by Sam Crescent
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re not comfortable with compliments?”
“I’m just not used to them. They make me suspicious.”
Bain chuckled. “I guarantee you, I don’t go out of my way to impress anyone. If I give you a compliment, take it.”
They ordered their food and received it about twenty minutes later. Bain had a club sandwich.
“I thought you hated sandwiches,” said Scarlett.
“Never said that.” He finished another bite. “I love them. Anyway, this one’s fancy.”
“I should make you some real food one day,” she said.
“You know how to cook?”
She nodded, taking another spoonful of soup into her mouth. He watched the way her pouty lips wrapped around the utensil, and his cock firmed up in his slacks. After decades of numbness, no desire for love, Scarlett made him feel a powerful longing he’d never felt before.
He wanted to pretend he hadn’t just killed a target this afternoon, go to the grocery store with Scarlett, and play house. It was all a fucking illusion, a life not meant for him. Bain was a killer for hire, nothing more. He wouldn’t even know how to live a normal life if he tried because he’d never been raised with any values or expectations beyond murder and seduction.
They ate and talked until the streetlights came on. He hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, too wrapped up talking with Scarlett. For the first time in a long time, he felt like a whole man, not a broken son of a bitch. “I want to kiss you,” he said.
She swallowed hard, the candle on the table reflecting in her big green eyes “Okay…”
“Tell me to stop if you want to.”
He didn’t care what anyone around them thought, never had given a shit about other people’s opinions. Bain tucked her soft curves against him and kissed her lips, losing himself as the kiss quickly became deeper and deeper. It was soft, sweet, and gentle. It felt real, more than a moment of passion. He pulled back, but he’d wanted to keep going, to trail those kisses down her neck. Fuck, he wanted her naked and bent over the table.
Bain was losing it. He paid the bill, then took Scarlett’s hand.
“Want to walk for a bit?” he asked. He liked spending time with her, pretending things were different. Once they returned to his house, he’d have to deal with his reality and the complication she was in his life. Boss would only wait so long for him to clean up the mess.
“Okay.”
They walked hand in hand. The sky had darkened but the streets still had shoppers, and the night life scene had already started to pick up. Bain didn’t drink, and he’d always hated being around people. The only time he’d ever set foot in a bar or club was to carry out a hit. With the drugs, alcohol, and music, they were always the easiest contracts.
“Bain, what happens next?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“You’re confusing me. First you want me dead, and now you’re acting like we’re on a date or something. I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”
What could he tell her? The truth was raw and dirty. He had to find and kill her friend, and then knock Scarlett off and dump her body at one of Semenov’s clubs so her death looked related to her interview with the Russian mobster. The longer he was with her, the less likely he’d complete what needed to be done. He’d broken the most important rule drilled into him as a captive—never get personal. Never fall in love.
“Let’s just live in the moment,” he said. Bain wasn’t sure exactly how old he was, but he figured over forty. Was it normal for a man his age to feel his heart race from something simple like holding a pretty girl’s hand? It felt more intimate than all the sex he’d had in his life put together.
“Scarlett? Is that you?” A man wearing khakis and a red t-shirt stopped in front on them, and Scarlett’s grip on his hand tightened.
“I have nothing to say to you,” she said, trying to walk around him. When the guy blocked them from passing, Bain wasn’t going to have it.
“Who the fuck is this?” Bain asked, feeling a unique possessiveness wash through him.
Scarlett’s demeanour changed, her body and presence closing in on itself. “My ex’s brother,” she said.
“Really.” Bain looked the shit up and down.
“Michael’s been trying to contact you for ages. Where’ve you been staying?”
“I have a restraining order. He shouldn’t be trying to find me,” she said. “Just stay away from me.”
The piece of shit scowled at Scarlett. “He’s not going to like this. You’ve already moved on to another man when he wants to work things out?”
“I left him over a year ago,” she said. “He has no say over my life, and he never will again.”
Bain could practically feel her nerves, her fear tainting the air. He didn’t like it.
“Back the fuck off,” Bain said. He glanced around, the streets full of night owls. Too many witnesses for him to put a bullet in this asshole.
He shouldered the guy as he passed, securely holding Scarlett’s hand. It was disappointing when he didn’t try to pick a fight.
After walking another block away, they approached a small group of rowdy bikers spilling outside one of the popular dive bars. It was time to get Scarlett back to his house. He didn’t want her exposed to any more shit tonight. This outing was supposed to be about making her happy, not creating more problems.
“Nice tits, baby!” shouted one of the bikers.
Bain shoved Scarlett behind him and punched the bastard with a clean, straight shot to the face. It was enough to send him toppling backward into his friends. A few others rushed him. The venom in Bain’s veins unleashed. He grabbed one in a headlock, punching him into unconsciousness before taking on the other two. It was child’s play compared to other scrapes he’d been in. Bain briefly squatted down, pulling out a lethal switchblade from his boot. He played with it so efficiently, he had the rest of the crowd morbidly transfixed.
“Anyone else want to say something to my woman?”
There were no takers, so he backed away and led Scarlett back to his BMW.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said once they were clear of any trouble.
