1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Fourteen

by Kristen Ashley

  Fed up with staring at my goofy grin, I wrap my towel around my waist to head back to the party. I duck my chin to my chest as I push through the door, hoping to shake my love-sick-puppy smile before I face Jonah.

  “Raven, right?”

  I jump at the sound of a female voice. The blond girl who came with Blake is standing just outside the bathroom. Her arms are crossed at her chest as she glares in my direction.

  My smile fades. “Yes?”

  She looks me up and down as if I’m covered in cockroaches. Her lips peel back in disgust. This feels so much like high school. I curl into myself.

  “I’m just trying to figure out what Jonah would want with a little grease monkey like you.” Her icy stare continues to scrutinize me from bare feet to bikini top. “What are you? Eighteen? Do you really think a silly little girl like you could satisfy a man like him?”

  I jerk from the truth in her statement.

  The words he’s just a friend itch at the back of my throat. Something tells me we’re more than that, but uncertainty seals my lips.

  But she’s right. I’m inexperienced and young. Men want women who are confident and know how to please them. My shoulders sink as I consider all the ways I’m not good enough for Jonah. Maybe she’s right and I’ve been misreading things.

  “Jonah and I . . . We’re just friends. You want him, he’s yours.” My voice is dull, and my heart sinks like a lead balloon.

  I push past her with every intention of getting as far away as I can before I do something stupid, like cry. A firm grip on my elbow halts my getaway. In shock, I lean away from the blonde, who is sneering inches away from my face.

  “Want him?” She flashes a heartless smile that tells me she’s going to enjoy whatever she’s about to say. “I’ve had him. He fucked my brains out last week.”

  I turn my face away, trying to escape the vulgarity of her words.

  “Yeah, that’s right. And he screamed my name, begging me for more.” She leans in so close I can smell the liquor on her breath. “He said I had the sweetest pussy he’s ever tasted.”

  My eyes burn, tears threatening to spill.

  “Keep your filthy fucking hands off of him. He doesn’t want you. You’re nothing but a worthless piece of white trash, and he—”

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

  An enraged male voice breaks her concentration. In unison, we turn toward the source.

  Oh, crud.

  “Jonah.” His name escapes on a whisper.

  His jaw is tense and ticking, his fists balled at his sides. The fierceness in his stare is terrifying, and it’s not directed at me.

  “Get the hell out of my house,” he spits out through clenched teeth while glaring at Candy.

  “Jonah, honey, I don’t know what you thought you heard.” Like a sneaky little viper, she tries to backpedal. “We were just having a little girl talk.” She releases her hold on me and brushes my hair over my shoulder.

  Jonah’s eyes dart to mine then move back to glare at Candy. “Out. Now.” His voice trembles with rage.

  Candy lifts her head and squares her shoulders. Lithely, she moves past Jonah, stopping to look him in the eye. “You’re really going to pass this up?” She looks down at me from over her shoulder. “For that?”

  Her reference to me being an object rather than a person has me studying the concrete at my feet.

  Jonah grumbles a reply I can’t make out. Whatever he said makes Candy flinch before she struts away.

  My heart is beating out of my chest. I peer at Jonah from behind my hair. His head falls forward, hands resting on his hips. I hear the sound of him breathing deep and blowing air from his mouth as if he were trying to calm down.

  He looks up at me, concern etched on his face. “You okay?”

  “Yes.” I’m unable to control the quiver in my voice.

  He steps to me and interlaces his fingers with mine. “Come on.”

  He leads me into the bathroom and locks the door behind us. Releasing my hand, he leans against the door. My arms wrap protectively around my body in an attempt to hold myself together. His face is more relaxed, but his eyes are still angry.

  “Raven, I owe you an apology.”

  I stumble back a step. An apology? I wasn’t expecting that. “No, Jonah you don’t owe me—”

  “I slept with Candy.”

  My body stills along with my words. I close my gaping mouth, surprised at his honesty. “Um, I know that.”

