How Gavin Stole Christmas (Fierce Five Series Book 0)

by Natalie Ann

Only this time he went too far. “I’m going to assume that your hand has some involuntary reactions to be going where it has no place being.”

  The man grinned. “Nothing involuntary there. It went right where it wanted to go.” His friends at the table laughed, egging him on. It was probably the worst thing they could have done.

  “Geez, that’s too bad. My hand has that involuntary reaction at times too.” She picked up the beer she’d just placed in front of him, then poured it into his lap. “Just to cool you off.”

  “Hey,” he said, standing up, not looking really friendly now. Of course, why would he when she just dumped an ice-cold beer in his lap? His friends were roaring with laughter, but he wasn’t having it. He grabbed her arm fast to stop her from leaving. “I believe you owe me an apology,” he said, leaning in close, glaring at her.

  “I believe she got her point across the first time in regards to your hands,” Gavin said, appearing quicker than she would have thought possible and lifting the guy up by the shirt.

  “Get your hands off me,” the guy said, but since he was smaller than Gavin and his eyes were laced with fear, there wasn’t much of a threat behind his words when he said, “before I ask for the owner.”

  “You’re speaking to the owner and we don’t allow that kind of behavior in here. Your tab is taken care of. Now leave and don’t come back.”

  The man and his two friends got up and left pronto, Jolene walking away to the bar to get a rag and a mop to clean up the mess she’d just made.

  “I’m sorry,” she said when she returned to the table to see Gavin putting the glasses on her tray. “You should get back behind the bar right now and help Robbie out. I’ll take care of this mess.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked, the rage in his eyes slowly being overridden by concern. He didn’t look to be leaving either.

  “Yeah. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m good at gauging people and he hadn’t had all that much to drink. I think his friends pushed him to do it and he didn’t want to lose face when I brushed him off.”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s not the type of establishment I want here. I’m sure the word will get out fast enough.”

  “You don’t need that kind of publicity though,” she said.

  He pulled the mop out of her hand. “Yeah, I do. I want it known what is allowed and what isn’t here. That’s the best way to make it known.” She was left staring at him while he cleaned up the mess she’d just made, wondering if she’d done more damage than pouring a drink on a customer.

  ***

  Gavin had expected a waitress to be hit on a time or two. He’d told them all to let him know when it happened so he or another bartender could take care of it. A few had told him in the past and he’d made his voice known.

  But Jolene never did. She always seemed to have it covered.

  Until tonight.

  He’d been watching the prick with the swift eyes and itchy fingers all night. They were close enough to the bar for him to hear some of the words said too. The demoralizing way they were describing Jolene and the things they’d like to do with her.

  He’d been waiting for the right time to kick them out and was going to refuse the last order, but he had moved to the other side of the bar and Robbie had filled it without his knowledge.

  “The show is over,” he told a few people that were looking at him when he was cleaning up.

  “That was nice of you to do that,” a woman said that was with her date. “I wanted to say something to them, but my husband told me not to. To just let it go and not cause a scene.”

  “I would have taken care of it earlier if I’d known it was upsetting others. Please, in the future let me know. It’s not the type of establishment I want to promote.”

  He pushed the couple from his mind and finished up briskly, then went back to the hostess and told her the table was ready if there was anyone waiting.

  Once he was behind the bar, he went back to work as if nothing happened.

  That he didn’t just hop over the half door at the bar that staff swung open to get through.

  That his fists didn’t flex with the urge to put them in the guy’s face.

  That he didn’t see the fear in Jolene’s eyes that he was probably some brute now.

  Sweet Thought

  “Did you see that?”

  Jolene turned to see Misty, a fellow waitress standing there. “Hard to miss since I was right in the middle of it myself. Or should I say since I caused it.”

  “Not that,” Misty said, waving her hand. “Gavin vaulting over the swing door to the bar. I didn’t know he had it in him to move that fast.” She leaned in close. “Honey, I don’t know about you, but I might have had a tiny orgasm seeing that.”

  Jolene choked on that. Misty was right up there with the Candy’s of the world that wanted Gavin’s attention. Now she was wondering how many other women or employees wouldn’t mind warming up Gavin’s sheets. Did she want that headache? Did she want to be labeled like that?

  No, she didn’t. Which was why she steered clear of men like that. Only never wanting and staying clear of it were two different things.

  None of that seemed to matter though at the end of the night when they were all cleaning up.

  Gavin had been quiet again, back to the way things were before their second kiss the other night when he showed her his apartment or the third kiss by her car that was even steamier. He was probably ticked off at her for causing a scene even though he’d said otherwise the few times she’d apologized while getting drinks.

  Misty was grabbing her jacket and walking out with Robbie. The kitchen had shut down two hours ago and now it was just Jolene and Gavin left.

  She walked behind the bar to get her purse and jacket when Gavin reached his hand out and laid it on her arm. “You’ve been quiet.”

  “I could say the same.”

