by C. R. Jane
“I’m sorry to say that a strip show is off the table at the moment, but how about a snack? I saw you come in here earlier, so I brought you energy food and a coffee,” Daxon asked, bringing me back to the present.
He handed me the brown paper bag as he set the coffee down beside his chair. I caught his eyes on me, waiting for my reaction, though in truth, my thoughts were now a little stuck on the whole idea of Daxon stripping for me.
I opened the bag and immediately was hit by the most delicious scent. My stupid heart began fluttering again at the sweet gesture. “You got me a slice of the vanilla cake I was lusting after yesterday.”
I was practically drooling as I stared at it. Seriously though, so much for my health goals. I was going to turn into a walrus in this town because of all the food constantly tempting me.
“I was hoping we could share, but I’m not opposed to watching you eat it yourself as well. You look like you’re about to make love to that cake,” Daxon joked.
The bag trembled in my hands at his thoughtfulness. “This was really nice of you,” I said softly as I tried to blink away the tears that sprung up. They came fast, reminding me I was far from healed from my past.
“It’s not a big deal, Rune.”
I nodded, ushering the tears at bay, still staring into the bag at the frosting covered treat.
“Hey.” Daxon reached over, slipping a bent finger under my chin and lifting my head to face him. Just my luck that a loose tear escaped and rolled down my cheek in that precise moment. “If I knew cake would make you cry, I would have brought you a carrot or maybe some peanuts.” He smirked lopsided, coaxing a small laugh out of me.
“It’s not the cake.” I blinked a few times while he stared into my eyes, his expression so sincere, I struggled to believe it wasn’t genuine. When would it stop, this inability to trust anyone? I tried hard to stop doubts from creeping into my mind. But I didn’t always win that battle. “Why are you being so kind to me?” I asked.
“Because you deserve so much more. If I ever meet whoever made you think otherwise, I’ll pull out his spine to teach him a lesson.” His gravelly undertone should have scared me, but it did the opposite. It drew me closer to him. Aside from Nelly, no one ever stood up for me, and to have Daxon do that touched me in a way I never expected.
I sniffled, and he wiped the tear away with his thumb.
“I have no plans to ever cross paths with him again. Now, I just need to find a way to get him out of my head,” I said.
“If you ever feel you’re in danger, Rune, you come to me. Okay?”
I looked him in the eyes. What was he talking about?
“Rune! I want to hear you agree.”
“I heard you, but—”
“There’s no negotiation. I won’t let anyone harm you.”
Who in the world was this man, and why did he actually sound like he cared? “Okay,” I finally said. My response came out softly, but it was enough for him to pull his hand away from under my chin and push loose strands out of my face.
“You don’t always have to be alone,” he murmured.
“I don’t know how not to be.”
Silence fell between us, and I appreciated that he gave me space.
I reached into the bag and pulled out the cake and then took a bite out of it. Thick icing squished out from both sides, and it was all I could do not to moan at its perfection. My taste buds went haywire from the velvety creamy taste, and my eyes widened as I quickly took another bite.
“It’s good, right? Mr. Jones’ desserts are addictive.”
I handed over the slice to Daxon before I was tempted to eat it all. He took a monstrous bite, and his eyes rolled back, the moan I’d held in sliding on his throat like he might be in ecstasy. I stared at the stunning man, watching as he licked the icing off his lips and fingers. I was finding myself strangely jealous of them.
Something overcame me, and I leaned over, stealing a small bite of the cake right from his hand. “This is incredible.”
He came closer, and his mouth touched mine, his tongue licking the icing from my lips. He tasted so sweet that I looped a hand behind his neck and pushed myself closer. Our mouths merged, tongues tangling, sticky icing everywhere.
His entire body hardened against me, his breaths quickening. His passion was a lightning bolt that speared right through my body. Was it normal to feel like this with someone who wasn’t your true mate? What would something like this have felt like with Alistair?
His tongue swept through my mouth, tasting all of me, claiming me. I realized then that the more time I spent with Daxon, the more I lost myself.
And that was terrifying, because I’d already lost more pieces of myself than I could count. And I hadn’t yet begun to find them.
Closing my eyes, I breathed out. He cupped my face, his fingers in my hair. “I think you should stay in town and not leave.”
I flipped open my eyes. My body was on fire with lust, and his words took a minute to absorb into my mind. It was like he could see the earlier thoughts I had this morning. “You do?”
“Do you even realize the impact you have on me? The things I want to do to you. I can’t get you out of my mind. I just want a chance for us to explore this…whatever it is.”
My breath sped up. His words touched something inside of me. Forget the cake, all I craved now was his hot mouth on my skin, dragging his tongue over every inch of me. I was breathing so heavily, the buttons on my top strained with every inhale like I was in some kind of bodice ripping romance novel. My insides were a mess, a tidal wave of desires building and building.
Finally finding my voice, I said, “I’m not planning on going anywhere until I can pay for the car, or repay you for the car if I need that loan you offered.”
