“You need anything?” he called out.
Hailey shouted back, “No. Almost done.”
He smiled and walked to his bedroom. “You look incredible.” The tight-fitting red dress accentuated all her curves. “No one’s even gonna see me.”
“You lie.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re like walking sin. Any woman would do anything to be with you.”
He moved toward her and put a hand on her hip. “But they can’t have me. So who cares?” He glanced at her in the mirror. “Tonight’s about making friends.” He hoped not to react as usual to Crystal. “I love the curls.” He touched a section of her hair that rested on her shoulder. “Sexy, babe.”
“If this goes well, maybe we can set up something with them.”
She envisioned her and Tommy going at Crystal together. Giovanni was not her type, as far as she knew. The glimpse she had of him in his costume was not enough to entice her. She hoped there was more to him than just a hot body.
“I’m done.” She looked up at Tommy in the mirror. “You like?”
He grinned. “You know I do.” He ran his hands down her sides. “Hot.” Her heels brought the top of her head to his nose. He winked and kissed her temple. “Gonna be hard to keep my hands to myself tonight. Hope we end up in a dark corner.” He growled softly. “We better go before I start something and make us late.”
By the time they reached the club, Giovanni and Crystal had gotten a table in the rear. Tommy led Hailey with a hand on her back and stuck close. As expected, all eyes were on her. He smiled when he saw Crystal. She was in all black and showed her assets off.
“Hey.” Tommy waved.
Hailey looked up and smiled at Crystal. Then her eyes landed on Giovanni. She took a step back, shocked. It can’t be him. Her heart pounded in her ears. She stared, unable to move. It’s been more than 12 years.
“What’s wrong?” Tommy grabbed her hand when she didn’t reply. “Relax. I’ll stick to the plan.” He smiled at the couple seated before them. “This is my friend, Hailey. Hailey, this is Giovanni and Crystal.”
To act casual, Hailey smiled and waved. “Nice to meet you.” Her eyes continually drifted to Giovanni, though. He looked so much like him. It terrified her. When Tommy pulled out the chair next to Crystal for her, she let it go. “Thanks.”
With a glance at the stage, Tommy could see the band was almost set up. “Hope they’re good.” Sound checks started. “Been a long day.”
“You hear about the Wicked End fiasco?” Giovanni asked. He hoped Tommy knew about it.
Tommy looked up. “Yeah. We spent hours trying to work that out. That fight made them look pretty bad, but I think we turned it around. Their fans didn’t turn against them. That’s a good thing.”
“Good.” Giovanni picked up Crystal’s hand. “Woulda sucked if they did.”
Crystal nodded. “Yeah. Who cares if Scott and Austin’re a couple? They’re just people. Glad we don’t have to deal with that.”
“Yet.” Tommy leaned forward. “Give it a year or two, and the press’ll hound you, too.”
Giovanni grinned. “Better get all the public sex outta my system now, then.” He reached around and slapped Crystal’s ass hard. “Maybe we should…” Crystal pushed him back a bit, and he pulled her closer. “Right here in the dark.” He growled and tugged her skirt up a bit. Crystal pushed him again.
Hailey flinched. The look in Giovanni’s eyes scared the shit out of her. They had that same hint of evil. The expression on his face oozed dominance. She was sure he could be forceful and hard to handle when angry. It brought back so many memories.
Why does he have to look like Victor? She fought for years to recover from the relationship with him. He was the reason she didn’t get attached. His sadistic and controlling nature kept her from a life of her own for close to a year. That would never happen again.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” Tommy leaned down and brushed his lips over Hailey’s ear. “You look like you seen a ghost.”
She took a quick glimpse at Giovanni before she turned to Tommy. “It’s a long story.”
“Will you tell me when we get back to my place?”
“Yes.” She knew it would backfire if she hid it.
Giovanni reached over the table and patted her hand. “Glad you came.”
Rattled, Hailey snatched her hand away and held it to her chest. “Uh, yeah.” She didn’t want to advertise she was afraid, but it was unavoidable. “Thanks.”
