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Sweet Surrender
  • Текст добавлен: 15 октября 2016, 05:45

Текст книги "Sweet Surrender"


Автор книги: Maya Banks



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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

CHAPTER 19

Gray stalked to Micah’s apartment, trying to gain control of his raging emotions. He couldn’t even begin to explain what had happened at the damn sex club. What demon possessed him to cross the line with Faith he didn’t know. All he did know was that she had set fire to his senses in a way no other woman ever had.

Never would he have imagined she would have been so fiercely responsive. He’d intended to teach her a lesson. To prove to her that having her ass spanked wasn’t what she wanted. God knew she hadn’t responded to the pussy Dom wannabe.

He cringed as he remembered just how hard he’d marked her ass after he’d stepped in. He groaned as his cock tightened all over again. He’d expected her to hate it, to beg him to stop, and then he could tell her to get her ass out of the place and never come back.

Instead, she reacted wildly, wanting more. And when he’d touched her…Jesus. She’d come immediately, the sweet juices of her pussy flooding his hand. He didn’t want to think of the implications of that.

He pounded on Micah’s door, knowing he was going to get bitched at again for disturbing him. A few minutes later, Micah swung the door open, a resigned expression on his face. To Gray’s surprise, Micah was dressed.

“So did you find Faith?” Micah demanded.

“Yeah, she’s home.” Gray shifted and shoved both hands into his pockets. “Look, I know I’m probably interrupting again, but I need you to ride over to the damn sex club with me and drive Faith’s car back for her. I brought her home with me.”

“You’re not disturbing anything,” Micah said. “I sent her home after you came over the first time.”

Gray cocked an eyebrow in surprise.

“Picturing Faith at The House was kind of a mood killer,” Micah muttered. “Let me get my wallet, and I’ll hop in with you.”

Gray nodded and walked back out to his truck. Mood killer? He wished seeing Faith bent over, ass in the air had killed his attraction. Instead, it had fired every single one of his kinkiest fantasies.

Micah jogged out a few seconds later and slid into the passenger side. Gray put it in reverse, and they headed out in silence. It didn’t last long, however.

“You going to tell me what went on?”

Gray stared straight ahead, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. “No.”

Micah grunted. “C’mon man. I’ll find out later anyway.”

Gray glared over at him. “I imagine if Faith wanted you to know her business she would have confided in you already.”

Micah returned his glare. “I don’t recall her confiding in you, Mr. Barge-into-the-Place-and-Haul-Her-Out-over-Your-Shoulder.”

Gray sighed. Fucker had a point as much as it pained him to admit it.

“Look, dude, I just need to know if there’s anyone whose ass I need to go kick. Is she okay?”

Some of Gray’s irritation diminished at the concern he heard in Micah’s voice. “She’s fine,” Gray said. “I stepped in before anything really happened.”

Micah shook his head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl. The House isn’t a place I would have ever expected her to even know about much less go visit.”

Gray was beginning to wonder just how much Micah or any of the other guys at Malone’s, including Pop, knew about her. She was a contradiction, that was for sure. The face of an angel, sweet, innocent, soft and so very feminine. But she had a body that would tempt a man to sin. Wasn’t that what all men wanted? A beautiful, demure woman in public and a sexy firebrand in private?

He wasn’t going to speculate about what other men wanted, but he knew that scenario certainly did it for him.

“You’re way too quiet, man,” Micah spoke up. “What the hell happened tonight?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Gray said honestly.

Silence stretched between them again. Gray caught Micah staring at him from time to time. It was only a matter of time before, like Pop, Micah started the subtle (or not so subtle) prying.

“So what’s between you and Faith?” Micah asked casually, though Gray could hear the keen interest in his voice.

Gray clenched his teeth then blew out a breath around them. “There’s nothing between us.”

“Bullshit.”

Gray looked sideways at him and frowned.

“Look, dude, I’m sure you’ve already gotten the ‘speech’ from Pop. He gives it to everyone where Faith is concerned. Don’t expect to get one from me. Faith is a big girl. Pop, well, I like the old fart, but he treats her like a piece of glass. He’s way too over-protective of her, and I understand, given the shit she’s gone through in her life, but she’s tough. Much tougher than Pop gives her credit for. While I’m not crazy about her fucking around at a place like The House, I’m sure she’s very capable of choosing the guy she gets involved with.”

“Thanks for your support,” Gray said dryly.

Micah shrugged. “I just wondered, that’s all. Faith…well she’s hot. A better girl you won’t find. I’d think you were a fucking pussy if you weren’t attracted to her at least on some level.”

