How Beauty Saved the Beast (Tales of the Underlight) (11 page)

As she strolled aroun Ktro"-1d him, her fingers sparked pulses of electric lust from the front to the back of his shoulder. When she stopped, he turned to keep her in sight.

She removed her hand, and he caught her wrist in the air. He didn’t know if he should push it away or put her hand back where it was, so he simply held on. “We’re guarding the back door. That’s all
we’re
doing.”

Jolie nodded. “I bet she makes a good guard pup. Cute little thing.”

“Ashley’s not a dog. How much have you had to drink?”

“My, you are quick to her defense.” She looked away from him to the floor by the bench. “Ashley a Shiner fan?”

“I’m sure she’d like it if she tried one.”

Jolie twisted her hand from his grasp and pointed to the same empty bottles Ash had. At least Jolie wouldn’t be sanctimonious about them. She poked his chest again. “Then I’d say we’re on equal footing.”

He tried to assess if that was true, but her proximity and her touch had his judgment so destroyed he couldn’t tell.

“Just guarding the door with her, huh?” she asked. “Nothing else?”

Nuts as it sounded, she was acting jealous. Like she had any fucking right to be. “We’ve also been talking. I can talk to my old friend, yes—”

“Old
friend
, huh?”

“—or does casual conversation with other women cause us a problem? I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t realize we were in a no-talking-to-other-people kind of relationship. I didn’t realize we were in any fucking relationship at all.”

She straightened up. “I guess we’re not. I guess you can do whatever you want with whatever minuscule humans you want.”

“Yep. And you can dry-hump pretty-boys on the dance floor all you want.”

“Dry-hump?” She threw an arm around his neck. “I was just dancing.” She rolled her body up next to him, grinding to the rhythm of the song. “We can dance if you want. Back here in the dark. Curtains hiding us from everyone’s eyes.”

Gods, she was driving him crazy. He pulled her tight against him, moving with her as he pressed every piece of her body against his. She fit so nicely. Her curves were soft and her movements strong. But best of all, she clung to him and moved like she couldn’t get close enough. He couldn’t get close enough, either.

She leaned up and her warm breath murmured in his ear, “But then, you were back here with Ashley, too. Hidden away in the dark. What were you thinking about, hidden in the dark back here with Ashley, huh?”

Innuendo filled her voice. He grabbed her chin and turned her face so they were eye to eye. She cocked her head and her green eyes narrowed in a sly sparkle that was as fake as her smile. But beyond that façade she kept so tightly in place, she looked hurt.

The question wasn’t the joke her expression clai
med. His answer meant something to her. Which implied
he
meant something to her.

Now
or
never
,
soldier
.

His voice barely managed a husky whisper, but he said it. “I was thinking about you. All I ever think about is you.”

Chapter Eight

Jolie stilled, trying to get her focus back. After Ashley had stormed into the club, Jolie realized where Hauk must be. She’d come back here with her brain fogged from a smidge too many martinis, ready to give him a piece of her mind. His mere presence had made her skin buzz with desire while he stared at her so coolly. The words didn’t make sense with his actions, even as they filled her with unexpected hope. “Don’t lie to me.”

“When have I ever done that?”

She swallowed, trying to ease the sudden thickness in her throat. “Never.”

Needy for him, she tugged on his shoulders, and he scooped her up in his powerful arms. His lips collided with hers. He smelled like leather and tasted of alcohol, igniting every wicked impulse she had. Energy sizzled through her. She pulled herself higher against him, climbing closer into the fire of his touch.

“Gods, Jolie, I think about you every night. Every damn night.” His lips moved to her neck, his hot tongue rolling against her pulse.

She moaned in pleasure. This was good. This was exactly what she wanted. Why had it taken so long to see that? He grabbed her ass and ground her against a wall. She wrapped her legs around his hips and held on as her pulse hammered.

“Let me take you home, Jolie. Let me touch you.” One hand slid between them and he cupped her breast. She pushed herself into his touch, loving the feel of his fingers against her skin.

“Yes. Yes, that’s what I want, too.” There would be nothing between them this time, just skin sliding on sweat-drenched skin as he made her come harder than before. And she would finally pay him back for his earlier generosity. With interest.

“I’ll take such good care of you, sweetheart. I’ll take such damn good care of you.” As if to prove his point, he traced her stiffened nipple with his fingers as his teeth tickled her collarbone.

“I know you will, Hauk.” She ran a hand down his back. How many pieces of clothing did he have on? She needed to get them all off.

“You don’t have to do a damn thing.”

“What does that mean?” She found the top of his leather pants and started diving her fingers through the layers of fabric to get to his skin.