  He held her stare and said nothing for what seemed like minutes, but she knew it was only seconds. “I think we both deserve a drink to wind down for the night.”

  She debated for less than a second and said, “Sure,” laying her jacket on the bar.

  He got them both a beer and handed hers over. “Want to go upstairs and relax in comfort rather than sit on these hard chairs?”

  Her aching back and feet were telling her that would feel marvelous, so she grabbed her stuff and followed him through the back of the building and up the stairs to his apartment again.

  Once they were seated on his couch, she took a sip of her beer and watched him watching her. Her heart was racing, both with nerves and fear. Excitement and anticipation.

  “I really am sorry,” she said again.

  “If you tell me that one more time I might just fire you after all.” Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened, then shut again. “Don’t look at me like that either,” he said, his voice gruffer than normal too.

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “Like you’re afraid of me. I’m sorry. You did nothing wrong and everything right tonight. I warned all you girls this could happen and to let me know. I’d been watching him all night. You always think you’ve got it under control, but you didn’t this time. It didn’t matter though. I always do. I’ll always watch out for you.”

  She laughed. “You think I’m quiet because I’m afraid of you?” Oh wait, did he just say he’d always watch out for her too? Okay, pushing that sweet thought aside for the moment.

  “Aren’t you? I saw the fear in your eyes when I picked that loser up off the floor.”

  “That’s because I thought you were going to fire me.”

  He frowned. “You weren’t scared of what I did? Of me as I held back from knocking the guy out?”

  She set her beer down on the coffee table, took his out of his hand and did the same. If that was why he was quiet, then she had nothing to worry about.

  Nothing about Gavin scared her other than the loss of her job. The loss of spending time with him, seeing him as much as she had and being in hi
s presence.

  With her palms on his cheeks, she said, “This is how much you scared me tonight.” Then she lowered her mouth to his. Little pecks on his lips, his cheeks, his neck, her tongue around his ear. “What you did tonight? Maybe I shouldn’t tell you how it really made me feel.”

  She was guessing her actions were speaking louder than the words she just whispered because the next thing she knew she was on her back and Gavin’s big frame was covering her, making her feel warm, making her feel right...almost cared for.

  For such a big man, he really could be gentle when he wanted to and that’s what he was doing with her right now.

  His large hand slid under her shirt and up her ribcage then over her bra, cupping and squeezing her.

  If her back arched into him more, well, she had no control over that either. Just like she had no control over the feelings that had been building within her for weeks.

  This was more than the physical and she wasn’t afraid to admit it to herself. She just wouldn’t admit it out loud.

  “Tell me to stop if you want me to,” he said, his voice soft for once. It was always so loud and deep, but now he was trying to be someone else. Someone that wouldn’t make her afraid, even though she’d already said she wasn’t.

  “I don’t want you to,” she said, lifting up and letting him pull her shirt over her head. His hands wiggled under her back and unclipped her bra, edging that aside too. She was bare to him now, bare to a man for the first time. Should she say something? She’d better since if it went much further, like she was wanting, he’d figure it out soon enough.

  When his lips covered her nipple she was at a loss for words. She just wanted to feel. Just wanted to know he was there with her and he was going to give her what she’d been dreaming of for what seemed like forever.

  She voiced her frustration when he moved his mouth from her breasts and started to travel down her waist. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t stop.”

  “You better not,” she said, then felt his fingers at the snap of her black pants. “Gavin.” Her voice was a little breathy and a whole lot of “Give me more. Make me feel like I’ve never felt before.”

  He heard the message she was sending. “Patience. You need to have patience.”

  His hand slid into her pants, then under her panties, and she all but bolted off the couch. She’d been lecturing herself about patience, but this was the last place she wanted to have any.

  No. What she wanted right now was that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow she’d heard so much about. “There’s something you should know,” she forced out.

  If she didn’t say it now she’d lose all ability to speak soon. She’d never felt this fabulous in her life.

  “What’s that?” he asked, still kissing her, his lips moving from her hips and down a little bit lower to where his hands were working their magic.

  “I’ve never done this before,” she blurted out. There. She’d said it and if he didn’t hear it, that wasn’t her problem because she wasn’t repeating it. She just wanted to marvel in these new wondrous feelings he was bringing to life in her body.

  He must have heard because he stopped abruptly and sat up. “What?”

  “Keep doing what you were,” she demanded. “You said you wouldn’t stop.”

  “That was before you dropped that bombshell on me.”

  “Why is it a bombshell?” she asked, sitting up and crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Did you think I was some slut? You saw me dump beer in a guy’s lap tonight.”

  She was trying to keep the hurt out of her voice but wasn’t sure she was succeeding right now.

  “No, I don’t think that of you.” He ran his hands through his hair and looked at her. When he didn’t say anything else, she started to look around for her bra and shirt, but he stopped her. “No, don’t. Not unless you want to. I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting you to say you were a virgin.”

