by Romi Hart
10
The knock at the door startled Regan, and she dropped the glass in the sink, watching it shatter. She didn’t like being this jumpy mess, and it pissed her off that David still affected her so thoroughly. She’d put on a brave face and sent Corey on his way to deal with some business at the club, telling him she would be fine filing the police report on her own with some prospect named Simon on her tail.
But she’d been more shaken up than she’d realized. The glass was for a finger of whiskey, one she had hoped would calm her nerves, which were overly excitable. She stared now at the front door in horror, someone imagining that David had managed to sneak past the kid outside. Moving slowly and cautiously, she peered through the tiny hole and breathed a sigh of relief as she flung the door open to admit Corey inside.
“I didn’t expect you to come back tonight,” she told him, trying to coax her heart rate down before the muscle exploded out of her chest. She closed the door quickly as he stepped past her, shoving the deadbolt in place with a resounding thud.
“I wanted to check on you,” he told her. “I wanted to find out how the report went.”
“It went fine. They put an APB out on David, so they should have him in custody soon.” Turning away from him and hoping she could get the glass cleaned up without questions, she cleared her throat and said, “You could have called. You didn’t have to come all the way over here.”
She didn’t have to look to know that he’d tensed. “Do you not want me here? I can leave.”
“No, stay,” she said, almost too quickly. And with too much need. Damn, she didn’t like depending on anyone, and she felt completely in need of Corey’s company. Regan preferred her independence, but she’d had to confront her only fear tonight. She didn’t scare easily, but David was her one true nightmare, and he’d been here, had marked her with the evidence of his resurrection in her life.
She’d spent the last couple of hours chiding herself for potential mistakes. She should have changed her name. She shouldn’t have opened a bank account. She should have ignored the only credit card offer she’d actually taken, despite her need for a backup fund. So many questionable decisions that could have been the reason he’d finally found her again.
“I startled you, didn’t I?” he asked, his tone gentler and more soothing. “I’m sorry, Regan. I didn’t mean to. Remember, no one comes to your door or anywhere near you without a protective detail seeing and reporting back.”
A chill that had nothing to do with the temperature ran up her spine, bringing goosebumps to her skin, and Regan rubbed her arms like she was freezing. “I know that. I’ll be fine. It’s all just very fresh in my mind, and that makes it a little harder to cope right now.” She finally faced him and gave him a halfhearted smile that she didn’t feel and that she was certain didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll sleep it off.”
“Let me make us some coffee,” he offered, moving toward the kitchen.
“No, I can get it!” she cried, instantly regretting the over the top protest. It didn’t go unnoticed, and she tried to back it off a little. “I was actually going to pour some whiskey. Would you like some?”
But Corey shook his head, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t think liquor is a good idea. I know you took some pain meds. I won’t tell you what to do, but I doubt it’s a good idea to mix that cocktail.”
He was right, and she shrugged. “Fine, I’ll make the coffee.”
“Sit down, Regan. Your hands are shaking.” Was she really that worried about him seeing the broken glass? Reluctantly, she stepped aside, leaning against the counter as he gazed down into the sink and then looked a question at her. When she didn’t answer, he inferred, “Is that the clanging I heard when I knocked?”
“Don’t worry about me,” she insisted. “You’re here now, and I’m fine.”
“That bastard is going to pay. I don’t like the way you’re so worked up, and I certainly don’t like the threat over your head. I’m leaving standing orders that, if he shows up, your detail takes action. I want him down for the count so he can’t touch you.” He reached out to her, taking her hand and drawing her into his embrace, and Regan couldn’t remember ever feeling like this in anyone’s arms. Even when she’d first started seeing David, she hadn’t found this sort of comfort, solace, and trust with him. Corey had something special, and she wanted to stay here, with her lips pressed to his, until she ceased to breathe.
And at the same time, the way he responded to her, protective like the alpha to her beta, like a pack leader rife with anger and a need for retribution and justice, turned her on. Beneath all of her fear and panic and jumpiness, Regan felt the stirring of arousal for the man who held her, who threatened all manner of horrific torture for the man who hurt her.
What did that say about her? Did that make her some demented, deviant monster? If so, she was obviously falling for another monster, one who would stop at nothing to assure her safety and to satisfy his ‘eye for an eye’ morals. Because she wanted nothing more in this moment than to be with him, to tear his clothes off and ravage him like some beast, and then to send him away to do whatever he wanted to David.
And she couldn’t let either urge drive her decisions. She needed to be reasonable, no matter how delicious her own vengeance would taste. Instead, she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling its length free of the tie at the nape of his neck and combing it seductively as it slid through her hands.
He finally broke the kiss, laughing salaciously. “Are you trying to seduce me to shut me up?” he growled at her.
“Do I need to seduce you? I thought I had that one in the bag,” she teased.
“Coffee first,” he said, nibbling at her ear delectably. “I’m exhausted, and I need a little more stamina than I can offer you right now.”
Disappointed but also anxious for him to fulfill that promise, Regan stepped back. “I guess I’ll clean up the glass while you brew.”
