Waking the Lion

by Lacee Hightower

  I take my time, pushing each button on her body as I glide back up her torso, my tongue brushing every inch. She shudders, and her fingers reach for my ass. My lips linger at her breasts, teasing her nipples, the thick pounding of my erection bumping her belly.

  “You’re so damn soft. So sweet. I’m fucking burning up for you.” Against her neck, I drag my lips over the silken skin before sealing my mouth against hers, licking into her. Swallowing her soft moan of pleasure, I’m hard as nails and thrust through her yet again, submerging through her warm heat in one strong push. Instantly, I’m pounding her like a stallion in the wild charging a helpless mare. I can’t get enough. I’ve wanted her for so damn long. She’s so tight. So sweet. So warm inside. Against my chest, she’s whimpering my name as the heels of her feet lift and wind around my waist right before I lose myself and my balls explode as I start emptying one more time.

  Fucking hell. My pulse is pounding through my chest.

  Between us, I reach for her clit and massage it hard and deep. “Come around my dick again, sweetheart,” I whisper against the curve of her neck, thrusting again and bumping the edge of her tender cervix. Her pussy starts pulsing, and I pinch her tight nub, before rubbing it with my thumb. Quivers rock her body as her hands push hard against my ass and she starts coming. Her low moan of pleasure forces one final hard jolt of seed.

  My balls finally empty, I take her hair between my hands and smell her scent, leaning over and resting my sweaty forehead against hers as I get my breath back.

  “Jesus, Kass,” I whisper, as her fingers release my ass cheeks. With a quick roll onto my back, she’s there in an instant, head resting on my chest. Legs tangled between mine. Eyes shifting over me before slipping shut from exhaustion.

  Christ. Motherfucking sonofabitch.

  Repentance stings me hard, and I squeeze my own burning lids shut as the real world starts returning and I remember what my life outside of this involves. With no control over these feelings, I can’t help myself. I lean over and drop my lips against hers, my tongue skating gently and caressing the softness of her mouth, savoring her taste. Every cell in me wants to keep her right here. Protect her from the vicious shit roaming the streets. I’ll be goddamned if I let anything happen to someone else I care for. My need deepens again, the small voice in my head reminding me…

  My priority. My promise. My life.

  I have nothing to offer. This is as good as it gets.

  Where do I go from here?

  Tell her I’m not ready for a serious relationship and hope she understands … when my gut says she won’t?

  She’s asleep against my chest only seconds after another deep kiss, her hair falling across my body like a soft, silken blanket.

  My heavy eyes focus in on a painting on the far wall that I don’t remember seeing before. Probably because I haven’t. I don’t recall ever setting foot in this or any of the three other bedrooms. Mainly red in color, row after row of trees with turning leaves surround a couple walking down a path, arms slung around each other. The setting offers a vivid perception of romance, and I glance at the bottom caption that reads “Romantic Fall Evening”. More memories hit me like a ton of bricks. All of the sudden, I can’t catch my breath. There’s no motherfucking air in here. I lean over and kiss the side of Kass’s sticky forehead.

  “Sleep, beautiful.” Easing her still body from mine, I roll out of bed and walk to my bedroom for some sweats. Tightness stabs through my chest. Exhausted, my body aches for sleep, yet my mind is anywhere but relaxed enough to close my eyes. There’s only one place I can actually lose some of the tension when I’m this worked up.

  Confused, my head is a blur. My needs … I no longer know what I feel. I haven’t been this reactive toward a woman since Lindy. Haven’t allowed myself. But the instant I was inside Kass, I felt at home. Alive again. Where I was meant to be. Yanking every damn chain I thought was buried, a whole army of thoughts suddenly hit me with a thundering damning force. I’m no longer able to deny these feelings. I want to learn every aspect of this woman. Her mood swings. Music choices. Food cravings. What started as want has evolved into a matter of need. All she has to do is look my way and I turn stone hard.

  She means something. There’s a connection between us. But somewhere deep in my chest, I feel like I’m misleading her when it’s the last thing I intend. I want, and need, to be whole again before I can consider anything long-term.