“Can we stop with all the touchy-feely shit?” Gray muttered. “You sound like a damn woman.”

Micah chuckled. “Hey, I just wanted to know if you’d staked a claim on Faith, because if you aren’t interested in her, I might ask her out.”

“Over my fucking dead body,” Gray growled. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he’d been had.

Micah bent over laughing, looked up at Gray then dissolved into laughter again.

“Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.”

“Don’t you love it when a woman manages to twist you all up in knots?” Micah said around a bubble of laughter.

Gray briefly closed his eyes, as long as he could get away with as they zipped down the highway. This was a fucking mess. And he so wasn’t in the mood for Micah’s obnoxious joking.

Thank God it was Friday. He glanced at his watch. Or Saturday morning. He wouldn’t have to face Faith until Monday. But even then, he wasn’t sure how the hell he was supposed to look her in the eye.

“I’m so fucked,” he muttered.

Beside him Micah chuckled. Gray shot him another dirty look, but Micah regarded him innocently, a smug look on his face.

“Sure you don’t want to tell me what all went on in there?” Micah asked.

“Nosy bastard.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” Micah said with a shrug. “Guess it’s too bad I didn’t choose to hang out at The House tonight.”

“Yeah, that would have gone over real well,” Gray said sourly. “I’m sure Faith would have been real happy to see you there.”

Micah grinned evilly. “No happier than I imagine she was to see you.”

“Just shut up,” Gray mumbled. “Let it die already. I’m going to have to hope Faith has no more desire to rehash everything than I do.”

CHAPTER 20

What kind of twisted, weird-ass woman did it make her that when she got up the next morning, the fact that she could feel the slight ache in her ass made her all quivery inside?

Faith rolled out of bed and flexed her muscles experimentally as she stood and stretched. A warm tingle buzzed up her midsection at the memory of the night before. Gray commanding her body, making her come.

She remembered every swat to her ass, how it made her feel, the delicious balance between pain and pleasure. But more than that, and something she was starting to realize, was that her reaction wasn’t just to the stimuli, but to Gray. Otherwise, Brent would have been able to get her off just as quickly.

She yawned and trudged to her bathroom where she turned on the shower, full blast and blistering hot. Ten minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom, towel on her head and dressed in a T-shirt and gym shorts.

As she puttered around her kitchen, she gave thought to her most pressing dilemma: Gray.

If she lived to be a hundred, she’d never understand men. Women were supposed to be the enigmas, but men? Moody, brooding bastards, the lot of them. A woman with PMS had nothing on a man. Where women might get hormonal once a month, men suffered their own brand of PMS on a daily basis.

He wanted her. She could see it in his eyes, in his body language. He practically screamed possession. It made her shiver just to think about all that testosterone flowing behind those big muscles.

So what was his problem? Why did he shove her away like she was Satan’s spawn right after they went at it in the hallway of The House?

She poured herself a glass of orange juice and padded into the living room, where she flopped on the couch. She glanced at the TV remote for all of three seconds before twisting her lips and redirecting her gaze.

She wasn’t in the mood for television. What she was in the mood to do was brood and mull. Figure out this thing between her and Gray.

His directive to stay away from The House should have pissed her off, but she shrugged it off. He was right. And she had no intention of ever going back. Why should she, when she’d found exactly what she wanted, and it wasn’t anything The House offered?

No, she was pretty certain she knew precisely what it was she wanted now. It just happened to come in the form of a six-foot-plus surly male. A man she was dying to taste again. Take in her mouth. In her body.

Goose bumps prickled over her arms, and she closed her eyes to relish the memory of his hands on her body, his fingers between her legs.

Finally. Finally she’d found a man who was forceful. Strong. Unapologetic. A man who didn’t ask. Who took what he wanted.

Now she just had to figure out how to reel him in.

She started when a knock sounded at her door. She hurriedly leaned forward to set her glass down on the coffee table and lurched to her feet.

On the way to the door, she found herself holding her breath, hoping it was Gray. But when she opened it, it wasn’t Gray standing there. It was Damon. Damon from the sex club.

He smiled and held up his hand where the straps of her shoes dangled from his fingertips.

“I thought you might want these back,” he said.

She blushed, and then she stammered, and finally she clapped her lips shut and prayed for a giant anvil to drop from the sky and crush him where he stood.

“May I come in?” he asked.

“No.” Horrified that she’d said it aloud, she cleared her throat. “I mean yes. Yes, of course.” She stepped back and opened the door wider.

She led him into her living room. “Would you like something to drink? Juice or water?”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t have long.”

