She looked up at him. “Okay.”
Taking her hand, he led her from the cottage, out to his car. He could feel the nerves radiating from her. Then Piper’s words came back to him. She doesn’t date. What the hell did that mean?
Rusty was a mystery, and he planned on learning some of those secrets tonight.
The drive to dinner started quiet, but not uncomfortable. If anything the air felt charged, damn near electric.
He needed a distraction, because the way she looked, smelled…shit, she had him close to busting through the front of his jeans, and he had a whole meal to get through yet. Then something her brother said popped in his head, and he jumped on it, anything to take his mind off the intensifying ache in his balls. “Why are you and your girls called the Axle Alley Vipers?”
She turned to him, and going by the wide eyes, he’d surprised her. “Who told you that?”
“Your brother.”
“He has a big mouth.”
“So it’s true?”
She sighed. “Yes, it’s true.”
“You gonna tell me why?”
“Do I have to?”
He grinned, couldn’t help it. “You do now.”
“Shit.”
He barked a laugh. “That bad?”
“God, I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this.” She let out another sigh. “It started when we were in high school. A few of the local boys came up with the name after an incident at my dad’s garage.”
“An incident, huh? Keep talking.”
She shifted in her seat. “Okay, well, Piper was going out with this guy. They’d been seeing each other for a few months. She was crazy about him, but we all secretly thought he was a bit of a douche. Anyway, long story short, he came on to me, and Piper heard the whole thing. We were in the garage, and she threw a wrench at him. Unfortunately, Piper can’t throw for shit, and she missed. But Alex was with her and went ape-shit, tackling him to the ground. Deke jumped in and pulled her off. And Piper’s boyfriend, seeing his chance, jumped up and made a break for his car. But in his hurry to get the hell away, he flooded the engine and the car stalled, and I…”
Reid was struggling to hold it together, but with how miserable Rusty sounded reciting her tale, he didn’t dare laugh. “And you what?”
She groaned. “I went after him, climbed in my dad’s tow truck, and rammed the asshole’s fender. I’d pushed him halfway across the parking lot before my dad came out and stopped me.”
“Shit,” he choked out.
She snorted. “You can say that again. The guy actually did crap himself.”
He laughed, unable to hold it in. “Poor bastard.”
“He totally deserved it.”
“Yeah, I guess he did. I bet you have a few more stories like that?”
The smile slipped, and she looked away. “Yeah, a few.”
He didn’t know what just happened, what caused that killer smile to drop, but he got the feeling if he pushed, she’d push right back, and he didn’t want to ruin what had started off to be a really good night. So for the rest of the drive he kept things light, worked at bringing that smile back.
They arrived at the restaurant a short time later. Costa’s belonged to Law’s aunt, and he came here often. The atmosphere was cozy; he guessed some would say romantic. It was also welcoming and had the best pizza in Miami.
When they walked in, Law’s aunt Connie bustled over, making a fuss over him, kissing both his cheeks, then scolding him for not coming sooner. He’d known the family since he met Law in high school. He didn’t know what either of them would’ve done without Connie and her family over the years. They’d been there for Reid when he’d had no one but his mother, and she’d barely been able to take care of herself most of the time.
These people were family to him. He’d never brought a woman here before and decided not to think about his reasons for bringing Rusty tonight, what it might mean.
“And who is your lovely date?” Connie asked, a smile on her soft, round face.
“This is Rusty. I thought she should try some of your world-famous pizza.”
Connie beamed. “Always the charmer.” She turned to Rusty, who was still clutching his hand. “Rusty? This is a nickname, yes?”
“Ah, yes.”
“What is your given name?”
He felt Rusty stiffen slightly at his side, then she mumbled, “Jane.”
Jesus. The name couldn’t be more wrong for her. The woman was no plain Jane, not at all.
Connie screwed up her face. “Okay, I’ll call you Rusty.”
Rusty made a little snorting sound and squeezed his hand. He could feel her body shaking against his. “I’d like that,” she said, laughter in her voice.
Connie headed across the restaurant, showing them to their table in the back. She took their order, brought them wine, and bustled to the kitchen.
He took a sip of the tart liquid, smooth on his tongue. He rarely drank, his introduction to alcohol, and more importantly what happened to some people when they drank it, had put him off the stuff for life. He only made an exception when there was a special occasion.
He looked across the table. Like tonight.
Rusty was playing with her napkin, smiling over at him. “This place is great.”
“I spent a lot of time here as a kid. The place is owned by Law’s family.”
“You’ve known him a long time?”
“Yeah. I guess you could say they’re like my family as well.”
She fidgeted with the napkin some more. “And your family. Where are they?”
“My folks split. I’m close with my mother. My father…we don’t talk.”
“Oh.” She looked a little surprised, but then nodded. “I know what that’s like. After my parents split, my mother vanished. She chose her new man over her kids.” She shrugged. “Some people just aren’t cut out to be parents, I guess.”
Wasn’t that the truth—or married in his father’s case. “That had to be hard, growing up without her.”
“I had Dad. I also had Piper and then Alex, and an overprotective big brother who watched over me. I did okay.”
