by K. Langston
I didn’t see what the big deal was. It was just a romper. When I left Florida for California, I’d packed light—sundresses and rompers. Cute and comfy. That was my style. I’d brought along a denim jacket to ward off any chill but it wasn’t necessary. Just being in the same car with him made me hot.
And not in a good way.
I wasn’t sure which part he hated the most. The ruffled eyelet hem that grazed my upper thighs or the top half, which was low-cut with spaghetti straps. My breasts were small enough I didn’t have to wear a bra. The anger in his eyes only intensified when his eyes drifted to either. Sure, it showed a lot of skin, but I wanted him to look.
I wanted him to eat his stubborn heart out.
I wanted him to regret the way he treated me this morning when we woke up. He’d given me the cold shoulder, only giving me short, one-word answers, and even though I’d asked twice more, he still wouldn’t tell me why the hell we were driving all the way to Texas.
“Are you going to be like this all day?”
“Like what?” he grumbled.
“Like you’re pissed at the world.”
He muttered under his breath before pulling over on the side of the road and getting out of the car. I watched him pace back and forth before I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door.
I’d barely made it out when he snapped. “Get back in the car.”
Slamming the door, I walked toward him. “No, I want to know what your problem is.”
“Nothing. Get your ass back in the car. Now.”
“Stop barking orders at me. I’m not a fucking dog.”
He stopped pacing and fixed his eyes on me. “I do not treat you like a dog.”
“Yes, you do. You ordered me to change clothes. You won’t tell me why we’re going to Texas. You just expect me to do whatever the hell you say. And you won’t talk to me about last night.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“We spent the night together.”
“So.”
“So?”
He exhaled a long, frustrated sigh, dragging the palm of his hand through his hair. “I told you before, the only thing I can offer you is protection.”
“Oh God, don’t tell me you’re one of those guys.”
“Meaning?”
“The asshole who acts like an asshole because he thinks he’s not worthy enough, has too many demons to battle, and feels the need to fight them alone.”
“You hit the nail on the head, baby. I’m exactly that guy. And I’m going to lay it all out for you, I’m not the guy for you.”
“But you want me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Listen, I’m not trying to be a dick.”
“Too late for that,” I tossed out, folding my arms across my chest.
“Fine, then I’m a dick, but at least I’m an honest dick.”
“You’re not being honest. You want me; you’re just too chickenshit to admit it.”
“Get in the damn car,” he said, stalking toward it. “I’m tired of arguing with you on the side of the damn road.”
“God, why do you have to be such an asshole?”
“Why do you have to be so goddamn beautiful?”
He didn’t mean to say it. I could tell by the shocked expression that slipped over his face, but he’d admitted it all the same.
I blinked. “You think I’m beautiful?”
He shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You’re such a brat, you know that?”
I smiled. “But a beautiful brat?”
“Get your beautiful, bratty ass in the car. Please.”
“Holy cheese, he said please!’”
Once inside, he blew out a heavy breath and fixed his eyes on mine. “I do want you. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone, but I would only hurt you, Cass. I—I can’t be what you need.”
“You don’t know what I need.”
“Trust me, I know.”
That outfit was killing me.
And she wasn’t wearing a fucking bra. I was ready to bust something by the time we finally rented the car and made it on the road. I refused to look at her or speak to her, scared I would press her against the nearest hard surface and lose myself inside of her.
Last night—holding her, sleeping next to her—was the first time I’d not woken up to a nightmare in I couldn’t remember when. Her warm body pressed against mine, her soft skin beneath my fingers. It was heaven.
And it was hell.
I couldn’t have her. Not like that. It wouldn’t be right. But giving her the cold shoulder wasn’t working as much as I’d hoped either. Honestly, it made me want her even more. The way she stood up to me and called me out on being an asshole. Jesus, she looked so damn sexy standing on the side of the road yelling at me. I wanted to throw her on the hood and fuck her right then and there.
Knowing her, she would’ve probably loved it.
I shifted in my seat, adjusting myself. I couldn’t think of shit like that. It was dangerous to us both. It also compromised my loyalty to Bodie. Just because he wasn’t here anymore didn’t mean I had the right to his sister. He asked me to watch out for her not fuck her. I also knew I had to keep an eye on her from afar, because if I ever had the chance to be inside of her, I would take it. And from then on out, she would own me completely.
I couldn’t let that happen.
Once we were on the road, she turned to me and asked, “Are you going to tell me why we’re driving all the way to Texas?”
I blew out a frustrated breath. The woman was relentless. “We’re meeting someone.”
“Who?”
“His name is Rowdy Lawter. He’s president of an MC that has some strong connections with Del Marco. I’m hoping he can help us.”
“How?”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that?”
“It’s my life on the line here.”
Fair enough.
Still, I didn’t think she needed to know everything. “Rodriquez worked for Dios Del Mal.”
“Holy shit. The drug cartel?”
I nodded.
