WildLoving (3 page)

How could he be so nonchalant when she was naked? Maybe
having a naked woman in his tub was no big deal for Rabb. And why that notion
made her angry she had no idea. He wasn’t her boyfriend or significant other.
He was a friend. Or rather, she’d believed him to be her friend. She had no
idea what to think now.

But right or wrong, the thought of him having another woman
naked in his tub brought out a possessive side she hadn’t realized she’d even
possessed.

“You can’t just barge in here.” Her words didn’t have as
much punch as she’d like, but it was hard to sound tough when she was
breathless and naked. Completely naked.

“Sure I can.” He crouched down and popped a piece of cheese
on top of a thin wheat cracker and held it to her lips. “Just a taste.”

Her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t had cheese, good cheese, in
so long, and it was a particular weakness of hers. She parted her lips and let
him feed her. The flavor of the cheese exploded in her mouth. She leaned her
head back, resting it against the edge of the tub, and simply enjoyed the pleasure
of eating. The cracker had a crunch that she particularly liked.

Lost in the moment, she almost forgot Rabb was there.
Almost.

It was impossible to totally forget. Rabb’s presence filled
the room. He was so big, so masculine. It was all she could not to stare at him
and sigh. He’d removed his vest and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to
expose strong forearms and thick wrists. A tuft of chest hair was visible at
the top of the shirt.

From the moment he’d come to work at Bruno’s, she’d been
drawn to him. There was something so solid and stable about him. But underneath
it was an undercurrent promising so much more, a wilder, untamed side.

She’d wanted to be the woman to touch that part of him.

She almost snorted. Yeah, that had worked out well. Not.

Rabb was staring at her and she shivered. Gone was the
cajoling man of moments ago. Now he appeared angry. No, not angry, furious.

The cracker went from ambrosia to sawdust in the blink of an
eye. She struggled to swallow it, but managed. “What?” she asked. Naked and
vulnerable, she curled her arms tighter around her legs and returned his stare.

Rabb reached out and touched the scar that ran down her
hairline. Oh crap. She’d forgotten about that. With her hair slicked back,
there was no way for him to miss it.

“How the fuck did this happen?”

It was taking all Rabb’s control not to drag Eliza out of
the tub and carry her off to his bed. The way he was feeling right now, they
probably wouldn’t even make it that far. Eliza wasn’t a tall woman, but she
wasn’t too short. Her body was average at best, and now thin, almost to the
point of gaunt. But his body reacted to her as if she were the hottest woman on
the planet.

Her green eyes were filled with shadows that hadn’t been
there when he’d first met her. There were secrets and pain hidden there, things
that he didn’t know about her life and what had happened to her.

Her red hair was slicked back from her face, framing its
heart-shaped delicate beauty. He’d often fantasized about her lush lips wrapped
around his cock. Yeah, that wasn’t helping him to calm down.

Her nose was straight, her cheekbones high.

Rabb froze when he reached her forehead and everything
inside him went into denial. He reached out and gently ran his finger along a
scar that ran down her hairline. It had to be at least four inches long.

“How the fuck did this happen?”

She pulled in tighter, as if she could hide from him.

“Eliza?” She stared back at him, almost defiant.

“It’s nothing.”

No way he was letting her get away with such a lame
explanation. “If it’s nothing, you won’t mind telling me how you got it, will
you?”

“I’d like to get out of the tub now.” She nibbled on her
lower lip. Her arms were trembling. Shit, he was an idiot. She was probably
getting chilled sitting there in the cooling water.

“Sure, honey.” He grabbed the towel and stood, holding it
open. “Get on out.”

The look she shot him should have singed his hair. “Not with
you standing there.”

“I’ll close my eyes,” he promised. “I’m worried about you
getting out on your own. You look shaky to me.” And that was nothing less than
the truth. She looked as though a good wind would sweep her off her feet.

“Promise?” She nibbled on her lip again and he shut his eyes
for his own peace of mind.

“Promise.”

Water splashed and he imagined the droplets cascading down
her skin as she stood. He swallowed hard and concentrated on standing perfectly
still. She might think she was tough, and she wouldn’t be wrong. She’d have to
be tough to survive what she had. But right now, she was very fragile. And Rabb
wanted to take care of her.

He knew the second she stepped out of the tub. It wasn’t so
much the sounds that alerted him, but her presence. He could feel her next to
him. She started to take the towel from him, but he wrapped it around her and
hugged her. Eliza sighed and rested her head against his chest, her damp hair
wetting his shirt.

“I’ve got this.” She eased away from him, taking the towel
with her. Rabb opened his eyes and struggled not to feel cheated. He wanted to
see every inch of her. Sure part of it was sexual, but the other part was a
deep-seated need to make sure she wasn’t keeping any other injury—past or
present—from him.

“You sure? I don’t mind helping.” He cleared his throat and
held his hands out by his side.

