Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rebel
I stared into her blue eyes and lost myself completely. She’d been hurt because of me but she was the only thing that could stop the panic digging out my insides.
Seeing her, knowing she was safe. Feeling her, knowing she was mine.
Twelve days since I’d tasted her and I never wanted to stop, but my body had other ideas. Each stroke tightened my body, priming me for the release I tried to hold at bay.
“I said come.”
“Make me.” Challenge sparked in her mesmerizing eyes. She pulled me under, I had no choice but to surrender. I dipped to her sweet mouth, lips swollen from my kisses, and claimed her. I showed her my need in that kiss, the desperate need that had churned in me for days, then turned into this primal force driving me now.
She quivered and moaned into our kiss and she squeezed me tight when she climaxed. I drove hard, needing her to know I owned her body and soul. I could have lost her today, but I hadn’t. She was alive and quaking under me. Her mouth slid past my lips and she bit my neck. I lost the last thread of control, coming hard with her name on my lips. Her body under me but she owned me, body and soul.
“I missed you, Rebel,” she sighed before her eyes fluttered close. Asleep again.
She’d almost died because of me. I moved away long enough to dispose of the condom before I crawled back in bed with her. I drew her into my arms and held her. While the danger wasn’t eliminated yet, it was almost over. Tonight I’d protect her while she slept, but tomorrow I’d have to finish business.
* * *
Elle woke me, trying to slide out from under my arm. I opened one eye and watched her ease her way out from me. When she’d almost made it, I pulled her back to me. “Where do you think you’re going?”
In the bright morning sun, her left cheek had turned blue mottled with purple. White-hot rage burned through me again.
“I need to get ready for work.” She turned to face me.
“No you don’t. I told your assistant yesterday that you were home safe and would be taking off today.”
“You did what?”
“You heard me.” Damn, I’d slept better last night than I had in days.
A slow, sexy grin spread across her face. “Are you spending the day in bed with me?”
Fuck. I couldn’t do that. I had to end this shit so she’d be safe. I sighed.
“Don’t bother.” She threw my arm off her. “You don’t need to make up excuses.”
She stormed across the room to her dresser and pulled on shorts and a T-shirt. “Go. The sex was great. See ya next time.” She didn’t even look at me as she threw daggers into me.
“What the fuck?” I sat up in bed, not sure when I’d lost the thread of our conversation.
“Nothing.” She left the room before I’d made it out of bed. I threw on my clothes and hurried downstairs after her.
“What’s up with you?” I stopped midway across her kitchen.
Pain and sadness riddled her face.
Like a punch to the gut, pain radiated in me. Had I caused that pain?
She turned away from me. “Nothing, you have stuff to do and I apparently don’t.”
I crossed to her. “Elle, what’s this about?”
“Look, no harm no foul. It’s just a sex thing.” Dead eyes stared up at me.
“You’re mine. This is more than a sex thing.” No way she was evading me.
“When...when did we make that deal?” Anger turned her eyes icy. “We made the marriage deal, but you didn’t divorce me.”
“The Angels, it isn’t safe for me—”
“We made the sex deal, but that’s off now.” Her words were clipped and short, dagger thrusts. “I think what we got is a guilt thing.”
I stepped back. How had she come up with that?
“We were done, I get that.”
I was far from done with her.
“Then, I get hurt, you feel guilty. But really, I don’t need you to save me anymore.” Her eyes bore into me. “You can be done with me and that’s fine.”
“That’s not fine. I’m not done with you.” I threw my own daggers. She’d tied me in knots for days and now she dismissed me. Not hardly.
“Why? Do you love me? Do you want to spend forever with me?”
I did. I couldn’t. Fuck. I turned away from her.
“Say something.”
What was there to say? Nothing. It had to end, better now than later. “I care for you.” Hollow words, not the ones she deserved.
“Ha.” She marched up to me, getting right in my face. “I’ve known Gator a handful of days and I care for him.” Her face overflowed with emotion—passion, spirit, anger—transforming her. “But I loved you. Now that deal is done. All our deals are done.”
I opened my mouth to say the words. I loved her, I’d never love anyone but her.
But she didn’t want my world, wouldn’t be bound by it, so I gave her the only thing I could. “All deals done then.” I walked out of her house, leaving my fucking heart on her kitchen floor.
* * *
I don’t remember the drive home, I found myself at the clubhouse sitting at the bar staring at liquor I couldn’t drink because the shit with the Angels wasn’t over. Likely the guy Elle had taken down would tell the Bandits where his friends were, but until I got the word from Charlie I had more important shit to do than drink myself stupid.
Sometime later my phone rang. “Yeah?”
“Hey, compadre, it’s over, everyone is accounted for.” Charlie’s happy voice sounded so foreign. “You still in Dallas, I’m partying tonight.”
“Nah, I’m back home.”
“Tell that girl of yours thank you from me.” He said the words that broke my last reserve.
“She’s not my girl.” I hung up and retrieved the whiskey. I planned to drink until I passed out, then wake up and repeat until this shit no longer hurt so fucking bad.