“Sorry.” Giovanni’s voice softened. “Crystal has trouble with strangers, too.”
Hailey met his concerned gaze. That was unexpected.
“I’ll ask before I touch you again,” Giovanni assured her.
Tommy cleared his throat. “It’s all good.” A drum roll caused him to turn his head. “Love the backdrop.” The band had a flaming skull as part of their logo.
* * *
At the band’s first break, Crystal leaned over toward Tommy. “Good choice. She’s hot.”
“Thanks.” Tommy winked at her. “Almost as hot as you.” An elbow to the ribs made him turn to Hailey, who gave him the evil eye. “Gotta play the game. Your choice.”
She frowned. He was right. She insisted he act as if she meant nothing to him. “I know. Sorry.”
He brushed his lips over her cheek to her ear then whispered, “You’re my number one… My girl.” He slowly pulled back and met her eyes. “When you’re ready, everyone’ll know it.”
With a smile, Hailey lifted her drink and took a sip. “So, you guys are in a band, too? How do you deal with all the groupies, Crystal?”
Crystal thought about the deal she and Giovanni had about no groupies in their love life. “My man is faithful.” She glanced at Tommy and smiled at the wink. “Unless I find a woman worthy of his affections.” She winked at Hailey. “You never know.” She thought Hailey was interested in Giovanni.
“Rules do make things go smoother.” Hailey finished her drink off. “Too many though and it could get sticky.” She was glad Tommy was laid back about commitment as she was. “Try and keep the balance.”
She squeezed Tommy’s knee. The look in Tommy’s eyes spurned a bit of jealousy. He still wanted Crystal. She accepted that, because she felt Crystal was hot as well. Unless it was more than just sexual desire.
Tommy leaned over and nuzzled her neck. “We got good balance.” He had only been with a few women while they were apart here and there. Neither asked the other about their trysts. “ ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ can work wonders.” He didn’t think he could handle tales about her and another lover. If that meant he fell further, he didn’t want to know.
* * *
Later in the night, Tommy led Hailey into his condo. Her reaction to Giovanni had him worried. It was as if she had met him before. Giovanni’s demeanor told him they didn’t know each other. That meant something spooked her. But what?
“I like Crystal,” Hailey said as she took off her shoes. “I’d like to see more of her.” She started to walk to the bedroom but stopped in the hallway. “I want a threesome with her.” She paused and licked her lips. “Make it happen.”
Tommy sighed and moved quickly. He stopped to stand in front of her. “They only do other people together. I can’t get just Crystal.”
She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Fine, then—a foursome. I’ll just have to deal with him to get to her.” She hoped she could handle that. When his image came back to her, she shivered.
Tommy grinned, unable to wait to see how it would go down. “This is gonna be fun.” He kissed her lips then pulled her to the bedroom. “So, what’d you think of Giovanni?” When he didn’t get an answer, he stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. “There’s that look again. You know him?” A head shake quelled that idea. “He reminds you of someone?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He cupped her chin and lifted her face. “Who?” He watched her eyes. A hint of fear, a flash of anger. “An ex?”
She nodd
ed, unsure how much to reveal.
“I won’t judge you or anything.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “But you said earlier you’d tell me.”
“Let me change.”
Tommy let her go, sure she needed at least a few minutes to get a grip. “I’m gonna shower. If you wanna join me, I’ll be a good boy.”
Alone, Hailey stared at the wall behind the king bed. Can I tell him about Victor? Her hands shook, unsure how he would react to the truth. The water turned on, and she glanced that way. Tommy’s shadow told her that he started to undress. I’m not gonna let him do this to me again! I’m not that girl anymore! He can’t control me anymore!
Tommy’s head whipped around when the shower door opened. He smiled and stepped over so Hailey could share the water. “You good?”
She nodded meekly, still not ready to talk. No one knew much about Victor. She distanced herself from her family when she went to law school. Even the few friends she had when younger were no longer in her life. She didn’t want any reminders of him.
