by Harley Stone
Spade helpfully added a few of the books from my nightstand to the suitcase. When I gave him a questioning look, he shrugged. “Educational material.”
Shaking my head, I grabbed my pillow and threw my laptop backpack over my shoulder. He took my suitcase and we headed out.
Exiting my apartment, I practically ran into the building manager who was in the hallway, studying the remnants of my door. I’d meant to call him about repairs but hadn’t had the chance and honestly, I wasn’t up to fighting. Matt and I had a rocky history that started with a broken garbage disposal he still refused to fix. On the rare occasion he answered my calls, he waved off my concern and made vague promises he clearly had no intention of following through on. It wasn’t personal—Matt had a reputation for skimping on tenant needs—but I needed him to do better this time. I needed a good door that I could sleep soundly behind, confident the average Joe couldn’t bash it in like Nate had.
“Hey, Matt.” I gave him my friendliest smile, hoping it would incite him to play nice and help me out for a change. “Any idea how long it’ll take to get that door fixed?”
Spade sidled up to me and rested his hand on my lower back. I should have probably been skeeved out by his assuming position, but the heat of his hand felt protective rather than sexual and his posture felt like solidarity. He wasn’t copping a feel, he was telling me he had my back. Grateful, I smiled at him.
“That door’s beyond fixing. He’ll be replacing it, and the frame. Right, Matt?” Spade asked.
Matt tensed. A mix of fear and irritation crossed his features as he took in Spade’s stance. “You must be the one I spoke to on the phone.”
“Spade,” he replied. “Nice of you to come up so I don’t have to go lookin’ for you.”
“You called Matt?” I asked.
“Spoke to him today while I was waiting for you at the cop shop. I let him know that your door is a piece of shit and he needs to replace it with something more secure.”
Wow. I wasn’t used to people doing things for me, and I didn’t know how I felt about it. Even though I should probably be the one taking care of my own problems, knowing he’d reached out to Matt made me feel relieved and appreciative. After all, I didn’t want to have to deal with the cheap, lazy jerk.
Matt’s chin rose, making him look even snootier. “I heard your concerns, so I came up to see it for myself. I can’t promise anything because I must follow procedure, but I’ve called the building owner. He’s sending out one of his guys to look at it first thing in the morning.”
Spade’s eyes narrowed. “For your sake, I sure as hell hope he does more than look at it.” His tone was unyielding and the unspoken threat behind his words added tension to the hallway.
My immediate response was to diffuse that tension and deescalate the situation. I started to step forward, but Spade grabbed the back of my blazer, holding me in place. I looked to him in question, but he was too busy glaring at Matt to meet my gaze.
Matt swallowed, visibly shriveling under Spade’s glare. “I-I-I’m sure we’ll get the situation handled to your satisfaction.”
Whoa. That sounded almost like Matt planned to fix something. Shocked, I felt my jaw drop as I stared at him. Sweat was beading across his forehead as his gaze went back to my door.
“T-T-Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention.”
I had no idea what was happening, but I’d be a fool not to capitalize on it. “And the garbage disposal?” I asked.
Matt continued to stare at the door. “I wasn’t aware there was a problem with your garbage disposal. Have you filled out a service request form?”
Liar. “You know I have. I’ve left you at least twenty messages about it.”
Spade released my blazer and stepped in front of me, towering over my landlord. “There must have been a communication problem, but I’m sure it’ll get fixed now, right Matt?”
Matt shrunk further into himself. “Y-yes. I’ll get right on it.”
“Good. See that you handle it in a timely manner or there’ll be an interruption in Jessica’s rent payments, and we’ll get an attorney in on this shit. Don’t test me, Matt. I don’t fuck around.”
Before Matt could respond, Spade took my hand in his and tugged me toward the elevator wheeling my suitcase behind us. Filled with awe, I stared at him as he hit the button to take us to the parking garage. Normally confrontations like that made me feel uneasy and afraid, but Spade was neither. Sure, he’d threatened my building manager, but his vibe was more resolved than ragey. I felt safe and protected beside him.
