Tag had ended his relationship with Logan and Samantha after the last interlude because of McKenna Thorne. And no, he didn’t know what the hell was going on between the two of them, nor did he expect it would be anything lasting, but Tag wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass him by.
“Past tense,” he assured her in case there was any question.
“Oh.”
Tag wouldn’t have heard her whispered response had he not been pressed against her, his mouth hovering a breath away hers. The heat of the moment had passion igniting instantaneously between them. He wanted to taste her sweetness, to inhale her into his lungs, but he couldn’t. Not right now because right now he was supposed to be back in that meeting room, not out in the hall fucking around.
“Now, let’s go back into that room,” he said sternly. “There are some people I need to talk to. Not to mention, you’re looking for an invite from Travis Walker, aren’t you?”
He knew what she was looking to gain from this little adventure they were on, and as much as he knew the attraction between them was mutual, neither of them could afford to lose sight of what they were actually there for. “He’s in there and now’s your chance.”
McKenna nodded as he backed away, taking her hand. She seemed slightly reluctant to go with him, but he couldn’t do anything about that. Not right now.
Once they were back in his room, he would certainly show her what it meant to let her anger get the best of her. Tag had learned years ago not to be led around by either his dick or his emotions, and that lesson had come in handy more times than he could count.
Tag was just about to excuse himself so he could meet up with McKenna and Travis who had been talking for the better part of the last hour when he was approached by one of Club Destiny’s newest members.
Ever since Tag and McKenna returned to the meeting room, he’d been involved in a multitude of discussions with the attending members. Most of them wanted his personal assurance that their identities would not be revealed in any one of McKenna’s stories. They were all well aware of whom she was and what she did, and though they all praised her magazine, not one of them actually wanted to be in it.
So, when Stephen Crawford approached, Tag fully expected more of the same questions.
“Crawford,” Tag greeted the man, offering his hand.
“Seems you’re the man of the hour.” Stephen shook Tag’s hand, and when their palms touched, there was a disturbing tingle at the back of his neck that he couldn’t seem to shake.
“Not sure about that. I think Travis Walker has drawn quite a bit of interest from folks here.”
“Oh, I won’t disagree with you about that. I’m definitely interested in learning more about AI and what it’ll cost me to get an invite.”
Tag knew that there wasn’t any amount of money that would secure an invite to the exclusive resort once it opened, but he wasn’t going to tell Stephen that. Tag didn’t know the man all that well, but what he did know, he wasn’t so sure he liked. Why Luke had decided to allow the man to join the club was beyond him, but it wasn’t his place to question Luke’s decisions.
“What can I do for you, Crawford?” Tag glanced over at McKenna noticing the way she was laughing with Travis, the other man staying close to her at all times.
As much as Tag wished it weren’t true, he had come to acknowledge, although not fully accept, the lingering jealousy that was glimmering in the dark recesses of his soul when it came to McKenna. He was almost certain he had nothing to worry about when it came to Travis, but he wasn’t thrilled to see them so close together.
“I heard you were bringing a journalist, but I didn’t realize you were bringing McKenna.”
Tag got the impression Stephen was hinting that he knew McKenna personally. “And?”
“You do realize who she is and what she does, don’t you?”
Tag straightened, giving himself about four inches on Stephen Crawford and he pierced him with a look. “I know exactly who she is. McKenna Thorne is an award winning journalist and a successful business owner who’s interested in doing a series on Club Destiny, and I invited her to explore so we could get a tasteful story about the club.”
“Right.” Stephen’s snide remark had Tag’s hands fisting at his sides. “I figured you brought her here so you can share her with the rest of us. I’ve heard she’s interested in that rough shit. You know, maybe a gang bang on Tuesday.”
Tag was unable to control himself, and before he knew it, he had Stephen Crawford pinned to the wall, his forearm across the other man’s throat. He leaned in close, “I’m not making a request here, let me make that abundantly clear. One more word out of your mouth about McKenna, you won’t like me. Understand?”
Tag instantly backed off, doing his best not to draw attention, but still pinning Stephen with a glare. He could tolerate a lot of things, but he realized immediately that he couldn’t tolerate anything being said about McKenna.
By anyone.
Much less, the snobby little bastard standing before him.
“Sorry, man. Didn’t realize you got all possessive about your little fuck buddies. It’s a little difficult to figure out exactly who you’re nailing these days, what with all the action you’ve been seeing lately.”
Tag had absolutely no idea what Crawford was referring to, but rather than question him, he bit his tongue. It took a tremendous amount of willpower not to pummel the little shit until he was unrecognizable.
Taking a deep breath, he walked away.
Fuck.
He needed a drink.
Chapter Fourteen
*** ~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***
McKenna didn’t have the slightest idea what had gotten into Tag, but by the time the meeting was officially adjourned, he was in a serious state of pissed off.
