“Doesn’t sound like nothin’ to me.” His eyes turned shrewd and sober as he leaned in and spoke softly. “Take the call, sweetheart.”
Pursing my lips, I blew out a breath before turning to face away from the stools and moving a few steps away. I slid my thumb across the screen, mindful to keep my voice low as I answered, “What is it, Cord? I told you I’m busy.”
“What do you mean, you can’t do dinner?” His voice rumbled in my ear, making my belly quiver.
“I mean just that,” I snapped back. “I’m busy. I don’t have time. Therefore, I can’t go.”
“Dollface, we’ve had these plans for a week.”
I ignored the piercing sting his endearment sent through my heart and bit out, “Yeah, and?”
“So what’s come up that you’re suddenly too goddamn busy to have dinner with me?”
“That’s not really your business, Cord.”
When he spoke again, his voice was a snap just like mine, only his was way scarier. “What the fuck’s goin’ on, Rory?”
“Nothing’s going on,” I insisted. I’d been wrong before. I hadn’t left my heart on the office floor earlier. At least not all of it, because there was a small piece still in my chest that was, at that very moment, being torn to ribbons. “I’m just busy.”
“Bullshit.”
“It’s not bullshit!” I said on a whisper-yell. “With everything that’s been going on lately, I’ve fallen down on some of my responsibilities. I need to work on the schedule for next week and get the books up to date.”
“It’s total... fucking... bullshit,” he seethed, his anger coming through the line and permeating the air around me.
Pushing the uneasiness I was suddenly feeling to the back of my mind, I shored up my defenses by holding on to my own anger. “Think whatever you want, Cord. I don’t have time for this. I need to get back to work.”
“Rory, don’t—”
“Besides,” I added, the venom in that one word so thick I worried it would poison me, “I’m sure Laurie would be glad to take my place.”
A heavy, invading silence wrapped around me, sinking its claws deep beneath my skin before he finally broke it with a whispered “What?”
“I know, Cord. I know Laurie’s back, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why.”
“Rory—”
“I’ll admit, when Eden first told me, I couldn’t help but wonder why you didn’t mention it when you found out weeks ago. But now that I’ve had a few hours to think on it, I’ve discovered that I just don’t really care what the answer to that is.”
“We need to talk,” he clipped. “I’m on my way to the bar now.”
Oh hell no. My back went straight, and my voice came out slightly shrill as I said, “No! Don’t do that.”
“I’ll be there in five,” he said in a furious rumble. “And, Rory, I’m warning you now, don’t even think of taking off.”
Then he hung up, leaving me staring at a whole lot of nothing with wide, panicked eyes. “Oh shit,” I muttered, clutching my phone in my hands. “I’m so screwed.”
“I’d say that again, darlin’,” Dusty hooted, and when I spun around, he lifted his pint glass and gave me a wink.
Those five minutes Cord said he’d be actually ended up only being three, and I spent all three of those minutes teetering back and forth between standing my ground and making a Usain Bolt-style run for it. In the end, it didn’t matter, because my time had run out before I could make a decision.
The door to The Tap Room flew open, and every single person in the place felt the air around us crackle with Cord’s anger. His energy was so thick and forceful that it invaded my senses and made my mouth and throat as dry as the Sahara. Even from a good distance away, I could see the flames in his eyes, and I had to fight back the shiver his presence sent from the top of my head all the way to my boot-clad toes.
He started in my direction, his long legs eating up the distance between us quickly. I took two steps back as he bypassed the front of the bar altogether and came around the back where I was—where customers weren’t supposed to be.
My hand went up, palm out to ward him off as I started in a warning tone, “Cord, you can’t—” But my words were cut off on a girly squeak when he bent at the waist, shoved his shoulder into my belly, and lifted my feet clean off the ground.
