* * *
The next morning, I rolled over and snuggled closer to Dash, kissing his bare chest and then climbing out of bed to check out the view.
“Where are you goin’?” he asked, his hair a mess, his eyes sleepy as he blinked a few times, then ran his hands down his face.
“It’s raining,” I said, peeking out the slider. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Weirdo. Come back to bed and keep me warm.”
“Come and see how pretty the rain is,” I countered.
He chuckled, pushing up from the mattress. “Damn it, woman, it’s freezing.”
“I’ll warm you, you big baby, but come look at the view.”
Dash stalked his gloriously naked body to me, wrapping his arms around me, and pulling me against him. “It’s pretty. Come back to bed.”
“Lordy, you remind me of Clark Griswold looking at the Grand Canyon.” I nodded toward the ocean. “Enjoy it for a second.”
He sighed and stared out at the view again... for at least eight seconds this time, and then he turned me to face him and smiled. “You’re prettier.”
I cocked my head in challenge. “Prettier than the Grand Canyon?”
“Yes. And the ocean under the rain or the sun or whatever.” He kissed me. “Not just because you’re gorgeous. But because your soul is perfect and you make me watch the rain on the ocean. You’re right, it’s beautiful, and sometimes I miss shit, but you make me stop and notice it.”
“Dash,” I whispered, blinking back tears.
“I love you, Willow. I love everything about you.” He kissed me again. “Thank you for making me stop and look at the beauty around me.”
“I love you too.” I looped my arms around his neck and held him tight. “You are so unbelievably sweet, do you know that?”
“Only to you.”
“I’m the only one here right now.” I grinned. “But I know you’re sweet a lot. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”
He chuckled, leaning down to kiss me.
“I kind of don’t want to go home,” I admitted.
“Right there with you, baby.”
“I have to meet with my advisor in two weeks to finalize classes, but I’d like to pretend we’re on vacation until then.”
Dash chuckled. “I’ll figure out how to do that.”
“You will?”
“Yep. Maybe I’ll keep you naked for the next two weeks.”
I giggled. “So, it’s all about you... I get it.”
“Hey, you love it too.”
“You’re right.” I stroked his face. “I really, really do.”
“I’m gonna give you a little something you won’t forget, then we’ll get back to the real world, sound good?”
I grinned. “So good.”
Willow
The next day, Dash took me home and as we attempted to make dinner, I couldn’t seem to stop touching him. Apparently, this got him a little hot and bothered. “You like rilin’ me up?” he asked as he cupped my breast.
“Very much so.”
“You want more?” he asked.
I licked my lips and nodded. My breasts felt heavy and my nipples pebbled into tight buds. He slid his hand under my T-shirt, cupping my breasts as he kissed me. After he was done there, he yanked my jeans down my legs and dragged two fingers through my wetness.
“Soaked, baby,” he whispered as he thumbed my clit, then shoved two fingers inside of me.
“You make me this way,” I panted out.
“Don’t you forget it.” He tugged my T-shirt off, and removed my bra, then turned me to face the kitchen island, and splayed his palm across my belly as he slid his other hand between my legs. “So fuckin’ ready.”
I licked my lips and moaned as he fingered my wetness and then slid two fingers inside of me again. Keeping his fingers inside of me, he pressed gently on my back. “Hold onto the counter, baby.”
I leaned forward and did as he directed, swallowing as he slid into me from behind. “Lower,” he ordered.
The cold granite against my nipples was incredible. I moaned as he pushed me further against the cold.
“Feel good?” he asked.
“Yes. So, so good.”
He grabbed my hips and buried himself inside of me, eliciting an orgasm before we’d even really gotten started. Good Lord, he was the master.
He didn’t stop for me to catch my breath or relish my climax, just pulled out slightly, then surged back into me, and I braced again as he continued to thrust faster and faster. I dropped my head, my body having a difficult time staying upright.
