Hooked

by Christine Manzari

  “I guess a part of me wanted you to come, too,” I admitted.

  “But you’ve been keeping your distance for weeks. Why now?”

  I let out a deep breath before speaking. “I’m not entirely sure. It’s probably something my mother said the other day.”

  “And what was that?” Huck’s fingers were buried in the tangles of my hair, gently releasing the knots we’d both put there with all the time spent in bed.

  “That things could change.”

  “I’ve been telling you that for weeks.”

  “She also told me she didn’t want me to be alone,” I said quietly.

  “So, I’m just a warm body filling your bed?” His fingers abandoned my messy tresses, trailed along the side of my face, and circled lightly around my eyes, causing them to close. I loved being touched like this.

  “No, of course not.”

  “Then what is it, Cat? You’ve pushed me away at every possible chance. What changed to make last night okay?” Huck’s hands were constantly moving over my body. His fingers were once again on my shoulders, lightly moving along my arms, finding their way to my hip.

  “I’m not sure it is okay. There’s a good chance I’ll walk out of here and regret what I did.”

  “I’m a regret?” His smile was forced.

  “I don’t regret you.” I was suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation and I wanted to escape. I tried to untangle myself from him, but Huck held tightly to me, refusing to let me run away like I normally did when things got personal.

  I think deep down I knew the reason I pushed him away wasn’t really an issue of him being my boss and the possibility of my reputation being damaged. Sure, that was a concern, but as my mom said, things could change. If I really wanted Huck in my life, I could get a new job. Or he could get a new job. Although asking him to leave his father’s company wasn’t exactly plausible.

  The problem was that I was so used to pushing people away and slamming up my emotional walls before I could get hurt, that I wasn’t sure how to deal with the situation. I wasn’t sure how to truly be close to someone. If I let Huck close, if I trusted him, and he broke that trust, I’d break too. I’d always worked so hard at being unbreakable that I didn’t know how else to live. I didn’t know how to be vulnerable.

  If I was being truthful with myself, I’d freaked out because he’d caught me off guard. When I found out who he really was, my mind couldn’t reconcile the two guys I knew—Will, the guy I hated, and Huck, the guy I wanted. Even though I was the one that had insisted on not knowing personal details, I also felt like he had lied to me. I’d been so reluctant to trust him with who I was, that it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t trust him for who he turned out to be. And so I did the only thing I thought I could, I shut them both out—Huck and Will.

  “Tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours, Cat. Because I like you. I think I’ve made that pretty clear. I don’t want you pulling away again without giving us a chance. I want to know all of those things you keep off-limits. I want you to let me in, and I don’t want you to regret any of this.”

  I turned my head to look in his eyes. “I don’t regret you,” I repeated. “I’m just afraid I’ll regret allowing myself to trust someone.”

  “But you trust Jay.”

  “That’s different. Jay can’t break me like you could.” I barely heard myself say the last sentence.

  Huck reached over and brushed my hair off my forehead, tucking it behind my ear. “Then I’ll have to be very gentle with you,” he said before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. He followed that kiss with one on each of my cheeks, one on my nose, one on of each of my eyes, and finally one on my forehead. He pulled my head to his chest and kept his face pressed into my hair. I could hear the steady, reassuring beat of his heart, yet mine was hammering against my ribs like a bird repeatedly flying into a window—erratic and scared and consumed with panic.

  Gentle with me? No one had ever felt the need to be gentle with me, and I had always taken pride in that. I wasn’t delicate. I was strong and commanding and always in control. I didn’t like the idea of being breakable, but I knew if I allowed myself to really consider something with Huck, that I would become more fragile than I might be comfortable with.

  My mother’s words echoed through my head again, and I thought about how much she worried about leaving me. I could understand her sentiment, but there was power in being alone, at never being at the mercy of someone else’s feelings or actions. My mother’s biggest concern with dying? She didn’t want me to be alone once she was gone. The question was, what did I want?