“No, I don’t want you to cut yourself. I’ll get it.” He caressed her cheek, and if she didn’t know any better, she would describe the touch as loving. But she didn’t want to have high expectations. After all, that would just lead to trouble all the way around. Love was not a word they’d spoken, and she didn’t think it would come out for a very long time, if ever. She certainly wasn’t going to utter the word without absolute assurance of her feelings.
And that he was as perfect as he seemed.
She settled back against the counter to wait as he moved more efficiently around the kitchen than any man clad in leather with long, luxurious dark hair should be. He was a large man, too, but he had grace and poise, and Regan enjoyed the sight of him. Especially in her space. He just seemed to belong.
When he finished the coffee, he brought it to the living room and sat with her on the couch, the creamer and sweetener between them with a spoon. She could tell there was something he wanted to say, but she didn’t dare venture a guess as to what. Of course, she wouldn’t be at all surprised if he tried again to get her to come stay with him. And the temptation was rough. After all, she was still feeling incredibly vulnerable.
But she had another idea.
Before he could speak, Regan spurted out, “Stay with me.”
He blinked at her. “What?”
“Tonight. Stay with me. It wouldn’t be the first time,” she added, needing to sound more casual than she felt about it. “I’ll feel safer if you do.” That should drive home her point. And it made her feel less vulnerable.
He ambled over to her, taking her by the waist and pulling her against him. He gazed down at her and smiled. “Is that what you want?”
She nodded, tilting her head back and accepting the kiss he pressed on her, reveling in the delicious way he seemed to explore her mouth and her body all at the same time. When he pulled away, his eyes glowed, and he looked at her with an insane hunger. “I’m glad you asked,” he rasped at her, his lips less than an inch from hers. “Because I came back here, worried about you, and
at the same time, all I could think about was holding you and feeling your body against mine. About the fact that I didn’t want you to turn to anyone else for comfort.”
Regan’s heart sped out of control. The things he expressed were entirely unexpected and full of emotion. Emotion she hadn’t expected from him. Jealousy? Intensity, that was normal, but it had spilled over and affected the rest of those feelings fleeting across his face and through his eyes.
And as much as it warmed her heart and made her fall a little harder for him, it also aroused her to a point that she wanted to climb up his body. All the concern, the fear of David and the anguish she felt at the reminder of what his hands felt like, disappeared as she thought about the sensations Corey called up as he explored her body, tasted her, and worshiped her.
Arching her back, she pushed hard against him, feeling the passion he held in the long, hard erection that rubbed against her abdomen. Dropping to her knees, she worked Corey’s fly with deft fingers, pushing the waistband down over his hips so she could reach in and release his cock. “Regan…” he moaned, her name a delicate plea on his lips that made her shiver as she licked up the underside of his shaft.
She tasted salt and musk, and she was more than pleased at his hygiene, always shaved clean. Even the most personal parts of his body were intoxicating, and she drew the tip of his cock into her mouth, rolling her tongue around it before sucking him in further. He hissed out a breath, his hands falling on her head, and she felt the way his fingers trembled, wanting to control her motions as she sucked and withdrew, attending to him with utter focus.
She could tell he wanted to come, but he held back, his shaft twitching with need and pulsing with the seed he wasn’t spilling. Eventually, he gulped and said, “Regan, please. I’m about to fuck your mouth so hard I’ll tear those beautiful lips. If I’m going to mess up a set of lips, I’d rather it was the other one, down below, with your pussy wrapped around me.”
That sent shockwaves through Regan’s core and made her pour into her panties. She wanted to feel him inside her, but his rough language had her reeling. She was so hot for him she could barely get to her feet, and Corey grew impatient, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her.
But he only made it as far as the couch, falling back with her on top of him. Regan didn’t mind. She eagerly dove in, kissing him and letting him ravage her mouth the way she knew he would her body. She moved on top of him, her body demanding the friction as clothes somehow magically disappeared and sparks flew. The heat between them was almost unbearable, but the need was too much to pull out of it, and the sweat made it easy for their bodies to move more fluidly as Regan licked her way down to his nipples, suckling them and then finding her way to the sensitive spot behind his ear.
He growled, and she chuckled, feeling deviant and excited at his desire as he bucked and rubbed his erection against her wet center. She panted, her core demanding with threat of spontaneous combustion that he enter her. “Come on, Captain. I can’t wait.” She crawled up him, her hands cupping his face, and he gripped her pelvis, drawing her into place as she hovered over him, straddling him and waiting to impale herself on his thick cock.
“Let’s take it home,” he grunted, and she slammed onto him, her body convulsing as she hit a pinnacle with a mind blowing surge of joy, her blood boiling. She couldn’t think, couldn’t see, and she could barely breathe through the incredible height as she shook and couldn’t even manage to rock and draw out the eruption.
For his part, Corey sped his motions, driving up into her with brute force that made her bounce up and down on his shaft, enhancing the arousal until she spilled over, one wave toppling on top of the first and lifting her higher. She screamed, and Corey gripped her hips tightly, pulling her against him as he roared to his own finish. She didn’t care how quickly it was over, flying through the clouds with her euphoria. She had him all night, and that meant they could revel in their chemistry and these mutual explosions over and over again.
