by Lowe, Aden
Chapter Nine
Serious relief hit Georgie right in the gut the instant Dix's eyes started to clear. Having him fall against the wall in a quivering mess like that was just a bit intense. He came out of it asking to go outside, like he needed air or something so she took his arm over her shoulder and steadied him. Once out the door, he leaned against the side of the building, chest heaving, sweat pouring off him. What the hell?
"You okay now?" Hair had fallen into his eyes and she gently pushed it back.
Something like intense fear, but not quite, darkened his eyes as he met her gaze. Still breathing hard, he spoke, his voice hoarse and broken. "The strangers with the old man…Stay away from them and the one from earlier. Bad news. They'll hurt you to get to me."
"Dix, that makes no sense. What are you talking about?"
He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Just don't let them near you." With what looked like an act of will, he pulled himself together and stood upright. "Let's get out of here."
Contrary to her usual Hell no when someone made a demand like that, Georgie nodded. "I need to get a couple things from upstairs. I've been staying in Rita's apartment while she's gone." Since just going along complacently felt so out of character for her, Georgie paused to reassess and make sure she really wanted to go with Dix. And, damn her soul, she did. Hell, she even held her tongue when he followed her up the stairs to Rita's apartment.
"All the time I've spent in the Rattlesnake, I didn't realize there was an apartment up here until a couple months ago." He waited while she unlocked the door.
"Come on in. I guess the original owner stayed here and when Rita inherited the Rattlesnake, she got the apartment too. Makes it real handy for her. My lease was up right after she left and the landlord sold the house, so I couldn't renew. I needed a place and she needed someone here to take care of things. Worked out perfect." Sheer force of habit moved her through the apartment, checking that nothing had been disturbed in her absence. Maybe one day she'd get over that habit.
Dix stayed in the living room, rather than follow her from room to room. She liked that. Made it seem like he respected her privacy, and Rita's. Most guys would have started snooping immediately. While she mused about him, she gathered whatever she thought she might need for a night in a tree house and tossed it into a bag. A final check of the apartment reassured her a little, and she returned to the living room, ready to leave.
He reached for her bag and Georgie paused in surprise before letting him take it. And then he topped it off by holding the door for her. When the hell was the last time a man held the door? Never, that's when. It seemed Dix possessed skills she had yet to see. The thought led her directly to memories of the afternoon and the skills he'd demonstrated then. Her pulse sped up in response while she followed him down the stairs.
Full dark had hit by the time they reached his bike, but the security lights in the lot kept the night at bay. They roared out of the lot in the opposite direction Georgie expected. She'd assumed they were going directly back to the Ferguson place, but apparently not. The warmth of Dix's in her arms kept her from worrying about it. As long as she was with him, it didn't really matter.
The realization stunned her for a moment, then she mentally kicked herself. She, of all people, knew better than to fall hard for the first decent-seeming guy that came along. She'd had far more than her share of men that were great in the beginning, then turned into assholes. The walls she'd allowed to drop after his panic attack, or whatever it was, shot back up. She had to be careful, or she'd end up head over heels and heartsick when he left for somebody else. Forcing thoughts of more than the next few hours out of her mind, she tried to pay attention to their surroundings.
Dix had blasted them down the main residential street, and suddenly cut through an alley about halfway down, letting the bike coast quietly. He rolled them in behind a cinderblock garage at the back of a house and came to a stop, engine idling.
Georgie sat tight since he seemed to have no interest in anything beyond whatever he watched for around the corner of the building. A loud car passed out on the street and some of the tension left Dix's muscles. After a moment, he started them moving again, going slow and keeping the engine quiet. At every intersection he stopped and looked carefully before heading into the next back street or alley.
Finally, he headed them in the direction she'd expected him to take at first, back toward the Ferguson place. Maybe a mile from town, he opened the bike up and they rocketed through the moist night air.
