Dax

by Shannyn Leah

  He loved watching this sassy side of her, a side he’d never seen before and brought out only by the buzz she had going on. He also loved the way she’d forgotten to smooth her hair every ten minutes, and now her waves were a wild mess of hair he wanted to dig his fingers through. These were thoughts he shouldn’t be having about her, but thoughts he didn’t have the energy to hold back.

  Taking two big steps, he stopped directly in front of her. Her eyes moved up his chest, lingering at his lips before stopping at his eyes. They’d been playing darts for hours, and the distraction had worked better than any other he’d tried in days.

  Touching her chin with one finger, he tipped her head up more. “Sweetheart, I’ve let you win.”

  She hit him. Slugged his bad shoulder and then stepped out of reach. “You’re a jerk.” She walked to the board and started pulling the darts out. “I want a fair game.”

  “You mean you want to lose?”

  “Jerk point number two for Dax.”

  “I’m telling it—”

  “Like you see it.” She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. “You think it’s funny? How about a round of pool?”

  Another rumble travelled up Dax’s chest. He hadn’t thought he’d ever laugh again after his dad died, especially not only days after. “Woman, you’re asking for a night of failure.”

  “Oh, it’s on.” She deposited the darts on a table on her way to the pool table.

  Dax followed as Buck gave the last call announcement.

  Ava arranged the balls and slid the triangle across the table, positioning it in the centre. She smirked at him, her arms boosting her mountains of breasts up her black tank top. “Suit up Colyn, because I’m going to leave you in the dust.”

  “I’m not going easy on you.”

  “I didn’t ask you to.”

  “You will.”

  She stopped in front of him. “I play hard.”

  “Is that what you called our dart games? I’ll let you break.”

  “Let me break. Aren’t you the gentleman tonight.” Ava gave him one last smirk while chalking up her cue. Bending down, she stretched across the table, aimed and took her shot. The ball nailed the triangle and sent balls in every direction, sinking a striped ball. With ease, she called and sunk more balls, proving her ability to play pool outranked her dart ability.

  On their third round, Ava was in the lead, two to zero. She knew her way around a pool table.

  “I’m closed for the night.” Buck stopped by their table. “Staff’s gone home and I’m heading out.” He tossed Dax a set of keys and slapped his back. “Lock up when you two are finished.”

  “Thanks, Buck.”

  “Night, Buck!” Ava waved, but her concentration—or whatever she could drum up—was focused on sinking the ball.

  Buck nodded on his way out the front door and only then did Dax glance around and notice the darkened bar. The lights above the perimeter tables were off, but a single light glowed above the bar. The few hanging lights above the pool tables were left glowing enough to watch each sway of Ava’s hips.

  “Hey, cowboy. Are you going to try to win this game or just throw in the stick now?”

  “Cowboy? Do I look like a cowboy?” He lifted his cue stick and analyzed the table.

  Ava walked away from him, dragging her painted fingernails across the wood edge of the pool table. “I guess not. More like a biker babe.”

  He laughed. “That’s a term used for women.”

  She laughed, ending with a sigh. “You got me drunk, Colyn.”

  Aiming his cue stick, he shook his head. “You did that all on your own.”

  “I haven’t been drunk in forever. I thought I could hold my alcohol better than this. I thought I could out-drink you.” She laughed and he made his shot, sinking the six ball.

  “You’re a toothpick. No meat on your bones. How did you plan on out drinking me?”

  She bent down, elbows on the edge of the pool table, leaning her chin in her hands. Her eyes looked over the few remaining balls on the table. “You’re right, though. This feels easier than being sober.” She looked at him. “Or it’s easier being here with you.”

  “Whooping my ass, you mean? My failure give you pleasure, Ava?”

  She smiled, straightening. “You stand wrong, you shoot wrong, and your aim is awful.”

  He laughed. “You’re cute when you’re a little tipsy.”

