Tank
What the fuck had he been thinking? Did he or did he not decide just yesterday that Cori was a no-go? She was off limits. If Foster hadn’t called him to let him know he was outside of her house with a few guys, there’s no doubt he would’ve fucked her just now.
Damn, the way that woman responded to his touch was magical. Like a livewire. He still couldn’t get his cock to calm down. He couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been since a man had touched her.
He stood from the couch, walking off the excess energy he could feel crackling under his skin. Was she getting to him? Impossible—he didn’t let women get to him. He plucked a bottle of water from the fridge. He stood with the door open, hoping the cool air would chill his dick the fuck out. He chugged the bottle down.
Cori emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, her lips swollen and red. Paxton felt like strutting around the living room like a peacock, knowing he’d put that glow on her face.
It was absurd. He’d never once felt a sense of pride after fucking a girl. Just the opposite, in fact. Why the hell would he, after a kiss? An amazing kiss, but still just a kiss. He needed to nip this in the bud and fast. He was nothing if not honest with the women he brought home. They knew where they stood and they were okay with it. He needed to set things straight with Cori before he hurt her. He didn’t want her to think this was the beginning of something. It wasn’t.
Cori wasn’t anything like those women, because she didn’t know how impossible it was for him to let himself get close to anyone again. The women he spent time with were just as damaged and guarded as he was. They wanted the same thing he did—a little comfort for a few hours. Nothing more. She was better than what he had to offer.
She flashed him a smile bright enough to light up the darkest day. It was stunning. It only made him feel like more of an ass.
“I need to apologize.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Apologize?” Confusion was evident in her voice.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
The smile slipped slowly from her lips. She wrapped her arms around herself. He shouldn’t have said anything. He should’ve just pretended like it hadn’t happened at all. She turned her back to him.
He wanted to go to her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he knew that was the opposite of what he should do. He could tell by her body language that she was hurt and embarrassed. He didn’t want to make things worse. So he stood there.
“So…police are over at your place now,” he muttered. “We, uh, should go talk to them.”
“Okay,” she whispered without turning around. Her steps were slow as she left his house.
The air outside was crisp and cool. He inhaled deeply, taking in the night air. He had to get her sweet scent out of his head. It reminded him of vanilla and lavender.
Officers traipsed in and out of the house next door, and he could hear others in the backyard, no doubt documenting the box of flowers. He scanned the street. Neighbors watched from their windows and front porches—the downside of small-town living. This would be top gossip for weeks to come.
He approached his friend. “Hey, man,” he called. Foster gave him a shoulder hug. Paxton jerked his head toward the woman. “This is Cori.”
Foster smiled and extended his hand. “Detective Foster Hyland, ma’am.”
Cori accepted his handshake. “Dr. Cori Transue.”
Foster pulled out a notebook, readying himself. “Can you recall the events of today, Doctor? Don’t leave out any detail. The smallest thing could be helpful.”
She shoved her hands in the front pockets of her shorts as she began the story of her day. She did however, leave out one detail: She didn’t tell Foster she’d been watching Paxton stand in his living room in nothing more than his birthday suit. While she recounted her story, Foster jotted down notes on his pad.
“Once I found the flowers, I called the department. It wasn’t until Paxton showed up that we found the…mess…upstairs.”
“Tank mentioned that this wasn’t the first incident?”
She sighed. “No, officer. I had another break-in. Just damage to the master bathroom.”
Foster looked up at her. “You never reported it to law officials?”
“No. I had hoped it would be a one-time thing. I did take photos. Just in case.”
“I’ll need a copy of those.”
“Sure thing.” She handed over her cell phone to Foster.
Foster put the small notebook into his back pocket and accepted the phone. “We have a team dusting for prints and looking for other evidence. It may be a while before the house is clear for you to enter.” His tone was apologetic.
“She’ll be over at my place until you’re done,” Paxton announced.
Cori looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “No. That’s okay, Paxton. I can go somewhere else until they’re finished up. I don’t want to impose any more than I already have.”
She was trying to blow him off. He didn’t miss the fact that she had called him “Paxton” this time instead of Tank. After the way he’d gone from hot to cold earlier, he couldn’t blame her. He also knew she had nowhere else to go in this town and her sister lived over an hour away.
Foster watched their interaction with interest, evident by the slight smirk on his face. Tank would hear about this later for sure.
“You don’t know anyone else in town, it’s getting late, and you and I both know you won’t be able to sleep in that house, much less that room, until the mattress is replaced,” Paxton continued.
Her eyes widened. “I am not sleeping with you,” she huffed with vehemence.