“You don’t have to touch me.”

She jerked back. “Huh?” Focusing on his eyes, she tried to shake the daze of lust and alcohol from her head enough to follow what he was saying.

“It’s okay. I don’t need anything from you.” He tried to kiss her again.

She put her hands between them and pushed. “Whoa.” So he just wanted to get his rocks off in some meaningless way? “Not okay.” That’s what the
Sports
Illustrated
Swimsuit Issue was for. Not what she was for. All her pent-up emotion boiled over into anger and she shoved harder. “I’m not a fucking petting zoo. Put me down.”

He didn’t put her down. “What’s wrong? You don’t want this?”

“To be your blow-up doll? No.
Now
fucking
put
me
down
.”

He let her slide down the wall but didn’t back up enough for her to escape. “I didn’t mean it that way. You’re not a b—” He actually blushe Stuap>

“Then what the hell did you mean?” She glared up at him, and he seemed so frustrated and so…sad, actually, that some of her outrage deflated. When he took a step back she didn’t leave.

He threw his hands up in anger. “Nobody wants to look at me. Why would you want to touch me, huh? So I’m telling you that you don’t have to.” His jaw clenched. “I’m okay with that.”

She sagged back against the wall as all her anger drained, leaving her empty. “Well, listen to that.” She licked her lips; the sweet taste of him still lingered there. “You are a liar, after all.”

He stood a little taller, a little more rigidly in control. “I can handle it.”

“Hauk.” She reached up for his cheek. He watched her hand so warily she stopped before contact and clenched her fingers. “I already know what your face feels like.”

His eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t say anything.

“Yeah. That’s the problem with falling asleep next to me. I get curious. And when I get curious and nobody’s watching…” She took a deep breath. “I appreciate what you’re offering. Or I do now that I follow the logic behind your crazy talk. But I think I made my opinion of that arrangement clear.”

Hope, haunted yet real, filled his eyes with indecision.

She reached up again and this time pushed his hoodie down, baring his scars and the intricate phoenix tattoo that had first helped her understand the incredible man he was. “Let me touch you, Hauk. I want to.”

His breath heaved in and his whole body shuddered. As she waited for his answer, fear hooked into her. He hid his skin from the world. She was asking him to trust her with his deepest fear. It was one thing to press forward in the heat of a moment, but here, with the cold space between them giving him time to think, it wasn’t his desire answering the question. It was his trust. She’d had desire from men her whole life. She had so rarely, if ever, had more. She’d been fine with that until Hauk.

The curtains parted behind them. “Hauk? Oh, shit.”

They both turned to see Catrina striding to them. Jolie dropped her hand.

“I’m so sorry,” Catrina said. She dusted a speck of lint off Jolie’s hip before catching her eyes with a serious look. “You have no idea much. But the police are here.” Her eyes flicked to Hauk. “You have to go.”

He avoided Jolie’s gaze as he pulled his hoodie back up. “All right.”

“I’m dancing one more time…” Jolie said, hoping he’d ask her to meet him later.

“Have a good show,” was all he said before he walked away without a glance at her.

Jolie watched him leave, and each unhesitating step felt like a kick in the gut. The door closed behind him with a soft click.

“Dammit.” Jolie tapped her head back against the wall as Catrina fidgeted.

Finally Catrina snorted a disgusted breath. “Oh, for the love of God, if you won’t ask permission I’ll order you to,” she said with a firm poke in Jolie’s shoulder. “Mercy will fill in for you. Get your ass after him!” She flounced back through the curtains to the party.

“Thanks,” Jolie called. She shifted her shoulders, straightening her body as she firmed her resolve. Time to
mak S
Hauk give her that answer. She jogged out the door after him.

And into a fight.

Five men surrounded Hauk, who was struggling for his life.

A sixth man lined up a gunshot right in front of her.

“Hey!” Jolie grabbed his arm and shoved up.

The gun went off, jarring her wrist.

“Bitch!” The guy took her feet out from under her, and she fell on her ass. He landed on top of her and backhanded her.

Her head spun with the impact. “Fuck me…”

His hands closed on her throat, choking her. She reached for his face, scratching, but his arms were too long.

Too fast…fights happened too fast. She was losing again…

Her opponent was ripped off of her. Gratefully she gulped in air. Hauk stood over her, protecting her.

No, crazy-Hauk stood over her. He was full-on raged, and she was the spoils at his feet.

The door behind them opened and Ashley came out. “What the…” The fight began again and she screamed.

Jolie yelled, “Get back inside!” She’d deal with her later.

Three guys down, three to go. One of them pulled another of those sticks that had dropped Hauk before and lunged at his back.