  She shrugged. “Would you like me to teach you how to shoot to win?” She sashayed around the pool table and he didn’t know how he could say no. She stopped in front of him and touched his right hand. “This is your dominant hand.”

  As she took the pool cue from his other hand, placing it in his “dominant hand,” he couldn’t resist, asking, “How do you know?”

  She shook her head without looking up at him. “Stop it. This is not sexual. Focus.”

  “It could be.”

  Her head snapped up, her eyebrows pinched together and her slim nose crinkled in the cutest way. She searched his eyes, as if searching to see if he was serious. He wasn’t sure what she found when he couldn’t decipher the answer himself.

  “I’m not that drunk.” She let go of him, and took a step back. “Find the spot on the cue where it evenly balances, and then grip an inch or so behind that spot.” Dax did as she said. “Let me see your stance.”

  He bent over, lined the cue to the ball and slanted his head to look at her. “Like this?”

  She bit her lower lip. “Not at all. Your non-dominant foot goes to the front.”

  He jumped, switching his feet and she held back a grin which was also cute. She waved her hand at him. “Now spread your legs about two-feet apart.” This time she didn’t allow him the chance to move on his own, stepping in and kicking his ankles apart. “Position yourself close to the table, but not too close, and turn your body slightly away from the table.”

  Dax leaned against his cue stick. “I think you better show me.”

  She placed her hands on her hips, her eyebrows arched. He basked in the glow of her smile.

  “You’re making this into an after school special teenage ‘first love’ moment.”

  He grinned, making a “zipping” motion by moving the tips of his fingers along his lips. “Alright.” He listened to her advice, but followed absolutely none of it. This wasn’t his first rodeo. He lined up the cue, sunk the ball quickly and moved onto the next. He didn’t stop until he’d sunk every last ball.

  Ava stepped back, staring at the table for a brief moment before grinning up at him. “You played me?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You know how to play pool.”

  “I’m here almost every night, what do you think?”

  “I got euchred.”

  “I enjoyed being one of your students.” Visions of her with her hair sophistically twirled, wearing a pencil line dress and standing behind a desk popped into his head. Visions of him releasing her hair and lifting her onto the desk weren’t far from his mind, either. “And maybe one day I can teach you how to play darts.”

  “What was that?” She wiggled her finger at him.

  “What was what?”

  “Don’t play innocent. I teach high school. I know exactly what that look was.”

  Shit.

  He grabbed his drink from the table behind him, purposely turning his back to her. “I didn’t have a look.”

  She let out a puff of breath and unconvinced sounds passed her lips. “You just had a teacher-student fantasy of me, didn’t you?” Her accusation wasn’t exactly incorrect. “You do know we are around the same age. Actually, you’re older than me, so a fantasy like that isn’t even possible.”

  He turned and grinned at her. “Sweetheart, that’s why they’re called fantasies.”

  She shook her head. “What is it about men and teacher fantasies?”

  He laid his stick on the table, rolling it to the far edge, and closed in the distance between them with one step. “It wasn’
t a student-teacher fantasy.” Lust fuelled his voice as he reached for her. He could have sworn she leaned into him. Wrapping his fingers around her wrists, he slowly lifted each arm up and around his neck, clasping them together. The position brought her close enough that he could feel her body lightly grazing the front of his. He could smell her familiar, warm scent.

  His fingers trailed from hers, down her arms, down her side and pausing at her hips. “It was an Ava fantasy.” Her light gasp wrapped around them, entwining them deeper together. “And it wasn’t the first one I’ve had. In fact, it would be the shortest I’ve ever had.”

  What were they doing? What was he doing?

  Damn, he must be drunker than he thought because he was walking a fine line with her. A line he’d promised not to cross, but he’d never wanted to rebel and go against his word like he did right now.

  “Dance with me?” he suggested instead.

  Ava scrunched her face at him. “Dance with you?”

  He nodded.

  Her tongue slowly darted across her lips as her chest rose with a deep breath. “Dax…” The low whisper went straight to the area between his legs. “Lift me onto the pool table.”

