by Nicole Fox
Daphne’s eyes stayed fixed on the door, and after a few more minutes, Xander returned. He walked into the room at a slower pace than he’d left it, and more relief washed over Daphne; she realized that this meant the news was good.
“It’s nothing,” he said. “I saw down in the alley some big pane of glass that’d been leaning against the side of the building fell over and smashed. The sound just echoed up the alleyway and sounded worse than it was.”
He set the baseball bat on the table and ran his hand through his long hair. Daphne watched Xander’s chest rise and fall, her eyes scanning every bit of his bare torso, from the fearsome tattoos that covered his skin to the keen definition of his muscles. Between those features and his long hair and beard, he seemed almost larger-than-life to Daphne, as though he were some kind of warrior from another time.
A warrior wearing jockeys, she thought, letting a grin form on her face.
Xander’s breath slowed. He strode over to Daphne and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked. “This is some scary shit, but there’s nothing to be worried about. I’m here, false alarm or not.”
And as he spoke, Daphne couldn’t help but stare into his eyes, eyes that were a striking blue even in the dark. Something about Xander’s presence, something about his strong, rough hands on her shoulders, just made her feel calm, safe, and secure. She knew she should’ve been fearful of a man like Xander, knowing that the hands on her bare shoulders were hands that had likely taken lives. But instead, all she could feel was a sense of reassurance, as though everything was going to be all right.
Then, without thinking, she moved closer to him, so close that her cleavage pressed against the hard, warm muscle of his chest. They stood like that for a moment, Daphne taking in the feeling of his body against hers.
But Xander wasn’t content to just stand there. Placing his hands back on Daphne’s shoulders, he pushed her away, stared at her for a brief moment with a hard glare of animal intensity, then kissed her. The feeling of Xander’s lips on hers was just what Daphne wanted at that moment. She needed him, needing his lips on hers, his hands on her body, his warmth on her skin. She fell into the kiss instantly, her hands now pressed against her back and moving over every square inch of the wide span of his shoulders. And Xander was just as eager to get his hands all over Daphne’s body. He took off her bra instantly and took her breasts into his hands as their tongues intertwined with one another’s.
Xander’s hands then moved to Daphne’s ass, and after giving the ripe flesh a hard squeeze, he lifted her into the air, her legs wrapping around his waist as he did. They continued to kiss as Xander held her effortlessly. A rush of excitement ran through Daphne’s body as she felt Xander’s cock harden through his shorts, and all she could think about was having that massive prick buried deep inside of her. She didn’t want foreplay, she didn’t want lovemaking, and she didn’t want tenderness—she wanted to be fucked by this beast of a man who held her in his arms; she wanted to be ravaged and taken like she belonged to him.
Xander must’ve been of the same mind as Daphne, as his next move was to carry her over to the kitchen table, clear everything off of it with a sweep of his arm, and lay her down on her back in front of him. Daphne looked up at the man now looming like a giant, the outline of his marble-carved body silver from the light of the moon. He leaned forward, placing his hands on her breasts as Daphne’s chest rose and fell. He rubbed her nipples forcefully but not clumsily, and the crackle of pleasure from each point rushed through her body.
Daphne’s eyes were glued onto the bulge in Xander’s shorts, and as soon as he noticed where her gaze was fixed, a little smirk formed on his lips. Slipping his fingers under the waistband of his underwear, he pulled them off with a quick yank, his thick, long cock springing out and pointing right at Daphne’s pussy. Then, before Daphne had too much time to appreciate the view, Xander reached forward and repeated the process with her underwear, grabbing them hard and pulling them down her smooth, curvy legs.
Now, they were both nude. Xander clapped his hands down onto Daphne’s hips as she writhed in pleasure at his touch, and he pulled her close, his cock now mere inches away from her sex. He moved his hands along her legs again, and took hold of her by the ankles. A moan already slipped from Daphne’s mouth; she realized that she was about as aroused as she’d ever been in her life. Then, removing his right hand from her ankle, Xander grabbed onto the shaft of his prick and, with a swift, plunging motion, shoved it deep inside of her.
Daphne was a little surprised at just how wet and ready she was, but her curiosity was quickly replaced by intense, nearly overwhelming pleasure. Just as before, the sensation of being filled by Xander’s massive cock was so intense that she could hardly stand it, and she was glad to be lying down; she knew that if she were standing her legs might’ve just buckled under her from the sheer intensity. Xander held hard onto her ankles, spreading her legs apart as he began driving into her over and over. The view for Daphne was sublime—she watched as the tight, thick muscles of Xander’s torso flexed and released with each pump, and she had a perfect view of his member entering and exiting her over and over.
The pleasure taking hold of her, Daphne spread her arms and grabbed onto the sides of the tables, holding herself in place as though the ecstasy running through her body might send her flying. But Xander’s grip was firm, and she stayed right where she wanted to be.