His hand slid to my clit again and I cried out as another orgasm overtook me. He wasn’t far behind and covered my back with his body as he pulsed inside of me.
Lifting me gently, he slid out of me. “Fuck, baby. Just gets better.”
I leaned back against the counter in order to keep myself upright. “My legs feel like Jell-O.”
Dash chuckled. “Need me to carry you to the bathroom to clean up?”
I smiled. “I’m pretty sure I can handle that, honey.”
“Gonna get rid of the condom, then I’m makin’ you dinner.”
While he cleaned up, I put my clothes back on and washed my hands, then we went about finally making dinner.
* * *
A few hours later, we decided to call it a night... mostly because it was another exercise in constant touching and riling Dash up. As we crossed the threshold of my bedroom, he covered my mouth with his, lifting me so I could wrap my legs around his waist. Our kiss was a desperate connecting of tongues and hands and lips as he carried me to the mattress. I wove my hands into his hair and tugged gently as he settled me on the bed and slid my shirt up.
Popping the front hook on my bra, he cupped my breasts, running my nipples between his fingertips as he gently sucked each one into his mouth. I lost his mouth when he stood, pulling his shirt over his head, but since the sight of him shirtless was beautiful, I didn’t mind.
I didn’t think I’d ever get sick of seeing him naked. Goodness, he was gorgeous. Smooth chest, tattoos, muscles on muscles—I couldn’t help but lick my lips as he removed the rest of his clothes and (after he’d divested me of the rest of my clothes) crawled into the bed beside me.
He grinned, leaning down to kiss me, and then moving his way down my body, his face disappearing between my legs. I whimpered when his mouth connected with my clit, sucking it gently. I fisted my hands in the sheets and arched against him.
“Dash, I... I’m...I can’t wait.”
He didn’t respond verbally... just put more pressure on my core with his tongue. I anchored my heels to his shoulders and bit my lip, trying to keep my climax at bay. I couldn’t. I cried out, my body shaking as I came.
Dash kissed the inside of my thighs then hovered over me and slid inside. I moaned with need, the feel of him almost too much. Linking his fingers with mine, he dragged them over my head and buried himself deeper in my body as he licked my bottom lip and then kissed me deeply. I slid a leg over his hip and arched into him.
I sighed against his mouth. “I love everything about this.”
He grinned. “Wanna try something new?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately.
Dash released my hands and slid out of me. “On your knees, baby.”
“My knees?”
“Yeah, baby, I’ll walk you through it.”
I rolled over and pushed up on all fours (as he directed).
“You good like this, or do you want a pillow under your hips?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” I admitted.
Dash squeezed my bottom as he slid back inside me, and I let out a quiet squeak.
“You okay?” Dash asked.
“Oh, my word, yes, this is amazing.”
“Need a pillow?”
“No.”
He pushed in again, reaching one of his hands to a breast and the other to my clit. He worked my body until I could barely breathe, and then he grabb
ed my hips and slammed into me over and over again until I cried out, collapsing onto the mattress. Dash fell with me, rolling us onto our sides so he could continue to slam into me.
“Honey, I’m going to come again.”
“Wait,” he growled.
I whimpered, unsure I’d be able to do what he demanded.
“Now, baby,” he rasped, and his body locked.
I let myself go and contracted around him as he kissed the nape of my neck. “I love you, Willow.”
“I love you, too.”
He slid out of me, got rid of the condom, and brought a washcloth to clean me up. “Let’s head to the clinic tomorrow.”
I smiled. “Please tell me it’s away from Savannah.”
“I thought you were okay with the one downtown.”
“I’m rethinking that,” I admitted. “Does that make me weird?”
He chuckled, stretching out beside me. “No, baby. It makes you private. I’ll look for one out of town, we’ll go and take care of all that shit, then I’ll take you to dinner.”
“That would be great.” I snuggled against him. “Thank you.”