Riding with Dix was something she would dearly miss when he decided to move on. The way he handled the bike, put his whole body into it, made it a constantly changing experience. She could ride with him every day for the rest of her life and never tire of it.
Damn, she should have kept on ignoring him or being mean to him. That way it wouldn't hurt nearly so bad when he found someone new. And of course he would. She steadfastly refused to remember the things he'd said about the future. That had only been pillow talk, meaningless.
He slowed drastically and leaned into the turn to the tree house, catching Georgie off guard. She clutched at him and pressed closer in an effort to regain her balance. The reflex to grab onto Dix for safety surprised her a little. Normally she only looked to herself for that kind of thing.
Safe inside the treehouse, Georgie felt awkward for a moment, like a child playing house. A good swift mental kick in the ass helped a little. The choice had already been made. Enjoy him while she could. All this dwelling on the negatives and what-ifs served no purpose except make her miserable. She needed to get the hell up out of her head and quit waffling.
"There's food if you're hungry." Dix hung his bag on a hook beside the door and reached to take hers. "I asked one of the boys to drop off a few things, just in case."
The growl her stomach gave answered for her. "I guess it has been a while since lunch. I'll see what we have."
"I need to take care of a couple things outside. I'll be right back." He came close and leaned down to claim her mouth. With a groan he deepened the kiss, dragging her against his chest. He finally withdrew, breathing hard, and rested his forehead against hers. "Hold that thought, okay?"
Georgie smiled. "You got it. Now hurry up." She couldn't resist a playful smack to his ass when he turned to leave. The hint of pessimism tried to return and remind her this was only short term, but she pushed it away. She refused to let anything interfere with enjoying Dix.
The little kitchen area held a two burner cook top, a dorm size fridge, a pantry cabinet, and a toaster oven mounted under a small wall cabinet. A section of butcher block lifted away to reveal the miniature sink, barely large enough to submerge a plate. Georgie inspected it all, then opened the fridge. Hopefully they would have something other than beer and chips to eat.
Surprise made her jaw drop. A small casserole dish sat in the fridge, covered with foil, and a sticky note on top of that, with heating instructions for what turned out to be lasagna. With that part in the toaster oven as directed, she turned her attention to the rest.
No way had one of the bikers prepared it all. Slices of crusty French bread, small salads in individual containers, and large pieces of luscious-looking chocolate cake. Whoever Dix asked had gone to considerable trouble. A bottle of red wine chilled alongside several bottles of water and sweet tea. They'd even added breakfast supplies.
Preparing their meal made her feel even more like a kid playing house, but Georgie reminded herself he had put effort into this. Even if it were just play, he seemed to take it pretty seriously. The least she could do was give it the same consideration.
The timer on the toaster oven dinged as Dix came inside and deposited a box by the door. "What can I do to help?"
"Nothing. All done." She added a serving of the lasagna to each of their plates and brought them to the table. "Come have a seat. It smells great."
The food tasted even better than it smelled and they finished it quickly. Georgie pushed her plat
e away, stuffed, and sat back to take a final sip of her wine. Good thing she didn't have the chance to eat like that every day, or she'd get spoiled.
Dix rose and took their plates to the little sink. "I'll get the dishes if you want a shower or anything."
A shower suddenly sounded entirely necessary, not to mention heavenly. "That sounds like a great idea."
He grinned. "Good, I'll show you how it works." He opened one of the French doors beside the living room area, and led the way out onto the narrow deck. "This way."
The urge to look down assaulted her as she followed him around the angled corner of the treehouse. Thankfully, darkness and the addition of tiny halogen lights along the rail meant the world below became invisible. When he stepped aside, she froze in utter awe.
A small section of the deck extended further out, suspended over the forest floor. Walls of tightly woven twigs shielded the area from shoulder high to about knee high. A large tank sat on a second platform roughly five feet from the flooring. Georgie's gaze followed the shadows of a network of pipes leading to the edge of the steep pitched roof of the treehouse.
