A Hard Man To Love (A Dark Alpha Romance) (Nice and Dirty Series Book 2)

by Lola StVil

  I was fucking glad I didn’t turn around and catch her eye, because I pictured her beckoning to me and me no longer being able to resist the primal urges she awoke in me. And not fifteen minutes after I felt her eyes leave me, fucking Max came home.

  Nothing happened between Ava and me, and nothing ever will, but it still felt like a close call. It still felt like a betrayal, and I was relieved when Max threw me a wave but didn’t come over to talk to me.

  I upped my pace on the work. Today was an almost total write-off where I was so goddamned distracted by Ava that I got very little done. I became all fingers and thumbs, and I constantly had to redo things.

  I’m pretty much caught up to where I should have been when I hear the front door open. I tense up, waiting for the assault on my senses, keeping my back firmly to the house. When the rush doesn’t come, I know it is Max, not Ava, who has left the house. I hear him walking toward me, and I turn around.

  My heart sinks when I see the suitcase behind him next to the front door. He must be taking Ava away somewhere. While the logical part of me knows that is probably for the best, keeping temptation away, the animal part of me is ready to fight him on the lawn to stop him from taking her away from me.

  I try my best to keep my face neutral as Max approaches me.

  “How’s it going?” he asks.

  “Good,” I reply, glad I made an effort to get caught up and can give him an honest answer. “Another half an hour or so and she’ll be ready for the new part. I’m expecting that to get in on Friday.”

  Max nods and beams at me, and I feel a rush of guilt. He’s so trusting, and I’m repaying him by wanting to fuck his daughter. What sort of a person am I?

  “Perfect,” he says. “Listen, I have to go away for a week or so on business, so why don’t you take the next few days off and come back on Friday to fit the part? Ava will be around if you need anything from the house.”

  My heart skips a beat. Ava will still be here? How am I supposed to stay away from here knowing that there’s no risk of Max coming home unexpectedly? It’s like he wants me to fail.

  “Ava’s not going with you?” I ask.

  He frowns, and I guess my tone wasn’t as casual as I hoped it would be.

  “No, why would she come on a business trip with me? She’s old enough to stay on her own for a few days, and it’s not like we’re living in Beirut, is it?”

  I force a laugh. “I figured maybe jet-setting off somewhere exotic would appeal to her more than hanging around here,” I say, trying to sound normal.

  “Oh, no doubt it would, but I’m only going to Chicago,” Max says with a laugh.

  Okay, I’m pulling this off. I’m acting normal. And I have three days away from here to put her out of my mind and focus back on the job.

  “Have a great trip, Max.”

  “Thanks,” he says as he reaches out and slaps me on the shoulder. “You’re doing a hell of a good job with these cars, Rex. You have no idea how many so-called vintage car experts have taken one look at them and said bringing them back to working order can’t be done. You’ve already proven them wrong with one, and it sounds like you’re pretty close with this one too.”

  I nod. I am. “What can I say? When I want something to work out, I don’t stop until it does.”

  Except for your daughter, of course. I’m stopping that right now before it even gets started.

  A large black Town Car pulls through the gates and makes its way up the drive.

  “Well, that’s my ride,” Max says. “Now take a few days off and don’t come back until Friday, you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear, boss.” I laugh.

  I close the hood of the car and pull the cloth back over it. I know the exact moment Ava steps out of the house to say goodbye to Max, but I resist the urge to turn around. I hurry to my own car and pull away as Max’s driver loads his luggage.

  I can’t resist looking in the rearview mirror for one last glimpse of Ava as I leave. I swear she’s looking right back at me, her eyes catching mine in the mirror. I look away quickly, but not before I see the sparkle in those beautiful eyes.

  It’s all I can do to keep the car moving in a straight line. Fuck me, I’m in trouble.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  REX

  Friday morning rolls around, and I have no excuses not to go back to work. I debate staying away and going back once Max is home, telling him I was sick. But it would be a little too convenient that I just happened to be sick while he was out of town.

