Beast

by Elizabeth Reyes

  Luckily, this time around, Leo lucked out with the PO he’d been assigned. If he’d had the same one he’d had before, the guy would’ve threatened if not pulled him from the work-release program for not having the proper equipment required to be eligible for it. Even if it was only for a few days like Leo told his PO it would be. Even the bad guys did their homework when it came to technology. There were just too many ways to track him down using his phone these days.

  “So, you’re good?” Ron asked. “You staying a couple more nights?”

  “Probably just one more,” Leo said with a frown. “I have to get back to work tomorrow. So, no matter what, I’m out in the morning. But I’ll let you know if I need to come back.”

  “Sure thing. I told you that extra bedroom’s a fucking hole in my pocket. Speaking of”—Ron glanced down at his phone— “I gotta get to work myself.” He grabbed his keys from the counter and turned to Leo with a smile. “Places to be, people to see. But that Netflix box is still hooked up, so have at it. Oh, and you can bring that fan in my room out here. I won’t be back tonight.” He smirked, bouncing his brows. “But it’s supposed to stay hot through the night, so that ceiling fan may not cut it for you.”

  Leo thanked him again then plopped down on the dusty sofa for another night of this shit. As usual, once alone with his thoughts, she was the first thing that came to mind. Leo could only assume now that a sober Ron realized Leo could be Allison’s man. Leo may have been eleven years older than she was, but he knew he didn’t look it.

  When he’d hit the big three-O in jail earlier that year, many of the guys in there didn’t believe he was thirty. So, while he did think he was decades ahead of Allison when it came to life experience, it was hardly the biggest issue keeping him from giving into what he could only ever fantasize about.

  This whole weekend was proof of what she’d be dealing with if he allowed himself to pollute her life with his. Yeah, he was doing his best to stay on the straight side this time. But again, here he had proof of how easily he could get sucked back in.

  Poison.

  Maybe not all women but the ones who mattered had the power to affect Leo the way Allison did. Already his reaction to her was like none he’d ever had for any woman in years. But he was beginning to wonder if maybe this was different even from those he’d been comparing her to. What he felt for her Friday night when he’d been reduced to begging, was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.

  A noise at the door had him sitting up slowly. Waiting to see if he’d hear more, he sat silently and began to think maybe he’d just thought he’d heard it. Then there it was: a soft knock on the door. It was dark out, and Ron had shared a few stories about some of the shit he’d had to deal with since moving into this place. Tweakers desperate for money trying to break into his place to steal anything they could sell so they could get their fix. Like when Leo and Orlando had rented the shop in the slums, Ron said females also came looking to suck dick for cash. But the possibility still existed that someone might be there looking specifically for him, so he made his way to the front door, very quietly.

  It was almost inaudible, but he was certain he’d heard right, someone calling out for him—Beast. Moving the curtain on the side window, with one peek, he confirmed what his heart was already racing about. He muttered under his breath as he opened the door quickly.

  Those damn eyes going so wide instantly as she took him in from top to bottom weakened his resolve. But he forced himself to at least try and be harsh. Pulling Allison in by the arm before she could even explain herself, he pushed the door shut then spun her around, pinning her against the wall. “What the hell part of ‘you need to stay away from me’ do you not understand, Jel?”

  There’d been no time to get clothes on, and it’d been hot as fuck, so he wore only his briefs and nothing else. Feeling the swell of her ass up against his body would have him rock hard in just seconds if he didn’t pull away. So he did, spinning her around to face him.

  He hated that she seemed frightened, but then it was necessary. If he had any chance of getting through this without taking her mouth in his, he could only hope she was as terrified as he was feeling. “You have to get out of here,” she finally sputtered out the words. “Ron’s been arrested for dealing, and Marcelo thinks they might come searching his place for more drugs. I’m here to help get you moved somewhere else.”

  Leo stared at her, breathing heavily. One glance down and she’d see what she’d done to him from just one graze of her ass against his cock. She’d just told him the cops might be on the way, and all he could think of was spinning her around again, ripping those fucking shorts off, and burying himself in her.

  Flinching suddenly when he felt her hand touch his forehead, he was surprised she didn’t pull it away. He’d been so fixated on his thoughts and once again lost in those eyes, he hadn’t even noticed her move her hand. She touched what he knew was the very telling vein on the side of his forehead. She stared at it now too. “You’re so on edge,” she whispered, her brows knotting up as their eyes met again. “Did something happen?”

  He managed a very tight—very strained—shake of his head but said nothing. Then she did the worst thing she could do at that very moment. She licked her lips.

  With a groan, his mouth was on hers, and everything he’d been holding in since the day he first saw her sucking that godforsaken donut drained out into that hysterical kiss. A part of him feared she’d push him away while the other hoped—prayed—that she might. No part of him expected her to accept his tongue in her mouth the way she had and respond with just as much urgency.

  They leaned against that wall, bodies pressed against each other, and Leo knew the moment she felt his throbbing erection against her because she gasped. He nearly pulled away, but once again, she surprised him when she pulled him back and moaned in his mouth.