  He shifts on his feet and rubs the back of his neck. “I slept with her.” He takes a deep breath. “Why is this so hard?” He mumbles to the floor before his eyes meet mine. “I slept with her a week ago.”

  This, too, I already knew because of Candy’s less than ladylike admission. “Okay.”

  Is that all I can say? Okay?

  “I didn’t invite her here. I’m not interested in her.” His eyes study my face for a few silent seconds.

  “Jonah, you don’t need to explain—”

  “There’s something else.” He takes a step toward me.

  I pull in a large breath through my nose and blow out my mouth. Can I handle his something else? I nod.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  Yes, I can handle that.

  My cheeks hurt as I wrestle against an embarrassing grin. “Okay.”

  He takes another step in my direction. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”

  My breathing picks up, my heart pounds, and something begins to unfurl and flutter in my chest. “Okay.”

  “I want to be with you.”

  Is this really freaking happening?

  “Okay.”

  He closes the final few feet between us. His arms surround my waist and lock at my lower back, forcing my hands to his bare chest. The heat from his skin ignites a fire in my palms that shoots down my spine and awakens my senses. The gentle rise and fall of his breath, the rhythmic beat of his heart, all magnified. My bikini-clad breasts brush against his rib cage. The friction makes me shiver in his arms.

  He slides his hands up my back, trailing his fingers across my skin. Goose bumps skate across my flesh. A bright smile lights his face at my response to his touch. His eyes become hooded. His hands rest against either side of my neck, rubbing my jaw with slow swipes of his thumbs. I watch in amazement as his eyes travel from my eyes to my lips before they drop to the side of my neck.

  “I’ve wanted to do this since the first day I met you.”

  Bending forward, he brings his lips just a breath away from mine. I lean in and close my eyes, expecting to feel the warmth of his mouth. He uses his hold to tip my chin down and kiss my forehead. I sigh and melt into the tenderness of his touch.

  Gently, he runs his nose down my hairline to my ear. “Mmm, you smell so good.”

  My fingers flex against his firm chest at the husky sound in his voice. A second chill races through my body. Heat floods my system. I welcome every new feeling, every fragile emotion that courses through me.

  He makes a fist in my hair and tilts my head. The soft heat of his lips brushes against my earlobe then my neck, trailing kisses to my shoulder. He lingers there, licking and nipping with his teeth. The abrasive stubble of his chin against my collarbone electrifies my body. I press my aching breasts into him as my bones liquefy beneath his touch. His hard, strong body accepts my weight, and a moan tumbles from my throat.

  I feel him smile against my skin. “You like that, baby?”

  He called me baby! I’m thankful he can’t see my eyes as they stare at the ceiling, wide in shock.

  The silky moisture from his open-mouth kisses at my neck have my eyelids falling shut. “Sweet, just like I knew you’d be.” His breath tickles my skin.

  Something coils deep inside, a damn on the verge of collapsing. “Jonah . . .” My mind scrambles with how to communicate everything I want from him right now. His lips on mine, the weight of his body, his hands . . .

  He places a final kiss ag
ainst my neck and pulls his head up. My eyelids, suddenly heavy, fight to stay open. My body trembles with a raw need I’ve never felt before. And our lips haven’t even touched.

  “I want to take you inside,” he whispers, through a dark, sexy smile.

  “Okay.”

  “Send Eve home. You’re staying with me tonight.”

  His proposition douses the fire raging in my body.

  “You want me to spend the night?” Panic creeps in.

  His lips curve at the ends. “Yeah, you can borrow something to sleep in.”

  I try to think of something logical, some reason why I can’t spend the night, but with his hands running up and down my back, it’s hard to concentrate. How can I say no? Jonah Slade asks for a sleepover, the answer is always yes. It’s in the female handbook. She says no, she gets her membership revoked, right? If not, she should.

  “Okay.”

  The corners of his mouth twitch. “Raven, you gotta give me something besides okay.”