  It wouldn’t be quite as bad as fucking his daughter—okay, it wouldn’t be anywhere near as bad as that—but it would still make him doubt me, and as much as I tell myself I don’t need anyone’s approval, I don’t want to let Max down.

  I head for the house. My stomach is rolling, a mixture of dread and excitement at what will happen if Ava still has her sights set on me.

  For fuck’s sake, Rex, you’re a grown man. Get a fucking grip and start thinking with your head instead of your cock. It’s that simple.

  But it isn’t. It would be that simple if Ava didn’t show any interest in me. I’m not the sort of guy who would force myself on a woman, no matter how badly I wanted her. But she has shown an interest, and knowing she wants this as much as I do makes it so much harder to resist her.

  Does she, though? Does she really want me as I want her, or does she just want a quick fuck with the guy from the wrong side of town? I don’t know, but that isn’t an option. If I claim her, then she is mine, and no fucker except me will get to that sweet little pussy of hers ever again.

  I pull up and head for the vintage car I’m working on, telling myself that thinking like this isn’t helping anyone. I begin to unpack the new part that came in the night before.

  The day goes by quickly, as I tinker around, changing and tweaking things. I finally have the part in place, and another couple of hours connecting it all up, and it will be running in no time. I stand back to admire my handiwork.

  It occurs to me that I haven’t seen Ava all day, and that by throwing myself into this, I’ve only thought of her maybe once—every five minutes.

  As if thinking of her again makes it happen, the door to the house opens, and she’s there. She heads straight toward me, and I steel myself for what’s coming next.

  “Hi.” She smiles. “Look, I know it’s not your problem, but my dad is away, and I can’t get the boiler to work. Would you mind taking a look for me?”

  Oh, Ava, you are playing a fucking clever game here. In two neat little sentences, she’s managed to remind me she’s alone in the house, making herself seem vulnerable and like she needs me. And done it all in a way that if I refuse, I look like an utter bastard.

  “Sure,” I say, forcing a smile. I hold my hands up, showing the palms. “But I’m kind of oily, so keep your distance.”

  “You can wash up in the kitchen first,” she says. “There should still be enough hot water in the tank to clean your hands.”

  I’m sure I detect a slight shake in her voice, but I tell myself to stop thinking about it. It’s not going to happen, no matter how smart her little game may be.

  I follow her to the house and pull my cell phone out of my pocket, just so I have something to look at other than her. I still notice when she glances back over her shoulder and frowns when she sees I’m not looking at her. I wait until she turns away with a little hmmpf before I grin.

  Oh, Miss Walsh, it seems like you’re used to getting your own way. Well, you’re not going to be happy today, then.

  I quickly wash the grease off my hands and then follow Ava up the stairs. She points out the boiler cupboard and flits away. I go in and take a look. I’m no plumber, but it doesn’t take an expert to spot the problem. The boiler is switched off. She’s turned it off to get me in here.

  I’m starting to get pissed off now. I’m not one of Ava’s little playthings, and I won’t be sucked into this kind of shit.

  I hear her coming up behind me as I flick t
he switch and the boiler fires up. I don’t turn around.

  “It seems the problem was you turned the fucking thing off,” I say.

  “I had to get you in here somehow.”

  Before I can react, I feel her pressing up against my body from behind. Fuck. I have to have her. I can’t fight this anymore. I mean, she obviously wants it. I definitely want it. Why keep fighting it? Max. That’s why. And because you don’t like being fucking played.

  She snakes her hands around me, rubbing them up and down my stomach. I bite back the moan that tries to pull itself from my throat. Fuck. I want her so badly.

  I take her wrists and firmly remove them from me, then step away from her and turn around. My breath catches in my throat. She’s wearing a short red silk robe. It hangs off one shoulder, showing the creamy skin there and exposing the top of one breast.

  I see myself ripping it away from her, taking her right here in the cupboard. My cock is straining in my jeans again. How the fuck does she send me wild like this? How does she make me forget myself so easily?

