His Mark
Aria Cole
Mila Crawford
Contents
His Mark
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Second Epilogue
Excerpt From On The Rocks
About the Author
His Mark
She’s too pure for my world, I’m too vicious for hers.
I’ve been watching her for months. She’s my new job, so I’ve made it my business to know her every move. From the time she opens her pretty green eyes in the morning until she slips between those silky sheets at night--I know more about her than even she does.
But just when I thought this target was an open and closed case—life has other plans.
I’m ready to make Izzy Main mine, but she’s been marked by the mob.
Chapter 1
Izzy
“That guy’s here again.” Mandy, my fellow waitress and best friend, gestured toward the darkest corner of the bar with a nod of her head.
I looked over at Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dead Sexy. He’d been coming to Clive’s for the past two months, always alone, around the same time each day, and requesting to sit in a booth that I attended to. He never talked much, always ordered the same thing: a bottle of Bud followed by three glasses of soda.
“His name is Hawk,” I said, a little defensive about Mandy calling him that guy. I didn’t know why it bothered me, it was as if she was placing him amongst the crowd, and he was so much better than that. At least he was in my head.
“Well, you’d better take Hawk his Bud,” she said, rolling her eyes, dramatically handing me the cold bottle. I smiled at her, blowing her an air kiss before I walked over to the dark table.
“Hi, I’ve got your beer.”
His gaze shot up at me, and I was taken back by the crystal-like blue of his irises. His full lips turned up into a wide smile as his giant hands reached up, taking the bottle from me. I looked down at our hands when his calloused fingers touched my own, astounded by the sheer size difference. I wasn’t a small girl, at five-six and a size eighteen, but beside Hawk Barrett I looked like a toddler.
“Thank you, Daisy,” he said, taking a sip of the beer, never taking his eyes from me.
I smiled at his cute pet name for me. Something he’d called me from the first time our paths had crossed. I never asked him why he called me that, in fear that it was just an accident because he’d forgotten my real name. “You’re welcome. I’m heading out early tonight, but I can get Mandy to take care of you for the rest of the night.”
“No, thanks,” he said, simply. “I don’t really come here for the mediocre beer or the flat soda.” His lips turned up to another smile but this time it was a little sly, one side upturned more than the other.
“Oh,” I said, not really sure why I couldn’t muster anything more than that. I could feel the tray in my hands shaking as the glasses slid a little from one corner to the other. Hawk quickly grabbed it from me and placed it on the table. I was grateful for his quick reflexes. It wasn’t that great for tips if you shattered glass and booze all over the floor.
“Thank you,” I whispered, casting my eyes down.
“Wouldn’t want my Daisy hurt from broken glass.”
My Daisy?
“I-I’m ok. I’ve dealt with a lot worse in my life,” I said, moving my hand away from his burning touch.
“Do you have a ride home?” His gaze never left me, his eyes quiet and perceptive.
“I usually take the bus around this time. It’s not that bad since the bars haven’t closed for the night.”
“I’ll take you,” he said, his voice low and firm. Normally I would have just written the guy off, maybe even called Mac, the bouncer, to come and toss him out. At that moment, looking at him, I didn’t want to say no.
There was something about Hawk that made me want to only say yes. He handed me a hundred dollar bill, before rising out of the booth. It shocked me how graceful he was for being such a large man. When he stood, his large frame towered over me, my head falling just at his shoulder. I wasn’t a little girl, I was curvy and no one would ever mistake me for petite. I slowly raised my head, tilting it back to look at him. His lips curved into a slow smile.
“I...I just have to sign out, and then we can go. Wait for me here?” I gathered up the bottle and tray, but his hand shot out, taking them both from me.
“I’ll walk you up to the bar,” he said, his voice soft and low.
I smiled, nodding my head before turning around, leading us through the bar. When we reached Mandy, she smiled mischievously, winking at me. I stared back with a warning glare. I didn’t need her saying anything that would make Hawk or myself uncomfortable.
“I’m off,” I said to Mandy. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You two have a good night,” she said with a knowing look. I wasn’t sure what she thought was happening here, but I just smiled and rushed Hawk out of there.
“I’m just around the corner,” he said once we got outside. The night air was a little chilly and I started rubbing my arms to maintain some warmth. “Don’t you have a coat?” He asked, before taking off his jacket and draping it around my shoulders.
“I normally do, but I didn’t think it was going to be this cold tonight.” I slipped my arms into the sleeves. “Thank you.”
“I don’t ever want you to be uncomfortable.”
We walked in silence in the dark until we came to a halt in front of a Ford truck. I couldn’t help smiling; this vehicle definitely suited him. It was large, dark and dependable. He opened the passenger side door for me and I got in. Then he pulled the seat belt and leaned over. As he buckled me in, I closed my eyes and let his woodsy scent come over me. If masculinity could have a scent, it would be Hawk’s. Warm and leathery and so intoxicating. When he finally pulled away, his hand brushed my arm and I felt a bolt of electricity surge through me. He smiled quickly before closing my door, walking to the driver’s side and getting in.
