Reese: A Safe Haven Novella

by Terri Anne Browning

  “Thanks.” Mel was giving me an intense appraisal. “Something’s wrong. Are you alright?”

  I shrugged. “I just realized that everything that I had already known still stands. I can’t trust anyone but you.” To my surprise and horror my bottom lip trembled and I turned away to straighten a few liquor bottles that were already in perfect order.

  A warm hand grasped my wrist and tugged me around. Mel pulled me into a comforting hug and I nearly lost what little hold I had on my emotions. “What happened?” She murmured.

  “Nothing.” I pulled back and forced a smile for her. “I just found out that Stone was like every other man in the world. I’m just his Phoenix groupie. When his fight is over I will be yesterday’s news and he will move on to the next city; the next groupie.”

  Mel’s concerned expression turned dark. “I’m sorry, Reese. I should never have encouraged him. He seemed different. I thought he was a good guy.”

  “Yeah, well I guess he is a good guy.” I found myself defending him, because if anything Stone had been a nice guy. “He is just a player. But I’m not about to be played.” Even if I had already been half way there.

  “Do you have a date?” I asked after a minute, changing the subject. Anything to get my mind off of Kieran Stone.

  Mel actually blushed. “Maybe. I wanted to talk to you about it first.”

  I frowned. “Why would you need to talk to me first?” Since when did she need my permission?

  “Okay, here it is…I called Greg Daventry to tell him that I was going to bring you with me to the MMA fight. We got to talking. Before I knew it he was asking me out to dinner…” She trailed off when she noticed my wide eyed expression. “What do you think?”

  I blinked, trying to get my head around everything that she had just said in just a few sentences. She had spoken to my grandfather, apparently he was in Phoenix, and now she was going out on a date with him…If I said it was alright? I sucked in a few quick breaths. “Is he coming here?” I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to see him now. Greg Daventry on top of everything else that was going on inside of me at the moment…Yeah, I would be close to a melt down and it would not be pretty!

  She shook her head. “No. I told him I would meet him there…I figured that you weren’t ready to see him yet.”

  “You figured right.” I sighed. “Go Mel. Have a good time…If that is possible.” The thought of Mel and Greg together disturbed me more than a little. But only in that Mel was a great person. Greg…Well I didn’t really know him well enough to judge what he was like. But I had this fear, a premonition perhaps, that he was going to hurt her. “Just don’t take him at face value, Mel.”

  She rolled her pale green eyes at that. “Sweetheart, I have seen it all in my life. Your grandfather isn’t going to be able to feed me a bunch of bull easily.” She gave me a gentle squeeze. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  After she left the bar got busy. Wednesdays were hit or miss on the degree of how busy things got. Tonight was a big hit and I was kept pretty busy starting at eight thirty. Bubba came in and took up his usual place at the end of the bar. College kids came and went, Emo and a few Goths came in to drink and play pool. Biker One sat down beside of Bubba and ordered a beer, but I just gave him a nod as I placed his Irish brew in front of him.

  “Hey hotness.” I glanced up from setting a fresh beer in front of Bubba to find Jake, Maddox, Mason and the brothers seated at the other end of the bar bar. The group that had been seated there just a few moments earlier where now seated in the back where Corbin and Stone stood talking to the obvious fans. Stone was grinning and shaking hands while the men seemed in awe of the beast that was actually a man.

  As if sensing my gaze, Stone turned his head and gave me a smile. I ignored it and him as I went over to the rest of the crew. “What’s your poison?” I asked.

  Maddox gave me a strange look. “You look tense. Everything going alright this evening? Anyone been getting out of hand?”

  “Nope. How about a beer?” I offered, wanting to serve them and move on.

  “How about a few shots?” Jake suggested. “We just had a very successful afternoon and we need to celebrate.”

  I lined up five shots of Patron and then put a beer in front of each of them. “Let me know if you need anything else.” I told them and moved back down to the end of the bar where Bubba was talking to Biker One.

  “I apologize.”

