by Wendi Zwaduk
“Good morning, beautiful.”
A pang of terror quickly morphed into relief. She knew that voice. Slade. She opened her eyes. Slade stood at the table with a gigantic silver serving lid in hand. A bouquet of roses the colour of blood festooned the table. Another whiff of pancakes, now accompanied by the scent of strawberries and roses, curled around her.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I got pancakes and crepes. Love crepes.” He bobbed his brows up and down. “Just sit up and tell me what you want. I’ll bring it to you.”
Her mouth fell open. Her assessment of him being an alien had to be true. Men just didn’t act so…nice. Then again, a nice guy wouldn’t work for Tiny Balthazar.
“I am a rare species.” Slade offered her the plate and winked. “My mother insisted I treat ladies with dignity…and good food.”
She sat dumbly, watching him until he settled beside her.
“Aren’t they good enough? Too cold?”
Astra shifted and placed the plate on her thigh. “It’s fine.”
“Good. I wanted to make Valentine’s Day special for you.”
Valentine’s Day? When the hell had that happened? Of all the holidays, how had she lost track of the universal day of love?
“Technically it’s the day after Valentine’s Day, but don’t women like roses any day?” He brought the vase of flowers to her nightstand. “I wasn’t sure what else to get you, but they come from the heart.”
Astra leaned into the flowers and drew a long breath, sampling the sweet fragrance. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had given her flowers. And Slade didn’t have any reason to do so other than to be sweet. Her stomach churned. The combination of food, flowers and thoughtfulness both flattered and freaked her.
There had to be an ulterior motive.
“You don’t like them?”
“I love them. Thank you.” She cut a square of pancake and smeared it through the thick syrup as she thought through what she wanted to say. She’d waited long enough. “Do you know why Tiny dumped me?”
“The rumour is you refused to put out.” He cut a piece of crepe and shoved it into his mouth. He sat up straighter and sobered. “I don’t follow rumours and I don’t care for our boss.”
“Fuck head. I knew he’d say something.” She shook her head and tapped her fork on the plate. “He’s right, kind of. I did refuse to put out after a while.” She held her breath a heartbeat and looked him straight in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”
The colour drained from his face as he placed his plate on the bed. He threaded both hands into his hair.
Her shoulder edged up in a tiny shrug. “I know, I know, a pregnant stripper. Almost as hysterical as a pregnant porn actress.” When he didn’t laugh or look her direction, Astra shrank into the pillows. “Slade?” Her throat constricted. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you.” Coming right out with ‘hey, I’m six weeks along’ wasn’t exactly easy to work into the conversation.
“Tiny?”
She clutched the plate until her fingers went numb. “Yes. When I found out, I stopped sleeping with him. A little too late, I know.”
Slade stood and carried his plate to the table. Tears built at the corners of her eyes. Shit. The one guy she cared about, and her being pregnant by another man was going to be the wedge between them. With his back to her, he pulled his boxer shorts on and fumbled on the floor for his shirt.
“You’re certain he’s the father?” he said over his shoulder.
“Yes,” she sobbed. What was Slade not understanding? He held both hands up and mumbled something she couldn’t hear. “What are you doing?” She moved her plate to the nightstand and clutched the sheet to her breasts.
“I need to make a call.” He yanked his pants up to his hips and nodded, still mumbling to himself. Slade snapped his attention to her and pointed. “Stay here.”
Indignation hit her hard. Stay put. Great. Then why in the hell did she feel like running for the hills?
Slade wandered through the hotel room like he had too many things on his mind. He stopped cold at the door and turned. “Text.” He rummaged through his jacket pockets and withdrew a cell phone. He glanced at her as he typed on the phone. “There.”
“There what? A text is going to save my worthless hide?” Where were her clothes? Good food and a warm bed meant nothing if there wasn’t someone worthy to share them with. She stood and finger-combed her hair from her eyes. The next time she had hot, frantic sex, she needed to keep her clothes somewhere visible. Being naked didn’t bother her, but being emotionally raw did.