  I lifted my head so I could look at Huck. His hand settled against my cheek and he bent his head to kiss me again, leaving his lips against mine as he whispered, “Trust me, Cat.”

  No matter what he said, though, nothing with us would ever be gentle. There would always be too much snark, too much competition, too much everything. But maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. Maybe that’s exactly what we both needed. Too much.

  ***

  We stayed in bed most of the morning. The only reason we got out was to take turns running to the kitchen to get sustenance for more fun in bed. Thankfully, Jay never showed up to catch us, but if we weren’t careful, all of our time in bed might mean that neither of us would be able to walk at the Legend Records party later that night. Given the choice? I’d take a toss in the sheets over the party.

  “Are we still going to the Gala?” I asked, hoping the answer was, Hell no, we’re never getting out of bed.

  “I think we have to. Jason and Holly would be devastated if their golden girl didn’t show. Besides, don’t you have a dress that was handmade for you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Unfortunately.”

  “Why don’t I go home and get ready, and I’ll come back and get you around seven?”

  “You don’t have to leave right now, it’s only three in the afternoon,” I pointed out. “I thought we could take a shower. You keep promising me you’ll scrub my back.”

  Huck pretended to consider my offer. “I am a back-scrubbing expert.” His fingers lightly slid up my spine causing my body to arch into his.

  “You’re an expert at a lot of things,” I whispered, my voice shuddering weakly without my permission. Sweet baby Jesus. This guy could definitely break me.

  “I’m glad you’re finally able to admit that.”

  “I said you’re an expert at a lot of things, not everything,” I teased. I eased myself out of Huck’s embrace and didn’t bother covering up as I walked to the bathroom. Let him see me naked, if only to make sure he understood how serious my shower invitation was.

  I was turning on the faucet when I felt his arms circle my waist, his teeth graze my shoulder, and his desire press into my backside. Already? One thing I could say about William Huxley Stone Jr., he had amazing stamina.

  I stepped inside the shower and Huck quickly followed, spinning me around, and pressing my back up against the wall. Before I could even give him a smart ass remark, his mouth found mine in a demanding kiss as the water beat down on us, turning our mouths and tongues into a hot, slippery, free-for-all. Huck’s lips were warm and frantic and perfect and I didn’t want to break away, even if it was to take a breath. He reached around and grabbed my ass, lifting me up against him, guiding my legs to wrap around his waist.

  I could tell it was going to be fast and hard, and I wanted it that way. I reached up to hold on to the shower head nozzle for balance and Huck grinned as my body was stretched on display for him. He centered himself under me and then plunged deep inside, holding me up as he rolled his hips into me in just the way he knew would force his name to fall from my lips in throaty moans. And fall it did.

  “Cat,” he groaned, leaning into me so that my body was sandwiched between the cool tiles and the fevered skin of his chest. The shower sprayed down on us, covering us in steamy ribbons of hot water and fine mist. “Tell me you want me.”

  “You know I do
.”

  He was still buried inside of me, but he wasn’t moving. His lips started with small, hot kisses at my collarbone and worked their way up my neck, stopping at my ear. “I want to hear you say it.”

  “Do you need to hear me say it?” I teased him, nibbling his chin which was rough with stubble.

  “I need to hear it.” He leaned into me even more and I could feel the tiles leaving a brand on my skin. But I didn’t care because that small movement brought him even deeper inside me, pulled us even closer.

  I whispered in his ear. “I want you, Huck.”

  In response, he slowly pulled his hips back, sliding all the way out of me, the tip of him just barely touching me where I needed him. My body thrummed in anticipation. “Tell me again,” he growled.

  Normally I didn’t take orders from anyone, but I knew in this instance, I was still the one with the power. He might be telling me what to do, but I was the one that still had the ability to say the things to drive him over the edge.

  “I want you, Huck.”