  I frowned. Biker One had spoken as soon as I returned to his end of the bar. “Excuse me?”

  He blew out a long breath, which was not pleasant smelling in the least. “I apologize for the way I behaved over the weekend.”

  I shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Okay? That’s it? No lectures? No making me grovel or some such bullshit?” He seemed shocked and that made me smile, a little.

  “Yes. No lectures. No grudges. I’m the bartender: the law, the judge, and the jury here. But I am not your mother, wife, or whatever. You get out of line, I kick your ass, and you don’t get out of line again. It is just that simple. Ask Bubba.” I nodded my head in the other biker’s direction.

  “Don’t mess with Goth Girl.” He saluted me with his beer and took a long pull from the long neck. “Only I forget sometimes…But she is kind enough to remind me.” He chuckled. “And she is why I don’t go anywhere but to Safe Haven.”

  “Good answer, Bubba.” I put a fresh beer in front of him. “This one is on me.”

  Chapter 8

  Ten minutes after Stone and his crew arrived with Maddox I ventured back over to their end of the bar. They had been drinking their beers and having a good time. But I had mostly ignored them. Even when they had tried to call me over to talk them, I had started up a conversation with Biker One and Bubba instead.

  Now their beers were all gone and I had no choice but to get them fresh ones. I set five beers down, without really looking at them. It wasn’t that I was angry with them. I was just self-conscious. Apparently to them I was just some girl that their boss and friend was having a good time with until he moved on to the next city. I didn’t like nor want that label: Groupie. “Anything else?” I asked.

  “Are you mad at us?” Mason asked, looking concerned. I was not angry at him, Jake or any of the others. They had nothing to do with what was going on between me and Stone. I just couldn’t bring myself to be a part of their little group hurting the way I was.

  “No.”

  “Then what’s with the cold shoulder, hotness?” Jake asked, his tattooed head wrinkled with his frown. “Don’t you want to play with us anymore?” He gave me a little pout that I was sure other females would have found extremely sexy.

  “No.” I told him honestly. “Not really. Do you need anything else?” I asked again.

  “Hey baby.” Stone leaned against the bar between Jake and Maddox, having left Corbin to the fans at the table in the back. He gave me that smile of his again. That ‘I’m a nice guy, I’ll never break your heart’ smile.

  I gave him a cool look in return. “Want a beer?”

  The smile disappeared, replaced with a frown. “No. I want to know what’s wrong.” His tone was concerned, his gaze penetrating.

  I shrugged. “Let’s just say that I’m one groupie that doesn’t want to play the game any longer.” I pushed away from the bar. “If you don’t want a beer, or anything else, I need to get back to the customers that are drinking.”

  I heard Jake groan as I walked away. A heated argument ensued behind me: Low hard voices, a few brutal swears; but I tuned them out as I mixed drinks. I glanced over once and found everyone but Stone gone. He just sat at the bar watching me. I ignored him. Even though my heart cried out for me to go to him, I stayed away. If someone wanted a drink they realized soon enough that by going to his end of the bar they were out of luck.

  Eleven o’clock came and went. But Stone remained even though he had a stringent schedule. He didn’t try to talk to me, nor did he order anything to drink. He just sat there, patien
t and never tiring. I felt his eyes following me, caressing me. A few times I was tempted to kick him out. But I knew that would be useless. He wouldn’t go, and I didn’t have the energy to tangle with him physically tonight.

  Bubba and Biker One eventually left, leaving large tips. Not for the first time I wondered how Bubba could afford to drink at Safe Haven so often and leave me such nice tips. Last call found the place nearly dead and then the bouncers were showing the last of the hangers-on out. And still Kieran Stone remained.

  I cleaned up behind the bar, washed the last of the glasses and started counting my drawer. When I was finally finished with everything else I grabbed my gym bag and he followed me to the door. I locked up and walked away.

  “You are not a groupie!” He finally exploded, following me.

  I kept walking.

  “Reese…Please stop and talk to me.” He urged. “I know that Jake made you think that I am just playing around with you. He’s a dick and the only reason I keep him around is because he is the best manager and promoter out there.”