Slade eased up behind her and turned her to face him. He wrapped the sheet around her body. “You’re crying. Why? That text really will save your very sexy and not-at-all-worthless hide.”
She worked to find the words to explain, to say anything. Instead more tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Hon.” Slade crushed her in his arms. “What I did really will make your life easier. I promise.”
Make her life better. What did he know? Maybe it was time to figure out which side he sat on. “Who do you work for?”
The meaning behind her simple question hit straight into Slade’s gut. He weighed his options. If she was pregnant by Balthazar and not putting out, the drug lord had no use for her. Not knowing when he’d make his move probably scared her as much if not more than an actual attack on her life. Did Tiny want her child or had he been attempting to get rid of the baby?
Slade kissed the top of Astra’s head. She needed someone safe to talk to and an even safer place to live her life. Deep in his gut he trusted her and believed she told him the truth. Her responses came across as too authentic to be lies. If he couldn’t be anything else, he’d be her means for escape.
She leant back in his arms. “I’m scared.”
“About what?” He brushed a damp lock of hair off her cheek. “Tell me everything so I can help you.”
“I got you into my mess.” She smeared the remnants of her makeup with the back of her hand. “It’s all so fucked up.”
“I can handle myself.”
“No,” she sobbed. “I know too much and you’ll be a target because you’re with me. He’s going to kill us.”
Slade crushed her in his embrace once more and walked her to the bed. Oh, hell fucking no. No one was going to lay a hand on her. He didn’t even know the whole story or his true feelings for her, but no. No way would he allow another human being to be hurt on his watch.
“Start at the beginning, little girl.” He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. The scent of sex and syrup wafted around him, churning his stomach. “You have my full attention.”
She looked away and trembled. “You can use a gun, right?”
He nodded. Hours and hours at the gun range, sniper training and perfect scores on his firearms proficiencies more than qualified him. “I know my way around weapons.”
“And I can trust you?”
For a moment, he stepped out of the Slade façade and reverted to his true nature. Randy nodded. “I will protect you with my life.”
Astra played with the wrinkles in his T-shirt and kept her gaze low. Her voice came out little more than a whisper “The stories of Tiny selling more than girls is true.”
Bloody hell. Randy cupped her jaw, forcing her to look him in the eyes. Taking the leap of faith to tell him the truth he’d suspected took balls. His respect for her soared. He pushed himself back into the Slade persona. “What do you mean, sweets?”
“I didn’t want to be in my apartment for the same reason I asked you to drive me home last night. I’m not going to follow his orders and have the abortion, so he’s out for blood.” Astra toyed with his hand. “Did you ever wonder why we all have to live in the same building?”
“Cheap housing?”
Astra trembled and shook her head. “He’s cheap, but that’s not it. He can’t stand to not know what’s going on. Who’s fucking who, who has dirty little secrets or nasty habits. He needs to kn
ow. At first I thought it was an eccentricity—I mean, he’s got more money than God and likes things his own way. And then I found out the rest of the situation. I have no idea how many drugs he’s taken and he wasn’t above taking them in front of me. He wanted me to do a line here and there but I wouldn’t. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I flat out refused.” She rubbed her wrist. “He held me against the wall by my arms and threatened that if I didn’t terminate the pregnancy, he’d terminate me.”
Slade saw red. The bastard manhandled a woman…a pregnant woman. He took her wrist in his hand, smoothing his fingers over her marred skin. “Did he cut you, too?”
Nodding, Astra looked away.
Slade tipped her chin, grabbing her attention. “No more. I won’t let him.”
“Do you want to prove your words?” She pursed her lips and squared her shoulders. “Those condoms the girls are supposed to carry around…cut one open.” Astra slid from his lap and retrieved her purse, dumping the contents on the floor. “Here.” She handed him a foil packet. “Open it.”