  Here he just confessed to having feelings for me and asked me to spend the night, and he want’s something besides okay? My brain is on overload, not to mention the other parts of my body that have just woken up for the first time in . . . well, forever. They may even short circuit if he gets anywhere near them with that skilled mouth of his. I laugh inwardly at the thought of Jonah’s vast experience with women compared to my complete lack of experience with men.

  Oh, no.

  “I can’t have sex with you.” I blurt out the words, my hand covering my mouth too late.

  I’m an idiot.

  His eyes light up, dancing with laughter, making my idiocy totally worth it.

  “That’s all right. I’m not asking you to stay over so I can have sex with you.” He lifts one eyebrow and gives me a one-dimpled grin. “Can we make out?”

  Heat bursts against my cheeks and floods down my neck. I bury my face against his chest to hide my embarrassment. “Okay.”

  He throws his head back and laughs while holding me to him. Instantly, his touch calms my nerves and my lungs take in a full breath. His warm skin smells like coconut sunblock mixed with his usual masculine spice. I relax deeper into his hold.

  “Jonah?’

  “Hmm?”

  “I like you too.”

  He pulls back just enough to see my face, determination flashing in his eyes. He leans down and, knowing what he’s after, I lift up on my toes. Our lips touch for the first time in a soft caress. I’ve wondered what it would be like to kiss Jonah, and even my best fantasies weren’t this good.

  His full, strong lips mold to mine. A slow sweep of his tongue has me opening to him. What started off teasing turns hot and urgent as he pulls my lower lip with his teeth, coaxing my tongue to explore. His hands grab at my hair and mine wrap around his biceps.

  The kiss turns demanding as he possesses my mouth. His muscles flex against my palms. I struggle to keep myself on my toes, his expert mouth making my legs completely useless. I slide back down on flat feet, dragging my breasts down his chest as I go. He releases his hold on my hair and cups my bottom with his hands, pulling me against him.

  My gosh, that feels good.

  With what seems like great effort, he ends the kiss, gently nibbling and tasting my lower lip. His hands give me a squeeze before sliding up and resting on my lower back. He bends down and presses one last kiss on my neck before looking into my eyes.

  Amazing. In this moment, after that kiss, he’s no longer Jonah “The Assassin” Slade, celebrity bad-boy. Looking at him now, he’s just Jonah.

  “Don’t worry about tonight.” His words are said in a way that makes me feel like I might be more to him than a hook up. “I’d never push you further than you’re willing to go.”

  My stomach twists with anxiety. He has no idea.

  Eight

  Jonah

  After my talk with Raven in the bathroom, I have one objective—get these people out of my house. Pronto. With the taste of her still on my lips, I let the guys know that the party is over.

  It’s just past ten as I wave off the last of my friends. I watch from the front porch as Raven says goodbye to Eve. The patio light illuminates her face as she laughs hard at something Eve must have said.

  Damn, she’s gorgeous. I always knew she was beautiful, but getting her alone in that bathroom, her body trembling in my arms, her breathy moans, and flushed cheeks. Perfect.

  And that kiss. I’m not big on kissing, never have been. But Raven’s sweet lips, so tentative at first, only to turn greedy and demanding—a few more minutes of that and I’d probably bust in my shorts like a teenage boy.

  She walks toward me, her backpack slung over one shoulder, Eve’s taillights disappearing down the driveway.

  “Come here.” I brush her hair aside and lean in. Before I’m there, she tilts her head, offering her throat to me. Fucking perfect. I hone in on my spot: the blackbird’s wing that peeks at the base of her neck. First, a quick press of my lips, then I part my mouth to taste her tender flesh. She hums low in her throat and leans into me.

  “I like your tattoo.” My voice against her neck makes her to shiver.

  “I like yours too.”

  I force myself back a step. “Everything okay with your girl?”

  “Yes, she’s happy I’m staying here. She hates my place, thinks it’s not safe.” She picks at the frayed strap of her backpack.

  “Why is your place not safe?”

  She looks up at me and rolls her eyes. “I live in a studio apartment.”

  Okay. That doesn’t sound so bad.

  “Where?”