  “Why?”

  “You sure the hell don’t kiss like one.”

  She grinned. “Thanks. I’ve had lots of practice there.”

  Kissing was one thing but she’d never been around enough men to feel that they’d want some kind of relationship with her. She wasn’t giving herself over to any man unless she felt there could be more.

  She felt it with Gavin.

  He choked back a laugh. At least she thought that’s what it was. “Do you want me to stop?”

  “You don’t listen very well,” she said, grinning at him, hoping the crisis was passing because even though he wasn’t touching her, her body was still on fire. “No. I want you to make me feel like a woman tonight.”

  She held her breath as he processed those words. Then he pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight. He didn’t say a word, just swung her up and carried her to his bedroom.

  ***

  He was trying not to sweat. The last time he’d been with a virgin was when he was one himself. But he would make this as special as he could for her tonight. He’d make sure she remembered it years from now.

  Laying her on the bed, he stepped back and pulled his shirt off. He wanted to turn the light on but figured they could see each other well enough with the light coming through from the living room.

  When she stood up he thought for sure she was changing her mind, but all she did was lower her pants and then in a moment of bravado, she dropped her panties too. No use slowing down, so he did the same, then pulled a condom out of a drawer on his bedside table.

  They climbed back in bed together, him pulling her in and letting her feel his body against hers. Getting used to his size, his heat, and his desire. If he was pulsing hard, he was trying not to let on.

  “You can go back to what you were doing out there on the couch.”

  “You’re okay with that?” he asked.

  “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had it before, but I’ve heard it’s pretty wonderful and I’d love to feel that way. I’d love you to make me feel that way.”

  He couldn’t get a brighter green light than that, so he scooted down the bed and started to kiss her breasts again, sucking on her nipples, pulling them between his lips and moving all around.

  She was squirming like she was before and it was feeding the beast within him. But he needed to let that beast go hungry for the moment. He needed to feed her first. Get her there and let her know it was going to be all right.

  Moving down her body further, he brought his mouth right to the heat of her. Right to the core, and looked his fill. So wet and swollen. Just waiting for him to take that taste. He did because there was no way he could deny them both what they were craving.

  He got her right where he wanted her. Right to the edge, then slid a finger in. She was tight but welcoming and then she was pulsing and moaning, so he put his mouth to work harder and had her screaming out his name.

  At this point he didn’t think he could take much more, so he grabbed the condom and got ready, then positioned himself over her.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “There’s more?” she asked, sighing. “Oh yeah, give me more.”

  He nudged his way in, her heat surrounding him and setting him on fire. It was so tight, but he was determined to not rush it. Not to hurt her.

  There was no worry there, not when she planted her feet on the bed, grabbed his hips and lifted herself all the way on him.

  He groaned, or maybe it was her, but it didn’t matter because he couldn’t stop the movement of his hips at this point and it seemed she didn’t want him too. Not with the way she was matching his pace.

  No time to slow down. No time to talk. No time to do anything other than feeling himself being transported into a universe he’d never thought he’d find. One that accepted him and made him forget who he was.

  He kept the movements up. Kept giving it to her the way she was demanding it. And when he felt her tighten around him even more, he sent them both into a galaxy so far away.

  Only he was brought back to ea
rth when she whispered, “I think I’m in love with you.”

  Walk of Shame

  How could she have let that slip?

  Now what? How do you take back that what you just blurted out caused him to freeze, then roll away and walk to the bathroom without saying a word?

  How do you stop the hurt?

  She flopped her head back on the pillow and tried to figure out what to do.

  When he came back into the bedroom, he climbed into bed next to her and pulled her close. “Gavin?”

  “Don’t talk,” he said, and though his voice wasn’t soft, it wasn’t hard either. Just.... detached. “There’s nothing to be said right now.”

  But there was in her eyes. She took it as his way to let it go. She didn’t want to. It went against everything she was to not keep talking, but since she didn’t know how to explain it, she listened to what he said and then fell asleep in his arms.

  ***

  The next morning Gavin went downstairs to brew coffee while Jolene stayed in his bed.

  What the hell was he supposed to do now? Did he feel something for her more than a one-night stand? Sure.

  Did he love her? How the hell did he know?

  He’d never been in a relationship before. Not anything serious.

  He’d always had his eye on his future. On working and helping his mother and brothers. Being the man of the house.

  Now that he didn’t feel the need to do that as much, he was ready for some freedom. But how do you tell that to a woman you just spent the most incredible night of your life with?

  How do you tell her that you really don’t know what you want or feel and want to go back to the way things were before last night happened?

  You don’t. Not without losing your best staff and hurting her feelings in the process. Two things he’d rather not have happen.

  “About last night.”

  He turned and saw her standing in the doorway to the kitchen with one of his shirts on hanging down to her knees. She looked all rumpled and sexy and all he wanted to do was carry her back upstairs and put her on her back again and do everything he did last night.