I led her where she instructed, and held her after she saw the damage. Her sobs soaked my shirt, but I didn’t care. Korah was hurt, in pain, and this Christopher character was going to pay.
Chapter Three-Korah
It had been a week since my run in with Christopher. Dane was thoroughly freaked out over seeing me in that shape. Leela continued to mother me and refused to let me be. I hated Christopher for doing this to me. He once again turned my life upside down, shaking me to my very core and ruining any normalcy I had achieved. The police still hadn’t found him, and I waited with bated breath for him to make another appearance.
Scarves were my go to accessory. People talked, I heard the whispers, but I didn’t care. Dealing with Christopher’s abuse in the past made me weak and insecure. I knew now, after speaking to the school counselor and the police, that it wasn’t my fault. Nothing I had done caused this. Christopher was the weak and insecure one. Any person who beat, choked, or abused another was a very messed up human being. The nightmares still plagued me, causing me to wake in a heavy sweat every night. I refused to let him win. One of these days I no longer would be afraid.
Elle was tucked securely beside me, my arm wrapped tightly around her. Today was lab day and I knew Dane wouldn’t skip this week. The thought caused my heart to race and made me feel slightly nauseated. I hugged the elephant closer, not wanting to get out of the warmth of my bed. I never dealt with a man like Dane Davidson before. Christopher and I had sex, of course, but he had been the only one…until Dane. My hormones took control in that moment. I didn’t know why I wanted Dane so badly, but I did. . I’d avoided him since the night he took care of me. I felt embarrassed, ashamed of him seeing me that way. I still was unsure of my feelings, but I knew I’d see him today.
I finally crawled out of bed, showered and dressed. I had hours before lab, but I headed to campus anyway. Being alone in the apartment scared me. I hated feeling this way, constantly looking over my shoulder. I kept Mace in one hand and my keys in the other, ready if someone attacked, and dashed to my car.
###
I fidgeted in my seat as I eagerly waited for Dane to show up. When he stepped through the door, his dark, seductive eyes landed on me, sending a thrill through my blood, I thought I would pass out. His dark hair was tussled, his polo unbuttoned showing a hints of his sexy chest. Just thinking of our encounter made me squirm in my seat.
“Korah,” his deep voice rumbled. “I’ve been worried about you.”
“Why?”
“Because, I…” He started, but got cut off by the TA starting class.
It was an antagonizing hour. He kept brushing his hand over mine, purposely I was sure. Each time he tried to speak, he was interrupted by something in class. My curiosity was piqued over his because. I wanted to know the rest of the answer. When we were finally released, his hand gently slid around my waist and pulled me close.
“Korah, we have to talk. Please.” His eyes darted between my own, the depth of them going further than I’d ever seen. They pleaded with me, calling to me.
I nodded. “Okay. I’m kind of hungry.”
“Then we’ll go eat. Come on, I’ll drive.” He took my hand in his, each touch sending electrifying thoughts through my head.
What you want to talk about?” I asked.
“Korah… I’m so sorry I left. I’m really a screwed up guy,” he said, glancing around. “Can we wait until we have some privacy?”
We wove through campus, the sea of bodies making me slightly anxious. There were so many of them, and Christopher could hide anywhere. Something told me Dane wouldn’t let Christopher hurt me again if he was around. I inched closer instinctively. He opened the door for me, a gentlemanly move I wasn’t expecting. Once inside, he pushed the key in the ignition, but didn’t turn.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. “Korah, I have feelings for you. I don’t know what to do with them, and honestly, they terrify me. That’s why I left. I’ve never felt that before when being with a woman, and for some reason I thought disappearing would make it go away.”
He stared at me, his chocolate brown eyes full of fear, warmth, and feeling. This Dane was different. Something had changed.
“It didn’t go away,” he confessed. He took my hand in his linking our fingers together and squeezed. “It got worse. I think about you all the time. And the day you called me… Korah, it made me realize how screwed up I am. My mom left when I was little, I caught her with another man, and eventually, my dad did, too. Something in me changed that day, but I still tried. High school, I fell in love for the first time. I caught her in bed with my best friend.”
