“She’s feisty, so I can see why.” He grins. “And entirely way too sexy to be hanging out here alone. You’re used to protecting women. It’s in your nature, and I think we both know she needs some help.”
I reach for my leather jacket and slip it on. I’m frustrated and just need to get out of here. “Yeah . . . you’re right about that. But that doesn’t explain why I’m so fucking drawn to her after only two days.”
“I know that feeling,” he mumbles, before downing a shot. “You taking off? I can handle it from here.”
“If you can promise not to fuck shit up.”
From the distant look in his eyes, I can tell his thoughts are going to Madison, even though he’ll try everything in his power to deny it.
“Madison wants me to swing by and take her for a ride on my dick again,” I say to get a reaction out of him.
Blaine instantly grips the bar and squeezes.
“You’re squeezing that bar awfully tight for someone who doesn’t want anything serious with a woman.”
He releases his grip and looks up at me, trying to seem unfazed. “I’m good. Now, get the hell out of here.”
“I plan on it, brother.” I pull my keys out of my pocket and grin. “But don’t worry; I won’t be taking your girl for a ride again, so you can relax over there before you end up killing someone or being killed before the night is over.”
“I’m as relaxed as I can be, but I’ll do my best to stay alive. I always do.”
Shaking my head, I leave him alone and make my way outside, hopping on my bike to head home.
I need to sleep this shit off and remind myself that she’s not Lex. I can’t expect this stranger to want my help like she did.
Fuck . . . this is going to be hard . . .
A HAND RUNNING UP MY thigh has me waking from a deep sleep and kicking at the intruder, before reaching under my pillow for the knife I keep hidden there. The room is pitch black, so it’s not until I hear James groan out in pain that I realize the asshole somehow found his way into the house.
I must have passed out hard after leaving the bar last night, because when I look over to check the time it’s already close to two in the afternoon. I hardly ever have a solid sleep unless I’m completely obliterated, and after the bartender decided to point out my scars I needed an escape and turned to whiskey to do the trick.
I flip the knife in my hand around and stab it into the mattress, angry with James for appearing in my room uninvited. “What the fuck, James? Don’t ever do that shit again.” I fight to catch my breath, while focusing on his figure in the darkness. I watch as he holds his ribs in pain. “I could’ve killed you. How did you get into the house?”
“Shit, woman, that hurt.” He walks over and yanks the dark curtain open, the brightness causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. “I climbed through the damn living room window since you wouldn’t answer your phone. I’ve been texting since last night. Got some shit from Jasper.”
The mention of him getting supply from his new dealer has me wanting with everything in me to accept whatever he has to offer.
Fighting the need is so hard that it hurts, yet a part of me wants to be sober enough to go find the bartender and tell him to piss off.
He had no goddamn right.
He doesn’t know what I’ve been through. No one does.
“Do us both a favor, James, and don’t climb through any more windows. It’s not your place to just let yourself in when you want to.”
Biting his bottom lip in an attempt to look sexy—which he does, as much as I hate to admit—he takes a seat on the edge of my bed and moves his hand under the blanket and over my bare thigh. “Or you can jump on my dick like we both know you want to do.”
“Aren’t you quite the fucking comedian . . .” Giving him a stern look, I throw the blanket off, grab his hand, and pry it from my thigh. “That would be doing no one but yourself a favor, James, and I’m not in the favor-giving mood. Now give me some space. I’ve got a lot of crap going on in my head that I can’t deal with when you’re riding my ass. If I wanted you here I would’ve answered the phone.”
He shrugs and watches me reach into the drawer for a joint. A grin spreads across his face as he watches me light it. “I brought you a little gift, so how about you give me a break, Alex.”
I look down at my thigh as a plastic bag with a handful of pills hits it. I barely give myself time to look at them, not wanting the temptation, before I toss them into the drawer and close it.
“I’ve got to shower and get to work.” I lie. The truth is, I need some time alone to think. My head is all over the place from last night and I’m not sure what to do. I’m not even sure why I care so much, when usually I don’t care about much of anything. But this guy . . . ugh. He has ways of getting under my skin and I don’t even know his name.
“I know I sound like a cunt every time I tell you this, but don’t come over unannounced anymore. You know how much I hate it.”
A crooked smile crosses his face as he crawls over me to grab the joint from my hand, before lying beside me on the mattress. “Yeah, but you’re missing the point that I like cunts. Especially yours.”
My eyes are closed, due to the massive headache I have, so it’s not until he slides his hand down my panties and quickly shoves a finger inside me that I’m able to stop him from touching me, unwantedly.
“Fucking hell, James.” I turn around and kick him off the bed, before I rush to my feet to grab some clothes. “Be gone by the time I get out of the shower. I mean it, bastard.”
He looks up at me from the floor, a pissed off expression on his face. “This is bullshit, Alex. You still won’t let me touch you when I want to. I could be with any girl I want to and she’d let me touch her whenever I want to.”
“Like I said before . . . I’m not like most girls.”
