by C. L. Parker
Quinn’s expression morphed into a devilish smirk. “That’ll work,” he said, aiming Sasha toward the door and leaving as if I had no say in the matter.
I would’ve thrown out a formal protest, but then Landon laid a hand on Demi’s shoulder to keep her from leaving, and I was distracted again. “Do you know where he lives?”
“I certainly do,” Demi said, already grabbing a pen from her purse. After scribbling an address on a paper napkin, she handed it to Landon. “You go make sure he loses her number, and I’ll get started on cleaning up his mess.”
“Roger that,” he said, looking over the address.
I’d never seen Landon upset. He was a good guy through and through, and no one would ever be able to change my mind about that. Though he was a marine, he never came off as a Billy Badass, never strutted his stuff like he was the toughest man in the room or carried a chip on his shoulder. He was just Landon, but I’d often wondered what he’d said to the men of Sasha’s past. All I knew was that they never came back around after one of his visits.
I tilted my head to regard him, and, oddly, the room didn’t flip upside down. “You could put both of you out of your misery if you’d just tell her, you know.”
“Tell her what?”
“That you’re in love with her.”
Landon smiled, and the sincerity of it would’ve brought me to my knees if I’d been standing. How could Sasha not be caught in his spell? “When she’s ready for me, she’ll see what she needs to know for herself.” And that was the truth of the matter, wasn’t it? He gave me a friendly wink, then nodded at Shaw. “Be careful going home.”
“Will do, man,” Shaw said as Landon walked away. Then he sighed. “Well, I guess it’s just you and me now.” He draped his arm across the back of my chair and slouched, with his long legs sprawled out in front of him. When his other hand rested naturally on his thigh, I was once again distracted. Only this time, it wasn’t a saving grace. It was the forbidden appeal of the fruit on the tree. And a slithering trouser snake that wanted to be my new best friend.
Crap. No good could come of this.
Shaw
If the pattern of my luck had been any indication at all, succeeding at seducing Cassidy Whalen was going to be a Hail Mary at best. Or so I’d thought until the universe finally decided to smile upon me, all the planets aligned, and some cosmic miracle landed me on my bar stool at Monkey Business, watching the target of my plan get all loosey-goosey and, hopefully, uninhibited.
I would never take advantage of a drunken chick. Never. So I was glad to see that Cassidy knew how to handle her booze. She’d gotten to her buzz and then slowed to a pace that allowed her to keep it without crossing the line. Which meant I could feel good about knowing that if I were successful, I wouldn’t be crossing the line, either. All I needed was for her to be uninhibited enough to let down her guard so she was more receptive to my charms.
When Quinn had asked her if she was leaving with the girls and him, I’d thought for sure my plan was in the shitter. But then she’d turned toward me, which was unexpected, and there was a bit of something sultry about the way she’d looked at me when she’d caught me staring. That was when I saw my opening and swooped in to take advantage of the situation, as was my specialty.
Of course, Cassidy had to be Cassidy. And though I didn’t think it was anything I couldn’t handle, she sure as hell wasn’t going to make it easy. Nope. I was going to have to work for it.
“I don’t need an escort home. I can take care of myself.” It was only the fourth time she’d said it since I’d settled up both our bills—because I was a nice guy and all—and we’d left Chaz to his lockup.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that you possess the ability to rip the nuts off any man who dares to get near you, but I gave my word to Quinn, and I intend to keep it.”
Cassidy pivoted with all the grace of a toddler to walk backward while still talking. In her slightly inebriated state, her coordination left a lot to be desired, but if I told her that, she’d only try to prove me wrong by performing a choreographed gymnastics floor routine on a sea of concrete. “Ha! You have no honor, Shaw Matthews. If you did, you wouldn’t have pulled that move with Denver earlier.”
Tucking my hands into my pockets, I grinned at her. “I’m sure I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
She scoffed. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t play dumb.” And then she turned her back to me again.
