by Beth Mikell
Hell, after he learned Savannah was Sean Merrick’s sister-in-law he about freaked passed go all the way to jail. He and Sean shared a college dorm room back in the day of partying and sometimes classes, but the last thing he ever wanted to do was disrespect his friend’s family. He tried to make up for it with a nice, casual dinner…and a little romance. Okay, maybe the strip poker was a bit much, but who could blame him for that? Savannah turned his guts into lava and that was the best description he could give without needing an immediate cold shower for the immediate hard-on he was now sporting. He felt as if he should somehow apologize to Sean for his less than savory behavior towards the brilliant, minded woman.
Hex dragged both hands through his black, inky hair in frustration. What the hell was he going to do? His moment magnitude scale for relationships was either broken or on the verge of announcing a huge earthquake of trouble…yet part of him didn’t care. He wanted to see how far he could go with Savannah. Maybe he was a crazy-assed bastard, but he wanted to try something new and damn the rest…and hoped he wouldn't get burned by it later.
~~~
‘Sleeping in’ miraculously consisted of eight in the morning with a queasy stomach and a continuation of pounding headache. Super! Savannah rolled over in her king sized bed and brought a hand up to her slightly off the mark nausea. She really needed to invest in some antacid meds…maybe she had an ulcer from the stress of her job. Yet, that didn’t seem likely given the current job was running ahead of schedule with minimal fuss--even with budget constraints. Or maybe it was lack of deep sleep because all through the night she dreamt of blue eyes, tattoos and warm kisses. Damn the man.
He invaded her sleep and postured himself very well into her subconscious until she woke up several times in a cold sweat. If she didn’t find a way to beat the torment out of her mind, she knew she may go insane from the pressure.
With a sigh, she pushed back the covers, wanting a desperate shower and down some much needed caffeine, though her normal three or four cups of coffee didn’t offer appeal in light of her current upset stomach. Maybe one or two instead?
Thirty minutes later and first cup in hand, Savannah sat in front of the TV channel surfing without real care. If anything the idiot box failed to hold her attention with its usual jammed packed hours of action movies and reruns of old talk shows. There was something uplifting about watching Jerry Springer and his merry band of stupid that always made her laugh—jaded but true. In fact after another swallow of coffee, she winced--it tasted like a seaweed wrap at a day spa.
Worse, she was bored.
Instead of dwelling on shoulda-coulda-wouldas of her internal conflicts, Savannah dressed in jeans, red sweater with her favorite brown boots…okay all boots were her favorite and she had enough pairs to open her own shoe store, but that was beside the point. She liked what she liked and had enough money to indulge in it.
Donning her brown, leather jacket and purse with door card in hand, she headed out--destination the mall to buy Angelo and Xavier’s kids a little gift. She liked to watch their little faces light up when she handed them something special.
Reaching the elevator, it opened before she could press the down button. Much to her surprise, Hex stood within the confines—looking impossibly gorgeous with a half-smile curved upon his lips, his shock evident. Dressed in jeans, of course, cowboy boots and t-shirt with a black leather jacket—virtually edible--her stomach contracted in a powerful lurch of heat.
“Hi princess.”
Savannah squared her shoulders with intent to brush him off and entered the elevator, pressing the down button. Her dark gaze slid over to his to find him staring at her. “Hi yourself. Were you meeting someone?”
He couldn’t resist a grin, “Wow, the cat has claws and fangs bared today.” He moved closer to her, though not touching. “I was on my way to see you. I wanted to invite you to breakfast.”
The thought of food made her want to hurl, yet his thoughtfulness about melted her cool reserve. Nearly. “Thank you, but I rarely eat breakfast.”
He remained quiet for a few moments, watching her. “Are you angry?”
Perceptive as well as handsome her biker god, she smiled. She met his gaze directly, smacked with the intensity of his blue eyes and beauty that made her weak in the knees as if an adolescent. She really needed to get a grip on herself before her inner hussy striped down to naked…fast.
