by Nora Flite
Huck cocked his head, some odd mix of bird and mythical beast. Wasn't there an Egyptian god like that? I couldn't recall the name, he was stealing my thoughts. “Prepare in what way?”
“I know you won last night, but you weren't ready. I don't want you getting hurt.”
He showed me his teeth and said, “I like when you worry about me.”
Stumbling on my tongue, I puffed out air. “I'm not—that's—you...” He just stood taller, pleased by my reaction. Palming my forehead, then tugging my hair, I sighed. “Huck, look. Okay. Yeah, I don't want you to get injured. I'm not that terrible of a person.” I'm pretty awful, I reminded myself.
“I'm just flattered. Let me be flattered, love. It feels good. Nice and warm.” Caressing his own stomach, he hovered over the muscular V that led between his strong thighs.
No question, he knew what he was doing to me.
Inhaling till my ribs creaked, I shoved around him. I didn't breathe, I couldn't. The fear that a single whiff of his musk and leather would melt my resolve kept me moving through the house.
He's going to destroy me.
I had to remind myself why I was holding back. Fighting Huxton took everything I had. I filled my mind with images; That awful phone call, Reese's panicked voice.
Coaxing me into meeting Nehro.
Promising me everything would be fine.
Him, sweaty and panting on the girl in his bed—our bed.
Those teeth in a snarl, hand held high as he threatened me.
Cold words that demanded I owed him everything.
Oxygen rushed into my lungs when I pushed outside into the sun. Eliza blinked, sitting up, reading my pale face. “Zoe? What happened?”
“Nothing. Work called, I have to go in tonight.”
“Oh, yuck.” She made a face. “Is that why you're so... you look a little off.”
“Just weak from hunger.” Forcing a smile, I motioned behind me. “Speaking of which; shopping, groceries, wanna go?”
Wrapping her long hair up off her neck, she frowned. “What about Huck?”
I shrugged violently. “He left.”
Eliza looked over my head, lifting her eyebrows.
Twisting, I glared at Huck. Of course he'd followed me. “I meant he's leaving.”
“What? No, let him come with us. Errands are so boring.” Pushing out of her seat, she arched her back and yawned. “I'll drive, seems like I'm the only one who owns a car these days.”
Huck smiled, watching me curiously. “I'd love to come.”
“Of course you would,” I mumbled.
Leaning close, he whispered in my ear, “As if you're different.”
Shit, my blush went all the way to my scalp.
He wasn't wrong. No matter what I'd done in the privacy of my own bedroom last night, my heat wasn't sated. Not with him so close to me, teasing and taunting and getting me high on lust.
Huxton Blake was one hell of a dangerous addiction.
Too bad I was growing to love it.
The ride was extremely fucking uncomfortable.
Huxton sat in the front seat, chatting with Eliza, or just listening as she rambled on. I listened, too; the back and forth was exposing some of their history. But through it all, Huck was messing with me.
Between the seat and the door, he'd reach back, stroking my knee. When I'd slide my leg away, he'd watch me in the side-mirror, grin, and wait until I let my guard down to do it again.
Bastard.
“...Was so hot that day,” Eliza laughed, leading us down the freeway. “Remember, Huck? We'd bought these ice pops for the beach, but by the time we got there and parked, they'd all melted!”
“I remember,” he sighed. “I also remember how angry your—” He stopped himself, rethinking what he'd been about to say. “How angry your friend was that you'd stained the backseat of his car you were borrowing.”
My roommate eyed me in the mirror, smile flickering. “Uh, right. Well it wasn't like I did it on purpose.”
Huck snorted. “You made him pay to clean it.”
“He still let me borrow his new one months later, too.” Grinning so wide her eyes crinkled on the corners, Eliza turned into a parking lot of the nearby grocery store.
I wondered which friend would be foolish enough to not only pay for the damage, but loan another car out. Maybe 'friend' had meant boyfriend. That would be a little understandable.
