Chapter Nine
Killian
Louis let out a low whistle. “That is one sweet ass.”
I grunted. Keep your eyes off her ass. Since he was looking straight ahead, he wasn’t referring to any of the women in the yoga session on the lawn.
I’d never seen her running in McCarren Park before, but now she was right in front of us, hooked up to earbuds, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Wearing those tiny sports shorts designed by men, I was sure of it. They left something to the imagination, but they showed off her best assets. A perfect ass and long, golden-tanned legs. She was a real runner, not a half-hearted jogger. Her stride was long and powerful, and she made it looked effortless, like that ankle had never been twisted or bruised.
She was a fighter, with the face of an angel and an annoying habit of calling me out on everything I said or did. Why couldn’t she grasp the concept that I was trying to protect her from the sharks of this world? And anything else that could hurt her. Despite the voice in my head telling me I was wrong, a part of me still clung to the belief that I had the power to protect someone.
“I’m gonna go for her,” Louis said. “Treat her to some sweet, sweet Louis time. You know what they say…once you go black, you never—”
I shoved him, temporarily shutting him up. He stumbled but regained his balance and grabbed my bicep in a tight grip, effectively halting me. We didn’t need to catch our breath. We’d been trailing Eden, and while she was a good runner, we usually ran like bionic men. This had been a walk in the park. “What the hell are you waiting for? I see the way you look at her,” Louis said. “How long have I known you? In all that time, I have never seen you act like this around any member of the female population.”
I started running again, jogging, really, staying a good distance behind Eden but close enough to keep her in my line of vision. She hadn’t seen us. She was too in-the-zone. Louis caught up to me and I wished I had my music with me, so I could plug into it instead of listening to him talking shit.
Louis was a smooth talker and never resorted to violence to solve his problems. His mama had raised him right. She didn’t desert her four kids when her husband walked out on her. She’d worked two jobs to put food on the table, and her kitchen floor was so clean you could eat off it. Somehow, she’d still found the time and energy to laugh and cook and fill the house with love and happiness. I couldn’t hang out there as often as I would have liked, though. She’d thought I was a bad influence—turning up drunk with black eyes and split lips didn’t sit well with her. I couldn’t blame her for thinking the worst of me. I’d never done or said anything to sway her opinion.
“What’s the deal with you?” Louis persisted. “You’ve never had a problem going after women before.”
What was my deal? I didn’t know why Eden had this hold on me, or what she did or said that made me want her like I’d never wanted anyone before. I listened to every word that came out of her mouth. If Eden read the back of a cereal box to me, I’d still find it interesting. She pushed me for answers, and I gave them to her. I’d never done that before. That was why I’d been keeping my distance. I didn’t want to ruin anything. I didn’t want to ruin her. She radiated light and joy and everything good in this world.
If she dug too deep, she’d find out how toxic I was, how much shit I was hiding. I was surprised she hadn’t Googled me already. Maybe she didn’t think she had any reason to. If she had looked me up, I’d know about it—she wouldn’t keep it to herself. That wasn’t her style.
“I don’t go after women,” I said.
“My mistake. They fall into your lap. But with this chick, you have no game, my man. You act like a sulky teenager. You think that’s gonna score you any points?”
“I’m not looking to score anything,” I said through gritted teeth.
“You need to stop punishing yourself. You deserve something good in your life.”
Louis had never killed a man, much less hurt one, so he couldn’t possibly fathom the crushing weight of guilt that sat on my shoulders. For three nights, I was on my knees, praying. God did not hear my prayers. Not my begging, bartering, or pleading. I’d spent a lifetime raging against an unfair universe, trying to right wrongs that weren’t of my own making. Until the night my fists officially became lethal weapons and I was royally fucked. I did that all on my own, and I couldn’t put the blame on anyone else.
“I know what the problem is,” Louis said.
I didn’t ask him to expand on that. He didn’t need an invitation. He’d tell me anyway.