“Your brother, he get in a lot of fights?”
She frowned. “Yeah, nearly every week. Why?”
“A wild guess.”
She snorted. “They usually started because he was protecting Alex’s honor.”
“Babe, I’m guessing he spent a lot of time protecting yours as well. What you’ve got going on didn’t happen overnight. You’re gorgeous. The boys at your school would’ve been following you around by their dicks as soon as they were old enough to notice.”
The humor making her eyes sparkle, dimmed. She seemed to close off before his eyes, then glanced down at her hands, shoulders stiff.
He reached over and took her hand. “What just happened, Rusty?”
She lifted her head, and goddammit, the wall was up. “There’s more to me than the way I look. I stupidly thought you already knew that.”
The pizza arrived, and he waited until their waiter left before he spoke. He’d worked out for himself she didn’t trust guys, that she got uncomfortable when they paid her too much attention. But he wasn’t just any guy. He didn’t know the reason for it, but he did plan on finding out what had caused it. “Foxy.” She was back to looking at her hands, posture stiff. He was sure she’d bolt any minute. “Look at me, Rusty.”
Finally, she lifted her head, no fire in her eyes, no light.
“I’m not stupid. I can see there’s an issue. Someone did you wrong, and it left a scar. But I’m not gonna bullshit you. You’re fucking stunning. I’m not gonna lie and say that isn’t one of the reasons I started chasing you. And I don’t chase women. Ever.”
She narrowed her eyes, dropped her napkin to the table, and started to stand, no doubt ready to storm from the restaurant. He kept hold of her hand, tightening his grip, not enough to hurt but enough to let her know she wasn’t going anywhere.
�
�Let me finish?”
She scowled but planted her ass on her chair, still not looking thrilled by his honesty.
“Like I said, I’m not stupid, so it took me zero-point-three-seconds to work out there’s a hell of a lot more to you than the way you look. I saw that the first time you aimed those eyes on me. You’ve got a head on your shoulders, and you’re extremely talented at what you do. You’ve also got good, loyal friends, and that says a lot about you, too. Beyond that? Well, I’m hoping you’ll give me a shot and show me.”
He meant every damn word. He didn’t know why it was important for him to give it to her straight. He just knew he needed her to know.
Eyes wide, she stared at him across the table, then blinked, making it a struggle to stay in his seat and not drag her around into his lap. “You want me to show you?”
“Yeah, more than anything.” And fuck, he meant that, too.
She tucked her hair behind her ear, the action vulnerable somehow, calling to all of his protective instincts. “I…I don’t know what you want, what you’re asking?”
“What I want? You, naked and in my bed.” He held her gaze. Not letting her shut him down this time. “What I’m asking? That you’ll trust me when I say that having you naked and in my bed isn’t all I want, and that you’ll give me a chance to prove it.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know…”
“I can’t make you any promises. I don’t know where this will lead, but I want to find out.” As he said the words, he knew as much as he’d tried to deny them, he meant them. Every damn word. He should get up and walk out, stop this now, but he couldn’t, couldn’t walk away from her. That scared the hell out of him. “You gonna give me that shot, Rusty?”
Chapter Ten
The man staring at her from across the table, eyes dark, the sincerity of his words shining through, was a man she wanted to spend time with. A lot more time. But there was also something else, a shadow. She’d seen it when he talked about his family, and she realized he had demons in his past, just like she did. They’d made him the man he is now. She desperately wanted to know what caused those demons, wanted to know everything.
He’d told her how it was, despite the fact he’d worked out she had an issue where men were concerned. The man was astute, knew she didn’t want to be seen as nothing but an object, yet he hadn’t given her some line about wanting her only for her mind. He’d laid it out straight. Yes, he thought she was attractive, but he wanted her to show him more, what lay underneath. No other guy had ever bothered to try to find out.
But most importantly, she wanted him. There was no point pretending otherwise. The man was on her mind constantly, had been since he walked into her workshop several weeks ago.
His fingers, still wrapped around hers, gave her a little squeeze. “What do you say?”
She searched his face, and he hid nothing, it was all there—heat, determination, curiosity. She released the breath she’d been holding and jumped off a cliff. “Yeah, I’ll give you that chance.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded, smiling because the guy did that to her. “I’d like to get to know you too, Reid.”
The smile he offered was wide and looked extremely good on him. “That’s good, baby.”
He’d been honest with her, and he deserved the same in return. Her tummy flipped at the prospect. She took a bite of her pizza to stall…and moaned. He was right. The pizza was delicious. Reid continued to watch her, making her heart beat a little faster.
She knew she came across a certain way, and it didn’t take a psychic to work out that Reid had been with more than his fair share of women. Pipe and Alex knew about her past, knew what had happened and why she didn’t date. Her experience where sex was concerned was limited, as in, born-again-virgin status. Maybe he wouldn’t care, but in the spirit of honesty, no matter how humiliating, she knew she had to open up, at least a little. It would be a hell of a lot more embarrassing if, when they finally got down to business, rather than burn up the sheets, she disappointed him.
