by Dee Garcia
Was this dude for real?
Stepping into his personal space, I brought my face inches from his, holding his stare without falter. “Your observations are clearly miscalculated. The only one putting on an act here is you. I don't want to get hostile but I will, if you keeping fucking with me and what's mine. Do not underestimate me, Mr. Fremont.”
“Enough,” Hazel exclaimed, wedging herself between us. She lifted a warning finger in Jason’s face. “You need to back off, seriously.”
His eyes didn’t drift away from mine as he gritted out, “I’m just looking out for you.”
Hazel scoffed and shoved him back ever so slightly. “Threatening my boyfriend is not looking out for me.”
“Stubborn as ever.” He said with a shake of his head, turning back to collect his props off the table.
Small fingers threaded themselves through mine. “I’m sorry, yet again.”
I dragged my gaze away from Jason’s retreating form into frustrated brown eyes. “Stop apologizing. He’s a dick. What he doesn’t realize is that his efforts to put me off won’t work, no matter how hard he tries.”
“You’re amazing.”
“No, I just refuse to let him or anyone else tear us apart.”
Brass House was a small jazz lounge in the downtown area of Austin. Classy yet laid back, it wasn’t the sparkling, vivid nightlife of Vegas but it wasn’t anywhere near empty or dull either.
One of the brass colored walls was lined with plush white couches while the other housed a massive fully stocked bar. The main focal point though was the crescent shaped stage at the very end of the room where a curvaceous blonde sat on a lone stool with a microphone clutched in her hands.
Her smooth, melodious voice passionately belted out Norah’s Turn Me On, luring Hazel’s chocolate brown eyes to peek up at me as the lyrics enveloped us. I offered her a crooked smirk to which she returned with one of her own.
Lifting onto her toes, she steadied herself with a hand at my shoulder. “Drinks?”
I nodded. “I’ll take care of them. Go save us a seat.”
“You got it, stud.” She cooed, pressing a kiss to my cheek and with a playful wink, peeled herself away from my side.
Her pert little ass looked incredible swaying side to side beneath the soft black fabric of her dress as she sashayed through the small crowd to the other side of the room.
I shook my head to clear the enticing images that flooded me at once and turned back to the bar, wondering how the hell I was going to keep myself in check when she looked like that.
Time seemed to stand still as we sat tucked away in a corner at the very back of the room. Hazel was curled under my arm with her second gin spritzer in hand, watching a new performer capture the audience with a Frank Sinatra classic.
“Knox.” I heard her say suddenly.
“Hmmm.” I hummed, sipping from the tumbler in my hand.
“You're looking especially handsome this evening.”
I dropped my gaze to hers, regarding her curiously. “Really, now?”
She nodded and brought her lips beside my ear. “Fine as hell to be exact.”
Her heavy-lidded stare did not go unnoticed. Neither did the way she caught her lip between her teeth. Swallowing down the rush of desire that overwhelmed me from the molten look swirling in her eyes, I tipped her chin up and planted a soft kiss to her lips.
“Thank you, beautiful. I’ll have you know I'm proud to say I'm here with the most stunning woman in this room.”
“You flatter me.” She grinned against my mouth.
“If by flattery you mean the absolute truth, then yes, I flatter the hell out of you.”
“I wish you’d flatter the hell out of me another way.”
Yeah, I was not expecting her to say that. The air crackled between us as she held my stare, steadily awaiting my response. When it didn’t come, she eased back and leisurely slid a finger along my jaw, stopping at the very end of my chin.
“How much longer are you gonna make me beg for it, Knox?”
I had to stifle the groan that threatened, trying my damnedest to appear unaffected when in fact all I wanted to do was pull her into my lap and devour her whole.
It was becoming increasingly more difficult to resist her, especially when we were sleeping in the same bed and things had escalated on more than one occasion. If she kept this up, I wasn't sure how much longer my self-control could outweigh desire.
“I don’t know…” I murmured into her ear. “I like it when you beg.”
“I'm not above it, baby. If it'll get me what I want then I’ll beg you all. Night. Long.”
Jesus Christ.
A lazy smile stretched across her lips as she sidled impossibly closer to my side. “Please?” She asked sweetly.
Death-gripping the glass, I took another tentative sip of my whiskey to mask the gulp I swallowed down. From the corner of my eye, I watched her smile widen in satisfaction. She knew she had me.
I was so fucked.
“Please?” She asked again, walking her fingers over the buttons of my shirt.
I caught her wrist between two fingers. “You're playing with fire, Hazel.”
She chuckled quietly. “I don't just wanna play with it. I want to roll around in it, burn in it, suffocate in it.”
“When you say shit like that it makes it very hard to resist you.” I growled, feeling myself unravel.
Pulling herself free from my grasp, she brought a finger to her chin, tapping it pensively. “What was that you've said to me on more than one occasion? Oh, that's right,” she leaned forward, “don't resist me.”
I drained my glass of its remaining contents and all but tossed it onto the coffee table before us, threading one hand into her hair to hold her in place.
Our eyes collided.
“If I take you back to that room, I'm not stopping this time.” I said by way of warning.