Everything about him, from his wicked expression to his sinful mouth, undid me. He ran his tongue across his lips, and I just knew he was well aware of his effect on me…the smug bastard. Against my best intentions, my body trembled with ecstasy as I watched him. He wanted me too, that was very obvious, and if we didn’t calm down, I’d end up pinned to the wall, my legs wrapped around him.
I could think of worse things…
“Did I mention the repayment comes with an extremely high interest rate?” he teased me, helping to alleviate the thick fog of lust around us.
“You’re too funny.” I slid out of his arms and back into my seat, noticing that the rest of the cake sat on the bag in his lap, somehow surviving our ravenous kiss.
“Come back here,” he whispered roughly, his hand reaching to pull me back to him. The way he looked at me came with a promise of a question…a question he never asked.
“Are you going to finish the slice?” I said, resisting the urge to throw myself at him. He got the hint that I needed a bit of space, and he handed the rest of the cake to me.
“It’s all yours, sweetheart.”
I made quick work of finishing the dessert as he climbed to his feet. “I better head back to work,” he said. “Will I be seeing you at the Town Run tonight?” He tilted his head to the side, studying the way I licked my lips. Part of me expected him to grab me and continue what he’d started, but he didn’t…much to my foolish disappointment.
“I wouldn’t miss it, but I’m curious, where do you work?” I heard he owned half the town, so would he really need to work if that were the case?
“Helping out a couple of friends clear out land for a new home they’re building across the river,” he answered nonchalantly. “But think about what I said earlier. I’m serious about you staying. I could help you find a more permanent place to live here.”
His persistence surprised me. He leaned in and kissed my lips quickly, a guttural sound rolling over his throat. Something primal and animalistic.
His mouth was on fire, and a strange noise spilled from my mouth, something soft and almost submissive. Where had that come from?
With another gorgeous smirk, he strolled out, leaving me behind. I felt a l
ittle shell-shocked about what had just happened.
Was this thing between us real, or was I just playing with fire by allowing myself to keep falling deeper for him?
Why would a man like him be interested in me? I’d learned in life that when things were too good to be true…that meant they were. And although it felt incredible to be with him and I was beginning to constantly crave his touch and kiss…I couldn’t help but think I was setting myself up for yet another fall to even consider anything between us was possible.
Good things didn’t happen to me. I’d learned this time and time again.
It was crazy and idiotic to think otherwise.
I slouched in my chair, licking away a stray bit of icing on my hand, thinking for the hundredth time since I’d come here that I was completely over my head when it came to the men in this town.
“Rune!” Eve waved hysterically at me from the sidewalk. There were people everywhere for the Town Run. It surprised me that she looked so eager to see me outside of work, but I almost too eagerly waved back and made my way over to her.
Large spotlights lit the road, stealing the night away. I had no idea what to expect tonight, but part of me suspected the run didn’t involve actual wolves, as that would be beyond odd…and most definitely dangerous with everyone lining the streets like this.
I wove my way toward Eve, head low and focused on not bumping into anyone while they all refused to move out of my way.
“So glad you’re here,” she gushed, her cheeks red like she’d been running. She kept glancing around us, almost nervously.
“With everything I’ve been told about tonight, there was no way I was going to miss out on seeing it myself.”
She was nodding very fast, and it was clear her mind was on anything but our conversation.
“Everything all right?” I asked her, both of us moving out of the way of a couple who marched up the street. With limited standing space, trying to avoid bumping into anyone was impossible.
“Oh crap,” she whispered under her breath, staring at something down the sidewalk.
Had the run started? I pushed myself up on tippy toes to see over all the heads.
Eve snatched my wrist, dragging me close to her. “You need to do me a favor,” she whispered, frantically glancing over her shoulder, then back at me.
“Of course, what’s—”
“Just say you’re here with me and that you were at my place last night. We were watching movies. Got it?”
I stiffened. “Wait, I—”
Eve straightened instantly and turned her back to me. “Oh, hello, Ms. Fulton. Should be a good night,” she said, her voice cracking with nervousness. I glanced past her to find she spoke to the old woman I’d bumped into at the doctor’s office. The busybody who wasn’t impressed with my presence.
She raised her head, completely ignoring Eve, and glared at me, almost scrunching up her nose at my choice of clothes. Ripped denim shorts and a black tank top. It was hot, and everyone else was dressed basically the same. What was this lady’s problem?
With a humph, she glanced across to Eve. “I heard you snuck into my house last night while I was out.” Her face reddened from anger, her shoulders pulling forward, her floral dress feathering around her throat. “I have told—”
“Your sources must be wrong,” Eve interrupted, sounding confident. “I was with Rune last night. We were just chatting about having another movie night after the run. I have no reason to ever go into your home.” She feigned shock, which only gained herself a snorting laugh from the woman. Eve glanced over at me with a desperate plea in her eyes.
“Isn’t that right, Rune?” she prodded me.
Why was Eve sneaking into the woman’s house? To steal something? But being put on the spot and seeing the fury behind Greta’s eyes, I had no intention of throwing my friend under the bus. I just hoped this wasn’t going to come back and bite me in the ass later.