Tommy lathered up a loofah and ran it over her back. He knew she was lost in thought, “I’m here when you’re ready to tell me.” Patience was not one of his better qualities, but he knew she needed that.
Hailey stared at the floor as he washed her body. His fingers grazed her skin at times, but he resisted an intimate touch. He gently moved the sponge all over, without a word. When he was done, their eyes met. She wanted to thank him, but he came closer which distracted her. Then he bent down and kissed her lips.
“No lies. Right?”
She closed her eyes. “None. Promise.”
Their eyes met again. “Good. I won’t judge, but I need to know.”
“OK.”
He took her in his arms. “You can go to bed if you want. I’m not done.”
With hands on his chest, she brushed her lips over his skin. “I’ll wait for you.”
She stepped back when his embrace loosened. He slowly washed his hair and body. Out of all of the men she had been with over the years, he was the hottest. His sculpted body covered in tattoos was usually sexy. However, the water ran over his skin, which made her pussy clench. He was drop-dead gorgeous all wet and oblivious to her prying eyes.
Tommy knew she watched. He waited until the end to soap up his genitals. To encourage her, he moved his hand down his cock and over his balls, as he looked at her sideways. She barely reacted. He encouraged his dick to grow. Sex always got her out of a funk. He caught her eye and smirked. Hurriedly, he rinsed off. Then he moved toward her.
When he grabbed her, Hailey’s eyes opened wide. He playfully pinned her to the glass wall, and she freaked out. She fought his hold as hard as possible. He smiled and fear filled her. Instantly, her knee came up and caught him in the groin.
“Holy fuck!” Tommy stumbled backward into the other wall and held his package. “Oh my fucking God!” He doubled over. Pain radiated all over. “Fuck! Fuck!”
Worried, she grabbed his shoulders. “I’m so sorry.” He pushed her away gently and gasped a few times. “I didn’t mean…”
He put up a finger. “Hang… on…” Hands on his knees, he grimaced, still in quite a bit of pain.
“Anything I can do?”
He shook his head. It took time, but eventually he looked up. “Telling me… Tonight.” He knew he had scared her, and it had something to do with how she reacted to Giovanni.
“I will.”
Hailey turned off the water and put a hand out to Tommy. Together they got towels and dried off, in silence. She wanted to be honest with him, but she wasn’t sure if she could admit she was weak at one point in her life. The worry in his eyes told her to trust him.
The hard way, Tommy learned she needed him to be the caring boyfriend that night, not her lover. He still had a residual ache, but ignored it and headed to the bedroom. She followed, quietly. Once in bed, they snuggled together. He waited a few minutes, but she didn’t make a peep.
“How about we start with his name?”
Softly, she replied, “Victor.” Unable to be touched, she sat up and leaned on the headboard. “It’s a long story.”
“We have all night.” He turned to his side and put a hand under his head. “When did you meet him?”
“High school.”
This is gonna take all night. Tommy watched her fumble with her hands, nervously. She rarely seemed anxious. Her downcast eyes spoke volumes. The guy had hurt her bad. I’ll kill him.
“This isn’t easy,” Hailey whispered.
Tommy placed a hand over one of hers. “I can see that. I’m right here.” He thought back to when he found out Crystal had been attacked. “Is it worse with me touching you?”
“No.” She clasped his hand with both of hers. “Comforting.” She looked up and realized he was worthy of her trust. He had never done anything to indicate he would hurt her. She stared at her knees as she began, “He… He was exactly what my parents wanted in a husband for me. They kinda pushed us together. He asked me out hundreds of times before that. But I wasn’t attracted to him physically. I thought that was important.” She glanced at Tommy.
He smiled and squeezed her hand. “I think it is, too. You’re so beautiful.” She was so much more than that in his eyes, though.
“Thanks.” She took a deep breath. “We started dating anyway. My parents were happy. It wasn’t so bad. He was a gentleman. Didn’t push for sex.” She bit her lip. “I was a virgin. Imagine that?”