Slade took the silver packet and tore the corner. Nothing came out, so he squeezed. A rubber ring the circumference of a condom popped out of the packet, but that wasn’t the only thing in the foil. White powder fluffed from the container.
Astra sank down next to him. “We should go to the cops.”
The wind knocked from his body, Slade worked the muscles in his jaw. Could he come right out and tell her who he was?
Oh, hon, I am the cops. She’d bolt from the room.
I work for the CFPD. She might buy it, but she’d be so angry.
“They’ll bust me for possession, won’t they?” Astra leant forward and buried her face in her hands. “I’m going to get a record because of the shithole where I work. I knew I should’ve gone to the police right away.”
Slade rubbed his hand along her back, offering comfort. “You trust me, right?”
She snorted. “I just showed you I have drugs and outted a suspected drug dealer. I’d say I have a lot of trust in you.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you going to turn me in?”
“Why would I turn you in?”
“You seem like a good guy with morals and any man with a brain in his head would run far away from me.”
He gathered her into his arms and placed her back on his lap. “I promise you. I will do everything I can to keep you safe and out of jail.” He brought her in close for a kiss. “Even good guys with brains have moments of weakness. You’re worth any amount of trouble.”
With her still in his arms, Slade stood and carried her to the bathroom.
“What are you doing?” She squealed when he placed her bare bottom on the chilly granite counter. “It’s cold!”
He placed his hand on her still-flat belly and stared into her eyes. The thought of her round with child sent warmth through his body. Didn’t matter if the baby wasn’t his. The overwhelming desire to take care of her filled him. He had to be either losing his mind, or in way over his head.
“Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with someone at first sight?”
Chapter Seven
Love at first sight? Her initial thought was he had to be confused. No one believed in true love at first glance. But then again, he wasn’t any guy and she didn’t have run-of-the-mill feelings for him. When they’d had sex, for her it had been making love—all emotions involved.
Slade whipped his shirt up over his head, every muscle becoming more defined with the movement. His nipples beaded and his chest puffed with each breath. Astra licked her lips. The man was made to be nude. Hell, if he were on stage just taking his shirt off, he’d fill the club with willing, interested women and she’d be in the front row.
A wave of jealousy rocked through her. Knocking them back with a gigantic stick? Yeah right. Would he want her there? He’d asked about love…maybe it was part of the game. Nail a stripper and add a notch to the bedpost. She swallowed hard. God, why did the good things in her life come with complications?
“Astra, hon, I’ve never felt like I do with you. Since the first moment I saw you at the club, I fell in love.” He turned long enough to twist on the tap, starting to fill the tub with water. “When I’m with you, I want to be the man you need…the man you turn to. No tricks, no kidding, no lies.”
Steam billowed from the sunken tub and moistened her skin. She wasn’t sure what to say. Confess she…what? Loved him? Yeah…but like he’d said, it seemed so sudden.
“Let me care for you, Astra.” He held his hand out. “I won’t hold too tightly if you’ll just give me a chance.”
“No notches on the headboard?”
“Unless you want to count how many times I prove I’m over my head in love with you.”
Astra slid down off the counter and into his arms. She should make him wait, make him wonder what she really thought. She should, but the words rolled off her tongue faster than she could keep them back. “Will you laugh if I tell you I think I love you, too?” She shoved her hands into the waistband of his boxer shorts and jeans, giving both a hard downward pull. “Because I do,” she blurted.
Slade whooped and whirled her around in his embrace. “Better than I could’ve imagined. Sweeter.”
Giggling, she collapsed against him. At least life with him would never be boring. He gave her another squeeze and placed her on her feet. “Give me time and I will get you away from him for good. I’ll take care of you and protect you. Promise.”
“Yes.” She nodded to the bath water. “But turn that off first or we’ll be stuck here paying for the damage when it overflows.”
Laughing, Slade twisted the knob to stop the flow of water. “Let me bathe you.”
