X: The Hard Knocks Complete Story (5 page)

“Exactly!” she exclaims. “A guy like him isn’t used to a women not responding to the smallest bone he tosses their way. You’ve done exactly what I told you to do on the way over here. You’ve maintained the upper hand.”

I really hadn’t set out to play some kind of angsty sex game with Xavier, but it seems to be exactly what we’re doing. Problem is, I’m not so sure what my next move is supposed to be here.

“Just look at him.” Quinn nudges my arm. “He can’t keep his eyes off you.”

I glance up and find his gaze firmly fixed on me. The blonde who entered the bar with him and Mullet Man affixes herself to him, running her finger slowly up and down his forearm. A twinge of jealously rolls through me, even though I know I don’t have any right to be envious. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.

Xavier glances down at the woman and shakes his head before pushing her fingers off his arm. Her face twists as she crosses her arms over her chest and then plops down next to him like a sulking child who’s just been told no.

“Looks like Blondie doesn’t handle rejection well,” Quinn snickers and I smile.

“I would never go after a guy like that,” I reply.

She grabs her drink off the table and tips it at me. “And that, my friend, is exactly why you have his attention.”

I risk another glance in his direction, but he’s not looking at me this time. His attention is tuned to Mullet Man who appears to be telling him a story while wildly gesticulating with his hands. There are, however, a new pair of eyes pointed my direction. The beautiful blonde beside Xavier shoots daggers at me with her stare from across the room and if looks could kill, I’d already be in a body bag.

Not wanting any trouble, I quickly look away and do my best to immerse myself in conversation with my cousin. Before I know it we are laughing and making plans for how much fun we are going to have this summer. Quinn goes on and on about how great her job at the bar is and how she promises I’m going to love it—especially the tips.

“Your boss does know I don’t have a drop of experience as a server?” I ask as I start on my third drink of the night.

Quinn waves me off. “Hotness outweighs what a résumé says any day, Anna. Trust me on that.”

“I’m just really nervous. It’s my first job. Father is going to kill me when he finds out I’m choosing to serve drinks in a bar rather than using the degree he shelled out so much money for.”

“We all have to start somewhere. Plus, it’s not like there’s hospitality management positions just lying around for recent college grads. Besides, most of us have to start from the ground up,” she assures me.

“What are we talking about ladies?” My attention snaps to a tall, dark-haired man standing in front of our table with a couple of drinks. “I’m Brad, and this is my friend, Jared. Mind if we join you?”

My eyes flit to blond guy, Jared. He’s wearing a hopeful smile that makes his brown eyes twinkle. Both guys are pretty cute. Nowhere near as attractive as Xavier, but cute nonetheless.

I glance over at Quinn, and she shrugs, pulls out a flirty grin, and turns her attention back to the two guys in front of me. “I’m Quinn, and this is my cousin, Anna.”

Brad takes that as an invitation and takes a seat next to Quinn, sliding one of the beers he brought with him in her direction. “What brings you girls out tonight?”

Quinn explains we’re just out having a drink to unwind, and I take a second to glance over in Xavier’s direction as Jared slides a chair from the table beside us directly in front of me. Despite the obstacle I can still clearly see Xavier glaring at Jared’s back, watching every move he makes.

“I’m Jared.” I smile at him politely as he extends a hand toward me.

“Nice to meet you,” I say after shaking his hand.

I know getting to know new people is high on Quinn’s list of fun activities for us this summer, but I still can’t help feeling awkward. My flirting skills need some work.

“So, umm, are you from around here?”

I can’t tell if Jared’s actually interested in me, or if he’s just taking one for the team so his buddy can talk to Quinn. I shake my head and finish off my drink, feeling my toes start to tingle. I giggle as I wonder if this is what it feels like to have a buzz. “Nope. I’m actually from Portland.”

“Wow. Are you just visiting or what?”

“I’m a transplant—moved here today, actually. Quinn is my new roomie.”

I flick my tongue around in my mouth, amazed by how foreign it feels in my mouth as I speak, and giggle again. I lift the glass to my lips, but grow disappointed when I remember that it’s empty.

“I really like these things. They taste so fruity. You can’t even taste the alcohol.”

Jared grins and taps my empty glass. “Let me get you another drink.”

I rest my chin in my hand and smile, thinking of how nice Jared seems. “That would be great.”

When he gets up, I glance around, noticing there are a lot more people in here than an hour or so ago when we first arrived. Just then a voice pipes up over the low music that was playing, and a DJ announces that he’s taking over before an up-tempo song blasts through the speakers.

“Oh!” Quinn squeals in my ear. “I love this song! Let’s dance, Anna.”

She nudges me out of the booth before turning around and shouting at Brad to watch our seats. Typically I’m not a “dance in public” kind of girl, but with the way the liquor has me loosened up, and the heavy thump of bass pounding through me, all I feel like doing is letting go.

