Christ, the way she breathed out the phrase made his lower half unbearably hard. He strained against the zipper of his pants.
“You have me.”
They turned the corner next to the book store, encountering a set of stairs there. Morgan stopped just at the bottom to stare at him.
“You left,” she said flatly. “You left for six years.”
He stepped forward and placed a palm against her cheek. Her perfume filled his nose, and all the things he’d tried to forget came flooding back.
“That doesn’t change the fact that I’m always here if you need me.”
She nibbled her lip, and he couldn’t help but watch. Every part of him wanted to capture it between his teeth and tease the tender flesh.
Morgan shook her head. “I needed you when Aunt Dee passed.”
Tears filled her eyes, and a piece of him broke inside. He couldn’t tell her that the reason he couldn’t come was because he was in the hospital, that he’d been shot in a raid on a local gang, and there was no way to come back without putting her in serious danger.
Davin leaned his forehead against hers. “I wanted to be here,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t.”
Her head turned slightly, and her lips brushed against his. The hunger he’d been holding all this time pulsed in his body.
Damn it. He was so tired of pushing her away when he wanted her. He thought he’d been doing the right thing, even the honorable thing, but he still hurt her.
Screw it. If he were going to screw up either way, then he’d choose the path that he’d enjoy more.
Davin tilted his head and placed a soft kiss against her lips.
For a moment, he thought she might push him away. It might disappoint him, but she was right. He’d been gone for a long time.
Morgan brought her hands against his chest as if to push him before balling them into fists. She tilted her head and pressed her lips firmly against his. Surprise exploded through him like lightning.
Davin groaned. The hand at her cheek threaded into her soft brown hair as he angled her slightly. His lips pressed brutally against hers.
There was no way a person like him should even have the chance to kiss a woman like Morgan, but he was already too far in. She was like a drug, and he needed more. So much more.
Davin moved forward and pressed her hard against the bookstore wall. Their bodies now pressed tightly together.
He tried to tell himself this was why he needed to stay away from her, but passion ate the thought.
One hand at his chest moved around to the back of his neck as her mouth opened slightly. It was all the opening he needed.
He wanted her. She wanted him.
Davin slipped his tongue into her mouth. The sweet taste of wine was still on her lips. He met her tongue with his own. Surprise struck him when she moved with him, drawing him further into her. Her tongue twined with his.
Her hips moved suddenly against his, and Davin grunted loudly at the feel of her moving against his hard cock. Delicious torture.
He’d wanted her for so long. Wanted to feel her in his arms. And now it was happening.
Something snapped inside his head.
Davin pulled his mouth away from her.
No. It couldn’t happen. She had been drinking. Morgan wasn’t thinking straight. If she were, she’d know that being with a guy like him was not at good idea at all.
It didn’t matter what he wanted. If he cared for her, he’d have to sacrifice to protect her, even if it was from him.
Davin stared down at her. Her eyes were still glazed over, lips swollen with his kiss, and cheeks flushed.
“Why did you—” she began.
“I should let you get inside,” he said quickly, making sure to move his body far enough away that there was no chance his traitorous lower half couldn’t continue the conversation.
Morgan opened her mouth to say something but closed it. After a moment, she gave a nod.
“Goodnight, Davin,” she said softly before making her way up the stairs.
He watched her until she disappeared inside the place and a light inside came on.
“Goodnight, Morgan.”
The words came out, but just barely. The gravel in his voice made it clear that he still struggled to reign in his emotions.
Davin hurried back to his car. He couldn’t do this again. Couldn’t let himself pull her down with him. The whole thing had been a mistake.
He glanced over to the light over the bookstore. He could see her moving around in her living room and touched a finger to his lips.
He cursed.
The problem with knowing just what kissing her felt like was that no dream would ever measure up again.
Davin sighed. Seemed like torture was his middle name.
Chapter Seven
Four days passed with not a word from Davin. Morgan wasn’t even sure what to make of everything that’d happened. She’d been prepared to go much further than kissing with him, but he’d left so abruptly.
She’d maybe have understood if she had gone after him, but he’d been the one to kiss her.
Morgan sighed. Maybe she had just been a body for the moment. Something to fill the time. Davin might have decided things were going too far for just a time waster and cut things off.
Morgan wasn’t sure if that was the case whether or not she be angry or grateful.
It didn’t matter. There were still so many questions she needed answered before she could even begin to know how to feel. She shook her head. Thinking about it all only confused her more.
It didn’t help that she couldn’t seem to get the feel of him pressed against her body out of her thoughts. The sensation had been everything she’d ever hoped it would be and more.
Morgan took in a shaky breath as she stared in the mirror. She’d had him, and then he’d run away.
Too bad she hadn’t been wearing her current outfit when they met instead of her normal bookish look. It would have kept him there.
Of course, it was unlikely for her to have been wearing it, because she hadn’t really picked it out, and it still made her uncomfortable for all the same reasons Davin would have liked it.