She sighed, “Of course not, but what the hell are we doing, Hex? I’m really not in the market for a bed buddy. If you are being sincere, then all right, but if not, let’s nip this in the ass where it belongs and say goodbye.”
Hex laughed heartily, “I never have to wonder where I stand with you, princess.” The depths of his eyes held humor, but he sobered. “I’m not trying to hurt you, Savannah. But, I wish you would relax and stop overreacting to my motives every time you see me.”
Her dark brow went up in suspicion, “Oh? What are your motives? I mean we’ve known each other five minutes and so far we have an Olympic night of sex to recommend us. I’m honest for a reason—I don’t screw around. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. If that makes me a hard ass, well there you go. I won’t apologize for it.”
He slipped an inch closer, dipping his head nigh to her lips, “Now that we have that settled, can we get back to being friends? I find your honesty refreshing, your beauty intoxicating and I find myself wanting to be with you—in and out of bed.” True, but he hated sounding like a total jerk. His internal warning system fired off to stay far away from even the appearance of a woman for more than casual moments.
Really, Savannah's anger was directed at herself, not him. Honestly, she was running shitless in the face of the unknown monster of emotion she never felt before. The scent of his skin washed over her, suspending her within his magnetic pull—drawing her out of the protective shell she cocooned herself inside for so long. Without a thought, Savannah leaned up and closed the distance to his lips.
He groaned in satisfaction.
His arm slid around her waist, pulling her up to his chest and his mouth stripped through her open lips, and she filled up on his savory, rich taste. His tongue swirled, a greeting long awaited, though only a day had past…but so sweet and enjoyed by every lush lick…until the elevator doors opened.
They sprang apart, glancing towards the open door to find a Japanese family of five staring at them with shocked, jaw dropping eyes. Hex reacted first, grabbing Savannah by the waist, drawing her close to his side, leaning down to her ear.
“Ah hell, this seems to happen a lot,” he whispered, leading her out of the elevator.
Despite the truth of his ludicrousness words, Savannah laughed, walking past the staring group of gaping tourists. “We need to work on that.”
Hex stopped and looked down into her eyes, humor lurking in the depths of his blue eyes, “Seriously? We just traveled down fourteen floors away from a perfectly…useful room, princess."
Still smiling she tried not to laugh more, attempting to smother her lingering mirth with her hand, “I’m sorry.” But, her smile still escaped.
He couldn’t contain his sexy grin, reaching for her hand, “I can promise you one thing…we are going to more than just work on that. Now, where were you going?
“Shopping for a few kids.”
It was his turn to stare in disbelief…speechless, and jaw dropping.
Nervous under his fixed eyes, she pushed her blonde hair back, “What? It’s true. I’m going to Angelo’s house in few hours and I always pick a little gift for the children. It makes me popular and well loved.” Not sure why she felt the need to justify her actions.
He shook his head and gently pulled her to walk with him out of the hotel entrance. “You are full of surprises. Let’s go.”
They shopped with ease of two friends, laughing and making jokes through the process, having already bought some teen magazines and comic books, Savannah wanted to buy Xavier’s children a video game, but couldn’t decide
which one to pick.
“I think you should try that one.” He pointed to the latest role play, action game. “The graphics are good and it’s not rated mature—so maybe it’s safe without the blood and guts factor.”
She eyed it with a musing assessment, “Oh, you don’t know these kids. They love the blood and guts factor—and so does their father.”
“Ah, well then you’ll want this one.” He pointed to another choice, rated mature with full-on graphics for optimal, blood pumping entertainment.
Perfect.
Savannah laughed, “Do you play? You seem to be an authority.”
He hedged, “Well…I’ve been known to rock the world of video ass kicking now and again.”
She nodded her blonde head, “Somehow, I completely believe you.”
Hex nudged her with his elbow, “Smart ass…”
And she took his comment in stride because…she knew she was. With her new purchase in hand, they walked out of the store. Savannah reached for Hex’s arm, dizziness clouding her vision.
