by Tiana Laveen
“I like talking to you.” She cleared her throat and glanced at him out the corner of her eye. “You’re an interesting person, Savage. Believe it or not, this is how I envision a vacation. Looking at the sights, eating delicious food, and engaging in insightful conversation. I don’t agree with everything you’ve shared, but I enjoy the discourse nonetheless. You’re rudimentary, and you look as if you’d be unsophisticated, but you’re also logical and thoughtful… different from how I thought you’d be.”
He intertwined their fingers. Staring at her hand, he slowly brought it to his lips for a kiss.
“And how did you think I’d be?”
“Honestly? Dumb as a rock.” He chuckled and shook his head. “But you’re not… you come across as rather bright and I like that.”
Moments later, they had passed the main area of the Vegas nightlife. The road was dark, the limousine was zipping past white posts and street signs, and the starlit sky was the only illumination to be seen.
“Where are we going?”
“I told you… the Mojave Desert.”
“I thought you were kidding!”
The man had the gall to look at her and laugh, a full head toss and all.
“But it’s late at night, Savage. No one goes to a desert in the middle of the night. That’s dangerous!”
“You’re in no danger.” He rolled his eyes as if she were being dramatic. “I know how to handle this. Exploring this area in the evening is beautiful, like nothing you’ve ever seen.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw twinkling lights in the distance, then three small white aircrafts on a runway in the middle of nowhere. The limousine pulled into a small lot and parked.
“Are we… are we flying on that?” She pointed to one of the planes, the only one that was lit up with the propeller spinning.
Please say no, please say no, please say no!
“Yeah,” was all he offered before the driver got out of the vehicle and opened her door. The man took her hand and helped her out the car, and she practically jumped out of her skin when Savage came to stand next to her. How the hell had he gotten to her so fast and without being heard or seen?! Shaking that thought out of her mind, she let him take her by the arm and lead her to the aircraft. Her stomach fluttered…
I hate these small Tonka toy sized planes! How’d I get into this mess? I shoulda known he wasn’t going to drive almost three hours away for no damn date!
Less than ten minutes later, they were sitting side by side inside the small space, knees practically rubbing against one another. The bastard had the nerve to start cracking jokes with the pilot, smiling and carrying on.
“Just so you know, Kim and Allison both know my whereabouts should you try anything strange or I disappear into thin air.”
“Good. I don’t give uh shit.” He grinned. “Call your mom, the FBI, and the Pope, too.” He shrugged.
“Smartass.”
“I’m serious. I would encourage any chick in this day and age to do that, ya know, to tell people where she is going. You have no idea some of the fucked up people in this world, baby… no idea.” His eyes turned to practical slits as his voice drifted. “Funny, the innocent lookin’ guys are the ones doing the most dirt. Ted Bundy, for example, looked like a clean-cut politician. Don’t be afraid of the guys with the shifty eyes; be cautious of the ones in the nice suits that have the gift of the gab.”
He suddenly reached over and squeezed her left breast, then released it with the swiftness only known to Speedy Gonzales. It was almost as if she were losing her mind…Did that just really happen?!
She looked down at her shirt and could see where some of the fabric was creased from his touch. The fucker was now talking to the pilot again, yucking it up, as if nothing had transpired. Meanwhile, her body filled with the heat of a thousand infernos!
“Ow!” He laughed as he rubbed his arm where she’d landed a mighty blow.
“How dare you! Don’t do that again.”
“Huh?” He threw up his hands. “Do what?”
“You know what you did!” She hissed and turned away.
“Nice tit. You need better cup support though.” He reached into a bowl of peanuts and crammed a bunch into his mouth like some greedy ogre. She hoped he’d choke. “I don’t mind. The jigglier the better.” He chewed noisily with his mouth flapping open. “But I could feel the underwire kinda cuttin’ into your skin and the slight bulge at the top means it’s not the best fit. Go up a size.”
She huffed and shook her head.
He could feel all of that in a one-second squeeze?
“You’re full of shit. You’re a tits and bra expert now, huh? What a motherfucker you are and worst of all, you know it and don’t care. Where are the checks and balances inside of that skull of yours? I should slap the shit outta you.”
