Spark (Boosted Hearts Book 4)

by Sherilee Gray

  Hattie blinked up at him. “Excuse me?”

  His dark eyes seemed to get darker somehow. “I want to spend the night with you, Hattie. If you’re interested.”

  Her mouth opened, closed. He’d surprised her again. The man certainly was direct. “You want to spend the night…with me?” she repeated like an idiot.

  He dipped his square chin. “You say yes…promise I’ll take good care of you.”

  She hadn’t been with a man in just over two years, and with all her focus on building her new business and proving her parents wrong, she had no room in her life for love or romance. For anything serious.

  But one night, one crazy, reckless night with Dex, sounded kind of perfect.

  The only expectations would be making each other feel good. After that, they’d walk away.

  She could live with that.

  Yes, it was madness. They’d only said a handful of sentences to each other, but she wanted to be with him. She wanted to go with this mountain of a man to his hotel room and let him take care of her. So badly she shook.

  And why the hell not?

  “Yes,” she said before she could chicken out. “Yes, I’ll spend the night with you.”

  Chapter 2

  Dex Colton stared down at the angel beside him and had to swallow several times. His mouth was bone dry, his hands were clammy, and his gut was knotted up so damn tight.

  Hattie was the most exquisite woman he had ever seen in his life. He’d spotted her across the room, and it was fucking corny as shit, but everything else around him ceased to exist. Just her. She was all he could see.

  She said yes.

  Not snatching her up in his arms and covering that cherry red mouth with his right then and there was like ignoring the last chocolate pudding at the buffet table when you’d been eyeing it, craving it, had deprived yourself of it for the longest time—and for the last several hours you’d been hoping like fuck that no one else would take it before you could.

  He hadn’t approached her because he didn’t think he had a hope in hell with a woman like her, with any woman. He wasn’t exactly a people person, never had been, but since he was no longer on active duty, the whole people and conversation thing had been even harder for some reason.

  He’d also been celibate for thirteen months. After Chloe, his ex-girlfriend, dumped him during a deployment and then got engaged to his younger brother, Zane, he’d not really been feeling it. Honestly, he’d been kind of dead inside since. Then Hattie had walked into the bar and it was like all his shriveled organs had been shocked back to life.

  He felt wobbly, off-balance, like his nerve endings were sparking and igniting, like his blood was heating and pumping through his veins again for the first time in over a year, filling the husk in the center of his chest.

  Dex felt alive for the first time in such a long fucking time.

  Words failed him when he looked down at her, so he stood, held out his hand, and waited. If Hattie changed her mind, he’d completely understand, but he hoped like hell she didn’t. Today had not been the best of days. The invitation that had shown up the day before to his brother and Chloe’s wedding had felt like a slap in the face, and he hadn’t been able to shake his bad mood.

  He’d come to Woody’s to drown his sorrows.

  Then he’d seen Hattie and he’d forgotten all about his troubles.

  Every last one of them.

  She smiled, hopped off her stool, and—fuck him—slid her small hand into his. Could he really be this lucky? He almost expected some guy to storm over, a boyfriend, husband—shit, a hidden camera to appear. The whole bar to bust out laughing at the idiot who thought he’d struck it lucky with the curvy beauty staring expectantly up at him.

  He wasn’t risking it and started moving, leading her toward the door.

  “Where do you live?” she said as they walked out onto the street.

  “Staying at the Amberley. Only a couple of blocks away.”

  She squeezed his hand, and for some reason he felt it behind his ribs as well as behind his zipper. Fuck, she was beautiful. He hadn’t lied; she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. There was just something about her. She hit every one of his hot buttons and then some.

  He glanced down at her again. Her dark hair was down and wavy and sat just below her shoulders. She was wearing jeans that hugged her round ass and thighs, and a shirt that was loose but made of that light kind of fabric that draped and still managed to cling to her shape at the same time.

  Hattie was a full-figured woman, and being the big guy he was, he appreciated curves like hers. He liked soft and round—always had.

