“What the hell did you do?”
Ivan rocketed to a sitting position. “What are you talking about, wizard?”
“Molly came back in tears last night. It took Onyx a while to calm her down.”
“She had a pretty traumatic day.”
“She's upset over you, you fucking bonehead,” Cole snapped.
“Bullshit, I told her I'd be back, and she blew me off. Besides, we both know I'm not right for her.”
“Are you sure she blew you off, or was she just trying to protect herself from getting hurt? I admit, I don't know all the facts. I do know what I felt yesterday when I healed your bullet-riddled ass. That girl loves you. You wouldn’t be breathing today otherwise.”
Shock and shame took turns punching Ivan in the gut. He'd heard Onyx say that yesterday, but hadn't really figured out what she meant. It's not like he knew a damn thing about magic. He didn't take the time to dwell on how close to death he'd come or who had snatched him away from it.
“Can I talk to her?”
“No. She's still sleeping, and I'm not going to bother her. You want to talk to her, get your ass back here.”
“Dammit, Cole, I don't even have a fucking vehicle right now!” he barked, swinging his legs off the side of the bed and standing up. Stubble tickled his palm as he shoved a hand over his head in frustration.
“My buddy Aspen risked his neck to warn us, and now he's going to have Enforcers after his ass. I wanted to set him up in my safe house and then figure out some other stuff, but after that I was coming right back for her. Until she told me not to bother.”
Cole's sigh came through loud and clear. “Okay, man. I'm just letting you know what I saw.”
“Everything else fine? Is Onyx all right? She took a pretty hard hit.”
“Yeah, she's much better today.”
“You recover?”
Cole chuckled. “Yeah, I'll live. You have any weird aftereffects?”
Ivan thought for a minute before answering. “Nah, a few wild dreams. But it was a pretty weird day overall.”
“Not a surprise.”
They hung up on decent terms. Still pissed, Ivan tossed the phone on the bed and let out a roar. The sound of his feline rage cleared his head enough for him to sit back and rethink the conversation.
Molly had a lot of pride. He'd told her in the beginning he didn't want a relationship. Before they'd been run off the road, she'd tried to warn him that she was falling for him. Had she only brushed him off because she thought he was giving her the brush-off? To avoid getting hurt? He could certainly relate to that.
Why did he always have to screw things up so bad?
“I take it you're up, brother?” Aspen's voice slid through the closed bedroom door.
Whoops, he'd momentarily forgotten about his houseguest. “Yeah, come in.”
The door swung open, Aspen leaned one shoulder against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Everything okay?”
No, everything was not okay. Everything was fucked, and Ivan wasn't sure how to fix it.
“This about the cat?” Aspen persisted.
“Yeah,” he admitted reluctantly. Ivan gave the ex-enforcer a brief rundown of the situation.
“Fuck, man you didn't have to come back with me. You shoulda stayed with your girl.”
“You stuck your neck out to help us, this is the least I can do.”
Aspen shook his head in a way that conveyed just how much of an idiot he thought Ivan was. “I appreciate it, but I could have found somewhere to hang out until you could get away. You shouldn't have left her after everything that went down yesterday.”
Shit.
“Where was this brilliant piece of advice yesterday?”
Aspen shrugged. “What am I—your relationship expert?”
“You going to be okay up here for a few days?”
Aspen hesitated.
“You got a girl stashed somewhere?” Ivan asked.
Aspen dropped his gaze to the floor. “Something like that.”
Unease pricked Ivan at his friend's reaction. “Is she safe? Not that I want to open this place up as a bed and breakfast, but you can bring her here if you need to.”
Keeping his gaze down, he only muttered, “It's complicated.”
“Huh. Why doesn't that excuse work when I use it?”
That finally got a reaction out of his friend. Aspen snapped his head up and laughed. He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out his keys. “Take my truck and go see Molly.”
He tossed the jangle of metal his way. Ivan plucked them out of the air to avoid getting whacked in the head with them. He turned the keys over in his hand studying the metal instead of looking at Aspen. Something about his friend's demeanor unnerved Ivan. He'd never known Aspen to have “complicated” feelings over a female before. Although he didn't want to leave his friend, his need to make things right with Molly won out.
“I've got a few things I need to take care of first,” he finally said raising his eyes to meet Aspen's.
Another solemn headshake. “Don't fuck this up man. She's a good girl. Unless you don't want her, then maybe I'll go back and see if she needs some cheering up.” Aspen finished the threat with a leer.
Ivan growled. All the concerns his friend's puzzling answers raised disappeared. The idea of Aspen or any other male putting their grubby paws on Molly flooded him with mindless, hot fury.
Molly hung the phone up clapping her hands in joy. For five dollars, she could have a copy of her college transcript faxed to Cole's office by this afternoon. Onyx drove her to campus to pick up the transcript and fill out paperwork. The admissions office was more than happy to accept her application. They'd even consider her for the fall term. She spent the morning working on her application in the library. In the afternoon, she headed to the nursing department for a tour. She found the building way on the opposite side of campus from Cole's office.
