Leather and Sand (Riding the Line Series) (22 page)

Marino’s eyes blazed but he didn’t say anything more. He turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Vidal called for his new hires. Straight outta the joint, they were, with their black masks and their tendencies to find pleasure in another’s pain. Kestler and Boyle would take care of business if Marino couldn’t.

“What’s up boss?”

“Find Jamison. I want to know where he goes and who he knows. Take this.” Vidal held out a small, disposable video recorder. “Well, go earn what I’m paying you!”

His two new guys bounded off like hounds after a fox. Vidal smiled to himself as he signaled his latest pretty young thing to attend to his needs. Damn, giving orders made him horny as hell. Vidal leaned back in his overstuffed, leather chair. His new toy was trained well. She unzipped him and delicately removed his cock from his trousers without him saying a word. Vidal sighed contentedly as the dark head bobbed in his lap.

I’m smarter than everyone thinks.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rhee was furious but she tried to control herself because she still had Sirena with her. Was his hooker across the hall the whole time? Rhee tried to convince herself that a man like Dax had needs and that she had no hold over him, but the hot, burning jealousy spread like wildfire through her blood no matter what she told herself.

“Mama, want milk and cuddles.”

Forcing her mind out of overdrive, Rhee fished for her keys in her tote. Well, at least something would go easily this afternoon—that phrase was code for “Mama, I’ll actually go down for a nap today.”

Twenty minutes later, Sirena was sleeping peacefully. It was an effing miracle. Rhee dropped onto the couch with a grumble. So, Dax felt the need to fly out his hometown whore for the week? Had the man no sense of restraint at all?

Of course he doesn’t,
Rhee thought ruefully.
Just look at what happened between us.

For the umpteenth time, Rhee wished she had the number to Dax’s personal cell. He was inaccessible. An unbidden smile came to her lips as she remembered the pink iPhone he had given her as an apology gift so long ago.
But…it was an apology for kissing me.
Her mood swung back the other way, like a pendulum being spun rapidly from one side of an emotional continuum to another. Only Dax Jamison had the power to make her feel this way, and Rhee was goddamn sick of it.

The next time she laid eyes on Dax, she wasn’t sure if she was going to kiss him—-or kill him.

***

Dax was conflicted following his conversation with Turtle. None of this was going according to plan. He had all but promised Turtle that he was going to address things with Rhiannon. That meant delving into uncharted territory. He couldn’t think straight around the stowaway.
Runaway,
he corrected himself. Images of Rhiannon, naked, and sprawled across his knee were becoming a constant occurrence. Thankfully, his cell buzzed, distracting him from the ache in his groin.

“Wince. How’d it go, man?”

Dax had to force himself to listen. He snorted as Wince relayed Vidal’s dumbass move with the guns. Then, the kid brought up his concerns about Marino. Dax perked to attention. Yeah, he had noticed the same thing. There was something about Marino. The man didn’t fit.

“I’ll let Hawk know to check him out.”

Dax clicked his phone off and hopped onto his loaner bike. He arrived at his destination and parked next to an old van. As he walked by it, he noticed that it had no license plates. Such details stood out to Dax but they weren’t really a big deal out here on the more rural part of the island. Lots of folks drove old vehicles with no plates…surfers mainly.

He knocked gently on the door and then tried the knob. He was annoyed as hell to find it unlocked. Hadn’t Rhiannon learned a damn thing? And it wasn’t just about her anymore. He would have to talk to her about getting a security system installed or something. Even though the island carried an innocuous aura, Dax found that he was uncomfortable with Rhee taking risks with her safety—or with that of his child’s.

“Rhiannon?”

Before he knew what hit him, the woman in question was in his face, her small hand on his chest trying to forcibly expel him from the cottage.

“Just what the
hell
are you doing here, Dax?” Rhee practically spit the words at him and damn, if her eyes weren’t literally blazing with fury.

“You left the door unlocked—what were
you
thinking?” he countered, placing his hand over her own on his chest and holding it there. Just as he had anticipated, Rhiannon immediately tried to pull away, and he let her. But he didn’t want to.

“I did no such thing!” she flared. “What was
I
thinking? What are
you
thinking, Dax Jamison?”