  She reaches up and begins to open the robe. No. I can’t let her do that. I take a single step, closing the gap between us. I pull her hands away from the robe, ignoring the sensation that flies through me as I touch her again.

  I slam her against the wall, pinning her there with my body. I push her arms up, holding her wrists against the wall above her head . I look her in the eye, and the lust I see there almost pushes me over the edge. She runs her tongue over her lips. My cock twitches, and I know by the ahh she makes that she feels it against her.

  “This has to fucking stop, Ava,” I say.

  “Why?” she asks. “You want me. I know you do.”

  I lean closer. Our lips are barely an inch from touching, and it takes everything I have not to mash my mouth against hers. Instead, I move my head to one side and run my tongue from the base of her neck to her ear. Her skin puckers beneath my tongue, and she moans low and breathy against my ear.

  I feel another surge of lust go through me, but I force myself to ignore it. I ignore the way her breasts feel mashed against me. I overlook the heat I can feel coming off her pussy. And I disregard the way my heart races.

  I pull her earlobe into my mouth and bite down hard enough to make her suck in a breath through her teeth. I whisper to her, “You don’t want to keep testing me, Ava. Because if you do, all bets are off. I will claim you in ways you didn’t know were possible. I will do things to your body your mind can’t begin to process. And when we are done, you will be mine—forever. Go after someone else. I’m not the guy for you. For one thing, I don’t leave roses. I leave handprints.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  AVA

  I slide down the wall and land on the ground, my legs splayed out in front of me as Rex walks away. I am a mess. My pussy is so wet and throbbing. He was so close to me that I could feel his cock twitching against me, eager to be inside me.

  His tongue on my neck almost brought me to a climax, and when he bit my earlobe, the stinging pain sent another pulse of need through me. And if he thought his words would scare me, he was wrong. He meant it as a threat, a warning, but all it did was make me want him more.

  If I keep pushing him, I’ll be his for life. That’s what he told me. Like he would own me. It should send me running for the hills, but it doesn’t. To belong to Rex sounds like something I didn’t dare let myself hope for, even in my wildest fantasies.

  But then he ruined it all. He didn’t kiss me. Didn’t pull my robe open and drink me in with his eyes like I thought he would. He didn’t eat me or fuck me. He walked away from me. And he didn’t even look back.

  Well, Rex, you missed your chance. I don’t chase men. They pursue me. I put myself on the line, and you rejected me. It doesn’t matter how my skin is still tingling from your tongue. It doesn’t matter that I can still feel the heat of you on me.

  I know your game. You like to be in charge. You like to take the lead. Well, so do I. You saw through my game with the boiler, as I knew you would, and when it was your move, you played me like a tune. But you made damned sure of one thing.

  I’m done chasing you. You can come to me now. And you will. Now you’ve tasted me, your hunger will only grow. And if you thought that line would scare me, you were wrong. I’m not afraid of you. I crave your possession. It awoke a part of me that I didn’t know I had. You think I’m afraid to wake the beast, but you awakened the beast in me. And when you get sick of holding back, sick of telling yourself it won’t happen, you’ll come to me.

  And when you do, I’ll let you take anything you want. It’s your move, Rex, and I can’t wait for you to make it.

  I stay on the ground in the cupboard until I’m sure my legs will hold me. I hadn’t planned on going to Belinda’s party tonight. I planned on having a party of my own, a party for two. But that’s not going to happen, so I decide I might as well go to the party after all. It’s Friday night, and it seems too fucking pathetic to sit here alone thinking of Rex.

  I get ready, putting on the new dress. It’s short and silver, and it flares out nicely from my hips. It shows just enough flesh to be interesting, but not enough to make me look easy. Perfect.

  I slip my feet into my silver strappy heels and text Casey to get the details. She texts back quickly, saying she’ll pick me up. Great. I don’t have to drive, so I can let my hair down a bit and forget all about Rex fucking Holden and just how good it felt to have him restrain my hands, take control of me.

