Reese (5 page)

A small laugh escaped me. “I’m here to please.” I assured him with a wink as I moved on to the guy seated two stools over.

“Reese.”

I turned with a frown as Mel put a hand on my arm. “What?” She looked both concerned and amused. The amusement teasing at the corners of her eyes had a small one teasing at my lips. “Someone telling good jokes?”

“He’s here.” She murmured, taking a step closer. She didn’t have to explain who the ‘he’ was. I glanced over her shoulder and saw him seated at the bar.

Well crap!

My heart skipped a beat as my gaze drank him in.
Double crap!
He made my mouth water just looking at him. His
black
MMA shirt seemed to be painted over his torso, it was so tight. Muscles were spilling out of the sleeves. Those steel gray eyes of his were smiling at me and I found myself wishing he had been different. For the first time in my life I wanted a guy, was already crushing on him, and hating him just as much.

“He’s here for Rebecca.” I told Mel. “He was seriously attracted when he stopped by the apartment.”

Mel’s eyes were seeing all the things I didn’t want anyone to see. She was reading my hurt, my anger…My lust. “So introduce him to Rebecca. Then make him regret his own stupidity for
not seeing a good thing when it
was
right in front of him.” She grinned. “Then if that doesn’t make you feel better, kick his fucking ass.”

I small laugh escaped me. Fierce I might be, but Kieran Stone was a cha
mpion mixed martial arts expert. Over the years I couldn’t think of a time when he had ever lost a fight.
I
doubted my chances were good if I took him on. “I’ll keep that in mind.” I stepped around her and up to the bar in front of Stone.

His eyes darkened as I leaned forward on my elbows. “So…”
His voice was just as I remembered: Deep, rough, sexy.

I raised a brow at him. “Mel says you came looking for your girl again.” My tone was cold, leaving little doubt that I was not pleased to see him.

He grimaced. “I’m an ass.”

I blinked at him. Not sure I was hearing him right. “Excuse me?”

“Rebecca…Reese…Two hot females…The same killer body.” He shook his head. “I must have taken one too many blows to the head, babe. It wasn’t until I left your place that I realized
what a complete idiot, jerk…ass, I am
.”

             
Some of the hurt that had been clenching in my chest eased and that stupid muscle that had been
quiescent
for so long was pulsing to life in a really bad way. All because this lethally sexy man was apologizing
to me? I pulled back a little. “Yes, you are an ass. But, then I expected nothing less. Anything else you need?” My tone had only grown colder if anything. I was terrified of my feelings for this man. And I had only seen him three times! How could I be feeling this strongly?

             
“I’m sorry, Rebecca…Reese…” He broke
off and ran a hand through his short dark blond
hair when I stiffened at the first name a
gain. “What do I call you, damm
it?”

             
“My name is Reese. Or Goth Girl. Use either. But call me
that
name again and you can find the exit with some help.” I completely straightened. “So you want a beer or what?”

             
His jaw clenched and I could see something dark in those eyes, but refused to look close enough to identify the emotions. “Yeah. Beer is fine.”

             
I grabbed him a Bud, set it in front of him and walked off without a backward glance. Mel came up beside of me as I stopped in front of Bubba and star
t
ed lining up two shots of tequila for him. “So?” She shot a glance over her should in Stone’s direction.

             
I shrugged. “He figured it out on his own earlier today. He
apologized in a roundabout way, and I gave him a beer.” I
avoided her gaze, knowing that she would see all t
o
o clearly how close to the edge I was just then.

             
Bubba downed the shots and I offered him two more. But the biker knew his limit
tonight
and shook his head. He needed at least half an hour before he could handle more and still stay somewhat clear headed. I had to respect the guy a little for that.

             
Mel tugged on my arm until I faced her. “What do you want me to do, Reese?” She asked, her tone reassuring me that she would do whatever I needed her to do to keep my peace of mind.

             
I grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Nothing. Let him stay if he wants.
He isn’t hurting anyone.” Except me
…

             
“Except for you.” Mel muttered under her breath as she walked back over to her side of the bar and started mixing drinks for two newcomers
with
Emo
haircuts
and ripped jeans.

             
For the next hour I was kept busy, and I had little time to think about Stone. The place was nearly over crowded and I knew that we could and would get a fine if the capacity wasn’t kept under control.
That was all I needed for the Fire Marshall to show up tonight!
It was time to weed out the drunks and set up one of the bouncers at the door. I left Mel to the bar tending as I dealt with the unpleasantness of tossing.

             
There were five overly drunk
guys at a table in the back that had to go and then three drunk/high twe
nty-something women in full man-
hunting garb that were getting a little to whorish for the taste of the place. I took them outside and put them in a cab. Of the eight
,
the females were the most difficult. The guys were somewhat
of
regulars and knew that I meant business.

