Styx (Walk Of Shame 2nd Generation #2) (6 page)

I close my eyes and grin as she walks away, leaving me alone to think of all the ways I can keep her as my own.

Damn this woman has just given me another reason to make me want her even more now . . .

I WAKE UP IN THE middle of the night to Meadow rubbing my head and bringing me some fresh water for when I wake up thirsty.

I feel her lift the blanket to check the swelling on my ankle, but I’m exhausted so I keep my eyes closed and just enjoy having the presence of someone in the room that cares.

She already woke me up an hour ago, so there’s no real need for her to be in here right now. Not yet.

The guys said they’d stop by to see me, but I told them no, that I’d rather them just get some sleep and visit me when they get off work tomorrow night.

I didn’t need them feeling like they
had
to waste time watching me lay in this stupid bed over a busted ankle.

Meadow thinks that I’m sleeping, but I peek over her way and watch as she takes a seat in the chair and closes her eyes.

She’s exhausted and I can see it taking over her as she rubs her face and yawns repeatedly. Makes me feel guilty that she stayed to keep her eye on me.

“I’m fine,” I say tiredly. “You should go home and get some sleep.”

She opens her eyes and stands up. “Drink up.”

I reach for the glass and slam back the water. “My head and ankle are fine and I’ll be out of here in a few hours. You should go.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about taking off. Jessie will be the nurse to get you out of here in the morning. I just wanted to say bye before I left, but didn’t want to wake you again so soon. How are you feeling? In any pain?”

She doesn’t look too happy at the idea of this other nurse caring for me, but she’s already barely able to stay awake. Maybe she likes me more than she’s ready to admit.

I’ll just have to change that.

“It doesn’t hurt much. It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

“Ok good.” She looks a little disappointed as she steps closer to me.

“I’ll be back to take you on that ride. Don’t worry,” I tease. “I keep my word.”

She laughs and adjusts my pillow, getting so close that her lips almost touch mine. I’m half tempted to close the distance between us, but I want to wait until she’s awake enough to enjoy the feel of my lips capturing hers. “Maybe you will. Maybe you won’t. Goodbye, Styx. Get some sleep.”

All I can do is smile and watch as she walks away. This woman just sacrificed her whole night and sleep to be here for me.

That’s something I’ll never fucking forget and I’m more thankful than she knows. I’ll make it up to her.

I lay here for a good twenty minutes or so, before I finally start falling back to sleep.

Of course, I fall sleep, while planning my return to take her on that motorcycle ride that I promised.

She may think that I’m not coming back for her, but I am. That’s a promise . . .

Styx

I’VE SPENT THE LAST TWELVE days bartending, while sitting on this damn stool, waiting on my ankle to heal.

I don’t mind bartending once in a while, but it’s far from being easy when you have to get up and hobble around for the right bottle of liquor every five seconds.

The women seem to think it’s sexy as hell and have been giving me almost more attention than I do when I’m out on the floor dancing.

Almost every drink that gets ordered comes with an offer to take me home and fuck me until my ankle doesn’t hurt anymore.

It’s like they like the idea of taking advantage of me and want to keep me for as long as they can.

A little too late for that shit. I’ve turned every offer down. The only woman I’ve been thinking about taking me to bed is Meadow.

She’s been all I can think about since she left me in that hospital bed and I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my hands off her the next time I get the chance to touch her.

I just want to make it through the next couple of weeks and get this ankle healed so that I can ride my motorcycle again. I promised Meadow I’d be back for her and I still plan on it.

Cale offered me a few weeks off work to heal, but since Hemy is still a part time bartender and will be dancing to cover me, I told Cale that I’d cover for Hemy behind the bar.

Plus, sitting at home does nothing good for my head. Too much shit runs through it and going to the gym just to sit behind my desk is boring as shit. The club is the only option for me at the moment.

“Are you sure I can’t take you home and get you comfortable in my bed?” The beautiful woman in front of me points to her equally attractive friend. “We can both take your pain away. We promise it will be worth it.”

Sara rushes over and leans over the counter, annoyed with everyone taking so much time to order drinks from me. “Order your damn drinks. There’s a line behind you. You’re not getting Styx’s dick so move on.”

I lift my brows as Sara walks away to help her side of the bar. Damn, I love that woman sometimes.

“You heard the boss. Now, what can I get you besides my cock, ladies?”

One of the girls starts rambling on about some kind of special drink that she wants, but all I can focus on is what looks like the back of Meadow’s head, walking away.

I hop off the stool on my good leg, bouncing around to try to get a better view to see if it’s really her, but there’s too many heads in my way to get a good look.

It’s not until she’s walking out the door, that I get a view of the side of her face as she says something to Lane, before disappearing outside.