  He quickly pushed back inside, pulling my hips down on him and grinding into me, sending a burst of pleasure through my body. Huck’s gaze met mine, and although he didn’t say anything, I knew what he wanted. He wanted to hear his name. I don’t know why he liked me to say it, but I gave it to him, slow and breathy. He followed the lead of his name, pulling out of me at the same pace as that one word was uttered. When I said it demanding and rough, he responded the same way.

  With his name on my lips and his body filling mine, our rhythm increased until he was thrusting into me over and over again, pushing me up the side of the shower. I don’t know why I felt everything so much more strongly with Huck, but it was as if our bodies knew exactly how to speak to each other, exactly how to fit together, exactly how to reach the perfect end.

  I lost count of how many times his name had passed over my lips, but I was begging Huck to release me. With the slick touch of his body against mine, pleasure was pulsing through me, his name echoing loudly off the walls in response. Just when I thought he was going to join me with one final thrust, he lowered my feet to the ground, and had me sit on the edge of the shower seat. I reached out for him, attempting to bring him to my mouth, but he held me away.

  “I’m not done with you yet,” he said, smiling wickedly.

  Huck dropped to his knees in front of me and gripped my waist tightly, pulling my hips forward until his mouth was between my legs. He sucked and kissed along my inner thighs, teasing me with every press of his mouth to my skin. He looked up at me and smiled before pushing my legs wider and dropping his perfect lips right to the center of my need. The first touch of his tongue forced my body into a pleased arch, a strangled moan purring in my throat. Huck groaned in response and pulled my legs over his shoulders while pushing two fingers deep inside me.

  “This is fucking heaven,” Huck moaned between my legs before flicking his tongue in just the perfect spot, increasing the thrust of his fingers into me.

  Damn right it was heaven. He was well on his way to making me see God. Or the devil.

  His thumb pressed against me where his tongue had just been, pulling a moan from me as I twitched under his touch.

  Probably the devil.

  A sweep of his tongue and the frantic plunge of his fingers had spikes of pleasure shooting through me. What he was doing to me was nothing short of sinful.

  Definitely the devil.

  Water was beating down his back, running in thick, glistening rivulets around his muscles. Huck flicked his tongue expertly and with a few deft movements of his fingers, my release exploded through me again. Huck raised his eyes to meet mine and gave me a self-satisfied smile.

  “You want more?” he asked.

  “I expect more,” I countered.

  Huck helped me stand and turned me so I faced the wall. I placed my hands on the tiles, pushing my backside into him, and spread my legs.

  “You read my mind,” he growled into my ear.

  His hands were on my shoulders, and he slowly trailed them down my body, taking time to reach around, caress me, and feel every inch of my body he could touch. When his fingers finally clasped onto my hips, I felt him ease at little into me, just enough to set my body on edge.

  “How do you want it, Cat?”

  “Deep,” I told him.

  Huck thrust into me all the way and I moaned in appreciation.

  “Like this?”

  “Now fast and hard,” I ordered.

  Huck started slow, but his pace soon quickened. His face dropped to my shoulder, and I could feel his lips move against my skin. “You feel so fucking good. I don’t ever want to stop.”

  “Then don’t,” I panted. I could feel the pressure building in my core again.

  His hand slid up my back and into my hair, his fingers threading into the wet tresses and getting a firm grip as he relentlessly rocked his hips into me.

  “Don’t stop,” I ordered.

  “So good,” he repeated. “Too fucking good.”

  Huck grabbed my hand from the wall and brought it down to where our bodies were joined. Both of our fingers slid across and between the slick skin and soon I was shattering under our touch. Huck thrust once more inside me, holding my hair tightly in his right hand, and gripping my fingers against us as we came together.

  “Cat.” My name was little more than a pleased exhale of his breath. His lips were on my neck again, pressing promises and pleasure into my wet skin. We were melded against each other, our breaths heavy and in sync. Neither of us spoke as we stayed locked together, panting. Huck’s fingers skimmed across my body, leaving me tingling all over.

