Drunk Dial (Hard Core #1) (Hard Core Series) (11 page)

“I guess there is,” she said, setting her hands on my shoulders. “I was glad to see you tonight. I couldn’t stop thinking about you after what happened this morning.”

I slipped my hands under her hair, circling the back of her neck. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.” I chuckled. “Got my goddamn bell rung a few times because of it too. Having Ace as a sparring partner can really suck. He shows no mercy, especially when I’m distracted.”

“I like that I distract you,” she said, licking her lips.

I groaned, leaning in to taste her moist lips. “You keep distracting me like that, and Morales is going to kill me when we step into that cage.”

“I’m not worried,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You can take him.”

Her faith in me warmed me in places that had been cold for a long, long time. “Thanks, babe.” But I’d brought her here to talk, not make out, so I gestured to the stainless steel fridge. “You want something to eat or drink?”

“Maybe just a water?”

“Sure.” I pointed at the brown leather couches facing each other in the large family room. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right in.”

Since I wasn’t sure whether she’d had a chance to eat at work, I made a platter of fruit with cheese and crackers and brought it in to her, along with a couple of bottles of water.

“Thanks,” she said, tucking her legs under while reaching for a stem of grapes.

“My pleasure.” I realized I liked taking care of her, tending to her needs. Other women expected that from me, so I resented it. But Lacy was used to taking care of herself and wanted nothing from me, which only made me want to do more for her.

She grabbed a couple of cheese squares and popped one in my mouth.

“You seem nervous,” I said, noting that her gaze kept darting around the room. “You sure you’re okay?”

She took a deep breath before taking a sip of water. “There are some things about me you need to know before we take this any further.”

My heart was suddenly hammering, and I didn’t know why. Maybe because I didn’t want her to give me a viable reason for ending this before we’d explored how far it could go. “Okay.”

“I’ve been married before.” She peeked up at me beneath a veil of long, dark lashes, obviously waiting for my reaction.

I opened my mouth, then closed it again before running a hand over my head. “Okay, uh, wow. That’s not what I expected you to say.” I wanted to know everything about the guy who’d been stupid enough to let her get away, but I could tell this wasn’t easy for her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Do I want to? No. Do I have to? Yes.” She ran her thumb over the faint scars peppering my knuckles. “You see, he was in prison. He’s out now, and my brothers and I have reason to believe he might come after me again. That could put you in harm’s way too, if you’re involved with me. So it’s only fair that I tell you.”

I couldn’t believe she was worried about me when her own safety was on the line. “Why was he in prison?” I held my breath. Something told me I wasn’t going to like the answer, but learning her deepest, darkest secrets was more important to me than anything.

“He tried to kill me.” Her voice was so soft, barely above a whisper. “He would have gotten away with it too, if my brother hadn’t figured out where we were.”

I didn’t realize my whole body had tensed until she withdrew her hands from mine.

“Did I shock you?” she asked.

I swallowed, trying to appear calm while my whole body was coiled tighter than a spring. “He tried to kill you?” It was difficult to even process that thought, much less imagine what that bastard had put her through.

“I told him I was divorcing him after he accused me of cheating on him, and he abducted me at gunpoint. He said I had promised him ‘death do us part,’ and he intended to make sure I upheld my end of the bargain.”

I pulled her close when she started trembling. I knew she was tough, but in my arms, she felt small and fragile. And I wanted nothing more than to protect her.

“It’s okay, baby,” I whispered, brushing my lips over her hair. “Take your time. We’ve got all night.”

The tears streaking her beautiful face when she pulled back to look me in the eye nearly slayed me. “I thought I was going to die. He took me to an abandoned warehouse, somewhere he was sure no one would find me. He held me there for days, bound and gagged. He gave me water every now and then, but no food.”

Part of me wanted to know how far he’d taken the torture, but the other part of me feared retaliating on her behalf if I found out. “You said your brother finally found you. Ace?”

She shook her head and dropped her forehead against my chest. “No, Cooper. He’s a cop.”