“I have absolutely no intention of stopping you.” She smirked, effectively putting an end to the conversation.
With Brass House sitting just a couple of blocks away from the hotel, Hazel and I were walking into The W ten minutes later, her hand trapped in mine as we headed straight for the elevators.
I smashed the up arrow with a thumb and yanked her against me. When the doors slid open, she pushed me inside, jammed the button to our floor, and pounced like a playful kitten, her arms coming around my neck as her lips slammed into mine. It was an instant high. She was everywhere, surrounding and consuming me so completely, all my senses could register was her.
Delving deeper into her mouth, my hands skimmed down her back to the swell of her ass, pulling her impossibly closer. She hitched a leg around my waist and I scooped her up, my fingers digging into the bottoms of her thighs as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open on our floor.
I barreled us into the hallway like a bat out of hell and if anyone passed us on the way to our suite, we didn't take notice, nor did I give a single shit. Apparently Hazel didn't either.
Upon reaching our room, I all but rammed us into the wall, a loud thud resonating around us from the impact. Hazel threw her head back and laughed as I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet, flipping it open with a flick of my wrist.
“Grab the card, baby. It's with the cash.”
A devilish little grin spread across her face as she pulled the card out and held it between two fingers.
Suddenly the door behind us flew open followed by Jason's irritated voice carrying through the hallway. "What in the actual hell, Hazel?!" He gritted out, clearly unhappy with the less than appropriate display taking place not ten feet away from him.
Hazel giggled in my grasp as I snatched the card and slid it into the slot to unlock the door. Barging us into the room, I muttered over my shoulder, "Goodnight, Jason," before promptly slamming the door shut with my foot and pushing her flush against it.
“Where were we?” I asked gruffly,
“Right. Here.” She smash
ed her lips to mine, devouring me impatiently once more.
Small hands flew to my shirt, her fingers fumbling frantically with the buttons, managing to undo only the first two. She growled in frustration and pulled my shirt apart without an ounce of strain, sending several buttons to go flying through the air.
Her nails raked down my chest and I hissed through my teeth, so fucking turned on I couldn't see straight as I trudged through the darkened suite and threw her onto the bed.
She squealed and propped herself up on her hands, a sly grin spreading across her face. “Get naked, Knox. Like now.”
Shrugging off my shirt, I trapped her beneath one leg and creeped over her, pressing her into the mattress. “And what if I said no, Miss Perry?”
“Then I'd do it for you. I’ve already ruined your shirt, don't think I won't do the same to your pants, Mr. Carr,” she purred, fiddling with the buckle of my belt.
“So eager.” I chuckled. “You’re a demanding little kitten, aren’t you?”
“For you, I'll be anything you want me to be.”
“Mine will suffice.”
Even in the darkness surrounding us, I could see the rosy hue rising in her cheeks.
“Then let’s get these get off, shall we?” She asked quietly.
When I nodded, she pushed me onto my back and made quick work of my pants, sliding them effortlessly down my legs as she shimmied to the end of the bed.
She discarded them on the floor without care and promptly began sliding out of her dress, slowly revealing inch after inch of her decadently soft skin. The sight of her at the foot of the bed, completely baring herself for me was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
A feral growl ripped from my chest as I drank her in greedily, memorizing each fine detail of her body shadowed by the moonlight casting in from the window—not one dip, swell, or curve forgotten.
“Come here.” I beckoned her, crooking a finger.
Hazel obliged and crawled toward me with a wicked gleam in her eyes, flashing her tongue out along the bottom of my shaft as she ascended over me.
The unexpected warmth from her mouth earned her a groan I couldn’t subdue and she smiled, all too pleased with my reaction. With a quick hand, I clenched her hair in my fist and guided her the rest of the way, settling her in my lap.
“I'm only going to say this once, so listen very carefully. If I kiss it.”
I kissed her neck…
“Lick it.”
Another one on her chest…
“Fuck it.”
Between her tits…
“And make love to it, then it’s mine. You are mine. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.” She whispered, hissing softly when my tongue circled around one of her nipples.
“Last chance to back out, kitten.”
Unabashed in her need, she pushed herself further into my face. “Not happening.”
I hummed appreciatively and snaked a hand between our bodies, clamping my mouth around a soft globe, my fingers working in and out of her sex. When she mewled in my grasp, I increased the pace, bringing my thumb into the mix to circle around her clit.
“Knox, please,” she pleaded. “I’ve waited too long for this.”
I couldn’t prolong it even if I wanted to. We had waited for this moment and I couldn’t hold back any longer. Without a word, I lifted her just enough to position myself at her entrance and in one swift move, I slid her down onto my length, impaling her to capacity. The slick, tight heat that greeted me was fucking heaven and I groaned at the feel of her around me.
“Fuck,” she hissed, grinding into me and I let her set the pace.
Within minutes, everything was feverish, intense. Hazel couldn't seem to get enough. She met each thrust with a slam that filled her to the very hilt. Crazed like a rabid animal, she was riding my dick like it was the first and last time I’d let her have it.