“Alright kids, let's get this over with.” Eliza hopped out, adjusting her sunglasses and the dress she'd thrown on. She was the epitome of Californian.
Huck looked like he'd stepped off the pages of a motorcycle magazine. He'd replaced his swim-trunks with rich, midnight jeans and a tight tank-top. The leather jacket that I'd appreciated last night now looked too warm on him.
I wondered if he was from here, like me.
A guy like him was just... out of place. A constant outlaw.
He caught me looking. Without turning his head, giving me a delicious view of his strong profile, he just smiled. The hard nob of his Adam's apple rippled. Impossibly, I swear his green eyes were looking through me.
Terrified of what he'd find, I spun so fast I was disoriented. Tagging after Eliza, I listened to Huck's boots crunching over the pavement. Everything he did had a gritty feel, shadow and fire and smoke.
Cologne companies would make millions if they could bottle his essence.
“Okay,” Eliza chirped, shoving a cart through the automatic doors. In true LA spirit, even with the Christmas trees littered outside, the building was air-conditioned. “We need a lot of stuff. Let's make this efficient.”
Nodding, I zipped my jacket tighter. At least I'd changed into jeans. I hated the cold, and the store was chilly. “I can take half the list, hand it over.” Eliza was one of the few people I knew who actually made lists, and didn't just shop based on her mood or appetite. I appreciated her organizational skills.
She passed a sheet of yellow paper to me, saying, “Okay, sounds good. Huck, you can come with me.”
A massive wave of relief went down to my toes.
Huck didn't react, he just tossed me one quick look, then followed after Eliza down the aisle. I could hear her voice, cheerful and bright, all the way until they vanished behind the boxes of cereal.
Fanning myself with the paper, I grabbed a cart and pushed it along. Here was respite, here was a break from the black hole that was Huxton. His existence tugged at me, whispering for me to come closer; promising excitement, throaty moans, and so much more.
It would be fun, at first, I told myself, strolling past the vegetables. He's sexy, no denying that. The way he talks, how he says things... it ties me up inside. Sighing, I grabbed a bag of salad and tossed it in the cart.
He'll break me as easily as these tomatoes.
Huck will take what he wants from me.
Then he'll leave me behind.
Would he, though? Increasingly—temptingly—he was making me question my vow. Were guys like him that thrilled me guaranteed to always wreck me?
All of them have. Remember that.
Pushing a cool bag of broccoli to my forehead, I ignored the stares of other shoppers. I hated the cold, but right then, I needed something refreshing on my warm skin.
Imagining him standing in my bedroom, his hands brushing my cheeks—then lower, I laughed at myself. I need a sponsor. Someone I can call and say, 'Help! I want to fuck another bad boy! Save me!'
There was someone getting paid for everything out here. Surely, a cock-blocker on demand existed.
Muscle for hire.
I needed anti-muscle for hire.
Finishing the list Eliza had given me, I was almost done. There was one last item I needed to grab. It was for me, not something Eliza had asked for or required.
In the quiet aisle, I scanned the rows of colorful candy. Thumbing the items, I found what I was after. Beaming, I hefted the little bag of hazelnut truffles, jiggling them by my ear. Yes, this would do perfectly.
&nb
sp; “You have a sweet tooth?”
My spine became a lightning rod, hit by the pure energy that was Huck's voice. Turning, I found him hovering just a foot away. I hadn't heard him approaching.
My stripper-fighter was also a ninja, apparently. “W—what are you doing here?” I asked, glancing side to side. “Where's Eliza?”
Pointing, he indicated the other cart of groceries nearby. “She ran to use the restroom, told me to come find you and meet her upfront.”
Breathing through pursed lips, I nodded and said, “Okay. Well, then...” His eyes went back to the candy I held. Anxiously, I set it in the top basket. “What's wrong? Am I not allowed to buy candy?”
One step, and he was towering over me. “It's not that. I was just making sure I remembered the brand you liked.”
Tiny sparks went off in my head. “Why?”
“To buy you some, obviously.”