“Cord!” I screeched, wrapping my fingers around his belt so as not to fall when he threw me over his shoulder! “Damn it, Cord! Put me down!” I pounded on his back with my fists, the firm, taut muscles not giving in the slightest as he stormed around the bar and down the hall. I managed to push myself up enough to brush the hair out of my face and look on for help, but every single person watching us was doing it with a smirk or full-blown smile on their faces. I wasn’t getting any help from them. Traitors!
The grinning faces disappeared when we hit the mouth of the hall and Cord whipped me around to shove my office door open. He stomped inside, kicking the door closed behind us with his thick-soled motorcycle boot.
A second later, I was off Cord’s shoulder and sliding down the front of his body, every single inch of me pressing and rubbing against every single inch of him before my boots hit the ground. The controlled motion was enough to leave me completely breathless and achy in a way that I had to squeeze my thighs together to try and alleviate the need growing in my core.
“That was totally uncalled for,” I started, putting my hands to his chest and giving him a shove that didn’t move him at all. It was like try to shove a goddamn mountain out of the way.
“Quiet,” he clipped, his jaw ticking manically as he brought his face closer. “You said what you wanted to say and didn’t let me get a goddamn word in edgewise. Now it’s my turn.”
He was so close, so… damn… close, that those breathtaking eyes were all I could see, and the tantalizing smell of cedar and musk filled my nose, causing a surge of arousal to gather between my thighs. I did my best to shove away the want as I glared up at him. “So say what you want to say, but you can do it from over there.” I threw my arm out and pointed at the old, battered leather couch that was pushed against the wall behind him.
“Not a chance.” He took another step toward me, forcing me to move back until my behind hit the edge of the desk. He bent down, placing both palms on the scarred-up desktop, effectively caging me in place. And that was it. I had absolutely nowhere to go. No escape.
“Cord,” I said, the breath leaving my lungs. “I don’t think—”
He was done letting me speak, and I knew that when he cut me off by stating, “You and I got a problem, you come to me so we can talk about it. You don’t run off and hide in your corner to lick your wounds. You don’t ignore me. And you absolutely don’t blow me off for a date we’ve had planned for almost a goddamn week, that I’ve been counting down the fuckin’ hours to.”
I sucked in a gasp so hard and fast it almost choked me.
But he wasn’t done. “Been gone for six days, Rory. Six fucking days. And the whole goddamn time I should’ve been workin’, all I could think about was gettin’ back to you and Zach. Five of those days, you’ve been sweet as sugar. That sexy, soft voice whisperin’ through the phone, makin’ me so goddamn hard every time you said my name that I’ve spent every night with my cock in my fist. Then all of a sudden, a switch flips and you hit me with attitude, showin’ my ass the door before I can even get in there.”
It went without saying that I really liked hearing that my voice turned him on. But I did not like all the shit that came after. Scrunching up my face, I shot back, “Well, what did you expect, huh? I find out the love of your life saunters back in town, searching you out, and you didn’t even bother to tell me! I’ve been down this road before, Cord, and if you remember, I got my ass burned, so excuse me for not wanting to make a second trip.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he rumbled, finally taking a step back, giving him room to lift those long, strong arms so he could rake his fingers t
hrough his sexy hair in frustration. “She’s not the love of my life. Did I love her at one point? Yeah. I’ve been up front about that with you. But I’ve also been up front about the fact that those feelings in me died a long time ago. I haven’t loved her in a long fuckin’ time, Rory.” Before I could object and point out it wasn’t that long ago, he continued. “What I felt for her when she showed up wasn’t love, it was obligation. You know that too.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me she was back?” I snapped, refusing to get my hopes up.
“Because I haven’t even thought about it!” he snarled. “Christ, Rory! She showed up, made her play at Alpha Omega, and I shot her the fuck down.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. “You… what?”
“I shot her down. And I did it in a way that she couldn’t misinterpret at all, baby. And if that hadn’t been enough, the way Linc, Xander, and Rox laid into her solidified my point. After I said what I needed to say, I walked away. And yeah, it pissed me off, but once I was done feelin’ that, I put it outta my mind and never went back to it. I’ve been too consumed thinking about you for the past seven goddamn months to even give her a second thought.”