  She glanced up at him again as well and smiled nervously.

  This gorgeous woman had agreed to come home with him, and he hadn’t even kissed her yet. Dex wanted to kiss her right damn then. So he stopped and tugged her to a stop as well there on the street.

  There was curiosity in her blue eyes, and definitely nerves, but no fear. Thank God.

  “Want to kiss you, Hattie.” No, he didn’t know what it was about this woman, but she had him all twisted up. “You okay with that?”

  She nodded and let Dex draw her closer.

  He wrapped his arms around the soft warmth of her body. Jesus, he was shaking. Her breathing was coming out in little pants, and her lips were slightly parted. Oh fuck, just that reaction to his request was as hot as fuck.

  He cupped the side of her face. Her skin was soft, delicate.

  Burrowing his fingers into her thick, warm hair, he tilted her head back. When her eyes locked with his, Dex’s dick started to throb and got even harder.

  He leaned over her, spreading his legs so they were kind of bracketing hers to bring him lower, then bent at the knees a little as well, since she was so much shorter. She tilted her face up and lifted on her tiptoes, trying to meet him halfway.

  Fucking hell.

  The words bounced around his skull when he closed the remaining gap, when he finally pressed his lips to hers. Oh God. They were soft and full and tasted tart and sweet from her wine.

  Her hands went to his chest and she shuffled closer, pressing her front to his. He groaned. Christ, it’d been such a long time since he’d been this close to anyone. Women had been the last things on his mind for a long time. But fuck, he’d missed the softness, the scent, the warmth, just the closeness.

  He swept his tongue into her mouth and groaned again because Hattie kissed him back just as hungrily, her tongue gliding against his. She filled his head, his senses. And somehow he knew that not just any woman could make him feel like this. He was sure of it. Only this woman: Hattie.

  Only she could make him feel this way, this out of control, this hungry. Something in his gut told him that, and he didn’t doubt it. The throbbing need inside him for her grew even stronger.

  He needed her under him, naked. Now.

  Someone wolf-whistled, and Dex tensed, reluctantly breaking their lip-lock, and lifted his head. She looked up at him, flushed and dazed and so incredibly beautiful he actually growled. He sure as hell didn’t want anyone else seeing her like this, with her mouth swollen and dark from his kiss, need stark on her face, in her eyes, and nipples hard little points outlined through her shirt.

  “You need to know, sweetness,” he said, giving her a warning or making a promise, he wasn’t sure which. “Been a while for me, and the way I want you…” He cleared his throat. “Gonna want my fill of you tonight, beautiful.”

  Her tongue darted out between her lips, swiping across the lower one. “I haven’t been with anyone in two years,” she said, completely unguarded, giving him the truth without reservation. “So I’m…I’m fine with that.”

  He knew she’d surprised herself with her confession as well because her pink cheeks turned red.

  “Gonna make sure you don’t regret one moment of tonight, Hattie,” Dex said and meant it one hundred fifty percent. He wanted to watch this woman come so hard she shook, wanted to hear his name on
her lips when he got her there over and over again. The need to make her feel good, to make her remember this night with him—remember him—was a driving need inside him he didn’t understand.

  Her fingers flexed against his chest. “I know,” she said shakily.

  Yeah, he liked that. He liked it a fucking lot.

  Without another word, because he didn’t have any that would make any sort of sense, he took her hand again firmly in his and started back up the street, faster this time.

  The place he was staying at wasn’t the nicest hotel on the block—okay, it was shitty—but the apartment he’d moved into had a plumbing emergency a few days after he unpacked all his worldly possessions—which was fuck all—and since he preferred not to shit in a bucket, he was stuck in this hotel for a little longer.

  His cousins here had all offered him a place to stay while he waited on the new toilet that had to be specially ordered to fit his small bathroom, but Dex didn’t want to impose. He didn’t really know them, and the whole idea sounded awkward as hell to him.