Of course I knew what she was talking about. My plan had backfired on me, though. Nate had assured me that Denver Rockford was in the bag, that he’d talked me up and the contract was as good as mine. He was wrong. So the second I was out of the car and out of earshot of Cassidy, I’d called my number one and given him a healthy dose of “You suck!” Of course, that wasn’t the best idea I’d ever had. It just so happened that Nate was at the arena, about to take the plunge when I’d called. I deserved the “Dude, I’m about to dip into the megaramp! What the fuck?” as well as the hang-up that had followed before I’d had the chance to apologize. He’d had a point. What kind of agent called his client before he was about to compete to say some messed-up shit like that? I’d forgotten that he was qualifying for the Summer X Games, which was yet another epic fail on my part.
A rumble of thunder rolled in from the bay, and I looked up to see the dark clouds that had swept in to block the light of the moon. The air was thick with moisture and the promise of rain. California never saw much by way of precipitation, but when it did, it was usually a quick burst that dumped buckets before passing. Stuck trying to figure out my next tactic already, the last thing I needed was for the rain to make the entire attempt a wash. We needed to get a move on.
Cassidy was at least seven steps ahead; apparently, everything had to be a goddamn competition with her. I’d let her have her way this time, only because it afforded me an awesome view of her ass and those long legs—legs that were attached to wobbly ankles in, if I had to guess, four-inch heels.
I had two choices. I could either let her keep going and bask in her inevitable fall, or I could rescue her from herself and get us somewhere dry before we got drenched. If luck stayed on my side, we’d make it to her place just as the rain hit, and propriety would force her to reciprocate my good deed by asking me to come inside until the rain passed. Perfect.
“Hold up a minute.” Cassidy kept walking even though I knew she’d heard me, which didn’t exactly shock me. “Cassidy, stop!”
She came to an abrupt halt and hoisted her messenger bag higher on her shoulder before turning on me with a huff. “What?”
“You’re going to break your neck in those things.” I squatted when I reached her and lifted one of her feet, forcing her to grab my shoulders for support.
“What are you doing? Get off of me, jackass!”
The first heel slipped off without much of a hitch, only because I’d caught her by surprise. I had to wrestle the other one off. She had cute feet, with the nails painted a racy red that matched her attitude.
“You expect me to walk barefoot? On a public sidewalk? Have you any idea how unsanitary that is?”
“Don’t be such a chick. You can wash your feet when you get home. Come on.”
She didn’t budge. “Give me back my shoes.”
“No.”
“I’m not moving from this spot.”
Another rumble of thunder sounded overhead. The rain would be here soon, and she was standing still with her arms crossed over her chest like a petulant child. If she wanted to act like a child, I supposed I should treat her like one.
With a frustrated growl, I turned my back toward her and stooped low. “Get on.”
“What?”
“I said get on. I’ll piggyback you.”
“I am not getting on your back. Have you lost your mind?”
“Apparently. I volunteered to see you home, didn’t I? No idea what possessed me to do that.” When she still didn’t move, I straightened a
nd faced her. “Look, it’s about to pour down rain, you refuse to walk barefoot, and I refuse to let you injure yourself in these things you call shoes. So for once in your life, be a fucking girl and let a man help you.”
“Didn’t you just tell me to stop being a chick?”
The growl that accompanied my glare must have been intimidating, because she uncrossed her arms in an act of concession. Only it wasn’t concession at all. It was to point out what she thought to be obvious. “Maybe you didn’t notice I’m not dressed for a piggyback ride?”
Oh, I’d noticed. I’d been noticing all day and all night. The constant donning of those damn high heels had done a sexy number on her calves and ass, but that was entirely beside the point at the moment, since she was being a huge pain in my ass.
“Pull up your fucking skirt and get on my fucking back so I can get you home before I lose my patience and my temper.”
“Okay, fine! You don’t have to be such a jerk about it.”
