“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You’re fine,” I say to my plate.
“I’m not going to pretend that I know you or what happened between you and him. But I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.”
I sit and stare into his soft gray eyes wondering why he seems to care so much. For a man, he’s beautiful. The button up shirt he wears shows off his broad shoulders and hard chest that I’ve ran my hands up and down. The sleeves are rolled back exposing his tan forearms. His curly, dark hair is gelled making it look as if it’s still wet from his shower. His chiseled jawline and pouty lips make him look like he belongs on a cover of GQ. He’s probably a player. A man who gets his kicks by making woman feel like they’re special when in reality they are nothing to him but a piece of meat. A way to stroke his ego. Something I’ve done for him several times already in the past week. How many other girls have done the same thing just this week?
“Why?” I ask in all honesty.
He frowns. “Why? Because I want to get to know you. I want more from you than that first night. Or the few days after.” He looks around the restaurant and then his eyes are back on mine. “There’s something here, and you can’t say you don’t feel it.”
I shake my head and drop my eyes. “I’m not looking for more than what we did,” I state.
“I get it,” he says. “I get that he hurt you. He messed with your head,” he says, and I feel my anger start to rise. He doesn’t know how much I changed. He doesn’t know anything! “But I’m not trying to change you. I want to get to know the real you.”
“You don’t know anything about me except that I let you in my pants when I was drunk off my ass the first night we met,” I say with bite. “So to you I’m probably some easy lay that you wanna keep around for whenever you feel like getting off.”
He sighs heavily. “I’m not going to base who you are on what we did that first night. Hell, I wanted it just as much as you did, if not more. That doesn’t make me like you any less.”
I shake my head trying to figure out his angle. I haven’t even spoken to him. Hell, we haven’t even exchanged phone numbers. Nothing!
“Let me take you to dinner? Just you and me.”
Before I can tell him ‘no thanks’ my father walks in.
“Sorry about that,” my father says joining us back at the table.
I stand and turn to him. “I have to leave, Dad.” I don’t give him an excuse. Whatever I come up with he would see right through as a lie.
He frowns. “I didn’t get to spend much time with you.” He looks down to his phone sitting on the table. My father is a hard worker, and I’ve never held that against him.
“It’s okay,” I say with a reassuring smile. “I will be free this weekend,” I offer, and I instantly cringe at my admission. It makes me sound lame. Like I have nothing better to do. I was always so busy with Rodger that my father is going to think I have no life now without him.
He gives me a warm smile, “Why don’t you come to the track this weekend then? Dash will be racing. We need to figure out what all his bike requires. So we will be out there all weekend.”
I really don’t want to be around Dash. It’s as if he can see right through me as well. No matter how bitchy I try to be he can still see the weak person hiding behind the sarcastic bitchy woman. But I nod. He’ll be racing, right? He’ll be occupied. I can hang with my dad. “Sounds good,” I say before he stands and gives me a hug. I don’t bother to face Dash or answer his question. I just turn around and walk out.
I make my way back to my house and just drop my purse on my bed. “Son of a bitch,” I say a little too loud when I hear the familiar roar of a Lamborghini pull up outside.
I’m coming down the stairs when I see the front door swings open and in walks Rodger wearing a pair of plaid shorts and a polo shirt like he just walked off the golf course. “Leave.” I point back to the door. I cuss myself for forgetting to lock the front door.
“Tabby,” he whines. “Please, let’s talk about this.” He sounds sincere, but for the way his jaw twitches. It shows me he’s irritated about how short my dress is as his eyes linger on my exposed legs.
“Don’t call me that. You know I hate it.” I point a finger at him. It makes my skin crawl when he calls me that.
“We can fix this. I love you,” he says between clenched teeth.
I don’t know if I should cry or hit him. He just told me he loved me for the first time. Does he really love me? Or did he say it because he felt obligated?
I have wanted to hear those words from him for a year. A year. And he had never said them. But neither had I. In all honestly I know why he wants me back. It’s a game to him. He hates losing, no matter how much his father disapproves of me. It’s like his dad wants me with Rodger because of respect. They want me to submit to their way of lifestyle.
I shake my head. “Well I don’t love you.” I did—I had loved him—but in return I hated myself. It was crazy and had me losing my mind. Thank God I finally woke up and left his ass.
“Yes you do.” He takes a step toward me. “You can’t deny it. I know how you feel about me.” He gives me a smile that has my jaw twitching.
He’s right, he always knew. And he took advantage of that. He knew how much I hated the way he had changed me and how I had to bite my tongue and smile.
My anger comes back and I grab a small picture frame off the wall next to me and throw it at his face. He lifts his arm and blocks it. Damn! It hits the tiled floor and shatters. “What the fuck, Tabatha?” he shouts.
I smile and shrug. He takes another step toward me with his hard face. “You’re going to come crawling back to me,” he snaps.
The fuck I will! “Get the fuck out, Rodger!” I scream fisting my hands down by my sides.