Dax was wholeheartedly confused by the near-hysterical behavior of the enraged female who stood on her tiptoes to glare at him properly. He paused for a long moment, taking her in. Rhiannon’s cheeks were flushed pink. Her hands were on her hips in that acutely feminine gesture of outrage. His eyes roved lower. Jesus, what the hell was she wearing? Man, these island get-ups of hers were causing all sorts of carnal images to race through his head. Her voice echoed in his fevered, male brain.

What was he thinking? Something decidedly inappropriate, that was certain.

Dax made no move to leave, even though Rhiannon continued to insist that he do so. Instead, he planted his feet wider, leaning his shoulder against the door. Nope, Dax wasn’t leaving. Not this time. And it wasn’t his half-promise to Turtle that kept him from evading his reality. Dax was going to bash down every single one of her barriers. He wanted to peel away the layers of hurt from Rhiannon Blake and then he wanted to unwrap her from that dress.

Yeah, both of them, naked, their flesh and their souls bared to one another—that would definitely speed up a reconciliation. That’s what Dax had figured out after his discussion with Turtle. He wanted things to be okay with Rhiannon. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for a baby, but he couldn’t leave things like this with her once the deal was done. In fact, Dax wasn’t sure if he wanted to leave at all. But—did she want him to stay? She had run from him once…

“Is the baby sleeping?”

His query got her attention. Rhee lowered her voice. “Yes.” She regarded him with suspicion blazing in those emerald eyes of hers.

“Can I—can I see her?” He was surprised at his own request. His heart started to beat a little faster.

Rhee seemed startled. Some of the tension drained from her as she stared at him for several moments, as if to evaluate his request. After several long moments, she stepped aside and allowed him into the cottage.

“Just—be quiet.” Hands on her hips, a challenging glare on her face—Dax put his fingers to his lips to show that he would acquiesce to her demand.

“I won’t make a sound. I promise. I just want to—you know, see her.” He
did
want to see Sirena. In fact, something foreign but strangely compelling drew him to that closed door. He waited for Rhee to open it slowly and then she ushered him inside with a finger to her lips.

Sirena’s room was decorated in a simple fashion. Soft pink walls and brown trim. Pink-checkered curtains—
what was that called?
He took one step and then another until he was staring down at a jaw that was set stubbornly, even in slumber. Round cheeks. Sooty black lashes swept down, hiding irises that he knew matched his own. Her hair was blond and wispy, curling at the bottom. Dax felt himself break out into a smile as he gazed at her, transfixed.

God, she’s mine.
My daughter.
Sirena.

Rhee looked troubled as she plucked a plastic cup from the bookshelf. “We should let her sleep. She missed her nap today,” she whispered, gesturing back to the door.

They made their way back to the porch. It wouldn’t do to wake the little girl. Kids needed their sleep. Right? Dax was shaken by the depth of concern and emotion that seemed to be rolling through him in waves. “Missed her nap?” he echoed. “Why’s that?”

“We came to visit you at the hotel earlier today.” There was no mistaking the ice in her tone as she flung open the refrigerator and placed the pink cup back inside.

Dax was surprised that Rhiannon had sought him out. And that she had taken Sirena with her. What had she been planning?

“Oh? I was in a meeting…”

“I was informed about
all
of your plans, Dax Jamison!” Her voice took on that sharp edge again. Rhee took a deep breath and looked away, as though she was actively trying to control her emotions.

“Informed?” Dax’s senses went on alert. Wince was with the connection all afternoon. Who had she run into that would know their activities?

“Look, Dax. I know that we...I mean, you and I…we aren’t…anything. I get that, okay. But to kiss me like you did the other day when all the while you had your
whore
back at the hotel…” Her voice shook with indignation.

“Whore?”

“What are you, a parrot?!” Rhee seemed appalled at the near-shriek that issued from her lips. She clapped her hand over her mouth and looked anxiously at Sirena’s bedroom.

“What whore?” Was she…jealous? Dax couldn’t contain his toothy grin, which only seemed to aggravate the situation more.

Rhee threw up her hands in obvious frustration. “Whatever, Dax. Look, I need to know where we stand. I can’t let this continue if you have no intentions of—of…” she trailed off as her voice broke.

Dax stood just inside the door, unsure if he should chance another attempt at entering. “You want to know where we stand?” He was wondering exactly the same thing.

She whirled, and the sight of the tears gathered in her eyes was his almost his undoing. “Yes. Where we stand! Where we all—all three of us—stand. You, me, and Sirena.” She sounded breathless, like her words were choking her.

