Cocky

  He considered kicking her out then and there so she would understand that he had zero notion of having anything more substantial between them than the purely physical…but then he thought about that hurt expression she’d worn when he’d merely pushed her away.

  It didn’t sit well with him.

  Curious. Why was it that he could do that—and had—to dozens of women before her, and now he was struggling with it? It should be second nature by now. Hell, it had been, before she came along.

  As Manuel transferred his attention to the trey ceiling, he realized something was different with this one. He’d never been much for one-night stands, though he’d never turned his nose up at one if the opportunity and the need presented itself. But, in the past, whenever a woman showed signs of getting too close, he had no problem showing her the door.

  Searching within himself, he found he didn’t possess the same inclinations with Rena. He…wanted her to stay. Just for a while. Nothing serious, but still, he wasn’t eager to run her off and never see her again.

  “Manny,” Rena breathed, that gentle hand stroking his chest again.

  Right. She’d asked him a question. “Si, I guess it does.”

  He could feel the happiness radiating from her. Rena was so vibrant, jubilant, full of life… To crush that kind of spirit would be a tragedy. Yet, to remain with him would ensure just that. But he didn’t care. He’d made a decision: he was going to enjoy the fruits Rena had to offer. Just once, he was going to take his time with a woman, explore her depths more fully.

  And when he was done with her, he’d cut her loose, no matter how he felt about her.

  Which would be nothing but the kind of typical compassion one human being felt for another, but she was young and would soon forget about him and move on with her life, and he with his.

  That tracing finger inched its way up his chest before her hand cupped his jaw and guided his face down to hers. “In the spirit of getting to know each other better, I vote we start here in bed.”

  “Aren’t you tired, hermosa?” She’d already drained him twice, and the night was still young.

  “I’ll rest when I’m dead,” she replied flippantly, then rolled fully into him and threw her leg around his waist, pulling her naked body on top of his. With a wickedly seductive smile, she said, “I’m going to ride you like a roller coaster.”

  Manuel met her mouth halfway, and they tore into each other. Third time’s a charm, Manuel thought as she impaled herself on him and made good on her promise.

  ***

  Ew, old people sex. Victorjia couldn’t believe that in a house as big as this, and with as much money as it must have taken to build it, they’d cut back in important areas, like adequate insulation.

  She was in the opposite wing from her father, a hallway and grand staircase away, and she could still hear the sounds of sex. The walls must be paper thin. Just like the whole no-blinds-on-the-windows-so everyone-can-see-everything-you-own thing she didn’t understand, leave it to the rich to include sexual escapades to the list of their exhibitionist tendencies. Well, maybe she had that backward, but she knew what she meant.

  Some things just needed to be kept private.

  Unable to stand the wails and grunts of pleasure and that horrible skin-smacking sound—God, she prayed he wasn’t spanking the woman—Victorjia climbed out of bed and hurriedly threw on some clothes in the dark. She didn’t care if it matched or not; she just had to get out of the house before she lost her mind—or her dinner.

  Either was very possible at this point.

  Besides, she had a date tonight. She closed her eyes, hearing his smooth, low voice again. Tomorrow night. Eight. She had no intention of standing him up. She just needed to get there.

  Most of the guards her father employed were sleeping in their assigned quarters or back home with their families—she assumed. But there was a small detail that stayed on overnight, combing the perimeter of the house and watching over its grounds to ensure no uninvited guests showed up unannounced.

  Victorjia didn’t know what her father did to gain all of his considerable and obvious wealth since she’d been raised by her grandma for most of her life. But the years she could recall, somewhere between the ages of five and now, were filled with scathing stories of what a bad man Manuel Contreras was. How misguided he’d become after her mother died. Victorjia and he hadn’t had an ideal father-daughter relationship, one with piggyback rides and Sunday trips to the ice cream shop, but she’d never sensed a bad man when she spoke with him.

  Her father was sad, a damaged soul filled with sorrow over a past that had done them both a considerable amount of damage and robbed them of a future that should have been.

  Even now, seeing with her own eyes and having to acknowledge that something about the way he lived and how he came by it all, seemed suspect, but she couldn’t call him a bad man.

  Sad, insecure, fearful, and a whole lot overprotective of his only daughter, but not bad. And if he had done bad things? Well, what human being could claim they never had? Life was fraught with uncertainties and unfortunate and sometimes necessary difficult decisions. As long as he wasn’t a cold-blooded murderer, as long as everything he did, he did with purpose, she could forgive him anything.

  Sneaking down the shiny stone staircase that she was certain she would one day slip and fall down, Victorjia, quietly padded her way to the first floor, shoes in hand, ready for an adventure.

  She had no idea where she was going— Okay, that wasn’t exactly true. She had some idea. While the area itself was as-yet unmapped to her, a particular face kept popping up in her mind’s eye.

  That’s where she was headed. To find him.

  The cab drive would take care of the rest.

  It was easy enough to give the guard at the front door the slip. Easy because he’d been sleeping on the job. She’d been mad to find him passed out cold, but thankful because it gave her the chance to make her escape.

