A Real Man: Limited Edition

by Jenika Snow

  “I’ll get everything wet.” I felt my cheeks heat again, because in my mind I’d taken that as the dirty variety. When he didn’t say anything, I glanced up. The look he gave me was…feral.

  He looked me up and down again—well, as much of me as he could see. “I’m good with you getting it wet.”

  Oh. God.

  “Come on in. You’re still a good ways from your place.”

  And I found myself opening the door and climbing in, not sure what in the hell had gotten into me. But also never having felt this kind of rush in my life before.

  It felt good. Damn good.

  3

  Deacon

  I pulled to a stop in front of her house, turned and looked at Maddie, and could see how nervous she was. Good. Her being on edge turned me the fuck on. Her clothes were soaked clean through, her hair matted to her head and face. I wanted to reach out with my calloused, dirty hands and push the strands away.

  I wanted to grab a chunk of the locks and yank her head back, exposing her throat, then lean forward and lick and suck at her pale flesh. I lowered my gaze, taking in the fact her shirt molded to her breasts, the mounds large, well more than a handful. Her nipples were hard, the twin protrusions making my cock harden. I could see her bra through the white material, the lacy blue undergarment needing to be torn away so I could get a nice long look at her tits.

  “Thanks for the ride,” she said and reached for the handle.

  I was a second away from keeping her in this car, pulling her on top of me, and sucking on her breasts, making her nipples harder through her top. I didn’t even know this girl, but I would soon enough.

  She glanced over her shoulder at me, her pupils dilated, her mouth parted. I affected her, maybe not in a way she was comfortable with, but in a way nonetheless.

  I nodded, because saying anything would have come out in a desperate groan. And then I watched her leave the car, walk up to the front door, and disappear behind it.

  I’d claim her soon enough, and once I did, I wasn’t letting go. Because once I saw something I wanted…it was mine.

  Maddie

  It had only been a few days since Deacon had driven me home, the weekend making it so I didn’t have a legitimate reason to walk by his shop on my way to classes. It might have only been a short time since I’d been close enough to him that I’d felt how virile he was, how potent and masculine he was, but it felt like a lifetime.

  “You okay?” my roommate, Robin, asked, her mouth full of cereal, her gaze locked on me.

  I nodded, transfixed at the milk that dripped off her spoon and back into the bowl.

  “Really? Because you seem out of it.” She took another bite of cereal, her brows knitted.

  I was a shit liar, and I sure as hell didn’t know how to talk to her about this. It wasn’t like we were best friends. We roomed together, split the bills, and did our own thing.

  “I’m fine,” I lied. “I have school shit I’m dealing with.” As if that answered everything, she looked back at her phone, her concern for me gone. I stared down at my cup of tea, the liquid having long since gone cold. I wanted to talk to Deacon, to see him again, but I also didn’t want to come across as being one of those people who thought something could be there when it wasn’t.

  The buzzer on the door went off, and Robin got up to answer it. My thoughts were consuming me as I sat there, trying to think what in the hell I was going to do about my Deacon situation. When I felt someone watching me, I lifted my head to see Robin standing there with this strange look on her face.

  “What?” I asked, feeling my brows pull down as confusion filled me. She didn’t answer right away, but I saw the way her throat worked as she swallowed, her nervousness tangible. “What is it?”

  “Someone’s here for you.”

  Okay. I didn’t see why she was acting so weird about it. I had study groups here, was even expecting a couple of people, albeit not until later. I got up and walked over to her. I knew my confusion was clear on my face—hell, I felt it all the way into my bones. I rounded the corner and saw who stood in the foyer by the front door.

  Deacon.

  He looked so big, his body almost blocking out the front door, his strength and masculinity filling the small space.

  “Hi,” I managed to say, proud of myself for actually being able to form a coherent word. I moved closer to him, feeling his body heat instantly, smelling the cologne he wore, or maybe that was just his natural scent. Either way it was so damn attractive. When I was right in front of him, I craned my neck to look into his face. “What are you doing here?” My palms were sweaty, my heart raced, and the expression on his face had weird emotions filling me. Standing next to him made me feel like I was on this tightrope, the abyss beneath me, and the very real threat of falling hanging over me.

  “I wanted to see you,” he said so matter-of-factly that I knew this man didn’t use any filters when he spoke. He said what he meant, holding nothing back, and giving no fucks about what others thought.

  “You wanted to see me?” I repeated, my entire body buzzing with his close proximity. I suppose that could have meant anything, but I knew what I’d like it to mean.

  He took a step toward me, and I found myself moving one back. I glanced over my shoulder at Robin and saw she was watching us. She ducked back into the kitchen before I could say anything to her. When I was staring at Deacon again, I felt sweat start to bloom between my breasts. God, he was so close.

  “I wanted to see you,” he stated again, not showing any emotion.

  “Why?” I could have slapped my hand over my mouth for saying that. He smirked, though, the corner of his mouth rising, this flash of amusement covering his face for just a second.

  “Because I want to take you out. I want to spend time with you.”

  Oh good God.