His gaze flickered up to snag mine. “What?” he asked.
“I’m pretty sure you made Matt pee his pants.”
The sides of his lips twitched. “Is that what that smell was?”
A bubble of laughter escaped from my throat. “Yes. Actually, I’m not sure. It could have been his cologne. I don’t know what he uses, but it smells like cat pee. I get a headache whenever I’m in his vicinity.”
“You shouldn’t have to deal with his shoddy building management or his toxic funk.”
“Thank you,” I said as the doors closed. “I don’t know how you got him to actually do his job, but I appreciate it.”
The look Spade gave me was thoughtful, like he was still trying to figure me out. “My pleasure, babe. I like to keep people safe. Especially beautiful women. It’s kinda what I do.”
“You mean as a bouncer? At the bar?” I asked.
“Sure. That too.” He grabbed the hem of my blazer and tugged me closer until we were only inches apart. Surprised, I stared up at him, wondering if he was going to kiss me. He had nice, shapely lips, and his eyes were dark and a little wild.
The elevator stopped, and the doors dinged open. Both grateful and disappointed by the interruption, I jumped away from him like I was a teenager afraid of getting caught with a boy. He gave me a crooked grin and gestured for me to precede him out into the parking garage.
I drove a silver 2010 Subaru Impreza. It had a dent in the rear fender from a parking lot hit and run, and a little over a hundred thousand miles. But it was a good, dependable car that I owned the title to. I’d thought about trading it in and getting something nicer, but even the idea of having a car payment made me break out in hives.
Spade had parked his bike behind my Subaru when we arrived. As we approached, I fobbed open the hatchback. He loaded up my suitcase before opening the driver’s side door and waiting for me to climb in. His chivalry—along with the way he watched me sit—made my cheeks burn again. Once I was behind the wheel, he tapped on the window and waited as I rolled it down.
When he leaned in my window, the masculine scent of coffee and wood invaded my sedan. “Give me your phone.”
His tone was commanding, leaving no room for questions. I unlocked my cell and handed it over. His fingers flew across the keyboard, and then he returned it to me.
“I put my number in there in case we get separated.”
I glanced down at my phone, laughing when I saw the name. “The Latino Lover, huh?”
He grinned and leaned closer. With his lips just inches from mine, he said, “If you’re lucky. No, if we’re lucky. I wasn’t kidding about trying out some of that shit in those books. I want to caress every inch of that sexy body of yours. First with my fingers, then with my lips. I want to taste you. I want to stick my tongue deep inside that tight little cunt and roll it until you’re begging me to fuck you. Then I’ll bury my cock in you and pound you so hard you’ll feel me every time you pleasure yourself.” His dark eyes looked almost feral.
As his brazen words sunk in, they evoked filthy images of Spade’s face between my legs. And what about when he fucked me? Was he a missionary guy? Did he prefer doggy style? All the questions building in my mind were burning me up from the inside out. My breath hitched, and his smile widened.
“I want to take you from behind, pulling your hair and grinding against your fine ass until you’ve screamed my name so many t
imes your throat is as raw as your pussy. I want to fuck you like you’ve never been fucked before.” The scorching hot look he raked over my body added fuel to the fire his words had started. “But only if you want it. The kind of pleasure I’m talking about has no room for regrets. You feel me?”
My body was all warm and fluttery and my breathing was erratic. I was definitely feeling something. If Spade’s words had this kind of effect on my body, I was terrified to see how I’d react to his hands, his tongue, and his cock. I didn’t even know if I could handle that level of pleasure.