“Harder,” she moaned, tightening her grip around my neck. Her fingers raked through the sweat-drenched strands of my hair, tugging with force for added effect on that one little word. My scalp prickled from the pull of her grasp.
I hissed through my teeth and landed an open palm dead-center on her ass, clenching it firmly as she slammed down on me again.
She threw her head back in ecstasy, panting breathlessly. “Yes…”
“You like that, kitten,” I gritted out, swatting her ass again.
“God, yes. Harder, please…”
She begged for it harder but she had no idea just how savage I could be. She was about to find out though. I wrapped an arm around her waist and snaked my hand up her back, latching onto her shoulder for leverage.
“Then you better hold on tight, baby, ‘cause I'm about to tear this sweet, little pussy up.”
I pounded into her with such force, all she could do with cling to me and hold on for the ride. She wanted it harder, right? Well, I was going to rev it up as hard as I could go.
“I'm gonna come.” She warned, bracing herself for the monstrous orgasm that was about to erupt.
Two strokes later, she came apart loudly, unapologetically. The feel of her climaxing against me mixed with her sounds and the way she looked trapped in arms, set me off right behind her. I thrust one last time and pushed her down onto me, growling as my release rolled through me like a freight train.
Hazel sagged against me breathlessly, mewling with the aftershocks still buzzing through her.
“Oh. My. God.” She panted. “That was fucking amazing.”
I hummed appreciatively. “I don't think that quite covers it.”
“Agreed.” She whispered.
As I sat there with her in my lap, coming down from our highs, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that she. Was. Mine.
And we weren't nearly finished yet…
I woke with a start that Sunday morning to the monstrous clash of thunder. The wind howled riotously as heavy droplets of rain pattered rapidly against the window, pouring down in buckets from dark, somber skies.
A bright flash of lightning flickered through the room followed by another explosive rumble of thunder rolling through the city around us. The weather was as depraved as my mood.
Trying to move as little as possible, I picked my head up off the pillow to glance at the clock on the nightstand.
6:30 a.m.
Knox had to be at the airport by eleven, but if this weather kept up, there was no way I was letting him get on that plane to fly home, especially if this storm was to follow him.
I was already anxious enough about being separated again, I didn't need the added worry of possible tumultuous travel mounted onto it.
As a new wave of unease washed over me, I settled back into the pillow and took in a very comfortable Knox asleep on my chest. Half his body was sprawled out over mine, his face resting between my breasts, arms trapping me beneath him.
Apparently I was his personal and quite comfortable body pillow. Not that I minded one bit, in case you were wondering.
With gentle fingers, I combed them through the silky strands of his hair, looking over every facet of his handsome face. His usually defined, chiseled features were much softer in his sleep like those of a young boy rather than the intimidating man he could be during the course of the day.
I traced a line along his jaw and up to his lips, brushing the bottom one and then the top. They were warm and so very soft, tempting me to pepper them with kisses, but I held back and continued my reverent stroke up his perfect nose instead.
Knox stirred and slowly nuzzled the valley of my breasts with the tip of his nose. Laying his head to one side, his eyes fluttered open. They were so fiercely blue, they glowed in the darkness of the room, leaving me both awestruck and devastated all at once.
“Mmm. Good morning.” He grinned lazily, his voice thick as molasses.
“Nothing about this morning is good.” I said truthfully, turning away from him. “This weather, you leaving…”
Tears threatened to unleash their fur
y but I willed them away, shutting my eyes tightly in an attempt to keep them at bay. The bed dipped under his weight as he crawled over me, placing his arms on either side of my head, caging me in beneath him.
He pushed his cheek along my chin in coaxing, turning my head back to meet the tender yet serious expression etched on his face.
“Any morning I wake up with you is a good morning.”
“It's also the last one.” I added.
“For now. Two weeks are going to fly by.”
“Maybe for you.”
Knox sighed and dropped his head to the crook of my neck as a tense silence began to fill the room. The only sound to be heard was the rain tapping ever so lightly against the window now. We laid there for quite some time without a word exchanged, each of us lost in our thoughts, in a whirlwind of emotions.
“You think this isn't tearing me up?” He asked abruptly. “That it isn't killing me to have to leave your side with all you’ve had to endure and all you have on your plate right now?”
When I didn't respond, he lifted his head to regard me intently. Even under the scrutiny of his awaiting gaze, I didn’t have an answer for him. Not because I didn’t know but because I couldn’t. I physically could not find the words, much less my voice, to reassure him that I understood this was temporary.
A means to an end.
Because I did, I understood it all too well, but that did nothing to lessen the blow of having to endure another bout of separation after firmly setting our relationship in place.
“Answer me.” He hedged.
I swallowed deeply, taking in his cutting expression. There was nothing remotely playful about it. He was hurting, as was I, and my silence wasn’t helping to alleviate the unease we both felt.
Cupping my face in his hands, he pressed his lips to mine and kissed me once, twice, three times.
“Answer me, Hazel, please. You know I’m coming back, right?”
“Yes,” I finally managed to say, though it was more of a whisper. “I’m just hating the thought of being away from you again even if it’s brief. We’ve done this once already and it was quite enough for me.”