  His fingers clenched her side and his eyes fell shut to catch a moment of restraint. “Ava, you’ve been drinking—”

  Her fingers dug up the back of his head and he felt her body lift to her tip toes, leaning into him. He felt her whisper at his throat. “My game tells you I’m not even close to drunk. You want to walk away—you tell me it’s because you don’t want me.”

  “You know I want you.”

  “I want you,” she breathed. “Tonight, I’m all yours.”

  He leaned down, stopping centimetres from her lips. “Buck has this place locked down with surveillance. I don’t mind him watching my bare ass, but I doubt you want to give him a show.”

  She grinned at him. “We could give him a little show.”

  Dax moved his head back to get a closer look to see if she were serious.

  “I’m joking, Dax.”

  His chest rumbled with amusement. “Buck has a few apartments above. We could move this upstairs.” He nodded at the back exit and her eyes followed, lingering there before looking back at him.

  “We could walk to your condo.” Something about the way she said it made him wonder if by the time they got there she’d change her mind.

  “Sure.” He held his hand out and she smiled shyly as she slipped her warm, small hand inside his.

  At the door, he pulled Buck’s keys from his pocket, feeling the tension mounting from Ava. Cameras or not, there was no way he was walking out of here without at least one kiss from this woman.

  He tossed the keys on the small table beside the door, giving him both free hands to grip the sides of Ava’s face and cover her luscious soft lips with his mouth. He swallowed her surprised gasp and pried her lips apart, tasting every part of her he’d always dreamed of. And damn if it wasn’t better than any fantasy he’d ever had of her. Sweeter, softer, and the real thing.

  Her hands gripped his forearms, her gasp turning into a deep moan when he pinned her against the wall and firmly drove his body against hers. Damn, she felt good against him. Her body arched at his touch, their bodies meshed perfectly. Electricity sizzled between them.

  He’d only planned on a kiss, short and sweet, but a damn memorable one just in case she tried to change her mind before they made it to his condo. However, like contraband, one taste of her and he wanted it all. He lifted her, hiking her skirt up and over her knees, giving her silky legs access to wrap around his waist with ease. Another perfect fit he couldn’t ignore, pleasure rippling through him with each touch and each hint of how perfect they were together.

  Her mouth tasted like heaven, offering him every opportunity to explore while doing some exploring of her own.

  Her arms snaked around his neck. Her fingers dug through his hair and up his scalp. His hands gripped her outer bare legs, travelling up her smooth skin and cupping her lush derrière, feeling her lace panties and wondering why the hell he had ever started anything right here.

  He lifted her higher, his mouth making a trail of kisses down her warm throat, enjoying the sounds of her panting breath exhibiting her pleasure. Pulling the edge of her shirt down, he devoured her shoulder before starting down to the flesh of her heaving breasts. How had they stayed apart so long? Her fingers pulled his hair, her legs clamped around him, and her moans urged him on.

  “Tell me to stop,” he whispered into her ear, nipping her earlobe, his own staggered breaths meeting hers.

  “Don’t stop.”

  “The cameras….”

  “It’s Buck, who cares.”

  Those words were her consent and he lost himself in Ava.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ~

  EVEN BEFORE AVA OPENED HER eyes, she knew something was off. The mattress felt stiffer beneath her tired body, the pillow thicker under her aching head and the smell of Dax teased her senses.

  She bolted straight upright into a sitting position as recollections flashed through her mind of the night before. Intense pain shot through her head. Squeezing her eyes shut, she grabbed her temples as a moan of agony escaped her mouth.

  She couldn’t ever remember feeling this hungover. She’d only consumed a little amount of alcohol last night. There was only one conclusion: she was getting old and her body was no longer able to handle the aftermath of a night out.

  But what a night it had been. It had been the most incredible night she’d ever spent in the arms of a man…or under a man…or in the shower with a man…or….