My mind kept searching for a snappy response, but I was distracted by the way my body lingered on the edge of combusting. I wanted him to do all those nasty things to me. I wanted it more than my next breath or the promotion I’d been screwed out of. Spade was promising me mind-numbing pleasure, and I needed it. Thankfully, before I could strip and demand that he take me right there in the front seat of my car, he pushed away and moseyed over to his ride like he hadn’t just set my libido on fire. His bike roared to life—sounding extremely loud in the confined garage—and then he motored forward to wait for me.
Resisting the urge to fan my overheated face and neck, I turned on the air conditioning and tried not to drool over the sight of him sitting on top of his bike as I adjusted my rearview mirror. Dangerous. Sexy. Inviting. Everything about the man intrigued me. He gave me another one of those crooked smiles, and it felt like a challenge, like he was daring me to follow him. Wondering what I was getting myself into, I pulled out of my space and followed Spade to the fire station that served as the Dead Presidents’ clubhouse.
I spent the entire drive thinking about all the things he wanted to do to me, each mental image growing more vivid than the last. By the time I arrived, my panties were soaked, and my body was on fire.
Spade
WHEN JESSICA AND I arrived at the fire station, dinner was being served. I could smell fried chicken and chocolate cake and knew the ol’ ladies must have prepared a feast to welcome the girls. Judging by the amount of laughter and chatter coming from the dining room, the entire club was camped out in there. Jessica drew closer to me, clueing me into the fact that crowds weren’t her thing.
“Come on. We’ll get you all settled in your room before we make introductions. That way you’ll have someplace to escape to if you need it.”
She gave me a grateful smile and followed me with her pillow and backpack while I carted her suitcase up the stairs to the empty bedroom across the hall from mine.
“The rooms aren’t much,” I said, setting her bag on the floor between the closet and dresser. “But you’ll have everything you need. The beds are comfortable, and you have full access to the kitchen and bar downstairs. Any food in the refrigerator or pantry is fair game unless someone’s name is written on it. Don’t be a dick and eat someone else’s lunch.”
She giggled. “I’ll try to restrain myself. But I do like to eat, so no promises.” Her head was on a swivel, taking in the small space. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Locker room style, down the hall on the right.”
Her eyebrows shot up her forehead and I could almost see her mind conjuring group orgies in the shower, no doubt due to those books she was reading. I wasn’t going to lie and say that kind of shit never happened, but the participants were always consensual, and it only ever happened in the men’s room.
“The women’s room has private stalls and private showers,” I assured her. “And only women are allowed in there. Nobody here will stand for your privacy being violated.”
Huffing out a relieved breath, she collapsed on the bed.
I sat beside her. “You’ve had a rough day.”
The corner of her lip tilted up. “You can say that again.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
She shook her head. “No. Thanks, but if avoidance was a country, I’d be the queen. I don’t even want to think about it. I’d much rather be distracted until I can deal.”
“Fair enough.” She looked so wound up I couldn’t resist the urge to fuck with her. “I have a few distraction ideas, if you’re interested.” I waggled my eyebrows at her suggestively.
She laughed, but the way her eyes lit up told me she was interested. “Tempting. But I just met you, and…” Frowning, she let her words trail off.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just… safe. Boring.” She shook her head. “Stupid Chad.”
“I don’t think you’re either of those things.” I let my gaze drift down her body, showing her the appreciation I felt. “I think you’re beautiful and smart and funny and sweet. You shouldn’t let that fuck-face take up space in your brain. You’re too good to waste a single thought on him.”
Her eyes softened and she looked away. “Thank you.”
Hooking my finger under her chin, I drew her attention back to me. Her big brown eyes were bright as she chewed on her bottom lip. I wanted to suck it out from beneath her teeth, but I refused to make the first move. At least, not today. She’d been through enough without me attacking her. Still, I had one card left to play. “Should you get bored or want to take me up on my offer, my bedroom is right across the hall. And unlike with other people’s lunches, there’s no need for you to restrain yourself in there.”
Her mouth formed a perfect little “O” before color flooded her cheeks and her eyes dropped. Fearing I’d pushed her too far, too fast, I backed out to give her some space.
