by Harloe Rae
My fingers are still wrapped around Lark’s bicep and the connection to her is keeping my temper under control. When her soft skin met my rough palm, serenity replaced madness and the tension that was strangling me finally eased.
“It’s time you and me had a talk.”
Lark nods silently while keeping her gaze locked on me. I lead her further down the narrow corridor until I find the door for a storage room.
She doesn’t resist as we enter the dark space and helps me search for the light. I find the dangling string and yank until the fluorescent bulb burns bright. I turn to face her and know this won’t be an easy win for me. Lark crosses her arms while popping her hip out before a confident smirk lifts her ruby lips. This girl is ready for battle so I need to get my point across.
“Were you really interested in that guy out there? Fuck, Vix. Seeing you with him just about pushed me over the edge.” I take a deep breath and try relaxing the strain in my shoulders. “Sweetheart, I know you’re pissed as hell and I don’t blame you. It was a bad fucking choice to hide the truth at the bar but I’m hoping you’ll let me explain.”
Her scoff says it all, especially with the addition of an exaggerated eye roll. Lark continues standing silently otherwise.
“Alright, I guess it’s a start that you’re still here and not running the other direction. It’s hard for me to explain why I feel so demanding and got that upset about him putting his hands on you. In my mind, I see us trying to work this out between us but pretty sure you’re on a different page. I wasn’t prepared to see you with another man.” The words taste bitter on my tongue but I’m trying to be honest. I stare into her honey gaze and hope she lets me in.
Lark tilts her head as she squints at me. “I’m a free agent, Casper. I don’t do relationships and I don’t get tied down. Not sure what you’re planning in your head,” she gestures near my temple, “but there isn’t much to work out here. I’m not looking for anything more than a night of fun.”
A painful spasm attacks my sternum. This isn’t the girl I met all those years ago. “What happened, Lark? I asked you once if you believed in destiny and soul mates. Back then, I was pretty sure we agreed on that. What changed your mind and turned you into this . . .” I can’t find the right words as my hand is wildly waving up and down her artificial appearance. She might look sexy as fuck but it’s a disguise and I want to know why she’s hiding.
She lets her arms unwind so she can point at me while fire flashes in her eyes. “You happened to me, jackass. With all your sweet charm and gorgeous blue eyes and promises of getting to know me. Fuck you and your bullshit lies.”
“Fuck me, Vix? Shit, I’ve been a jackass but give me a chance. I need to know if you still feel it, Sweetheart. That deep ache inside that only one person can fill. The need to find all-encompassing love that will change your life. That unbreakable bond between two destined souls. Sound familiar?” I take a few steps toward her as the pressure in my chest increases.
“You make me so mad I could punch you.” Her small hands are balled into fists and I wonder if she’ll actually take a swing. “I refuse to give you that satisfaction though. I promised myself I wouldn’t lose my head over you again but you’ve already managed to piss me off this much. I don’t need to hear your bullshit love lines.”
I stalk closer and Lark backs up until she’s against the door. It gives me the opportunity to crowd her space without her being able to escape. Thanks to her ridiculously tall fuck-me heels, I don’t have to crouch down to meet her eyes.
Only a foot separates us when I ask, “Why did you need to promise that?”
“You know why.” She shoots back.
“Do I really? You won’t give me the time of day unless I agree to sleep with you. There hasn’t been much willingness on your part to shed light on what the hell happened over the last seven years.”
Lark glances away but quickly locks her glare back on my face. “As if you want anything else from me, Rowen. I’m just playing the game and keeping my heart out of it. This is me now and the girl I used to be is long gone.” She places her hand on my chest before stroking the fabric of my shirt. If she’s trying to distract me, her technique is working because I’m already picturing her legs wrapped around my waist while I push her up against the wall.
My willpower is weakening around the edges as her tongue licks along her bottom lip. When Lark lets out a fake-ass moan, I snap out of my lust-fueled trance and see her ploy for what it is.
I snag her arm that’s between us before interlocking our fingers and holding them against the cool door. I notice a small tattoo on her wrist and get lost in the simple design for a moment. The tiny heart looks so lonely by itself and I want to know more about it. As I lean closer to ask, the little vixen arches into me, which causes another flash of distracting uncertainty—but I’m not ready to give in.
“What are you trying to prove with this act you’re putting on?”
“It’s not an act.”
“Bullshit, Vix. Tell me the truth.”
“As if you deserve it, Casper.” She says the ridiculous nickname with a sneer.
I don’t let her attitude dissuade me.
“Tell me,” I whisper across her lips.
Lark shivers before responding. “I want to leave you waiting in the dust, just like you did to me.”
I’m startled by her response and unsure if she’s joking, but I’ll play along. “Just like that? Without finding out if there’s any truth behind my ‘bullshit love lines’? You’d fuck me and take off?”
She smirks and says, “Absolutely. It will be a night you’ll never forget, if that helps sway your decision. I’ll do anything you want.” Her sultry promise speaks straight to my cock but my heart is still controlling my brain.