  Leo tried in vain to just enjoy the moment. As much as he knew he’d live to regret this, even if he did make sure this never happened again, he wanted to at least try and enjoy this—for now. But he couldn’t. Well, not completely. Not how he knew he could be. He’d lived through so many heart-stopping experiences, and yet this, by far, felt like the most terrifying ever.

  Not since the day he’d listened to his mother being raped and beaten had Leo ever felt so helpless. Every taste and suckle of that sweet mouth—every touch of his hands and body all over hers—rendered him that much more powerless to stop this.

  As he kissed his way down her chin, Allison dropped her head back, allowing him full access to her beautiful neck. He kissed, licked, then finally sucked her warm flesh, feeling her tremble against him. “Jesus,” he gasped against her neck, kissing and sucking a little harder, even as the frantic thoughts continued to plague his mind.

  “Allison” he said, kissing her neck softly again.

  “Please don’t stop,” she panted, making him realize something even more alarming.

  This alone might be taking Allison somewhere he’d all but forbid himself to ever go with her. With her body still trembling, the very thought of hearing her and feeling her come undone had him doing just the opposite of what he should be doing. He dove into her neck, sucking in a way that was already making her squirm and moan. “Are you a virgin?” The words flew out of his lips as he nipped at the warm flesh on her neck.

  “No,” she said breathlessly.

  Leo slowed because that surprised him; then he remembered and his head shot up. “Carson.”

  He wasn’t asking her. He was stating the fact that it’d just dawned on him. She was shaking her head, but that wasn’t what he wanted to know. Leo started to pull away, but she held his arm.

  “I haven’t done anything with Carson.”

  “You said you were with him now.”

  The haze of red that nearly blinded him from that statement alone was just another reminder of what a mistake this was.

  She shook her head again, always looking him straight in the eyes. “We’ve bee
n talking more. Been out alone, not just in groups a few times, but I’m not with him.” Her brows pinched suddenly, and her expression went a little hard. “Despite what my actions right now may be saying, I am a respectable girl. I wouldn’t be doing this if I had a boyfriend.”

  “I know you are, and I know you wouldn’t. I just . . .”

  He didn’t want to say it because he was still grasping on to the hope that he could win this battle. Leo searched her eyes in panic as the voice screamed in his head that her being with anyone shouldn’t matter. He’d fucked plenty of girls who were in relationships or even married. If they were willing, why the hell not? It’d never bothered him then, and it shouldn’t now. But God damn it if he didn’t need to be clear about this.

  He’d done enough lying to himself already when it came to Allison. Like when he’d sworn he could resist her no matter what. When she’d driven away Friday after practically saying she wanted him as bad as he wanted her, he’d assured his freaked-out heart that he could stay away from her. But this wasn’t about sex, and Leo knew it. All he’d done so far was kiss her, and already he knew he was in deep, deep shit.

  “He’s actually turned out to be nicer than my initial impression of him,” she whispered as her eyes looked deep into Leo’s but would drop occasionally back to his lips.

  Leo, on the other hand, searched her eyes with every word she spoke. He could tell himself it didn’t matter until he was blue in the face. But once again, he was incapable of altering the direction his weak heart had taken. He was glued to her every word about this now. His heart was already demanding answers about her relationship with Carson.

  “He kissed me once just a couple nights before Friday’s incident,” she whispered again.

  Leo knew with all certainty there was no hiding the scorching jealousy in his eyes that threatened to burn a hole through her now. Lifting a hand to his face, she touched him, softly caressing his cheek as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes in the process.

  “The subject of exclusivity has come up, but no promises have been made,” she continued even as Leo breathed in even deeper. “But if I had a choice, if you gave me one . . .” Leo opened his eyes when she paused. With an apprehensive smile, she shrugged. “I’d choose you, hands down.”

  Unable to hold back because his exploding heart was pleading that he do it, he leaned in and kissed her again, softly this time, nowhere near as frenzied as he’d kissed her earlier.

  His head argued some nonsense about him encouraging her to be with Carson. That he was hands down the better safer guy for her. That they should end this now and get the hell out of there before the damn cops showed up. But his heart, burning body, and soul were not having it. At least not the part about Carson.

  Letting a few more kisses linger, because he didn’t want this to end just yet, he finally pulled away. “I need to call my friend to come get me.”

  “What?” she asked, shaking her head as his statement pulled her out of the dreamy state his kisses had left her in. “You don’t have time for that. The cops could be on their way now.”

  “My neighborhood isn’t the greatest either, and I’m a little farther out. I don’t want you driving out of there by yourself.”

  She frowned but didn’t argue; instead, as usual, she surprised him with another suggestion. “Trust me. I know my way around these parts. I’m in a car not on foot. I’ll be fine and I insist. We need to get you out of here now.

  Dragging himself away from her, Leo walked back to where his clothes were, sporting the mother of all boners. Within minutes. he had his clothes on. Without saying much else, they were out of there.

