by Gwyn McNamee
Crap.
I probably should call or something to make sure he didn’t end up in the hospital with a ruptured nut. “Wouldn’t Dani have heard something if Stone was seriously injured?”
Caroline raises and lowers one shoulder. “Maybe, but it’s not like Savage and Stone are close. So it’s possible Savage wouldn’t even know.”
I chew on my bottom lip.
Should I call him?
Go over to his place?
Or just leave it alone?
My phone ringing pulls me from my thoughts of Stone’s junk. I wrestle it out of my purse. It’s Dani.
“Hey, are you on your way?”
An exasperated sigh greets me. “No, I’m not going to make it. Kennedy had a rough night last night and didn’t sleep much, and she’s passed out now. I thought maybe she’d wake up before I had to come meet you guys, but she’s still out cold, and I don’t want to wake her.”
Guilt pokes at me when I realize I’m actually glad Dani isn’t going to make our lunch date.
Having to explain the whole Stone fiasco to her would have been awkward and probably would have led to a lot of questions I can’t answer.
Why was Stone there? Why the heck did he charge over to me like that?
I’d love to know the answers myself, but the only person who has them is probably still doubled-over in pain and wanting to kill me right now.
“Oh, that sucks. I guess I’ll talk to you later then.” I try to keep the relief out of my voice.
“Yeah, we’ll figure something out. Maybe I can sneak out for dinner later this week or something and leave Kennedy with Savage.” She can’t hide the desperation in her voice. Her need for some adult only time must be driving her insane.
“Sounds good. Just let me know what you can swing.”
Caroline quirks an eyebrow. “Dani?”
“Yeah, she’s not gonna make it.”
“Shit.” Her eyes drift over to the glass of wine sitting at Dani’s spot. “Well, I guess that just means another glass for me.” She drains what’s left in hers and then grabs the other.
I chuckle. “Aren’t you worried about going back to work drunk?”
She grins. “First of all, two glasses of wine does not get me drunk. I’m practically a professional wine drinker. Second, Doug is pretty much useless as a boss. He doesn’t give a shit what we do, so even if I did go to work drunk, as long as my pieces are ready when it’s time to publish, he wouldn’t care.”
“You’re lucky then.”
She shrugs. “I guess so. But, back to Stone…what are you going to do?”
I haven’t told anyone about Stone or that I know he’s been watching me. I’m not even sure how I feel about it, so explaining it to someone else is impossible. He’s not doing anything illegal, or really anything creepy, considering it’s a strip club. Men come to watch naked women. It’s the fact that he’s always lurking in the shadows, clearly intent on remaining anonymous, that throws me for a loop.
Stone doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who sits back and watches. He’s definitely more of a see, take, destroy kind of guy.
So why hasn’t he made any moves on me?
Other than the innuendoes and flirting at dinner the other night, he’s gone out of his way to make sure I didn’t know he was interested.
“I’m not sure what to do, Care. I mean, I barely know the guy. Maybe I should leave it be?”
She snort-laughs and takes a sip of the new full glass of wine. “I’ve met Stone, Nora. Do you really think he’s going to just leave it be? He’s probably nursing his wounds right now, but I bet you a million dollars, this is not the last you will see of Stone Hawke.”
I’m sure it’s not, and I’m at a complete loss over what to do about it.
I never imagined I would ever be voluntarily putting ice on my nuts. But Fucking A, they hurt…still, even though Nora waylaid me almost fifteen hours ago.
This is the kind of pain I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy, and she did it to me when all I was trying to do was protect her from whatever the creep in the truck had in mind.
The ache between my legs reminds me that underestimating her was a huge mistake. She clearly knows how to defend herself.
At the cost of my poor junk.
And now, I have to try to move again.
With a groan, I grit my teeth and roll up to a sitting position before dropping my legs off the side of the bed. The ice pack that’s been chilling my sac ends up on the nightstand before I gingerly rise to my feet.
Fuck.
Every little movement sends searing pain through my groin. She really did a fucking number on me.
I’m almost proud. Most women wouldn’t have the first clue what to do if someone approached them aggressively in a dark parking lot like that. Granted, I wasn’t being aggressive, but she didn’t know the difference. Her split-second reaction was exactly how I would want any of the women in my life to respond. So while my body screams at her, I know she did the right thing.
I shuffle to the bathroom and run my hands over my unshaven face. I look as bad as I feel. The whiskey and blow I did last night to try to ease the pain has done nothing but leave me a fucking mess.
The only reason I’m even getting out of bed today is the meeting with Castillo. That’s not something I can just blow off, even if I still feel like my nuts were crushed in a vise.
Meeting with the head of one of the most dangerous crime syndicates in NOLA while I’m not at the top of my game probably isn’t the best idea, but skipping or trying to reschedule the meeting would be insulting and would end up putting Dom in an even worse position than he’s already in. I know he doesn’t want to start a war, but drugs are a big part of his business and so are the docks. He can’t just stand by and let Castillo run him over.
And he’s relying on me to broker some sort of peace.