I shake my head sadly. “Nah, Vix. You’re tempting me, that’s for sure. But you mean a lot more to me than that. Hopefully one day you’ll feel the same about me.”
Lark raises a brow while tipping her chin higher. “Not likely but nice effort. You’ll give up soon enough. No man denies sex. Especially when the woman is very willing.”
“I can be patient and hold out for you to believe again. I’ve already waited this long.”
Her eyes shine with distrust as she squints at me. “Alright, maybe I’ll make you fall in love with me first before I abandon ship.” Lark’s voice reflects humor but little does she know, I’m already falling hopelessly for her.
“I’m already all in, Sweetheart. If that involves you taking off, I’ll be sure to follow. No matter what, I want to give this a real shot this time. I thought that was pretty clear.” My lips softly brush the corner of her mouth and she turns her head for more contact but I shift my touch closer to her ear. My sight catches on her wrist again and the ink provides an opportunity to turn this conversation around.
“Tell me about your tattoo, Vix.”
She veers away as my words reach her but Lark still answers. “Just a stupid mistake,” falls from her painted pout.
Not good enough for me. “Why the outline of a heart?”
“Why the hell not?” She snaps after my nose gently rubs along her pierced lobe.
“Does it have significance or do you just like the symbol?”
Lark spats her response over my shoulder. “It reminds me that my heart is empty. Satisfied?”
A humorless chuckle rumbles from me. “Hardly but it’s clear you’re done talking about it. Do you trust me, Vix?”
She huffs loudly. “Not even a little bit.”
“Why?” I pull away slightly to look at her gorgeous face.
Lark rolls her eyes before snipping back, “Are you serious right now?”
“As a heart attack.”
“Urgh, I freaking hate that saying. Why does it have to be a heart attack? Those are tragic.”
I can’t help but chuckle at her remark. “Focus, Lark. We can discuss my vocabulary choices later. Why don’t you trust me, Sweetheart?”
A frus
trated grumble surges past her lips before she clenches her eyes tightly shut and vigorously shakes her head. If I didn’t have her pressed up against the door, I’m sure she’d be stomping off in a flurry right about now.
Lark gives another toss of her wild blonde locks before refocusing her turbulent ambers on me. “You really know how to push my buttons and get my blood boiling. Trust is something you earn or deserve. You don’t necessarily have to work hard in order to get it but you do have to be around and actually give a shit though. You definitely don’t disappear without a trace, never to be heard from again. Please give me one decent reason why I would ever trust you?”
She pauses for a beat before jumping back in. “Actually no, scratch that. I don’t need your pitiful excuses or blabbering. You need to accept that there is no trust between us and there never will be.” Lark’s breath rushes out of her as she finishes that last statement.
“I came back for you. Several times actually.” I blurt without much thought.
Lark’s body suddenly locks up and tenses against me. Her facial features appear frozen and she doesn’t breathe for several long seconds. I’m slightly concerned by her reaction and lack of snarky response but I give her a few more moments to rally. With a slight wobble of her head and a couple slow blinks, she seems to snap out of it. A quiet questions wheezes out of her parted lips.
“What did you just say?” Her voice sounds stunned and scratchy.
“This is not a discussion I want to have in a storage closet.” I reply, hoping we can steer the subject back to safer ground.
Instead, my words appear to infuse Lark with the strength needed to wake up from the stupor she’s caught in. “I’m so sorry to inconvenience you but you’re the one who dragged me in here. I’m fine not talking at all.” Her signature sass is back in full force.
Give the lady what she wants, right?
“Fine. I’m more than ready to tell my side, even in here. You don’t know everything that happened when we first met and several instances afterward.”
She’s listening intently, with her eyes wide and fixed on me, so I keep going.
“When I came into your restaurant that day, I was on a weekend pass from my command post in Tennessee. My entire extended family was having a reunion and I managed to get time away to attend. Long story short, while I was sitting on that patio waiting for you, my commanding officer called with orders to get my ass on a plane back to installation immediately. When they tell you to haul ass, you start running or fucking prepare for serious ramifications.” Words get stuck on my tongue because guilt still gnaws at me for leaving without a goodbye.
I rub my thumb along her palm then rest my forehead against her neck, soaking in the comfort of her touch. At least she’s here with me now. When Lark clears her throat, it jostles my head so I straighten and finish my story.
“I didn’t just race out of there without at least trying to find you. I went inside and looked around but you were nowhere to be found. While I waited near the front doors, my C.O. called again with my departure information and made sure I was on my way to the tarmac. I didn’t have a moment to spare and I’ve been filled with regret ever since, Vix. You changed my life that day and I walked out on you.”
Lark starts to interrupt but I’m not quite done. I bring my free hand up to her face and gently swipe along her rosy cheek. “Shhh, Sweetheart. I’m sure you’re eager to read my ass the Riot Act but let me say my piece.”
She rolls her eyes but nods so I continue.
“I wasn’t able to get back to Minnesota for six months, for several reasons, but one of the first stops I made was Brack’s Box. You weren’t working and the manager wouldn’t tell me your schedule. I checked back multiple times over the two days I was in town but didn’t have any luck. That didn’t mean I’d given up on finding you though.