He laughed loudly. “Relax, sweetheart. I wasn’t suggesting that. I have a spare room. I also have a truck to haul your mattress in. I’m trying to help. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Her cheeks reddened. “Oh…”
Foster cleared his throat. “I’ll give you a call when it’s clear, Tank. Dr. Transue, if you think of anything else or you have questions, don’t hesitate to call. If there are any other incidents, call immediately.” He handed over his business card along with her cell phone.
Cori took the card and slipped it into her pocket. “Thank you, Detective.”
Paxton thanked Foster before turning back toward his own home. He didn’t say anything else to Cori. She’d come inside when she was ready. Besides, there were half a dozen cops to watch out for her.
Once inside, he took a seat on the couch and turned on his laptop. He’d replied to three emails by the time Cori joined him in the house. She looked lost. He wanted to kill the motherfucker responsible for putting that look on her face.
He watched her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded her head absentmindedly. “Fine, thanks.”
He didn’t believe that for a second, but he let it go. “I’ll show you to your room.”
Paxton rose from the couch, making sure not to touch her as he walked by. He didn’t trust himself not to try to kiss her again. If he felt even a brush of her skin against his, he would lose the little bit of control he had left. He could hear her following behind him up to the top floor of the house. There were four bedrooms and a bathroom; he took her to the second master bedroom. It was slightly smaller than his, but it had its own bathroom and he figured that would make Cori feel a little more secure in his home.
“This is yours for the night. There’s a bathroom with clean towels under the sink. It’s only a stand-in shower, though. There’s a full-size tub in the hall bathroom, if you prefer.”
“Shower is fine.” Her voice sounded hollow and sad.
“Okay, there are packaged soaps, toothbrushes, and plenty of shampoo in there. Also, there are some clothes in the drawer. Don’t be shy about borrowing them. They should fit you, although the pants will probably be too long.”
Her face lit up with the first spark of emotion he’d seen in hours, but it was quickly followed by a sneer. “Wow, you’ve thought of it all. I bet the women you bring home are grateful that you’re so thoughtful afterwards,” she spat.
He gritted his teeth. It pissed him off that she would make such an assumption without knowing anything about him. His baby sister came to stay with him for a few days on such a regular basis that he’d made this room permanently hers. Even though Krysta was five years younger than him, they were close. She was his best friend next to Gutter Mouth. She was like a livewire, whereas Paxton was more reserved.
Yet Cori had instantly thought he stocked supplies for the hordes of women he slept with. She didn’t deserve an explanation. He pasted a wry smile on his face.
“The women who come here are extremely grateful, sweetheart.”
Her mouth hung open slightly. She was cute. Not in a puppy dog way, but in a totally kissable kind of way. Paxton wanted to kiss her again. Common sense reminded him of what a shitty idea that was. Unfortunately, his libido overrode his common sense and he was once again consumed with the memory of their first kiss.
***
Cori
What an arrogant asshole. Cori couldn’t believe her ears. She couldn’t stand this man. No, that wasn’t it. She couldn’t stand the way he made her feel. He twisted her up inside just by looking at her. He stood there so smug, so sexy, she wanted to punch him. The suggestive way he’d said come had her mouth dropping open…both because she was floored he’d say such a thing to her and also because she could imagine him bringing her to the brink just before pushing her over.
His cocky smile begged for a response. Should she make a witty retort or insist he leave the room? Instead she grabbed a fist full of his shirt, pulling him down to her. She slid her lips over his, determined to counteract the effect of their earlier kiss. No one could make a person feel so much with one kiss, so it must’ve been a fluke.
Shit. She was wrong. So wrong. He pulled her closer, and she thought of the way he looked naked this morning. She wanted to taste every glorious inch of him.
Her arms locked around his neck as he lifted her ass in the air. Her body came crashing down onto the soft mattress, and Paxton pressed his hard body on top of her. He continued to kiss her. His hand cupped one of her breasts. It took her a moment to process the whimpering sound she kept hearing…then she realized she was making it. She hadn’t been touched by a man in a long time. An extremely long time. The sensation was overpowering. She couldn’t have stopped him even if she wanted to.
As much as she enjoyed kissing him, she wanted his mouth other places. There was a spot on her neck that would ruin her if he found it. She both feared and anticipated that moment.
His fingers traced down her body. A tug on her jeans pulled the button free. He didn’t bother to unzip them. Again, he tugged—hard. Cori could hear the teeth of the zipper protest as it was wrenched open.
His palm was hot as it slid under the waistband of her shorts. Her body quivered from his touch. She was about to lose her mind. Then she felt him—a single finger traced over her wet lips. His mouth continued to caress, bite, and suck at her own. Paxton pushed inside of her. Her fingertips dug into his back.