"The place was built to be off the grid. Everything is solar powered, and the water is collected rain water. Don't worry though, the cistern was cleaned recently and the water is fresh." He showed her how to turn on the valve to send water cascading from the huge showerhead suspended over the stall. "This is part of what I was doing earlier. The water heater is filled and warmed, so you can have a hot shower."
Overcome with joy at the prospect, Georgie threw her arms around his neck. "This is amazing. Thank you."
He laughed and the lines of anxiety around his mouth she hadn't noticed before eased away. "I was worried you'd think it was dirty or silly or something."
"No, it's amazing, really. Now, where would I find a towel?" She leaned up for a quick peck at his lips. "Hurry up and tell me, I can't wait for this shower."
A chuckle rumbled from him. "How about I bring you the towel in a couple minutes? There's already soap and shampoo waiting, if you want it."
A wave of shy modesty shot through her, but she nodded. "Perfect. Now go, so I can get my shower." She gave him a light push back toward the corner, and waited a moment watching him go.
A tall post in the corner of the railing where the shower jutted out from the main area of the deck had several hooks attached, apparently to hang clothing and towels in dry safety. Georgie wasted no time adding her clothes to one and slipping into the narrow stall. The water was the perfect temperature and quickly relaxed muscles she hadn't even realized were tense.
The soap and shampoo Dix mentioned were organic, from a local woman who made and sold all manner of hygiene and health products. Georgie was a little surprised at the quality. She'd expected it to be okay, but not the luxurious lather and rich scent of lavender, with maybe a little mint thrown in. Rinsing, she closed her eyes and stood under the spray, letting the warm water relax her even further.
She sighed. She could stand there all night, but there were other things she wanted to do. Where was Dix with that towel? She brushed the water from her eyes and looked up to meet his sharp, hungry stare.
"There you are."
"Here I am. Brought your towel."
Georgie's heart pounded, threatening to break free from her ribs. How long had he stood there staring at her? Water flowed unnoticed down her body as he pulled the twig door open and slipped into the stall with her.
The confined space brought him up close immediately, his solid chest waiting for her to touch and explore. He ducked down and met her lips to claim her mouth in a way that left no doubt as to his intentions toward her.
Breathing hard, he pulled back. "I wish I knew these walls would hold. But as hard as I need to pound into you, we'd better not take the chance. Get out of here and let me get cleaned up. I'll meet you upstairs." He gave her a gentle shove and she complied, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a thick towel around her. "There's another towel for your hair, too."
She hesitated, not wanting to leave him without, then realized a third towel hung under the one he'd indicated. Grateful, she took the smallest and wrapped it around her hair.
Inside, he'd returned the kitchen to its original spotless condition so she didn't waste any time grabbing her bag and climbing to the loft. She had no intention of allowing anything to distract either of them, and the bed seemed like the best place to make sure of it.
Her hairbrush eluded her efforts to find it for a moment, but finally she won and set to toweling her hair dry and brushing out the snarls that had accumulated through the day. Normally she would twist it into yet another braid as soon as it was dry, but Dix seemed to like it down, so she left it.
Any other man would just have to deal. She might be silly, being so attached to something that caused her pain, but she couldn't bear to cut her hair. And it brought back too many horrible memories to keep it down. Years had gone into the love-hate relationship and she'd learned to stand her ground. Giving in just asked to be hurt all over again. But with Dix… Well, it was different, that's all.
Chapter Ten
Dix lingered in the shower to give Georgie plenty of time. As he washed, the temptation to slide his hand over his cock a few times and relieve a little of the pressure almost overcame the need to wait. Annoyed with himself for acting like a damn teenager heading for his first real date, he turned off the water and slung the towel around his hips. Hopefully she hadn't changed her mind and decided she didn't want to be with him again.
Inside, the only light came from the loft. He dropped the towel at the bottom of the ladder and headed up, hopefully toward paradise.
