by S. Nelson
Dismissing her slight discomfort, she switched the subject, although what she chose to say irritated me. “I don’t want to be in the way when Arianna gets here, so if you’ll show me where I’ll be sleeping, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“What the hell are you talkin’ about? Why would Arianna be coming over?” My entire body tensed. I hated that Reece thought there was anything going on between me and that bitch. Yeah, Arianna was a bitch. I saw the way she talked to everyone at the club; I just chose to ignore it when I buried myself between her legs because I was obviously out of my mind.
“Because she told me she was.”
“When?”
“When I was getting changed at the club. She cornered me and asked me. . . .” She trailed off before finishing, becoming quite flustered again. Her blush intensified.
Oh this is gonna be good.
“What did she ask you?”
“I don’t remember,” she lied, lowering her head to avoid further eye contact.
“Reece. . . .” She kept her head down. “Look. At. Me,” I demanded, the gruffness to my tone leaving no room for argument. After several seconds, she finally raised her head. “What did she ask you?”
Her teeth played with her bottom lip in nervousness. All sorts of images of what I’d love to do with those lips ran through my head, but before I lost myself to them, she answered. “She asked me if I was fu-fucking you.” Surprisingly, she kept her eyes on me after speaking, probably counting the seconds until I broke the suddenly charged connection.
“What did you say?”
Her mouth fell open. “What do you think I said? I just met you earlier tonight.” Her mouth opened and closed a few more times, but no words escaped.
“So . . . you don’t wanna sleep with me?”
“I didn’t say that. I mean, that’s not what she asked me.” Her hands twisted errant strands of her hair. “Wait, what are you asking me?”
Rattling her was quickly becoming my new favorite thing.
Having too much fun to let it go, I pressed her further, crowding her personal space for the full effect. “It’s simple. Do you want to sleep with me?”
“I don’t know you.”
“So what? It’s a simple yes or no. Do you want me between those sexy thighs of yours or not?” She looked like a deer in headlights. “Okay, we’ll table that question for another time.” I should’ve been more sensitive to what she’d been through earlier, but I couldn’t help but goad her. Besides, I took comfort knowing I’d never let anything bad happen to her again. From here on out she should consider herself safe. “And just so you know, Arianna won’t be stopping over.”
“Is she your girlfriend?”
“Hell no!” I shouted, lowering my voice back to a normal level after I saw her flinch. “Sorry. No, that chick is certainly not my girlfriend. Since you seem to want to pry into my business,” I said, giving her a faux look of irritation, “I’m not involved with anyone.”
“Oh,” she simply responded, twirling a strand of hair around her finger again. A nervous tick?
“So you know what that means, don’t ya?”
“No.” Her voice was meek and unsure, a contradiction to the woman I believed her to truly be.
“That means you’re free to hit on me as much as your little heart desires.”
She blushed again, but at least that time her flush was accompanied by a smile.
Walking away was hard, but I turned my back to her and headed toward the kitchen once more. “You hungry?” I asked over my shoulder, rummaging through the fridge for something to make in case she said yes. I didn’t have to face her to know her eyes were glued to me. As much as I wanted to turn around and catch her ogling me, I remained in position, acting as if I weren’t completely distracted by her standing twenty feet away.
“No. I don’t have much of an appetite,” she admitted.
Closing the fridge, a rush of strangled breath passed my lips before I finally turned to face her and saw I was right. Her eyes were glued to me, but when her tongue peeked out and licked her lips I had to hold back from rushing toward her and crashing my mouth to hers.
Fuck! What was I thinking bringing her to my house?
Before I could delve into my confusion, my cell rang, ‘Prez’ flashing across the screen and pulling all of my focus.
“Yeah,” I answered, my voice rushed, trying to tamp down my irritation.
“You’re up.”
“I thought that wasn’t until tomorrow.”
“Change of plans. Let’s go,” Marek demanded, hanging up on me before giving me the chance to ask if someone could take my place. Cursing under my breath, I glanced at Reece, hating that I had to leave her. But at least at my place she’d be safe. It was a small comfort.
If I’d had a choice, I would’ve stay holed up in the cabin for days—weeks, even. Who was I kidding? I’d stay locked away from everyone else for months if that’s what it took to drive away my new obsession with this woman.
Reece
What the hell was I thinking coming here?
My actions were completely out of character. Never mind that Tripp was a stranger; even though he’d rescued me, the way my body bristled when I was near him should’ve been a warning in and of itself. He was dangerous. The way his eyes devoured me. The way his body called to mine on the basest of levels.
All my thoughts became muddled whenever he crowded my personal space. Hell, even with the space currently between us I found it hard to think of anything other than being wrapped in his warm embrace.
Maybe it was nothing more than knight-in-shining-armor syndrome. Was that even a thing? I’d never had someone come to my rescue before, so maybe his saving me from that bastard earlier was the sole reason for my confusing feelings toward him. Even as my brain tried to convince me this was the real reason, my heart and soul knew differently.