Her own anger had subsided, more so from Tag’s explanation than anything else, but her conversation with Travis Walker hadn’t hurt her mood either. There was something about that dark, brooding cowboy that got to her. It was a different feeling than the one that she had when Tag looked at her, but McKenna felt a spark of something hot and wild in Travis’ intense blue-gray eyes. She just didn’t connect with that spark the way she did with Tag.
She liked being in Travis’ company and as long as she was talking business, the man seemed to open up more than she expected. Especially when she prompted him to give her a few details on the new resort they were all anxiously waiting for.
Now she was sort of wishing for Travis’ presence because she was certain Tag wasn’t going to be the best dinner companion considering he hadn’t said more than two words since they left the club. When he offered dinner, she realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but when she agreed, Tag’s reluctance was evident.
However, here they were sitting at a quaint little Italian restaurant that smelled like heaven. It wasn’t the kind of place she expected Tag to take her to, but even the hostess had known his name, which meant he likely frequented the place often.
“Have you met Travis’ six brothers?” McKenna asked by way of conversation after they had received their wine and placed their orders with the cute waitress who was giving Tag that lustful eye she had seen on so many women’s faces.
Tag’s eyebrows drew downward into a frown, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he wasn’t particularly thrilled about talking about Travis. Considering he wasn’t offering titillating conversation of his own, she couldn’t think of anything better.
“Yes,” he grumbled, picking up his wine glass and downing half of it in one swallow.
“Are they all as involved with the resort as Travis?”
“Not all of them,” Tag commented with less of a huff than before. “Sawyer and Kaleb contribute the most, but I figure by the time the doors open, the rest of them will be in it up to their elbows.”
She waited a heartbeat, to see if he was going to continue, but when she realized he had said all he intended to, McKenna asked the most obvious question. “Is something
wrong?”
“No, why?”
Liar.
“Because you’ve been quiet since we left the club. I saw you talking to Stephen Crawford earlier.” McKenna knew Stephen, and she didn’t care much for him. She was surprised when she saw him at the meeting, wondering what the hell the McCoy’s were thinking allowing him to join.
He was a little on the creepy side, always calling Sensations and requesting that they do an article on him. Apparently, being a wealthy playboy meant people were interested in his jet setting lifestyle – or so he informed her. Even if she were down to her last reader, McKenna wasn’t so sure she’d subject them to anything about Crawford.
At first, McKenna declined his offer, letting him know that their articles were already mapped out for the foreseeable future. Not that it was true, but she wasn’t about to tell him that she’d think about it. And ever since that day, and every rejection she’d told him since, he still continued to be just as persistent. To the point that he showed up at her office insisting he be allowed to speak with her in person just last week. According to him, he had some information that he knew she would find appealing. Thankfully, Whisper had better sense than that, and she told him that they’d get back to him.
Since then, they were inundated with nasty comments posted on their blog ranging from rude remarks about her magazine to downright disgusting accusations about her personally. Luckily, Whisper always managed to take them down before they did too much damage.
“He’s a jackass,” Tag mumbled before turning away from her, seemingly interested in what others were doing in the restaurant.
“I’m pretty sure he’s harmless,” McKenna said while she stared at his profile, “he’s just a pompous ass.”
Tag jerked his gaze back to hers, the muscle in his jaw flexing violently. “I want you to stay away from him,” he demanded.
Before McKenna could comment, the waitress arrived with their food, setting the plates in front of them. She graciously waited for her to leave before she addressed Tag. “Why is that?”
“He seems to think he knows you, that’s all.”
“Well, I assure you he doesn’t. And you don’t have to worry about me. I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.”
“I mean it, McKenna. Stay away from him.” Tag sat forward in his chair, paying no mind to the food in front of him.
His gaze was focused on her, and McKenna fought the urge to react and tell him exactly what she thought about his domineering attitude. Instead, she kept her cool and settled for a soft, pleasing, “Understood”.
She could play the demure, easily controlled woman when she needed to, but in no way did she like it. It wasn’t like Tag was going to be around long enough to worry about whether Crawford continued to harass her.
Focusing on her food, McKenna ate slowly until her appetite quickly returned thanks to the delectable meal. She was beginning to wonder whether Tag was some sort of food connoisseur because each restaurant he took her to seemed to be better than the last.
It didn’t take long before the anger that had been bubbling in her stomach disappeared, and she lost herself in the excellent cuisine which more than made up for her grumpy dinner companion.
~*~*~
Tag fully expected McKenna to bite his head off for that last comment, so he was completely taken aback to see her fully engrossed in her meal. It hadn’t taken long for her pleasant mood to turn to tolerant thanks to his shitty attitude, but he couldn’t seem to shake it.
Yes, his insistence that she stay away from Crawford may have seemed a tad over the top, but there was something about the man Tag didn’t like. And that was aside from his disrespect for McKenna.
As soon as he had a chance, he fully intended to have a long conversation with Luke and Logan about how the hell Crawford was approved for membership. They didn’t have to tell him anything, but he had some serious concerns about the man’s mental stability.