Through all the confusion and excitement one thing nagged at her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. Ivan. At the end of the day, she flopped onto a bench outside the bookstore to review the list of forms she still needed to fill out. Housing. Financial Aid.
“Hey there, kitten.”
Startled, she raised her gaze to find Ivan standing over her.
“What are you doing here?”
“Mind if I sit down?”
She shoved over, not sure what surprised her more. His casual attitude or the fact that he was here.
“I'm sorry about the way we left things. We still have so much to talk about and—”
She rested her hands flat against the wooden slats of the bench, curling her fingers around the edge, and fought to keep her voice casual. “There's nothing to talk about, Ivan. I still want to be friends.”
“I don't want to be friends.”
Well, that silenced her. Waves of nausea bubbled up, and she battled to keep calm. Why the hell had he come back just to tell her he didn't even want her friendship? Her heart pounded so hard that she heard the roaring in her ears. As if sensing her distress, he turned and took her hand.
“I want to be more than friends. I just don't know how.”
Oh. Oh. Some of the tightness in her chest loosened. “Well hell, Ivan, I don't know anything about it either.”
“You deserve all the normal things a couple does. Date nights, dancing. I don't know if I'm right for that.”
Molly laughed. “Late night hunting trips in the rain?”
He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her into the shelter of his body, peering into her eyes. His warm, woodsy scent drifted over her, and she nuzzled against him.
He tipped her chin up to stare in her eyes. “I don't want to be in your way, Molly. You have such a bright future. You're going to do great things. I don't want to get in the way of any of that.”
“I know how much you hate shifter politics—”
He put a finger over her lips to silence her. “I've been running
from that stuff for too long. I have to accept my dual nature and all the extra stuff that comes with it. Besides, if you're going to be in a position of power, you're going to need a damn good bodyguard.”
“Are you applying for the job?”
“Yup.”
She threw her arms up around his neck, pressing tight against his body, the papers in her hand falling to the ground. Deep rumbling laughter sounded against her ear. Ivan kissed her cheek, her nose, and finally her lips.
He pulled back, staring into her eyes. “I love you, Molly.”
Air. Oh, God, she needed air. She sucked in a deep breath, the blurted out, “I love you too.”
A growl tore out of his throat and he pulled her against him for another kiss. When they parted, he bent down to pick up her discarded applications. “Residential housing?” He regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
“I always had this dream of living on campus, going to parties, having a roommate that I got along with...” She trailed off realizing how trivial that all sounded compared to the other things she'd been through recently.
A deep purr rumbled out of him. “I always wanted to date a sexy sorority girl. Think you'll join one?”
She giggled “Maybe. How will we do this? You live so far away. You barely want a relationship as it is. Long distance is so hard.”
“Hey, look at me. I want everything with you. I worry I'm not good enough for you, though.”
“Because of Allison?”
He glanced down without answering her.
“You have to forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault.”
She watched his fists clench and unclench, his hands finally sliding over to cover hers. “I put my house on the market.”
“What?”
“I want to be wherever you are.” He paused and pinned her with a searching stare. “If you want me here.”
“Yes! That's perfect.” This was all too wonderful to be true, and Molly had the insane urge to pinch herself. Their eyes met and held. For a moment, neither of them seemed to breathe.
Some of the tension left his expression. “Cole told me campus security is in need of a night time guard, so I plan to apply. Will you be all right with me working here?” The corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smirk. “Or will I be smothering you?”
“Smother away.” She couldn’t imagine a better scenario. She’d take classes here, while Ivan did what he did best—keep people safe.
This was the man she wanted for the rest of her life.
She placed her hand on his leg and leaned in closer. He took the hint and brushed his lips against hers. Soft at first, then harder. She opened her mouth, welcoming him inside. His hand threaded into her hair, holding her still while he turned any remaining doubts to dust with a kiss.
The End
Also By Autumn Jones Lake
If you enjoy dirty-talking alpha heroes who treat their women like gold, check out my Lost Kings MC series. It’s a motorcycle club romance series—heavy on the romance.
* * *
If you’re curious, here’s an excerpt from Slow Burn (Lost Kings MC #1), the first book in the series.
* * *
Forced to represent an outlaw biker, a married attorney must come to terms with her feelings for her client while avoiding the danger he brings into her sedate life.
Slow Burn (Lost Kings MC #1)
Copyright © 2014 by Autumn Jones Lake.
CHAPTER ONE
ROCK
It wasn’t love at first sight when I met her. Lust? Definitely. I don’t think I believed in love at the time, but one look at her beautiful face, and all the bad stuff around me melted away. Not an easy feat for a guy in handcuffs.
Someone as innocent as her should never have gotten involved with a man like me. By innocent, I don't mean she was some breathy, eighteen-year-old virgin ingénue. No—when we met, she was a thirty-one-year-old married lady. When I use the word innocent, it is in terms of never having killed someone. Never seeing someone die in front of her. Never breaking the law.
True violence had never touched her life.
