“Yeah, I get that. I don’t have to like it, but I get it.”
“Let’s wait until after the new year to do anything.” Eliza was happy. And it had been a long time since she’d felt that way. “Let’s just work and enjoy the next few days and deal with this mess after the first of January.”
“We shouldn’t wait,” he began.
“Please.” Eliza knew she was being shameful, knew Rabb would cave because he cared. Sure enough he nodded.
“Okay, but you’ll take the phone. And you won’t leave the club unless I’m with you.”
“Deal.” She could tell by his shocked expression she’d surprised him. “What? I can see reason.”
He grinned. “I’m not touching that one.”
“Smart man,” she shot back. This felt like old times, the two of them talking and bantering. “So what’s next?” She rubbed her hands over his chest, loving the play of his hard muscles beneath his shirt. A quick glance downward showed her he was aroused. Again. He was definitely good for her ego. The man always seemed to want her.
“The tree.”
He caught her off guard and the beginnings of her sexual fantasies went up in a poof of smoke. “The tree?”
“Yeah.” He turned her so she was facing the pretty pine tree covered in colorful lights. “We need to decorate our Christmas tree.”
Our. The word almost brought her to her knees. She’d been alone for so long and had forgotten what it was like to feel like a part of something, to feel as though she belonged.
“I’d like that.”
Rabb patted her butt as he left her and went to a box he’d set on the floor in front of the entertainment unit. He bent over, giving her a spectacular view of his firmly muscled ass. After their shower, he’d put on an old pair of jeans that cupped his behind and showed it to its best advantage.
He turned and caught her staring. One corner of his mouth tipped up. “Like what you see?”
“Very much.” Oh yeah, she liked it. Every inch of her skin was tingling and her nipples were hard peaks.
“Maybe I’ll give you a private showing later.” He looked both smug and satisfied.
She sashayed by him, making sure she accidentally brushed the back of her hand over his erection. “Maybe I’d like that.”
Rabb’s breath caught and he groaned. “Tease.”
“And don’t you forget it.” Eliza felt more herself than she had in a long time. The quiet, timid, frightened woman she’d become was slowly giving way to the woman she’d been before Jason had changed her.
Rabb laughed. “That’s not likely to happen.” He set the box down on the coffee table and opened it. “I think there’s enough ornaments to fill the tree. With the back part against the wall we won’t need as many as if you could see the entire thing.”
“I’m sure it will be enough.” Unable to wait, she reached into the box and started pulling out smaller boxes. She opened one and couldn’t help exclaiming over the pretty set of ornaments. “These are gorgeous.” They were painted porcelain and each one in the set was a character from the Alice in Wonderland story by Lewis Carroll.
“Both Nevar and I have a set. Our parents gave them to us the year we got our own place.” He lifted out the Red Queen and handed it to her. “Here, you put her on the tree.”
“Not Alice.” She frowned, not sure she liked the Red Queen.
Rabb stroked his hand up her back and caught her nape in his big hand. He tilted her head, leaned down and kissed her. Their tongues clashed and the familiar heat spread through her. He tasted so good. Hot male and rich coffee.
They were both breathing heavily when he drew back. “You’ve got too much fire to be anything but a queen.”
Her heart skipped a beat and then began to race. She glanced away and her eyes caught another ornament in the box. She leaned down and pulled it out. “And you can put the White Rabbit on the tree.”
Rabb threw back his head and laughed. She admired the thick column of his throat, his strong jawline and full lips. “Guess that puts me in my place.” He took the ornament from her and guided her toward the tree. “After you.”
Eliza slipped the Red Queen ornament over a branch and Rabb settled his White Rabbit next to it. “Perfect,” he said just before he kissed her again.
He slipped his hand beneath the shirt she was wearing. He stroked over her butt and teased his fingers along the elastic band of her panties.
“We really should finish decorating the tree,” he told her between hot kisses.
“Probably.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and nibbled on his bottom lip. “But maybe we should sit on the sofa, rest for a few minutes and enjoy the lights.”
Rabb backed her up until her calves hit the edge of the sofa. “That’s a good idea. I wouldn’t want to tire you out.”
He slid his fingers beneath the band of her panties and shoved them down. “You might be more comfortable without these.”
Eliza wiggled her hips and her panties fell to her ankles. She stepped out of them and kicked them away. “I believe you’re right.”
“I often am,” he told her. “Try to remember that when you think I’m just being bossy.”
Pure delight flooded Eliza and she laughed. “I don’t think it will help you in other circumstances.”
“A man can only hope.” He sat on the sofa and pulled her down so she was straddling his lap.
She reached down and carefully unzipped his jeans. He wasn’t wearing underwear and his cock, free from confinement, fell into her hand. “Look what I found,” she teased.
Rabb shifted, pushing his erection harder against her palm. “And what are you going to do with it?”
She stroked from base to tip, marveling at how hot and alive his cock was. Like silk over molten steel. He was so thick, and she knew how good it felt when he was inside her.
“This situation appears dire. I don’t think we should wait.” She kept her tone serious and was pleased when he grinned.
“I think you may be right about that.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a condom. “You might need this.” He handed the packet to her.