Pull yourself together.
A long, scalding hot shower should do the trick. I hope. I don’t want to have to resort to my other pick me up. Not when so much is at stake. Dom is trusting me to get the job done, and the last person in the world I want to disappoint is him. Not after what he did for me…
Despite my best efforts, the image of the gun in my hand flashes before my eyes and the deafening crack of it firing resounds in my ears. No matter how many years pass, I can’t keep myself from reliving that moment over and over again. The blood. The fear. The promise Dom made to me…
I shake my head to clear the memory and step into the hot spray.
There isn’t any time to dwell on the past now. I have to look to the future.
A future I wish could include Nora. Her unusual mix of sexy and innocent drew me to her, and after seeing her last night, I know there’s more to her than any sleazeball at the Club could possibly know. To them, she’s Cashmere. To me, she’s a weakness I can’t afford to have.
The water washes the remnants of the dirt and grime the wet pavement left from my hair but does nothing to ease the ache in my balls.
Shit.
I wonder how long this will last. I had hoped to finally get a chance to enjoy the pleasure of a willing piece of ass tonight, to both relieve the tension and try to get Nora out of my head, but by the feel of my boys, that’s not in the cards.
Drying off and slipping into my suit pants takes more time than usual. I am moving ridiculously slow to avoid any unneeded tweaking of my groin.
I button up my shirt and grab my jacket. My hand is on the doorknob to leave when the doorbell rings.
What the fuck?
No one has this address. Well, no one but Dom, Skye, Storm, and Mom. And any of them know to call before they just stop over.
I pull my hand away and lean in to check the peephole.
I’m not sure what your heart stopping should feel like, but I’m pretty sure it just happened.
Nora.
Nora fucking Eriksson, at my door.
What the hell is she doing here?
A huge p
art of me wants to leave her standing on the porch shifting nervously from foot to foot. She would deserve it after what she did to me last night. But the more rational part of me realizes she was just defending herself from a perceived threat, and leaving her twisting in the wind would be a real dick move.
I slide the deadbolt to the side and crack the door open. Her head jerks up, and wide, uncertain blue eyes meet mine.
“Oh, hi. I wasn’t sure you would be home.” Her voice is high and lyrical, with a slight waver I’ve never noticed before.
I make her nervous.
I stifle the grin threatening to spread across my face and keep my eyes locked on hers.
She glances away and twists her hand on the strap of her purse for a minute before her eyes return to mine.
“Did you come here to finish what you started last night? ‘Cause I’m not sure my balls can handle another blow like that.”
A flush spreads up her neck and across her cheeks, and those soft blue eyes widen. “What? No…I, uh, came to apologize.”
As much fun as fucking with her further would be, I take pity and open the door fully so she can enter. The scent of almonds and sugar swirl around her as she brushes past me into the house.
Damn, she smells good. Was she baking cookies?
She stops and turns in a circle, taking in the extravagant and intricately carved woodwork in the foyer. It was one of the things that originally drew me to this property. Even after only seeing pictures online, I could tell the craftsmanship was top-notch. They just built things better in the early 1900s than they do today. They took pride in their work. I appreciate the beauty of their craft. So even though I’ll never need the five bedrooms, I bought this massive Victorian without ever setting foot inside.
“Wow, this is gorgeous.”
I’m tempted to tell her she is too, but considering the last time I tried to talk to her, she kicked me in the nuts and tried to rip my arm off, I bite back the words.
Shit.
Since when do I not tell a beautiful woman what I think? Holding back is so not my style, and it’s making my already tender balls ache to have this woman in my orbit without acting on it.
“Thank you. I’m very lucky to have found it.”
She offers me a small smile, and I usher her through the doorway into the living room.
After a cursory glance around, she turns her attention to me and meets my eyes again. “About last night…”
Stone holds up a hand to stop me, giving me a second to take a deep breath.
While I’m grateful for the momentary reprieve and time to think, I also know him halting me may prevent me from ever getting the words out.
I wasn’t expecting my reaction when he opened the door.
Guilt, sure. I did knee him in the junk.
Attraction, maybe. Because God knows, Stone Hawke is sexy as sin.
But the physical draw, as if I was the Earth and he the Sun was unexpected. It’s left me incapable of forming coherent thoughts or full sentences. Maybe it’s the suit he’s wearing. Because, dang, now I understand what women mean when they say suit porn.
It’s hardly fair to the fairer sex that he can look that good just by slipping on a dark suit.
Crapola.
“You don’t have to explain. You were just defending yourself.”
My eyes cut back up to his and find them full of understanding and something else…
“I swear, I didn’t know it was you.”
He smirks, and that slight curve of his perfect lips makes my legs quiver more than after a ten hour shift in my heels.
I need to get out of here.
He takes a step toward me, and I instinctively move back a step. “I yelled your name…twice. Your real name.”
He did?
“I didn’t hear you. As soon as I saw a car careening toward me in the lot, I think I kind of blocked out everything but my need to get in the car. What were you doing there anyway?”
