I step closer, her body an inch from mine. I can feel the warmth of her body. She’s close enough to touch, but I’m having too much fun taunting her. I feel the words wrap around my lips as I say them. “Desperation and kindness don’t mingle.”
She snaps, and lunges for the keys. “I don’t need charity.”
I pull back, letting her body brush against my arm. I hold the keys out of reach and look down into her beautiful face. There’s something about her that’s so different. I honestly think she may knee me in the nuts, take back her keys, and figure out the Chilton’s manual. “Good, because I’m not offering a handout. I never said I was paying, honey.”
Her gaze narrows. “Stop calling me that.”
“What? Honey? You’re not all sweet and smooth, going down?”
She snorts. “Well, you’ll never find out, will you?” She raises her brows at me and smirks.
Holy fuck. I love this woman. I can’t believe she said that. I lean in close enough to see the tiny freckle that rests on the soft skin just above the bow in her top lip. She stiffens and lowers her lashes, her gaze fixated on my mouth thinking that I’m going to kiss her.
Instead, I stop and whisper as I grin. “Stop thinking about it.”
“I’m not,” she breathes, but I know she is from the way her gaze drops. She doesn’t move. She stays there a breath away. When she shifts her weight, her tits brush against my chest. It’s enough to make me want to take her here and now. “Besides, certain acts are reserved for men who are worth it, and you’re questionable at best.”
“Then, I’ll have to change your mind.”
She smiles and watches me from under those long lashes. “Once I form an opinion, it doesn’t change.” Her minty breath washes across my lips as she speaks. It’s fucking hypnotic.
“Then, I’ll be sure to leave you with a lasting impression—something unforgettable.” I turn on my heel before she can say another word, or change her mind, and head toward the door. She follows me out into the parking lot.
I pop her hood, the real one, but see the problem as soon as I sit down behind the wheel. It’s basic, but not something that I can fix in a parking lot. I try to crank the engine. It doesn’t even sputter and I point to the dash. “See that needle?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“It means your battery is dead.”
“But I just changed it. It’s new. It can’t be dead.”
“Odds are it’s your alternator, but someone needs to check it out. A jump won’t bring this battery back to life. Hell, it’s so far gone that the dome light isn’t even coming on”
She inhales slowly, doesn’t blink, and then swears under her breath. Hand to her head she says, “Shit. I can’t fix that myself.” Her book has black smudges and oily fingerprints all over it. I have no doubt that she’s been working on the car.
“Not tonight, but given enough time in the light of day, I’m sure you could figure it out.” I mean every word of it. There’s something about her, I can see it in her eyes. She likes to tinker, to take things apart and put them back together. She’s not a grease monkey—it’s more than that. It has something to do with curiosity and understanding. She wants to know how things work.
She softens a little. “Thanks. I think I’m going back to plan A for tonight.”
“Which was…?”
Her green gaze cuts to the side, landing on me. “Getting plastered and joining AAA so they can tow my car home.”
“As amazing as that sounds, I can have your car fixed in a couple of hours. It’d be ready for you, right here. And I can’t help but notice there’s a nice warm room right over there.” I tip my head at the little Hilton glowing in the cold night. She’s shivering, no coat, and doesn’t flat out reject me this time. “Which would you prefer? Drinking buddy or getting off with a guy who can make a girl come three times, back to back? It’s pretty amazing, at least that’s what I’ve been told.” I hold her gaze, shocked she hasn’t shot me down yet.
She rolls her eyes and tries not to smile. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she glances up at me. “You don’t need to hype yourself. I’m not blind.”
“It’s not hype. It’s a fact, and I felt like you needed the choice. But it is fucking cold out here, so how about picking one. Either way, I’ll make sure you forget everything that’s bothering you for a little bit. What do you say?”
She sighs loudly and looks back at the bar. She’s going to pick drinking buddy. Her body language says it all. Slumped shoulders, apprehension, lack of trust. She’s strung tight like she might punch me in the face for the hell of it.