  Regrettably, I’m far from that goal.

  ****

  Red. So much fucking red. It’s all I see, the revolting metallic stench causing the muscles in my stomach to viciously roll. Where is she? Why can’t I see her? A spot of gold flashes. It’s brighter than ever. Blinding as snow. I want to raise my arm in front of my eyes.

  “Rhett?”

  My eyes fly open to the soft voice of … Kass. It feels like something is lodged in my throat, making it hard to catch my breath.

  She’s dressed in the same clothes she wore last night, her face free of makeup. Her hair is wild and uncombed. Fucking irresistible. I want to tell her how I feel, but the words won’t form.

  “Why are you out here?” she asks. “You were talking in your sleep. Mumbling something about gold. God … was I snoring or grinding my teeth?” Something in her eyes makes me want to reach out and pull her against me. Feel her body heat. Promise her she did nothing wrong and be honest about the hell I tolerate just trying to get a few hours of needed sleep. Strong pulsations take over my heart as my chest tightens. My emotions are running so deep that I’m at a standstill. Don’t know where the fuck to go from here.

  I hold her gaze for a short time, then gently seize her arm and ease her on top of me. We stay that way for long minutes. Not speaking. Not moving. Just trying to calm my rapid heart and erase the harrowing nightmares from my mind that I won’t share with her. Something is significant in these dreams, and as much as I try, I can’t find the meaning behind them.

  Uncertainty coils inside me. How the hell could this ever work? A wave of guilt passes over me like a dark rain cloud, dread and shame racing in the pit of my gut, countered by the confusion of feelings I have for this woman. I’m damn well positive that she deserves more than what I have to offer.

  “No, sweetheart.” I tip her chin up so her eyes meet mine. “You weren’t snoring or grinding your pretty teeth. I just couldn’t sleep.” My hand tracks the curve of her ass, which earns me a deep sigh.

  Her eyes narrow to slits. “And why couldn’t you sleep?”

  Her hair is falling in her face, so I give it a push behind her ears, cupping her cheeks and kissing the complete hell out of her, this undeniable shift between us making me shudder with apprehension. My hands follow another pathway across her sweet ass, pulling her against my firming dick that already craves her again.

  “Just insomnia. Nothing at all to do with you, doll.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “I thought you might need an hour of two of rest before you go to work this morning. I didn’t want to keep you up with all my restlessness.”

  With a frown that I don’t understand, she jumps up suddenly like I’m carrying the plague, twirling the side of her hair through her fingers. Tight-lipped about what changed her whole soft persona, she responds with, “Okay. Well, yeah. I should go. I’ll never make it on time if I don’t leave in the next sixty seconds.” She leans over, her hands sliding onto my wrists, and kisses the bottom of my lip. “For a guy who initially told me to fuck off, you sure seem…” Her lip falls between her teeth as she stops mid-sentence. “Well, anyway … the haircut is still available if you’re interested.” With a shy smile, she lifts a hand and brushes the side of my face. “Honestly, I like it just the way it is though.”

  My dick hard enough to sever glass, I want nothing more than to pull her back down on my body and fuck her a dozen ways from Sunday. Let her know this wasn’t just about fucking, which is what I feel confident has her suddenly tense. I want to tell her absolutely everything. Have breakfast together.
A long hot shower. More sex. Conversation. More sex. Instead, like the fucking asshole I am, I get up and walk her to the door, offering nothing but a simple short kiss on the lips and a clipped “Have a great day, Kass.”

  I watch her drive off and suddenly feel like I’ve taking a brutal fall on the ice. One where my breath is lodged deep and hard to get back. My head is pounding. My chest is hammering through my skin. Maybe it’s time to make that call. Acknowledge what I’ve tried denying for many months and admit that I need help. On a professional level.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Kass

  “Fuck and shit. Fuck and shit.”