The muscle in his jaw ticks, and he takes a deep breath as he seems to contemplate something.
Stone Hawke unsure? I never thought I’d see the day.
“What if I told you I was there for you?”
He takes another step toward me, but his words have frozen me in place. Of course, I know he’s been watching me, but going so far as to follow me to the other club is a whole different story.
I’m not sure if I should be flattered or terrified.
Before I can muster up a response, he’s so close, his body heat radiates around me. His arms move out on either side of me. I move to step back but meet the resistance of the wall. His scent envelops me—leather and something dark and spicy, like black pepper.
God, he smells so good.
There’s probably never been a women caged between Stone Hawke and a wall who wasn’t immediately ready to jump him, but I can’t let myself give in.
No more bad decisions, Nora.
His blue eyes burn.
Fire on water.
I gasp in a breath and shake my head to clear the fog that’s formed. “I would ask why, if I didn’t already know the answer.”
Surprise flares in his eyes, and he leans back slightly, never removing his palms from the wall on either side of my head.
“And just what is it you think you know?”
I look to the right, to where the very distinct gold watch sits on his wrist, and smile. “Next time you want to anonymously stalk a girl, you might not want to wear such a distinct watch.”
His eyes fly to his wrist, and he pulls back, releasing me from the confines of his arms.
Why isn’t he saying anything?
I expected a smart-ass response or some effort to defend himself. But instead, he takes a step back and watches me like he’s searching for some explanation on my face.
Finally, after suffering under his withering stare for what feels like ten minutes, he clears his throat.
“How long have you known?”
I shrug and try to appear nonchalant when, in truth, my heart is practically beating out of my chest. “Since the dinner at your mom’s house. I saw the watch.”
He clenches his teeth and adjusts the watch with his right hand. “I wasn’t stalking you.”
“Really? What do you call coming to watch me from the shadows for months and then showing up in the middle of the night in the parking lot at a place you wouldn’t normally just run into me? Don’t tell me it was a coincidence you were there last night.”
His lips press together in a tight, thin line, and his eyes narrow on me. “No, it wasn’t a coincidence. I stopped by the main club, and you weren’t there. I asked Byron why you weren’t working and he told me you were over at TWO.”
Dangit.
I’ll be having a little talk with Byron next shift. If Savage and Gabe find out he told Stone where I was, he’ll be fired on the spot, regardless of the fact Stone’s family. He never should have given that information to anyone. I’m sure he thought it was fine, given it was Stone asking, but I need to make sure something like that will never happen again. I love Byron and would never rat him out, but the misstep could have led to something much worse than a knee to the balls.
“So why the ambush in the parking lot? Typically, you’re more of a shadows guy.”
He cracks a smile, but it vanishes almost as quickly. His eyes darken, and he steps closer, caging me in once again. “Jesus, you have no fucking clue how close you came to being in real fucking trouble, do you?”
What the heck is he talking about?
“I’m not following you.”
Having him this close again is making thinking clearly impossible.
One hand leaves the wall just long enough for him to rub it over his face before it returns to the side of my head. “The truck parked a few spaces over from you. You didn’t notice someone sitting in it, or it rolling forward, with no headlights on, when you were walking to your car?”
I shake my head and envision the parking lot last nigh
t. My car was parked under the lamp post. I always find a lit area to park. A mental image of each and every car near mine pops into my head, but I don’t remember any moving or anything suspicious. “What? No. I would have seen that, I’m careful.”
His head drops back, and he barks out a laugh. “I learned first-hand last night that you can defend yourself, but you were clearly not paying attention to your surroundings. Why wasn’t someone escorting you to your car?”
Because I was stupid.
The night ended with a clash with another dancer, and I was flustered, racing out the back door without even thinking about securing an escort from Saint or one of the other bouncers.
Apparently, Lucky felt the fact I had been pre-med meant that I was a rich bitch no matter what I said or did. I had to get out of there or I was probably going to have a meltdown in front of everyone. They could never understand what I went through, what happened…
Her eyes glaze over like she’s a million miles away, and her body goes rigid.
She’s lost in some memory. Maybe of last night, maybe of something else.
I don’t want to scare her, but she needs to understand how dangerous the situation was last night, what could have happened if I hadn’t shown up.
Christ.
Just the thought of something happening to her…of some scumbag pervert getting their hands on her…
It makes me want to throw that carefully maintained control to the wayside, kiss the fuck out of her, and tell her she’s mine. But seeing how fragile she looks right now ensures me I’m making the right decision not pursuing her. My life is messy and dirty. I’m messy and dirty. She needs and deserves someone who can give her white picket fences, kids, and total security. I can’t offer that, even if it’s what I really want, deep down.
My loyalty is to the man who saved my life, the man who is my father, for all intents and purposes. And that brings things with it that make it impossible to ever have Nora with me. Even if I could overlook the danger to her, even if we could get past the inevitable judgement from our families, there would still be the issue of what I am, what I need to be. And that’s not anything she’s ready for.