“Home?” He asked, his intense gaze on me. All I could do was notice his massive fingers curled around the steering wheel.
“Yes, please,” I whispered. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I need to know you’re safe.” The car’s engine purred and Hawk started driving, never once asking me for directions.
That should have rung an alarm.
I’d been so careful, making sure no one could follow me, never wanting anyone from my past to know where I was. I’d been running from my other life for a long time and I should have been scared of him, but the truth of the matter: I knew deep down, somehow, that Hawk wouldn’t hurt me. I couldn’t explain the feelings running through me, but I just knew.
Chapter 2
Hawk
“How do you know where I live?” She asked, quietly. Her voice came out as a whisper. I watched as her delicate fingers started to fidget with each other.
“I know everything about you,” I said, parking the car and cutting the ignition, turning to glance at her. Her eyes burned with intensity and sincerity. “I just like knowing you’re safe.”
“I’m a big girl. I can keep myself safe.”
“I know.” I brushed her hair back behind her pretty ears. I never thought ears were that arousing, but on Izzy they made me want to trail my tongue along the shell, eager to feel
a ripple of pleasure shoot through her. “I like seeing those pretty eyes of yours.”
Her eyes shot up at me. I wasn’t sure if I saw fear, lust, or appreciation in them. She smiled, sweetly, reaching for her bag that was resting between her legs. “Thank you for the ride, Hawk.”
“Don’t mention it. Will I see you tomorrow?” I asked as she opened the passenger side door. I didn’t want her to leave. I didn’t want the night to end. I wanted to just sit here with her, in silence forever. Her face looked luminescent in the moonlight. Her hair was so soft, my fingers itched to touch it again.
“I’m working the day shift tomorrow, if you want to stop by. I’ll buy you a drink as a thank you for driving me home.”
“How about I buy you dinner after?” I suggested, wanting more than fleeting moments with her at the bar.
Her gaze met mine as she started to bite her bottom lip. I really didn’t like that she was hesitating, mulling it over. I respected it, but I sure as fuck didn’t like it.
“Sure. I’d like that. Only if you let me buy.”
I smiled at her, thinking how adorable she was in her desire to be equal. “Daisy, I know you’re really capable but there’s no way in hell I’m letting you pay on our first date, or ever.”
She huffed into the air, placing her arm on her hip and jutting out. “Hawk, I’ll have you know that it’s 2020. Also, if I pay, you won’t be expecting to have your way with me once it’s all said and done.” She smirked.
She looked cute, a little fiery, something I’d never seen from her before. The way my comment set her off made her even more attractive to me. At the bar she always seemed a little meek, unsure of herself. I liked knowing that, when she had to, she could fight.
“Relax. This has nothing to do with me wanting to keep women down. I just think a guy should pay. It’s not about being unequal, it’s about being a gentleman. Treating a lady like a lady isn’t a bad thing.” I stepped down from the truck, walking around to make sure that we were face to face for this next part. “You’re worth all the effort in the world. Please let me show you how you should be treated.” I held her face in my hands, bending down, touching my forehead to hers. I watched as her beautiful lips formed into a sweet smile.
“You win,” she finally whispered.
“I usually do.” I took her hand in my own and walked her over to the front door of her apartment. She opened it with her key, before turning around and gazing at me. We both stood there in the hushed silence of the night. The sounds of the city around us: distant sirens and the random people walking in small clusters, talking loudly to each other. I watched Daisy without saying anything. All I wanted to do was watch her for an eternity. I would never tire of staring into those expressive eyes. “You’re breathtaking. You know that?” I said, but she shook her head. “How could you not know?” My voice lowered an octave. “You own a mirror, don’t you?”
She laughed then, sweet and pretty, like chimes on the wind.
She stood still, gazing at me, haunting me, owning me.
And then I knew I had to leave. Staying there, with her looking so lush and innocent, wouldn’t have added up to anything good.
I had to be careful, I had to be smart.
I was already falling for sweet, sweet Daisy.
Chapter 3
Izzy
“This place is charming,” I hummed, feeling his eyes on me in every raw nerve of my body as I sat across the table from him.
“It’s a family favorite.”
I nodded, brain foggy as I tried to function in his presence. Sitting for the last hour across the table from him had felt like a miraculous feat--the way his eyes slow-dragged up my body when he first saw me sent a thrill of excitement snapping through my nerves.
I swallowed, shifting under his hot gaze, before dragging the edge of my spoon along the decadent berry and cream concoction I’d ordered for dessert.
He huffed from across the table, his broad form coming to cover mine before he finally said, “Let me.”