“Do you think Bodie was involved with them?”
“I’m not sure. That’s what I’m hoping to find out.”
She was quiet for a while then she shifted in her seat to face me. “Can I ask you something?”
“If I say no are you going to ask me anyway?”
Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. “When’s the last time you were on a board?”
Gripping the steering wheel, I tried to suppress the surge of anxiety that came with the thought of surfing. “No time.”
“But you loved it so much. You can’t tell me you don’t still crave that thrill. Ripping a wave. Shredding the water. You were so good. One of the best.”
I was good. And truthfully, I missed it. But that didn’t stop the panic from creeping up my throat. Being in the water evoked too many memories.
Even the good ones hurt like hell.
“I mean, maybe if you found an outlet for all that aggression you wouldn’t be so…”
“So what?”
“Intense.”
She had no idea how intense I could really be.
A wicked grin morphed on her pretty face. “You know what your problem is?”
“What?”
“You take yourself way too seriously. You should laugh sometimes. My mother always said laughter is the best medicine.”
“Not much to laugh about these days.”
“Of course there is. You just haven’t been hanging around the right people.”
She punched a few buttons on the radio until she found a song she liked. Cassidy cranked up the volume and started singing at the top of her lungs about a small town girl living in a lonely world, animating her face and hand gestures with every lyric. I found myself harboring a foreign smile as I glanced back and forth from her to the road. The tension in my shoulders eased a bit and my tight grip loosened on the steering wheel.
Di
dn’t mean she was right.
It only confirmed what I’d been telling myself all along, that she had the power to make me feel alive.
And destroy me.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
I shook my head, refusing to give in, and returned my attention back to the road.
Thankfully, Cass fell asleep somewhere between Kentucky and Tennessee and didn’t wake up until we pulled up to a hotel just outside of Nashville. We checked into a room with two beds this time instead of one, then Cassidy suggested we hit the Mexican restaurant right across the street.
She ordered a frozen margarita and I had a Modelo. We ate, talked, our conversation flowing just as easily as the alcohol.
“You like what you do?” I asked, genuinely curious about her. I knew so much yet so little.
“Yeah, I do. It gives me the freedom to work anywhere I want and I get to set my own hours, but it’s not my dream job. I mean, I love it, but it just kind of fell in my lap and I ran with it. What I really want to do is open a surf school for underprivileged kids.”
I sat back in my seat, shocked by her revelation. “You surf?”
She nodded, pride gripping her smile. “Does that surprise you?”
“Considering you never wanted to go in the water when you were younger, yeah, it does.”
She leaned forward, her mocha eyes capturing mine. “Do you remember that time the three of us drove up to Ringwood to go cliff jumping?”
“How could I forget? It took Bodie and me forever to talk you into jumping off that first cliff.”
“I was scared to death. I’d never done anything like that before. I was always so cautious. Hell, I didn’t even like riding roller coasters back then. Chasing adrenaline wasn’t my thing.”
A lot had changed since then. She definitely was not that same timid little girl she was back then. “You were hooked after that first jump. We had to practically drag you back to the car.”
She smiled. “I would have never jumped if it hadn’t been for you though.”
“Me?”
“I’ll never forget what you said to me. Fear is temporary. Regret lasts forever.”
“I said that?”
She nodded. “Those words stuck with me. Anytime I was afraid to do anything, I would always think about that day and it would give me the courage to face my fears.”
With each confession, I found myself falling a little further and further down that dark hole I swore never to venture into. The one where hell waits on the other side of temptation.
“Do you have any regrets, Reid?” Her eyes held mine, hope flickering with reverence there.
“More than I care to mention.”
The conversation had grown too heavy. Too bleak. I drank several more beers while Cassidy finished up her margarita. A band set up on the patio and after a few songs, Cassidy was on her feet.
“Come on,” she said, attempting to pull me from my seat. “Dance with me.” I shook my head and with a sexy little pout that had me wanting to ravage her bottom lip, she let go of my hands and joined the small crowd of people on the makeshift dance floor.
That damn outfit.
The way she moved in it drove me insane. Licking my lips, I watched closely as she swung her hips from side to side, sexy and smooth. I fought every urge to stomp out there and claim her, instead curling my fingers around the neck of my beer and lifting it to down the rest.
Cassidy made me want her in a way no woman ever had.
Ever.
Eyes locked with mine as she swayed, tormenting me like only she could. My cock twitched in my jeans, reminding me of the effect she had on not only my heart, but my body, too. She curled her fingers, begging with her eyes for me to come to her, but I stayed rooted to my seat, knowing if I put my hands on her out there, it would be all over with. Flexing her hips against me like she was doing now.
I wouldn’t have a goddamn prayer.
But that desire dissolved into anger when a set of hands fanned her hips.
That got me out of my chair quick.
I stomped across the patio toward the dance floor, the green monster roaring to life inside of me. Especially when she tried to shove them off of her and he didn’t comply.