Xander’s hands moved down Daphne’s legs, the feeling of his touch against her skin beyond compare. Then, he clasped hard onto the soft, curved flesh of her hips and pulled her even closer, leaning forward in order to have a deeper angle from which to pleasure her. From this new position, he drove into her without mercy, penetrating her, burying himself to the hilt inside of her pussy. He was like a machine, his thrusts deep and relentless.
Soon, Daphne knew that she was about to cum. She screamed and moaned, feeling as though she’d been possessed by some kind of spirit entering her through Xander’s cock. It was as though she had no control over her own body—and she loved it.
The steady rhythm of Xander’s penetration did exactly what Daphne needed it to do, and soon, a powerful orgasm tore through her body, the pleasure so intense that she felt she might come apart at the seams. Xander’s own orgasm followed, and, as always, she savored the sweet sensation of his cock exploding inside of her, each drop of his manhood spilling deep into her pussy.
Once they’d both cum, the pounding slowed until it stopped. They caught their breath, and Xander slid his rod out of Daphne, and she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed; part of her wanted that cock to be buried in her until the end of time.
Xander stepped back and collapsed on the couch, still catching his breath. Then, Daphne heaved herself off of the table and onto her feet.
“Thanks for the lookout,” she said with a sly smile, “but I really do need to get to bed.”
She walked off with seductive strides, flashing one last playful look over her shoulder before stepping into her bedroom and shutting the door. The last she saw of Xander that night was him shaking his head, a knowing smirk on his face.
Once she was under the sheets, Daphne slept better that night than she could remember sleeping in years.
Chapter Fifteen
Daphne
Daphne awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. The fear from the incident in the middle of the night was gone, replaced with the comfort of knowing that Xander was there in the other room looking out for her. Checking her phone, she saw that it was reasonably early, and she had plenty of time before she needed to be at the store for opening. Part of her wanted to stroll out wearing nothing, just to give Xander a little show, but she decided that might just send the wrong message—after all, they weren’t dating again.
Last night was a one-off thing, she thought. Tensions were high and the adrenaline was flowing. He’d better not think that he can look forward to something like that every night he sta
ys here.
But as she tied the cinch of her short robe, she couldn’t help but find herself already thinking about their little session with the previous night, a smile forming on her face as she did.
She stepped out of the bedroom to the sound of water rushing in the shower.
Must be up already, she thought.
Daphne opened the fridge and scanned the contents. There wasn’t much there, but there were eggs, some cheese, and a little bit of breakfast sausage.
Breakfast won’t send the wrong signal, she thought. Besides, if he’s staying here, making him a meal or two is the least I could do.
Then, as though a separate voice were living in her mind, another thought flashed through her.
Maybe you can give him a little something else to eat afterward.
Her eyes went wide; it seemed to her as though her attraction to Xander had taken on a life of its own. She shook her head in an attempt to dismiss the thoughts and set to work on the breakfast. But she couldn’t help but think about last night, about just how hot the sex was, how their bodies had effortlessly melded into one. Daphne found her skin grow hot as she stood over the eggs, absentmindedly pushing them around the skillet with her spatula as her mind focused on … other things.
The sound of the water abruptly stopping snapped Daphne out of her daydream. Bread popped out of the toaster, and Daphne scrambled to put all of the food together.
“Smells good,” came Xander’s voice from behind Daphne.
She whipped around and was presented with the sight of Xander, nothing on his body but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, low enough to show off the notches of his pelvis. Daphne’s eyes went wide as she laid eyes on him. She knew that he’d put some serious muscle on, but seeing him in the light of day made it clear just how dramatic his physical transformation had been. He’d never been a scrawny guy, but now he was built like a beast of a man, each muscle tight and thick.
“It’s, um, just eggs and toast,” said Daphne, trying to collect herself. “Don’t really have much in the apartment.”
Xander walked over to Daphne, stepping right into her personal space. She could sense that he knew just how close he was, and that he didn’t care. He clamped his hands hard onto Daphne’s hips and took in a slow smell of her hair.
“Who says I was talking about the food?” he said in a low purr.
Daphne didn’t know what to do with herself. She felt as though she’d been caught in a spell, and that she couldn’t have moved even if she wanted to. And she didn’t want to.
Daphne heard the sound of the towel dropping from Xander’s waist onto the ground, and she took in a deep, slow breath as she felt his already-hard cock press against her ass.
“You … hungry?” Daphne asked.
“You have no idea.”
Xander reached around Daphne and yanked open the sash of her robe. His hands slipped into the fabric and onto the bare flesh of her stomach. Daphne loved the feeling of his strong, firm hands on her body; something about his touch made her feel safe and protected. Not to mention totally aroused.
