by Beth Mikell
She lifted a brow, “And neither will crass pickups that demoralize a woman’s body, character and intelligence.”
“Whoa…Pete, South Down’s gonna lay waste to you. Better back off.” Xavier punched the other man's leg as a mark of caution.
“Hex,” Angelo said ignoring his friends' ribbing each other over Savannah’s comment, “if you were going to give a woman a sincere line, what you would say?”
Savannah switched her attention back to Hex only to find him watching her, his blue eyes crinkled at the edges indicating amusement, but he wasn’t smiling.
He was thoughtful for a moment, “The only thing your eyes haven’t told me is…your name.” His azures bore down hard into hers with sincerity.
Ah hell...okay…the man was officially outlawed, criminal, bootleg and contraband all in one. Her inner hussy batted her eyes with longing, got down on her knees and assumed a begging position (down girl).
Warm, penetrating heat fled out through every nerve ending in Savannah’s body, cascading through her blood, hastening her pulse and shattering her breath too ragged. She needed air…a distraction or something to ease her escalating response to his simple words and his intense stare. She should have known he would be clever with his words as he was with his moves…there wasn’t much about the man who didn’t ooze sensuality or…sexuality, damn him, but in a 'oh so' wonderful way.
Pete offered his hand, reverence rendering him shocked. “Oooh, man…you’re good. I'll have to try that one.”
Before Savannah could react, two children burst through the room yelling her name, “Savannah! Savannah!” She held her arms to receive their incoming embrace with a smile. Sam and Axel, Xavier’s six and eight year old sons threw themselves into her arms, winding their mocha skinned arms around her neck with smiles. She pulled them close and kissed on the cheek, “Hey monsters…did you miss me?”
“You know we did!” Axel reached out to poke his younger brother in the shoulder.
Sam poked back, “Stop dumb, dumb head.”
“Hey, hey…what’s up with you?” She didn’t wait for an answer, squeezing them tight against her body. “Guess what I brought you?”
Both boys peered up through dark, brown eyes nearly afraid to breath. “What?” Sam asked in a small, timid voice.
With the hand wrapped around Axel, she reached for the gift bag for the boys, “Comics…X-box game? Any takers?”
The two rattled off many thanks between hugs before running off to try out their game.
“South Down, you didn’t have to do that,” Xavier said with a slightly embarrassed expression crossing his face.
Savannah waved off his words, “Please, kids are easy to spoil and they are sweet,” she said looking towards Angelo, “Where is Maria?” His twelve-year-old daughter was usually stuck like glue after arriving.
“Mija is upstairs sick with a cold.”
She frowned, moving to stand up and reaching for the other bag. “Mind if I…?”
“Go, go…she’s probably waiting for you,” Angelo said.
Her eyes met and held with Hex for a few moments longer than she meant, but she was so drawn to him. Right or wrong, how she interacted with him surpassed her sanity. She made her exit and headed upstairs, but without Hex to occupy her junkie need, she…missed him and that was totally unacceptable. Right?
After nearly forty-five minutes in Maria’s room, Savannah closed the door softly, the girl having fallen asleep after exhausting herself with girly chitchat, recounting a slew of stories about her crush on Jimmy Johnson. Savannah wasn’t the best person to offer any advice, but she at least covered the basics. Crushes she could handle since she remembered having a few in her lifetime, but it was the heavy stuff that sucked. Love and relationships? She shuddered. What the hell did she know about that?
She gasped as a strong-arm pulled her across the hall into the bathroom, and shut the door. She immediately knew it was Hex because frankly, who else would dare?
Breathless, Hex pushed her up against the wall, his face just inches from hers, “Are you insane?” she asked, coming up against his heat and the hard muscles of his chest. She loved every second, her inner hussy purred. She rode the high of being in his arms because apparently she was indeed experiencing her own kind of girl crush on her biker god…rational or not.