“Savannah?” Hex steadied her, pulling her up against his body, “What is it? Are you alright?” he asked, blue eyes filled with concern.
A hand went to her stomach as she blinked to clear her swimming head, “I guess I should have eaten after all.” He led her over to a bench, but she tried to pass the curl of wooziness off, “I’m okay, really.”
His lips drew into a flat line as he looked around, “Just stay put,” he commanded, leaving her. After ten minutes, he came back with chicken wraps and large colas for them both, but made sure she started eating before he took a bite. “Sorry it’s probably not the healthiest, but it will do.”
After swallowing a taste and a drink of cola, Savannah looked up at Hex to find him staring at her, his gaze hooded and impassive. “What? It’s good. I’m not a picky eater by any stretch. I’m more of the coffee on the go kind of woman and anything in between is a luxury.”
Before he could reply, Savannah’s cell phone began ringing, “Excuse me…” She dug through her purse for her phone, incoming call from Merrick Jet. Nice. She pressed the receive button, “Calling to gloat from thirty thousand feet?”
“Of course not,” Laura said with a breathless tone, “Sean wanted to leave a day early and have dinner in Paris before going to Germany.”
Savannah shook her head in disbelief, “Dinner in Paris…I’m happy for you, really I am.” And she eyed her chicken wrap with a raised brow, no comparison.
“I just wanted to tell you I love you and hope that you discover the answers you’re seeking.”
Laura’s statement unraveled Savannah’s nerves, especially with Hex not a space away, but she passed it off. “Not to worry, I’m a survivor. You know me.”
“Well, Sean wants to speak with you for a moment. Love you.”
“Ditto.” She returned, waiting for brother-in-law to come on the line. “Hey handsome, couldn’t wait until tomorrow, huh?”
Sean chuckled, “Unpredictable as always.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, so what do you want, Merrick?”
“You know me so well.”
“Undoubtedly,” Savannah said, casting a look towards Hex who seemed to be ignoring her but she saw him smile.
“I forgot that I have a marketing meeting with MK Steel tomorrow morning and wondered if you could cover for me. Our VP of Marketing, Steve Mendel will be there also, but he’s not always inline with my views, much to my irritation, but I can trust you make the right decision. If you don’t mind, just stop by Marguerite and get the proposal for the fundraiser.”
Savannah waved it off, “Your wish is granted, oh fearless leader. But you know you owe me some elaborate gift from your mini-vacation. And no skimping! I know where you live.”
Her brother-in-law laughed full-on, “Yes ma’am, I wouldn’t dream of it. And my wife wouldn’t either; she already has her shopping agenda planned.”
“That's my girl. Happy to know I made the cut of the rich and famous Merrick's. Kiss Devon for me…” Savannah ended her call with her family and glanced over at Mr. Gorgeous who sat unmoving next to her. “Sorry about that,” she offered, tossing her phone back in her purse.
“Not a problem, princess. We all have family.”
“Oh, do you have any brothers or sisters?” Frankly, she hadn’t pegged him for a family man, but looks could be deceiving.
“Both, they live in Florida with my father and stepmother. I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like because we all keep rather busy most days, but I do try to go home for the holidays from time to time. Shall we finish up and go to Angelo’s?”
Shocked, her mouth dropped, “You’re coming too?”
Hex grinned, “Of course, Angelo invited me on Friday. I’m always in with the cool kids.” He stood, offering his hand to her.
“Somehow, I’m not surprised.”
Chapter Five
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you. ~ Unknown.
The home of Angelo and Marissa Hernandez was everything a home should be inside a quaint, homey location in the suburbs of Atlanta with minimal traffic and neighborhood watch. Hex pulled into the driveway and stopped his SUV, shooting Savannah a disarming smile, which took her breath prisoner with no intention of an early release. Damn him for being gorgeous, funny and sinful with his lips…on or off her mouth. Easily…the man seeped into the crevices of her entire being and she wasn’t sure how to handle that, but neither was she in a line-up to protest. While caution broadcasted through her mind, the green light urged her full speed ahead and somehow Hex was just the distraction she needed in her life of same ole, same ole.