She sank onto the couch while he took an armchair diagonal to her. She waited, not knowing what the hell to say or how to instigate a normal conversation. What could she say anyway? Did you enjoy the show? Did you see me suck off Gray in the hallway after he spanked my ass?

A red-hot glow seeped into her cheeks, and she looked down.

He dropped her shoes on the floor, and the sound made her look up again.

“I just wanted to make sure you were all right,” he said softly.

Her gaze lifted to his eyes, and she saw genuine concern there. She relaxed slightly and gave him a hesitant smile.

“That was sweet of you, Damon, but you didn’t need to worry about me. Or come all this way to return my shoes. Though I love those shoes.” She gave them a longing glance, grateful to have them back.

Damon chuckled. “It was the least I could do. Somehow I don’t think last night went as you thought it would. It certainly didn’t go according to my plan.”

She fidgeted in her seat and twisted her fingers together in her lap. “No, I don’t suppose it did,” she agreed. Then she looked directly into his soft brown eyes. “But I’m glad it did happen that way. It showed me…it showed me a lot.” She refused to get more specific, but he seemed to understand.

He nodded. “I think I knew that. But I had to be sure.”

She looked away again, down at her fingers. “Did…did you watch last night?” She wasn’t sure why she even wanted to know, what demon prompted her to ask.

She peeked at him from the corner of her eye and saw the corners of his mouth turn slightly upward.

“Watching is what I do,” he said nonchalantly. “It’s my job to make sure no one is hurt.”

“And what did you think?” she asked, tilting her head at an angle to look more directly at him.

He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. “It’s obvious he wasn’t a stranger to you. He seemed to know what it was you most needed when even you were not certain. You reacted to him when Brent left you cold.”

She inhaled in surprise.

He smiled gently. “Faith, I see a lot of people in the throes of passion. You were obviously not. You were obviously frustrated and disappointed. If your mysterious man hadn’t stepped in when he did, I was prepared to stop things. It was apparent it wasn’t the experience you expected or wanted.”

She smiled ruefully. “Will it offend you if I tell you I won’t ever be back?”

He laughed. “No. If I had to guess, you’d have one very angry man to deal with if you ever set foot back at the club.”

She harrumphed under her breath, but she knew Damon was right. Gray might well blow a gasket if she ventured back into the club. On the other hand, if he reacted like he did the first time…

A delicious thrill coursed through her body at the thought.

Damon rose, smoothing hands down his neatly tailored slacks. She took in his appearance for the first time since he’d arrived so unexpectedly on her doorstep. He looked like money. He was the epitome of refinement. Apparently it wasn’t just an act he portrayed for his job at the club.

“I should be going,” he said. “I wanted to bring you your shoes and to see how you were doing after your experience last night.”

She also stood and smiled. “Thanks, Damon. I appreciate it.”

“Keep me posted, okay? Let me know how your search goes for you.”

“Uh, well, okay, sure. I’ve got your e-mail.”

He leaned over, cupped her elbow in his hand and kissed her cheek. Then he headed for the door, leaving her standing there feeling slightly confused.

She sighed as he closed the door behind him. Then she flopped back on the couch and let out her breath like a sagging balloon.

Why couldn’t she be attracted to Damon? He seemed open enough to the things she wanted. Hell, he’d even watched her suck off another man, and for some inexplicable reason, that didn’t creep her out. It titillated her in an odd way.

Who knew she was a closet sex maniac? Okay, not maniac. One instance of public acts didn’t relegate her to nympho status. What was surprising to her was her reaction to the various scenarios she’d witnessed last night.

She’d seen things that by all rights should horrify a girl like her. Instead, she’d watched with breathless wonder, a new awakening dawning inside her. But. The proverbial but cropped up. She wasn’t sure she wanted to experience them so clinically. Like an exhibition at a freak show.

The club, while very enlightening, wasn’t what she really wanted. What she wanted was to be taken on a similar journey, but she wanted the journey to be real. Not a trumped-up show for an audience. And she wanted a man who would take care of her every need.

A man like Gray.

No matter how many circles she turned in, she always ended up right back at the central point of all her struggles: Gray.

It seemed abundantly clear to her that Gray fit the bill on so many levels. Only problem was, he didn’t seem to agree. He was fighting his attraction to her way too damn much. Why? That she didn’t know. But she suddenly became very determined to find out.

CHAPTER 21

Finding out proved to be more frustrating than she’d possibly imagined. If Faith was determined, then Gray was even more so. Determined to avoid her, that is.

She’d gone over to his apartment not long after Damon’s visit. He hadn’t answered the door, even though she knew damn well he was home. Coward.

