Intoxicating Passion The Box Set

by Felicia Tatum

  I hoped he got it, as long as he stayed far away from me.

  “Korah,” Leela said as she stepped into the living area, hair wrapped in a towel. She scowled as she stared at me and said, “You aren’t ready.”

  I looked down, studying my yoga pants and tank top. “Yes I am.”

  “We’re going out with the boys, you need to wear something else. I mean, you look cute, but don’t you want to make Dane drool?”

  I gazed at her, not knowing whether to laugh or be angry. I chose the former. “Lee, we’re going to practice our self-defense moves. I think this is fine. I’m not getting dolled up to go sweat it all off.”

  She raised a brow, smirking. “Do you get dolled up for dates?”

  I nodded, not sure where she was going with this.

  “Well, don’t you usually end up sweating that off, too?” she quizzed, raising her brows up and down suggestively.

  I groaned, laughing loudly as I stood. “Whatever, Leela. I’m not getting changed. I want to make sure we’re actually learning something is all.”

  She sauntered off, telling me I would probably regret not utilizing my hot factor later on. She was crazy.

  Dane found me attractive at my worst. Hell, he told me I was the most beautiful girl when I had black handprints around my neck. He kissed my faint scar daily, the two inch white spot across my cheek a constant reminder of what I’d been through.

  Of what I’d survived.

  The memories tended to suck me in, drawing on my deepest worries and fears, reminding me I was still the same Korah. The one who was abused and broken, who allowed a man to hurt me without truly fighting back, but now I was fighter Korah, who didn’t allow anyone to have control, to hurt me that way. The memories wouldn’t win, I no longer allowed them to control me and make me feel less than I was.

  Leela sucked me out of my internal struggle when she bounced back in the room, hair curled and her face fully made up. She looked beautiful, but I knew her face would look messy by the time we were finished while mine would only be sweaty.

  Dane liked sweaty.

  “You ready?” she asked, checking herself once more in the mirror on the wall before turning to me expectantly. She tapped her foot, signaling she was through with waiting for me.

  I jumped up, saluting her with a mocking grin, and headed to the front door. “Let’s go, Lee. The boys are waiting.”

  ###

  The school gym wasn’t too crowded, but there were a lot of people on the floor, making me anxious about practicing. Consciously, I knew everyone would be worried about their own workouts, not paying attention to anything I did, because really, why would they? But a part of me still felt insecure about it. The small voice of low self-esteem echoed within my mind, telling me they would all watch and laugh as I failed over and over again as I attempted to protect myself.

  I really needed to knock that voice out.

  Leela and I stretched and worked our muscles as we waited for Dane and Cale to show up. Dane swore he was on the way, yet he wasn’t here. I should be annoyed, I wanted to be, but ultimately it wouldn’t do any good, so I dealt with it internally and moved on.

  We chatted and laughed as we burned our way through the warm up. Dane finally arrived, looking as sexy as ever in his sleeveless shirt and basketball shorts hanging low on his hips. My eyes settled on the dip that showed, imagining all the ways he used those hips. He cleared his throat, flashing me a seductive smirk when I regained my composure.

  “Miss me, Korah?” he chuckled.

  Pursing my lips, I glared at him. “No.”

  Leela giggled beside me, then slid her arm around Cale, greeting him with a kiss I was too young to witness. I felt my cheeks grow hot and cursed, knowing Dane would soon be making fun of me.

  He didn’t though, he wrapped me in his arms, sinking his lips to mine and assaulted my mouth with a passion rivaling our friends. Losing myself in his touch, as I usually did, I quickly forgot we were in public. All insecurities, worries, and doubts left my mind as Dane took over, his tongue doing things that should be illegal, leaving me dizzy and weak-kneed.

  Leela’s voice broke us apart, revealing an audience of a few people on the mat. Some snickered while others rolled their eyes. My whole body flushed, from my toes to my forehead, and I buried my face in Dane’s chest.