  “Too fucking good,” he repeated quietly, kissing along my neck. “God, Cat. I’ll never get enough of you.”

  ***

  “You look like a disco ball.”

  I flipped him the middle finger.

  “Don’t get me wrong. You’re a very sexy looking disco ball. I’m reconsidering this whole Gala thing right now. To be honest, I’d like to take you back in your room and have our own party.” Huck reached out for my waist and I slapped his hand away.

  Of course, he looked perfect, as if suits were invented specifically for him. I had to agree with him, though. A party in my bedroom sounded like a really good idea right now. But unfortunately, we couldn’t just skip the Gala.

  Or could we?

  No. We couldn’t. Jason and Holly were expecting us. It would be rude not to show.

  I turned to look at myself in the mirror over the foyer table just to make sure everything was in place. Overly dramatic makeup? Check. Chic hairstyle? Check. Offensively glittering silver dress that would blind everyone under lights? Check.

  Honestly. I don’t know what my mom was thinking when she had the stupid thing designed. The style of the dress itself was nice. It draped over one shoulder leaving the other shoulder bare. The fabric fit my curves snugly, covering my cleavage, but dipping low in the back, hinting at the swell of my backside. Three thin straps were slung diagonally across my back and the skirt came to just above my knees. There was nothing about the design of the dress that I was opposed to. It was the color that I hated. Mainly, the fact that I looked like a large piece of jewelry. Huck was right. I looked just like a disco ball.

  “Ready to go?” I asked, nodding to the front door.

  “I’m always ready to go,” he responded, his voice dropping low as he nodded toward my bedroom.

  “Come on, Stone.” I pushed his shoulder, guiding him through the door so we could be on our way before I gave in to temptation again.

  ***

  The Legend Records Gala was very similar to the Halloween Party, only instead of costumes, everyone was dressed to impress. Red and black seemed to be the colors of choice, so of course, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Holly immediately found us, but that wasn’t much of a surprise since we seemed to be catching everyone’s attention. I didn’t fool myself with the thought that it was because everyone knew wh
o we were. It was obvious that my dress was hard to look away from, sort of like a train wreck. A shiny, make-your-eyes-bleed, train wreck. If my mom weren’t sick, I’d totally be planning vicious revenge, like redecorating her living room while she was gone. Although, to be honest, if my mom weren’t sick, there was no way she would have guilted me into wearing the silver-monstrosity-disguised-as-a-dress to begin with.

  “So glad you made it,” Holly said, hooking her arm through mine. “I love the dress. You’re always so edgy.” She leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Neil Harper is going to be on you like white on rice when he sees you. Especially if he gets a look at you from behind. The back of that dress is to die for.”

  I looked over my shoulder and despite Holly’s attempt to whisper, I had a feeling Huck had heard everything she said because his eyes had a feral look to them. At the very least, I knew he’d heard the mention of Neil’s name.

  “You know he keeps talking about you,” Holly confided in her loud whisper that wasn’t really a whisper. “Keeps asking me to set him up with you. That must have been some dance you two shared at the Halloween party.”

  “I don’t date clients, Holly. It was just a dance.”

  She laughed. “Try telling him that. Come on, there are so many people I want you to meet. Jason is already praising your name with a new band we just signed. You’re going to love their music.” She pointed across the room where I could see Jason talking with a group of young guys. “Let me introduce you,” she said.

  I felt the gentle touch of Huck’s fingers on the elbow Holly didn’t have in a death grip. “I’ll get us something from the bar,” he offered, smiling. It wasn’t his wickedly handsome smile or the one he gave me after defeating me in a movie trivia challenge. The smile he gave me was tight, and I saw his eyes flick over to the group of guys Holly wanted to introduce me to. He was jealous.

  “Water, please,” I reminded him.

  “No dancing without me,” he answered. He said it jokingly, but the look in his eyes said otherwise.

  “So,” Holly said, leaning into me after Huck walked off. “What do you think of Legend Records?”