Violence and I had been close personal friends for a large part of my life. Along with crime. And death. I used violence as a tool to keep order in my often chaotic world, just as she used the law to keep things orderly in her black-and-white one.
She was a lawyer. I was a criminal. She was married to a decent, hard-working, honest guy. I fucked any willing girl who hung out in my club, and made my living in less than honest ways.
She was kind. I didn't know any nice women. Hadn’t known one since my mother died shortly after my eighth birthday. I don’t have many memories of her, but the ones I do have are warm and pleasant.
None of the tramps my father brought home after her death had an ounce of compassion for a motherless brat. The strippers that danced in my club seemed younger every day. A lot of them were bitchy drama queens, and the older I got, the less patience I had for emotional scenes. The girls who attended to the members of my motorcycle club were down to fuck, but not much else. That’s how I liked them.
We met in a courtroom. I sat in the area designated for prisoners. Shackles laced my hands and feet together. I shuffled into the room wearing a spiffy orange jumpsuit, the county correctional logo stenciled across my back in big white letters—just in case anyone thought I suffered from bad fashion sense.
She sat in the front row. I didn't hang my head when I entered. I stood proud and tall looking over the entire room. Some of my brothers stood along the back wall, waiting to see if I'd get bail.
I couldn’t find my attorney in the sea of people. His big, shiny, bald dome should have been easy to spot. My gaze wandered back to the girl in the front row. Long, straight, reddish-brown hair flowed down past her shoulders. Straight bangs across her forehead framed brilliant green eyes. Even from where I sat, I spotted freckles splattered across her nose. The deep green suit she wore emphasized the creaminess of her skin. The banister separating the criminals from the common folk blocked my view of anything below her shoulders, but that angelic face hooked me right away.
The sheriff leaned over and whispered to me, “Your attorney called to say he's running late.” I nodded and mumbled a “thanks” without taking my eyes off the girl. Was her old man locked up? Was she a witness to a crime? Would my asshole lawyer get here so I could get free and talk to the girl?
“Any other message?” I asked Deputy Brown. He was a decent guy as far as pigs went. He'd treated me with respect, hadn't tried to bash my head into anything, and even brought me a donut before leading me upstairs to court. He didn’t get a chance to answer, because the bailiff made a big show of telling me to shut up. Arrogant prick wasn’t good enough to even be a cop, but he sure acted like one. I'd dealt with him before.
My eyes returned to the girl. She sat patient and attentive, waiting her turn. Once or twice, she looked at the clock. Only a slight twitch of her lips indicated her annoyance.
After what seemed like an eternity, the bailiff called the next case, and the girl stood up. She hauled a battered briefcase over her shoulder and stepped through the swinging gate up to the table across from where I sat.
Holy shit.
If I'd been anywhere else in the world, I would have whistled long and low to express my appreciation for the soft curves of her body. The skirt she wore fell to her knees, but it clung to all the right spots and showcased a fantastic set of calves. Her modest heels clicked over the wooden floor, calling my attention to her slender ankles. I was so busy drooling over her I missed it when she stated her name.
The dickhead bailiff brought over a chair and actually smiled at her. She thanked him politely. The judge made some chit-chat with her, and she let out a girlish giggle. People seemed to know her. Like her.
“Attorney Kendall?”
“Yes, your honor.” She stood up. Ah, she was a lawyer. That explained the chit-chat. She argued some civil matter I didn't understand or care about. I listened to her mak
e her case, then watched her sit down. Her opponent didn’t have a lawyer. He bumbled around and generally made a fool of himself. She listened with a passive expression, then argued her position again. The judge ruled in her favor.
I wanted her. In more ways than one after her performance. The courtroom was almost empty. My guys still occupied the back row, but that was it. If my lawyer didn't show up soon, I'd be screwed.
I nudged Deputy Brown with my elbow. “Can she represent me?”
“I don't think she's a criminal attorney.”
“Just for the arraignment. To get me out.”
“I'll ask.”
The deputy motioned to the bailiff to watch me and went to talk to the clerk. She nodded, and when the judge had a moment, she whispered in his ear.
Fuck. The girl was putting her stuff away and getting ready to leave. I really wanted her. I mean, I wanted to fuck her, of course. But I also wanted her to represent me. People seemed to like and respect her. I'd been in and out of the criminal justice system long enough to know getting out of trouble was sometimes less about what you knew and more about who you knew. If I'd gotten picked up in a different county, I could have used my connections to make this go away. Here, I was kind of stuck. I needed her.
“Attorney Kendall, could you stay and do an arraignment, please?” the judge asked off the record.
Her jaw dropped, and the color drained from her face. “Uh, I'm not a criminal attorney, your honor,” she stammered.
“It's pretty simple. Mr. North's attorney got delayed. Don't make me appoint you,” he teased.
“Well, um, just for the limited purpose of this arraignment?” she asked with a hopeful lilt to her voice.
“That's fine.”
The judge waved me over next to her. Her big eyes widened in shock as I lumbered over. I was mildly insulted. Had she really not noticed me the entire time I'd been sitting there?
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