When he continues to just stand there, I take a step toward him, closing in the distance. My heart pounds in my chest, and my hands are sweating. I’m actually terrified to stand up to him. But it’s been a long time coming. The old me would fall to her knees and cry like a fucking child. Ask him to take me to bed and make me his ‘good girl’.
Fuck that!
I take in a deep breath and lift my hands. I shove him through the front door with all I have. He lands on his ass on the front porch, not expecting that.
“You fucking bitch,” he growls, standing up and dusting himself off.
I smile. “Finally you call me by a name I don’t mind.” God, it feels so good to stand up for myself. There’s nothing else in the world like it.
“You’re going to regret this,” he sneers.
I ignore his threat. “Don’t come back around Rodger. We’re done!”
I slam the door, lock it, and go back to my bedroom. I yank my dress up and over my head. I need a long hot shower. I had just placed it on my bed and turn to walk into the bathroom when a noise stops me.
My doorbell rings... I fist my hands down by my sides. I swear the guy can’t take a hint. Without bothering to put clothes back on. I make my way back down the stairs and swing the door open. “I said to leave!” I shout.
There standing on my front porch stands the only other guy I don’t want to see—Dash! How does he know where I live?
His grayish eyes look me up and down before a smirk appears on his lips. He takes a step into my house, and I take a step back trying to keep my distance. He reaches up and closes the door once he’s inside.
“You know,” he says taking another step toward me. “You shouldn’t answer the door half naked and expect someone to leave.” He licks his lips and I wrap my arms around myself. He chuckles. “It’s nothing I haven’t already seen, sweetheart.”
My blood continues to boil. “Leave.” I point to the door.
He shakes his head. “Not until I’m done with you,” he says matter-of-fact.
“Well you can’t have me,” I shoot back.
I go to take another step back but I hit the wall. He
’s on me before I can even step around him. One hand tangles in my hair and the other is on my face. His lips attack mine, and he shoves his tongue down my throat.
I’m able to place my hands on his chest and shove him away enough for me to take in a few deep breaths. “I’m so fucking tired of this bullshit game that you guys play,” I shout losing my patience.
He stands there looking at me with concern on his face as if I’m about to have a breakdown. “What bullshit? What game?” he asks cautiously.
“I mean the one where I act all submissive. The one where you guys demand that I be yours. And only yours. The one where I do things that make me hate myself to make you happy. And let’s face it, that’s not fucking possible!” I ramble as my arms wave around in the air.
He takes a step toward me, and I raise my hands to stop him. “Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says softly. “But let’s sit down and talk about it. Okay?”
I let out a sigh and shake my head. “Please. Just leave,” I say running out of air.
He turns around and looks down to the floor, and he stops once he sees the picture frame and broken glass on the tiled floor that I had thrown at Rodger. “What happened before I got here?” he asks spinning back around to face me.
“Nothing,” I snap. It’s none of his business. “I don’t know why you act like you care anyways. There’s nothing going on between us.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth his lips are on mine once again. I lift my hands to shove him back, but he captures my wrists and pins them behind my back. All it does it push me closer to his body and the feel of him so close to me has me surrendering. I want a distraction from Rodger.
I allow his tongue to stroke mine, and I even find myself wanting more when he finally pulls away.
“Can you tell me that was nothing?” he asks breathlessly against my lips.
I place my head down as I gather my thoughts. “What we’re doing is wrong. I don’t even know you.”
He releases my wrists and places his hand under my chin to look up at him. “Nothing we’re doing is wrong, darling. And I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” He smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back. “Now. Please tell me what happened. Why are you so upset and why is there a broken picture frame on the floor?”
I shake my head. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”
He reaches up pushing a strand of dark hair behind my ear. “Let me in, Tabatha. Was he here? Did he do something to you?” His eyes start to roam my exposed body.
I let out a sigh. “Yes. He came by. No he didn’t do anything.”
His jaw tightens as he looks away from me and over to my stairs. “Is your bedroom upstairs?” he asks, and I nod slowly trying to figure out what he’s thinking. It can’t be sex at the moment.
He looks down at me placing his hands on both side of my face. “Go upstairs put some clothes on and pack a couple changes of clothes.”
“Why?” I ask confused.
“Because I’m taking you to my house for a couple of days. I want you to be somewhere you are safe. And this place isn’t it.”
I want to tell him no. That Rodger isn’t the type to hurt me. But he has before. Mentally and physically. He uses words as if they were his hands. Making each one bring physical pain. And when his words weren’t enough, he would get rough with me. He never slapped me or hit me but he would grab ahold of me so tightly that he would leave bruises on my arms or my hips.
“Okay,” I say before turning away from him and heading to my room.
CHAPTER TEN
DASH
I needed her out of her house. She obviously wasn’t safe there. And no matter how strong she thinks she is, no woman can fight off a man who is determined. Especially one who is fighting to get her back. She was right when she said I didn’t know her. But I know less about this Rodger guy than her, and yet I feel like she wasn’t being completely honest when she said he didn’t hurt her. At the restaurant she told me he had made her weak. As far as I can tell she’s not a weak person. So in order for him to have made her that way he had to have cut her down. Made her feel like she needed him to survive.