At this, he burst out laughing.
“I like being slapped, especially when fucking.” She swallowed. “You’re right. I am a motherfucker, baby. That’s true… You really do have nice tits though. Nice ass, too… but like I said, tits and ass attract, they don’t hook. I’m into some other shit. I like that you’re open minded but pretend not to be. That’s different, but it’s cool. I dig that shit. Let your guard down for me tonight. Have some fun. You’ve earned it, right?”
“All right… I’m going to, but only for one night.” She crossed her legs and talked herself into releasing some of her inhibitions. Besides, he was right; after this weekend, she’d never speak to or see him again. She could be naughty and no one would be the wiser.
“You’re sexy, you know that, Zaire? I don’t mean just physically, either. I like your voice… and the way you move your head when you talk. I like your hair, your scent, and the curve of your back. Let’s have a good time and fuck each other’s brains out. Nothin’ like a good romp in the cerebral hay. This should be right up your alley. You’re a sapiosexual, right?”
“Yup.”
“Good. So am I.”
“I highly doubt that.” She grimaced.
“Who I fuck for fun or out of boredom, and who I fuck for more than that are two different categories of women. You think you are figuring me out? Nah…” He lit a cigar as the plane began to taxi. “Baby, you haven’t even scratched the fucking surface.”
Her lips curled in a grin as she stared out the window into blackness. Her breath hitched when the plane took off, juddering and shifting from side to side as it soared higher and higher into the air. Anxiety wrapped its hand around her neck and squeezed. She braced herself when she felt his weight against her arm, his palm glide around her waist in an embrace, his mouth close to her face…
Smoke-laced breath with traces of mint and wine filled her space, giving a strange sense of comfort and peace.
“You’re good, baby. We’re going to be fine. Savage won’t let shit happen to you, all right? Relax. You’re in good hands.”
She hated herself for feeling excited with this son of a bitch.
She despised herself for finding him so damn attractive, for the fact her panties were practically soaked.
He reeked of arrogance and audacity, a playfulness she wanted to explore, and a brain that was fit for deep study.
When she turned and looked at him, he held his cigar in one hand, and her in the other. His eyes stared deeply into hers, while his broad chest rose and fell slow and easy. Without a second to lose, he pulled her closer and gave her a firm, sensual kiss. His full, soft lips gave her new life. It wasn’t long before his tongue was gliding against hers. He gripped the back of her head, drawing her into his lust… Eyes shut, breathing hard, his touch drifted low, massaging the base of her back as he delivered the best lip lock known to mankind.
He kissed like he was making love to her, ruthlessly fucking her emotions… screwing her mind with powerful analytical thrusts.
He released her at last, and she hated him for it. Placing her hand to her mouth, she enjoyed the tingle that resonated all throughout her bo
dy, finding its way to her spine. She was electric like a lit-up Christmas tree, her body and mind in harmony.
“We’ll be there in about thirty-five minutes.” he said, and then, the lights in the cabin went out. All she could see was the orange glow of the cigar embers and the shadow his massive silhouette. Her soul shouted out the truth, and she knew it as such…
She was sitting next to a soulless monster pretending to be a man. Or perhaps, all men were monsters, but some simply accepted their true natures and did their best with the cards they were dealt?
Maybe I’m a monster, too, because he was right about what he’d said in the restaurant. I have an unhealthy attraction to men who are bad for my heart…
He’s a one-weekend kind of guy. Yeah… I’m fine with that. Men like Savage you can’t be with for too long. It always ends in disaster.
They hate commitments. Just let this kind of guy give you an experience, one you shall never forget, and then pass on by—go on with your life. Hell, it’ll be fun, right? That has to be the plan, because if you try to care about them, try to love them too hard, they will explode right there in your hands, taking you out right along with them… They will break you in two and laugh as they do it.
Savage is single for a reason.
He wants to be alone.