“Come on,” he instructed, striding from the room after speaking and leaving me no choice but to follow. Correction—I had a choice. I could have stayed glued to the spot, but my brain spurred me to follow him. Or was that curiosity? Or tangible attraction?
He disappeared around the corner and I had to jog to keep up, which resulted in crashing into the back of him, bouncing back and almost losing my balance. Luckily my hand shot out and I braced myself against the wall.
“You okay?” he asked, spinning around and grabbing my arms.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, quite embarrassed. “Your long-ass legs are to blame, you know.” I tried to make light of my clumsiness, and from the smile on his face, it’d worked.
“My long-ass legs?”
“Yeah. I had to run just to keep up with you. What are ya, seven feet tall?” He stood taller and smiled bigger, his rugged beauty almost knocking me on my ass for real that time.
“Six four.”
“You’re the biggest man I’ve ever seen,” I blabbered, continuing to crane my neck just to see his face. My confession rattled me even though it was an innocent statement.
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart.” He chuckled, licking his lips before turning away from me and strolling into what I assumed was his bedroom.
Standing in the doorway, I watched him dart about the room, disappearing into a closet before reentering the space. Grasped in his hands was a plain red T-shirt. “Will this do?”
“For what?”
“For bed. Or like I said, you could sleep in the nude. But if you go with that option, you better lock this door or I’ll be payin’ you a visit.” He wriggled his brows and I found him even sexier than before. A playful Tripp, albeit inappropriate, tugged at something inside me, but I didn’t want to dissect any of what I was feeling right then.
“What about the shorts?”
“What shorts?”
“You said you had a T-shirt and shorts I could change into. So, where are the shorts?” I shuffled my feet but beyond all reason kept my eyes pinned to his. I found our banter soothing, although the
sexual attraction toward him ran rampant inside me, threatening to erupt at any moment if he didn’t walk away.
With a few simple steps, he towered over me, holding his shirt in front of me. “I think this will be plenty. It’ll hide . . . everything.” Why did he look disappointed after he spoke? Standing so close tested my restraint. I feared if he didn’t move back, and do it soon, I’d throw myself at him and beg him to have his way with me. Which, much like going home with a stranger, was completely out of character for me.
Pulling me back from my fantasies, he pointed toward the bathroom and said, “You can change in there.”
“What smells so heavenly?” I rounded the corner as my stomach threatened to eat itself.
“I thought you said you didn’t have much of an appetite,” he responded, wiping his hands on a nearby dishtowel.
“Well, it’s back in full force now.” Walking up behind him, I moved to his right to try and peer around him but he shifted at the last second, blocking my view of whatever he was dishing out on the plate. Because I couldn’t see the food he’d prepared, I did the next best thing. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled the delicious aroma, closing my eyes and allowing the savory smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes to waft through my nose.
“Did you just smell me?”
I was still lost to the aroma of a home-cooked breakfast when Tripp surprised me with his question. My eyes popped open and my lips parted in surprise. I took a step back and fervently shook my head. Words escaped me, and in my silence I allowed myself to quickly take in the man in front of me. The smirk on his face was most definitely arrogant, but for some reason it worked for him. Made him sexier, if that were at all possible. His shirt stretched across his broad chest and the image of what lay just underneath was anything but hidden. He wore dark-washed jeans, the fabric fitted in all the right places. When I looked lower I saw he was barefoot. I’d never been so happy to see a man’s feet before.
“Well . . . did you?” he asked again.
“Uh . . . what?” I shook my head and tried a different response, something that didn’t have me sounding like a complete idiot. “No, of course I wasn’t smelling you. I was smelling the food.”
“Are you sure? Because I’ve been told I smell incredible.”
“I’m sure you have, and by plenty of women at that.”
“Not anyone who counted,” he offered. A fleeting look passed over his features but was gone before I could read into it. Retreating a step, he glanced at me from head to toe, similar to what I’d just done to him. His quirked brow made me self-conscious all of a sudden, even though I was fully clothed. “I like you in my shirt.”
Finally peeling my eyes from him, I looked down at the oversized shirt covering my body. With my gaze still averted, I responded. “Yeah, it does the trick.”
Tripp cleared his throat, but it wasn’t until he did it again that I raised my head. The way he stared at me was as if he wanted to eat me alive, and given the sexual tension between us I could only imagine exactly where he’d like to start on my body. Clenching my thighs together, I tried to squelch the sudden throbbing, but it was useless; the only thing that was gonna help me right then was a cold shower. I tried to think of something to say but the only thing my lust-induced brain could come up with was “You have a stain on your shirt.”
“Where?” He pulled the material away from his body and I caught a peek of his lower abdomen. Look away. But I couldn’t. “I don’t see it,” he huffed, pulling his shirt higher up his body so that I had a full view of his stomach. Can men have eight-packs? Because he sure as hell did.
“It’s right there,” I answered, tearing my eyes away from his naked skin and stepping closer until my hand covered his, moving the shirt until I touched the stain. “Here.”
He smiled, looking at where our hands touched. “Hazard of cooking, I suppose.” Swallowing my sudden brazenness, I stepped back and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. I was nervous, sure, but it was more than that. Desire. Want. Lust—you name it.