  “Let’s practice in the park,” Dane suggested, linking his fingers with mine.

  “Practice what, exactly?” I said coyly, giving him my most innocent gaze.

  He groaned, tightening his grip on me, and leaned to my ear. His hot breath tickled my sensitive skin, his teeth nibbling gently on my earlobe before whispering, “We’ll practice whatever you want later, baby. You look good enough to eat in those clothes.”

  Inhaling sharply, I allowed the intensity of his gaze and his words to wash over me, bathing me in Dane. He knew how to turn me on with a simple look, a word, a smile. He was too sexy for his own good and I was seeing why so many women had fallen for his charms in the past.

  And damn if I wasn’t lucky he kept coming back.

  We eventually made it to the park, finding a wide area allowing us plenty of room to move freely. Dane knew I was taking classes, but had yet to see the progress I’d made. My nerves were on edge worried about how he would perceive me. It was useless worrying, I knew, because he seemed to support anything I did.

  Such a new and unexpected experience.

  We watched as Leela kicked Cale’s ass, using the tricks we’d learned to flip him on his back more times than I could count. Dane laughed at his friend, goading him from the sideline, earning a smirk from me and Leela. He didn’t know I was learning faster than her. I would do the same, if not worse, when we had a go.

  When it was finally our turn, he smugly told me he would go easy on me, promising to help me learn more to protect myself. I went along with him, nodding as he spoke, but biting back my laughter. Leela didn’t, however, and I could hear her giggling loudly from her seat on the grass.

  “Don’t be too confident, Dane!” Cale called, shaking his head once again.

  Dane barely grabbed my arm before I had his locked behind his back, pulling with all my might, deriving a grunt to escape his throat. He glanced back at me, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.

  Letting go, I shrugged and smirked. “Told you I’d been practicing.”

  “That was sexy as hell, Korah, but I’m not going easy on you again.”

  “Don’t.”

  He didn’t for the rest of the practice. I learned my money was going to good use each time I landed him on his back, each grumble he threw at me. Instantly I felt more confident, more in control. I felt powerful, something I’d never used to describe myself. The day was a success.

  And the best part was the way Dane ravaged my body when we got back to my apartment.

  Chapter Four-Dane

  Christopher’s smirk baited me from the time I walked in the courthouse. His beady eyes scoured over Korah, undressing her and probably harming her from across the room. My fists clenched immediately, anger flowing through me as the desire to throw him in front of the fastest moving bus ran through my mind.

  A calming hand landed on my bicep, her soft voice pulling me back. “Dane, please, don’t give him any thought. He decided to not press charges, but you never know what will happen while we’re here. He’s not worth it.” She pleaded with me, her eyes wide with fear, but something more. She was different, more confident. Where a shy, insecure girl once was, now a confident, kickass woman stood.

  The changes were subtle, each one appearing at random times, but together creating an even better Korah. The self-defense classes she’d been taking were magnificent on not on her mind, but her body, too. She was stronger, more flexible, and the imminent panic no longer clouded her every move.

  I nodded in response, but didn’t take my eye off him. He was constantly in my line of vision, each move he made I was aware of. Korah may feel more confident, but I’d be damned if I le
t him say or do anything to upset her.

  We took our seats, her uneasiness growing more apparent as each minute passed. It was a general court session, so we were in the room with many others. I could feel their eyes on me, on her, but I didn’t know if it was nerves or reality.

  Our hands were interlinked the entire time we waited for her case to be called, our sweaty, shaky palms oddly comforting each other. Christopher continued to watch her, his cocky sneer pissing me off more each moment. Leela slid in beside Korah, taking her free hand and whispered words of comfort.

  Finally, it was our turn. Korah and her lawyer sat on one side, Christopher and his on the other, and Leela and I were directly behind Korah, hands on her shoulders for comfort. Christopher had no one there to support him, which wasn’t surprising. My anxiety over it all grew as the session went on.

