Need for Speed (The Elite, #2)

by Brooke Blaine

Just before I knocked out, one question lingered in my mind: why hadn’t Solo come to see me?

My heart all but stopped. It was honest, raw, and so unexpected that I wanted to kick myself in the ass for having stayed away. What the hell had I been thinking, leaving him here alone to deal with all this shit—because I’d been, what, scared? How the hell must he have felt?

Panther grazed his thumb over the top of my knuckles, and holy shit, he might as well have stroked his palm between my legs. Heat infused my body, flames licking along my veins as his eyes roamed over my face and down my neck, then he licked his lips, making me shift in my seat. “I see a man I wasn’t looking for. A man I didn’t even know was there, until right now. And Solo?” “Yeah?” “I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than sitting with him in this car right now, holding his hand.”

But after almost dying, and my father looking me in the eye and telling me for the first time that he’d never been ashamed of who I was, my emotions seemed exposed, and for once in my life, I didn’t want to hide them away.

“Me thinking about how good your hand feels in mine?” “Jesus.” Solo rubbed his face. “You’ve done, like, a total one-eighty on me. I guess my, um, brain is trying to catch-up.”

“What the hell happened to you up there in that plane?” I nipped at his lower lip, and when Solo moaned and opened for me, I whispered, “I realized what’s important.”

As I deepened the kiss, I felt the moan escape his throat, and I swallowed it down greedily, wanting to devour every taste and sound he gave me. God, I wanted him. I knew that now, and finally, after a lifetime of denying myself what I truly wanted, I was taking it.

“Brain…destroyed.”

My eyes dropped to his lap and the delicious outline of his erection, and he let out a soft groan.

“I mean, here you are finally all the fuck over me, and I can’t do shit about it for at least…how many days?”

“Like you said, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than sitting in this car, sharing this meal, with a man I never knew I was looking for until today.”

“So you did. But then, just when I was going to give in, I felt these…” Panther stroked his fingertips over my tags again. “And that was it—there was no way I was going to get involved with you.”

“Who said I won’t need a private session later?”

“Or you and everyone else in this gym is going to see which part of my body needs zero help in the rehabilitation department.”

“That’s what all the boys say.” I swore his eyes all but fucking twinkled at me. “There better not be any other fucking boys right now,” I said.

“You ready to do this?”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t manage more than that, because as soon as the word was out of my mouth, Solo gunned it. He wasted no time getting to speed, but when he lifted up horizontally instead of at an angle, I groaned, knowing exactly what he was about to do.

“Panther, stop being a cock-tease. We’ve both been tested and cleared, so if you don’t get your dick inside me right now—”

“No.” “Hmm…” Panther said by my ear as he began to roll his hips ever so slightly, and holy mother of God it felt unreal. He nipped at my ear and said, “Maybe you will once my cum is dripping out of you, and all down your legs.”

“I do care,” I said, before I even knew I was going to—and just being able to finally voice that, to say it out loud, felt amazing. Solo turned his head to look at me and slowly smiled. I cradled his cheek and brushed my lips over his. “I didn’t mean to, but somewhere along the way—” “It just happened?” The emotions I’d been looking for minutes ago were now swirling in his beautiful eyes. “I know. For me too.”

“There are no rules here tonight,” I said as I placed my other hand on his chest, where I could feel the steady thumping of his heart. “No judgment, no expectations. There’s just you and me, and I want you to be whatever version of you that you want to be.”

“I want to be yours,” he whispered, and the possessiveness that flooded my body made my dick throb and my stomach flip.

Then, before I could help myself, I moved up to my knees and dragged my tongue along the underside of that delicious dick.

He gestured toward me with his hat. “You look…really good.” “So do you.” I tried for a smile. “Good enough to eat.” Instead of the laugh I expected, Panther’s mouth turned down and he looked away. “Hey,” I said, taking a step toward him, but still keeping out of his personal space. “What’s going on? How come you’re out here instead of in there?” “I—I can’t do this.” My heart stopped. “You can’t do what?” “I can’t pretend anymore. I can’t go in there pretending.” “Pretending…what, exactly?” “You know what, Mateo. I can’t go in there and lie and tell people I couldn’t find a date when the person I want by my side more than anything is standing right in front of me.”