I watched him, my heart heavy, my mind confused. I wanted to believe him, to trust him, but how could I? He snuck out the middle of the night after we made love. Now he was admitting he rarely had feelings and when he did, he didn’t know what to do with them. What was I supposed to do with that? “I’m sorry you’ve had bad luck in love, but Dane, we all have. I mean…you know only a small portion of what I’ve been through. I trusted you and you let me down.”
His face fell, and he nodded. “I know. I hurt you. I’m sorry.” His thumb caressed my skin, sending chills all over. He watched me, a fierce gleam in his eye that wasn’t there before.
Why did I want him so badly?
“Thanks,” I said, pulling my hand away. I didn’t want to. Everything in me screamed to devour his lips, curl my fingers around his hair, press my body to his. I couldn’t, though. He’d hurt me, deeply, and though he said he was sorry, he would have to prove it.
“Can I take you out Friday?” he asked, hopeful, linking our fingers once again.
I knew my answer would make him mad, possibly ruin everything, but I wasn’t going to lie like him. “I have a date. It’s Valentine’s Day.”
He dropped my hand like it burned him, staring at me with an expression I was sure only his worst enemies had been privy to. “You what?
“I have a date.” My voice was firm, steady. It didn’t accurately convey my fast beating heart or how difficult breathing was becoming.
“A date.”
I nodded, linking my hands in my lap. He was definitely pissed.
“I don’t think we should go out tonight. I need to study,” he lied.
Sure you do. “Good plan,” I snapped, grabbing my backpack and hurling the door open with my free hand. “Maybe you should think about how you treat women next time you want to actually go on a date, Dane. I’m not going to let you use me, hurt me, any more than you already have.” I stomped off, hoping I looked more angry, and less hurt.
How could one man be so impossible? He went from caring and protective to a total jackass in sixty seconds. If it weren’t for his sexy, melt my heart eyes, and the longing I felt when he gazed at me, I would forget the whole thing.
A part of me, a small, nagging part of me, wanted him to fix things. I wanted to be the woman who changed Dane Davidson for the better. It was probably stupid, childish, to think I could, but the realization didn’t stop the desire. I hurried to my vehicle, locking the doors before I was even fully closed in. I hated running from Christopher, constantly hiding and looking over my shoulder. I wanted him in jail for this. Or better yet, maybe he would leave the country when he found out I’d pressed charges.
I hated living in fear.
###
“So he apologized?” Leela asked for the thousandth time.
Ok, probably not the thousandth, but it felt like it. I nodded in response.
“And asked you out…for Valentine’s day?” she questioned…again. Her voice was laced with doubt and uncertainty, coated with vengeance.
Grimly pursing my lips, I bounced my head up and down.
“That pisses me off, Korah. I get he’s worried about you after the whole Christopher thing, but that doesn’t mean he just gets to swoop in and treat you like all his other women.”
“To be fair, I don’t think Dane has dated in the past decade,” I pointed out sar
castically.
“I don’t care,” she raged on. Her long blond locks were swinging as she paced, her face red with anger. “I’m not letting him hurt you.”
“I said no. I already have a date.”
She stopped, turning to face me. “You do?”
“Yep,” I agreed. “This guy in one of my classes asked me to go out, said Valentine’s Day is always depressing, so we could make the best of it together.” I smiled, thinking back to how shocked Dane looked. “I may have made it seem like more when I rejected Dane.”
She smiled brightly, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief. “I see. I like it.” She moved forward, joining me on the couch.
The very same spot Dane and I had began our passionate lovemaking. Sex. Romp. I didn’t know what to call it. I remembered the way my legs felt wrapped around his waist, his strong arms carrying me through the apartment, his luscious lips claiming mine as his tongue delved in, making me wish he explored further.