Then she looks down at my hand and takes it, threading my fingers through hers. “Grab a bottle to go, and let’s get the hell out of here.”
CHAPTER 2
~AIDEN~
I have no idea who this woman is and I don’t ask her name. She doesn’t ask for mine. I grab a bottle of Absolute and check in under an alias, pushing the guy at the desk a hundred when he wants to see my license. He takes it, and suddenly that part isn’t important anymore. It’s amazing what people will do for a few bucks at this time of year.
A nervous energy radiates from the blonde goddess standing next to me. Her body is tense, all lean muscle, and she’s strong. I got that. She’s not a doormat and sure as hell doesn’t take shit from anyone. I wonder how crazy she is for a second, eyeing that massive purse, knowing damn well she might be insane. There could be an ax in there. The hot ones are always nuts.
Hot Girl follows me to the room and when we walk inside, I flip on the lights. I toss my keycard on the cheap counter and look at the sad little room. The bedspread has that once white look and the room is well lived in. I’m about to turn around and tell her that she doesn’t have to do shit with me, that we can drink in here—I’m fine with it—when she shuts the lights off and steps toward me with a look in her eye that’s all sex.
She wants me, is thinking about clawing her nails down my back and riding my dick. I wonder if she wants me or just needs an escape. It doesn’t matter, not tonight. Her arms are around my neck and her perfect little body presses against mine. Her tits mash against my chest making my dick hard. She smells like vanilla and baby powder. Coupled with that peppermint breath, I could eat her up. Her hair feels like silk in my fingers and when her lips meet my neck, she trails her hands up under my sweater running her palms over my abs slowly, teasing me.
She breathes into my ear, “Open the bottle and let’s get to it.”
“Anything you want.” I crack open the vodka and ask if she wants ice, but she shakes her head.
“Neat is fine.” She downs the first cup and then a second one before tugging that sweater over her head. She steps toward me with her golden hair tossed over her shoulders and a black bra that makes her tits look better than the sweater. It’s not fucking possible to look at her face when she’s this hot. The best part, she has no fucking clue. This chick probably thinks she’s cute or pretty. She has no idea that guys like me fantasize about a body like this. She’s curvy with a narrow waist and her hips spill down into thighs that I can’t wait to get between. She’s a fucking seductress with a fairy’s face and a saunter that would make a succubus jealous. The girl’s got moves.
She pulls my sweater over my head and walks around me slowly, dragging the pads of her fingers across my stomach, side, and then across my lower back. She stops behind me and presses her tits to my back, rocking those sweet hips toward me. I feel her hot kiss on my skin and it takes everything I have to stay still and see how this plays out. Most women wait for me to make the first move. I can count on one hand how many times a woman has controlled me in bed. Most don’t even try.
She places a palm on both sides of my waist and asks, “Why aren’t you drinking?”
“I thought you’d have a better time if I wasn’t totally plastered.”
“Plastered would be bad, but a little tipsy might be fun. Take a drink.” She releases me and then walks over to th
e bed, sits down on the edge and crosses her jean-clad legs at the knee. She leans back on her arms which pushes her chest out, making her body look even more appealing.
She doesn’t have to ask me twice. I pour a double and down it fast, before walking over to her. I’m about to push her back onto the bed when she stops me, grabs my waistband, and unbuttons my jeans. The zipper slides down slowly as she watches with fascination. I feel her hand wrap around my shaft and swallow a moan. She smiles as she feels its girth, squeezing me firmly, making me harder, longer with her touch. She slides down my jeans and strips my boxers, leaving me naked and standing in front of her, my erection before her eyes.
She glances up at me from under her lashes. “Is anything off the table?”
Oh fucking hell. She’s perfect. I shake my head. “You?”
“No.” She takes a swig from the bottle.
I do the same before putting it on the nightstand and lying back against the pillows. I lace my arms behind my head. I glance at her and see her eyes on my face, questions fade when she kneels on the bed and unhooks her bra. She tosses it to the side, and I can see the swell of her tits and those nipples, tight and perfect for me.