“The next chance I got to take leave was right before my first deployment and I came looking for you. When I walked into the restaurant and asked for you, the guy manning the front station wondered what I wanted to talk to his girlfriend about. Those words nearly ripped me in half but I figured you must be doing alright without me. I left and didn’t come back. I tried to forget about your brilliant brown eyes and bashful smile but I never did . . .” I’m gazing into those same bronze irises as my voice trickles off in that last statement. My heart is pounding against my ribcage, threatening to crack bone, as I wait for her response. “And here we are now.”
“Why should I believe you, Casper? Not gonna lie, your track record isn’t stellar. I haven’t heard a peep since that massive flower delivery and those cryptic last words you parted with . . .” Lark speaks and her tone is hesitant, which has an ache spreading deep in my gut. She takes a deep inhale, as if to gain momentum, so I jump in before she gets rolling.
“Sweetheart, there was nothing I could do about leaving abruptly that day. Trust me when I say that taking off without letting you know was the last thing I wanted. If I could go back and change anything, the way that day turned out would be at the top of my list. This past week, I was giving you space because I upset you by dropping by unexpectedly. But don’t think for a second my silence meant I was giving up. It’s the total opposite. I’m coming for you, Vix.” My focus latches onto her plump lips while I imagine sucking that pillowy flesh into my mouth. I rock against her before I’m able to stop myself.
Her sharp laughter bursts the moment I thought we were having. “You’re barking up the wrong tree with that nonsense. I don’t do commitments and I’m not searching for love anymore.” A layer of vulnerability colors her speech even though she’s putting up one hell of a front.
I poured my truth all over the floor and she’s dodging it. Lark is acting tough as fucking nails but I’m confident she wants me to chase her.
Fucking mind games.
I’m planning my next method of attack when Lark’s vixen comes back out in full force.
“Are we done here? I have a drink to get back to and the night is still young.” Her tone is dripping with suggestion.
“What are you planning for the rest of the evening?”
Lark’s hand that’s not trapped against the wall maneuvers between us and she walks her fingers up my stomach. Her voice is a purr as she utters, “I’m looking for some company. Pretty sure Ronny is a willing participant if I can’t interest anyone else.”
My hackles rise as she cranks up her wicked ploys. This woman fights fucking dirty and it’s beginning to really bother me. Protective instincts radiate throughout my entire body until everything within me is coiled tight. I push Lark even harder along the door so she’s able to tell how tense she’s making me. Then I snatch her wandering palm and pin that wrist to the door as well.
Leaning into her, so hardly any space separates us, I murmur across her succulent mouth. “I’ll take care of you and will handle your needs from now on. No more other guys. No more dates. No more hook-ups. You need to feel good or want some attention, call me and I’ll be there. All you need to do is let your guard down and give me a chance.”
“Whatever, Casper. You’re delusional. You can’t lay your claim on me and expect me to be all right with it. I can handle myself just fine. We won’t be anything other than fuck buddies, scratching a carnal itch, if you’re willing. Why can’t this just be a bit of fun between adults?” Steely resolve flows from her but I hear the slight tremble as she spews more outrageous lines my way. Then her eyes slide away from mine to focus on a spot over my shoulder.
I rest my stubbled cheek against the velvety skin of hers before whispering more truth. “Vix, you don’t understand yet but one day it will be crystal clear. There is nothing to claim because you’re already mine. You’ve always been mine. It just took a while for me to find you again.”
Lark scoffs and tries to wriggle away but I have her pinned. She stops fighting to say, “If you hadn’t left in the first place, you wouldn’t have lost me.” Her fingers move slightly along the wall as if making air quotes. “
. . . and we wouldn’t be having this stupid argument.” The sexy vixen begins struggling against me again, which has my cock painfully hard and ready for what she’s offering.
Her frustration is palpable as her tiny body practically vibrates and her fists shake along the door. “Who do you think you are, Rowen? You can’t just waltz into my life and start barking orders. You have no right or authority over me. There is no reason for me to listen to this. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to get back to.”
Those words make me hot for an entirely different reason as flames of fury race up my limbs. This woman is making frantic anger rise to the surface and burn my skin. I quickly release one of her wrists so I can slam my open palm on the wood beside our heads. The sound causes Lark to startle and leap against me. Fucking deserves it for that bullshit act.
“Goddammit, Lark! Now you’ve pushed me too far. I’ve been trying to stay calm and positive but there are limits. Open your eyes and your ears. You. Are. Mine. If you think I’m going to let you stomp back out there and resume half-ass flirting with that limp dick, you’re sorely mistaken. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I’d prefer us walking out of here together but that’s just me. I’m more than willing to take the hard way too.” Panting breaths escape me as I try to calm my wildly racing heart.
Lark looks remorseful as she winces and darts her eyes around, searching for a safe spot to look. She clears her throat and asks, “And what might that involve?
I don’t hesitate before saying, “Me tossing you over my shoulder and carrying you straight out of here.”