“Korah?” Leela screeched, waving a hand in my face. “Hello?”
“What?” I asked lamely.
“I asked you if you had feelings for him,” she reiterated gently.
“Does it matter? He’s a playboy. I deserve better.” My heart shattered thinking of not having Dane. He stirred something within me I thought was killed by Christopher.
She took my hand in hers, squeezing softly. “Men can change…not because we want them to, though, but because they want to. It has to be them. Just wait and see what happens.”
She let me be after that. I curled up on the sofa, getting lost in my thoughts. Dane may or may not be my future. No matter what happened, he had been the one there for me directly after Christopher attacked me. Dane and I were a lot alike…both broken, scared.
Would things ever change between us?
Chapter Four-Dane
Valentine’s Day: the day men got screwed for not doing enough and women were disappointed for having too high of expectations. Flowers, candy, movies, romance…why was one day so damned special? The legends surrounding the holiday were iffy at most. One tells of a priest marrying young lovers against the law, another says it’s believed to be the mating day for birds, another says it’s the anniversary of some guy named Valentine’s death.
What was romantic about any of that?
One made me think of some old dude in long robes ushering two young people into a closet to marry them. The birds…well, it gave me images I wasn’t too happy about. And the death? How is the death of some guy equal to the biggest romantic day of the year, supposedly?
No matter how I felt about it, one thing bothered me. Korah had a date for it.
And it wasn’t me.
Korah was a pain in the ass. A beautiful, sexy pain in the ass. Everything she did drove me to the brink of insanity, only to have her gorgeous eyes or innocent smile bring me back. When she told me she had a date, I wanted to kiss her and throw my body out of a moving vehicle at the same time. Her actions confused me. One minute she was sexy and seductive, the next weak and vulnerable. After the shit her ex pulled, I couldn’t imagine her dating anyone.
I didn’t like it.
Did I want to date her? No, I didn’t think so…but why didn’t I want anyone else dating her? What the hell was wrong with me? Why did this chick get under my skin so badly? I barely knew her, and yeah, I’d screwed her, but when did that ever cause any feelings to surface?
Feelings?
Slamming both fits against the wall, I leaned my forehead against the cool wood, closing my eyes and trying to gain some control. I felt like I was losing myself to some unknown emotion and I wasn’t prepared for it. Stripping down, I quickly dressed in something nicer and decided to go out.
It was time I quit letting Korah get under my skin and get another woman under my body instead.
###
“Keep them coming,” I motioned to the bartender. Six shots in and I still saw Korah’s mesmerizing gaze and her plump pink lips, looking so tempting and delicious.
He sat the glass down in front of me, pouring the dark liquid and sauntering off. I gripped it, downing the drink, squinting my eyes at the burning as the Jack Daniels worked its way through my system.
I was well on my way to being drunk.
I called for a beer, wanting to be able to roam freely among the fresh meat in the room. Thursday nights in the bar were always popular. The weekend was right around the corner, the boys were horny and the girls were lonely. It worked out perfectly.
I noticed a tall blond in the corner, her hair short—even with her chin, and her skirt even shorter. She leaned against the wall, looking bored. Weaving my way through the crowd of sweaty, wanting bodies, I stopped inches from her.
“Hi,” I slurred, dipping my head down to her level, pressing my body to hers.
She reacted instantly, gripping my arm with her claw-like nails and smiling seductively. “Hi.”
“Wanna get out of here?” I suggested, circling my lips around the bottle neck and taking a long chug.
Her electric green eyes glanced over me, a thrill I usually felt in my pants, but it did nothing this time. She stopped when she got back to my eyes and nodded. “With you? Hell yeah. Let’s go, Big Boy.” She grabbed my arm, pulling me along behind her outside.
Once we were a few feet away from the entrance, she backed to the closest hard surface and tugged me to her roughly, her mouth on mine instantly. Her sloppy, demanding tongue forcefully entered my mouth, her claws raking in sync over my body. I allowed her to take control, though nothing she did got me going.
