I shrug as if it doesn’t bother me. But it does and he knows it. “I was dumb to think you really had rules in the first place,” I say honestly. He may have saved my life, but he still lied to me.
“Taylor.” He sighs. “I do have rules. They have just never applied to Rachel.”
“Because she’s special,” I say matter-of-factly. His hands dig deeper into my shoulders as he massages them with the soap. I refuse to moan while we talk about Rachel.
“No,” he says softly. “She’s not special, just different. Brecken and I knew her long before we opened the club.”
I hold my left hand up to stop him. “She told me all that I needed to know.” Just thinking about her sleeping with him has my body breaking out in hives.
“What all did she say?” He moves his hands down to my upper arms, and I feel my body turn to jelly. God, his hands are amazing.
I sigh, and it sounds sexual. I feel his chest move as he chuckles lightly. Think, Taylor. Rachel … “Well, to be honest it was weird. She had guessed that we were sleeping together before our shift even started. And then Blane showed up…”
“Blane was at the club?” he interrupts me in surprise, and I frown as he quits massaging my arms.
I move them in an attempt for him to keep going. Thankfully, he does. “Uh-huh,” I mumble. “Savannah was helping me get dressed for work in my bedroom when the news came on and I freaked out when they showed that Rox guy in handcuffs. I just bolted out of the house after you didn’t answer my call. Well, I guess she told him about it, and he came up to the club to check on me. Rachel ran into us in the hallway and she laid it on thick for him right there, letting him know just how much she wanted him. I told her he was taken and then he introduced himself. She started acting weird.”
“Weird how?” he wonders as he lowers his hands down to my forearms.
“I’m not sure how to describe it.” I lick my lips. “She just looked at him in shock for a few minutes. Then she walked off and went back into the locker room. After I had told Blane bye, I walked in after her. She was hanging up her phone and then she just started blurting out everything about you and Brecken having your way with her.” His hands stop once again, and I sigh not liking that we have to talk about this while we’re naked in the bathtub. “She told me that I can’t be what you want. And then she just left,” I finish and his hands go back to massaging me.
“It’s not what you think …” he says quickly.
“Do you love her?” I hate that I asked it, but I’d hate myself more if I didn’t. I need to know where she stands. I don’t know why; it’s not as if we have a future together.
“No,” he says as his hands stop. “Why would you ask that?” he asks softly.
I feel my chest tighten. Is he telling the truth? I shouldn’t have asked. “Why wouldn’t you?” I ask seriously. “I mean yeah, she’s a bitch to me, but she’s beautiful,” I whisper. I know nothing about her except she hates me and she obviously has a thing for him.
Without warning, he stands and steps over me. He turns to face me and plops down in front of me. The water rises over the tub and spills onto the tiled floor. He spreads my legs as he fits himself between them. “Case.” I squeal as he has me straddle him and pulls me close to him.
He places his now wet hands very gently on either side of my face as his dark blue eyes search mine. “She is beautiful.” He agrees with me, and it makes my already sore chest tighten. “But she has nothing on you.”
I smile shyly but roll my eyes. “You don’t have to sweet talk me to get into my pants. You’ve already gotten that far with me.”
“You still think this is about sex?” he questions confused.
“I don’t know what it’s about.” I let out a long breath. “One minute, I was so mad at you I couldn’t see straight. And then the next, I was praying you would come and save me.” I mumble the last part as I lower my eyes to his defined chest and stomach. “You killed a man for me.”
“Taylor.” I look up at him. “I could tell you I’m sorry till I’m blue in the face, but it won’t change what happened to you. But I can promise you that they paid for what they did. I wish I could have killed that one guy slower than just shooting him, but at that very second, all I was thinking about was to get him away from you.” His left thumb softly rubs my cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do if they would have taken you from me.” Taken? Is that what they wanted to do to me?
“How did you know to come after me?” I ask softly.
“I wanted to apologize. The night had just been going bad, and I didn’t want to fight with you anymore. I was coming over to apologize to you when we were closing when you brought up Rachel. I wasn’t mad at you, but at her for even saying anything. When you ran out, my cell phone rang. I answered it, planning to give you a few minutes to calm down. But there was no one there. So I hung up and then went out the back. You were already gone. As I started to walk back inside the door, I heard you scream. I yelled for Brecken, and he came running out the back with me. The one guy heard us and came for us. He had a gun, but we managed to stop him before he got a shot off. Brecken took him to the club while I continued on to find you.” His eyes look deeply into mine. “I thought I had lost you,” he whispers. “Then when I saw you standing there …” He swallows thickly. “When I saw that a man had his hands on you. The way your body shook with fear. It was then I realized what I had to lose.” I take a deep breath. “I knew right then and there I would do whatever it took to keep you.” He lowers his forehead to mine. “I couldn’t breathe,” he says softly. “Watching you stand there, exposed to the world. When you closed your eyes, I thought you were dying. I just remember thinking I had to kill him. I had to save you. I couldn’t fail.” I place my hands on his chest and his heart pounds beneath them.
“I thought I was gonna die,” I admit softly.
“I wouldn’t have let you,” he replies just as softly.
I lift my head where my lips brush his. His hands slide into my hair, and he opens his mouth for me. I slide my tongue between his lips, and I moan when his tongue reaches mine. Opening my mouth wider, he deepens the kiss and it takes my breath away. The memory of last night momentarily gone. The fear I felt washed away. The concern of falling for him and getting my heart broken no longer mattered. Because I’m afraid I’m already there.
CASE
She moans into my mouth and my cock hardens knowing I can make her feel this way. Even after everything she went through last night and the pain her body must still feel, she still wants me. My hands tighten in her hair, and she gasps into my mouth. I can’t help but demand more from her.
I’m sick! This I know. I want her to fall for me. I need her to want me as much as she needs her next breath—that’s how I feel about her. This woman has quickly become my addiction. Forget the drugs. The money. Hell, forget the fucking club that is my livelihood. She is all I need. She makes me want to leave it all behind for a better life. For a better future. She brings me to my knees in the worse possible way. And I can’t help but like it. I can’t help but crave it.
Just remembering her last night with another man's hands on her body while tears ran down her face has me kissing her roughly. Not only reminding her that she belongs to me, but also reminding myself. She’s yours! Her gasps and moans only fuel my body that is already on fire for her.