Eliza didn’t waste any time ripping it open. In seconds, she was smoothing the latex over his cock. But Rabb was just as busy and he had the buttons open on the shirt. Not all the way, but just enough to expose her breasts.
“I love the way your nipples respond to my slightest touch.” He stroked a fingertip over one taut nub. She moaned at the contact.
“Put me inside you.” He leaned forward and swirled his tongue over the tight bud. “I want to feel your pussy squeezing my dick.”
Eliza was panting heavily, anticipation riding her hard. She rose on her knees and shifted closer. Taking his cock in her hand, she positioned the tip against her slit. Slowly she lowered herself.
Rabb wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. His cock forged inward, stretching her, filling her.
She leaned against him, loving the way he automatically banded his arms around her, surrounding her with his strength.
And then, in the glow of the pretty Christmas tree lights, Rabb rocked them both to the edge of oblivion and then over.
Chapter Nine
Eliza finished loading the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher and wiped her hands on the kitchen towel. It had only been a couple of days, but it was amazing how quickly she and Rabb had settled into a routine, the two of them eating together, going to work together and, best of all, sleeping together.
She hung the damp towel over the handle of the stove to dry and looked around the open apartment. The tree perfumed the air with its tangy, fresh scent and, even now, the colored lights shone. They had the lights on whenever they were home.
Home.
Eliza hadn’t lived in a place that felt like home for a long time. Even now, she couldn’t help thinking that this was nothing more than a dream, that Jason would suddenly appear and snatch it all away from her.
Strong
arms slid around her from behind and she automatically leaned into them. “You were lost in thought. What were you thinking about?”
She shook her head, unwilling to let the ghost of Jason taint what happiness she’d found with Rabb. “Nothing. We should get going.” She eased away from him and straightened her sweater, one of several new ones she now owned, compliments of Rabb. Every day, something new seemed to appear in her wardrobe. He might not think anything of it, but she was keeping track of how much he spent so she could pay him back.
Rabb checked the large-faced watch he always wore strapped to his left wrist. “We’ve still got a few minutes.” He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Talk to me, Eliza.”
It was hard not to fidget beneath his intense stare, but she managed. “There’s nothing to talk about. You’re making something out of nothing.”
His phone rang before he could question her again. She started to walk by him to give him some privacy, but he reached out and snagged her hand. He tugged her close as he answered the call. “Hatter.”
Rabb’s lips thinned and he made several noncommittal noises. Eliza wasn’t sure who it was, but Rabb didn’t seem pleased by what he was hearing. “Okay, call me if you find out anything else.” He ended the call and tucked his phone back into his pocket.
“Who was it?” she asked.
He pulled her closer and snuggled her against his chest, locking his hands at the small of her back. “That was Archer.”
Jaime Archer was the private detective Rabb had hired to look into Jason and his whereabouts. Her stomach knotted and every muscle in her body tensed. “And?”
“And nothing. Jason seems to be going about his business same as usual.”
Eliza heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s a good thing, right?” She didn’t understand why Rabb was so tense.
“Maybe.” He gently stroked several strands of hair off her forehead, leaned down and placed a kiss there. “But a man doesn’t simply forget an obsession like that. Archer is going to keep digging.”
“I refuse to worry about Jason right now. As far as we know, he has no idea where I am.” She grabbed his wrist and checked the time on his watch. “And if we don’t get a move on, we’re going to be late.”
“We’ll talk more about this later,” he promised. She made a face at him and he playfully tapped the end of her nose. “Come on. Get your things and let’s get to work.”
An hour later, the bar was ready to open for the day and Eliza was safe in the kitchen. Rabb had just unlocked the door. The sound system pumped out a seasonal tune, reminding him that it was Christmas Eve. Unlike a lot of bars and restaurants, Hatter’s closed around eight Christmas Eve and didn’t reopen until eight in the evening on Christmas Day. That way the entire staff had a chance to enjoy the day with their families. He was looking forward to spending the day with Eliza.
The door opened and a man wearing a dark-gray wool topcoat walked in. The hair on the back of Rabb’s neck rose. This couldn’t be coincidence. No way in hell.
Jason Ware shook the light dusting of snow from his blond hair and walked toward the bar, a genial smile on his face. “Rabb Hatter. I’d heard you and your brother opened a club.”
“What are you doing here, Ware?” Rabb busied himself behind the bar, keeping one eye on Jason and the other on the hallway to the kitchen. He seldom saw Eliza during business hours unless he sought her out. He hoped like hell she didn’t decide to break that habit this morning.
Jason strolled across the room and settled himself on a barstool. “Now is that any way to greet an old friend?”
“We were never friends, Ware. We were barely passing acquaintances.” Rabb tossed aside the towel he was using to wipe down the counter. He casually removed his phone from his pocket and surreptitiously thumbed a button before setting it on the counter out of sight. “Why are you here, Jason? I don’t think it’s because you had a sudden urge for a drink and just happened to be in the neighborhood.”
Jason unbuttoned his coat to reveal a well-tailored business suit and leaned back slightly, looking totally relaxed and in control. Rabb wanted to punch him right in his pearly white teeth.