  Was this really happening? I felt like maybe I was dreaming, or maybe I’d fallen into some alternate dimension where fantasies come to life. I opened my mouth, not sure what to say, or if I could say anything at all. It was like my body knew the power this man had over me, making me feel unstable, like a bowl filled with warm pudding.

  Still he moved closer. I found the wall stopping my retreat, not that I wanted to escape, but my body sensing this man was…everything. It was clear he didn’t care that Robin was just in the other room.

  He placed his hands beside my head and leaned in. He smelled good, like clean man, but one who’d been working all day. It was this contradictory aroma that made me feel tingly in all the right places.

  “You’ve watched me, the same as I’ve watched you,” he said in a low, husky voice. “But I’m done waiting to see what you’ll do, to see if you’ll come to me.”

  My heart was thundering so loud and hard I wondered if he could hear it. “This is kind of…intense, right?” I didn’t know if I was asking him, myself, or hadn’t meant to say this out loud at all. The glint in his eyes told me he either expected this reaction or was pleased by it.

  “It is. I am,” was all he said, and I knew that the things I’d thought about Deacon, about his virility, his masculinity, the fact that he was a real man in every sense, had in no way prepared me for the reality of it all. He bordered on caveman. I could see it, feel it in the way he looked at me, spoke to me.

  And God, I wanted more of it.

  Before I could say anything, though, Deacon moved back, only putting a foot or two between us. Maybe he was waiting for me to say something, and I wished I could, but right now I was speechless. I looked at his hands, which were so strong, so powerful. They were stained from the work he did, but I found that even more attractive.

  “I want to pick you up tonight for dinner.”

  I found myself swallowing, wanting to agree, to accept, of course. Instead I just nodded. This man was more experienced than me, clearly, in all things. I felt like a schoolgirl compared to him, this innocent little virgin that had never been kissed. Although I was a virgin, I wasn’t a prude. But stand
ing beside Deacon told me that being with him would have me comparing every other man in my future to him.

  “Okay,” I finally managed to muster, and the pleasure I saw in his face could have made me a puddled mess.

  And then he turned and left me standing there, my body on fire, my hands shaking, and my mind a whirl of confusion and anticipation.

  “What in the hell just happened?” Robin asked, and I forced myself to turn around and stare at her. She looked just as dumbfounded as I felt. “Was that Deacon from the blacksmith shop?” She’d been living here longer than me, grew up in town even. Of course she knew about him.

  I nodded.

  “And he just asked—no, told you he was taking you out?”

  I nodded again.

  Her eyes were wide. “Do you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?” Her voice held this wonder.

  I turned and stared at the now closed front door. “No, not at all.” But I’m sure as hell looking forward to it.

  4

  Deacon

  I stared at Maddie across the table. I lifted my hand and pulled at the collar of my shirt, feeling pretty fucking uncomfortable. It wasn’t because I was here with the woman I desperately wanted, but more that I’d never actually taken a female out on a “date.” I’d never felt a connection to anyone the way I did Maddie, and I didn’t even know her that well. That told me my instinct on claiming her as mine was pretty fucking right.

  This was right. Being with her felt so damn good I wasn’t going to let it go.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  I nodded. I was more than good, to be honest. Having her here, just a few feet from me, feeding her, making her content in that regard, made me happy.

  “Is this your first date?” There was a teasing note in her voice. She eyed me, and the grin on her face spread.

  “Why would you ask that?”

  She shrugged and reached for the white wine she’d ordered with dinner. The place I’d taken her to was the nicest one in town. I’d never been here, because I’d always thought it was too fancy for a rough-ass like me, but I wanted this first moment we spent time together to be memorable for her.

  She smiled, and the sight did something to me, made my chest ache fiercely, had my possessive side rising up even more. It made the barbarian in me want to keep her close, desperately needing her to only show me that smile, only grace me with it.

  “Come on,” she finally said, and I was taken back a bit. “This isn’t you, and honestly, it’s not me either.”

  I could have growled in approval and pleasure at the fact she’d seen through this shit and could see I wasn’t this type of man. I was even more pleased that she wasn’t into this shit either. I tossed a few twenties on the table, enough for the drinks and food that hadn’t come yet.

  Once we were outside, she turned and faced me. “Take me to Charlie’s?”

  “The bar?”

  She nodded, and I fucking grinned. Yeah, this woman was definitely mine.

  Maddie

  I felt like a lush. The fact I couldn’t even hold four beers without feeling dizzy and drunk had me regretting offering to go to the bar. But I’d seen how uncomfortable Deacon was in that fancy place—well, as fancy a place as our town had. Truth was, that restaurant wasn’t me either. It wasn’t a place I would have gone to or even contemplated visiting.

  I turned and looked at Deacon. The shadows concealed part of him, but the passing streetlights also washed him in this muted, yellowy glow. All too soon we were in front of my place, the house dark. Robin was obviously out, maybe spending the night with her boyfriend. That had me thinking pretty filthy thoughts, although truth was whenever I was near Deacon, or even just thinking about him, dirty was all that filled my head.