             
As I turned from the departing cab I came face to chest with Kieran Stone. It startled me and I let out a high squeak. Strong hands shot out to steady me when I nearly fell back. Normally the contact would have sent me into a full blown panic attack in which I would have come out swinging. But instead of panic, my heart took off for another reason. My entire body shivered in delight. My nipples hardened, goose bumps popped up all along my spine and arms. That stupid muscle jump started and almost started working…And lower I found that I was almost throbbing.
Yes, I was terrified…And interested!

             
I wanted Kieran Stone. Bad.

             
“Easy, sweetheart.” He murmured pulling me close.

             
That made me panic a little. My fear made my already racing heart shake my chest and I pushed away quickly, shrinking back defensively. “I don’t like to be touched.” I bit out.

             
I saw his face darken and he dropped his arms, hands clenching at his sides. “
Sorry. I didn’t want you to fall.”

             
The panic receded a little. “Thank you.”

             
He inclined his head. “You are the most…” He paused as if trying to find the right words. He laughed. “There are no words to describe you, Reese. Interesting, intriguing, maddening? All of those fit. I would have enjoyed getting to know you.”

             
I was startled once more. His use of the past
tense made me feel panic for another reason altogether. I didn’t want to
not
see him again. “What does that mean?”

             
“I messed up. I can see that I don’t stand a chance.”

             
I frowned. “That’s it?” It was his turn to frown, but I didn’t give him a chance to speak. “I don’t understand how you are so good in the metal cage, with all that
patience
and determination, if you can’t find the same things in everyday life. Or is it that you just don’t ca
re
enough one way or the other?” My anger rose. At him for still being an ass. At myself for still caring and wanting him to have staying power.

             
“Wow.” He shook his head, a small smile teasing his lips and spreading all the way to his steel gray eyes.

             
I glared at him. “What?”

             
“Mel said that you liked me. I just didn’t believe I had a chance until right now.” He stepped closer, raised his hands as if to touch me, and then thought better of it. “I
’m
not
giving up, sweetheart. Not even close.”

             
I opened my mouth. Closed it, only to open it again. No words came out. Not one little sound. Probably I looked like
a
fish out of water, gasping for breath. Gentle fingers pushed a strand of the inky black wig away from my face. “So beautiful.” He murmured and stepped back.
“I have a work
out in the morning, or I would stay longer. But I’ll stop by your apartment in the afternoon. Will you go riding with me?”

             
“Riding?” Was that my voice? That husky, almost seductive rasp?

             
“I have my Harley.
Sunday afternoons are
usually
my down time this close to a match. Will you go riding with me?” There was such a hopeful, almost yearning looking in those steel gray eyes that I found myself nodding. The smile that I was rewarded with made me glad that I had agreed. Those gentle fingers skimmed
across
my cheek once more. “See you around three then.”

             
I stood there watching him go. I was stunned, shocked, delighted. Kieran Stone wanted to take me riding on his motorcycle on his one free afternoon. I didn’t even
fli
nch when that muscle started flexing and stretching. With what had to be a goofy grin on my face I turned to reenter Safe Haven…

             
And spotted Biker
One
and Biker
Two
, his arm in a cast, coming down the street toward me.

             
Frig!

             
I went to the gym as soon as I woke up Sunday morning.
It was my usual routine. It relieved
much of the
stress
that I
built up
throughout the week
. I spent an hour on the floor with the treadmill and other
machines before making my way to the back to practice with the kickboxing instructor.

             
Maddox greeted me with a smile.
He was about an inch taller than me, with short black hair and Asian features. I wasn’t sure where he was from, but his English was perfect.
We had never gotten personal with each other and we liked it that way.
“Reese. How was your week?”

             
I pushed a few
unruly
red strands
that had fallen from my pony tail
away from my face. It was here and maybe only here that I was able to
do away
my ma
keup and be me for a few hours. “The usual, Mad. Filled with drunks, bikers, and the usual college kids. How about yours?”

             
“Filled with middle aged men who think they are Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee. Then they fall flat on their rears and get mad when they realize they are just overweight wannabes.” He pulled on gloves and I did the same. Maddox was the best in the city when it came to kickboxing and I was lucky to have him as an instructor. Mel had recruited him when I was seventeen to teach
me self-defense. Later on we moved on to the martial arts, which I had excelled at. But kickboxing was my passion.

             
An hour later I was in the shower, feeling content that I had not gotten my ass handed to me by my
instructor
. After I dressed and pulled my damp hair back into a pony tail I grabbed my gym bag and glanced down at my cell. I had fifteen minutes to get home and change before Stone was due to pick me up. Luckily I only lived a few blocks away.

             
I was just pulling on a pair of jeans when my doorbell rang
at
two minutes after three. I pulled my tee shirt on over my bra on my way to the door. There hadn’t been time for makeup, but for some reason I wasn’t in the mood to put on my mask today. My Goth makeup was just that, a mask that kept the outside world from seeing what I didn’t
want it to see.
Mostly my
insecurities
. But there was something about Kieran Stone, some kind of instant connection that we had shared that made me feel secure for the first time in what felt like my entire life.