Jolie kicked up from the ground. Her arch landed squarely and knocked the wand back at the Hands of Atropos.

The wand didn’t break and there were no sparks, but as soon as the tip touched the Atropos soldier, he dropped to the ground just like Hauk had. Eyes terrified, he scrabbled at the ground, trying to pull himself from the fight.

Jolie had never seen a Hand of Atropos afraid. It was like the spell holding him captive had been broken.

Yelling obscenities, the two remaining men grabbed their comrade and took off.

Hauk started to chase, but Jolie put a hand on his calf. “It’s done! Stop.”
Please
,
for
the
love
of
God
,
listen
to
me
and
stop
. She got up onto wobbly feet.

Hauk pivoted to Ashley, his form still battle-ready, and assessed her like a threat.

Ashley cringed back against the wall, eyes round in horror. “What’s wrong with him?”

“It’s okay…” Jolie started, hoping that was the truth. She reached toward Hauk, debating if she should touch him or if that would set him off.

But Hauk straightened up; apparently Ashley didn’t need killing. He looked back and forth between the two women.

Jolie relaxed and turned to Ashley. “Nothing’s wrong, really. He’s just sort of—”

Hauk scooped Jolie up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“—oh, shit!—lost his mind. He’ll be fine in the morning.”

He turned as if to carry her away from the club.

“Hauk, sweetie, put me down.”

Instead of setting her down, he started walking.

Ashley took a SAshth="1em">< few tentative steps after them. “What’s he doing? Oh, God! Do you need help?”

Jolie had to give her credit for bravery amidst obvious terror. “It’s all good,” she assured as best as she could while piked over a semi-deranged person’s shoulder.

“But he’s gone crazy!”

Jolie couldn’t help it. Ignoring her own fears, she waved gallantly and said mock seriously, “If I’m missing tomorrow, say nice things at my memorial.
Hasta
, baby!”

* * *

Brayden swirled his drink, pretending to laugh at Catrina’s joke as he watched the plainclothes cops insert themselves amidst the crowd. They were easy to spot. Cops on the prowl tended to move differently than everybody else.

Mercy, the only one of the “men in blue” he’d ever trusted, strolled with faux calm over to the bar where they were sitting. She’d texted Catrina a warning as soon as she’d seen one of her coworkers, giving Catrina time to get rid of Hauk.

As soon as Mercy reached them, her smile dropped, replaced by an angry mien. “I chatted up my buddy. Somebody called them.” Her usually subdued accent was thick with emotion as she added, “Specifically about Hauk.”

Catrina frowned. “Who even knew he was here?”

Brayden motioned at the alcove. “Anybody who went to the bathroom could’ve seen him. It wasn’t that spectacular a hiding place. I guess after watching Paul and Jolie get cuddly on stage, the dumbass couldn’t stay away.”

Mercy called for a water across the bar then turned back. “He’s in love. I think it’s sweet.”

That wasn’t the word Brayden would use. “It’s stupid.” That was more along the right lines. “Love is stupid and makes you do stupid things. If my best friend gets his ass thrown in prison for the rest of his mortal life over a woman…I don’t know what I’ll do, but it will be illegal because I’d have to try to get him out. Breaking into a military prison is no easy feat.”

Mercy narrowed her eyes at him. “Yeah. Wouldn’t want
you
to do anything
illegal
now. Got your fake Jamaican visa on you?”

“Easy nuh, sista, stop yah nying’i-nying’i. Skankin’ babylon’s ma ting,” he said, mimicking his dad’s accent.

“I have no idea what you just said.”

Chill
out
and
quit
nagging
.
I’m
good
at
tricking
cops
. “I said, ‘Of course I have it.’”

She lifted a disbelieving eyebrow; Mercy knew him too well. Water in hand, she stepped back toward the dance floor. “Catrina, I’m sorry, but I can’t dance until they’re gone. They think I’m here because I’m friends with one of the rally organizers.”

Catrina fluffed her perfectly coifed black bob. “Possibly one who’s not a drag queen?”

Mercy shrugged as if to say,
What
can
you
do
?

“That’s fine, dearie. Get them out soon if you can?”

Mercy flashed an okay sign and disappeared into the crowd.

Brayden shook his head. “I’m glad I’ve never had to worry about that kind of crap.”

Catrina patted his knee. “You are a lucky, lucky boy.”

“Speaking of lucky, where’d Red Hots go? Her dance partner is missing her.” He motioned to the floor, where Paul was ignoring quite a few pawing hands to search the crowd. Brayden had thought things were moving along between Hauk and Jolie. Then tonight she’d been all over that guy.