by Lola Stark
“You might have snaked your way into Haven’s good graces, but I won’t be fooled so easily, rich boy. That’s my son. Don’t for a second think you can play house with him. They’re off limits to you.” His lack of reaction spurred on my anger. The bastard just stood before me like I was singing a song of praise rather than reaming him out. “You hear me, asshole? She was mine long before you got your hands on her and she’ll continue to be mine whether it’s my hands on her or not.”
Dylan’s jaw ticked slightly and I knew I had him. He didn’t want to think about me touching her anymore than I liked him being near her.
“You listen and you listen good, ‘cause I’ll only say this once. My kids are not your toys, so long as you’re fooling her, you keep as far the fuck away from me and mine as you possibly can. You don’t breathe in my direction, or theirs.” I glared and finished on a bark. “You hear me?”
“Sure, Jude. You might want to go check on your son though. His knee is pretty scraped up.”
The moment his words registered, my red haze turned into boiling lava. I reacted on instinct, my body on autopilot. Pulling my fist back, I let it go. The thump when it connected with his nose was loud in the otherwise quiet room. My knuckles protested and blood ran down his face, splattering over my hand. “You’re one dumb bastard.” I snarled. Dylan turned his face back to me and pulled his hand up to his bloody nose.
“The fuck are you doing?” Mace’s voice boomed from the doorway. “Jude, outside now.” Right at that moment, Haven walked into the room, followed by Jaxson.
“Dylan!” she cried, running to his side. “What is wrong with you, Jude?” She turned to look at me with disappointment and confusion marring her pretty face.
“Outside,” Mace said in a deathly stoic voice, reminding me for the last time I was sure.
“Jax, go ahead outside with Mima for a bit, buddy,” Jude soothed his son. He looked confused and a little scared with all the commotion. The last thing I wanted was for him to be upset by my stupid actions. I hadn’t even thought twice about decking that asshole when he’d insinuated I wasn’t concerned with being a good father. The truth hurts sometimes and he’d called it straight on me being a selfish prick.
The blood roared in my ears once again as I watched Jaxson wander out the sliding glass door, before I followed Mace out the front away from everyone. I hadn’t even descended the steps before he was on me like white on rice.
“You hit your head or something?’ Mace crossed his arms over his chest.
“He’s a jackass. I—”
“You’re being a jackass. I told you no bullshit. You want Ma to come in and whoop your ass?” He cleared his throat. “You know damn well what she’d have done if she caught you fighting in her house.” I dropped my head slightly. Ma didn’t deserve disrespect and that was what I’d done, regardless of that douche deserving it or not.
I raised my head and threw my angriest glare directly at Mace. “He’s not good enough for her. He doesn’t deserve her and he’s a cocky son of a bitch. You gonna stand there and tell me she should be bringing that fuckstick in here?”
“I don’t give a good god damn if you think he’s not good enough. I don’t either, but I’ll sort that out myself, and you will keep your bullshit testosterone in check while we’re here, asshole!” Mace gave me no option to argue, turning his back and storming back inside. I hung around the front of the house for another few minutes before I headed inside and collected up the kids and our stuff. With much argument the boys, they finally made their way to the truck and we waved as I pulled out of the driveway and headed home.
Haven
“I’m so sorry, Dylan,” I apologized again. “I should have known he’d pull something stupid.”
“Stop, sugar.” He reached over and grabbed my hand, holding it in his. “You don’t apologize for that. I’m alright. He got it off his chest. It’s fine. “
“How’d I manage to find the world’s sweetest guy?” I sighed, lifting my feet up underneath my legs on the passenger seat. I reached in the glove box and grabbed a napkin. “Your nose is still bleeding.” I reached across the console to wipe his face. “Are you sure you’re okay? Should we go to the hospital?”
“Nah. I’m good. Nothing a little TLC from a beautiful woman can’t fix.” He looked over at me from the corner of his eye, a slight twinkle to go along with his smile. It caused a stirring in my belly that I never thought I’d feel again.
Butterflies?