The moment his head cleared the top of the ladder, he froze. She sat on the edge of the bed, hair spread in a pale silk curtain as she ran a brush through it. His throat went dry with flashes of every dream about her hair that had ever fueled his fantasies.
After a moment she looked up and caught him staring. A faint flash of something like fear shadowed her eyes, quickly replaced by a smile. "What are you waiting for?"
His heart lodged somewhere in the vicinity of his balls. "Just watching you. I could spend the rest of my life not doing anything else." He continued on up the ladder and stopped next to her. "You doing okay?"
She smiled and stood, giving her hairbrush a toss toward her bag. "Yeah, I'm good. You?" Her gaze trailed over him, lingering on his hard-on.
The damn thing twitched frantically just from her looking at it. Damn, he was pathetic. "Yeah." His voice sounded hoarse. She was going to think he was some desperate, inexperienced kid if he didn't get a little control of himself. Maybe he should have taken care of things in the shower so he could just concentrate on her this time.
Naked, she stood before him with all that hair spread around her shoulders, her perfect nipples peeking through the strands, tempting him beyond reason.
He groaned, no longer able to resist, and reached for her. She came willingly into his arms, sliding her palms up his chest. Once more her fingers lingered over his scars, but still she didn't ask. Grateful, he leaned down to taste her again and she met him halfway.
Some subtle difference in her drew his attention. Before, when he made love to her, she'd seemed a little cautious, like she held herself to a distance. This time, she was entirely there, tasting him in return, touching and giving and taking. Dix had no idea what caused the change, but he certainly didn't object to it.
Her little moan spurred him on and he moved away from her mouth to kiss down the slender line of her throat, lingering at the hollow of her collar bone. Her satiny skin tasted like heaven, but her mouth on his own skin seriously tested his ability to go on enjoying that bit of paradise.
Weak in the knees, he lowered them to the bed and took advantage of his size to pin her so he could explore at his leisure without being driven to distraction by the needs of his own body. She made a little growl of frustration, causing him to chuckle against her belly.
"What's so
funny? You do realize this isn't fair?"
"What isn't fair is you driving me so crazy I can't concentrate on enjoying this perfect body of yours and making it all mine. I want to kiss every inch first." He turned his attention to her breasts.
Her gasp came with fingers threaded through his hair. "Just don't complain when it's my turn."
Time stood still while she cooperated and he learned her responses. Exactly as he'd imagined, her body was made for him to worship, his every touch drawing some small sound from her, or a movement. She let him know exactly which things she liked best, the ones that drove her further up the spiral of need tightening her body. In return, he indulged many of his fantasies, things he'd dreamed of doing to and with her.
An entire lifetime of discovery lay before him, if she would just allow it. He'd known he wanted a future with her, just never thought it might happen. The last couple of days had only confirmed it, and now, he wanted forever with her. Would she feel the same way? He intended to do everything in his power to make sure she did.
The cries she gave when he separated her folds and tasted her promised he'd found the right direction, for the moment at least. She trembled under his touch and strained toward him, begging for more. And he gave it, sliding one finger into her tightness. Her nails dug into his scalp as her body locked into a convulsive release.
His own needs reasserted themselves and he crawled up her body to reclaim her mouth. She wrapped herself around him, heels digging in to pull him to her entrance. Her heat drew him like a moth to the flame, leaving him powerless to resist even if he'd wanted to. He sank into her as her body clutched at him, drawing him deeper with every beat of his heart.
He withdrew and drove into her. "You are so fucking perfect." It was true. Her body fit his like she'd been made for him.
She moaned. "Harder." The way she arched to meet him demanded so much more than the gentleness he'd tried to maintain.
He complied by rolling to put her on top. She cried out and rose to impale herself as heat nearly consumed Dix. Seeking to prolong it, he drew her down to claim her mouth. He quickly lost himself in the ecstasy of Georgie.