Tommy grinned. “I was once, too.” He winked when she met his gaze. “Lost it to my brother Pat’s girlfriend’s mom.”
“Really?” Hailey laughed. “You’ve always liked older women?” She didn’t really think the year between them meant anything, though.
He moved closer to her, but not much. “I useta. Now I like all kinds.” He winked again. “Especially hot short girls.”
She giggled again and shook her head. “Do you wanna know more?”
“Yes. Tell me everything. Please.” He waited while she got herself together again. Laughter may not have been appropriate, but he knew she needed the tension broken. “You can close your eyes if you need to.”
She shut her eyes and nodded. “Well… It felt more like he was my brother than my boyfriend. Wait. I didn’t tell you. I was like 13 when we met. They pushed me ahead two grades, since I was kinda smart.”
He wanted to tell her she was brilliant but held his tongue.
“I finished high school in three years as well.” She concentrated and tried to recall details. “He was three years older, so we graduated together.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Wait. You were 15 when you graduated high school?”
“Yeah.”
“And your parents pushed you to date at 13?”
She shrugged. “Fourteen, but yeah, kinda young. I was labeled a genius, so they thought of me as older. They were married young, and so were their parents.” Her eyes opened wide. “My family comes from a small village in Eastern Europe. They had arranged marriages. My parents were set up, and I was expected to marry who my parents chose, as well.”
“But this is the 21st century.” Tommy didn’t understand.
Hailey shrugged again. “It’s the way it was in my family. I didn’t really know much different. I was young.”
“You were.” He got to his knees and hugged her. “I’m sorry. You kinda threw me for a loop with that one.”
She brushed her lips over his neck. “Yeah. Sorry.”
“Relax.” He pulled back before she could get him aroused with her mouth. “What happened, then?”
After she mulled over her next words, she said, “Do you know what it’s like to be smarter than most guys you meet?”
“No.”
“It sucks.” She sighed. “Most men are intimidated by my intellect. Victor acted as if I were an equal, and I liked that. In college, men were afraid to approach me. Even before they knew I was jailbait.”
Tommy couldn’t help but laugh
at that. “I wouldn’t be.” He tried to control himself, but it wasn’t easy. “I woulda gone in for the kill.”
“Like at the club?” She smiled, as she remembered how much he pushed.
He nodded. “Yeah. Glad we ran into each other.” He winked.
“Me, too.” She steeled herself because she knew he needed to hear it all. “So… In college, Victor became a bit persistent about marriage. I hadn’t seen his other side yet, so I considered it. He always treated me good. When I graduated after three years, he quit, and we got married. I thought I would grow to love him.”
Victor always told her he married her out of pity. She hated pity. If Tommy pitied her, it would be awful. A vision of Giovanni came to her. She couldn’t tell him he looked like Victor.
The long pause worried Tommy. “Did you?”
“No.” She adjusted her position unconsciously, not ready to talk about the rest. The tale had been tucked in her subconscious for almost 12 years. “Uh...” The gentle squeeze of her hands gave her encouragement. “After a brief honeymoon, we moved to a remote part of Pennsylvania. The nearest neighbor was a mile away.” She shivered. She had been trapped.
“Did you have a car?” He had a feeling he brought her there to isolate her.
She shook her head. “I didn’t know how to drive. No need to have one in Brooklyn.”
“True.” He watched her expression. It bordered between terror and anxiety. “If he left you, just say that.” He had no idea what she would say, so wanted to make it easier.
“He didn’t,” she whispered.
Anger filled him. “He hit you?”
She shook her head.
He could only think of one other cruel act. “He rape you?”
“No.” She looked away, ashamed she let it go on for as long as she had. “He wasn’t physically abusive. It was just verbal.”
Tommy palmed her cheek. “That’s just as bad.” He hated abusive men, which is why he wanted to keep Crystal from Giovanni when that all went down. Although, he may have overreacted since he cared about her somewhat. “It had to affect you.” He was sure it had something to do with her body image. “Whatever he said it wasn’t true.”
Evolving Urges (Gasoline Book 2) Page 25