“Yeah, I did,” he said. “What kind of man stands back while his woman’s insulted?”
She looked up at him as they walked. “I’m your woman now?”
He shook his head. “They didn’t know that.”
“Right…”
He wasn’t sure if that sounded like disappointment. There was no way Scarlett wanted anything to do with him. She tolerated him because she was essentially his prisoner. She’d tried to escape every time he turned around, so she wouldn’t want to be his woman. She was a good girl, and good girls married nice men—men who put in their nine to five every day and paid their taxes.
He opened the passenger door for her. Once he’d settled inside, the quiet was deafening. “That ex of yours. He the one who hurt you?”
Scarlett nodded. “I’ve been hiding for a long time. He destroyed my life, and it seems even that’s not enough for him.”
“Want me to kill him?”
Her mouth fell agape. “You can’t just kill anyone because you feel like it,” she said. “That’s not how real life works … even if we want it to.”
“I’ll do it for you,” he said. “Then you won’t have to look over your shoulder.”
“So you’re letting me go?”
He didn’t want to let go, not ever. The thought of being in his house alone again made him feel uneasy. The solitude had always been his strength, but now he wanted to hear Scarlett’s chatter, hear her breathing next to him at night, and feel the passion she roused in him effortlessly.
“Not yet.”
He pulled onto the road, heading away from the city, back to his sanctuary … or his personal prison. He wasn’t so sure anymore.
Chapter Six
Entering Bain’s home again that night, Scarlett was confused, which shouldn
’t be at all surprising when she thought about how much her life had changed within forty-eight hours. She’d gone from living a really shitty life, to being kidnapped by a man she was having sexual fantasies over. Now she was enjoying the fact he considered her his woman. Her feelings were all over the place.
“I’m sorry,” Bain said, which had her turning in the main hall. There had been many times tonight that she could have run away, and yet she hadn’t. Not once had she wanted to leave his side. Even though she had watched him kill, she felt safe around him. He would protect her from everything.
“Why are you sorry?”
“I wanted you to have fun tonight.”
“I did have fun. It was nice being with you, and not scared.” That fact her ex’s brother, Neil, turned up was just bad luck. She had a restraining order, and for the past year she’d been able to live her life without fear, and that was the way it was going to stay. Also, in a weird way, it was refreshing knowing that Bain had offered to kill her ex for her. “I was curious, how much do you charge?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You offered to kill my ex. I just wondered how much that would be?”
His laugh didn’t offer much comfort. “You couldn’t afford me, babe. I offered to do it free of charge.”
“How much does a hit cost?” she asked.
“Is this for a story?”
“Nope, this is me being curious about a world I thought was left in movies.”
“It differs depending on the person, and who they are. If it’s someone important, but it’s high risk, it can cost about ten mill. Some of them, like the guy today, can be between five and seven.”
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“Do you have a couple of mill lying around the house?”
“No.”
“Then I would do it free of charge.”
“I actually think you’re serious. You are serious?”
“I don’t joke around about money. Or killing. Never have, never will.”
She was amazed. “Someone would actually pay you that kind of money?”
“And more.”
Scarlett didn’t know what to say, so she followed him into the sitting room. He collapsed down on the sofa, and she sat down beside him. “Why do you do it?” she asked. So many questions were whirling around her head.
“I’ve always been good at killing. I told you that.”
“Do you think you’ll ever do anything else besides killing?”
“No. I’ll probably be dead. The thing about being a killer, there’s always someone willing to take your place, even take you out.”
She bit her lip and leaned back. “Thank you. For defending me today. You didn’t have to do that.”
“You were with me. I wanted you to have fun, but those assholes ruined it. That guy, is he going to be a problem?”
“Neil? Nah, he shouldn’t be.”
“He was talking about a guy named Michael.”
“The ex I’ve got a restraining order against. He’s not a very nice man, and he was the final straw. I don’t trust men. I don’t want anything to do with them.” She laughed. “I should just learn to stick with what I know. I thought I was making a fresh start. Becoming a reporter.” She blew out a breath. “Have you ever felt so out of your depth before?”
“Not for a long time, but I’ve felt it. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of that kind of feeling.” He placed his hand on her knee, and she stared at it. His hand was so large as it rested on her body. The heat from his palm was doing something to her, and she had never felt this hard rush of desire before.
“You said you knew how to seduce a woman. Did it ever mean anything to you?” she asked. “Being with that many women.”
“They all blended together, Scarlett. They meant nothing and were simply a means to an end.” He began to stroke her knee.
Resting her head in her hands, she tried to think of anything to say to distract herself. “You know, all I’ve wanted my entire life was for someone to love me, to want to be with me, and to never let me go.”
His cold eyes stared back at her. Tears filled her own, and she gazed back down on that tattooed hand on her knee.
“Is it crazy that right now I feel closer to you than I’ve felt to anyone else in my life?” She returned his gaze once again. The hand made her gasp as it slowly slid up. She couldn’t look away from Bain, nor did she want to.
His eyes dropped down to her lips and then back up again.