  Nothing he said made me want to turn around. But the sound of his voice...That deep, dark, enticing voice made me ache. I refused to be drawn in again, however, and kept walking.

  “Yes, I invite a few fans to come and watch us spar from time to time. Yes, those fans are usually female…And sometimes I…” He broke off and muttered a few curses. “But that isn’t the case with you, dammit! I care about you, Reese.”

  Those last five words hurt more than anything. To me, now that I was onto his playboy games, they were just lines. I closed my eyes, squeezing back tears. I swallowed around the lump in my throat and continued on. When I reached my apartment I unlocked the door and slammed it behind me; locking it before dropping down on the sofa, not even bothering to turn on a light.

  His fist hit the door. “Reese!”

  I just sat there in the dark. He could have knocked the door down if he wanted to, but I somehow knew that he wouldn’t go that far. He didn’t want to scare me. Instead he stood on the other side and kept talking. “You are special to me Reese. You make me feel things that I have never felt before in my life. Never! I want to be with you, I want to hold you. Please, baby. Please just open the door.”

  A tear slipped from my eye and I sat numb and alone. Eventually he quit pounding, quit talking. I must have fallen asleep sitting up because the next thing I knew morning light was peeking at me through my living room window. I felt empty, my heart ached, and my head was throbbing. That muscle that had been quiescent, and then had come alive when Stone had come into my life hurt in a way I could not even begin to explain.

  Stretching I stood and started down the hall to my bedroom when a thump against my front door startled me. I rushed back and pulled it open…Only to gasp at the sight before me.

  Kieran Stone, who I had thought had gone hours ago, was sitting in the corridor floor, his head leaning against the wall. He looked exhausted, his eyes bloodshot with dark bags underneath, which stood out all the more because he was so pale. His short hair looked as if his fingers had been repeatedly running through it.

  “Hi.” He muttered, his voice hoarse.

  “Hi.” I knelt down beside of him. “Shouldn’t you be in bed? Or working out?”

  He shrugged. “None of that matters right now. Getting you to listen to me, talk to me, that is what matters. If I have to sit here forever then I will.”

  “Kieran…”

  “You’ve been crying.” He murmured and reached out to trace a finger down the tracks the tears had made through my makeup. “I can’t stand that I’m the reason for your tears, Reese. I don’t deserve them. I’m such a fuck up.”

  “Don’t say that.” Even as hurt as I was I hated for him to put himself down like that. I stood and offered him my hand. He climbed to his feet and I led him into the apartment. I dropped back down onto the sofa and he followed, sitting close.

  “Reese…I’m sorry.”

  “What for? You were just being you. I’m the one who was stupid enough to imagine that you were different.”

  “No! That isn’t what I’m sorry for. Damn it, I want to be with you. You are different from any other woman I have ever met. You are not a groupie, or whatever else it is that you imagine I want you to be. You are the first woman I have ever cared this deeply about. Even though I have only known you a short time I know that you are going to be a big part of my life. Hell Reese, you are the only woman that I have ever considered introducing to my parents.” He raked his hands through his hair, disheveling it even more. “I told you more about them and myself than I have ever told anyone.”

  I bit my lip. His words, along with that voice that I loved so much, were touching those new walls that I had erected the night before. And the more he spoke, the more I remembered the things he had told me about himself and his family. Along with those memories came the realization that he had been so gentle with me; had been taking things as slow as I needed them to be…That wasn’t exactly the things a man did when he was just looking for a few nights in a new bed.

  “I care about you Reese.” He whispered and pulled me into his arms.

  I went, meeting his lips willingly. He tasted sweet, just the way I remembered. But the kiss was nothing like I remembered. His gentleness was gone, replaced by an almost desperation. I held on tight, met each demand of his mouth. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip, his tongue delved deep.

  I whimpered as his fingers drifted down my arms and caressed my nipples. The sound made him raise his head. “Okay?” He was out of breath. “Want me to go slower?”