“No problem, baby. Now I’m gonna sleep, yeah? Unless you need my dick a little more.”
I giggled. “I’m good... for a little while.”
He pulled me close and I fell asleep... fast.
* * *
Dash
Two days later, I walked into the compound and back to Doc’s office. I’d left Willow in her bed with Gator downstairs on watch. She wasn’t happy that I’d woken her to tell her Gator was on her sofa, but I figured she’d be even more pissed if she’d walked downstairs in nothin’ but panties and T-shirt.
“Hey, brother,” Badger said, giving me a nod.
“Hey, man, what’d you find?”
“I’m not sure exactly what kind of shit you’ve stepped into Dash, but I can tell you that it’s pretty fuckin’ deep.”
“What do you mean?”
“These Torrance Group assholes are big time,” Badger said. “From what we can see, there are three major players involved, all local to Savannah, and all heavily invested, as in tens of millions each.”
I let out a slow whistle.
Badger nodded. “All the names are encoded, so we still don’t have all the details, but I can tell you these guys have been buying up local real estate like crazy over the past six months, and for pennies on the dollar.”
“Why?” I frowned. “And how are they getting the land for so cheap?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Badger said. “But from what they did to Willow’s dad, I’m gonna assume these guys prefer the stick over the carrot when it comes to business negotiations.”
“How did Alfred get wrapped up in big-time land deals and killers?”
“We haven’t figured it all out yet, but we think these entries here have to do with the church,” he pointed to a column on the spreadsheet, “and that these figures here are offers they made to him. Alfred was smart, Dash. He’s been tracking these guys for a while now.”
“Then it’s a really good thing we found this information before they did.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Badger said.
“Why not?”
“The shit in this file obviously got Alfred killed. Once they find out we have it, they’ll come after us. Who knows who these guys are and how much muscle they have.”
“Sounds like you’d better find out who they are, and fast.”
“Yeah, and you need to keep Willow close.”
“Don’t worry about that... I got her.”
“I’m sending this shit back to Booker, he’s gonna dig deeper.”
“Let me take it first. I’m going to see if any of this makes sense to Willow.”
“Are you sure you want to get her involved any deeper?”
“How much deeper could she be, Badger? They’ve already killed her father, and they’d kill her if they knew she was there when it happened.”
“Just be careful.”
“Thanks, brother.” I grinned. “You comin’ for dinner?”
“Yeah, man. Can’t turn down food that doesn’t come from a microwave.”
I chuckled. “See ya later, then.”
Badger gave me a chin lift and I left the compound.
* * *
Willow
“Whatya cookin’, baby girl?” Gator asked, from his place on the sofa.
“I’m roasting a chicken.”
“Smells delicious.”
“Yeah?” I retorted, setting some potatoes on the island. “Wanna come over here and peel some potatoes?”
“Do I look like I got tits?”
I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t really think you want me to answer that, old man.”
He glanced down, roared with laughter, then stood and made his way to the kitchen. “Give me the damn peeler.”
I handed it to him like a nurse would hand a scalpel to a doctor and he laughed again, but sat his butt on a stool and began to peel.
The doorbell rang and I moved toward it, but Gator stopped me. “You don’t answer the door, baby girl, you know that.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s probably Dash.”
“Dash has a key.”
I bit my lip. He was right. Dash did have a key and he would never ring the doorbell. Gator went to the door and I followed, but hung back a bit.
“Who the fuck are you?” Gator growled.
“I’m Willow’s fiancé,” Brad snapped back.
“Willow don’t got a fiancé,” Gator replied. “She’s got a man, but it sure as shit ain’t you.”
I sighed and decided to cut this off at the pass. “It’s okay, Gator. I know him.”
“But I don’t.”
I squeezed his arm. “He’s my ex-fiancé, it’s fine.”
It took a minute, but he stepped aside and I moved to the door. “What can I do for you, Brad?”