  The pictures, the reports, the testimonies were pretty much for nothing. Yes, he was convicted, but apparently domestic violence wasn’t a big deal to the courts. He got two years of probation and a week in jail, his time to be completed within the next month. Korah’s order of protection would be extended, but really, what did the judge think a piece of paper was going to do if he approached her? Give him a bad paper cut?

  My anger simmered as they wrapped up, the urge to stand and tell the judge how utterly stupid he was, was strong. I couldn’t get Korah in any more trouble, though, so I stayed seated. Leela felt the same, I could tell by the pursed lips and hate filled gaze she threw Christopher’s way.

  He, of course, was pleased. He probably got off on going to jail. He could hit people in there for fun.

  ###

  Korah and I bid Leela goodbye and headed to my vehicle. To our surprise, Christopher was waiting, a gleeful grin on his face. My heartbeat sped up, my fingers itching to knock him the hell out the closer we got. Korah tensed, but kept her head high. We stopped a few feet from him, a stare down in progress.

  “You’re not supposed to be near her,” I snarled.

  He shrugged, inching a step closer. “I don’t see anyone stopping me. Korah, I need to talk to you. You can’t be with this loser. You need to come back to me. I’ll forgive you for pressing charges, you’ll need to be punished, but we’ll forget all about it after.”

  I growled, the nerve of him surging my anger to the surface and moved to lunge at him, but Korah pulled me back. She gave me a pointed glare, and stepped forward.

  “Come here, Christopher,” she said. Her voice was laced with disdain as she spit the words at him.

  His feet moved and his eyes widened as she took him by surprise. Within seconds, she had his arm locked painfully behind his back, kicking his calves and bringing him to his knees. I turned, calling for a police officer I saw coming down the steps.

  He wouldn’t get away with this shit anymore.

  She pulled harder, causing him to yelp in pain. “You won’t hurt me ever again, Christopher,” she stated. Her voice was strong, angry. “I won’t ever come back to you and you will pay for this. You just broke your probation before it even started.”

  The officer came running over, another following closely behind. One took hold of Christopher, pulling him to his feet, and dragged him off, while the other asked what happened. He was in trouble this time, for breaking her order of protection. I prayed it was enough to get him as far away from her as possible.

  Once we were finally able to leave, we settled into the car, and she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I took my hand in hers, caressing her silky skin with my thumb.

  “Korah, you were wonderful,” I told her.

  “He got away with it. They probably won’t even do anything about him breaking the order.” She slammed her head back, the frustration evident.

  “But he knows you can fight back now, it won’t be nearly as thrilling for him,” I stated. “He’s one who likes to prey on the weak. You are far from weak.”

  She turned to me, her bright eyes shining as she smiled. Her grin reached her eyes, her whole face glowing. “Thank you. I didn’t think of that.”

  I squeezed her hand before pulling away to start the engine. “I have an idea.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Let’s go on a date,” I suggested. I sounded calm and collected, but reality was my heart was about to fly out of my chest and my whole body was breaking out in a massive sweat. It was ridiculous, really, considering we hung out all the time and sexed each other up frequently. Going on a date was unfamiliar territory with us, but it was something I wanted to try. She deserved someone who would wine and dine her, woo her until she was weak in the knees.

  I wasn’t sure I could be that guy, but I was going to try.

  “That sounds fun. When do you want to go?”

  Attempting to hide the relieved sigh, I answered. “How about tonight? I’ll drop you off and then come back to get you at six, if that’s ok with you.”

  “That sounds wonderful, Dane. I need some distraction after the mess of today. What are we going to do?”

  I shook my head as I led the car out of the parking lot. “I’m not telling. I’m planning it. You’ll have fun, no worries.”

  She giggled and complied.

  The feelings consuming my heart and soul would be released tonight. She deserved to know the truth, no matter the outcome. She was the type of woman I’d always wanted but never thought I’d get. In all honesty, I may screw up tomorrow, but it was worth something to tell her how I felt.