It had been a long damn time since she’d wanted a man like she did Reid. She didn’t want to screw this up before it properly began.
Lifting his glass, he took a sip of wine, licking the ruby liquid from his bottom lip before placing the glass on the table. Shit, he even made drinking wine look hot. A shiver of need moved through her. God, she wanted that mouth, that tongue on her.
“What’s on your mind?” he said, jarring her from her wandering thoughts.
She finished chewing her last bite of pizza, then took a gulp of her wine, folded and unfolded the napkin in front of her, trying to find the right way to start. “Um…well, you see…”
“What is it, Rusty?” He’d stopped eating, wiped his mouth and hands on his napkin, and sat back, watching her with an intensity that made her squirm in her seat. His jaw tightened. “Is there someone else?”
“What?”
“I don’t share. We see where this is going, we do it exclusively.”
His posture was stiff, fists clenched in front of him, but dammit, all she could hear was the word exclusively. He didn’t want to share her, and he didn’t plan to date anyone else. She liked that, a whole lot. A smile lifted of its own volition, and then she realized he didn’t look quite as happy as she felt.
“That’s it? You’re seeing someone…”
“No.” She held up her hands. “No, I’m not seeing anyone. I haven’t dated, well, not seriously, in a long time…like, a looong time.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded.
“How long?”
She inwardly winced. “Eight…um, years.”
Silence. “You want to repeat that?” he finally said.
No.
She did some more squirming. “I mean, I’ve had the odd date, but nothing, um…more.” Then, without giving herself a chance to chicken out, she blurted, “What I’m trying to say is, I haven’t slept with anyone in eight years, and that was only the one time. So if you’re expecting some freak between the sheets, you’re dating the wrong woman.” There, she’d said it.
She risked another look at him. He sat there, motionless, like a damn statue, eyes locked on her. She’d shocked him. “Um, Reid?”
“You’re telling me, you have only had sex with one guy? And that was eight years ago…once?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.” Great, she’d put him off. She’d hoped her lack of experience wouldn’t be a problem, but judging by the expression on his face, she’d been wrong.
“You were what? Seventeen?”
“Eighteen.”
He sat back in his chair again, more emotions moving behind his eyes, but this time she had no hope of figuring them out. “This guy took your virginity, then…nothing?”
“Nothing.”
His gaze turned hard, intense, and his fists clenched again. “He hurt you?”
“No. Nothing like that.” And he hadn’t, not physically anyway. “It was my choice.”
He seemed to relax before her eyes, his fierce gaze still blazing hot, but in a completely different way. She shivered.
“Fuck.” Then he groaned and cursed again.
“What is it?” Okay, he was confusing the hell out of her now. “Is that going to be a problem for you? I just thought you should know…so if we, ya know…you won’t be disappointed.”
He sucked in a shaky breath. “Come here, Foxy.”
They were in a corner in the back of the restaurant, the lighting dim, no one was paying them any attention. She stood and went to him. It seemed she could refuse him nothing.
When she reached his side, he slid those big, warm hands around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. “Look at me,” he said, like she had an option, like she could do anything else when he was near. “First, there’s no if, there is only when. I’ve already told you I want you in my bed, and that’s gonna happen, yes?”
Her belly fluttered. “Yes.”
“Second,
nothing you could do when we’re together could disappoint me, nothing. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she whispered, melting more and more by the second.
“Third.” He shook his head. “Foxy, I don’t think you get how hot that is for a guy, knowing besides one idiot—because it isn’t hard to work out the guy was an idiot—you haven’t let another man inside, haven’t let another man touch your body. And, baby, knowing your first time was your only time, means I’m gonna be the first man to show you what it is to be treated right. The first man to make you come so hard, you scream.”
Heat rushed between her thighs at his dark promise, and she wriggled in his lap, squeezing her thighs together to ease the ache. He wasn’t wrong. Her first time had been awful in more ways than one. There had been only discomfort and humiliation. Common sense told her that her hesitation over having sex again was because of what happened that night. But for the first time since then, listening to the rough, lust-filled edge to his voice, shit, it all just—slipped away. All she could think about right then was how it would feel to have his weight pressing her into his mattress, his mouth on hers, the feel of that big cock, currently digging into her ass, moving inside her.
One of his hands slid into her hair, fisting gently, bringing her in close, his lips an inch from hers. “You want that? You want to know how it feels when a man rides you so hard all you can do is take it, until you explode around his cock, screaming his name?”
She licked her lips. “Yes, I want that.”
The grip on her hair tightened, but instead of kissing her, he buried his nose against her throat, whiskers scraping her sensitive skin. When he spoke, his voice was low, husky. “I can’t wait to give it to you.”
A tremor moved through her, and she gasped when he nipped at her throat, knew he’d felt it when he chuckled darkly against her skin.
“If I slid my hand under your dress, my fingers inside your panties, I know I’d find you wet and hot.” He made a low sound, a combination somewhere between a growl and a groan. “You been taking care of yourself a long time, Foxy. You must be fucking hungry for it. I bet you’re drenched right now.” He nipped her ear. “You drenched, baby?”
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