“Can I come in?” he asked. “Or are you going to make me stand on the porch like a salesman.”
I heard a low growl come from Gator and sighed. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to come in. What do you need?”
“Can’t a man check up on the woman he loves after her father’s murdered?”
I swallowed. Leave it to Brad to use “murdered” instead of maybe “death” or “passing,” or something that wouldn’t be a direct hit to my heart. “I’m sorry, Brad, but that’s not really appropriate... now that you and I have broken up.”
He sighed. “I’d hoped you might have come to your senses by now.”
“Come to my senses?”
“You’re mine, Willow. We had a deal, but instead you’re prostituting yourself out to these... these low-life biker assholes?”
Before I could respond, I was gently moved out of the doorway and Gator shoved Brad, and then hit him so hard, he fell back, flat on his butt.
“What the fuck did you call her?” Gator bellowed.
The roar of pipes got closer and closer as Gator continued to hit Brad (and I continued to try and stop him), then Dash was there and physically pulling Gator off an extremely bruised and battered politician’s son.
“Gate... stop, man, fuck!” Dash snapped.
“The motherfucker called Willow a whore.”
Dash released Gator. “What the fuck?”
I gasped. “Gator!”
“You called Willow a whore?” Dash seethed, his hands now fisted at his sides.
“Ignore him.” I rushed to him and grabbed his arm. “Come inside.”
“Apologize, asshole,” Dash demanded.
“Apologize? He broke my tooth!” Brad cried out. Blood was now pouring from his mouth and his right eye was already swelling shut.
“You’re lucky he didn’t do a lot more.”
“Just ignore him, Dash,” I begged.
Dash ignored me, looming over Brad again. “Apologize.”
“We need to get him a doctor,” I argued.
>
“I didn’t hit him hard enough for him to need a doctor,” Gator countered.
I frowned at him, then looked at Brad. He sure looked like Gator hit him hard enough to need a doctor to me, so I moved to help, but Dash took my arm and pulled me back. “Go inside, Willow.”
“I can’t leave him bleeding on my lawn, Dash. I need to help him.”
Dash scowled, then focused on Brad. “You need an ambulance, asshole?”
Brad dabbed at his lip with the handkerchief he’d pulled from his blazer pocket. “No, but you’re gonna need a lawyer.”
“Brad. Are you really okay?” I asked.
“Willow, go in the house,” Dash ordered.
“Not until I know he’s okay.”
I was watching Brad closely, but Dash’s chest appeared in front of me and I was forced to look up at him.
“Go inside, baby,” he repeated. “I’ll take care of this.”
“Please don’t let him leave here if he’s really hurt. I don’t want Gator to get in trouble,” I whispered, and Dash grinned. “Why are you smiling?”
“Give me a minute to deal with this and I’ll tell you.”
I wrinkled my nose. “If you’re not in the house in five minutes, I’m coming back out here.”
Dash glanced over my head and then Gator was virtually carrying me back inside.
Dash
I waited until I heard the locks on the door click, then I faced Brad and crossed my arms. The asshole had managed to pick himself up off the ground, but he was hurtin’, and that made me feel somewhat elated... I just wish I’d been the one to hit him.
“What do you want with her?” Brad demanded.
I cocked my head. “I need you to be more specific.”
“You want her money?”
“What money?”
I assumed he was talking about the insurance policy, but the fact he knew about it didn’t sit well with me.
“She obviously hasn’t told you, which leads me to believe...”
“What does it lead you to believe, asshole?”
He chuckled, still holding a rag on his lip. “She’ll come to her senses and set you aside as soon as she realizes I’m the right man for her.”
“Ya think?”
“She’ll regret it if she doesn’t.”
“You come anywhere near her again, you’ll be pickin’ up more than your teeth off the ground. Now, fuck off, asshole,” I snapped, and walked back into the house.
Saving the Preacher's Daughter (Dogs of Fire: Savannah Chapter #1) Page 12