Was he going to kiss her?
She wanted his lips on hers. The fire burned brighter than anything else in her life.
“You’ve never had a man devote his time to your pleasure?”
“No. I’ve always been a means of them getting what they want. You know, being the fat girl all of my life, it’s what I should expect. I’ve been told that if I lose weight, they may have given me pleasure.”
His hand was moving farther up her thigh, and with each inch, she was struggling to think coherent thoughts. He was a killer, a machine, and yet it didn’t matter to her. There was something about Bain that called to her. Even as she should be frightened at what they had already shared, she wanted more. She wanted his lips on her, and his hands on her body, consuming her with pleasure.
“You’re not fat. I don’t think so.”
She smiled. “You’re being sweet.”
“I know what I like, and I happen to think your curves are a blessing.” He gripped her hip, and she couldn’t help the gasp that fell from her lips. “There is a great deal I like about you, Scarlett, and I barely even know you.”
Should she tell him to stop? The grip on her hip tightened, and her eyes closed as her body sparked to life. His lips touched her neck, and she moaned. This was the most touch any man had ever given her. In Bain’s arms she felt starved for affection, for touch. She would give anything for him not to stop. The feel of his hands and his arms around her was like an addiction she didn’t want to break.
His lips moved from her neck, and she reached out, touching his face as he kissed her. She wasn’t afraid to touch him. This purely masculine man seemed to know exactly what she needed, without any question. His tongue teased across her lips as the hand on her hip moved down, curving toward her ass, and gripping the flesh. He held her tightly and without remorse, but she wasn’t afraid. Gripping his shirt, she held onto him, refusing to let him go. Her pussy throbbed, and her nipples felt incredibly tight as they pressed against her new shirt.
As she opened her lips, Bain plundered into her mouth, and she touched him with her own tongue, tasting him. He moved them so that he was above her, and she spread her legs so he could rest between them. The hard ridge of his cock pressed against her core, and she cried out, marveling at how big he felt.
Bain broke the kiss, and they were both gasping. “No man has a right to touch you unless it’s to give you pleasure. All of those other men were assholes, Scarlett. You deserved so much more.” He kissed her lips again, and she whimpered. “Tell me to stop. You have to tell me to stop.”
She didn’t say a word. Holding the back of his head, she pulled him down, needing more of his kisses. All of her life she had wanted to be the center of someone’s world. It was kind of ironic that her life revolved around that of a killer, but still, she was bound to Bain. “I don’t want you to stop. I never want you to stop.”
He growled, wrapping his arms around her waist, and he lifted them both up. She let out a little squeal and held on for dear life.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m not going to fuck you on the sofa. You deserve a bed, and that is exactly where I’m going to take you.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist. “I don’t mind the sofa.”
“Not going to happen.”
He carried her up to his bedroom. Her weight meant nothing to him as he kicked open his bedroom door and placed her on the bed. She stood up, and he began to work on her clothes. Within seconds she wa
s naked, and Bain picked her up, placing her on the center of the bed.
“I want you to be naked as well.”
He was treating her like a delicate princess, and she liked it.
Bain left the bed and removed his clothes, his ink on full display. She mourned the little boy he had once been. Those monsters had molded him into the man he was now, and she just knew there was more to him than he let on. He wasn’t as cold as he liked her to think. There was real feeling, real emotion inside him. She was going to be the one to help him to feel. Tonight had proven there was more to him than a simple killer.
His cock was long, hard, and the tip wet with pre-cum. He moved onto the bed, but he didn’t go straight between her thighs. He lay down beside her. One of his arms went beneath her head so that she was resting on him. He took hold of one of her hands with his and placed it in the one beneath her head. With her other hand, he trapped it behind his body so that she was defenseless and open.
She was completely at his mercy, and he had a hand free, which landed on her rounded stomach. The heat of that hand rushed through her body, and she pressed her thighs together. Bain could do whatever he wanted to her, and she didn’t know what was worse, the fact that she didn’t want him to stop, or that she wanted him to use her.
****
Scarlett’s body was a thing of beauty. Bain had fucked many women, young and old. He’d been with women that had enough surgery that their bodies felt like rubber. All of them had wanted something from him, and rarely had it been enjoyable. He had been able to function as if it was just another job. Scarlett, she was natural. She was real, and she was in his bed.
He hated that she tried to suck in her stomach. He loved the rounded stomach as he ran the tips of his fingers over her skin. Her hips were large, and so were her thighs, which were juicy as fuck. He loved her tits as well. Big, with nice pink nipples. He had never been one for loving just one part of a woman, and with Scarlett, each part was his favorite. He loved her tits, her ass, her hips.
What he enjoyed most was her mind. She was hard to pin down. No other woman had made him break the rules.
Sliding his hand up, he cupped her breast. He leaned down and sucked her nipple into his mouth, and she released a beautiful moan. Moving his hand down her body once again, he stroked the tips of his fingers over her breasts, her stomach, and down her thighs. Scarlett went from pressing her thighs together, to spreading them open and thrusting her pelvis up, begging for him to touch her.