“No indeed. I heard some rather distressing news and thought I could do you a favor.”
Rabb propped himself against the back counter and grabbed the edges with his hands to keep from reaching out and choking the smug bastard. “Oh and what favor is that?” Just for a moment, he saw a flicker of anger in Jason’s eyes, but it was gone again in a split second.
“A friend of mine attended an afternoon cocktail party here a few days ago. A client’s party he almost passed on.” Jason waved negligently, the movements graceful and precise. “He couldn’t wait to call me when he got home. Seems he saw a woman working here, a woman who has caused me quite a bit of trouble.”
“Is that so? And who might that be?”
A flash of annoyance was quickly covered. “Eliza Hart. You worked with her at Bruno’s Bar and Grill before you opened this place.”
Rabb canted his head to one side and studied the other man. He seemed totally at ease unless you were looking closely. There was a tightness in his jaw and he had a tendency to open and close his hands. It was all too easy to imagine those hands hurting Eliza. He’d seen both the physical and mental scars Jason had left on her. If he thought it would end this, Rabb would drag Jason out back and beat the hell out of him, but that would only get Rabb arrested and leave Eliza vulnerable.
He had to play this smart.
“Why do you care who I hire? This isn’t exactly your line of work. What is it you do?” Rabb tapped his forefinger against his chin. “Something in finance, isn’t it?”
“I’m a financial consultant.” The words came out fast and hard. Jason didn’t like anyone not showing him the proper respect.
“Hmm.” Rabb made the noncommittal sound. “Not exactly bar management.” He heard a sound off to his right and tensed, praying it wasn’t Eliza. When no one appeared, he released a low sigh of relief.
Jason took a deep breath as if gathering his thoughts. “Look, I didn’t want to get into this.” He assumed a serious, concerned demeanor. Rabb figured it went over well with the folks he was helping with their investments. Why they didn’t see that the guy was a complete fake, he couldn’t say.
Then again, he’d been taken in himself by the guy. And that didn’t sit well with Rabb.
When Rabb didn’t take the bait, Jason plunged ahead. “Eliza is not well.”
This was interesting. Rabb was curious to see just how far Jason would take this. “What do you mean not well?”
Jason glanced aside as if wrestling with his conscious. As if the guy had one. “I really don’t want to say any more.”
Rabb shrugged. “Up to you. I couldn’t care less one way or the other.”
Jason’s face flushed a bright red and he quickly stood, knocking the stool back. “She’s crazy. All right? The woman should be committed. And she’s dangerous too.”
“Dangerous how?”
As if catching himself, Jason stroked a hand over his red tie to make sure it was in place beneath his dark-gray suit. “She stalked me for weeks. A sort of obsession.” He waved his hand as if to say it was no more than he expected. The man obviously thought a lot of himself.
Jason was on a roll now and kept spouting his lies. “Then she had the nerve to intimate I was the one stalking her.” There was no mistaking the fury in his eyes now. “She had me served with a restraining order. At work. I had to work long and hard to convince my bosses that Eliza was crazy.”
And he didn’t like that at all. Wasn’t nice when the shoe was on the other foot. “Again, why are you telling me this?” Rabb knew he was provoking the man, but he was hoping Jason would mess up and say something incriminating. Right now he was simply guilty of being a pompous, self-absorbed idiot.
But he was so much more. He was a very dangerous man.
“Why?” Jason stared
at him as if he were crazy. “I warned you about her once before.”
“So you did. And now I have to wonder why.”
Jason blinked as if he couldn’t quite comprehend Rabb’s words. “Why? he sputtered. “Because it was the right thing to do. She was sleeping with me and stringing you along.”
Rabb pushed away from the counter, grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t offer Jason anything. “Again, why would you care?” Rabb wrapped his hands around the mug and envisioned it were Jason’s neck he was wringing.
“Obviously I shouldn’t have. But the woman is violent.” He nodded to emphasize his point. “She actually stabbed herself and then had the nerve to accuse me of it. The police came to my house.” Pure outrage dripped from every word. “They questioned me like I was some common criminal.”
Rabb carefully set aside his mug before he inadvertently crushed it with his bare hands. “You’re telling me that you think Eliza stabbed herself just to get back at you.”
“Yes. Yes. That’s exactly it. Don’t you see? The woman’s obsessed.” Calmer now, Jason stuffed both hands in his pockets. Rabb watched them closely, not trusting the other man not to have a weapon.
“Boy, you think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”
Jason looked flustered. That was obviously not the answer he’d been expecting. He drew himself up and threw back his shoulders, as if trying to use his height to intimidate Rabb.
“Obviously, I was wrong to come here. But if Eliza is working for you, you need to be aware that she’s dangerous. You need to fire her.”
“If Eliza was working here, and I’m not confirming or denying she is, that’s my business. No one comes in to my place and tells me who to hire or fire.” If Jason didn’t leave soon, Rabb might not be responsible for what he did to the man.
“You have a partner who might be interested in this information,” Jason threatened. Rabb almost laughed in his face.
Nevar chose that moment to step out from the hallway. “What might I want to know?”
WildLoving Page 9