The smell of her skin caused a hot, fast reaction, tightening his erection until he unconsciously pushed his hips against her, seeking release. “What do you think princess?” His voice mixed with a note of sarcasm, his arms tightening around her.
“Yes…” she whispered, “Insane covers it and wild drives it home.”
A terminal force of explosion met within their mouths and they clung to the energy traveling through the intimate boundary so long denied. They reeked of need. Where he pulled, she clung…where she frenzied, he molded and nothing mattered but the heat of the moment so cleverly obtained within the confines of the small bathroom.
His tongue slid expertly over hers, tasting and relishing the spring taste of her lips--the sweetness so achingly disguised in his sarcasm princess. God…she was everything his body demanded and sought after. He pulled her closer, his hands roaming over her back, groaning deep in his throat with the throbbing desire to rip at her clothes and throw hell to the wind. He pushed her up against the wall while he…closed off the image, trying to fight the urge ramming through him.
She met his groan and countered it with a slippery moan, her hands twisting in his t-shirt until she hoped to shred it from his body. Drunk on the tang of his essence, she sipped, drowning until her body nearly combusted into a living flame within his arms.
Savannah broke free from his lips, panting, “Someone’s going to notice or something…” she trailed off, her mind too fuzzy to make a coherent statement.
“They will if you keep talking, now, shut up and kiss me dammit before the rioters chime in and blow our secret moment to hell.” He didn’t wait for confirmation—his lips dove back to claim her mouth, inhaling her low whimper within his quest.
His hand flipped up under her sweater, skimming over the flat plain of her stomach and up, firmly cupping her breast within his hand. Her hard, erect nipple stabbed his palm and familiar need washed over him to test her sweet flesh, making him sweat. It wasn’t just obsession or fixation that drove him…but a strange sense he never received in his life.
He wanted her in ways, which shook the foundation of all his low belief in women. A part of him was running scared in the face of such a powerful desire. Still though…his thirsty desire kept him propelled forward, transporting him closer to an unknown destination.
Savannah cried out from the touch of his hand, the pleasure unbearable and pure agony—her skin feverish and wanting his hands all over her naked body. She smoothed her hands down over his torso, reaching his hips until she cupped him.
He hissed, breaking free of her lips, “Shit, fucking hell…we need a room.” Hex dragged in a deep breath, resting his forehead against hers.
“And a bar of soap…such language,” she admonished with a hint of a smile playing over her lips as she caressed over the bulge in his jeans.
Hex leaned back to give her a mocking glare, “Really princess? Coming from you?”
She shrugged, her lips curving into a full-on sexy smile, “Suck it up Hexon, the tension is good for us--something to look forward too.”
He grunted, “Besides a coronary?”
His sulkiness didn’t faze her and Savannah pushed out of his arms, turning to the sink, flipping the tap on to wash her hands. She tried to calm her nerves with an action, her body still trembling from his touch and hot kiss. “Careful or I’ll believe you don’t have any…ah…tolerance or patience.” Her gaze lit with teasing humor, meeting his in the mirror.
He placed his hand on the wall on either side of her and leaned forward, “Oh no, you can’t goad me into anything. Impatience versus premature…well you get the idea will never be my problem. And don’t try to
act like you’re unaffected, baby.” With gentleness, he pushed her hair back from her neck; his hand cupped her skin.
“I never said anything of the kind, but I think we should use a little control since we are in Angelo’s house. I’d hate for anyone to hear us humping like rabbits on a high-speed chase.”
As if burned, Hex dropped his hands and straightened his blue azure eyes veiled, unreadable. “I’ll go first…” His regret evident, but he left.
Savannah closed her eyes, her heart pounding up into her throat, her body still trembling. What was she doing? For the first time in her life, she didn’t have one smart, sarcastic one liner to pay homage to the incredible situation she found herself in. Her insides were scattered to the four winds of hell and she felt like she was on a dusty, desert road with nothing except a lot of…empty.
She knew what it was like too miss Laura, Devon and even sometimes Sean, but for the first time in her life, the door shutting after Hex’s exit, hit her hard. She missed him. Really and truly.