  She blows out a long, defeated-sounding breath. “Right by the garage.”

  She shifts on her feet, and I know she’s holding something back. I tilt my head and wait. Her eyes grow a fraction. That’s right, sweetheart. I’m on to you.

  “Well, actually . . .”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I live above the garage.” She’s back to picking at her backpack strap.

  Nope. I must’ve heard that wrong. “You live above Guy’s Garage?”

  She nods.

  A wave of anxiety floods my body. “Raven, there’s nothing over there but warehouses and vagrants. There’s not a decent human being within a ten-mile radius after business hours.”

  Thinking of her all alone at night in that part of town makes my muscles tense. My mind imagines all the things that could happen to an innocent girl in that part of town after hours. The alley behind the garage is a festering crime spot. There’s probably all manner of piece-of-shit lowlifes lurking in the shadows. I’ll never be able to sleep knowing she’s over there alone. No.

  “From now on, you stay here with me,” I blurt.

  Her eyes flash in shock and her lips part.

  I just took this too far.

  “What did you say?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

  I run my hands through my hair, trying to figure out what the hell is going on in my head. I’m having a hard time believing my own words. Did I just ask her to move in with me? I want this girl, more than I’ve wanted any other girl. There’s no denying that. The protective instinct stirs in my chest, something I’ve never felt for any woman outside of my mom and sister.

  “You heard me.”

  “Jonah, I’m not staying with you every night. That’s absurd. You barely know me. I mean . . .” She studies me, and I can’t help but think how her confused and shocked expression adds a cuteness to her already gorgeous face.

  “I just want to keep you safe, and I can’t do that if you aren’t with me.” I take a deep, steadying breath. That felt okay. Not awkward, like I thought it would. “Besides, you work on the Impala most mornings. It’ll save on gas money.” It’s a stretch, but I’m desperate—also a new feeling for me.

  “That’s really sweet of you, b-but I can’t.” Her expression relaxes, and she puts her hands on her hips. “I have to feed Dog.”

  This is interesting. I can’t th
ink of a single girl, not one, who would argue with me at my offer to have them sleep in my bed. And did she say she has a dog?

  “Dog?”

  “Yes. Dog.” Her shoulders square off and she lifts her chin.

  She thinks something like having to feed her dog is going discourage me? She needs to get to know me better, which is exactly what I plan on doing once this conversation is over.

  “Bring your dog.” I shrug.

  “Bring my . . . but . . . I don’t have a dog.” Her forehead pinches between her eyebrows, and I fight the desire to kiss the skin smooth.

  Damn, she is really cute.

  “You said you had to feed your dog.”

  “Right, Dog. My cat. Well, not my cat. The cat that lives in the alley.”

  I roll my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing. “Let me get this straight. You feed an alley cat that you’ve named Dog, and that’s why you can’t stay with me.”

  “Exactly.” She throws her hands out like she’s just made the point of the century.

  I lose the battle against my laughter and nearly double over with it. “You’re, without a doubt, the most amusing girl I’ve ever met, Raven . . . uh . . .” I’m not going through this again. “What’s your last name?”

  Her expression falls and her face goes pale. What did I say? She rolls her bottom lip into her mouth, raking it across her teeth. My laughter dies and instinctively I pull her into my arms.

  “Baby? You okay?”

  She exhales and wraps her hands around my waist. “I’m fine. You just caught me off guard.” Her arms grow tight as she hugs me to her. “I guess you’ll find out sooner or later.”

  What the hell? What could possibly be so bad about her last name? I guess it could be Manson or Bundy.

  “Morretti. My full name is Raven Morretti.” Her words are dull and lifeless.

  Morretti? I look past her, squinting into the darkness. Why does that name—Holy shit!

  Dominick Morretti. Las Vegas’s most infamous pimp. And her mom’s a prostitute. It all makes sense.

  Not only have I seen his mug all over the news but I’ve actually met the scumbag. I’ve seen him at all our fights, working his girls. He tried to get us to throw down some cash for a night with a Morretti girl.