Hold

by Jayne Blue

  “I’m not dating anyone in here, period.” It was a whisper and sounded more seductive than she’d planned.

  “We’ll see.” He ran a finger across her jawline, down her chin, to the hollow spot at the base of her neck. A part of her wanted to reach out with her mouth and draw it in. What what she thinking? ? She was at work, not out to find a boyfriend.

  “As soft as I thought it would feel.”

  She swallowed hard and pushed her chair back away, leaving Craddock slightly out of reach. He fixed an almost mean gaze on her, and she felt goose bumps raise up on her arms. She hoped he didn’t notice that.

  Craddock got up and strutted back to his training station. Cassidy struggled to remember what day it was after that little exchange. No one she’d ever encountered affected her the way he did. She was determined not to get sucked in, though. She didn’t know how she would accomplish that, but in the deepest part of her, the part where logic or survival or life plans didn’t reign supreme, she felt something unfamiliar stirring. Something she’d never let see the light of day before. A strange warm feeling in her core, her chest, her mind.

  She wanted Craddock. She wanted his finger to continue its trail on her skin, to the top of her blouse, and beyond. The image of him doing just that blossomed in her mind and she could still feel the hot trail of his touch on her skin. This was bad, so very, very bad.

  The phone rang. Good. Work. Distraction. Life.

  “Great Wolf Gym,” she answered with a confidence she didn’t feel, but she pulled it together to finish her first day on the job.

  Chapter Three

  Craddock

  He noticed everything she did that day, every greeting she made, every phone she answered. When Zeke got a laugh out of her on their “date,” he could’ve spit nails. Instead, he broke that party up as fast as he could.

  He noticed Cassidy was smart, efficient, and confident as she whipped the mess that was the reception area into shape. And she worked hard. He respected that. She didn’t loaf around or seem to have even tried to text her girlfriends all day like most chicks. Her smile for each person who walked in was genuine, but she didn’t bat her eyes or wiggle her ass around for attention.

  Even so, it got attention. Not one person who walked in could ignore how pretty her hair was, or how her blouse was open just to the top of the “v” of her breasts. When she bent over a drawer, he nearly lost it seeing the top mounds of those gorgeous tits. And that ass? It filled out her tiny jeans in a way that made him question whether he liked her coming or going better.

  When he slid her chair close to him, he knew it wasn’t all anger at him. He knew she was probably a little interested in what it would be like if he trapped those full lips in his. He knew she was feeling what he was. Even if she hadn’t admitted it yet. After all, it was only her first full day in his territory.

  His work out was about as intense as it had been in weeks, knowing she might like what she saw. He felt her eyes return to him and dart away all day. Good. Yes. She was hiding the attraction, but it was there.

  She had to eat dinner, right? Craddock decided to push and see if maybe she’d go out with him. He couldn’t let that little lunch date stunt of Zeke’s stand.

  He noticed her packing up her desk and it appeared she was finishing for the day. He’d timed it right then, he was ready to go, too, and they were the last two in the gym.

  He saw her walk towards the hook where her coat hung and maneuvered to beat her there. He was going to be as gentlemanly as he could figure out how to be.

  “Let me help.” He grabbed the coat off the hook before she got to it. He held it open, but close to his own body. Her gorgeous honey eyes narrowed at him. Were her lashes that thick? He hated the false eyelashes all the women around him wore, they were like spiders or something. But these were hers, he was pretty sure, lush and real.

  “Thank you.” She put one arm in and turned to put the other in. Her back was to him as she tried to put her arms in without touching him. That’s pretty much where the gentleman took a bow. He pulled her into his chest and used his hands to wrap the coat tight around her body. She was trapped in it against him for the briefest, but best second of the whole damn day.

  “I’m good. Thank you.” Her voice was clipped as she stepped forward and away.

  “Where do you live?” He wanted to know details all of a sudden. Who was this girl, that out of nowhere, had his full attention and who he was more or less obsessed with in less than a day.

  “22nd and Ottawa Street, an apartment building there.”

  “Can I drive you? Maybe we can grab some dinner on the way to your place.”

  “No, thank you.” She finished tidying up and got the gym keys out that Whitey had given her. He watched as she worked out how to set the alarm. He knew the code, too, since sometimes Whitey let him work out at night.

  Craddock stuck close as she locked up. He already decided he’d have to be here each night as she locked up because it wasn’t safe, a woman like her, at night, in this neighborhood.

  “Come on, you gotta eat.” He was pushing just a bit, but not too much. He didn’t want her to bolt. He sensed running might be how she operated when things got too real. Something about her reminded him of a baby dear, what were they? Fawns?

  “I’ve got a date. In fact I need to catch this next uptown bus so I’m not late. Good night, Craddock. See you tomorrow.” Before he could stop her she was running to catch the bus that was pulling up at the corner stop. Yep, he thought, a bolter. He watched as she got on the bus.

  He was shocked at how disappointed he was. She had a date? Did she say she had a boyfriend? Son of a bitch. That pissed him off, but mostly it hurt something in his chest. Dammit, he didn’t really know this girl and already he envisioned her in a lot of different ways.