“You like her. You want her for more than just sex. Which is a first for you, so you’re at a loss. Louis has you covered. What you need to do is man up and ask her on a date.”
I grunted. I didn’t date. Never had. He knew that. But he’d nailed the problem. I didn’t want Eden just for sex or a casual hookup, but I didn’t know how to handle anything more.
“Dinner. You need to take her to dinner. Somewhere nice. Bottle of wine. Take some Louis Moro pointers. Nothing gets a woman more hot and bothered and in the mood for some good lovin’ than—”
Eden spun around to face us with a big smile on her face. “You guys having trouble keeping up? Need me to slow it down?” she asked, giving us a big wink. “Or do you need some pointers on how to wine and dine a woman?”
Louis erased the distance between them. “Hey, Eden. Didn’t realize that was you. Just giving my boy here some dating tips.”
Asshole. I planted my hands on my hips, an open position that said I wasn’t on the defensive, but I stayed right where I was and made no move to get closer.
“Yeah? Does your boy have anyone special in mind?” she asked, giving Louis a flirty smile. Jesus. It drove me insane when she used that smile at the bar. I didn’t think it was calculated—it was just in the arsenal of her many smiles and gestures. Guys watched her every move as her hips moved to the beat of the music, mixing drinks like a pro now, laughing and talking with customers while I watched in stony silence. Prince Charmless, at your service. The way I acted around her, it was shocking she would even give a damn about me, but she acted like she did give a damn. I didn’t know what to do with that.
In my life, there had been two kinds of women—the ones who wanted to fuck me and the ones who needed my protection. Eden didn’t act like she wanted either.
“Nah,” Louis said, with that deep, rumbling laugh of his. “Just general tips.”
Her face fell a little, like she was disappointed, but she plastered the smile back on. It was bright. It was brilliant. It was sunshine on a rainy day. A sheen of sweat covered her face and body, and my gaze drifted down to the tank top outlining her breasts. A perfect handful. I wanted to lick the sweat off every inch of her body. Feel her legs wrapped around me while I was buried deep inside her. I held my fist to my mouth and coughed to cover up the groan.
“I doubt Killian needs tips.” She looked at me from under her lashes. “He seems to have it all figured out.”
Louis chuckled. I grunted. Like a fucking caveman.
“Okay, well…see you guys later.” She waved goodbye and breezed past us, running in the opposite direction.
Louis looked over his shoulder. She was gone. I didn’t need to turn around and look for confirmation. The air wasn’t as charged with electricity. “You see what I’m talking about, Romeo? You’ve got no game. But you can thank me later. I put the seed in her mind—”
“Saw Carmen the other day,” I said, to shut him up. It was child’s play. He was so far gone, it was pathetic. “She was looking good. Sweet ass. Perfect tits. Gonna get me some sweet, sweet Carmen.” I ran my tongue over my lips and got a punch in the gut for the effort. “Once she gets a taste of the Kill, she’ll be begging for another feel.”
“Keep your hands off my girl,” Louis warned.
“She said she’s a free agent,” I lied. “Louis isn’t showing her a sweet, sweet time.”
“Bullshit. She’s mine.” He cracked his neck. “We’re taking a break. It’s temporary.”
“A break, huh? Oooh, that doesn’t sound good. You need some advice, Romeo?”
He glared at me. “Are we running or standing around chatting like schoolgirls?”
I chuckled. “How about a race? You could work out all your sexual frustration.”
“You get a hard-on every time you look at Eden.”
Fuck, it was true. Louis smirked at me.
“See you at the waterfront,” he said, referring to Transmitter Park in Greenpoint, where all our races ended. “I’ll be waiting to collect my twenty bucks.”
“In your dreams.”
I was built for endurance, and for going the distance, but Louis had always been the better sprinter. His mother taught him to run from trouble. My father taught me to stay and fight until the bitter end.
I won the twenty bucks.