with him when she was still hurting from how another man had treated her.
    But, God, she made it so damn hard. Made him so goddamn hard, to the point where just