He pulled back from their kiss and gazed down at her. She let her arms drop to the bed. His hand froze, the lone finger still inside her. Should she say something? Do something? She licked the taste of him off her swollen lips. He began moving his finger. She moaned, he moved faster. She gripped the sheets beneath her as the pleasure began to build.
Her breathing had become shallow. His thumb found her clit without missing a beat. He didn’t continue kissing her. He watched as he brought her closer. Her moans turned into cries. Her body was alive in a way it hadn’t ever been before. Not ever. It was only a finger. She felt herself stretch as he added a second finger. Cori cried out.
The orgasm hit her like a Mack truck. Starbursts exploded behind her closed eyes. She could feel him watching her, but she couldn’t find the strength to care. Wouldn’t care, after he gave her this amazing gift. One she was eager to return as soon as she could feel her body again. He finally kissed her again. It was softer this time. Almost tender.
His face was seriously intense as he gazed down at her. “You’re beautiful when you come.”
Cori was too awestruck to answer him. He kissed her one last time before standing…she guessed to remove his clothes. Only he didn’t remove anything—he walked to the bedroom door, then turned to face her. What looked like a pained expression quickly disappeared from his face. In its place was the cocky smile from earlier.
“You looked like you could use that. Try to get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He pulled the door closed behind him. As incredible as her body felt, her heart hurt. She felt the bile rise in her throat.
She hated him. He was a sleazy bastard. She couldn’t wait to get away from him.
Rising from the bed, Cori went into the small bathroom. It was decorated for a woman—the walls were covered in a textured, cream-colored wallpaper, and the area rug under her feet was soft and a beautiful shade of mulberry. The hand towels and soap dispenser coordinated perfectly. Under the counter, she found clean towels, toothbrushes, and a box of tampons.
Trying not to think of how many women had used this bathroom before her, she shimmied out of her clothes and stepped under the spray of cold water. Quickly, she washed and dried herself.
She loathed the idea of wearing something that had belonged to one of his conquests, but she realized she hated the idea of putting her soiled clothes back on even more.
Taking a breath, she worried what type of lacey bits of nothing she would find inside the dresser. After opening the drawer slowly, she was pleasantly surprised. Inside were flannel pants, sweatpants, and t-shirts. Nothing skimpy or sleazy at all. Since there was no way she was putting on anyone’s underwear, she didn’t bother looking for them and opted for going bare.
She pulled out a fluffy pair of sweatpants and a blue shirt to match. The cotton fabric felt soft on her skin and smelled freshly laundered. She crawled under the covers, enjoying the cool feeling of the sheets on her bare toes. She could hear Paxton talking to someone down the hall, but he wasn’t loud enough for her to make out what he was saying. Pulling the covers up over her head, she prayed that sleep would find her soon.
After a restless night, Cori crawled out of bed with the sun. She wanted to get away from Paxton as soon as she could. She’d replayed last night’s events in her head a hundred times and still couldn’t believe she let him play her the way he did. And the worst part? She liked it. For that, she hated herself. She needed to stay far away from the sexy giant.
Hustling downstairs, she found Paxton stretched out on the couch with a cup of coffee, his bare, muscular chest mocking her. Couldn’t he put on a shirt?
He flashed her a grin. “Sleep well?”
She ignored what he was implying. “Thank you for helping me last night with the police. I’m sorry I imposed. I’ll get out of your hair now.”
She turned on her heel and made a beeline for the front door, swiping her keys off the table as she passed it. She was halfway across her yard before she looked back. That was a huge mistake.
He stood on his front porch, his arms folded over his massive chest, watching her scurry away like a scared little mouse. She didn’t need what he was offering. She wasn’t going to be a part of his harem. But god, he looked good. She focused on getting back home without another look back.
Once she was inside, Cori took a shower in the guest bathroom. She would wash the clothes she’d borrowed and return them to Paxton as soon as possible. While the clothes were washing, Cori sat down at her laptop and opened her email. There were dozens of unread messages. Half of them were from Luke Williams, the widower of Rebecca. He had a lot of horrible things to say to her. Could he be the person doing these things? To what end?
After reading the fifth email out of eleven from him, Cori couldn’t stomach anymore and yet she couldn’t stop reading the words on the screen. This was worse than the grieving rantings of a man who’d lost his wife. His words chilled her to the bone. “Did you like my gift? Don’t worry, there’s more to come. I’m just getting started.” Was he admitting to the flowers? The poor animal that had suffered horribly? Perhaps both. She closed her laptop. She had a bedroom to sterilize.