She stops at the edge of the floor. “Let’s give them a little show, cuz.”

I laugh as she grabs my hands and starts rocking her hips to the music, forcing me to follow her lead. “Where’d you learn to dance like this?”

“I should ask you the same question, girl. You’ve got some moves.”

I grin. “My undergrad degree is in dance. I’ve always been fascinated. There was a girl in one of my classes who taught me a few freestyle moves and introduced me to the beauty of top forty pop.”

“Oh, if Uncle Simon ever found out, you would’ve been toast.” She laughs and tosses her dark hair around. “Whip your hair around. It drives guys crazy!”

I mimic her actions just as I feel a hand slip up on my hip and see Brad push up behind Quinn.

“You look great out here. Very sexy!” Jared says in my ear as he hands me a drink.

“Thanks!” I shout so he can hear me over the music as I lift the drink to my lips.

My arm stops in mid-air, and I stare down at the fingers wrapped around my wrist. My vision follows the thick fingers, to the wrist, up the tattooed arm, broad chest, finally resting on a light-blue pooled iris. Xavier’s jaw flexes as he stares over my head at Jared, who has completely stilled behind me. “Don’t
ever
take a drink from a random guy. That’s lesson one in this cruel reality, beautiful. Not all guys are nice.”

He grabs the drink from my hand and slams the plastic cup down on the floor, splattering its pink liquid all over a group of guys standing a little too close watching the action unfold. With a sharp tug he pulls me behind him, effectively putting a wall of muscle between Jared and me.

Xavier stares down at Jared, his fingers flexing into fists at his sides. It’s like he’s ready to rip into my would-be dance partner. “You think I didn’t see what you put in her drink back there, motherfucker? There’s no way in hell I’m going to allow a little pecker-stain like you to attempt to drug this girl and get away with it.”

All the blood drains from Jared’s face, leaving his skin pale, and his mouth hanging open in shock. But more frighteningly, he doesn’t deny the accusations. Xavier shakes his head in disgust. “You just gave me the green light to end your fucking world.”

Jared raises his hands in surrender and takes a step back. “Hey, man. I don’t know what you think you saw, but I don’t want any trouble.”

Xavier rolls his shoulders. “You should’ve thought about that a few minutes ago because trouble is my middle name, and my foot has been twitching all night to kick your fucking ass.”

“I’m sorry, okay.” Jared’s voice shakes as his eyes flit to Brad, who seems content on staying the hell away. “We’ll just go.”

Some friend you’ve got there, Jared, leaving you to hang out to dry.

Xavier shakes his head and laughs darkly. “Go? You think I’ll let you just leave after that shit? You must be out of your fucking mind.”

Jared turns to leave but Xavier grabs him by the bicep, turning him back around before drawing back his fist to crush every bone in Jared’s skull. The instant I realize what’s going on I gasp.

I can’t let this happen. He can’t get into trouble over me.

I wrap both of my hands around his elbow, clinging on for dear life as I scream, “No!”

Xavier jerks his gaze to me, his thick eyebrows knitted in confusion. “You don’t want me to pound this punk?”

I shake my head vigorously. “I don’t want you to get into any trouble. He’s not worth it.”

“He’s not, but
you are
.”

The intense connection that always pulls me to him assaults me full force and I can tell he feels it too.

I stare into his eyes as I cling to him, my fingers woven together so tightly that they’re numb, while he waits for me to give the word to destroy Jared. I have to remain calm and try to defuse the situation before things get ugly, and Xavier gets arrested for murdering a man while defending me.

“Let him go and we’ll leave.”

His hard eyes soften a bit. “Together?”

I nod. “Anywhere you want to go.”

A wicked smile cracks his face, and a weird tingle erupts in my belly. Maybe I shouldn’t have promised that—who knows what’s on that naughty mind of his. But if that means walking out of here without Xavier in handcuffs, I’m game.

Xavier directs his attention back to Jared. “Looks like it’s your lucky day, fucker. You should kiss the ground this angel walks on because she just saved your fucking life.”

He releases Jared’s arm. “Don’t let me catch you in here again. Beat it, you fucking pussy.”

Jared and Brad push past Quinn, wasting no time getting as far away from us as possible. For a second I feel a little guilty for ruining my cousin’s fun—Brad seemed nice enough—but the old saying that goes “a man is known for the company he keeps” rolls through my brain, so Brad’s probably a date rapist too. In a way I guess I kind of saved her, well, Xavier saved her—us.

Quinn smirks as her eyes drift down to where I’m still tightly clutching my sexy savior and I quickly detach myself from him, only to be instantly reconnected with him when he grabs my hand and tugs me toward the exit. I turn and wave at my cousin as I’m pulled away.