  It was new territory for me. The four letter word so elusive I thought it to be fake.

  It wasn’t.

  It held me captive completely.

  ###

  After dropping Korah off at her place, I rushed home to shower and ready myself. Cale appeared not long after I arrived, questioning me about the court decision. He, too, was pissed at the outcome, but there was nothing we could do. His next words surprised me, in a good way.

  “Jack left today,” he said, a shit eating grin on his face.

  “What?” I said, putting my razor down and turning to stare at him.

  “He left the house, the college, the state. Said he couldn’t be here anymore or some bullshit.”

  This day kept looking better. “Good. He said something to Korah the other day and got pissed when he realized who she was.”

  Cale laughed loudly. “I know you two aren’t together or whatever, but for what it’s worth, I think you’re good for each other.”

  I nodded, knowing his words meant so much more. He knew I’d fallen head over heels for her, but wouldn’t speak of it. We’d been friends for a relatively short time, but knew each other so well. This time, this girl, was different. Just as I knew he held serious feelings for Leela.

  It worked out perfectly.

  I finished getting ready, looking as good as possible, spraying the cologne that drove Korah crazy on before leaving. I stopped for a flower, a red rose because red was an amazing color on her, and represented passion, something we definitely didn’t lack.

  No matter what happened after my confession, I would have no regrets. Korah Daniels was worth any and every thing that occurred in the next few hours.

  I prayed I was also worth it and she returned the sentiment.

  Chapter Five-Korah

  Dane asked me out on a date.

  A real date.

  Leela’s excitement exploded all over my room in the form of clothing and shoes. She talked nonstop, giggling and planning everything from what he would wear to whose apartment we would end up staying at. Her optimistic outlook made me want to believe everything was well, but the negativity surfaced anyway.

  Seeing Christopher put me in a bad mood, even though I got to show him I wasn’t a weak victim anymore. Still, the uncertainty of everything weighed on me. Would I always be looking over my shoulder? Would he come back around? What if he brought weapons next time?

  Would I ever be free?

  Then there was Dane. He was wonderful this past month, everything a boyfriend should be, but w
e weren’t official. We pleasured each other in many ways, spent time together, and I cared for him, but nothing was official.

  And I tried my damnedest to not let it bother me or bug me, but it did. I wanted all of him, even his locked up scarred heart. Was this date the first step? Or was it the end? Dane never asked me to go on dates and something unsettling was taking over my body. My stomach fluttered, my heart hammered. And as usual, my mind overthought everything.

  No matter, I was going. Good or bad, I needed to know. Leela fixed my face and my hair much like she did the night of the Halloween dance, but without the mask this time. I dressed in skinny jeans and a flowy red top. Dane always commented on how good I looked in red, how much he liked it.

  I prayed this was going to end well.

  ###

  The restaurant he chose was fancy, an unexpected move. The rose he brought me matched my shirt perfectly, and the small smile he gave me while tucking it behind my ear made my heart melt into a big puddle of goo.

  His words and actions spoke volumes, but something was off. He was nervous. Most wouldn’t have noticed the slight shaking of his knee or the way he kept stuffing his hands in his pockets. I did, though.

  “Is something wrong, Dane?” I finally asked over dessert.

  He shook his head, his brown eyes staring into my soul. “No, why?”

  “You’re acting nervous.”

  He sighed loudly, dropping his head. “I hoped you wouldn’t notice.”

  My heart raced. What was he about to say? “Why’s that?”

  “I gotta tell you something, Korah. It’s not…it’s…” he started, but I interrupted.

  “It’s ok, Dane. I knew coming in to not have expectations. We aren’t officially dating or anything, so you don’t have to stick around. Thank you for helping me as much as you have,” I said, fighting back tears. I couldn’t bear to hear him say the words, so I prayed he agreed and left it at that.

  He jumped from his side of the booth, eyes wide with shock, and slid in beside me, taking my hand. “What are you talking about, woman?”