“What do you want from me?” It was an honest question. Dax was sure she wanted him out of their lives. Why else would she have taken off like she had? Why else would she have tried to keep Sirena’s existence a secret? Now—it sounded like she was asking him to…stay? Rhee’s shoulders sagged. The look of pain on her face told him quite plainly that he had asked the wrong question.

“Nothing,” she whispered, defeated. “Nothing. We should just pretend we never ran into each other, Dax. I can’t handle this. Go back to your slut.”

Rhee had always had the power to get under his skin like no other. Dax was standing there, confused as hell, when she abruptly tried to push him towards the door. Like a switch being flipped, he grabbed her by the arms, forcibly moving her into the kitchen as she stifled a screech.

“Let me go!”

She was really fighting him this time. It was like trying to hold a tiger by the tail.

“Let go of me!” Rhee demanded. Then, she kicked his shin so hard he knew he would be wearing the mark of her ire for days to come.

“No.” Dax replied fiercely, tightening his grip. With a jolt, he made a decision right then and there. It was so easy to see clearly all of a sudden. No, he wouldn’t let her go. Not now.
Maybe…not ever.

“Please, Dax. Just go!”

“No,” he growled. Dax marched his vicious baggage backwards until she was pressed up against the wall of the small kitchenette.

Rhee suddenly went limp in his arms, as if all of the resistance and fight had just drained out of her. “Please,” she pleaded, her voice hinging on a sob.

“No.” He released her arms, not wanting Rhiannon to feel trapped, but he didn’t want her to feel that he had relinquished her just yet.

He crowded her on purpose. Oh, he was close, so close to that delectable, quivering mouth. But, Dax wasn’t in any hurry. Not this time. Finally, Rhee looked up at him, those emerald pools so deep and full of emotion that a man could drown in them. He realized with a slight intake of breath, that he wanted nothing more than to get lost in those eyes, even if it meant he would never take another breath. Dax leaned closer, and her eyes dilated, her soft, pink mouth parting in an open invitation.

Dax chuckled softly, pleased that his nearness elicited such an honest, physical response from her. Ever so gently, he nuzzled the girl’s ear, soaking up her shivery gasp as though it was sustenance and he was a man who was starving. Ah, that had been a sensitive spot of hers, as he recalled. He would savor this meal. Dax repeated the motion, this time swiping her neck with the tip of his tongue. She let out a low, carnal sound that had him going rock hard in his loose jeans. Instinctively, Dax nudged her, pressing his hips between her legs, his erection surging nearly to the point of pain.

“Do you really want me to go?” he whispered huskily.

It had been so long—so long since he had touched a woman and felt anything like he was feeling now. This was no shallow, mechanical attempt at a release or a distraction. He was hungry. Possessive. It felt like his heart was pounding in his ears and through his cock. If she said no now…he wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do. A cold shower wasn’t going to resolve the deep longing that he had to possess Rhiannon Blake. There was something so primal and right about holding the mother of his child, knowing that she was his own in every sense of the way. He rocked his hips again, grinding against her molten core, feeling the heat emanating from between her legs.

The sound that Rhiannon made in response punched him in the heart so hard, Dax pulled back with a jerk. The noise echoed in his ears again as he put some distance between them. It was a strangled sound, thick with pain and longing. Rhee whimpered, her head falling forward to rest on his chest. She was trembling although she seemed to be trying so hard to hold herself in check. Her voice, when she finally spoke, was so soft and full of fear that he hardly registered what she said. But that single word communicated so much that he knew it wasn’t about sex with Rhiannon. Maybe it never had been.

“No.”

“Rhiannon.” He tipped her tear-stained face up to meet his gaze. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Rhee let out a shuddery sob. Without warning, she flung her arms around his neck. Dax lifted her off of her feet into his embrace and just held her, her dainty feet dangling several inches from the floor. The warmth of her tears bathed his neck. Normally, he would have turned tail and run at such an open display of need. But he couldn’t deny how right Rhiannon felt in his arms. Everything else faded away. He felt her heart, pounding against his chest. He stroked her hair, winding the silken tresses around his fingers. He inhaled the flowery scent of her shampoo, the salty tang of her tears, and the lavender vanilla essence that was just…Rhiannon. Finally, her grip around his neck loosened.