I didn't know what to do with my hands anymore. Grabbing the cart, I let it go, then grabbed it again. “That's nice, but... I'm actually allergic to hazelnuts.”
His eyes narrowed. “Then why buy those truffles?”
Fuck, I should have just lied. “Forget about it. You don't need to know why I do everything, Huck.”
In that tight aisle with no one around, he bent close to me. So close I backed up, plastic rattling. Bags of candy shifted, jostled by the pressure of my spine.
I should have smelled sugar everywhere.
Huck overpowered it all.
Half-closing his eyes, he reached for my cheek—stopped the last second. “Need is a funny word. Zoe, I want to know why you do everything. I want to know what drives you, what goes on in that lovely head of yours.”
Those strong fingers finally came down, resting on the space between my neck and shoulder. I jumped so violently that a candy bar toppled free, sliding across the floor. How could he do this to me? Saying things like that, acting so invested... it was fucking with my head.
With my poor, tired heart.
“Huck,” I whispered. Only air came out, so I began again. “Huck, listen. You're wasting your time with me.”
“I can't imagine anytime with you would be wasted, babe.”
Blush was my new favorite color, apparently. “Why are you doing this?”
His voice rolled, liquid silk. “Isn't it obvious? You excite me, Zoe.”
I excite HIM? Huck is the one wrapping me up in HIS energy. I'm innocent, I'm not doing anything to excite him!
Prickles ran down my veins. I silenced my internal thoughts, distracted by the warmth of his palm gliding over my skin. “You literally just met me yesterday.”
“All the more reason to want to get to know you,” he chuckled.
“Believe me, there's nothing about me that you want to know.”
Lowering his head, his eyes were cast in shadows. “Let me be the judge of that. Any woman who can get my blood pumping like you is worth learning about.”
Moisture left my mouth. This was too much. There was a thread forming between us, tying us closer and strangling the part of me that was scared of what Huck might do. Another trouble-maker meant to leave scars in my life.
Another person to betray me and leave me shredded.
But then... if I was so used to it, why did it matter? My future, my present, it was all on the precipice of falling apart.
One more wound in the heart of a corpse would do very little.
Closing my eyes, I let myself sink into the caress of his hand. It was as if he was touching each individual freckle, creating a galaxy on my flesh. I wanted him to discover all of my constellations.
Part of me... part of me wanted him to learn how right I was. That my expectation of him chucking me aside would be made real.
I was Zoe Lillith, and I was not worth knowing.
I was worth forgetting.
Let him learn, I told myself. Temptation made giving in so easy. I could justify all of it. With him blowing air on my skin, whispering in my ear, I could do it. I could shrug off responsibility and let him be the one who felt the burden.
I could say, I told you so.
What a bitter satisfaction that would bring.
Opening my eyes, I stared at Huck and imagined him seeing me for what I was. If he learned all my flaws, would he still smile so much, would he still want me? Was he strong enough?
Was anyone?
The person I'd been wasn't worth loving. The many damaged men who had promised me sweet things while they took what they wanted from me had shown me that.
What I needed wasn't pretty words, it was someone to help me. Help me for real.
And it wasn't going to be him, no matter what he promised.
But giving in... god, it would feel so fucking good.
Maybe... just for a little bit...
Another bag of candy fell, jolting me from my reverie. Looking down, I spotted the truffles in my cart. They were as good as a punch to my gut. What am I doing? Shaking my head, I gently pushed Huck away.
He resisted, challenging me... but finally, he stepped back. “What did I do?” he asked.
You didn't do anything. Not yet. You're paying for the mistakes of everyone before you.
My mistakes, too.
The smile was hard to force. “Nothing. It's fine, I just think we should head upfront before Eliza wonders where we are.”
“We could let her wonder,” he teased.
I'd love that so much. I didn't dare speak the words. Making my attraction real was a spell waiting to petrify me.
I pushed my cart down the aisle. My speed was fast, I didn't slow down; didn't risk looking back. Huxton was too good at breaking down my walls. When I had space, I could rebuild them.