“If you want to keep those hands, I suggest you get them off of her hips.”
The guy threw them up in the air as he collected a few steps in retreat. “Sorry, man, didn’t think she was with anyone considering she was out here all alone.”
“Let’s go, Cass. Now.” Grinding my teeth, I suppressed my rage and grabbed her hand, leading her toward the exit before I lost my shit. Because not only did I want to beat that guy’s ass for touching her but I also wanted to beat on my chest like a fucking animal and tell the whole goddamn world she’s mine.
Jesus, what the hell is she doing to me?
I stopped long enough to throw some cash down on the table then grabbed her hand again and headed back across the street to the hotel.
“Reid, please talk to me,” she pleaded, but I didn’t reply.
Talking right now required patience and I had none left. Watching her out on the dance floor had reminded me of how much I’d always wanted her.
Even when I shouldn’t have.
I was afraid if I opened my mouth to say anything it would be to take hers. Once we were inside, I moved to the bed closest to the door and began emptying my pockets on the nightstand while Cassidy snatched up her bag with a huff and went straight into the bathroom.
When she walked out a few moments later, I knew for sure God was punishing me.
“What the hell are you wearing?” I asked, my dick hardening against my zipper.
She looked down at her chest, a grin smarting that sassy mouth of hers. “A shirt.”
One finger curled at the hem of my favorite Yankees shirt I’d had packed in my bag, the ball of her foot twisting in place while she licked her lips.
Teasing me.
Luring me to the edge of a very steep cliff.
I wanted to know what that finger tasted like. No doubt it tasted as sweet as she smelled.
Like goddamn candy.
The kind you have to suck the sour to get to the sweet.
Every part of me wanted to devour every inch of her. Not to mention how good she would look underneath me. The images funneled through my mind in quick succession, one after the other. The countless ways I could make her mine. But the guilt still remained. Nestled somewhere between want and need.
I wanted her, but she needed my help.
I promised Bodie.
Desire gnawed at my resolve, but I stayed rooted in place. Her dark eyes peeked up at me as she made her way over, determination heavy in her gaze. “You don’t like my shirt?”
“It’s mine,” I growled.
“I know.” She stopped in front of me, reaching for my hand and placing it between her legs. “And so is this.” Standing on her tiptoes, her lips brushed my cheek, breath hot in my ear. “If you want it.”
The heat of her pussy paired with the damp fabric between her legs snapped my pathetic control. Leaning down, I captured her lips, her pliant body sagging against mine. My promise to Bodie was washed away as her taste flooded my mouth, a hint of tequila mixed with lime and a pound of need that rivaled my own. There was no more pain, no more guilt.
Just…her.
Raising my other hand, I brought it to the back of her neck, gently grasping the strands of her soft, silky hair before giving them a hard tug. Her head fell back with a gasp, breaking our heated kiss, and my mouth descended on her neck with greed, my fingers stroking over her wet panties.
“I want to take you here and now,” I told her.
“Reid, please. I’m begging you.”
“What do you want, Cassidy? And you better be very specific.”
She moved her hand to my cock, stroking and squeezing me through the rough denim of my jeans. “This specific enough for you?”
Her words fell on a whisper, stripping away an
y remaining hope of ever escaping what I knew deep down had been inevitable all along.
My body was on fire.
Set ablaze by the one man who had the power to do it. I couldn’t believe how bold I was, but it seemed to finally get his full attention.
His hand fisted tighter in my hair while the other moved to my cheek to gently caress my skin. “Take off the fucking shirt,” he ordered before releasing me to collect a step back. His blue eyes were hooded, a dark promise hidden beneath the undercurrent of pleasure, drowning me.
I’d tried so hard to keep it casual during dinner. We’d had a nice time. It almost seemed like we were on a date. I even caught him laughing a few times. But then his eyes would turn hard.
That armor of his firmly in place.
I had done everything I could to dismantle it but it seemed that the only way to get his attention was to be assertive and very clear about what I wanted. Swallowing hard, I did as he said, peeling the T-shirt off and letting it fall to the floor. He stood motionless, his face impassive as he raked his eyes down my body in a way that screamed one thing…
“Panties,” he ordered next, the deep sound of his voice vibrating with heat between my thighs, an ache building with the intensity of his command.
I slowly pushed my panties down my legs, letting the thin black fabric pool at my feet before stepping out, then forward, needing to be closer to him.
But he didn’t make me wait.
He reached out, hooking one hand behind my neck to bring me closer. That other hand moved possessively below my breast, cupping it in his palm, giving it yet another generous squeeze before bringing my hard nipple to his mouth. My head fell back on a long moan; the feel of his warm lips on my skin was too much.
But not nearly enough.
“Just wait until I’m inside of you. The sounds you’ll make for me.”
“Please,” I begged, completely unashamed in my need for him.
I needed to feel the weight of him on top of me, inside of me. I needed that look in his eyes. The one that told me I was his.
Only his.