Later, she’d gone by Cattleman’s when she knew he’d be getting together with Micah and the others. Only when she arrived, Gray had beat a hasty retreat, mumbling something about an appointment he’d forgotten. And Micah had stared intently at her, probing enough that she had no doubt he knew at least some of what she’d done.

Hell. At least now she knew how Gray got her car back to her apartment. At least he hadn’t asked Connor to go with him. She would have had to kill him over that.

Faith ended up staying and having a few drinks with Nathan, Connor and Micah, since it would look pretty suspicious if she left on Gray’s heels. So she hung around like she hadn’t come looking for Gray at all.

And Micah had watched her the entire evening like he was trying to pry every one of her secrets right out of her head. By the time she did end up leaving, she couldn’t get out quick enough.

Sunday was more of the same. She went over to Gray’s apartment early. He didn’t answer the door. Which was pretty silly, and it was really grating on her last nerve. She saw him leave in the early afternoon, and she was tempted to follow him until she thought about how stalkerish that would come across.

She’d catch him at work the next morning. He couldn’t avoid her forever.

Monday morning she made sure she was in the office early. Coffee was made, donuts were laid out, and she waited for Gray to make his appearance.

He walked in with Micah and never met her gaze. Micah was more than happy to grab a cup of coffee and stuff his mouth full of a donut. But Gray retreated to his office, leaving Micah behind.

With a firm set to her lips, she poured a cup of coffee for Gray, snatched up a donut and headed for his office. If he’d locked her out, so help her God, she’d have someone break the door down.

It wasn’t locked, but it was still difficult for her to navigate the door with her hands full. As she elbowed her way in, Gray looked up from his desk.

“What the hell are you trying to do, burn yourself?” he exclaimed as he rushed around to take the coffee from her faltering fingers.

She slapped the donut on his desk and leveled a glare at him. “I was being nice. Friendly. You know, sociable. Something I can’t say for you.”

He swallowed hard and emitted a weary sigh. “Look, Faith, it’s best…it’s best if we just forget Friday night ever happened. I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am that I stepped over the line like that.”

She narrowed her eyes and put a hand on her hip. “Well, I’m not.”

He blinked in confusion. “You’re not what?”

“I’m not sorry,” she said through gritted teeth. She planted both palms on his desk and leaned over until they were eye to eye. “You pretending it didn’t happen doesn’t make it true. It happened, Gray, and I want to talk about more than just forgetting it. I can’t forget it.”

He cupped her chin in his hand. “Faith, let it go. Please. Nothing good can come of us rehashing it. I wanted to teach you a lesson. I didn’t like the idea of you being in there. You’re a sweet girl. I like you a lot. I hope to hell you never go back. You weren’t supposed to like it.”

Flames scorched up her neck until her head threatened to boil over and explode.

Sweet girl. Teach a lesson. I like you a lot. What the effing hell was all that hogwash?

She tried to speak, but nothing came out. She was honest to God too pissed to formulate a coherent or even an incoherent sentence.

Finally she threw up her hands and made an arrggg sound before she stormed out of his office. By the time she made it back to the front, she was seething. Micah made a quick escape once he got a look at her. Smart guy.

Once he was out, she did something she rarely ever did. She shut her office door, a clear beacon to anyone not to enter. She could count on one hand the times she’d resorted to such drastic measures since coming to work for Pop. Now certainly qualified as a necessary time.

She tossed the donuts in the trash and poured the coffee down the drain, never mind that the others hadn’t been the one to piss her off. But they’d suffer her wrath just like Gray.

When she was through with her huff, she flopped into her swivel chair and turned her gaze up to the ceiling.

She needed a vacation. A break. Something. Between her mother driving her to drink, her foray into a risqué sex club, and Gray driving her crazy, she was ready for the white suits to come bearing an I-love-me jacket and take her to a padded cell.

Running away wasn’t something she’d ever been tempted to do. All her life, she’d stuck with it, even when sticking with it meant supporting an incompetent mother and her many vices. No, Faith wasn’t a quitter. She had too much work ethic ingrained in her. Closest she’d ever come to running away from anything was when her mother had overdosed and Pop and Connor had come and all but dragged her home with them.

But now? Getting away from the insanity that had become her life in the past few weeks was vastly appealing. Maybe she should hit Pop up for some vacation time. She knew he’d grant it in a heartbeat, because she’d never taken any.

“Quit overreacting,” she muttered.

A vacation did sound awfully good though. She’d definitely have to consider it.