Her hands were too rough, her nails too sharp. Her hair was too blond.
We kept on for longer than I liked, finally stumbling further up the street to a skanky looking hotel. She pulled out a key, showing me she intended a rendezvous long before she set eyes on me. Or I set eyes on her.
I drank too much to know the difference.
Once inside, before the door was even closed, she peeled off clothing, throwing it in every direction. Her body was beautiful, the curves and mounds a sight to behold. Initiating the kiss this time, I pushed her to the bed, laying my body atop hers and delving my tongue within her warm mouth.
She felt and fondled me, causing me to grow hard. She freed me of my clothing, her eyes heavy with desire, her body arching and bucking beneath me.
She was ready, more than willing, and yet, I couldn’t do it. I pressed against her entrance, I could sink deep within in an instant, but I didn’t.
“What’s wrong?” she moaned, pouting almost. “Come on, baby. I want you.”
Closing my eyes because I couldn’t look at her anymore, I stood and started dressing.
“What the…”she murmured. The bed squeaked as she stood. Her hand landed on my bicep, forcing me to turn to her. “What is your problem? You come up to me and ask me to leave with you, get me all dripping wet and shit, and now you’re leaving?” she screeched.
I backed up, slightly worried she would attract outside attention. “I’m sorry. I can’t do it.”
“Why not?” she demanded. Her tantrum reminded me of a child acting spoiled over a toy.
Did she really think this would get me to screw her? “I don’t owe you a reason,” I scoffed, tugging my shoes on.
Her palm met my skin with a sting and I grimly stared at her.
“Tell me,” she snarled. Her hand was lifted, ready to strike again.
I grasped her by the wrist shaking my head. “You aren’t hitting me again. I said I can’t do it and that’s that. Get dressed and go find some other asshole to take care of your needs.”
She glared at me. “You could tell me. This is ridiculous!”
I lessened my grip on her wrist, dropping her. “You aren’t her,” I said, turning and slipping out the door. I heard her wail as she slammed the door behind me. I didn’t care.
The alcohol wasn’t as effective, but I still felt it coursing through my body. Stuffing my fists in my pockets, I walked as fast as my unst
eady legs allowed back to the bar. I slumped down on the sidewalk, sitting there for what seemed like ages. I wouldn’t drink and drive, but I didn’t want to call anyone. I wanted to be alone. Away from it all.
Korah dominated my thoughts. I couldn’t have sex with a beautiful, naked woman for God’s sake! Something was seriously wrong.
Maybe I needed a therapist.
I kept my head bent, ignoring the chattering voices all around me. I stayed that way until one pulled me out.
“Fancy meeting you here,” she cooed.
I glanced up, seeing Korah’s friend from her apartment standing above me. “Hey.”
She nodded, sliding down and sitting beside me. “So…why are you sitting outside a bar in the middle of the night?” She said it with no sarcasm, no hint of laughter, only honest curiosity.
“Dunno. Drank too much to go home.”
“Couldn’t call someone?”
“Could have,” I shrugged.
She nodded, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. “Alright. That explains a lot.”
There was the sarcasm.
I grinned, “What was your name again?”
“Leela, though you reek right now, so I’m not sure you’ll remember that tomorrow. You’re Dane.”
“Yep. Dane the dumbass.”
She snorted. “Why do you say that?” she chuckled.
“I can’t get Korah out of my head,” I admitted. I glanced at her wearily. “I’ll regret that later.”
“Probably,” she agreed. She scooted closer. “Why do you miss her?”
“She’s beautiful. And she doesn’t want me like other women. Doesn’t throw herself at me, or anyone for that matter. She’s…different.”
“I agree, she’s wonderful.”
“I screwed it all up.”
Her brows furrowed. “How?” she asked.
“She has a date tomorrow.”
“So?” she asked, looking genuinely confused.
“So? He’s probably good for her. I’m not.” I said a bit dramatically.
Intoxicating Passion The Box Set Page 8