“Yep, she’s right. I love girls’ nights. I’m personally into romantic comedies.” I felt awkward lying, but I didn’t feel too bad remembering how mean the woman had been to me at the doctor’s office.
If someone’s stare could kill, Greta’s would have pinned me to the front window of the bakery behind me and stripped the flesh from my body.
“I may be old, but I’m not stupid enough to believe your lies,” she cried out loudly enough to draw attention from the nearby crowd. “Stay away from us, Eve. Your kind isn’t welcome.” Greta huffed, raised her head, and shoved past both of us, making her way farther up the street.
I turned to Eve. “What the heck was that about? What does your kind mean?”
She snarled, watching Greta march away. “That fucking bitch. I swear she must have been hiding in the bushes, spying on me last night”
“So you did break in? Why?”
Her mouth opened with a response, when a figure stepped out from the shadows and stood extremely close behind her. He gave me an awkward nod, then glanced down to Eve. “Let’s go.” There was urgency in his voice, and he kept his head low, almost as if trying to appear just like someone else in the crowd.
It was Daniel, the guy who mentioned blood back at the inn and who had been at the doctor’s office with Greta. The nurse had told me the old woman had taken him into her home. And here he was with Eve after she’d just gotten the third degree from his foster mother.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on. Except these two were barely younger than me, and Greta had treated them as if they were fourteen-year-olds. What was I missing?
Why was everything in this town so weird?
“Are you ready to go?” Daniel asked, his gaze taking in the whole street, most likely keeping an eye out for Greta.
Eve smiled cheerfully at me. “If she asks you, tell her I’m in the bathroom or something, okay? Please don’t mention, Daniel. I’ll explain everything to you later.”
Before I could respond, they both turned and hurried down a small alley between two stores, like lovesick teenagers sneaking around. Eve was one of the nicest and most cheerful people I’d ever met. What could she have done to make Greta hate her so much?
I took a step back and was turning to face the street when I bumped right into someone behind me. I flinched to get out of the way. “I’m so sorry.”
When I twisted around to see who I had hit, he was the last person I expected.
It was Wilder.
He towered over me, hands deep in the pockets of his pants. He wore a V-neck tee under a leather jacket with black jeans, giving him a seriously bad-boy vibe. It definitely matched his personality.
“Oh, it’s you,” I said, my voice wavering, though I was no longer apologetic for bumping into him. I would have taken Greta over him. Her, I could deal with, but Wilder was a different problem altogether. Greta didn’t know what I tasted like…
He reached over and grabbed my arm, then pulled me toward him abruptly.
I instantly shoved against him. “What are you doing? Let me go.”
“Calm down,” he hissed in my ear, just as someone brushed past my back. I looked around to notice a small group of people were trying to get past me on the sidewalk. With so many people, it made it difficult to stand too far from Wilder.
He released my arm, and I felt a bit silly for reacting that way in all honesty. But it seemed things between Wilder and I were either fire or ice, and I couldn’t act normally around him.
I stared up at Wilder, unable to stop myself from comparing him to Daxon. They were so different. They both made me feel more alive…but there was just something about Wilder that was destructive. My feelings for him were…complicated. I was forever scarred by Alistair. What kind of scars would a guy like Wilder leave in me?
I didn’t want to find out.
The world I’d known up to now was ruthless and unforgiving, and for a long time, I lived with knowing my future had been stolen from me.
Now for the first time, I felt like I had a
chance to take that back. And keeping that control meant I had to be careful with every decision I made, including who I let into my life.
I lifted my head and backed up until my back pressed against a store door. I licked my lips and swallowed, feeling suddenly awkward. My feelings were mirrored in Wilder’s unimpressed expression.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
He remained close…so close, the heat from his body grazed against me. Our close proximity flicked to life flames of desire I was desperate to ignore.
Was it possible to hate and desire someone at the same time?
Unlike the previous times we’d crossed paths, he wasn’t snarling at me, which was a nice change of pace at least.
He studied me, and something changed in his gaze. Something familiar grew in his eyes…that same allure he’d possessed back in the storage room in the diner. The hunger, the darkness, the need. He gave me the same dirty expression that had made me forget myself that day.
“What do you want?” I asked again as sweat dripped down my spine from the humid night. The heat seemed to be rising the longer he stared at me, and once again…my heart was banging in my chest.
He smiled faintly then, his eyes flashing a brilliant green.
A guttural sound escaped from his throat as he watched me with a calculating sort of look. And then he leaned forward. “What would you say if I told you I couldn’t get it out of my head imagining you bent over my knee as I reddened your ass for constantly pushing me away?”
He said the words coolly, yet fire ignited in his eyes, and I abruptly stopped breathing as images of him spanking me filled my head.
What. The. Hell.
I blushed instantly…because who wouldn’t? I was thrown back to how I’d felt in the storage room that day. How I’d had no control. I’d given into my urges, and if he hadn’t broken away from me, I knew deep in my gut, I would’ve let him fuck me against that wall, uncaring of the fact anyone could have come in.
His fingers twirling through the strands of my blonde hair dragged me back from the memory, and he smirked. It was a cruel smile, like he understood the impact he had over me and he loved the torture.