Hex and Savannah left the SUV with their gifts, seeking out their host and hostess for their afternoon fun, excitement and togetherness, yet their eyes told a different story—suggesting a promise waiting to be fulfilled between two lovers. The March winds blew through the couple, cooling enough the undercurrent of heat below the surface of their skin…but it was just a matter of time before they succumbed to the lure—if given the right opportunity.
Before Savannah could knock, the front door flung wide open and a very small, petite Latino woman with long black hair and beautiful velvet eyes engulfed Savannah in a bearlike hug. She squeezed her as if she hadn’t seen her in years, though it had only been a matter of weeks.
“Dios mio! Hola, hola…Savannah, mi querida amiga! Where have you been? I have missed you so much.” Unable to move out of Marissa’s death grip, Savannah found each cheek duly christened with a kiss from her Mexican friend. But, before she could even answer, Marissa took off with more questions as she looked up at Hex.
“Dios mio! Hola…who are you? Angelo’s amigo, sì? Come, come…” She ushered the pair inside, placing her arm through Savannah’s, leading her through to the living room. Marissa leaned close to her newly arrived friend, “You must help me, mi amiga. The men…they are…los hombres son los cerdos! God, what is translation? I forget," she said with a heavy Mexican accent clipping her words.
Hex slipped closer, “Men are pigs?”
Both women looked up in surprise and the beautiful Latina woman nodded her head vigorously. “Sì, sì sì.” She pulled Hex up beside her, “You must see for yourself. Come.”
The sound of ‘the guys’ rumbled through the air with cantankerous laughter with Pete leading the pack. “Oh, here’s one, I want to kiss you passionately on the lips and then move up to your bellybutton.” He scored a high-five from Angelo, the living room shaking with another round of male chuckles.
As Savannah appeared, the guys called out in their familiar way and Pete drew up in front of her wearing a t-shirt that said ‘I don’t get drunk, I get awesome’.
“Yo SD, glad you could make it. We’re just playing my favorite game of all time…Pick-up Lines.” For emphasis, he wagged his dark brows up and down inside a playful smile.
“See what I mean?” Marissa moved away, throwing her husband a look of disgust before heading to the kitchen and A
ngelo shrugged as if clueless.
“Lovely,” Savannah said shaking her head at her crude-friend-slash-employee, “Nice shirt.”
Pete glanced down briefly and then flashed a grin, “Good because I got you one too, only yours glitters.” He fanned his hands over his chest for sparkly emphasis.
Hex cleared his throat, leaning close to her ear, “That about covers it princess.”
She shot him a tough glare, but she was hardly angry. “Hey, whose side are you on?”
“The side that doesn’t put me on your shit list, baby, but…I have to say, you were some kind of awesome.” Hex winked and moved away into the fold of guys to take a beer from Angelo.
“Come on South Down,” Xavier said with a wide smile, “Give us the worst pickup line you’ve ever been handed.”
Savannah crossed the room and sat down on the sofa, propping the gift bags on the cushion next to her eyeing the guys.
Hex gave her dazzling smile while he sipped his beer and she thought of the question, “Well…the worst one had to be…if your left leg is Thanksgiving and your right leg is Christmas, can I visit you between the holidays? Yeah…that was so endearing.”
While the guys hooped and hollered, Hex choked on his beer and gave her strangled expression of horror. Oh yeah, he liked it, she could tell and she smiled sweetly at him.
Angelo offered her a beer, but she shook her head no…her stomach still didn’t feel up to snuff and didn’t think alcohol would make it better. She looked down, flicking a piece of lint off her pants, “You know Pete women aren’t interested in pickup lines. We are more interested in honesty.” Her dark gaze met his again.
Pete grimaced, “SD, that’s all well and good, but honesty may not get me into…ahem…into the right moment.”