“You know, we didn’t get to eat much. Are you hungry?” Dylan kept both eyes on the road, his hand reaching up to mine, taking the napkin and finishing the job of cleanup.
“I’m not too hungry, but I could definitely use a drink.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. The last thing I needed was a drink…drinking lead to other cravings I’d rather not have.
“Okay, sugar. Point me in the right direction. I could probably use one too.” He smiled out the windshield. “Maybe we could work our way up to a full meal.”
There was a hint of humor in his tone. I couldn’t believe he actually wanted to hang around after how awfully he was treated.
“Yeah.” I looked away, suddenly feeling shy. I had thought shy was a thing of the past for me, Dylan and I had been seeing each other for a while and we’d gotten to know each other quite well. Well enough that I’d taken him home with me at least. “I would like that very much.”
We drove in companionable silence, a mellow look of tranquility on Dylan’s face as we made our way to the closest bar possible. He had reached over toward me, as if he were afraid I would disappear if he wasn’t touching some part of me. His hand was warm and soft as it enclosed mine. He’d romanced me with dates, and gorgeous surprise lunches, picnics and sweet moments of handholding, but for whatever reason, we hadn’t advanced past that. At first, it was him putting the breaks on us sleeping together; now it was me. I hadn’t pinpointed what was holding me back, but it certainly wasn’t him. He’d done all the things a gentleman could, yet here we were, still courting as such.
“What are you thinking about, Haven?” His velvety voice washed over me, warming me like a soft blanket.
“Nothing really, just about today.” I didn’t elaborate about what exactly.
“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. I understand the need to keep some things to yourself.” Dylan’s voice trailed off as if he were in a deep thought of his own. “We all have secrets, sugar. Maybe one day, we can share with each other.”
Unease flickered through me at his words. A moment’s unease that he may be hiding something sparked my fight or flight instincts, but I squashed it just as quickly. Who was I to judge? I had the worst secrets of them all.
“Yeah, maybe.” That was all I could say. I couldn’t bear to look into his eyes and tell him about my demons. My secrets … the ones only Jude knew about. There was no way anything he could be hiding from me or the rest of the world could change how I felt about him in that moment.
I was starting to fall for Dylan—sweet, soft, gentle, Dylan. I could see my life flashing before me; a life with this cowboy and his southern drawl, calling me sugar, and kissing my neck while taking our child and handling daddy-duty.
What. The. Fuck?
I cleared my throat, my emotions running rampant and causing my body to react.
We pulled into the parking lot of Jimmy’s bar, and not a moment’s too soon, as with my heated fantasies, I’d considered leaning over and having my way with him while he was trapped behind the wheel. Once parked, Dylan cut the engine. He hopped out of the driver’s seat and made his way to my side of the truck.
Opening my door, he held his hand out to me. “Your drink awaits, my lady.” A dazzling smile played on his lips as I placed my fingers against his wrist.
“Thank you, kind sir.” I played along, hopping down from the passenger side gasping slightly as he pulled me close to his body and sliding me against him until my feet touched the gravel belo
w. My heart stuttered as I looked up at him, slightly damaged from his earlier fight, but still no less handsome than the first time I’d met him. Dylan lowered his head to mine and ever so slowly brought his hand up to the back of my head. My breath caught as his lips touched mine, so soft and warm. The butterflies came back in my belly with a vengeance, flapping their tiny wings around as I lost myself in our kiss. I’d never experienced a kiss so sensual and gentle, so sweet and tender before.
He stepped back, breaking our embrace just enough to speak. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. It just occurred to me that I don’t want to waste anymore time not kissing you every chance I get.” He swept a curl of hair from my face and dropped his voice. “You’re the sweetest tasting treat I’ve ever had. Prepare yourself, sugar. I’m gonna take advantage of every opening I can.”
He wrapped my hand around his elbow and walked us to the entrance. Opening the heavy amber-colored door, he ushered me in with his hand on the small of my back, never once breaking contact with my body as we made our way into the darkened pub.
The jukebox was playing a slow, sultry tune as we walked to the far end of the bar. Dylan leaned down and whispered against my ear. “I know you wanted a drink, but how about we work up a thirst first with a dance?”