  He also liked peace and quiet, and since they all had kids or were about to have a kid, he’d said thanks but no, thanks. That was too much for him and why he chose this shit-box hotel to be his temporary home for the week instead.

  His cousins had given him a job and a place to live, and he appreciated it more than he could express, but in his experience, family always let you down. There was always a price to pay, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk getting too close to this one.

  He glanced at Hattie again and wished he hadn’t been such a cheap bastard, that he’d picked a hotel less like a fucking dumpster. Nothing he could do about it now.

  Dex quickly led Hattie through the foyer, past the dude behind the desk who constantly reeked of booze, and to the elevator.

  The doors slid open, and he led her inside. “The place is a dump. If I’d known…” Dex said, embarrassed that he had to bring her there. He looked down at her, trying to work out how to finish that sentence—and forgot what he was saying.

  Hattie was looking up at him in a way that told him she didn’t give one shit what the hotel looked like, in a way that said she probably hadn’t even noticed at all.

  Her lips were slightly parted, dark pink and glossy, and her blue eyes alert and excited. Dex made a rough sound and leaned in, taking that lush mouth again in a hard kiss. He had to. And when that wasn’t enough, he hauled her off her feet, took two steps until her back met the wall of the elevator, and kissed her some more, like he wanted to fuck her, tongue delving deep like he couldn’t get inside her fast or deep enough.

  His hand dropped to her soft round ass as Hattie’s fingers moved cautiously at his side, working their way under his shirt. Then she was under and her delicate fingers were moving lightly over his skin, making him crazy, lifting fucking goose bumps all over him.

  The ding of the elevator and the sound of the doors sliding open had Dex reluctantly lifting his head. Ignoring the guy and his woman standing there looking at him and Hattie with slack jaws, he carried her out and across the hall to his room.

  He released her long enough to unlock his door, then they were in and he slammed it after them and backed Hattie toward the bed.

  Dex’s hands were shaking when he released her and yanked his shirt off. Hattie watched him, and when he flung it aside, those beautiful eyes moved over his chest, lower.

  “Okay, Hattie?” he asked because they didn’t know each other. He was a stranger and he’d brought her to his shitty hotel room and was stripping his clothes off in front of her. But, fuck, he felt drunk on her, the way he wanted her. He was sure he was looking at her like a hungry wild animal, but he couldn’t rein in just how much he wanted her.

  Jesus, he wouldn’t be surprised if she chose to back out at the last minute.

  Fuck, he hoped she didn’t.

  “Yes,” she said and took a step closer, her hands lifting to his chest. “I’m okay.”

  He shuddered when her fingers lightly slid over his pecs, down over his gut, then moved around his waist so she was essentially hugging him.

  She tilted her head back, and he looked down at her.

  “I’m glad I met you tonight,” she said softly.

  The woman had no idea. None. Nothing had felt right for him in a long time. It started when he’d come home and found out his girlfriend had moved on with his brother. And shit only got worse after his last deployment when he’d been injured bad enough that he’d been taken off active duty for good.

  Things hadn’t improved any when he moved here desperate for a job.

  No, nothing had felt right until Hattie walked into Woody’s.

  Dex slid his hands down over her hips, gripped the bottom of her shirt, and lifted it up and off, flinging it aside. “Not as glad as me, sweetness.”

  His gaze dropped, taking her in, and he had to swallow the boulder in his throat when he got a look at her in just her bra and jeans. He wanted to spend hours worshipping this woman. The feeling was so strong he dropped to his knees and pressed his face against her soft tits and belly as he yanked open the button and zipper of her jeans.

  She moaned softly, fingers sliding into his hair, nails grazing his scalp as he pressed sucking kisses along the top of her underwear. He helped her out of her shoes and looked up at her, silently asking if it was okay to take her jeans off. When she nodded, he quickly got rid of them and tossed them aside as well.

  “Christ, you’re beautiful.”