  I might have decided to stop chasing Rex and leave the next move up to him, but I keep hearing him telling me if I kept pushing him, he’d have me. It gives me an idea. I’ll push him hard without having to do a damn thing.

  I smile to myself as I go downstairs. I’ll wait for Casey on the front steps, where I know Rex will see me. I know how good I look in this dress. Good enough that he won’t be able to take his eyes off me. And despite all of his talk, his cock twitching against me told me he’s not going to need much in the way of a push.

  I open the door and step out, shaking my head slightly, so my hair flicks out. I glance toward the fleet of cars out of the corner of my eye, and I deflate like an old balloon. He’s not there.

  He really meant it when he said I had to stop. He meant it so much that he didn’t even bother hanging around. The last three days waiting for him to come back so I could do my boiler trick were excruciating, but bearable because I was so sure it would work. Now it’s unbearable because I don’t even know if he’ll bother coming back until my dad is here again. The gates open, and Casey drives in. I get in the car and smile at her.

  Fuck you, Rex. I’m going to have the time of my life tonight just to fucking spite you.

  CHAPTER NINE

  REX

  My encounter with Ava left me a fucking wreck. I can’t believe I did that. I thought telling her what pushing me meant would scare her away, but as I whispered the words, I felt her pressing herself against me more tightly. It didn’t scare her off—it turned her on more.

  I think all I’ve done is awakened the beast within her. If Ava could be any more perfect, that would be the way. To find out that she has a beast inside herself just waiting for a safe place to come out.

  I get in my car and slam my hands against the steering wheel. I can’t stay here now, not even once Max cames home. It’s too much pressure. I knew from the moment I saw Ava she would have this effect on me, but I didn’t bank on her feeling the same way. And now I know how badly she wants me, I know I won’t be able to stay away from her.

  But I can’t walk away from this job. If I do, I lose everything. My job, my car, my home. The only person who has believed in me. I slam my hands on the steering wheel again.

  Why couldn’t Max have had a fucking son? Or at least a daughter who knew enough to know she should fear me and stay the fuck away from me?

  I get out of my car and go back to work. I’ve been working solidly for over an hour when I hear Ava’s front door open. I
duck down behind the car. I can’t face another scene with her right now.

  I listen for her footsteps, but they don’t come. I risk a peek around the edge of the car. She looks fucking amazing. She’s wearing a dress that shows off her long legs. Legs I want wrapped around my neck, around my waist. Legs I want to run my hands over and lick. She flicks her hair, and I swallow hard.

  How am I supposed to do this and not go there? I’ll have to avoid her, I know that much, but how? And why am I so into her?

  I mean, she’s far from my type. She’s a spoiled little rich girl who always gets her own way. The kind of girl I detest. I prefer my girls rough and ready, used to having a good time and letting their hair down.

  But I already know there’s a lot more to Ava Walsh than meets the eye. Sure, she’s rich, but I can’t hold that against her. Her games prove she’s used to getting her own way, but they prove something else as well. She isn’t so privileged that she expects everything to be handed to her on a silver platter. She is willing to work for what she wants. And inside her is someone who so desperately wants to let their hair down.

  Well, maybe she can do that tonight at whatever party she’s going to. I don’t fit into her world anyway, and I really don’t think she’d want to fit into mine. And that’s the heart of it. It really doesn’t matter that I want her, or that she seems to want me in return. There’s no future for us, and I meant what I said. If I claim her, there will be no going back—for either of us.

  CHAPTER TEN

  AVA

  The party is in full swing, and I’m glad I came. As much as I’m over this world, for once, Belinda’s party is just what I need. The warehouse is truly in the middle of nowhere, a good half-hour’s drive from Queens, and there’s no one to complain and have it shut down.

  The drinks are flowing, and everyone is having a good time. She’s decked the place out with lights and speakers. There’s a DJ, and he’s playing a good set. The back half of the warehouse has been turned into a seating area, while the front half is a manic dance floor. Casey and I have been dancing for hours, and I can feel my dress sticking to my back. I grab her arm and point toward the drinks table.