But, deflated was the word for the rest of the afternoon.
Savannah made her way back downstairs, expecting to find Hex with the guys giving her smoldering, heated glances through his azures. Something about self-inflicted misery to heighten the confusion of her mind that was until Angelo yanked the rug out from under her heightened expectation.
“SD, Hex got a call on his cellphone and had to leave—some kind of emergency. He apologized and asked me to take you back to the hotel later.”
She hadn’t even realized he had a phone on him, though it wasn’t as if they exchanged numbers and sent sexy messages to each other. Yet, after what happened in the bathroom upstairs and their date night and their marathon sex night, she thought she at least deserved a face-to-face blow off, rather than his Batman and Robin disappearing act.
Another reason to mentally damn the man, his manners sucked.
When she just stood staring without moving, Angelo’s dark eyes narrowed in concern, “Hey, are you okay?”
The filter of her mind resounded with minimal clarity—but well enough to realize he spoke, yet her heart pounded hard through her. Dammit, she only wanted to run and privately lick her wounded pride, so she did the next best thing--she waved it off, “No problem, Angelo.”
Lie one.
Why the hell was she giving Hex so much space within her mind or life for that matter? It’s not like he owed her anything but a good time, right? She met him literally on Thursday and by Sunday she was twisted in a knot over his absence. What a mental ride! She needed to seriously evaluate herself against her stupidity chart of what not to do at happy hour at a new club. Two categories came to mind…ixnay on Tequila and body cavity check on a handsome guy.
Yeah…she was screwed.
Savannah turned her attention back to her friends because it wasn’t their fault her thoughts and mind were so absorbed in biker god from the planet of his own social handicap. She gave over to their good company, laughter and best Mexican food this side of the border—yet deep down, there was a strange stirring within her heart.
Chapter Six
Careful whose toes you step on--they might be connected to the feet that will kick your ass tomorrow. ~ Unknown
Hex hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, his erection still throbbing, causing discomfort, but it wasn’t his hard-on that bothered him but his unusual desire to be with the woman upstairs for more than just a roll in hay. She scattered his insides like an atom bomb and his awareness towards her thoughts and feelings cut him deep. The strangest thing hit him…he wasn’t running away from her kicking and screaming, in fact all his time was spent trying to come up with ways to see her. Before he left the comfort of the stairs, his phone vibrated in his pocket, he fished it out and looked at the caller id.
Dominic Montgomery, his cousin. “Yes?”
“Hex, sorry to call you on a Sunday, but we just received word that one of our guys was injured up on the Steeple site an hour ago. He was up on the roof and the boards were loose, he fell two stories down.”
“Dear God…” He rubbed a hand over his face. “What were they doing working on Sunday? And why were they not using the safety cord? I have locked in strict policies for this very occurrence. And I thought I told Steeple to give our company a rest day.”
There was an awkward pause on the other end, “Um, well…that was my doing. The CEO practically begged and he’s quite annoying, plus he mentioned walking if we didn’t hurry up. As far as the safety cord…only God knows why they didn’t use it.”
“Shit…this is just fucking wonderful. Who fell?” “Reyes Jordan.”
“Ah, well that explains a lot--the newbie with I’m-smarter-than-you attitude. Look, I’ve got to wrap up some things here, send me the hospital information via text. I’ll also call Steeple and have a chat on how their over eager vision is going to get people killed.”
“I hear ya. I will send you the info.”
Great. Perfect. Hex knew the afternoon slammed closed, but he couldn’t be sure if he was happy or not. What a lie, he was pissed and he knew it. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with this kind of thing, but he took accidents with his company very seriously. Not just from a legal standpoint, but for the injured and the suffering families. In his mind, it was better to be known as the good guy, rather than the big bad corporation and he strode hard to make the distinction.
He went to find Angelo, making his apologies and left. Dammit, he felt like a heel.