Forcing himself to eat, Tag did his best to pretend he wasn’t strung as tight as a virgin’s ass. Between his confrontation with Stephen, and the intense sexual tension between him and McKenna that no amount of anger could stifle, he wasn’t much in the mood to eat.
Along with Crawford’s crude comments, Tag had also allowed the casual conversation he had witnessed between McKenna and Travis to rub him the wrong way. He knew he could save himself a lot of heartburn if he just didn’t give a shit, but for some reason, it wasn’t that easy. Nor did he know how to address it which only pissed him off more.
It wasn’t like he could tell Walker to back off because McKenna didn’t belong to Tag, so who was he to interfere in her life. Although for now, at least for the next five days, he had the ability to control whom she did see. If he didn’t think it would piss her off, he would insist she stay away from the man. But that wouldn’t be very conducive to business because she was interested in an exclusive on the resort as much as she was on Club Destiny and truth be told, Tag only wanted her to be successful.
An hour later, Tag was leading McKenna back into his private room. Neither of them spoke much ever since she deceitfully conceded to his insistence that she stay away from Crawford. He didn’t know everything about her, but Tag damn sure knew McKenna wasn’t one to take orders well.
“I’m going to take a shower,” McKenna stated firmly as she walked into his bedroom, leaving him standing in the small, open kitchen. Ever since they left the restaurant, she hadn’t spoken more than a couple of words, and when she did, it was generally just a polite response to something he did, like opening the door for her.
He’d effectively pissed her off.
Well, she was about to get over it.
Following her, Tag made no attempt to be discreet about his intentions. He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning casually against the jam. With his arms crossed over his chest, he stared back at the woman who ignited more than heat and flames inside of him.
She didn’t look nervous, nor did she look happy.
“You gonna watch?”
“Yes.” Amongst other things, but he didn’t say that out loud.
And watch he did.
McKenna slowly undressed, every movement apparently choreographed for his viewing pleasure. She took her time, removing each article of clothing, piece by piece, until she was standing before him the same way she had been the day before. Completely and beautifully naked.
Those curves should be illegal. All of that red silk flowing down her back, teasing the top of her creamy ass. Tag wanted to worship every inch of her. And the look she gave him dared him to.
He tracked every move she made as she entered the oversized shower, turning on the water and standing back while she waited for it to heat. For the last two days, his dick had been in a constant state of turmoil, needing to be buried inside of her heat. Hell, for the last couple of months, she’d tormented his thoughts with her simple existence. And here they were.
Tag removed his shirt, unbuttoning each button, never taking his eyes off of her. He unhooked his cuffs, and then let his shirt slide down his arms until it fell to the floor at his feet. Thinking ahead, he’d discarded the jacket and tie before he followed her from the kitchen. His shoes were the next to go, followed by his slacks, underwear and socks until he stood just as naked as she was.
When McKenna’s eyes drifted up over his torso, down his arms, he wondered what she thought. That morning, when he had slipped out of the bed, he felt her eyes on him, but she hadn’t said anything. Reading her every expression, Tag knew that wasn’t disdain he saw in those inquisitive eyes. That was lust.
The artwork that marked so much of his skin had taken years to do, and each individual tattoo meant something to Tag. And yes, there wasn’t much of his upper body that wasn’t tattooed; one of the main reasons why he insisted on long sleeve dress shirts as his wardrobe of choice.
He was a reputable attorney, and he’d represented some very influential people in this town. The problem he knew, not everyone was as
open minded as he would want. But standing before McKenna, he didn’t care what anyone else thought of him... only her.
When her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, his stomach tightened. Fond memories of earlier that day when she’d given him that wicked ass blow job infiltrated the lusty haze. It was his turn to return the favor, and the thought made his hands fist.
He couldn’t wait to put them on her.
“Are you going to stand there all day? Or would you like to join me?”
Tag didn’t detect an ounce of sweetness in her tone, but by the way her nipples puckered as she stared at him, he knew she wanted this as much as he did.
His legs ate up the space between them until he was in the shower with her, beneath the warm spray. He didn’t touch her. At least not with his hands. His eyes were another story. He let them drift over her wet, smooth skin, lingering briefly on her rosy pink nipples, then roaming farther.
McKenna continued with her shower as though he weren’t there, lathering her hair and then rinsing, never taking her eyes off of him. Tag liked the way she looked at him; his body hardened even more from the passion swirling in her expressive eyes.
By the time she was finished soaping her body, he was slowly stroking his cock. That little show she’d just put on was enough to have him coming in his hand, but he fought the urge.
“Put your hands on me,” McKenna insisted and the hint of dominance he detected in her sultry tone had him releasing his rock hard dick and taking another step closer to her.
He felt like he was looking at a naked woman for the first time. Like this was his first chance to touch such a beautiful, exquisite form.
He cupped her neck with both hands, tipping her head up with his thumbs beneath her chin as he absorbed the soft, silky feel of her. When her lips parted, he couldn’t resist the urge to press his mouth to hers.
Infatuation - A Club Destiny Novel Page 12