He’s too hard to hold, too cold to care, and too loathsome to love…
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sidewinding Conversation
He could see she was in awe…
The way Zaire stood on her tippy toes, holding tight to the binoculars as she stood on top of a rock in the Kelso Dunes of the Mojave Desert was a sight to behold. They’d just taken a thirty minute walk and now they stood here admiring the sights. He pointed at various types of vegetation, and they laughed and joked. Some of her layers melted away right in front of his eyes. She was relaxed, though he was certain he wasn’t near her center, the heated core, just yet. That would take some work, some digging, but he’d come here with a shovel and a whole lot of determination…
Getting a woman like Zaire to lay her burdens down and give her body had to be the crème de le crème of conquests. In his mind, this sort of beast of a woman was always a succulent sweet, a rare treat to devour. A prize. He could practically smell her superiority complex, and he had to break her down. It was fun. Just like a sport. The kind of hunt that would be for the record books.
“Do you see this? Wow!” she said. “I’m in complete awe!”
With his hands around her waist, he steadied her as she studied the miraculous night sky.
“It’s real nice, isn’t it? I did say you’d love it.”
“This is incredible, Savage.” Seconds turned to minutes. She was in deep. The cosmos had a way of hypnotizing women like Zaire, reminding them how very small they were in the scheme of things… “It’s like an entirely different universe.” She finally spoke after a long silence.
He slowly let go of her, reached into the large pocket inside his jacket, and removed her satiny black shoes she’d worn for their outing. Helping her down from the rock, he had her sit upon it as he slid on one slipper, then the other. It was rather dark out, but he’d lit a campfire and a couple of strategically placed flares for her stargazing, allotting them room to see their immediate surroundings in clear view.
“How’d you know about this area, anyway?” She handed him the binoculars and adjusted her jacket. “It’s out in the middle of nowhere.”
“My father used to bring me here every once in a while.” He glanced at the jeep he’d driven them in after they’d landed and gotten off the plane. “I come alone sometimes now, just to clear my head and get some fresh air.” She nodded in understanding. “It can get really dark out here, like the darkest room you’ve ever been in times one hundred.”
“Oh wow, I bet that’s scary.” She tugged at the zipper on her jacket, allowing it to flap open. It was a bit balmy out.
I think it’s beautiful actually… the pitch black. There’s power in darkness.”
She tilted her head to the side, gaze on him, seeming to debate on whether to ask him about what he’d just said. But she let it be…
“I’m going to have to come out here again.” She looked around in amazement. “I’m not an outdoorsy type of girl, Savage, but this right here is magical.”
“There’s a great book about the Mojave Desert and in it—” BAM!
“Oh shit!” she screamed, her voice ringing out into the night as she flinched and flailed her arms, bringing her hands to her ears. His smoking gun by his side, he stared at the light tan and stone colored sidewinder he’d split in two with one bullet to the head. Visibly shaken, the woman’s eyes had nearly leapt out of her skull. She finally rested her eyes upon the unlucky guy to receive a visit from a steely .410 shell out of the mouth of his Taurus Judge pistol, letting her hands fall to her sides. “It’s huge.”
“That’s what she said…” The woman rolled her eyes, causing him to chuckle. “Nah, it’s a damn sidewinder.”
She turned back towards it, then recoiled as if the damn thing would somehow come back, revived, and seek revenge from the afterlife. Her teeth bared, she sucked in air, regarding it with repulsion.
“Is it poisonous?”
“Yup. Some call it a horned rattlesnake but whatever you call it, make sure to know that it’s venomous, fast, and will fuck you up. Funny… they usually don’t like being around fire, but sometimes you’ll get a brazen one like this.” He slid a cigar out of his jacket and lit it. “He was probably after somethin’ that ran past. A pack rat, rabbit, or lizard… somethin’ like that.” He blew out some smoke and let it dissipate in the air. “They don’t like smoke. Their respiratory systems are sensitive. It slows them down, makes them pause for a bit.”
“Good Lord. How’d you even see it?”
He blew out a few rings of smoke, taking his time to respond. When he was done, he tossed the cigar in the sand then glanced up at the gorgeous sky.
“I didn’t. I heard it.”
The woman swallowed, shook her head, and stood to her feet.
“I don’t like snakes.” She grimaced in disgust. “Gross.”