Knowing she had someone on the right side of the law to watch her back made me feel better. “How long was this son of a bitch in prison?” I knew no matter how long they’d locked him up, it couldn’t have been long enough if he was out now, free to terrorize her again.

“Seven years,” she said, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

“When did he get out?”

She looked me in the eye. “I just found out the night you went to see Ash at the club. I think that’s why I blew up at you. I was so freaked out when Coop told me Jordan was out. I went to tell Ash and found you there and it…”

I pulled her into my lap when she lost the words, shaking her head as she took a deep, shuddering breath that made my heart ache.

“I get it.” I kissed her damp cheeks. “I get it.”

“Do you?” She touched my jaw, brushing her palm over my stubble. “Do you really? You’d be crazy to want to get involved with me, York. Jordan’s dangerous, and even though I have a protective order, my gut tells me he’s not done with me yet.”

“He’s a coward,” I whispered fiercely, burying my face in her hair. “Any man who could hurt a woman is a coward. And he’s deluding himself if he thinks he’s going to get close enough to hurt you again. I’ll make sure of that.”

“I carry a gun,” she said, glancing towards the foyer, where she’d left her oversized purse. “And I know how to use it. Just in case.”

I hated to think of her having to resort to those measures to defend herself, but knowing she had access to a weapon made me feel better. “Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

I nuzzled her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. I never imagined being this close to a woman as sexy as Lacy and wanting nothing more than to hold and protect her.

“Coop insisted. After what happened with Jordan, he said he wasn’t taking any more chances with my safety. So we go to the shooting range together at least once a week, just to practice.”

“Could you get any hotter?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Not only can you kick ass, but now I find out you’re packing heat?” My hand trailed up her firm thigh. “You realize you’re my fantasy girl, right?”

“More like a nightmare, I’m guessing,” she muttered, laying her head on my shoulder.

“Hardly.” I curled my hand around her cheek. “The nightmares Rachel mentioned—”

“Oh God. Rachel!” She sat up suddenly. “I haven’t told her about Jordan yet. I don’t want her to be alone if he shows up looking for me.”

“Relax.” I kissed her forehead. “She’s not alone. Ace was going to pass by there after he left the club. He said he was pretty tired so he’d probably just crash there. If it would you make feel better, I can text him in a bit, just to be sure.”

“Thanks,” she said, flattening her hand against her chest. “I have to tell Rachel about Jordan now that he’s out. I don’t want her to be blindsided in case he tries to get information about me from her.”

“Uh, would you mind if I tell Ace? He should know so he can keep an eye on her too.”

She nodded slowly. “Tell him. I’d feel better knowing she has someone looking out for her. Rachel’s a sweet girl, but completely defenseless. I keep trying to convince her to take my beginner’s class, but she says she’s uncoordinated and would just make a fool of herself.”

I didn’t know if she was trying to change the subject, but I had to ask again. “The nightmares…?”

“Courtesy of Jordan,” she said, staring at a framed photo of me with my brother and father on the mantel. “I talked to a therapist after it happened. My brothers made me. But it didn’t help with the night terrors or headaches. I still get those every so often.”

“You get headaches?” I asked, brushing my thumb against her temple.

“Migraines,” she said, closing her eyes. “They’re usually triggered by stress. I’ve been getting them a lot more lately.”

“How about now?” I asked, my brows knitting with concern. “Do you need me to get you something?”

“No.” She smiled as her hands circled my face. “I’m good now. In fact, I feel a lot better now that I’ve told you about Jordan. But are you sure you don’t want to bail on me now that you know about my psycho ex?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” I kissed her with more tenderness than I’d evern shown anyone.

“I’m glad,” she said, resting her head in the crook of my neck. “Because I really like having you around. You make me happy, and I haven’t been really happy in a long, long time.”

I curled my arms around her. I could see her happiness being of paramount importance to me from now on. “It’s getting late, baby. Stay here with me tonight.”

