“Well shit,” I whistle, “You’re not messing around.”
“I never mess around,” he growls, backing me up against my car, “And I don’t like being played with. We’re gonna be straight with each other, Kelly. And we’re going to have a good time doing it.”
“If you ever let me get some, that is,” I say.
“Trust me,” Leo growls, pressing himself up against me, “When I do give it to you, you’ll be glad I let you brace yourself first.”
He brings his mouth swiftly to mine, his thick beard tickling my skin. I soften against him at once, my back flat against the car. His lips are full and firm, miraculously soft and sure all at once. Our tongues tangle, his taste making my head spin. I run my fingers through his long, dark hair, pulling him closer. He’s intoxicating, this man. I’ll never be able to get enough.
Hid hands run down the length of my body, sliding over the rise of my ass. He pulls me against him tightly, just so I can feel him getting hard once more. I grind against him, willing him to take me right then and there. I know that I’m supposed to be resisting him, that we’re locked in a sexy standoff, but I can’t help it. My entire body responds every time he touches me, there’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing I want to do about it.
“See you tomorrow,” he says, pulling away from me.
“You certainly will,” I gasp, leaning heavily against my driver’s side door.
“I like these jeans on you,” he says, giving me one last once over, “Wear them again for me.”
“If I’m feeling charitable,” I smile.
“Might not be able to resist you, if you do,” he teases.
“You’re killing me, Leo,” I moan.
“Just gettin’ started,” he laughs, “See you soon, baby.”
He turns and walks away, leaping back onto his bike. A tiny flare illuminates his rugged, handsome features as he lights himself a smoke. My heart twists as the sharp contours of his face light up the darkness. Cigarette between his lips, he peels off into the night, leaving me alone once more. I stare after him, dumbfounded. I’m amazed at how much I miss him, the second he’s gone. I want to drive after him, follow him home like a lost puppy. But he has matters to attend to, and so do I.
Reluctantly, I wrench open the car door and slip inside. It’s time for me to head back to Vegas for the night. My new apartment certainly isn’t going to feel like home, but at least it’s a place to crash. Still, it would be nice to feel at home somewhere in this world.
And as I trundle off toward my lonely bed, I wonder if I haven’t found a place I could call home with a certain leonine badass? It’s too much to hope for, certainly, but I’ve always been a fan of impossible fantasies. For a few days, while I track Kassie down, I can at least let myself dream a little.
My cell phone chirps on the passenger seat, and I scoop it up eagerly. Some irrational part of me hopes that Leo’s changed his mind about a booty call tonight. But no such luck. It’s Declan’s name that graces my screen, with the message:
Done for the day? Come to the Forty-Five. I want a report.
“Guess I can’t get to dreaming just yet,” I sigh, and reroute toward the clubhouse of Dante’s Nine.
Chapter Ten
A pair of supple, comforting arms wrap me up the minute I step inside the Forty-Five club. I’m taken aback by the suddenly display of warmth. Dani’s chestnut curls are everywhere as she holds onto me tightly, relieved to see me safe and sound.
“You’re OK!” Dani says, “Thank god.”
“Of course I am,” I reply, pulling away from her, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Uh, you’re just spying on one of the most powerful clubs in the area,” she says, “Can’t blame me for being a little worried.”
“Everything went off without a hitch,” I tell her, “This isn’t my first time dealing with the Wraiths. They’re not as scary as they’re made out to seem.”
“Right. I keep forgetting you have history with them,” she says, “I’m still shaking off my idea of you as a prissy LA chick. No offense.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, bristling despite myself. I know that my appearance and demeanor don’t exactly read “ex-hard knock”, but I hate being constantly reminded of that. With all that I’m doing for the Nine, a little respect would be really nice. Or at least a little credit where credit is due, perhaps.
“Did you get any intel?” Dani asks, lowering her voice. It’s just us here, for the moment. Our resident sweet butts are nowhere to be found, and the men are cloistered in their chapel.
“Not exactly,” I tell her, “But I’ll be able to soon. I’ll have access to the Wraiths’ computers...and their VP, as it turns out.”
“Leo?” Dani asks, “What do you mean, you have access to Leo?”
But the door to the back room opens before I can answer, and Declan steps out into the bar. His eyes land upon me with cool interest, but I can see how much hurt he’s masking with those piercing blues. He must be worried sick about Kassie. The rest of the Nine file out behind him, spotting me one by one.
“There she is,” John Baxter says, stepping up and draping an arm across my shoulders. The white-haired president is calmer than anyone here tonight. I guess he’s seen his share of hostage situations. “You doing alright, honey?”
“Oh, I’m swell,” I say, trying to keep my voice even, “Never better.”
“Did you find Kassie?” Ollie asks eagerly, his tribal tattoo standing out against his skin in the dim light of the bar.
“I was only there for a few hours,” I remind him, “I don’t know where they’re keeping her yet.”
“Then what were you doing over there, exactly?” Chuck asks meanly.
Unbidden, the image of Leo pushing me up against a wall comes racing into my mind. I’m overcome with a rush of lust for the man who waits for me in the Wraith’s Nest. I beg my body to be still, lest I blush and give myself away.
“I was getting the lay of the land,” I manage to answer.
“Well?” Declan says, impatient as ever, “What’s the deal? What did you find out?”
“Well, I found out that I’m not really being invited around as a sweet butt,” I begin, “And that I’m sure as hell not going to be working the pole. My cousin Matthew never would have brought me over if that was the case. Uh. Turns out, Leo’s allowing me to hang around as his, uh...exclusive...friend.”