I grin at her and command, “Strip. Lose it. All of it.”
She doesn’t speak, doesn’t play coy, or act shy. She obeys and it makes me hard again. The way she slips out of her jeans and panties, she tosses them aside without a drop of shame and waits. I could learn to enjoy this. She goes from being in charge to being compliant. I want to feel her naked body pressed to mine.
Before I can act, there’s a knock at the door. I look at Hot Girl for a second and she says, “Go ahead and answer it. I’m not going anywhere.” She leans back against the pillows.
I’m torn, I don’t want to leave her—not even for a second—but the asshole is knocking more urgently now. I swear and grab my jeans, pulling them on fast, and then pull on my shirt. I walk over to the door and yank it open. When I see who’s there, I step into the hallway, closing the door behind me.
Chad is grinning. “Lovely place to spend the night.”
I glare at him and hiss, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Saving your ass. Come on. I stumbled on something, but it’ll be gone by morning.”
I glance at the door. “I can’t walk out on her. She’ll never forgive me.”
Chad scoffs, “You’ll never see her again. Your ass is on the line. Fix it and then nail some other girl. She’s a piece of ass, they’re all the same.”
He sounds completely reasonable, but in the back of my mind, I know this one is different. If I leave now, I shoot any chance I have of being with her to hell.
Chad tugs at me. “Come on. We’re running out of time. We have to get there before the shredding company.”
“Where are we going?”
“Norvek.” The company that should have been mine. The company I nearly bankrupted. “It could save your ass.”
I walk away from the woman on the other side of the door without an explanation.
CHAPTER 3
~KRIS~
I tug my long hair over my shoulder, away from my sweaty skin, and smile. He’s insanely hot. In fact, I could have fallen for him and I know it. To save myself the heartache, I took him to bed. At least that’s what I tell myself as I wait for him to come back. There’s no way to recover from a one-night tryst with a random guy. I’ve tried it. There’s nothing after that which could possibly live up to the unrealistic expectations that have grown in my mind. If a guy is good in bed, he’s usually a total asshole, which is why I had a long string of non-serious relationships until I met Carl. As for the one-nighter type of men, their bedroom skills come from years of dicking around, nailing anything that moves. This guy has mad skills, but there’s something else there—a haunted look in his eyes.
Something is gnawing away at him. I sense it, I’m not sure what it is exactly, but the slope of his shoulders and the twinge of regret in his voice makes me wonder. Maybe he’s coming off a bad break up too. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to be alone. Night is the worst time to be isolated. Every worry I ever had seems to creep up until there’s no escape. Being alone makes it worse.
I don’t want to think of Carl or what happened. There’s a hole in my chest where my heart belongs. Easing the ache for a bit, a distraction of slick bodies and sensations will help. It helped in the past, but the effects don’t last long enough. I thought I was done with this part of my life. It’s strange to be back in this vulnerable spot. Maybe I use sex as a defensive mechanism, a way to push guys away. The truth is, I didn’t plan on stopping at the bar tonight. The day went to hell and the car died just as I ran off from Carl. Luckily, I was able to push it into the nearest parking lot, which was the bar across the street. No one stopped to help, not that anyone ever does. It’s not like that here. At this point, my car is mostly duct tape and barely runs, but it’s all I have.
I know what I’m doing is reactionary. That if I hadn’t gotten dumped, I wouldn’t have said yes to this guy. Add up the rejection, cheating, and disbelief and I want to forget for a while. I can’t believe Carl was seeing someone else while he was living with me. I can’t get past that. What’s wrong with me? How did I miss that?
Then I quit. I walked away from a great job. I had no choice. I can’t go back there.