Oh god. Okay. I really liked that.
“But… if that’s the case, why haven’t you kissed me?”
His chin jerked back in surprise. “What?”
“All those times recently I thought you were going to kiss me… you were right there, and I thought any second you were going to do it. Then you pulled back and walked away from me. If you weren’t thinking about her, why’d you do that?”
“Because you said all you could give me was your friendship,” he barked, throwing his arms wide. “Fuck, Rory. What the hell did you think I was gonna do, huh? Break the trust I’ve been workin’ my ass off to build back up with you? I’ve wanted you so long I don’t know how to feel anything else, but I couldn’t risk losin’ you again. Not when I just got you back.” His fingers went through his hair again as he grunted, “Jesus, what do you want from me?”
“I—” I quickly clamped my mouth shut as his eyes swung back to me.
“Jesus. Fuck me,” he said on a low, shocked grunt. “You wanted me to kiss you?”
My cheeks flamed with humiliation, but there was no point in denying it. I’d already dug the hole this deep; might as well keep going. “I tipped my face up and closed my eyes,” I said, reminding him of what happened in my parents’ living room. “When a woman presses close, tips her face up, and closes her eyes, just a heads-up, Cord, she wants to be kissed,” I finished on a snark.
His voice came out in a whisper as he repeated, “You wanted me to kiss you.”
“I thought you were going to, so yeah,” I admitted indignantly, “I wanted it. But now I—”
And that was all I got out before he moved, wrapped his arms around me in a vice grip, and slammed his lips down on mine.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rory
I swallowed down a startled yelp at how fast he moved, and my entire body locked up tight at the feel of his soft, full lips against mine.
Oh god. Oh shit. This was so not good. I didn’t have any defense against this.
When his tongue slipped out and slid across my bottom lip, a needy whimper pulled from deep within my chest. But somehow, with a strength I didn’t know I possessed, I managed to keep my mouth shut. Because I just knew if I let him in, I’d be totally and completely lost.
“Kiss me back.” Those three words vibrated against my lips, making my knees weak, but I held strong as his tongue did another sweep. “Kiss me back, baby. Let me see how sweet you are.”
A pained groan slid up my throat, but still I resisted. Until one of his arms shifted and his palm came to rest on my side. He slid his hand up my waist and ribs. Then his thumb brushed against the underside of my breast, just inches from my nipple, and that was it. My mouth opened on a gasp, and Cord’s tongue dove in.
He didn’t just kiss me. He plundered. His tongue tangled with mine, pulling it into his mouth as his hand slipped higher up and his big palm squeezed my breast. The whimper I let loose that time wasn’t pained, it was full of want, and at the sound of it, he took the kiss deeper. His other hand came into play, sliding up into my hair so he could pull my head to the side for even better access.
And just as I’d predicted, I was lost.
My whole body melted into his. My arms wrapped around his waist, my fingers digging into the muscles of his back. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. Fisting the material of his tee, I yanked it up so I could get my hands beneath it and feel all that smooth, warm skin. He let out a growl at my touch, and I eagerly swallowed it down, greedily feeding from him. He nipped and sucked, stroked and teased. It was so much better than the kiss he’d given me at the hospital, and I couldn’t get enough.
Pulling one hand free, I looped it around his shoulder and slid my fingers into his hair, forcing his head even closer as I rose up on the toes of my boots.
His lips broke from mine, but they didn’t leave me, and when he trailed them down my jaw to the sensitive skin on my neck, my head fell back on a moan.
“Cord,” I breathed, one hand fisting his hair to keep his mouth on me while the nails of my other dug into his back.
His hand on my breast convulsed before moving down to dip under my shirt. His rough fingers brushed along my skin and I felt like fireworks were going off inside me. His tongue teased beneath my ear as his fingers wrapped around the lace cup of my bra; then he jerked it down, and those long, skillful fingers went back to work, circling and pinching my sensitive nipple.