  Of course she had a boyfriend, everyone in the gym today would have gladly stepped into that job description. It was stupid to think she was unattached. But, he thought, she wasn’t married.

  Craddock decided on an alternate plan. Getting something good did not mean you quit when there was an obstacle. No, you worked harder.

  Have your dinner date with whoever, Cassidy Parker. Craddock Flynn would be there after to feed you the best dessert your pretty little mouth ever ate.

  He’d need to hustle, though, if his after date-date plan was to work.

  Cassidy

  Cassidy stole a glance out the bus window. She felt a surprising pang of regret as she watched the gorgeous man that had just asked her to dinner turn and walk away.

  She wanted to say yes, but fear stopped her. So many reasons to stay away from Craddock Flynn, but as she sat on the bus she felt sad. Almost like a dream she didn’t know she had wilted and died before it could blossom.

  But she didn’t have the luxury of feeling sad or dreaming of Craddock Flynn’s kisses. She mentally listed the reasons to stay away from him. The top of the list was that he could clearly break her heart. He was handsome, rough, talented, and made her feel things in parts of her body she had never paid attention to before. He turned her on when he talked to her, touched her, or even acted like she was hers already. And he was out of her league. She had no idea how to handle a man like that.

  She wondered what was so dark that Zeke felt the need to warn her about? Was that just him competing with Craddock? The two seemed to thrive on besting each other. But her vibe from Zeke was warm, not predatory, or scary. He really was easy to be with. Despite that, her thoughts kept returning to Craddock and the electricity she felt when he looked at her, or hell, even said inappropriate things to her.

  As the bus rolled to the library she congratulated herself for being strong enough to lie to him about a date. He probably never heard the word no. It was good for him. The man was trouble and it was trouble she didn’t need. She’d been disappointed too many times since her parents died and the best way to stop that was to keep people out. Especially someone like Craddock. His life force, energy, sex appeal �
�� it was overwhelming, and she was one-hundred percent sure she would be a casualty if he got tired of her. Or if he found out how not exciting she was. Her best plan was to stay the course and take her courses she reminder herself. She didn’t need to make work more difficult by falling for some playboy fighter. She’d be the one fired from her gym job if things got ugly. They wouldn’t kick him out. It would be her.

  Nope. Keep your hands off Craddock and your eyes on the only prize you can guarantee for yourself, Cassidy Parker, your BSW in Social Work and then your masters. Her dream might seem small to the guys in that gym but it was big to her. She knew she could make a difference for kids who were going through what she did. She knew she could matter to them and make their lives easier. That was more important to her than her lust for Craddock Flynn. She would do for others what Bess did for her and that was that.

  Cassidy spent four hours that night taking her online courses. She even took a test and, thank goodness, only got one wrong. She didn’t have anyone to celebrate her little victory with, but that was okay. She was used to going it alone. Yay me, she thought, as she powered down the computer and left the library.

  The closest bus stop on the Grand City Line to her crappy little apartment was still two blocks away. It was a dark walk in a sketchy area of town, but she’d made it before. She’d been walking it in the daylight when she worked at the restaurant, but the gym job meant she’d have to use the library at night and then ride the bus. Bess wouldn’t be happy, but that’s the way it was. She was tough and street smart and felt confident in her ability to walk a few blocks in Irish Town. Well, just outside of Irish Town, if she was being honest. Nothing was going to happen.

  When she got off the bus she felt it right away. There was someone else on the dark street with her and she quickened her pace. She heard footsteps match her pace. Dammit, that was a bad sign.

  She only carried a bag and it was slung over her shoulder and across her body so it would be harder to steal. She had ten dollars on her. That was it. She always had ten dollars on her. Her dad always told her to make sure she always had ten dollars, “because you never know”. The habit stuck.

  Cassidy was afraid, but not panicked. She wasn’t the panicking type. She figured someone had decided to mug her and grab her bag. She reminded herself that the bag wasn’t worth her life. Yeah, it would suck to lose ten bucks, but no big deal. She’d be okay.

  Cassidy walked a block and still had one to go before getting home. Should she turn around and look? Confront the person following her? In her experience that was usually all it took. If someone was aggressive with her in a foster home or halfway house, she backed them off. She could adopt a “don’t eff with me” pose, or the “I’m going to tell” threat. Both tactics had kept her safe before.

  Okay, she thought, turn around and confront whoever’s behind you and then get to your building. She wished she had a cell phone to at least to pretend to call 911. Turn, yell, run. She ran through it in her mind in preparation.

  She quickly stopped and turned around. A man twice her size in a ratty coat stopped when she did. He had wiry gray hair and a look of total despair.

  “Hi, miss. Can I borrow a bit? Anything you can spare?” He grabbed her wrist. She didn’t like it, but she didn’t move quickly. She didn’t want to startle him again. She pulled her wrist back a little to try to re-establish her own space. Her prying did not work and he held on tighter. But he didn’t seem to want to rob her, just beg from her. That she could deal with.

  “Of course. You have to let me go so I can-”

  Out of nowhere the man was pushed to the ground. She pushed clear of him in the other direction.

  “Get your hands off her!” She took a second to register that it was Craddock Flynn swooping in. Except she didn’t need saving, she had it handled!