Sierra had insisted Morgan buy it when they’d last gone shopping, but she hadn’t been quite brave enough to wear it out.
After Davin’s little vanishing act, she realized she needed every tool she could find. There was no way she would have worn the outfit if not for the vague chance she would run into Davin.
The loose neck of the black dress dipped low. So low that there wasn’t a chance in hell she’d be able to wear a bra. Was that a good thing?
Morgan moved. Her breasts jiggled a little, and she blushed. Maybe it was too much, especially with it just barely covering her ass.
Sure, she wanted to catch Davin’s eye, but she felt practically naked in the dress.
There was a small knock at the door. She turned, tensing.
Relief washed through her when Kayla entered. The sweet woman in her soft lavender dress looked like she’d just stepped out of a romance novel.
“Wow!” Kayla said.
Morgan cringed at the word. “Too much?”
Kayla shook her head. Her long brown hair was pulled up into a perfect bun. “No way.” She grinned.
Morgan watched as her friend circled around her and stopped to stare at her face for an uncomfortably amount of time.
“You need a smoky eye,” she said softly. “It will bring out your blue-gray eyes more.”
Morgan gave a little nod. Makeup was never something she did very well. Mostly, she relied on good skin and a little blush if needed.
“Sit,” Kayla said firmly. After Morgan complied, her friend set her purse down and rummaged through her small supply of eyeshadow.
Morgan almost laughed. Not only was her friend better at this sort of thing, she was better prepared.
After a few more seconds of searching, Kayla pulled out the target of her search. With a practiced hand, she app
lied the eyeshadow to Morgan with ease. She finished with a strong liner and some mascara.
“There,” Kayla said. “Much better.”
Morgan looked in the mirror. Her chin dropped in surprise. The little bit of makeup really did wonders for her eyes. Maybe she’d have to learn how to do that, especially if she were going to keep trying and attract the attention of a certain someone.
“Now add a little color on those lips, and you’ll be all ready for him,” Kayla said with a smile.
Morgan swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
It was one thing to fantasize about catching Davin. It was a whole different thing if her friends started to talk about it.
Kayla gave a small smile. “Whatever you say.”
Just as she finished, a loud knock came at the door. Kayla rolled her eyes.
“It would be nice if Jamie learned to knock like a normal person,” she said loudly as she opened the door. “And not like some cop about to bust in for a raid.”
Jamie stuck her tongue out. “Not all of us can be ladies.” She grinned.
Kayla frowned. “Where are the others?”
Jamie nodded outside. “In the car.” She frowned. “Kevin insisted on coming, and Sierra is in full rage mode.”
Morgan groaned.
None of them were particularly fond of Erin’s boyfriend Kevin, least of all Sierra, but it was Erin’s choice to make in the end. Still, the chance that they’d have a fun and relaxing night out had now dropped a lot.
“We better hurry to be a buffer before the claws come out,” Jamie said.
Morgan grabbed her purse from the table and sighed. This was not how she wanted to spend her girls’ night.
* * *
It didn’t take long for Davin and his men to get a feel for how things currently worked in town.
Sure, things were different from when he’d lived there before, but it was nothing they couldn’t deal with. The Russians were new and powerful, but many of the other gangs and main players were basically the same when it came down to it.
They had a pattern they liked to follow. Especially the grunts. They lived fast and liked to play hard. It made them predictable, and being predictable was a weakness that could be exploited.
Davin glanced around the current club they were watching. It was the third one this week, and he’d about had his fill of loud, shitty techno music.
He took a swig of the beer he’d been nursing. It was warm and tasted like piss. Was it so hard to get a good beer around there? No wonder everyone in the city was in such a foul mood.
“You think Boris will show?” Torin asked quietly.
Davin leaned back in his chair and watched the Russians on the other side of the dance floor. He and his men were sitting close, but not too close. Just close enough they could observe the other men without being easily spotted or being too obvious.
“Doubt it,” Davin said. “Boris isn’t like these guys. These are cannon fodder who don’t really give a shit either way. He’s a general, and he’s out to win the war.”
Just that alone made Boris more dangerous than the rest.
“This Stefano is something else,” Kane said from beside Davin. “He rose through the ranks fairly quickly in Russia, making his way all the way to the top with a trail of bodies from all sides in his wake. The guy doesn’t seem to give a shit about who gets in his way, innocent or not.”
Davin nodded. He’d read the reports over and over. Stefano was calculating with everything he did, which made him even more dangerous than Boris. Between Boris and Stefano, things weren’t going to be easy, and more than a little blood would have to be spilled.
He scanned the floor, but he still couldn’t find Bain, which was a good thing in his book. The man had a way with making himself damned near invisible, and that skill had repeatedly proven invaluable to Davin’s operations.
“You think the info Bain got is right?” Kane said.
Davin turned to Kane. “Likely,” he said. “This new drug has been hitting the streets hard, and Stefano is a business man. He’ll want to spread it to all his contacts. Not only can he get a good price, but it’s highly addictive.”