Before I can go completely manic on James, I rush into the bathroom and slam the door closed behind me, my breath coming out in heavy bursts. I’m so angry at him for thinking he can touch me sexually whenever he damn well pleases that it’s hard for me to calm down.
I take what feels like the longest shower of my life before getting out and forcing myself to eat something.
Hours go by and still I can’t get the guy at Savage & Ink out of my head. He’s getting to me, whether he’s trying to or not.
He’s the first person to point out my scars, acting as if he actually gives a shit enough to want to help me.
Screw that. No one has truly ever cared other than Jaxon.
He’s no Jaxon and never will be.
I’ve been sitting in the parking lot staring at that damn sexy bike for a while now; trying to think of what to say once I get inside.
I hate that he challenges me unlike anyone else.
What am I doing out here? This is stupid.
But even after telling myself that, I can’t bring myself to leave, so I throw my seatbelt off and climb out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me.
I make my way through the parking lot, unable to resist running my hand over bossy bartender’s precious motorcycle on the way to the door and I hate that I can’t help but to remember just how hot he looked on it.
The moment I step into the crowded bar and my gaze lands on him—looking sexier than sin behind the bar—I have to convince myself I’m only here to let him know how pissed I am about last night.
Nothing else. Especially not sex.
But damn if he wouldn’t be nice to test drive.
The heavy pounding of my heels on the floor as I head straight for him has everyone’s attention on me, including the person I came here to see.
But the moment the tattooed, bearded beast cracks his neck and flexes his arms, most of the room goes back to minding their own damn business.
Just like I pointed out before, people know not to mess with him and that power he has draws me straight to him for some unknown reason.
“You owe me an apology for last night,” I say, look
ing up at him once I stop right in front of his huge frame. “You can either do it here or outside. Your choice.”
He tilts his head and looks down at me as if amused. His amber gaze stays locked on me, despite me shooting angry daggers his way. “Why outside? So you can sit on my bike without permission again? Maybe you’re the one that owes me an apology.”
“Maybe I already sat on it on the way in. Want to run and see if I left any scratches?” I say, hoping to agitate him like he’s done to me.
It doesn’t work, because he just turns and walks away. He doesn’t bother saying anything as he opens the cooler and reaches inside.
I stand here, mouth clenched tightly as I watch him reach for two beers and then lean against the bar, looking chilled and relaxed as if me coming here to yell at him hasn’t fazed him one bit. “Who says I’m staying long enough for a drink?” I ask bitterly.
He lets out a half laugh half grunt and pops the cap off both bottles, setting one of them down behind him. “Who said one of these is for you?” He tilts the bottle in his hand back, taking a swig, before wiping his arm over his wet lips. “Maybe seeing you requires two of these.”
“Me?” I point at my chest, annoyed. “You know nothing about me. You had no right to say what you did last night. It’s none of your damn business what I’ve been through. You don’t know what kind of shit you’ve stirred up inside my head.”
His jaw tightens, before he tilts back the bottle again, downing almost the entire thing in one gulp. “Yeah, well it’s always been hard not to make shit like that my business. You don’t know me either. Trust me.”
I definitely need a beer now, so I reach out to grab the other one, about to bring it to my lips, but he stops me before I can.
His harsh gaze stays on me as he snatches the bottle out of my hand, before tossing the now empty bottle he was holding in the trash. He grunts, before bringing it to his perfect, annoying lips and takes a drink.
My entire body heats with need the moment he pushes away from the bar and moves in close to me, his body pressed up against mine. He’s so warm and hard against me that it’s difficult not to picture wrapping my fingers into his long, thick hair and riding him for hours. I’ve never craved a man sexually so much before, but holy hell, this man is something else entirely.
“It’s my nature to protect women from abusive assholes that can’t keep their hands to themselves. Don’t like it . . .” The muscles in his arms flex against me, drawing my attention to the tattooed bulges when he tilts the bottle back again, almost finishing it off this time. “then you’re going to hate being around me, love.”
He takes a step closer and bows his head. His eyes are so intimidating as he looks down at me that I swallow and take a step back. Usually, a man being so close makes me want to push him away, but him being close has me wanting to do the opposite.
Maybe coming here wasn’t the best idea after all. I came here with every intention of giving him a piece of my mind, but the look in his eyes is making it hard not to hate-fuck him.
“Screw the beer. Give me a shot,” I say, walking behind the bar.
I almost think he’s not going to follow me, but when I look back, he’s shaking his head and stalking toward the cooler to grab a beer.
When he turns to face me, the protective look in his eyes makes my damn heart skip a beat.
What is it about this guy?
He’s a stranger; yet being around him feels so familiar. Staying might be a mistake, but I’m full of them, so why change that now?
“Did you come back here to put me in my place or to get back at me by making sure I’ll be on edge for the rest of the night?” He holds the beer out for me to grab. “No shots for you. One beer and that’s it.”
“Does it really matter?” I grab the bottle from his reach and take a desperate swig. “And I will be having more than one of these.”
He runs his hand through his dark hair in frustration, watching me as I turn and walk toward the pool table.
I hope bartender doesn’t believe I’ll be leaving anytime soon, because pissing him off is already starting to make me feel better.