My eyes shot up, leveling with his as my heart rattled wildly in my chest. My nipples had been puckered to hard points all night. From the lobster bisque we’d begun with, to the berry sundae he was about to feed me now, I’d been on fire with the need to feel him.
He dipped the edge of the spoon in the dessert, then caught his bottom lip in his teeth before dragging the tip across my lips. My tongue darted out, tasting the cream for the first time before I groaned and sighed.
“My mom made dessert almost every night, she was the best baker,” I said as he pressed a little more to my lips, forcing me to clean the mess he left with the tip of my tongue. “But this is another level of heavenly.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” His dark voice rumbled through my veins.
I twisted in my seat, straightening the pencil skirt I’d worn. “You haven’t even tried it.”
“I don’t have to, the look of pleasure on your pretty features speaks volumes.” His words were thick, maybe a little needy.
“Oh.”
He scooped another bite, sliding it past my lips and watching me as I chewed and swallowed. “Tell me more about your mom.”
His words were more an order than a friendly conversation starter. He was so rough around the edges, but there was also a tenderness hidden deep beneath.
“I was close to my mom. We were best friends, there wasn’t a secret I didn’t share with her, so when she passed away, it destroyed me. I wasn’t ready, I wasn’t even a little bit prepared, and the cancer came on so swiftly, my dad tried to find every expert doctor he could to treat her, but by the time she was diagnosed I think it was already too late.”
He nodded, sliding the spoon into more berry drizzle and feeding me again.
“I don’t talk about her. Ever. I don’t know why I’m actually telling you all this, but there’s just something about you. You make me feel safe. Something I haven’t felt in a while. I don’t know why, but, talking to you feels so natural. I’ve never talked to anyone about losing my mom, and my dad...well, he’s not really the feelings type.”
Hawk chuckled. “Can’t say I am either, but I’ll listen to you talk about yours all day.”
“You don’t have feelings?” I teased back.
“Sure I do, just don’t talk about them.”
“Sounds healthy.” I stole the spoon from his hand and swiped it in the cream. “Your turn.”
I dragged the spoon across the seam of his lips, but instead of licking like I’d done, he snatched my wrist in a vise-like grip and brought my finger to his lips. He popped my fingertip into his mouth, sucking softly, his deft tongue swirling around the sensitive tip and setting my lady parts on fire.
“You’re finger-licking delicious, Daisy.”
I didn’t have a verbal reply, but my body’s reaction to his words was loud and clear. The unbearable hum between my thighs caused by him was dialed up to a fever pitch. After opening and closing my mouth a few times, I finally said, “You’re toying with me.”
He held his hardened grip on my wrist, loosening softly before he dropped a string of delicate kisses along the underside. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I don’t talk about feelings, not with anyone. If you want to know the truth, my life started out sad and pathetic, and now it’s successful and downright savage some days. Being dropped in a dumpster on your birthday will do that to a guy.”
“Dropped in a dumpster? What?” I struggled to understand what he meant.
His eyes flicked from my wrist, cradled in his heavy palm, back to my eyes. He sighed, before saying, “My birth mother wasn’t fit to take care of me, so the day I was born, she dropped me in a dumpster and went on with her day.”
“Hawk.” I moved my other hand over my mouth, unable to imagine the trauma he’d been born into.
“It all worked out in the end though,” he continued, slipping his fingers between mine, so we were now holding hands across the expanse of the table. “A woman with a heart of gold found me, and
she brought me home and raised me like one of her own. She, along with her husband, adopted me. They are tough but fair, and they taught me early on that life isn’t fair but hard work always pays off. So when I was old enough, I started working for my adopted father. I figure it all turned out just the way it was meant to.”
“That’s such a smart perspective. I wish I could see the bright side of the world I came from, but now that my mom is gone…” I felt those old, familiar tears welling in my eyes for all I’d lost after losing her.
“I can’t imagine the shit you must have seen, growing up in the Main family.” He tipped his head to the side, dark eyes flickering over my face as he took me in.
“Well, the first time I really knew I came from fucked up people was at my fourth grade music recital. I had a solo that night, and I was so nervous I couldn’t even eat. My mom brought me to school that night and Dad was supposed to meet us there because he was running late at work. I thought he was a car salesman for the longest time. He ran his office out of a Cadillac dealership, so it made sense to me. Until the night of my recital, when Mom got a call that Grandma had slipped and was on her way to the hospital, so Mom left to meet her there and my dad didn’t show up until the last five minutes...sometimes I wish he wouldn’t have shown up. Believe me.” My stomach turned with the memories I usually tried to black out. “I walked out of the gymnasium with tears in my eyes, because both of my parents missed my solo, and just as I was about to get a ride home with a friend’s mom, my dad pulled up in his car. He scooped me into his arms and apologized over and over, and I loved him so much I wanted to believe him. Until he gave me the roses.”
His Mark: A Mafia Romance (Forever Mine Book 1) Page 1