A shiver traveled down my spine, his breath a delicious combination of warm and cool. “I’d like that,” was all I could say, my breath stolen with the sensation of pure want pulsing through my body.
Dylan engulfed my hand in his and wrapped his arm around my waist, turning us toward the makeshift dancefloor. We swayed to the low baseline, and soft rifts that thrummed from the jukebox. The woman’s voice singing about black velvet and little boys smiles. I couldn’t concentrate much on lyrics, my own thoughts burning bright in the forefront to my mind.
Dylan broke into my daydream, his breath warm on my cheek. I looked up into his hazel eyes, my hand resting on his shirt over a strong, defined chest. “You know, I’ve been waiting what feels like a lifetime to get you this close to my heart. Can you feel it beating out of my chest?” His eyes burned with a fire I didn’t recognize, the vein in his neck pulsing at a frenzied pace.
I took his hand in my free one and held it over my own racing heart. “You feel that? Your heart matches mine. I’ve never felt like this. I feel…cherished.” I looked deep into his eyes, which were hooded, his expression matching my exact mood. The music all but forgotten as we danced to our own rhythm.
I couldn’t remember the last time Jude made me feel anything like this. With him, it was different. Jude knew all the nitty-gritty of my life, my demons. We never had the romance, the sweep-me-off-my-feet-with-sweet-gestures-and-sayings. With Jude, it was raw, unadulterated passion. The smolder Dylan was giving me was nothing but tenderness and love. “You have no idea how even just the look on your face has made me feel. I feel so special and wanted.” My breath caught. “Thank you.” That was all I could muster before his lips gently caressed mine.
His husky voice rubbed along my skin in the most delicious way, “Oh, sugar,” he pulled back slightly, his nose brushing mine, “that was the best compliment any woman has ever paid me.”
“Well, it’s true. I don’t know what it is about you, Dylan.” My voice came out as a whisper against his warm, smooth jaw. “You make ordinary feel exceptional.”
He leaned down and kissed me again, this time deeper, as if I were the last woman he was ever going to kiss again. My mouth opened and my heart melted as his fingers stroked my cheek and made their way into my hair. A growl sounded in his chest, my body firmly pressed against his as we swayed to the beat of a song that no longer played. At some point the jukebox had stopped but I was too wrapped up in this man to notice.
“Sugar, you keep kissing me like that, we may never get to that drink.” His gasps for air matched mine, neither one of us getting enough oxygen, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. I would gladly breathe Dylan all night long. Forever if I could.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry and panties wet. “Maybe a drink wouldn’t be a bad idea?” It came out as a question; one I wasn’t sure I even wanted to ask. I wasn’t in any hurry to leave the safety of Dylan’s arms. And I knew that if we stopped dancing, the spell of lust we just swirled in might be broken.
He didn’t give me a chance to overthink everything, pulling away enough that I missed his warmth and wanted nothing more than to drag him back to my body and coerce him somewhere more private.
“Or maybe we should go back to your place?” I sounded unsure and needy all at the same time.
“Is that what you want?” His voice gravely and rich, I could tell he was just as affected as I was.
“Yes,” I breathed. “Take me…home. To your house.”
We skipped the drinks altogether. Obviously, there was something much better on the menu for the evening.
Dylan wrapped me tighter in his embrace and sighed into my neck, his lips grazing the tender flesh under my ear. “I can’t promise you much, sugar, but I can promise you this. Tonight, I will be everything you need and all you never knew you wanted.” His body felt tight, like he was holding something back, and the hardness in his jeans wasn’t it.
He straightened his frame and took in my expression.
I smiled and lifted onto my toes, wrapping my arms around his neck and feeling his hands settle at my hips.
“I look forward to more than just tonight, Mr. Dylan Highsmith. And I can certainly promise you, after we do this, you will too.” I gently brushed my lips across his chin. “Let’s go, I want to experience everything I’ve been missing.”