Eliza shook her head. “Thanks, but no.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing.” He waggled his
eyebrows and drew a small laugh from her. The sound went straight to his dick.

She glanced down at the front of his pants. “I think I’ll
pass.”

The fact that she was feeling a little sassy steadied him.
No matter what had happened, she was here now with him and she was safe. “Dry
your hair and come out to the kitchen when you’re ready. You can wear my robe.”
He indicated the brown terry-cloth bathrobe hanging on a hook on the back of
the door.

Every instinct inside him was screaming at him to take her
into his arms and never let her go. But he’d been burned before, mostly his own
fault he now realized, but he wasn’t too eager to put his heart on the line
again. He’d fallen head over heels for Eliza. Too fast. Maybe that was why it
had been so easy for Jason to convince him it wasn’t real and she’d been
cheating on him. He hadn’t trusted himself or his feelings for her.

“Rabb?”

He realized he was still standing there like an idiot
staring at her. “Yeah, I’ll be in the kitchen.” He turned and left her alone.
Stalking to the kitchen, he finished pulling out the ingredients he needed.

He stopped and stared around his sleek kitchen. Stainless
appliances, granite countertop, custom cabinets. It was his home, one he’d
designed for his own comfort. And now Eliza was here. With him.

He sucked in a breath and dragged his hand through his hair.
“Omelet,” he reminded himself.

Rabb cracked eggs into a bowl and whipped them until they were
frothy. He chopped green onion, mushrooms and sweet red peppers, adding them to
the eggs. A splash of milk and some salt and pepper and he was ready to start
cooking.

A swish of fabric alerted him to her presence. He swiveled
his head to find her standing at the end of the hallway wrapped in his robe.
The garment fell to his knees but was almost ankle-length on Eliza. She had the
top pulled tight around her neck. Her fingers gripped the plate of cheese and
crackers so hard her knuckles were white.

He also noted she hadn’t eaten any of them other than what
he’d fed her while she was in the tub. The glass of juice was in the other.

“I brought this out.” She held the plate out to him.

“Sit.” He indicated one of the high stools that sat on the
opposite side of the kitchen counter. “It won’t take me long to cook this.”

Eliza padded over the hardwood floor and set the glass and
plate on the counter before hoisting herself onto a stool. “You really don’t
have to do that. This is fine.” She indicated the plate in front of her.

“It’s no problem,” he assured her. The pan was heating on
the stove. He dropped in a dollop of butter and it sizzled, indicating the
readiness of the pan. Rabb dumped in the omelet mixture and shook the pan until
it was settled evenly.

“I didn’t know you cooked.” Eliza rested her elbows on the
counter. The opening of the robe gaped apart, showing him a swatch of pale
skin.

“I do okay with the basics. I can cook a mean steak, fry
pork chops and the like. It doesn’t take a lot of skill to clean and bake
potatoes or open a can of vegetables.”

“A man of many talents.”

“You know it.” He eased a spatula under the omelet and
quickly flipped. It mostly worked.

Her hair was still damp and the overhead pendant lights
picked up the glint of red. He loved her hair. It was so vibrant, so Eliza.

The pan sizzled and Eliza sipped her juice. Rabb
concentrated on finishing the omelet and then slid it onto a plate and set it
in front of her. He placed a fork and knife alongside her. He knew he was
making her nervous watching her, so he made himself turn away and start
cleaning up the kitchen. “Eat,” he told her.

He turned his back to her on purpose and was gratified when
he heard her utensils clink against the plate. It doubled when she groaned and
muttered, “This is so good.”

When there was nothing left in the kitchen for him to clean,
he turned back to her. Her plate was half empty and she was chewing slowly, as
if enjoying every bite.

Sensing his scrutiny, she raised her head and then carefully
placed her fork on the edge of her plate. Rabb sighed.

He went around the edge of the counter and joined Eliza on
her side, sliding onto the stool next to hers. He brushed aside her hair and
studied the scar. It was a fairly recent injury. The scar was still pink in a
few spots. “Tell me what happened,” he ordered.

Eliza wished she hadn’t eaten as much of the omelet Rabb had
made for her. But it was so tasty and she was hungry. Still, having him stare
at her so intently was making it heave around in her stomach.

“Eliza?” The way he said her name made her toes curl. She
loved being wrapped in his robe. It was almost as good as having his arms
around her. Almost. It made her feel safe.

And she, better than anyone, knew safety was nothing more
than an illusion that could be shattered at any time.

“I’d been moving around for months.” She’d lost count of the
number of times she’d packed up her belongings and fled in the past year. A
blur of cheap pay-by-the-week apartments and motels, each worse than the last
as her savings dwindled to nothing. “It was harder to hold a job.”

“Jason found you.” It wasn’t a question, but she nodded.