Not to mention that messing with him seems to be keeping my thoughts in the present and away from the last place I want them to be.
Maybe hating him is the medicine I need right now . . .
WELL HELL . . . IF THIS WOMAN isn’t just as fiery as her fucking hair.
The moment my attention was brought to her stepping into the bar, adrenaline coursed through me just from seeing her again.
After the way she took off on me last night, pissed off for being concerned about her scars, I was almost positive she wouldn’t be coming back.
That’s what I thought I wanted—for her to stay away from this rough, dangerous place. But after finding out she’s had some asshole roughing her up, I want her here where I can keep an eye on her.
After all these years, it still hits me deep that Alexandra went through years of abuse from her father and I wasn’t enough to save her. Just knowing there’s another female out there being hurt by some selfish son of a bitch has me wanting to help.
I don’t know who this asshole is or if he’s still involved in her life, but he better hope for his sake he’s not, because he’s going to regret placing his hands on her once mine are crushing his fucking throat.
I cross my arms and watch as the fiery redhead intent on making me lose my shit makes her way across the bar to one of the pool tables.
Concentrating on anything other than her bending over the pool table in those skin-tight jeans and heels is impossible.
It won’t be long before a group of assholes make their way over to join her and the thought of them even thinking they have a chance to get in her pants has me on constant watch.
These dumbasses must be brave tonight, because it only takes five minutes of her playing pool by herself before two assholes decide to join her.
They’re both regulars, which means they’ve been here more than enough times for me to already know they’re both dirtballs.
Keeping my attention on them, I crack my neck and stand tall, ready to chase them away if they try any shit I don’t like.
Blaine is too busy talking to a group of his old friends to even realize she’s here, so I can’t take my eyes off her for longer than a few seconds at a time.
“I’ll take another one over here, Jax.” I nod over at Casey, before fixing him another Jameson and Coke and dropping it off to him.
After I serve a few more drinks and get caught up, I bring my attention right back to the pool table to see the blonde one getting a little too brave, placing his hand on her lower back while she’s bent over taking a shot.
She’s quick to shake him away and move to the other side of the table, but I’m already set on making him leave.
“Blaine,” I bark out. He looks over from the table he’s been chilling at, waiting for me to continue. “Handle the drinks for a bit.”
He gives me a nod, acknowledging my request, before I make my way over to her and the guys. She’s concentrating on her second shot, both of these dickheads now hovering over her a little too close.
I move in right between them and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her ass against my dick. She stiffens at first, but the moment I lean in and whisper in her ear, she relaxes. “Gotta play the part if you don’t want these assholes hounding you.”
She stands up straight so her body is flush with mine, before slightly turning her head to speak. “Does that mean you’re going to play with me, bartender?” Her breath hits my lips when she speaks, and it makes my cock twitch with need. “These two have offered to play and I don’t feel like playing by myself. Besides, the blonde one is cute.”
Her sassy mouth has me pulling her harder against me and growling in her ear. She doesn’t know how these assholes work. “The blonde one also doesn’t know how to keep his hands to himself and is at risk of losing them with me around,” I say loud enough for him to hear m
e.
The seriousness in my voice has him and his buddy walking away. Sean has dealt with me enough times in the past to know not to get on my bad side.
I release her waist and walk over to grab a cue stick, before re-racking the balls.
She watches me in silence, her gaze raking over my body as I grab the chalk and apply it to the tip of my stick.
“Like what you see?” I question, amused by the fact she’s still looking at me. “Should I break or you want to?”
She answers my question by leaning over the table and breaking the balls, sinking a solid in the far right hole.
A small smile takes over my lips as I watch her lean in again and confidently take another shot. She misses this time, but her posture and aim are good, telling me she most likely plays pool often.
That’s one sexy as hell image to jerk my cock to and I have no shame in doing just that tonight.
I smirk and sink in my next three balls, feeling her gaze on me the entire time. She’s watching me as if every ball I sink has her wanting to ride my dick more.
Temptation has me close to kicking everyone out of the bar so she can do just that.
“So . . .” she says, bending over once it’s her turn again. “Which one of you runs this place? The blonde one with the beard?”
“Yeah. My buddy Royal.” I smile when she turns to look at me. “What gave you that idea?”
She lets out a small laugh, before taking her shot and missing. “He was growling at your friend Blaine the other night. I figured it was because he’s in charge.”
I shake my head and take my next shot. “Growling is what Royal does best. I’ve been dealing with it for twelve years.”
“What about the other guy? It seems you’ve known him for a while too.”
I look away from the table, my eyes instantly lingering on her plump lips. The bottom one is slightly fuller than the top one. It’s got to be the sexiest bottom lip I’ve ever seen and I can’t stop thinking about what it’d feel like to suck it into my mouth again.
“We’ve been friends for ten years. Royal and Blaine saved me from the shit road I was heading down. We keep each other in line as much as we can.” I wave my arm around the room. “We’ve practically lived here since we were kids and when Royal’s father got into a bunch of shit, he took over and brought me and Blaine in to run it with him.”
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