She wanted to christen every room in her apartment.
As she laid down with her head on Corey’s chest, she could hear his heart, pounding but slowing as his breathing eased, and it hypnotized her. Regan found herself wanting to say so many things, but she bit her tongue. Professing her love for a man right after he’d given her multiple orgasms was ill advised, as was doing the same to the man who had rescued her from the villain and then come back to protect her. Whether she meant it or not, it would leave questions in Corey’s mind if she spoke those silly words right now. He would never fully believe her, and that was as much something that came from his own vulnerability as from her compromised state of mind.
But to be fair, she was head over heels, and there was no turning back.
“We should have another cup of coffee,” he groused, the sound rumbling in his chest beneath her ear.
“Yeah? Why?” she asked, gravel in her throat. She didn’t even bother lifting her head.
“Because if I don’t, I’ll fall asleep. And why should I fall asleep when there is so much more we can do together?” He stroked her hair, and internally, Regan allowed herself a little victory squeal. If nothing else, he was hooked, like a drug, and she could work with that.
Lifting her head, she rested her chin on his chest and sighed. “I suppose there is. We could stream Game of Thrones. Or clean the kitchen together. We could count bathroom tiles—” She giggled as he poked her in the side, tickling her to cut her off.
“You better knock that off,” he warned her, his tone full of mirth. “I was thinking I could press you against the wall, shower with you, bend you over the kitchen table.” He shook his head. “But I need more coffee.”
Slowly, she sat up and stretched, knowing he watched her intently as her breasts, heavy and full from the arousal, bounced and her body smoothed in long lines. She loved how he looked at her, like he was always thirsty, and she was the ambrosia that made him drunk with pleasure. “Alright, I suppose coffee is a good idea.”
But as she stood, she couldn’t help glancing anxiously at the front door, and Corey followed her line of sight, taking note of her moment of weakness. She tried to ignore it, continuing to her small kitchen, but he caught her by the elbow and turned her back to him. “Do you really want me here, Regan? Or are you looking for a distraction?”
She gulped, uncomfortable with the question. But she was determined to answer it honestly. “I told you I would feel safer with you here. That’s one reason. But that’s not the only reason.” He stood there, waiting, his shoulders growing tenser by the minute, and she wanted to release that stress before it caused him more pain. “I need a distraction, too. But I could have found any other distraction I wanted. I chose you, Corey. I chose to make you my distraction because you’re the person I want here. And even if I wasn’t terrified that David would walk back through that door, I’d want you here with me tonight. Does that answer your question?”
He relaxed instantly, and his lips curled in a ghost of a smile. “I like the sound of that.” His eyes searched her face, as if looking for something that proved she was lying, and then his expression shifted, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. And then, instead of speaking, he simply leaned in and placed a passionate but brief kiss on her lips before slapping her ass. “Get in there and poor the coffee, woman. I have to use your restroom.”
She giggled and skipped into the kitchen, pouring two more cups and shoving them in the microwave. She ran to her bedroom and grabbed a robe, feeling a bit chilled, and came back, ready to deliver the hot brew just as Corey came out of the bathroom. And it hit her then, how at home she felt with this man walking around naked in her apartment.
Yeah, she needed to get her head on straight and figure out where they stood. Because she had so much to deal with, she certainly didn’t need to nurse a broken heart.
11
The light was still on in the hallway, and it streamed through the cracked door just enough to illuminate Regan’s face
with a gentle golden glow. Corey found himself mesmerized by her, the absolute stillness of her in her sleep and the flawless beauty that was more than skin deep. It was closer to dawn than dusk, and they’d worn themselves ragged, finding tender spots and those that drove each other mad from new angles and positions.
He couldn’t remember being so physically sated in his life. Sure, he could get another erection, no problem. And he would delve into Regan with the same fervor. But it wasn’t a craving at the moment. A desire? Maybe. But he didn’t need more sex.
And yet, he needed her.
This hadn’t been part of the plan. He’d only meant to ease a longing, satisfy a curiosity, and then move on. Somewhere along the way, though, he’d grown more and more fond of Regan, found the need to be with her more often. And after the run in with her ex, her vulnerability toyed with his already oversensitive protective nature. He could have walked away the first time they’d slept together, even though it would have been difficult. But now, he didn’t know what to do. Could he risk getting involved? There were so many problems with that notion, the least of which were his own sensibilities.
Several of his best men had recently gotten involved with women, and each time, it had been disastrous. Sure, they all seemed happy now, but their lives had turned upside down, and not one of them was the same, now that they were attached to old ladies.
When Rafe had engaged with Kira, the idea had been to use her to get to her brother, the president of the Diamond Kings. He’d fallen for her, like a dimwitted idiot, and then he’d nearly gotten them both killed when said brother had kidnapped his own sister to bait Rafe. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, it turned out that Gomez, Public Enemy Number One, and his band of nasty hooligans had been responsible for the death of Kira’s fiancé back when she was little more than a kid.