  Rhett’s silent treatment this morning has my mind upside-down and perplexed. It’s also the reason I’m running late. I’ve been in a funk all morning, my imagination working a serious case of overtime. I cast a glance in my rearview mirror, speeding like hell and hoping I don’t get pulled over. I’ve never ever been late for an appointment or had a speeding ticket. Ten minutes from the salon, I can’t put my finger on the strange feeling I got this morning, but can nonetheless do nothing but smile, even with the unexplainable tugging at my chest. Tired as hell, every part of my body aching deep inside … it feels wonderful. Every step I take today is going to be a beautiful, sweet reminder of who I’ve just left and all that we’d done virtually all night long. Until he strangely resorted to a patio chair. Mumbling and jerking when I discovered him outside, he was obviously plagued by a nightmare.

  There’s something desolate and bleak in some of his expressions. The way he stares at me before looking away like he’s thinking about something else. Or speaking sensually before becoming distant and quiet.

  Something tells me Rhett may very well not be ready for a relationship just yet, and the thought of that bothers me way more than I want it to. Great sex is just as the word implies and we definitely have a certifiable, raging sexual chemistry, but it’s still something I can’t and won’t take lightly. Emotion surges through me, and I hope I’m mistaken.

  I pull into a parking place on the side of the salon and bolt out of the car and through the front door, trying to erase the tiny bit of edginess I’m struggling with.

  “Hi, Leah.” Winded, I give her a thumbs-up at her newly colored deep purple hair. “Is Suzanne here yet? I’m never late.”

  “She’s running ten minutes behind. Looks like it’s your lucky day in more ways than one.” She points toward a large vase of pink roses, and I instantly grin like a silly, lovesick teenager as I open the card.

  Hope you’re able to stand on your feet all day, sweetheart. Dinner tonight?

  My heart pounding, once I get to my station, Darci and Kim both give me the eye as I set down the large floral arrangement. I send off a quick text to Rhett.

  The flowers are absolutely beautiful. Dinner sounds great. Pick me up at 7?

  “Suzanne is here.” Leah wiggles her eyebrows at the vase of pink blooms. “You’ve got a little bump in your step this morning, Kass. Anything you want to share?” She’s grinning, and I find myself doing the same.

  “Nope. Not a thing.” I reach for my smock and head to the color bar to mix up three different shades for my client’s roots.

  Three hours later and two appointments behind me, I have exactly fifteen minutes for a quick break of peanut butter smeared on a sliced apple. Literally too exhausted to chew, I end up with my head back against the break room chair, resting my eyes for just a minute before my next client arrives. It’s hard to remember the last time I’ve felt this tired, and every single part of my body feels abused … in the sweetest of ways.

  “Why are we so tired today, Miss Priss?”

  My eyes fly open, and I’m face to face with Darci standing over me flashing another ear-splitting grin. “Whatever has you this tired must have been pretty damn amazing by the looks of that arrangement on your station. Even a blind man can see the spark in those eyes of yours.”

  “Maybe,” I whisper teasingly, trying to hold back what I’m dying to tell her.

  “Spill, Kass. I have five minutes.” She looks at me suspiciously, a sure guarantee that she’s not going to budge until she gets what she’s after.

  “I was with Rhett … all night.” My lips fall between my teeth as I watch my aunt’s eyes widen with surprise, hoping she doesn’t bring up the tragic death of his wife.

  “No. Damn. Way,” she says, reaching for a slice of my browning apple.

  I clench my thighs together just enough to feel the delicious sting deep inside my core. “Way.”

  “I just knew it! After he looked at you like he wanted to inhale you in Luigi’s, I had a gut feeling. Holy hell, Kass. That’s great! And it sure doesn’t hurt that he’s hot as sin! Or damn rich!”

  I toss the half uneaten apple into the trash, thoughts of his bank account the farthest thing from my mind. With the way he makes me feel and his reaction to my touch, money doesn’t even begin to come into play.

  “I better get all the juicy details about this little sexcapade later. Oh, my bad,” she says with a grin. “Bet there’s very few things little on Rhett Gentry.”

  “Darci!” I yell teasingly before adding, “He’s picking me up at seven. And I’m booked to the max. Guess you’ll have to wait a little longer for the details … unfortunately.” I smile, blowing my stunned aunt a kiss as I leave the breakroom.