But if what had happened back there was any measure, I was growing weaker by the minute.
By the fucking second.
Spending more time with this man was the worst thing I could do.
But right then?
Time spent with Huxton Blake was my only hope.
- Chapter Seven -
Huxton
The sun crumbled and fell. It weighed too much, my mind alone couldn't will it to stay high in the sky. I wanted to guarantee that I could sit here for hours, enjoying the laughter and warmth of a dinner with friends. It was so... normal. I didn't remember the last time I'd done something like this.
Eliza had cooked us food, plied me with beer and funny stories.
Of course, my attention—even when I wasn't looking—was forever on Zoe. She fidgeted with her meal, sometimes meeting my stare before skittering away to look down at her plate.
I was trying to make sense of her. It was proving difficult.
In the store, I'd come close to kissing her with the smell of chocolate and candy-canes surrounding us. It would have been easy, she'd given all the right signs. All the way up until she'd opened her eyes and looked at those truffles...
Then it was done.
Zoe had closed off to me.
If she was trying to manipulate me into wanting her, she was doing a fucking good job. She'd become this ethereal creature, a wish just out of my reach.
I'd never had to be so patient before. She was testing my limits. The sensual woman who had peeked through at her party was in there somewhere. The distrust coating her surface was confusing, but it was just that; a coating.
The real Zoe—the Zoe that had grabbed my back and rolled her curves against my hips—she wasn't afraid of me. She wanted me.
And I wanted her.
Once I figured out what was pressing between us, what her castle walls were made of, I would crush them to dust and look at the wild, wicked girl behind those crystal eyes.
Eliza said something, I caught the end of it. I'd been drifting in my head.
“...still free. Okay?”
She was staring at me, so was Zoe. I sat up and winced. “Sorry, what?”
Rolling her eyes, Eliza waved her glass of wine at me threateningly. “I said, we can watch a movie if you want. Z
oe has to leave in a few minutes, but I'm still free.”
Zoe wasn't great about hiding her flash of nerves. Did she think I was going to abandon her for a movie? “Actually,” I sighed. “I kind of have to go. I've got work tonight, too.”
Crinkling her nose, Eliza scrutinized me. “Huh. I didn't realize. Fine, fine. I'll just enjoy a night alone, there's worse things.”
Wiping my hands on a napkin, I pushed my chair back. “I'll come by again soon, it's fine. Thanks for hanging out with me all day, Eliza.”
Beaming, she rushed to give me a fierce hug. “It's great to get back together like this. Call me anytime.”
Sliding my jacket on, I half-turned, catching Zoe's tiny smile. She had to think my ploy was hilarious. I wasn't really leaving, and she understood that; it was our little secret. “Handshake or a hug?” I asked.
“A hug,” she chuckled. “Handshakes are so impersonal.”
“True. We've gone far beyond personal, haven't we?” Grinning, I pulled Zoe in for a quick, but firm hug. She was too baffled to react. Holding her close, I bent to her shell of an ear and whispered, “Meet you at the end of the street.”
With that, I said a few more 'goodbyes' and hurried out the door. It was dark, inky-blue punctuated by the twinkling holiday lights on most of the houses.
It really was a nice area.
Humming softly, I drove my bike around the corner. In the shade of a dark building, one less joyful than Eliza's, I parked my Harley and waited.
Thinking about the coming fight, my blood started to ripple. I didn't know who it would be against, and I assumed Zoe didn't know either—or didn't have the time to tell me, yet. It didn't matter. I was excited.
It'd been some time since I'd been thrown into such violence. Shrapnel had gone down quick last night, but the waves of destruction coming off of him had been intoxicating.
Vibrations coursed through my upper thigh. Digging my cellphone out, I was ready to see a message from Zoe, perhaps telling me she was on her way. In the black air, my screen glowed like a diamond.
Kaley: Huck, I need a house call. I've got a problem, it requires a big man to fix it.
How soon can you come over?
-Your Favorite Dish