  “No.” I cried, knowing that if he stopped now I was going to die. “Don’t stop, Kieran.”

  His eyes locked with mine and he tried to read what I was thinking, to see if I was really ready for what was about to happen. After a few seconds he seemed to find the answer he was waiting for. With me still in his arms he stood. I wrapped my legs around his waist and leaned into him. He felt so hot, so strong, so…Devastating!

  I trailed little kisses down his neck as he walked. The door to my bedroom opened and then my back was against my mattress. For a split second I was glad that I had remembered to make my bed, but then all thoughts of being tidy vanished as he followed me down. His weight felt both comforting and delicious, his lips warm and wet against my collar bone.

  “Are you sure, Reese?” He murmured as he reached for the hem of my tee. His eyes were liquid metal and I found myself lost in their beautiful depths.

  “I have never wanted anything more than I want you, Kieran.” I told him honestly. My shirt disappeared in an instant…But I stopped him before he could reach for my jeans.

  “What’s wrong?” He was both concerned and a little impatient.

  “I need a minute. Let me shower. I smell like booze and my makeup is like dry mud.” I pushed him onto his back and he reluctantly let me go. “Ten minutes.” I promised as I got up and moved toward the door, walking backwards so that I could continue to feast my eyes on his sexiness. He looked good laying there on my bed, his head on my pillows.

  “Five.” He countered with that smile that I had hated so much just a few hours ago. Now it just made me want to jump back into bed with him and forget about anything and everything else.

  But I didn’t want our first time—my first time ever!—to be with my hair smelling of smoke, my clothes stinking of alcohol and Goth makeup caked on my face. “Seven.” I recounted and rushed across the hall to my bathroom.

  I had shampoo in my hair when I felt the shower door open and big, strong hands pulled me into a hard, naked body. I gasped, the only sound that was allowed to leave my mouth before he captured it with his lips. My momentary fear disappeared before it even had time to register. I kissed him back, loving the feel of his hard body pressed so intimately against my own.

  “I couldn’t wait two minutes.” He rasped in my ear. “What is it about you that makes me want to just be close to you?” He demanded, but didn’t give me time to e
ven attempt an answer before he lifted me off my feet and pressed me against the shower wall.

  My legs wrapped around his thickly muscled waist. His erection pulsed against the inside of my right thigh. It was hot, hard and quivering against me. I wanted to reach between us and caress it, but I had no clue what to do with it once I did touch it. Instead I held onto his shoulders and let him devour me with his scorching mouth.

  When his teeth scrapped across one aching nipple I cried out. Never in my life have I ever felt such pleasure! He rolled the hard nub around with his teeth, and with each little bite I felt a tug on nerve endings that had never before came to life deep between my legs. I couldn’t stand it, wanted him to stop…Yet at the same time feared that he would; dreaded the end of such mind numbing pleasure.

  When he raised his head I whimpered, wanting his mouth on me once more. He smiled a new smile, this one full of such longing and desire that I knew he wasn’t done giving me what I wanted. “Let’s get you clean, baby. And then I swear that I will make you all dirty again.”

  He pushed me under the shower spray and gently rinsed the soap from my hair. Then he added my conditioner. He washed me from neck to feet with my vanilla scented body wash, lingering on my breasts. When his hands drifted lower, across my stomach and pausing at the junction between my thighs I caught my breath. His steel gray eyes locked with mine as he urged my legs apart and skimmed his fingers across my red and gold curls there. I didn’t have time to be shy as he parted my folds and skimmed his thumb along the ball of nerves at the top of my entrance.

  Any fear that I might have had lingering over from when The Pervert had touched me so intimately didn’t rear its ugly head. Not one thought of that period in my life when I had feared a man’s hands on me in such a way popped into my head. Something that I wouldn’t realize until hours later.

  My legs turned to jelly and he caught me against his chest, but did not stop his gentle administering. His middle finger teased my opening while his soapy thumb continued to torture my distended clit. “Like that?” He whispered, watching my face as he continued.