  ****

  Seven-thirty on the nose and Rhett is parking what is obviously a brand spanking new BMW M6 in a corner parking spot at the back of Javier’s Mexican Cantina in downtown Dallas. Though it’s not the normal kind of Tex-Mex places I usually visit, I could give three flips about food, considering the hot sex god sitting beside me. My gaze settles on the shape of his thick, moist lips, remembering how very talented he is with them.

  “Ready, beautiful?”

  “I am unless, that is, I’m not dressed properly again.” With a smile at his lustful gaze, I lean over just a little. “I’d hate you to spank my ass again for unacceptable attire.”

  He swallows deep at my mention of spanking, then leans across the center console where he presses that damn intoxicating mouth against mine, the tip of his tongue sliding inside as he breathes a low moan of satisfaction. My body instantly lights up with need and my eyes slip shut as I sigh against the velvety thickness of his lips.

  “Fuck,” he whispers, breaking our kiss. “Keep making those kinds of sounds against my mouth, I’m not only going to redden your ass, I’m going to climb across this console and feast on your sweet pussy right here in this parking lot.”

  Heat sparks between my thighs at his brazen sexual words.

  Seconds after he’s opened the door for me, we’re walking through the upscale restaurant, every set of female eyes locked on Rhett as the hostess ushers us to our table, while others appear to be waiting to be seated. His right hand is tightly pushed against the curve of my lower back as his focus concentrates on nothing but me.

  “By the way, you look absolutely beautiful tonight. Don’t think we’ll be needing that spanking. Unless you feel otherwise,” he says dryly. His lips brush the side of my ear, and I feel a small smile forming. Need flutters deep in my belly.

  “This table okay, Mr. Gentry?”

  Rhett nods at the hostess, who clearly knows who he is, and pulls out my chair.

  Two of the universe’s strongest margaritas later, the food that Rhett ordered is being placed in front of us, the waiter unfolding a napkin and carefully placing it across my lap.

  “This looks amazing.” I stare at the platter of shrimp brochette Cozumel, the smell of smoky barbeque and almond sauce absolutely scrumptious. “The smell alone is making my mouth water.”

  Rhett cuts through a tenderloin smothered in some kind of spicy Mexican sauce. “Doesn’t come close to smelling as good as you do. Certainly doesn’t taste as sweet.” He winks, my face heating once again at his sexual forwardness.

  As soon as we’ve finished our meals, Rhett quickly pays, leaving a generous cash tip fo
r the amazing waiter that corrected the hostess and directed her to the perfect table in a corner away from the gawking crowd. Rhett is most likely used to this kind of special treatment, along with being ogled at everywhere he goes. Oddly, the wondering stares have me a little shaken, and he obviously picks up on that vibe, taking my hand between his and giving it a small, comforting squeeze.

  “That was definitely the best shrimp I’ve ever tasted. No fair that you forced me to drink when you only had water though.”

  “Didn’t looked forced to me, doll.” He opens my car door, winking, and I slide in the comfortable leather seat. Two seconds later, he’s behind the wheel, switching gears as he eases out of the parking lot.

  “This car is sexy hot,” I tell him, wondering how people drive a stick in city traffic. With another sensual wink, he turns back toward the busy road. After a few minutes I see we’re actually heading the opposite direction from my apartment, or his house.

  “Where are we going, Rhett?”

  He instantly wiggles his eyes, then looks down at my feet and the four-inch nude strappy sandals I’m wearing. “You’ll have to wait and see. Somewhere I think you might enjoy though,” he says before pulling up to a stoplight and leaning over, eyeing my shoes again as his hand slides high up my thigh. “Not too sure about those shoes though. They may need to go.”

  “You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, are you?” I ask teasingly, my imagination in serious overload.

  “No, darlin’,” he says, his amazing smile broadening, revealing a small dimple on his left cheek.

  Finally, as I realize we’re in Las Colinas, Rhett pulls into a parking lot and immediately jumps out and opens my door. I take his hand, and we walk through a wire gate. All I see are unusual-looking small row boats.