For the sake of my own sanity, I ignored the last bit and instead gave her the shoes, which she yanked out of my hands. To my surprise, she was able to shut her trap long enough to use my shoulders to catapult herself up and onto my back.
Holy shit, but the warmth of her core on my spine sent wicked signals to my cock.
“You weigh a freakin’ ton,” I lied as I hoisted her into a more comfortable position, which didn’t in the least help the issue growing in my pants. Neither did the way she wrapped her legs around my waist so that those calves were rubbing my junk.
She smacked the side of my head. “I do not, but thanks for not smelling like the douche you are.”
“You’re welcome. Which way?”
She pointed forward and then put her hand back on my chest. Maybe it was all in my mind, but I could’ve sworn she was feeling me up. There were piggyback rides, and then there were piggyback rides. And it was the piggybackee that determined the difference. For one thing, there was the way she draped her arms over my shoulders to press her fingertips into my pecs instead of leaving them around my neck. And speaking of my neck: most riders managed to keep their chin on a piggybacker’s shoulder so they could look forward, instead of burying their face in his neck and inhaling deeply.
Christ, she was still smelling me, and those luscious lips were there—not puckered, but definitely touching skin. When she sighed, I groaned. My faux pas was covered when a fat drop of rain landed on the bridge of my nose, and then another fell on my cheek, and then the top of my head, and then on my shoulder.
Cassidy started giggling. “Now what are you going to do, Shaw?” Her voice was sensual, a breathy dare at my ear. A shiver ran down my spine, but it was warm and nice, nothing like the chill she normally caused. Jesus, did she just nuzzle my neck?
Of all the parts of my body, my neck and ears were the most sensitive. If a woman knew what she was doing, her manipulation of them could be every bit as effective as doing the same things to my cock. Well, maybe not every bit as effective, but damn close.
Closing my eyes, I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and got myself under control. The part of my plan I’d been counting on was lost. I couldn’t even make a run for it, because what had started out as a few drops had quickly turned into the downpour I’d known would hit us. Before I could formulate a new plan, Cassidy shimmied down my back and bolted down the dark alley to our right.
“Shit!” I ran after her, finally catching up as she ducked under a balcony that only barely shielded us from the rain, and I had to press up against her for even that much. “You wouldn’t walk down a public sidewalk with bare feet, but you’ll run into a dark alley?”
Cassidy looked up at me, her loose hair wet and sticking to her face like slivers of peach peel. “Drastic situations call for drastic measures.” It hadn’t escaped my notice that her skirt was still pushed up her thighs.
“Oh, yeah?” I leaned down to her ear. “So did you nuzzling my neck fall under drastic measures as well?”
“I did not nuzzle your neck!” she said, shoving me out into the rain. I laughed and stepped back to her, holding my ground when she tried to do it again.
Growling out her frustration, she turned to look toward the street. “This is all your fault!”
“My fault? How the hell is this my fault?”
“I could’ve been home by now if you hadn’t taken my shoes.”
“You’re delusional.”
“I’m delusional? Let me tell you what you are. You’re a pompous, superficial ass who thinks he’s smarter than everyone around him. So much so that you won’t even consider for one second that someone who’s been doing her job longer than you might actually be able to do that job better. You think you have all the answers, that you can’t possibly learn anything more about—”
I grabbed her jaw in one hand and fisted her hair in the other, pulling back to force her face to tilt up. And then I kissed her.
The second she registered what was happening, she clamped her mouth shut. Her lips were stiff and unresponsive, but she wasn’t pushing me away, and I’d come too far to back down without giving it my all. Dipping low at the knees, I pressed closer, the bulge in my pants finding her warm spot and doing a bit of nuzzling of its own. Cassidy jerked and gave a surprised sound, then settled back against me instead of protesting. With that small victory, my lips and tongue went to work, softly coaxing her into submission. When the fleshy fullness of her mouth became more pliant, I knew I’d succeeded.