“Yes, he found me.” Sighing, she ran her finger along the
edge of the smooth granite countertop. “It didn’t matter where I moved. I
probably should have left the city immediately.” That had been a huge mistake
on her part. She’d had enough savings to make a clean start somewhere else, but
she’d stayed where she had friends, in a place she knew.

“Then what happened?” Rabb took her hands in his, infusing
his strength and warmth into her. She had to remind herself it was only an
illusion. Like the rest of her friends, Rabb had disappeared on her too,
leaving her to face the monster alone.

It was difficult to talk about. “Jason spread lies about me.
How I was mentally unstable and accusing him off horrible things. He was so
calm and acted so compassionate, as if he was genuinely concerned for me, that
people bought it. They felt sorry for him and didn’t believe me.”

“Son of a bitch,” Rabb swore.

Eliza gave a sad laugh. “Yeah, that about sums it up.”

“So he isolated you from your friends?”

She nodded. “Yes. Not that they were true friends in the
end, but yes, he separated me from everyone I knew, everything familiar.” She’d
truly felt adrift and alone in life. And the world was a scary place to be by
herself.

“There was one cop who believed me and told me to get a
restraining order against Jason.” She’d done what she’d thought was right and
had paid dearly for it.

“I take it Jason didn’t respond well.”

Eliza met Rabb’s gaze and nodded. “You’re right about that.”
She took a deep breath. It was time to finish this. Whether she stayed or left
after this, she was glad to see Rabb again, glad to know at least he believed
her. Too bad he hadn’t trusted her enough a year ago to come to her with
Jason’s accusations. But better late than never, she supposed.

“He was waiting for me in the alley where I was working. I
was washing dishes in a diner in Brooklyn.” Rabb’s grip tightened and his
entire body tensed.

“Jason did that to you.” He indicated the scar on her
forehead.

“Yes. By the time I got out of the hospital, I’d missed my
rent payment on my place. It wasn’t much, but it was something. The landlord
had confiscated and sold my stuff and all I had was my purse. Most of my
clothes were too damaged to wear, but a nice nurse gave me some clothes and a
list of shelters.”

Rabb jumped from the stool and began to pace. “Why didn’t
you come to me sooner?” he demanded.

“Why would I?” she countered. “I thought there was something
special between us, but you left without a word.” Eliza clamped her mouth shut,
wishing she could call back her words. She didn’t want Rabb to know how much
his leaving had hurt her. In many ways, it was even worse than what she’d gone
through with Jason. He’d hurt her physically. Rabb had broken her heart.

But she couldn’t really blame him for that. They’d dated and
talked, shared some hot, mind-blowing kisses, but they hadn’t even slept
together. A fact she’d often regretted.

Rabb stalked over to her, cupped her face and leaned down
until their foreheads were touching. “There was definitely something special
between us. It’s still there.”

Eliza shook her head. “No.” She would not go down this road
again. She couldn’t handle any more upheaval in her life. She was barely
holding on by her fingernails as it was. Rabb was such an imposing figure and
dominating personality, if she allowed him into her life on a personal level
and he abandoned her again, she might completely shatter.

She could only depend on herself. She’d learned that much
over the past year. There was no room for anything or anyone else. There was
only survival. That’s why she was here. For a job. Nothing more.

“Yes,” he countered and then he kissed her. Like before, it
robbed her of her senses.

Oh God, she’d been lying to herself. She wanted Rabb. Had
never stopped wanting him in spite of the way he’d left her behind. Maybe that
made her stupid, but that no longer mattered. Here in his arms, she felt alive
for the first time in more than a year.

Maybe it wouldn’t last. Maybe it was all an illusion. But
Eliza didn’t care. She knew how easily death could come knocking. She’d almost
died at Jason’s hand. She wanted to feel like a woman again, a confident,
normal woman. And Rabb could give her that, even if it was only for one night.

Eliza decided she’d give herself tonight as a gift. This was
a respite, a momentary shelter from the storm of her life. Tomorrow she’d leave
and find a job somewhere else. No way did she want to bring Jason and her
problems here.

Because regardless of everything that had happened between
them, Eliza realized one very basic thing. She loved Rabb Hatter in spite of
his flaws. Maybe even because of them. Jason pretended to be so perfect, but
with Rabb what you saw was what you got. He was opinionated but fair, mostly
serious but had a fun side, so strong, yet so tender. Rabb was a study in
contrasts.

“Stop thinking,” he muttered as he kissed the line of her
jaw from her chin up to her ear.

She clutched at his shoulders, loving the play of thick
muscles beneath her palms when he shifted position, stepping closer. He smelled
so good. She pressed her face against his chest and nuzzled just above the open
buttons. Crisp chest hair tickled her nose.

Rabb groaned, tilted her head back and kissed her again. His
tongue dominated hers, demanding she touch him back. She made a small sound of
pleasure in the back of her throat and leaned into him, wanting to get closer,
needing his heat.