I’ll have to visit the employment agency on Friday and beg for a shit job that pays too little. People ask me why I’m not in college, or they look at me and assume I’m a student. It makes job-hunting difficult. I’m a social pariah for not continuing my education. There’s so much pressure to do what other people think is right. At times, I’m not sure who I am at all. Add in the swiftly approaching holidays and this entire mess is a nightmare. I don’t want to think about Thanksgiving tomorrow. I don’t want to pretend that it won’t suck, that I’m fine. I’m not, but I can put blinders on and keep marching.
One day everything will be all right. One day things will be good again. Until then, keep going and don’t stop. If I slow down, I’ll fall apart. I can’t let that happen.
I’m twirling my finger against the sheet forcing my mind back to thinking about the stranger. His body tells me everything I need to know. He’s a pampered ass, one of those rich kids that has time to work out and get rock hard abs and a matching ass. His arms are thick, powerful, but he’s careful with me. I like it. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do.
I roll onto my side after a second. I glance at the door that hasn’t moved. The hallway is silent. His sweater is still on the chair. The pit of my stomach dips. There’s no way he walked out, but the sinking feeling in my gut is telling me a different story. I wait another minute or two and pull on a robe and pad over to the door. I press my ear to the door and listen.
Nothing.
I pull the door open wide, throwing it back, hoping he’s there, but the hallway is empty.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING HOT GUY.
COMPLETED SERIES BY H.M. WARD
ROMANCE
~SECRETS & LIES~
~STRIPPED~
~THE PROPOSITION~
~DAMAGED~
~LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED~
~SECRETS~
~SECRET LIFE OF TRYSTAN SCOTT~
~SCANDALOUS~
TEEN PARANORMAL
~DEMON KISSED~
MORE FERRO FAMILY BOOKS
Trystan Scott
~BROKEN PROMISES~
Jonathan Ferro
~STRIPPED~
Bryan Ferro
~THE PROPOSITION~
Sean Ferro
~THE ARRANGEMENT~
Peter Ferro
~DAMAGED ~
Nick Ferro
~THE WEDDING CONTRACT~
Please turn the page for a suggested reading order.
SUGGESTED FERRO READING ORDER
THE ARRANGEMENT 1
THE ARRANGEMENT 2
THE ARRANGEMENT 3
THE ARRANGEMENT 4
T
HE ARRANGEMENT 5
THE ARRANGEMENT 6
DAMAGED 1
DAMAGED 2
SECRET LIFE OF TRYSTAN SCOTT 1
SECRET LIFE OF TRYSTAN SCOTT 2
SECRET LIFE OF TRYSTAN SCOTT 3
SECRET LIFE OF TRYSTAN SCOTT 4
SECRET LIFE OF TRYSTAN SCOTT 5
THE ARRANGEMENT 7
THE ARRANGEMENT 8
THE ARRANGEMENT 9
THE ARRANGEMENT 10
THE ARRANGEMENT 11
SCANDALOUS 1
SCANDALOUS 2
STRIPPED 1
THE PROPOSITION 1
THE PROPOSITION 2
THE PROPOSITION 3
THE PROPOSITION 4
THE ARRANGEMENT 12
THE ARRANGEMENT 13
THE ARRANGEMENT 14
THE PROPOSITION 5
THE ARRANGEMENT 15
THE ARRANGEMENT 16
THE ARRANGEMENT 17
THE ARRANGEMENT 18
THE WEDDING CONTRACT
SECRETS & LIES 1
SECRETS & LIES 2
SECOND CHANCES
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 1
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 2
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 3
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 4
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 5
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 6
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 7
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 8
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 9
LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED 10
THE ARRANGEMENT 19
THE ARRANGEMENT 20
MANWHORE
BROKEN PROMISES
THE ARRANGEMENT 21
STRIPPED 2
SECRETS & LIES 3
SECRETS & LIES 4
SECRETS & LIES 5
SECRETS & LIES 6
THE ARRANGEMENT 22
SECRETS & LIES 7
DAMAGED 3: A DAMAGED WEDDING
THE ARRANGEMENT 23
EASY 1
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