  After that, it was a matter of simply waiting until the other two making their paces on the left and right side of the house changed direction, and she took off running on light feet across the cobbled turnabout, not stopping until the shadows of the tree-lined driveway enveloped her. Then she put on her canvas shoes and started walking—briskly—to the main road where she planned to call a cab that would pick her up en route and take her wherever she wanted to go.

  It was almost scary how easily and well she was able to give her father’s men the slip. While it worked in her favor tonight, she knew she had to tell him about the man sleeping at his post come morning. With as much money as she’d bet he paid them, he deserved better security, and that man deserved to be fired. God forbid anything bad actually happened. He’d be a sitting duck.

  Avoiding the security cameras, Victorjia scaled the stone wall holding up the tall, metal gates. Once she reached the other side, she made her call to the cab company, and within minutes, she was headed toward the small downtown area. Excitement filled her to the brim.

  thirteen

  Angel was relieved. The nurse, Sable, had done her thing, inspecting her arm with the same professionalism and know-how than any doctor she’d ever encountered. It didn’t take long for her to surmise that she was suffering from a minor sprain and helped to bandage it before walking her through a quick and easy process of caring for her arm until it healed.

  Angel was just glad that it wasn’t broken. She couldn’t afford the medical bills, nor could she want to take the time off work. She might be able to afford a comfortable living waitressing at the club, but she wasn’t rich. Being put out of commission for any length of time could easily put her straight into the poorhouse, like any blue-collar family in America. She was a few paychecks away from losing it all.

  Well, she’d dodged that bullet, no thanks to that stupid deer that didn’t know how to look both ways before crossing. If only Mother Nature was a touch more intelligent.

  Now, Angel was merely dealing with a nuisance rat
her than a real nightmare.

  She looked over at Moose, who had been fairly quiet all evening. “What are you thinking about?”

  Never taking his eyes off the television, he said, “Oh no, you’re not going to be one of those women, are you?”

  He said it like he was joking, but she suspected otherwise. “Yes, I am, so answer the question. You’ve been quiet all day.”

  “Just watching TV.”

  She didn’t believe him. “It’s more than that. You haven’t said much of anything since we left the clubhouse.”

  “Just thinking, Mouse. Nothing serious.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that’s not true?”

  “Because you’re a woman and women always think that.”

  Growing impatient, she said, “That’s not true. Women sense stuff, and I’m sensing that something is wrong. So tell me what it is that has you thinking so hard.”

  It took him a few beats before he turned his face toward hers and regarded her seriously. “That accident fucked up my head.”

  She frowned. “How exactly?”

  Moose looked off, pulling together the right words. “If it’d just been me on that bike, no problem. I’ve wiped out before, took my licks, and just kept on going. But this time, you went down with me.” He lifted a shoulder in a mild shrug. “Just fucked with my head is all.”

  “You mean because I got hurt?” When he nodded, her frown deepened. It wasn’t even that big of a deal. She’d received mild injuries, nearly the same as he had. If she hadn’t landed on her arm the way she had, she would have walked away with minor bruises and scrapes to match his. “You know I’m fine though,” she pointed out.

  “It’s not that. I’m glad you’re okay. It’s knowing that it could have been worse that’s stuck in my head.”

  She shifted her body to face him fully. “Kade—”

  “I already know what you’re going to say, and I get it. I don’t need to hear what I already know, so let’s just drop it. It’s something I need to work out for myself.”

  “But—”

  He shut her up with a finger on her lips. “How about instead of words, we argue about this in the bedroom. I have a couple of new moves I’ve been wanting to work out on you, and this is the perfect time to try it.”

  Heat suddenly engulfed Angel’s insides, like a wildfire burning out of control. Any pain she felt from her injury vanished in an instant, her thoughts completely consumed with ideas of what he might have in store for her.

  “I might be down for some experimentation tonight,” she hedged.

  “Might?”

  “I mean am.”

  “Then what are we still sitting around here for?” Moose stood and flicked off the television, then held out his hand for her to take. His white smile flashed in the dark. “Ready to take a walk on the dark side, Mouse?”

  Fitting her good hand in his, she let him help pull her to her feet. “Depends. Do you mean that literally or figuratively?”

  “Maybe both. I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

  Angel kept hold of Kade’s hand and allowed him to tow her back to her bedroom. Remembering that she now had Rena as a roommate, he closed the door behind them then backed her up to the bed.

  With the kind of care she’d only seen him use on rare occasions, Kade quietly undressed her—careful of her bandaged arm—and himself, then eased her back onto the bed before climbing up and settling himself on top of her.

  Unlike his usual, frenzied efforts, Kade placed sweet kisses on the tip of her nose, mouth, chin, and jaw, working his way lower to her neck, each shoulder, and finally back up again to her mouth where he stayed the longest, kissing her languidly, as if time itself was standing still just for them.

  Running her nails lightly up and down his back as he feathered his lips down the side of her neck again, Angel began to wonder in earnest what his plans for her were. “What are you up to Kade Hunter?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  Eyes closed, she took a moment to focus on the heat of his breath on her skin, the weight of his body on hers, and the feeling of contentment washing over and through her like ocean waves. “I don’t know…” she breathed. But that wasn’t entirely true. She knew what it felt like he was doing, but she didn’t dare assume.