~~~
Savannah finished her shower, donning a white bathrobe and threw a glance towards the clock…eleven at night. Her nerves were wound up, TV seemed a waste of time and sleeping…well…who could sleep under threat of cloudy confusion and inner turmoil? She plopped down on the sofa, picking up a fashion magazine, one of her weaknesses towards furthering her obsessive-compulsive shopping disorder, but she was hopelessly disinterested in the new spring line from Paris. She tossed the magazine on the coffee table, her eyes watching it slide across the slick, glass tabletop onto the floor.
Boom.
And she sighed.
She wondered if she screamed would her temporary hotel neighbors notice and call the front desk. What would be a good comeback for the bellhop when she opened the door? ‘Oh sorry for disturbing the peace, I was just clearing the cobwebs from my lungs? No wait, forgive me, but I was just venting my frustration about a man of sin and stupidity! Or how about…sorry but my emotions fucked me over so I panicked and broke the sound decibel.' None seemed appropriate, but it sure fit the bill.
The doorbell rang and she jumped--God, she hadn’t even screamed yet!
She went to answer the door, the object of her obsession stood leaning up against the doorframe looking haggard and worn, and his blue eyes burned a hole through her. Thoughts of slamming the door in his face zipped across her mind.
She arched a brow, “A little late for a house call, isn’t it?”
His mouth turned up at the corner, “I’d like to think of myself as room service.”
“And would that before or after you apologize for skipping out on me earlier?” she asked in a bitchy tone, bringing up one hand to inspect her perfect manicured fingertips. She flipped her gaze back up to meet his, her cool, dark eyes clearly said ‘fuck you’.
Undaunted by her rudeness—more like he found her current state of anger extremely erotic, Hex pushed against the door. His hands snaked out around her waist, pulling her tight up into his arms, his lips just inches from hers. They were half in the room and hallway—completely visible to any passerby and strategically placed security cameras, but nothing fazed him.
“Forgive me princess. A buddy of mine fell at a job site, breaking his leg and arm in a fall. It was important or I wouldn’t have left like that.”
Fire burst through her stomach as his hands touched her, while his explanation sank in--penetrating the fog of wrath. She intended to make him suffer. And dammit, he smelled damn good. His heady scent washed over her
senses, his muscles under her hands screamed for her to caress and stroke until nothing but heat festered and exploded.
“Shut up and kiss me,” she breathed.
He pressed her back into the room enough to kick the door close with his foot, his eyes fixed on the symmetry of her face, studying every curve of her beauty. The shallow, hardened chip of his exterior melted slowly under her startling magnetic pull. He couldn’t understand his draw towards her, but neither could he analyze it. He wanted her too much. He wanted the freedom his spirit found within her presence, craved it.
He brought up his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks within his palms and his tongue slipped out to trace the underside of her top lip. Her eyelids dropped close and a soft whimper of pleasure escaped resonating her desire and welcome straight through him.
“What are we doing?” Savannah’s eyes opened to study him, though he had yet to fully kiss her, his closeness seeped deep through every fiber—chanting for her to succumb and the only sound she heard or felt was her heart ringing in her ears.
“Hopefully more than we did the night before.”
Part of her wanted to dissect his words for deeper meaning and demand an answer rather than physical, but…she hid. Hid from her feelings and from the stirring within her disembodied spirit, spiraling down the path of release she would feel in his arms. She wanted to beg, plead even panhandle him into never leaving her side because the stirring of emotions surfaced a spark a feeling within her heart. She died a slow death towards her inner independence in that one moment and wanted to take a chance, uncaring if solid ground still held her or not. She reached up—her inner hussy took over.
Savannah’s hand sank into his hair and pulled him until his lips touched hers…their combined sexual fission detonated in a charge of sensual energy. Her tongue danced over his and shimmied through a tidal wave of taste, warm and succulent. Ravenous for him, she pulled on his shirt, breaking contact with his lips. “Take this off.” Her breath ragged, her tone demanding.