  “Let him go!” She scrambled to her feet.

  “What?! You need to get up to your apartment and call the police.”

  “I’ll do no such thing.” She focused on the homeless man. She tried to break Craddock’s hold on him.

  “I’m sorry, sir, he’s not going to hurt you.” She could see the man’s eyes dart between her and Craddock who’d wrenched the man’s arm behind his back.

  “Look. Here’s all I’ve got. This is ten dollars. You should be able to get dinner and a cot at the mission. You know where it is right?”

  He nodded yes. “I’m sorry miss I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “I know. Craddock?” He reluctantly let the man’s arm free.

  “Maybe next time you won’t sneak up on women in the dark?” Craddock said to the man.

  “I could say the same to you. He just needs money.” She was irritated as hell.

  Craddock complied with her orders and as soon as the man was free, he turned and ran with a strange gangly gait in the opposite direction of the shelter.

  “It’s that way, sir! You’re going to want to head toward 17th!” She called after him.

  “He’s headed to the liquor store.” Craddock said.

  “Well he needs a shot after you scared the crap out of him like that.”

  “He was attacking you.”

  “He wasn’t attacking me, he needed money. You attacked him! And by the way what the hell are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see your date, size up the competition. But clearly your date is an asshole who let you walk home alone.”

  “How do you know that wasn’t my date?” Cassidy put both hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow. It was her most useful talent, the single raised eyebrow. This Craddock Flynn was a piece of work. How dare he swoop in, stalk her date, tell her how to handle herself on the street. She was a lot tougher than she looked.

  “Right. Can I just say, even if that guy meant you no harm, when a homeless person approaches you, keep your eyes front and don’t give ‘em anything. He could’ve hurt you.”

  “He didn’t.”

  “But he had your wrist. Can I show you something? If you’re going to be stupid and walk in this neighborhood by yourself, which you shouldn’t by a mile, but if you do, you need to know some things.” He was close now and she didn’t back up.

  She tried not to look at the square jaw line with the cleft in the middle or the dark scruff. She was working really hard at staying mad and staring into his eyes, but they, too, were pure sexy. Mad was a tough act to keep up when he looked at her like she was a dessert he was going to eat.

  “I wasn’t born yesterday. I can take care of myself.” Cassidy prided herself on that very fact of her life.

  “Look, you can break a hold if you know the technique.”

  “I really don’t want to hear your advice. I should be getting upstairs.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “What?”

  “I’m going to make sure you’re in your apartment and that your hobo date didn’t set a trap of his friends to clean you out.”

  “You’re paranoid.”

  “Lead the way.” Craddock put a hand out for her to lead him to her apartment. She stared up at him a moment, but was starting to freeze outside on the sidewalk. Maybe letting him walk her to her door would get him off her back.

  “Fine.” She walked a few feet up the street to her building and opened the main door.

  “No key to the hallway? That’s just great.” She didn’t know if Craddock was talking to her or not on that one.

  She walked up the three floors to her unit.

  “Three flights up must be a pain on the daily, but I do love this view.” She turned around and of course he was looking at her rear end as she made her way up the steps

  She shifted her bag so it covered her backside and didn’t say anything. They ended at 3C after the most self-conscious three flights of stairs of her life.

  “Well, here we are, so your work here is done. I’m not in any danger.”

  “I wouldn’t necessarily say that.” He stepped closer and ran his finger across her jaw like he’d done b
efore.

  “I’m not afraid of you in the slightest.” She wasn’t afraid but she was shaking. The emotions she had were new to her and not entirely within her vocabulary to define. But lust was the word that sprang to mind first. She was feeling incredibly lusty with him this close.

  “So why don’t you invite me in?” He looked at her with eyes that seemed to have gone from blue to dark black. The air had shifted somehow and she felt his intent as clear as if he’d told her out loud to get naked. She also felt a stirring in her core that was unfamiliar and thrilling. And she was the one thinking naked! He hadn’t said a word about it. Oh, this was bad. She was doing his work for him.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Probably a smart move on your part. You’re a nice girl. I can see that.”

  “And we work together.”

  “No we don’t. You work at my workout place. There’s a difference.”

  “I have a boyfriend.”

  “I saw no evidence of that.” He stepped forward and had her caged against her door. She felt her hips wanting to lean into him but at the same time she was on guard. She knew when she was over her head and this was the definition of it. She had no confidence that she could back up the sexual challenge he was presenting with action, her busboy experience notwithstanding.

  “You just met him and wrenched his arm back didn’t you? My boyfriend that is.” She figured teasing was the way to go.

  “Well I ran him off pretty easily then. Good. Now let me show you something. Give me your wrist.” She didn’t know what he was after. He reached over and gently took her wrist in his hands. His fingers easily wrapped around it.

  “What are you doing, Craddock Flynn?”

  “If you’re going to continue to be as gorgeous as you are and smell as sweet as sugar, well, people are going to try to grab you. I get that, but I don’t want anyone else to get a taste but me.”

  “That line sounds well used, Flynn.” He ignored her retort and focused on her wrist, which looked birdlike in his big hand.