“Take a few minutes to get settled. Just knock on my door when you’re ready to go downstairs and meet everyone.”
She nodded, her gaze once again lifting to snag mine. Behind her glasses, Jessica’s eyes were so damn big and beautiful just holding her gaze had my dick stirring to life. I couldn’t wait to see them staring up at me while she sucked me off. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
“My pleasure.”
Then I got the hell out of there before I did or said something stupid that would have her fleeing the place like her ass was on fire. She needed the safety of the club right now, and I refused to take that from her to satisfy my own desires.
I straightened up my room while I waited for her knock. Since we’d be heading downstairs to introduce her to the rest of the club, the massive hard-on happening in my pants was a problem. I forced my mind away from thoughts of her plump lips locked around my cock, but none of my other thoughts were much better. I wondered if she was just as horny as I was, and imagined her in her room touching herself, her fingers soaked from the sexual chemistry between us.
Would she call out my name when she came?
Would it be thoughts of my face between her thighs that helped her find release?
By the time she finally knocked on my door, my cock felt like it was about to bust out of my pants like the Kool-Aid man breaking down a wall.
Oh yeah.
“Spade?” Jessica asked hesitantly as she pushed the door open.
“You ready to go downstairs?” I was standing beside my bed because it hurt too damn much to sit. “Come in. Let me grab my phone from the charger.”
Unplugging my phone, I turned around in time to watch her close the door. With her back toward me, I had a second to look her over. She’d changed more than her clothes. Her dark hair was down from its messy bun, cascading in soft waves down to the middle of her back. She wore a mid thigh length black coat, her legs were bare, and her high heels were now red instead of black.
It was the sexiest view I’d ever seen.
She turned around slowly and gave me a shy smile. Her cheeks were pink, but her eyes were full of determination as she unfastened the buttons on her jacket and pulled it open. A sheer, pink nightgown was all she wore beneath it.
Holy shit!
Leaning against the bed for stability, I let my eyes drink in her body, pausing at the swell of her breasts and the dark circles of her nipples. Her waist was narrow, and her hips were wide. Thick, luscious thighs led down to muscular calves. My fingers itched
to raise my phone and snap a picture.
Jessica was a work of art.
Hands trembling slightly, she dropped the coat to her feet. Then she sucked down a shaky breath and took a step forward.
Her round tits bounced, her hips swayed, and I nearly lost my goddamn load. She took another step. My eyes snapped each movement like a photo and bundled them together to create a collage of sensuality. I didn’t want to blink, or move, or even breathe, because I needed this to be real and not just some apparition or fantasy caused by a lack of blood to my brain since it was all fueling my erection.
“I think I would like to take you up on your offer,” she said, swallowing.
“You think?” I asked, needing her to be certain.
She nodded. “Yes. I want to. I’m twenty-five, and I have no regrets. Not one. I don’t want to be boring anymore, Spade. I don’t want to be looked over for a promotion because I’m ‘too safe’ ever again. I was thinking, and… I could have died today. He had that gun, and I…” She shook her head. “It made me realize that I haven’t even really lived. My first year of college, I created a bucket list. There were so many things I wanted to do… skydiving, snorkeling, skiing. I haven’t done any of it. I’ve just been working and letting life pass me by. I’ve never even had a one-night stand.”
Of course, she hadn’t. She was too good. Too perfect.
“So, I was hoping… Uh. Think you can help me cross that line item off my bucket list?”
My mind struggled to catch up. She wanted me to fuck her? “You want me to be your first one-night stand?” One night? Could I do that? She was like peach-scented crack; one night would only make me crave another fix.
My hesitation caused a ripple of fear and uncertainty to wash over her face. “I…” She must have thought I was rejecting her. She glanced at the coat on the floor, and I could practically see her calculating the time it would take to throw it on and get the hell out of there.