His chuckle melted across my enflamed cheeks, causing goose bumps on my lust-saturated skin. “Sugar, you’re gonna be the sweetest part of every memory I have.” He let go of me and removed my hands from his neck, kissing each knuckle once before leading me back the way we came.
We never even sat down, but it didn’t matter. Jimmy knew from the moment we stepped foot in his establishment, I wouldn’t be drinking anything but water anyway. At least I was saved from explaining something I wasn’t ready to yet.
The car ride was just as silent as before, but this time, the undercurrent of sex wafted through the cabin of Dylan’s truck. I could feel the depth of his stare as we passed street after street.
My thighs scissored back forth, the anticipation of his heated promises playing tricks with every intimate part of me. Visions of the possible things we’d do to each other ran through my mind, giving me the most delicious visions.
He cleared his throat. “Here we are, sugar.” He reached across to steady my leg. “We don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for.” His look sincere and open, made me question his earlier remark about secrets.
I swallowed and found my voice. It sounded foreign, like I was a different woman when I was with him. Softer some how, vulnerable even. “No—I mean, yes.” I fumbled with my words. “I want this. I want you.” My lips curved upward, my hand covering his and giving a slight squeeze. “C’mon, cowboy, let’s see if you can rope in this wild girl.”
I allowed a laugh to escape as I surveyed the slight shock on his face. He quickly masked it with hooded eyes and a smirk of his own.
“I don’t know about rope, but I may have a pair of spurs.” I laughed again, but this time it was more in shock. The seriousness of his tone made it funny and erotic all at the same time.
I didn’t have time to respond to his sexy little joke because Dylan turned quickly, as if he were on fire, and jumped out of the truck. He rushed around to my side of the cab. I was still smiling when he opened the door. “Sorry,” he muttered as he helped me down, my shoe catching on the side-rail. “Watch your step, sugar.”
I looked at him quizzically. “What are you apologizing for?” I watched his face change, like he suddenly realized he said it aloud.
“Oh, nothing.” He shrugged, feigning nonchalance as we walked up the pathway to his brick apartment complex. It was an odd comment, considering we were about t
o get it on, but one he didn’t feel the need to explain. I let it go, other matters at the forefront of my mind.
I bumped his shoulder, side-glancing his direction with my demure smile in place. “You know, I won’t tell anyone if you are into kinky shit.” I casually commented as he unlocked the door. “Who knows, maybe it will be fun. I’ve never used spurs before.” I winked and watched for his reaction, bouncing on the balls of my feet in anticipation.
His look was priceless as he opened the door to the sparsely furnished living room. “No, I was just…it was a joke.” He ran his hands through his short hair and looked at me through lowered lashes. “I just wanted to hear you laugh. You have a beautiful laugh, Haven. The sound is like Heaven on Earth to me.” His voice was low and unsure.
Closing the door behind us, he continued. “If I could catch that sound and have it be the only thing I heard for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t be enough.” He sighed, his face resigned. “I don’t know if you—” he paused, his hand coming to rest on my cheek. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of you. Any part of you, all of you.” His eyes held both sadness and peace. I wanted to take it away and bask in it all at the same time.
At a loss for words, I did the best I could think of. I leaned forward and kissed him. I don’t know if I caught him by surprise because at first he froze. I started to pull away but his arms came around my middle, locking me to him. His mouth blazing against mine, our tongues swirling in a passionate dance all of their own.
I started to pull away. The room seemed to close in on us and I couldn’t breathe.
Slow down, Haven.
“Don’t stop, sugar,” were the only words he managed to say before taking my mouth again. This time, more fluid, as if we could drift off into the night sky at any moment. His gentler approach soothed my overactive mind and quieted my racing heart.
We became a figure of two adjoined into one. It felt as if his soul touched mine, entwining us in more than just body. His breath was warm, buttery like whiskey but tasted fresh like mint, I wanted to devour him. His hands swept into my hair, I could feel his fingers running along my ebony tresses, “Your hair feels like black velvet, sugar. And it smells like raspberries and vanilla.” He inhaled deep and resumed his mouth on mine, his exhale into my mouth like oxygen I was starving for.