“Looks like I better take this off before I stain it again.”
Before I processed his words completely, he lifted his shirt, revealing first his defined abdominals and then his pecs. Furrowing my brow at the sight of the many scars littering his torso, I didn’t ask what had happened, figuring it was too personal for him to reveal such a thing to a stranger, even though he’d insisted said stranger stay with him that evening.
When his shirt had finally cleared his head, he tossed it on the seat closest to him, his eyes pinned to mine. Watching, waiting for some kind of reaction.
“Better?” he asked, leaning against the counter so I could take him all in. My mouth suddenly went dry. My heart hammered inside my tightly coiled chest, and an ache I was becoming familiar with bloomed between my thighs. “Reece? Are you okay?”
“Huh?” I continued to visually devour him, committing every facet of his incredible body to memory. I was completely shameless.
Tripp pushed himself off the counter, his muscles flexing and taunting me. Yeah, completely shameless. “I asked if you were okay.” The deep gravel of his voice ricocheted through me and made my lustful state even worse. Get a grip, woman.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. You just caught me off guard when you stripped in front of me.” My nervous laughter told him everything.
“I hardly call that stripping. Now, if I took off my jeans. . . .” The corners of his full lips kicked up in amusement again.
I knew if I didn’t change the subject I would completely embarrass myself in front of him. No doubt he was used to women throwing themselves at him, and the last thing I needed, or wanted, was to be included in that group. No, Tripp was a stranger, someone I’d just met earlier that night. Even though I essentially owed him my life for his protection, it didn’t change the fact that I didn’t know him. Sure, I was attracted to him, but that’s all it was—physical attraction. Nothing more.
He must have realized I’d become uncomfortable, although I doubted he knew the extent of why, because he turned around and finished dishing out the food he’d cooked. “Sit down,” he ordered, his tone demanding yet gentle.
As soon as I situated myself, he placed the plate in front of me. “It’s the only food here. I hope you don’t mind breakfast.” He stood beside me stock-still until I made a move, so I dug in to keep from focusing on him any longer. Only then did he walk out of the kitchen, returning several minutes later fully clothed. And although I was thankful that he’d covered himself, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.
Tripp
I toyed with fire. Bringing her back to my place wasn’t the smartest move I’d ever made, yet I couldn’t seem to help myself. From the first time I laid eyes on her I knew I never wanted to look away.
I just about lost my shit when she entered the kitchen wearing nothing but my shirt. Yeah, it covered her completely, but her full tits pressed against the material, drawing my attention right away. I’d seen her naked earlier when she danced for me . . . and every other man at the club. And it was knowing what my shirt hid that tortured me.
Regretfully I had to leave her to take care of club business. I was already late, and I knew Marek would lay into me even worse if I didn’t hurry my ass up and get to the safe house.
“I have to go.” Eyeing her plate, I saw she’d eaten every last morsel.
“Where? Will you be gone long? You’re going to leave me here all by myself?” She showered me with questions, her nervousness wafting off her in waves.
“I have to tend to some business at the club. I probably won’t be back until tomorrow. Late morning. But feel free to make yourself at home. If you wanna take a shower, there’re plenty of towels and anything else you’ll probably need. Not so much chick stuff, but shit to get the job done.” All at once, I felt heat rush through my body. Not only was I picturing her naked in my shower, with her hands running all over her toned and supple body, but I rambled on like s
ome kind of idiot. Taking a much-needed breath, I finished with “You’ll be fine until I get back.”
Grabbing my keys off the table, I walked toward the door, telling myself not to turn around for fear I’d never leave. But her voice stopped me, the innocence of her tone undoing me.
“Tripp?”
With my back still facing her, I answered. “Yeah.”
“I’m scared.” The lilt of her voice tugged at my insides, urging me to swing around and pull her close. But I understood myself enough to know that if I drew her into my embrace I wasn’t gonna let her go.
“Why?”
“Because of everything that happened earlier.”
Shit! There was no way I couldn’t face her, the fright she felt lacing each word. Letting go of the handle, I spun around and walked toward her. Her fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt. My shirt. Her breath quickened the closer I stepped, and the fear I heard in her voice was mirrored by her expression.
“He won’t hurt you again. I promise.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you scared?”
“I don’t know. When you told me you were leaving, I just got nervous. I can’t explain it, other than to say that I feel safe when you’re near. I know I don’t know you, and you could very well still be a killer,” she nervously joked, “but it’s how I feel.” Looking around the wide-open space, she added, “And now you’re gonna leave me here all alone.”
Reaching for her hand, I intertwined my fingers with hers. “You’ll be fine. This place has a state-of-the-art security system and you’re out in the middle of nowhere.” Grimacing, I realized that probably wasn’t the best thing to say. Nothing like making her feel even more secluded. “What I mean is that the chances of anyone approaching this place are nil to none. You’ll be safe until I get back. But if it would make you feel better, I’ll give you my number in case you need me. I mean, need to call me.” There I go again with the awkward fuckin’ rambling.