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

As much as I wanted her, there was no way I would take advantage of her when she was emotionally and physically drained and feeling vulnerable after sharing her past with me. I kissed her temple. “Just curl up beside me and let me hold you. That’s all I’m asking. What do you say?”

She looked up at me, her eyes haunted as she whispered, “Okay.”

Lacy

When I woke up the next morning with York’s big, muscular body circling mine and his hard-on probing my ass, I knew it was time to take matters in to my own hands. He’d been a perfect gentleman all night, offering comfort and support when he knew I needed it. But I was more than ready to take our relationship to the next level.

My hand drifted beneath the gray duvet as I rolled onto my back. I watched his long eyelashes flutter against his cheek as my hand circled his hard shaft.

“Good morning,” I whispered, pressing my lips to his ear.

He chuckled, tightening his grip on me. “It is now.” He sucked in a breath when I upped the tempo. “What’re you doing?”

“Pleasuring you like I’ve been wanting to since you sent me that selfie.” My eyes glided to his headboard, and I imagined him leaning against it, his chest as bare as it was now, while he talked to me on the phone for the first time. I peppered his hard chest with kisses. “I couldn’t believe it was really you. If I were the kind of girl who got off on fantasizing about men, you’d have been my go-to fantasy even before we met.”

“Is that so?” he asked, propping one hand behind his head as he watched me shift down his body, trailing my mouth over his six-pack. “I like knowing that I fuel your fantasies, ‘cause you sure as hell fuel mine.”

“Really?” I asked, crawling between his legs. “Do you ever think about me when you’re getting off?”

He groaned when my tongue circled his shaft before I took him in my mouth.

“Baby, I’ve been thinking of you almost non-stop since we met.” His eyes drifted closed as he arched his back while threading a hand through my hair. “Goddamn that feels good.”

I loved pleasuring him, knowing that I could make this tough guy feel weak and defenseless. I focused intently on his gratification, taking as much satisfaction as I was giving from the sound of his labored breathing. I worked him over slowly and thoroughly before he finally grabbed my arms, putting a halt to my single-minded attention.

“It’s not gonna go down like that, Lace. Not this time.”

He laid me out beneath him, treating me to a sexy grin before he slowly made his way down my body. His broad shoulders spread my legs as he trailed his calloused hands, followed by soft kisses, all over my skin.

I held my breath as I watched him, wondering if this would be the beginning of the end for us. Once he’d had me, would he be satisfied, or would he want to keep seeing me? Would it take weeks or months for him to get his fill of me? I knew it couldn’t last forever. Nothing ever did. But I hoped we would have a little more time to enjoy each other before he decided to move on to his next conquest.

His tongue flicked over my clit, and I bit my lip, trying to hold back. As he eased two thick fingers inside me, thrusting deeply, I gripped the sheets, trying to maintain some control. His eyes darted to mine while he lapped at me as though satisfying me was his life’s mission.

“York…” His name rolled off my lips while my entire body clenched, the energy building until my heart was pounding and my legs were quivering as I tried to remember how to breathe. His self-satisfied smile made me chuckle as he reached into the nightstand for a condom. “Don’t look so proud of yourself. It’s been a while for me.”

Without responding, he rolled the condom on and threaded his hands through mine, pinning me to the mattress. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

I swallowed, trying to read his expression. He looked intense, as though we were on the verge of something more than sex and he wanted me to understand what it meant if we took that next step.

“I think so,” I said.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to do casual with you, Lace. Just so you know.”

His hardness was probing my core, teasing me with the promise of the pleasure he could deliver. But I wasn’t stupid enough to think he was saying things he didn’t mean in the heat of the moment. He was asking me if I was ready for a real relationship with him and silently warning me to think it through.

“I’m not very good at relationships. For obvious reasons.” I knew I didn’t have to remind him of my ex-husband, but the harsh truth was my ex would always be with me, making it difficult, if not impossible, for me to trust another man.

“What we have is different,” he said, lowering his body. He thrust his hands into my hair, tipping my face up to meet his. “I’m nothing like him. I would never hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”