  “Well, if you don’t know yet, then let me be a little clearer.”

  Bracing himself on his forearms, Kade looked into her eyes as he slid slowly inside of her. A soft gasp left Angel’s lips as he filled her, allowing her to feel every inch of his girth. When she was full, he began to slowly and gently rock his hips, gliding into her body and back out again in a tortuous rhythm that had her moaning her praises.

  Judging by the cocky glimmer in his eye as he watched her climb toward a violent climax, screaming his name and the Lord’s in kind and embedding her nails into his skin like a cat climbing a tree, Kade was very pleased with himself.

  Reduced to a sweaty, trembling, wrung out shell of her former self, Angel clung to Kade as best she could while avoiding aggravating her injury further while she took a moment to pull herself together.

  “You okay, Mouse?”

  Hearing the amusement in his voice, she nodded into his shoulder where she’d tucked her face, hiding her embarrassment for having reacted so insanely.

  He waited for her to finally show her face before kissing her soundly on the mouth. “I’m going to take a wild guess, but I think you liked my little experiment.”

  God, he was going to lord this over her forever, she was sure of it. Trying to play it off, she sighed and said, “It was nice.”

  “Nice? Nice?” Withdrawing, Kade’s goofy, mischievous smile was the only warning she got. “I’ll show you nice.”

  With a growl, he began tickling her. Going from tired and satiated to full-defense mode as all of her senses were assaulted, Angel cackled through a mixture of happiness and agony. There was something about being tickled that sucked so much ass while at the same time brought so much joy.

  “Stop! Oh my God, stop, please!” she begged.

  “Was it still nice?” he taunted.

  “It was better than nice,” she squealed, wiggling and flopping around on the bed, grasping the linens while she searched for an escape route.

  “Better explain, baby, or you’re going to get more of this.” He went from her ribs to her knees, grabbing the same way she and Rena used to do when they were kids to see if either of them liked boys, which was, to her, a new height in his torturous methods.

  “It was amazing. Fantastic. Kade, I’m gonna pee!”

  He stopped immediately, although she could tell by the glint in his eye and the persistent smile that he was doing so reluctantly.

  “I’m glad you finally decided to come clean, Mouse. Remember that so there won’t be a next time.”

  She scoffed but didn’t press her luck.

  “I’m hungry,” Kade blurted as he suddenly rolled over and leaped out of bed. “Get dressed, babe. Let’s go grab something to eat.”

  Angel frowned as she did just that while issuing a weak protest. “There’s plenty of food here. Why do we have to go out?”

  “Because you don’t have what I want here.”

  She couldn’t argue that, since Kade didn’t exactly say what it was he was in the mood for. Pulling on a pair of skinny jeans, Angel had to admit she wasn’t only not tired, but she was curious about this mystery food and place he had in mind.

  It wasn’t too late, and a little adventure sounded exciting. Plus, she was ready to get back on the back of his bike.

  “We’ll take your car,” Kade said, shattering her desirous thoughts. “Where are your keys?”

  As she retrieved them and handed them over, she asked, “You don’t want to take your bike?”

  He looked at her as if her head had come unscrewed and rolled away. “Not with your arm like that.”

  “It doesn’t even hurt,” she protested. For now, thanks to their amorous lovemaking, she was stil
l riding the painkillers provided by her brain’s flood of hormones.

  “Be that as it may, the answer is a big, fat no, Mouse. Until you’re healed, and maybe not for a time afterward until I stop seeing you skidding across the asphalt every time I close my damn eyes, the only vehicle you’re riding in will have four wheels. At least.”

  She scowled, but there was no sense arguing. The set of his jaw and the no-nonsense look in his eyes warned her to keep her mouth shut. Angel knew a brick wall when she saw one.

  “Fine, whatever. Have it your way. But this isn’t the last you’re going to hear about it,” she warned him.

  “I didn’t expect it was, but Mouse,” he said, leaning closer, “I don’t back down from a fight. Ever. You need to remember that too.”

  Then he dropped a quick kiss on her mouth and opened the door, standing back for her to pass. She did, giving him the evil eye as she went so he understood just how irritated she was with him.

  Angel was going to get back on that bike, sooner than he thought, come hell or high water. He wasn’t her daddy, and he certainly wasn’t her boss. He’d better remember that.

  Ha! she thought, feeling better about the situation already.

  fourteen

  They ended up at some place called the Tavern. It was way out of the way in some town Angel had never heard of before, and it was packed. Maybe it was the only place in town to get a decent drink because, from the sheer amount of cars parked in the gravel lot and the people milling about, she guessed that every last person that lived in the area was present tonight.

  The idea of being in a place that small surrounded by that many people was nausea-inducing, but one look at handsome Kade’s face and how his expression lightened considerably as he threw the car into park, and she kept her lips sealed.

  She wasn’t about to rain on his parade when he was clearly excited to be there. When he turned a bright smile on her and said, “Come on,” she knew he was excited to have her there with him, too.