A cautious tap sounded at her door, and she glared in that direction, wondering who the brave fool was who risked her wrath.

Nathan stuck his head in the door and glanced questioningly at her. “Mornin’, Faith. I ah, just wanted to see if you were okay.”

“PMS,” she said, knowing it was the one thing guaranteed to make him haul ass in the opposite direction. And she was right. He couldn’t get out fast enough.

She giggled when he shut the door in a nanosecond. Men were such pussies.

“So what the fuck did you do to piss Faith off? Apart from barge in on her night of hedonistic delight,” Micah said as he and Gray got into Micah’s truck to head to a job.

Micah fumbled around in the glove compartment and dragged out a pack of cigarettes. He flicked his lighter as he backed out of the parking lot then inhaled deeply, briefly closing his eyes.

“Guess you haven’t quit yet,” Gray observed.

Micah cracked his window and flicked his ashes. “Going to answer my question?” he asked, ignoring Gray’s statement.

Gray sighed. “I’m avoiding her, and apparently, it’s pissing her off.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Micah said dryly.

“It’s for the best.”

Micah took a long drag from his cigarette and looked mournfully at the glowing tip. “Damn things are going to kill me, but I spent too many years smoking on the job. Hard as hell to kick the habit.”

“Why’d you quit?” Gray asked curiously.

“The job or the cigarettes?” Micah joked.

Gray laughed.

Micah’s expression turned serious. “Just had enough.”

For a moment, Gray could swear he read deep sadness in Micah’s expression. Micah tossed the cigarette out the window and immediately reached for another. His fingers shook as he fumbled with the lighter. Gray sensed there was a lot more to it than he’d “had enough,” but he didn’t feel comfortable prying, and Micah didn’t seem inclined to offer further explanation.

They rode in silence for several minutes before Micah flicked the butt out the window and looked back over at Gray.

“You can’t avoid her forever, you know. She deserves better than that anyway.”

Gray didn’t respond, but then what could he say?

Faith sighed when she heard a tapping at her office door. When she didn’t respond, the door opened, and Nathan tentatively stuck his head around. “Is it safe to come in?” he asked.

“Will you go away if I say no?”

“Uh, no, I need a favor,” he said, giving her a charming grin.

“You’re either really brave or really stupid,” she muttered.

His grin got bigger as he pushed farther into the room. “My mama always said I was her brightest child.”

“Were your siblings particularly stupid?” she asked dryly.

He adopted a wounded look and clutched his chest. He ambled over and slouched in a chair in front of her desk, still holding his chest like she’d inflicted a mortal blow.

“What’s the favor?” she asked in resignation.

To her surprise, his cheeks darkened. She raised a brow, intrigued by his reaction.

“I, uh, wondered if you’d go with me to get my ear pierced,” he mumbled.

Her mouth fell open, and laughter bubbled in her throat. “You’re going to get it done? Really?”

He fidgeted and rubbed his left ear. “Yeah, I think so. But I don’t really know where to go. Well, not a place where I wouldn’t feel like a dumb-ass anyway.”

“I know just the place,” she said as she reached for the phone. “I can take you where I get my hair done and let Julie pierce your ear. The girls there will love you.”

“Girls?” He visibly perked up.

She laughed. “Yeah, this is a girly place.”

He definitely looked interested, but then he scowled. “You’re not going to tell anyone where we’re going, right?”

She giggled. “You’ll owe me a favor, but no, I won’t tell anyone. Maybe I can sign you up for a few tanning sessions so your head catches up with the rest of your body.” She let her gaze drift appreciatively over his tanned arms. Then she reached over and ran a hand over his bald head.

He frowned. “You’re not turning me into some metrosexual sissy.”

Her shoulders shook with mirth. “Perish the thought. Too bad you’re not into the spa experience. Julie also gives a mean massage.”

“Massage?”

“Yeah, but you’d have to get naked.” She bit her lip to stifle the grin.

“Are there other naked women there?” he asked.

She lost the battle and snickered.

“Do you get naked when you go?” Nathan asked, as if the idea had just occurred to him.

She snorted. “As if I’d tell you.”

“C’mon, Faith. Give a guy a bone here.”

She grinned. “Want me to call Julie and have her hook you up with a complete package?”

He stared suspiciously at her. “I’m not so sure about this. I might get my penis revoked by the league of manly men if this shit ever gets out.”

Faith rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a pussy. Who’s going to find out? You could do worse than having a gorgeous woman feel you up for a half hour.”

“Gorgeous?”

“Change your mind?” she teased.

“And you swear you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”

She held up two fingers. “Swear.”


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