  “I’ll walk you to the door.” He was out of the SUV and moving around the front of the vehicle before I could say anything in response. When the passenger-side door was open, he had his hands on my waist before I could get out of the car myself. Not that I complained, because having him touch me in any capacity was like pouring gasoline on a raging fire.

  He helped me out, my body brushing along his on the way down. God, the ground seemed so far away, or maybe I just wanted him to keep touching me…to touch me even more. We started walking toward the front door, Deacon keeping a hand pressed to my lower back, flames dancing in my body, along my skin from the contact. When we reached the door, I turned and looked up at him. He stood there, blocking out the streetlight that usually cast a glow over the porch. I felt as if this intimate moment would last forever, change the course of history.

  Or maybe I was just drunk.

  “Thank you for tonight.” I was proud of myself for saying that with a clear voice.

  He didn’t respond but did step close. I watched, my body frozen, as he reached out and pushed a lock of hair off my shoulder. I shivered. I needed to kiss him. I wanted Deacon to lean down and kiss me, to show me exactly what he desired.

  And God, I want to give him everything I am.

  When he didn’t move, didn’t make any kind of action to kiss me, I threw caution to the wind and rose on my toes, placed my hands on his chest, and pressed my mouth to his. It was a hard act, given the fact he was so much taller than me, but I didn’t care. I just wanted his lips on mine, his tongue in my mouth, his body pressed hard against mine. He was tense, but I didn’t stop, and when he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him while taking a step back, I knew what heaven was like.

  The side of the house stopped our retreat. He shifted so I was now facing the wall. I liked the roughness on my back, the feeling of being helpless. He groaned, this rough, almost primal sound that had my pussy becoming so wet, my nipples so hard. I opened for him, sucked his tongue into my mouth, showing him exactly where I wanted this to go. If not for the alcohol running through my veins, I wouldn’t have ever been so bold or wanton, but right now this felt like the most natural thing.

  But he stepped away far too soon, and I was left feeling bereft, like a piece of me was missing. I touched my lips, the tingling and warmth that covered them reaching the very recesses of my cells.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “You don’t want me?” My cheeks heated at the idea that maybe he didn’t, despite the vibes I got from him and the fact he’d invited me out. I also blamed the alcohol for me opening my mouth and even asking.

  But Deacon had his body pressed to mine a second later. I gasped from the contact, from the feeling of his very massive, apparent erection currently digging into my belly.

  “Does that feel like I don’t want you?” He thrust against me, and my mouth go slack. “Does this feel like I don’t want to take you right up against the house, not giving a shit who saw?”

  I didn’t know what to say, so I just closed my mouth. He cupped my cheek, smoothing his finger along my skin and sending shock waves through me.

  “Tell me if this doesn’t feel like I want you.” He continued to smooth that digit along my face, over my lip, down to my pulse, which beat erratically.

  “It feels like you want me.”

  He growled out low, a sound that was so feral, so delicious. “Yeah, I want you really fucking badly, Maddie, but you’ve been drinking, and I’m not going to cross that line.” He stepped back then, gave my pulse one last smooth over with his finger, and dropped his hand to his side. “But we aren’t going there. I’ll call you tomorrow, yeah?”

  I nodded. Not only was he the manliest man I’d ever met, he was also a gentleman. I turned and unlocked the front door, stepped inside, and watched him. He’d waited until I was in the house before he left and went back to his SUV. I was still standing there long after he’d driven off, knowing that I’d fallen hard for Deacon, and that there was no getting up from it.

  5

  Deacon

  The next day

  I felt the moment Maddie walked into my shop. It was like my entire body was in tune with her, lighting up, becoming bigger, ready. I knew my wo
man was near. Hell, I might not have claimed her in the way that left us sweating and gasping for filthier fucking, but I would soon enough.

  I’d planned on calling her when I closed shop, or maybe just showing up at her place. I was desperate to see her, to even just hear her voice. There was something about her that got under my skin, that made me hungry, thirsty, hell, drugged for her.

  I grabbed a rag and wiped the sweat from my face. The sound of a few of the guys who worked for me hammering out metal played through my head, not drowning out the beating of my heart. The fucker started in like a war drum, pounding against my ribs, a mantra to go take her.

  I noticed movement to my side and watched as Brendan started making his way toward Maddie. I didn’t know why she was here, but that didn’t matter. The grin on Brendan’s face told me the fucker was going to try and lay some game on her, and I was not having that. The possessive side of me reared up, and I was more than ready to let that beast out and make it known she was off-limits to anyone but me.

  I wasn’t quick enough to get to her before Brendan was right up in her face, his stupid fucking grin and the “I want to fuck her” look in his eyes pissing me off. I set my tools aside and walked over to them.

  “I’d be more than happy to help you with whatever you need,” I heard him say to Maddie. She was looking at me, though, her eyes wide as I stopped behind Brendan. I towered over his five-foot-eight frame by well over seven inches, and where he was lean muscle, I was all bulk. He looked small compared to me, and I fucking wanted him to know it.