  Hattie blushed but took his face in her hands and leaned down, pressing her lips to his, kissing him hot and hungry. Dex slid his arms under her ass and stood, taking her with him. He wanted inside her in a big fucking way, but first he wanted a taste of her, every inch of her gorgeous body. If this was all he’d get, if this was all she was willing to give him, this one night, he wanted to make the most of it.

  Laying her on the bed, he stood back and toed off his boots, yanked off his socks, and got to work on his jeans, shoving them down his legs and kicking them aside.

  On her elbows, Hattie’s gaze moved over him, his chest, stomach, thighs—no doubt taking in the deep scar he had on his right one, one of several scars on his body—then finally landing on his cock.

  Her eyes widened.

  Dex knew how it looked, hard as fuck, tenting the hell out of his boxers. Like he had a heat-seeking missile down the damn front. Intimidating. More than one woman had said that about his dick.

  He was a big man, and his cock was in proportion to the rest of him.

  Might as well let her see what she was in for. If she wanted to run screaming from the room at the prospect of him sliding inside her, and yes, that had happened before—okay, not running or screaming, but a “hell no” and some fast walking right out the door—he’d better let her see it.

  Hooking his thumbs into the top of his boxers, he shoved them down and off, kicking them aside.

  Hattie sat upright, her mouth dropping open.

  “I’m big, but we don’t have to fuck if you don’t want. You just want me to eat your pussy, use my fingers? I can do that, no pressure.” He’d be happy with anything she gave him.

  Hattie shifted, climbed to her knees, and walked on them to the end of the bed.

  Dex watched her, taking a deep shuddery breath when she reached out and took his cock in her hand. She tilted her head back and looked up at him.

  “I want everything, all of it,” she said and gave his shaft a light stroke that had him seeing stars.

  “You sure?” he choked.

  “Yes.”

  Dex growled, hauled her up, planted her back in the middle of the bed, and came down on top of her. She wanted everything, and he was going to give it to her.

  Chapter 3

  Hattie was surrounded by Dex, his massive body covering hers, his skin molten.

  God, the sight of him standing there naked had stolen her breath. An ancient warrior, that’s what he looked like. His upper body was covered in tattoos. And
as he’d stripped off the rest of his clothes, the eagle with its wings spread on his right pec, USMC written in bold script beneath it, had ripped as his muscles had danced under his skin.

  He was beyond sexy. Everything about him was.

  The dark hair on his chest rubbed against her breasts, the same as his monster thighs against the insides of hers. The size of him meant she had no choice but to spread her legs wide to accommodate him. His mouth found hers and her lips parted, letting him feed her his low moans, his hunger. It matched her own.

  He kissed along her throat, and she threaded her fingers in his hair when he worked his way to her breasts.

  “Bra off?” he growled.

  Reluctantly releasing him when Dex lifted up to give her room, she reached back and undid it. He immediately tugged it down her arms and dropped it on the floor. When his gaze came back to her chest, he huffed out a breath and then kind of fell on her, burying his face against her breasts on a rough groan.

  His whiskers tickled, his hot breath making her squirm as his lips began moving over her bare skin, working their way to her tight, aching nipple before finally sucking it into his mouth.

  Hattie cried out, arching up against him. One of his hands slid down her side and gripped her butt, pulling her tighter against him. That massive cock grinding down between her thighs made her gasp.

  Dex lifted his head, looming over her, eyes dark and fierce and hot, holding her gaze. “Want to taste your pussy, Hattie. You okay with that?”

  Every time he took a step farther, he asked, making sure she was okay and that she wanted to proceed. Somehow it made everything hotter hearing what he wanted, the way his need for her made his voice deeper, rougher. Dex was not only the sexiest man she’d ever encountered; he was a really good guy.

  “Yes, I’m okay with that,” she whispered.

  He licked his lips, honest to God, licked his lips like he could already taste her. Like the idea of his mouth between her thighs was the hottest thing ever. Her last boyfriend hadn’t really enjoyed doing that. Not with her anyway.