  With every minute that passed and neither discussed what happened at Ron’s, the weight of it only got heavier. They weren’t even to his place yet, and already Leo was regretting this. He’d never noticed it until tonight, but it seemed every other corner in his neighborhood was occupied by a drug-dealing thug, a streetwalker, or a gang member up to no good.

  Even as they drove into his driveway, he eyed the guys standing around his neighbor’s front yard. Mr. Garcia was quiet and kept to himself, but his son Jesse was a whole other story. He was a pusher, and these guys standing around waiting for him weren’t just friends. Every last one of them looked shady as fuck. Leo should know. He was no better than them once upon a time.

  Jesse knew better than to mess with Leo and his roommates or any of their guests. But these new faces standing around he wasn’t sure about. Already he’d seen more than one of them eye Allison curiously as they drove up. Leo would be following Allison out to the freeway entrance, no matter what she said.

  Of course, Orlando’s truck was nowhere to be seen. Leo could only pray Nine’s bike was in the garage where he assumed his was too. Having Allison all alone in his place was a risk. But the bigger danger was leaving her out here to wait for him to find his keys. After tonight, hell even before, he wouldn’t have thought it a good idea to risk walking back out to see one of the thugs sniffing around her.

  “Come inside with me,” he said, eyeing the group on the other side of the chain link fence as he got out of the car. “I need to get the keys to the garage.”

  “Keys?” she asked but was already getting out.

  Glancing next door, she seemed to understand and didn’t say more. Leo explained as they walked to his front door that he’d be driving her back out to the freeway entrance but just needed to grab the garage keys first. As luck would have it, Nine wasn’t home either.

  Despite the neighborhood he lived in, his place was nothing like Ron’s. It was clean with newer furniture and no clutter anywhere. He could see the surprise in Allison’s eyes as they walked into the front room. She knew he lived with two other guys, so he was sure this wasn’t what she’d expected to see. His place was also bigger: a home with three bedrooms, not a tiny apartment like Ron’s, and a much bigger kitchen too.

  The tension of being alone with her again in the privacy of his home now grew with every step he took around his place. Like at Ron’s, Allison stayed close behind as he searched the drawers in the kitchen. He offered her a seat in the front room while he searched for the key, but she said she was fine. With no other choice since the key was in none of the usual places, he walked into his bedroom to search there and prayed she wouldn’t follow.

  At first, she didn’t, and he searched quickly in hopes of getting out of there without incident. The very thought of having her in his bedroom had his crotch swelling already.

  “Did you draw all these?”

  Her voice at his door startled him slightly as he turned to see her standing there staring at his wall. Gulping hard as she took a few more steps further into the room, he nodded, and she turned back to the drawings. “I didn’t realize you’re an artist.”

  “I’m not. But like reading, there’s not a whole lot more to do when you’re locked up. So, I did some drawing while in there, but I never drew before that.”

  “These are good.” She walked in even further to look at the rest.

  Leo watched her cautiously, but inevitably his eyes traveled down her back to her voluptuous ass. This close to her he knew he didn’t stand a chance to resist touching her again if she got any closer. He glanced around for the damn keys, feeling panicked.

  “Is that what you’re looking for?”

  He turned to see her pointing at a drawing on the wall. It’d been Leo’s attempt at a tasteful drawing of a naked woman lying on a cloud. The moment he saw the key chain with the spare to his bike and the garage door, he knew who’d been in his room—Nine.

  There was a tack right on the nipple of the drawing, and the keys hung on it. Smirking, he walked toward it. “My roommate’s a real comedian,” he explained. “But yeah, that’s it.”

  The relief that they’d soon be out of there was short-lived. His fingers grazed hers just as he walked by her, and that was all it took. Their eyes met, and instantly, his hand was in hers pulling her to him. Once again there was zero resistanc
e on her part, and he was helpless to fight what his body begged for.

  Her mouth tasted so damn good. He felt almost feral devouring it and running his hands all over her. “Allison,” he said between frantic kisses. “This can’t happen.”

  “It’s already happening,” she said breathlessly.

  Unable to resist, he slipped his hands into her shorts from behind and squeezed her glorious ass cheeks. Swaying his hips against her middle, he pressed against her, envisioning what he could only fantasize about doing to her.

  This time her hands did some roaming too. She ran her hands over his shoulders and arms then down his back. As innocent as Leo had Ali pegged, she sure as hell seemed to know what she was doing, and she held nothing back.

  No sooner had the thought entered his mind when her hand slid down to his cock over his pants. Groaning, he knew if her hand slipped into his pants, he’d be a goner. Hell, he felt like one already.

  “We need to slow down.”

  It felt stupid to even say it because the moment the words were out of his mouth he was devouring her mouth again, cradling her face in his hands like he never wanted to stop—never wanted to let go.

  Letting one hand slide down over that ass he’d been dreaming about for months now, he slid his hand into her shorts again. Just as he’d imagined, her flesh was heavenly. What she considered too much was perfect as far as Leo was concerned, and he molded her ass, moaning with bliss.

  In an instant quid pro quo, Ali flicked the button of his pants open and slid her hand in too. Only she went for the goods. Something had her slowing and pulling away to look at him curiously. “You have a piercing?”