I pull into my driveway and get out of my car. I go to open up the passenger car door for her, but she’s already climbing out so I make my way to the trunk to grab her bag.
“This is your place?” she asks with a smile.
“Yes. Why do you seem happy about that?” I watch as she walks up the steps with a smile on her face as she looks around. Her dark hair is pulled up in a loose bun and her fat white sunglasses cover up most of her beautiful face. Her light gray tank top hangs off one shoulder showing off her simple black bra. She has a pair of white shorts on that make my hands twitch. I just wanna run them all over her skin. Feel every inch of her. She’s absolutely stunning and doesn’t even realize it. She doesn’t have to try to be seen or to stand out. She just does!
I don’t know what it is that I feel exactly for her beside lust. But something else is there. I’m not saying I love her or that I want to run off and get married tomorrow. But I do want us to spend a couple of days in my bed and get to know each other better.
She lets out a laugh getting my attention. “Because I knew the place you had your party at was your parents’ house,” she says, sounding proud that she was right.
I nod my head. “You are correct, darling.”
“Speaking of that party…?” she says shyly, and I know what she’s thinking. She’s wanting to know if I watched her climb the tree before she jumped over the fence. And the answer would be yes. I woke up and searched the entire house for her. When she was nowhere in sight, I went and checked the security system. Sure enough, she had snuck out. It was cute to watch how determined she was to get away though. And that’s what made me want her again. She doesn’t know me either, but she’s about to find out just how determined of a man I can be.
I reach out and grab her hand. “Yes, I watched you escape,” I say with a cocky smile.
“Escape? You make it sound like I was a prisoner,” she says with a laugh. “And what about you having my panties in your pants the next day?” she asks arching an eyebrows.
I smile. “A gentleman doesn’t tell.”
“A gentleman doesn’t carry around women’s underwear in his pocket.”
I had found them underneath my parents’ bed and placed them in my pocket. After spending time looking for her in the house, I ended up running late to my meeting with her dad. So I had just thrown them in my pocket. You couldn’t even imagine my surprise when I saw her walk into her dad’s office wearing my shirt. I wanted to bend her over her father’s desk and take her right then and there once again.
“Well, you shouldn’t have left in such a hurry that morning. I was really looking forward to morning sex.” I wink over at her before I unlock the front door and allow her to enter before me.
“I was still trying to remember where I was and who the hell you were,” she says truthfully, and I chuckle.
“So just how much do you remember from that night?” I ask dropping her bag to the floor in the entryway.
She gives me a sexy smile as she pushes her white glasses to the top of her head. “Some parts are still fuzzy.” I have a feeling she’s playing with me but I’ll play along.
I walk up to her and place my hands on her hips. “Then let me remind you, sweetheart.” I lift her up, and she wraps her legs around me.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
TABATHA
He carries me to his room as I kiss him deeply. Placing my hands in his hair I yank hard, and he moans into my mouth. He doesn’t bother shutting his door as we fall onto the bed. I get a glimpse of the huge bay windows to the right of me and smile when I see all the trees behind his house. It’s as if there’s a forest in his backyard.
He gets my attention as he pulls his shirt up over his head, revealing his hard chest. I sit up and run my hands over it. He reaches up and grabs my hair. I smile when he p
ulls my hair out of my bun.
“I wanna be able to pull on this,” he growls placing his hand in my hair.
I reach out and undo his pants as his fingers massage my head. “Whatever you want,” I find myself saying as I release his hard cock from behind his pants and boxers. The hardness, yet softness, of his skin has my thighs clenching and my breaths coming quicker. I need to feel him on me, in me.
He pulls on my hair to get me to look up at him. “Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“I mean everything I say.” My scalp prickles, and my body breaks out in goosebumps as his hands tighten in my hair. I inhale sharply, and my hand tightens around his cock.
Before I can take another breath he bends down and places his lips on mine. I open up and let him have control. Even though Rodger was a control freak, it doesn’t bother me to allow Dash that same control. I want him to take me, make me his. It’s not degrading, it’s exhilarating.
He pulls away quickly, and it leaves me panting for more. His hands fall out of my hair and they land on my chest. He roughly pushes me back onto the bed before he pulls my jeans down my legs and tosses them to the side.
He reaches down and grabs my legs as he continues to stand at the end of the bed. He doesn’t even bother checking to see if I’m wet, he knows better. I take in a deep breath and arch my back as he slowly enters me.
He takes his time working in and out of me, stretching me. “I’m gonna take my time with you tonight, baby.”
I whimper. “Please.”
His hands land on my thighs, and he slowly runs them down the sides of my legs until he reaches my ankles. He spreads them out wide, allowing me to feel every move he makes. “Begging won’t get you anywhere with me,” he says moving his hips back and forth. “You’re going to remember every little fucking thing this time.”
***
“How did you know where I lived?” I ask lying beside him, completely spent and naked. After we had our first round he finally took the time to shed all of his clothes. But let’s just say he wasn’t as in control the second time. He let me take charge and I like that.
Bad Boys of Romance - A Biker Anthology Page 18