“Fuck. I’ll be back,” I tell Sara.

“Dammit,” she says to my back as my crippled ass hops over the bar and almost falls over the other side. “Don’t hurt your damn-self. Geez, Styx.”

I ignore her and fight my way through the crowd, getting felt up by pretty much everyone in my path.

By the time I reach the door and break free of the crowd, I get outside and look around, but don’t see Meadow’s truck anywhere.

Disappointment sets in as I run my hands through my hair in frustration.

I’ve been wanting to stop by the hospital and thank her, but I promised I’d be back on my motorcycle to take her on that ride.

I still have at least three weeks of healing before I can make that happen and I’m making every second of it worth the wait for her.

I just hope she’ll still be excited to see me by then . . .

Meadow

Three weeks later . . .

I CAN’T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT when I get off work to see Styx leaning against his motorcycle, waiting for me in the parking lot.

My reaction only confirms how much I’ve actually been looking forward to seeing him again. I’ve been at the gym a few times since his accident, but didn’t expect him to be there since my shift has been so messed up lately. I even stopped at the bar one night, but saw him surrounded by women at the bar, so I left, knowing that I’d never get the chance to talk to him.

Now, he’s here and I feel this rush that I can’t contain. My heart is going crazy as I look him over.

He’s dressed in a leatherjacket, old faded jeans and a pair of biker boots. He looks so sexy and badass, like he’s straight from a damn movie that all of us women fantasize about.

Forget the motorcycle . . . I want to ride him.

“You ready? Told you I’d be back to take you for a ride.” He grabs my bag and tosses it in my truck, before grabbing my hand and helping me onto the back of his bike.

My heart does a little jump, when he reaches for my arms and wraps them around his muscular body. He feels so damn good. “Hold on to me and don’t let go. I tend to like to ride fast and hard.”

“Your ankle?” I question in surprise at the fact that he’s already back on his motorcycle. It hasn’t even been six weeks yet.

“The pain is gone and I’ve been walking on it for days now. I’m good as new. Now hold on tight.”

“Where are we going?” I question as he slides his helmet on my head.

“Somewhere I like to go to clear my head.”

He takes off and I hold on as tightly as I can, leaning my face into his strong back. The scent of his cologne is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever smelled and it does nothing to make me want him less right now.

As if him showing up for me, looking as incredible as he does wasn’t enough.

We ride for a while, just enjoying the night air, before he turns down a trail, hidden by trees. Something about him taking me to the middle of nowhere has my body buzzing with excitement and wonder.

I’m not used to men wanting to go anywhere other than the bedroom or a bar.

It’s nice because I like places where I can relax and clear my head away from everyone.

Once we reach the end of the trail, he parks next to water that I didn’t even know existed, hidden back here.

We sit here for a few moments, before he helps me off his bike and hops off himself, taking off his jacket and draping it over my shoulders.

“Thank you,” he whispers across my lips.

“For what?” My eyes lower to his lips, before slowly moving back up to meet his eyes. “I was just doing my job.”

He licks his lips and fingers a strand of my hair. “You didn’t have to stay and we both knew it. You stayed because you wanted to take care of me.”

I swallow and take a step back from him. The way his eyes look into me as if he can see into my soul makes me feel as if I’m coming undone for him. He’s so good at making me turn away first. “You’re welcome,” is all I can say.

He looks me over in silence for a few seconds as if he’s trying to read me, before speaking again.

“I love how quiet it is back here. No screaming, whistling or a room full of women calling out my name and telling me all the things they want and expect me to do to them. This place brings me peace . . . a place where I can think about what I want in life.”

He grabs my hand and pulls me down closer to the water, helping me up onto a huge rock to sit. Then he climbs up himself and pulls me to sit between his legs.

“What do you want in life?” I question, quietly, as he pulls my hair back and presses his lips against my neck.

It feels so good, making me forget my own worries and stress for just a short moment.

“I want a woman to love and build a life with. I want someone to take care of and cater to. I want to prove to myself that I’m not my asshole father and I have more to give than he ever did or has. I want to be a good man that is worthy of love.”

His confession has me turning in his arms and cupping his face in my hands. I knew there was something deeper to him than meets the eye. “We all have a choice to be different than our parents and choose our own path.” I pause and swallow back the emotions that are coming up. “I lost my parents when I was just ten and then my aunt last year so I’ve had no other choice than to be myself and go my own path. I barely even remember how my parents were.”

“I’m sorry,” he says gently.

I smile at the genuine look on his face. There’s something about the way he looks right now that is extremely beautiful and real. “It’s okay. I’ve been pretty good at being strong and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.”

“I can see that and feel that about you and I like it. A strong woman is what I need and want in my life.”