It’s not that Davin cared all that much about the nasty shit Stefano was dealing. He wasn’t a do-gooder. He wasn’t even sure what the hell that meant, but he did know that hitting the Russians in the pocket was the best immediate option to weaken them. Right now, that meant hitting the drugs.
“What are you going to do with the drug when we get it?” Kane said.
Davin shook his head. It wasn’t his place. They were just there to do a job. “That’s for Finn to decide.”
Torin raised a brow. “So you’d be fine if he decides to sell it?”
Davin didn’t really know if he wanted to answer that question. It would certainly be in his cousin’s best financial interest to sell it. His father would have.
But everything Davin had heard about Finn’s actions in recent years suggested that Finn would sooner flush it down the toilet than sell it.
A low, soft throaty laugh came from over at the bar. He tensed, as he knew who it was before he’d even turned.
His eyes zeroed in on Morgan as she sat with a few women and a man at the bar.
As much as he didn’t want it, irritation ran through him at the sight of the man out with them. Did she have a date? He curled his fingers into fists.
He didn’t care if he couldn’t be with her, but like hell was he going to sit there and watch her be with some other guy.
He started to stand when another woman looped her arm in the man’s and placed a kiss against his mouth. Not Morgan’s man obviously.
Relief flooded Davin, and he sat back in his seat.
“Is that Morgan?” Kane asked.
Torin gave a low whistle. “Talk about all grown up.”
Davin wanted to turn to glare at him but couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She looked different from the other night. Her firm breasts were nearly falling out of the dress she was wearing. Davin felt those sweet curves just a few days ago, and the sight now was just a sore reminder of what he couldn’t have.
Morgan turned to the bar and leaned forward a little. Her pert little ass stuck out in such a way that just begged for a spanking.
Davin’s dick pressed hard against his pants. All he had to do was see her, and he was half hard. But if this kept up, he might just explode in his pants like some damned teen.
The bartender smiled warmly at her, and it was clear the prick was staring at her tits. Davin’s tits.
He felt the gun at his side.
“If you’re planning on killing him for looking at your girl, it looks like you’re going to have a pile of bodies,” Torin said.
Davin frowned as he looked around the room and noticed more than a few hungry eyes were following Morgan’s every move.
“She’s not my girl,” Davin said. “And she’s free to do what she wants.” He turned away.
Sitting there staring at her wasn’t going to change things. He’d decided staying away from her was the best thing for her, and that’s exactly how he was going to leave it. Even if it killed him.
Chapter Eight
Morgan sucked down her second Sunrise and waited for the tequila to sink in and cloud her head. A steady strum of beats hammered in her chest as the throngs of people around her swayed to the music. The whole thing was a bit much, but she hoped the drink would help with that soon enough.
“Let’s dance!” Sierra said, and grinned at her.
Morgan could see her other friends on the floor dancing with their partners, who were trying their best to keep up with them but failing miserably.
This really wasn’t her thing. Dancing. Sure, she enjoyed turning on some tunes at home and grooving around, but this was different. Having people watch her while she danced wasn’t really on the top of her list, especially with the thick crowd and bone-shaking music.
Luckily, the Sunris
e was doing its job. Her head was already slightly fuzzy from the alcohol, and her inhibitions started to disappear.
Dancing. Yeah, it shouldn’t be too bad. Or so her tequila-addled mind thought.
She moved out on to the floor with Sienna and laughed as her friend did a sexy shimmy on her way.
Morgan moved freely now. The beat pulsed through her as she swung her hips from side to side. The idea of this being embarrassing now seemed downright silly.
“Don’t look now, but I think you’re being watched,” Sierra said near her ear over the loud music.
A desperate hope popped into her head: Davin could be there and watching.
Morgan performed a small twirl and spotted a large muscled man staring at her from a table nearby. He licked his lips like she was a morsel to be devoured, and she shivered in revulsion.
Definitely not Davin. She turned back around to Sierra when the man stood from his seat.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
This was not at all what she’d call a good time. All the tequila in the world couldn’t smother her discomfort.
Morgan jumped when a hard chest pressed against her back. Hot breath covered her ear.
“Just what are you doing out in something like that?”
Panic shot through her for a second before her back stiffened for an entirely different reason as she recognized the voice.
“I’ll wear whatever the fuck I want,” she said as she moved away from Davin.
He placed a hand around her middle and pulled her flush against him. The evidence of his arousal pressed hard against her ass.
She gasped and hoped the loud noise of the club hid the sound.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were out to kill me,” he growled in her ear, his lips brushing against the sensitive lobe.
Morgan sucked in a breath as she moved to the beat, now not caring who saw them there together or just what it looked like. For just once, she wanted to be free and with the man she’d desired for years.
Her hips moved against his, and she noticed that for every move she made, he followed her with ease. His other hand ghosted along the side of her body, brushing against the side of her breast as he did so.
Davin: #6 (Kelly Clan) Page 4