“Oh god!” I cried, my back arching to press closer to him.
“You like that, baby?” he growled against my neck while his fingers continued to work.
“Y-yes,” I stuttered. He didn’t stop, didn’t let up as he shifted his hips and forced his thigh between both of mine. “Oh shit, yes,” I cried when he cocked his knee and pressed his leg hard against the most sensitive part of me. My body reacted instantly, rocking against him. My clit swelled and my skin burned as he pressed even harder against me.
“Fuck yeah, Rory,” he grunted, standing tall and looking down at me. My vision was hazy, but I could still see his pupils had blown, the black swallowing up all that deep green. “Ride it, baby. Get yourself there.”
My hips started moving faster, rocking and circling as Cord grabbed hold of the hem of my tee. He yanked it up and I instantly lifted my arms, needing the material gone. My bra went next, followed by his shirt, and my pussy clenched the second all that tanned, chiseled skin was on display, free for me to see and touch and taste.
I moved to press a kiss against his solid chest, but before I could lean in, he cupped my breast, bent his neck, and sucked my nipple into his mouth.
“Ah shit!” I cried, jerking against him as heat began to build deep in my belly. That need coiled tighter and tighter as his tongue swirled and his thigh pushed higher.
His free hand snaked between us, popping the button of my jeans before his hand dove in and I felt the tips of his fingers right there. “You’ll get off like this, dollface. Then I’ll feel you around my cock.” I lifted my head as his came up, and those intense, heated eyes bored into mine.
“Cord.” That need twisted tighter and tighter as I stared up at him.
“I’m taking what’s mine,” he gritted out, thrumming my clit. “Get there, Rory. Need you to get there so I can fuckin’ finally feel you wrapped around me.”
And that was it. That was all it took. With just that simple command, I snapped. His lips slammed down on mine as I cried out my orgasm, my pussy rippling as he continued to toy with my clit. I moaned and whimpered into his mouth as each tremor and shiver rolled through me until finally my climax started to fade.
“Jesus,” he groaned against my mouth. “Most beautiful fuckin’ thing I’ve ever seen.”
I came down to feel his hand cupping my center, his gaze warm as it scanned my face. I felt like all th
e air had been sucked out of the room. It had been way too long since I’d gotten off by anything other than the vibrator in my nightstand drawer, and as I slumped against Cord’s body, I finally remembered how good it felt.
“Stay with me, dollface,” he said, his voice holding a hint of humor and a lot of desire. “I’m nowhere near done with you.
Just like that, I felt my second wind hit me.
He lifted me from the ground with ease, proving just how in control he was of his huge, fit body. His lips played with mine as he slowly started us across my office to the couch.
My back hit the cool leather, making me shiver as my vision cleared and I stared into those dark, fathomless eyes. I was gone. Not just from the way he turned me on and made me burn, but for him in general. I was totally and completely gone for this man.
Reaching up, I caressed his face, the stubble that coated his jaw abrading my palm. “Honey,” I whispered, sinking deep into those eyes. “I need you.”
“You have me, Rory,” he returned, gentle and quiet. “You’ll always have me.”
He slid down my body, placing kisses along my heated skin as he went. On my collarbone, between my breasts, on my belly. When he kissed right above the waistband of my pants, a tremor shook me.
“Cord. Now,” I pleaded.
He looked up at me through that thick wall of lashes, his gaze like fire as his tongue peeked out and ran across my skin just above my panties. “You want me, baby?”
“Yes,” I panted.
His fingers gripped my jeans and underwear at my hips, and he slowly began to pull them down. “You want me inside you?”
“God, yes,” I groaned, arching my neck and pressing my head deeper into the couch as my eyes fell shut at the thought of him inside me.
My pants slid down even farther. “Eyes on me,” he rumbled, his voice hoarse and throaty. My eyelids popped open, and I looked back down at him. “Want me to fuck you?” he continued, driving me wild.
Stay With Me (Hope Valley Book 5) Page 16