Slowly, I backed off, still holding her in place so I could look down at her. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating her face and those wild green eyes. “Shut up,” I said, and then I kissed her again before she could think to stop me.
Kissing was an art form, and if done properly, it told a person so much more than “I sort of dig you.” My kisses were soft yet firm, with long, probing strokes from my tongue, gentle nips from my teeth, and lips that worshipped the flesh they were granted a taste of. A kiss like that told a person, “I want to devour you, and you’re really going to like it when I do.”
Though I’d planned to seduce Cassidy, I was surprised by how much I was enjoying the kiss. More surprising was the way Cassidy was kissing me back. It seemed I’d sparked her competitive nature once again. The woman was so damn infuriating. I allowed her to push her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck because I liked that kind of shit, but when she tried to break free of my hold to maneuver into one more favorable to her own agenda, I shut it down. There was a flurry of hands and arms the split second I released her to grab both her wrists to pin her to the wall behind her. Cassidy narrowed her eyes at me, but something told me she wasn’t really all that pissed. Maybe it was the way she looked up at me when she took her bottom lip between her teeth and slowly let it pull free. Or maybe it was the way the muscles in her body were coiled tight and ready to spring into action at the first slip of my hold. Or maybe it was the way she eyed my mouth, practically begging for another shot at it.
Though it was cruel, I leaned in and hovered over her lips. When she tilted her head up for another taste, I eased out of reach. “I kiss like I eat pussy.”
Cassidy closed her eyes and groaned, all that strain melting from her muscles. But I had no intention of letting up on her, so I kissed her again, knowing she wouldn’t be able to think of anything other than how that kiss would feel between her thighs.
Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, this one with a brightness I could register even behind closed eyes. And if I needed further proof that the storm was picking up intensity, the echoing clap of thunder overhead was it. Mother Nature was not happy. Perhaps I should’ve seen her fury as an ominous sign to stop what I was doing, but I found the darkness of the night, the ire of the storm, and the cozy recess in which we’d found ourselves to be seductive. For all intents and purposes, we were within public view, but the deluge of rain had emptied the streets and given us enough privacy to be discreet.
And the way Ca
ssidy was moving against me was all the permission I needed to keep going. And I wanted to see what she’d do, so I freed her hands.
Pulling the neckline of her shirt to the side, my lips found the pulse of the artery there. I nipped at her because I couldn’t help myself, and she responded just the way I wanted. Her head tilted farther to the side and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pushing her fingers into my hair and urging me on.
Oh, Cassidy was not going to be the soft and gentle sort; nor did she really want that from her lover. This pleased me as well. I didn’t get off on causing harm to women, but I did like for them to know who was in charge.
“Yeah, you like that, don’t you?”
“No.” The heaving of her chest and the way she was biting her lip told a different story.
I reached up and pulled her lip free, my thumb sweeping over the fleshy peach morsel before my fingers trailed down her chin, her neck, and then her collarbones.
“No? Hmm … that’s weird. Because I could’ve sworn you did. Let’s see if you like this.” With expert ease, I found her nipple and pinched it, rolling it between my thumb and forefinger. Then I dipped even farther, using my teeth to tug at the hardened peak through her wet shirt. She groaned and arched her back, pushing me closer still.
Through her soaked shirt, I could see her green bra. Nice, but it was in the way. Creamy mounds of flesh dipped into a delicate valley on her chest. Something told me her breasts were going to be fucking beautiful. In my enthusiasm to see for myself, I ripped her blouse open, sending buttons flying through the air.
Cassidy froze and looked down at what I’d done. “Really? You’re such an asshole!”
“Want me to stop?” Without waiting for her answer, I took the weight of her breasts in my palms, kneading them through the silky softness of her bra.
“Did I say I wanted you to stop?”
The pad of my thumbs teased her hardened peaks. “I’m just asking to be polite.”