  She stopped her trail of thoughts, remembering they’d never made it to his condo. Or had they? She prayed they had and the sheets around her belonged to Dax and not some well-used sex bed above Buck’s bar. Dax had made it clear that he was accustomed to escorting all his dates to that room.

  Please be Dax’s bed.

  If not, she would simply be another one of his easily forgettable nights and she didn’t feel like doing the walk of shame through the bar—much less on the same day as Rowdy’s funeral. What a dreadful start to her day that would be, wrinkled, day-old clothes, and hair mussed as she stood beside the renowned Dax Colyn, aka, ladies man. What a sight indeed.

  Slowly, hoping for the best, she pried her eyes open and glanced to the other side of the bed.

  Empty.

  One goal down, and one to go.

  She’d never been in Dax’s condo, but the view of an alleyway through the old pane glass window told her she was not lakeside.

  Darn it, she was in the room. How many women had been in this room, in this bed? How many more did he plan on bringing here?

  She considered curling back under the blankets and hiding for the rest of the day, but it wasn’t an option. Besides, she didn’t want to stay another moment where Dax had touched many other women with the same gentleness he’d bestowed upon her last night. She scrambled from the bed, immediately regretting the quick movements as they sent more tearing pain through her head.

  Attempting to locate her clothes, she ignored all the day’s agenda running through her brain. Times, locations and to-do lists all attempted to overtake her thoughts. But she needed to get out of here and grab a pot of coffee that was calling her name before she could think about any of today’s details. She wondered if she could locate a back door? Maybe she could avoid Dax altogether. Where was Dax?

  When she glanced around the brick-walled room, she found an open door, probably the bathroom. It was dark and empty beyond, which seemed to be a theme in this apartment. The bed sat on a simple frame with a large oil painting hanging above it. A black leather sofa and two chairs faced an empty wall. The small dinette area wasn’t much better. There were no appliances, no kitchen table…no signs of life anywhere. She decided now was the perfect time to bolt.

  Her blouse was nowhere to be seen so she grabbed Dax’s grey shirt instead. He could walk home bare chested, but her, not so muc
h. Fashion was not her priority right now, either, so she pulled the edges of the oversized shirt and tied the front in a knot at her waist.

  Grabbing her shoes, but not bothering to put them on, she pulled the door open and practically ran straight into Dax.

  He grinned down at her, a fresh, sober grin, reminding her of the charm he’d exuded last night. “Going somewhere?” Taking two of his big steps forward, he pushed her back into the sleazy apartment.

  She forced her eyes to look away from his bare chest and found his eyes. “Home.”

  “Is this a grab and run?” He glanced at his shirt pulled over her. “I didn’t know you were a Maple Leaf’s fan.”

  Her eyes looked down at the shirt, but only as a means to give her a moment to gain her composure. When she felt somewhat in control, she looked up. “There’s a lot to do today.”

  His eyes darkened and his mouth set in a hard line. “Take these. Drink this.” She took the two pills and bottle of water she hadn’t noticed him holding, and followed his instructions.

  She couldn’t look at him now, feeling his mood change. A touch of guilt swept over her for bringing up the funeral after he’d greeted her with the sweetest smile. The same smile he no doubt gave all the girls.

  Enough! Ava was not that girl. She was not jealous or foolish enough to believe he thought of her any differently. She’d wanted this, wanted him, and she refused to let another moment of their night be spoiled by ridiculous thoughts of other women. At the same time, her time to depart had come. Fantasies always ended, right?

  “I need to get home to relieve Wanda of Olivia so we can all get ready. I’m not even sure I should bring Olivia today, but, at the same time, I don’t feel right leaving her out of this. Rowdy was her family. This is going to be a huge ordeal because he was the chief. I’m not even sure how we’re getting to the funeral home. Maybe a taxi, I don’t think I can drive. And afterwards, I have to look for a place to live. Not likely here and not home. I don’t want to go back home. I don’t know. There’s so much to do—”