Xander didn’t waste any time in taking just what he wanted. His hands still on Daphne’s hips, he moved her over to the kitchen island and bent her over, lifting her robe over her ass and slapping one of her cheeks hard. Daphne gasped at the slap, her mouth twisting into a naughty smile.
Then, Xander pressed his cock against her sex and, in a smooth, deep motion, shoved his prick into her. Daphne could hardly stand the pleasure. She moaned and gasped as he filled her, and gripped hard onto the countertop. Xander fucked her hard and fast, not bothering with foreplay. He drove into her steady and deep for several minutes, the pleasure building in Daphne the more he fucked her. Soon, she felt an orgasm rip through her body, followed by the delicious explosion of Xander’s cock inside of her. He came into her with a throaty, animalistic grunt, emptying his cock deep inside of her. When he was done, he pulled out, Daphne smiling at the feeling of his cum dripping out of her.
She remained bent over for another minute as Xander grabbed his towel from the floor. Her knees were weak, and she knew she needed a minute to even be able to stand straight.
“That was more the breakfast I had in mind,” said Xander as Daphne turned around.
She smiled. “You should probably eat some real food, too.”
Xander responded with a smirk and grabbed a plate of food, taking a seat at the small kitchen table.
“You better get cleaned up,” he said, staring ahead as he ate. “We might have a long day ahead of us.”
Daphne nodded. “Save me some food.”
“No promises,” he said with a smirk. “These are some pretty fucking good eggs.”
Daphne blushed a bit and headed to the bathroom. Once showered and dressed, she went back into the kitchen where Xander was still seated at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him along with the day’s paper. Daphne watched him read and drink his coffee and thought about just how nice it was to have a man in the house, even if it was only temporary.
But she realized that she’d also grown accustomed to the sound of a child in her life. Looking around, her eyes moved over Jack’s toys and at once she was overcome with a feeling of longing for her son. Surreptitiously taking her phone from her purse, she pulled open her texts and sent one off to Caroline.
How’s Jack?
The reply came only a few moments later.
Misses his mommy, of course. But we’re good here. Why, is something wrong?
Daphne typed up a quick response.
Same old. Might need to have him stay with you for a few more days.
The phone buzzed in her hand.
Not a problem at all; he can stay here for as long as you need him to. But come by if you can.
Daphne typed again.
Definitely. I’ll let you know when I can get over there.
She felt good knowing that Jack was in good hands, but it didn’t make her miss him any less.
“What’s up?” said Xander, evidently having noticed that Daphne was in a text conversation about a serious subject matter.
“Nothing,” said Daphne. “Just getting my shift for today switched; I don’t really feel safe leaving the house by myself today.”
Xander nodded. “Good call.”
Daphne poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down on the couch, her gaze falling onto the trees outside and their branches, which lolled gently in the morning breeze.
“Um, how’s your family?” asked Daphne.
“Huh?” responded Xander. “What you wanna know about my family for?”
“I don’t know,” said Daphne, watching the steam curl from the black circle of her coffee. “I just don’t really know what’s been going on with you these days. Figured family would be a good place to start.”
Xander folded the newspaper, set it down on the table, and moved over to the easy chair across from Daphne in the living room.
“Same old shit,” he said. “They want me to get out of this MC shit, do something normal with my life.”
Daphne smiled. “Normal? What’s ‘normal’ for a guy like you?”
“Beats the hell out of me,” he said. “And that’s what I keep telling them. I love being in my MC, but I’m not just in it for the laughs, you know? It’s the one fucking thing I’m good at that’ll actually put money in my pocket.”
Daphne thought back on the conversations they’d had about Xander’s life. He’d had a rough childhood, growing up in a neighborhood where crime was rampant and the average kid cared more about having the latest basketball shoes than grades. Xander had had to learn from a young age how to navigate an environment like that, and Daphne knew that that helped shape him into the man he was today.
But his mother had had a different life in mind for him. She had spent hours after work helping him and his sisters with their schoolwork, all in an effort to keep her kids off of the streets, maybe get them into a good college. It had seemed to take for Xander’s si
sters, but Xander had been another story. Once he got into high school and found just how much money and status there was in drug-dealing, it had only been a matter of time before he got into the game.
And from what he’d told her, he had been shocked to find out just how good he was at it. He’d quickly learned the ins and outs of running with criminals, and had a shrewd enough mind to handle the money and logistics of his burgeoning criminal enterprise. By the time he’d barely graduated with the bare minimum GPA, he had been making more money in a month than he knew what to do with.
His family had tried to get him to drop his criminal ways, to use the money he’d saved up to go to a community college and put his life on the straight and narrow, but Xander had had other ideas. As a graduation present, he’d bought himself a brand-new Harley, and from then on his path had been set. He’d found himself in the Shadow Hunters not too long after, and that, as he told Daphne, was when he’d known there was no going back.