Astra lowered herself into the water. Her eyes closed. “Hot water. It’s been so long since I’ve had hot water, not lukewarm will-have-to-do water.”
Slade took his place behind her and pulled her tight against his chest. “Relax.”
With every swipe of the washcloth across her skin, Slade managed to wipe away bits of her fears and reservations. Her pain dissipated and morphed into sweet joy. She sighed and relished his nearness. This was the kind of man—the man—she could grow old with.
“I could stay right here forever.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s like we have our own personal little safe haven and nothing or no one can touch us.”
“Then I’m doing my job.”
Open-mouthed kisses tingled on her neck. Her pussy quivered and clenched. Slade had so much power—like he knew her body better than she did.
“Make love to me,” she murmured. Astra shook her hair from her eyes and faced him. “Not fucking, not just sex. Love. I want love.”
“Babe, that’s what I intend to do.” Slade threaded his damp hands into her hair, drawing her close. “But not here.”
She jerked in his arms, a shred of doubt slicing through her mind.
“Stop worrying, little girl,” he spoke against her lips. “I want you in bed, like the goddess you are.” Slade didn’t give her time to think or act—he simply swept her into his arms and lifted her from the tub. No towels…just slick bodies moving.
He lowered her to the bed and drew his hands down her body. Every nerve ending buzzed and wetness coated her inner thighs.
The sound of ripping plastic echoed in the room. She snapped her attention to him. The condom. She licked her lips. He might want to treat her like a goddess, but the urge to be a dirty, dirty girl shook her to the core. She scooted off the edge of the bed then dropped to her knees.
Astra buried her nose in the springy curls at the base of his cock, rubbing his scent on her.
“Oh.” Slade grunted and held her hair in his hands. Not pushing, not demanding, but letting her take the lead. She liked that. Liked him.
She wrapped her fingers around his cock, stroking. A glance up at him revealed the desire and something else in his eyes. Something deeper, more revealing. She nuzzled down to his sac and ticked her tongue alon
g the sensitive skin.
Slade shivered and his grasp tightened a bit.
“Even a goddess likes to be bad,” she murmured against his balls. Could he understand her needs? Hell, would he freak out? Screw it. She’d never know until she tried. Flipping her hair over her shoulders, she stared up at him.
“Do what you want, babe, I’m yours.” Slade stroked her cheek. “Turn yourself on and let me watch.”
Astra ran her tongue along his cock, from base to tip. Turn herself on? This was about showing him how she felt. She patted the bed for the condom. She glanced at the bed long enough to find the rubber, then rolled it down his dick. She took him deep in her mouth and grabbed handfuls of his ass.
He wobbled on his feet and thrust forward. “Yes. Fuck me, yes.”
Astra grazed her teeth along the thick vein, drawing another set of shivers from his body. She opened her eyes to look up at him again. A soft, almost sleepy smile appeared on his lips as he met her gaze while she pumped her mouth on his cock.
“You’re dangerous.” He swayed a bit more. “Come here. Let me make you feel good, too.”
Shaking her head, she angled him to the bed. At least there he wouldn’t fall and hurt himself and she could play more. Slade tumbled to the bed. “What are you thinking about?”
Oh, the things she had in mind. With one hand on his cock, she nibbled the sensitive skin on his balls. His hips bucked as he worked his cock up and down in her grasp, pumping him. The hairs tickled her nose and his scent drove her to the brink. She squeezed her legs together to keep the tingles at bay. This was about him. She massaged her other hand on his inner thigh, working in wide circles towards her ultimate goal.
Slade planted his feet and his moans grew louder. “Oh, fuck.”
Grinning, Astra slid off his thigh then grabbed for her bag and the lube. A girl should never be without it.
She licked lower and lower on his balls. His legs trembled. He moaned again. “Like?” she asked against his thigh. She stopped her oral assault and glanced at his face.