“Eh.” He shrugged. “They’re actually amazing creatures and some make good pets. They get a bad rap. You just have to use common sense when out here. We’re in their territory, gotta watch them—they’re hunting right now and the scorpions around here are not something you wanna mess with, either, especially since it’s so hot right now.”
“Well, despite the snake massacre I witnessed, realizing that you’re carrying a damn loaded gun and lovely discussion of scorpions,” they both chuckled, “tonight was beautiful, Savage. I like how knowledgeable you are on the area, too. When I think of places like this, I admit that all I imagine are extreme heat, drought and sand.”
“Isn’t nature something?”
“It is. Thanks for bringing me.” They stood by the fire, side by side, the embers flickering and sparking like tiny fireworks in the night. “Does it bother you that I ask personal things? It’s just how my mind works,” she said with a smile, out of the blue.
“Nah, not really. You must want to ask me something else.”
“I do.”
“I get to ask you something personal too then. You have to answer honestly. Deal?”
She looked at him for a spell, swaying a bit from side to side.
“Deal. I want to ask you this, Savage, but I hope you don’t find it too heavy or personal. You’re just so damn interesting! I can’t help myself.”
“Nice touch… smearing on the compliments and charm to try ’nd butter me up before the kill.”
Her lips curled. “It’s that obvious, huh?”
“Definitely. Try me anyway.” He unzipped his jacket.
“Okay, have you ever been married?”
“Nope.”
“Considered it?”
“Nope times two.”
“Why not?” she said in disbelief.
He
faced her, taking her all in. The fire burned bright, casting its sweltering orange, lemon, and cinnamon essence in a frenzy upward motion. The reflection of the heated dance sparkled, the image of the flames glowing in her dark eyes like an untimely death and a brand new beginning all at the same time.
Damn, she is so fucking pretty…
“Zaire, marriage, to me, is not what it means to a lot of people so I can’t sign up for some shit like that, at least, not with the way people are nowadays.”
“I don’t understand. Are you against it? I’m just asking because I’m curious. Not anything related to you and me.” She laughed nervously.
“See, when you offer up too much information, you tell on yourself. If you’re trying to cover your tracks, keep it short and sweet.”
“You honestly think I’m interested in marrying you and trying to cover it up? Boy, bye!” He laughed at her words. “I don’t even know you.”
“You don’t have to know someone long to understand you have an attraction to them on a deeper level.” He grinned as she pursed her lips. The little birdie was caught with a cricket in her mouth. “Every question we ask is related to you or me right now.” He shrugged. “It’s a game of chess. It ties into our passions, our love, our hatred, our desires… even if it’s unconscious. But it’s cool. It’s fine.” He sucked his teeth as she kept her eye on him. Walking back and forth, he began to pace around the fire. It was hypnotic; he almost felt watched by the flames.
“You make me uncomfortable.”
He paused and looked at her. “Why? Because I’m pacing?”
“No, your tone of voice dropped. You’ve become quite serious.”
“You asked a serious question. What do you expect?” He threw up his hands then began to pace once again. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, then I’m doing my job. You make people uncomfortable every damn day you’re on that podcast. I only had to listen to a couple episodes online to figure that out. You’re damn good at what you do.” He ran his hand along his jawbone.
“Thank you.”
“You have to press people, push their buttons. That also gets the ratings, but you have to do it for yourself too, in order to be heard. No one respects the weak… the doormats… the fuckers that just keep taking it, and taking it, and taking it. Now, back to the original question.” He took a deep breath, released, and rubbed his hands together as he stared into the fire. “I’m not against marriage at all. I just think if you’re gonna do it, it needs to be a forever sorta thing.” He didn’t miss the quick flash of a smile across her face. “I don’t want to get married and be divorced six months later. When and if I get married, Zaire, that woman and I are not splittin’ up unless it’s due to death. Period.” He turned and spit in the distance, then returned to facing the fire. “I think if when people got married they were told they had to lose a toe or finger for each divorce, they’d take it far more seriously. People are out here playing with it, like it’s funny, some game. It’s not a toy. That’s a pact you make with your soulmate.”