He stops at the bar, where the blonde and Mullet Man sit chatting, a couple of empty beer glasses in front of them. The blonde’s nostrils flare as she rakes her eyes over me from head to toe. Clearly she’s not one bit impressed by me or my clothing. Her eyes zero in on my hand, held tightly inside Xavier’s thick fingers, while he gives Mullet Man some instructions. “Make sure Anna’s cousin gets home safe, Jimmy.”

“No problem, boss.”

Xavier takes a step but doesn’t make it far because Blondie hops into his path. “You’re not leaving with her.” She glares at him with icy blue eyes.

He scoffs at her order. “Watch me, Deena.”

Mid-pivot, Deena grabs his arm, but he jerks away like he’s been stung by a bee. “I told you to never touch me again.”

She narrows her eyes. “If you walk out that door with her, I’ll quit—right here, right now.”

“Promise?” he asks with a sarcastic tone to his voice as he pushes past her and tugs me along behind him, not giving her a second glance.

I, however, can’t fight my stupid curiosity and turn around to catch her reaction. The look on Deena’s face makes me believe she’s growling and given the chance, she would pound me into oblivion.

I don’t know who she is, or what kind of relationship she and Xavier have, but one thing is perfectly clear—Deena is pissed and believes I’m messing with something of hers. Alarm bells ring immediately as I return my gaze to take in the beautiful, strong profile of the man leading me out of the bar. He warned me that he wasn’t a good guy, and by the looks of things, he leads a complicated life—stardom and women—that I’m sure I don’t want to get mixed up in.

But for the life of me I can’t fight the crazy attraction I feel toward this man. And after the way he just came to my rescue back there, I’m not sure I want to anymore.

X
avier pulls
me around the side of the building and then we cross the street, hand in hand, heading toward the parking lot. I open my mouth to start asking questions, but quickly close it because a lot of the things I want to ask—like who in the hell is that Deena woman—aren’t any of my business. After all, he doesn’t owe me an explanation, we’re still practically strangers, but I would like to hear how he knew what Jared did.

“How did you know Jared put something in my drink?” I ask as we weave through the tightly parked cars in the downtown lot. At first he doesn’t answer, he just keeps walking straight ahead, pulling me along, so I decide to try again. “Were you watching me in there?”

Xavier licks his plump lips, and my mind instantly goes back to the thought I had on the plane about those lips, and what they’d be like to kiss. “I was standing right beside him when he ordered, and I saw him slip something in it.”

My heart sinks a little. He wasn’t watching me all night like I secretly hoped. “I’ve read all about guys drugging women in bars just to have their way with them, so thank you for saving me from that experience.”

“With or without the drink shit, I wouldn’t have allowed you to leave with him,” he growls. “Whether you realized it or not, you were leaving that bar with
me
tonight.”

I know him saying that may be considered barbaric, and crazy, but my stomach still does a flip. The thought of him being jealous and possessive over me turns me on so much I can barely see straight. But I don’t want him to know that.

“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

We finally reach a matte black motorcycle wedged into a small corner space and he turns to face me. That magnetic stare of his, leveled on me, nearly steals my breath. Fire shoots through me from where our hands remain connected and suddenly I crave more of his skin on mine.

“You’re a good girl, Anna. I’m not going to allow some undeserving asshole to come in and take you away to hurt you. Not going to happen. Not on my watch.”

I bite my tongue, wanting to say a million things but only allowing myself to ask a simple question. “And are
you
deserving?”

His lips tighten into a line and he shakes his head. “I’m the most undeserving motherfucker in the world…which is why I’m best suited to protect you from pricks like me.”

I furrow my brow. He may come on a little strong at times, but from the few interactions I’ve had with him, I can tell he’s got a good heart. Today alone he’s helped me out three times.

“I think you’re wrong about yourself, X—Xavier.”

I stumble over his name, remembering the command he gave me earlier to call him by his full name. “You’re a good man.”

“You say that now because you don’t know me, but
I
know me, and I’m speaking from experience.”

I take a deep breath and shrug. “Guess you’ll have to prove me wrong then. I’m an excellent judge of character. I know a good person when I see one.”

He chuckles. “Are you always so positive?”

“Are you always so negative?” I fire back automatically.

“You know what they say about a positive and a negative together, don’t you?” Xavier teases as he grabs the handlebars of the bike and throws his muscular leg over the seat. Immediately my eyes are drawn to the way his jeans hug his legs, distracting me from the question he just asked. All I can think about is how powerful and strong he must be.

Before I know it I begin undressing him with my eyes, wondering if sex with a man like him would be as great as I’ve read about in books and seen in the movies I’ve snuck around to watch.

He smirks and hands me a helmet. “Looks like science is correct. They do attract.”

Blood rushes to my face as I realize he’s caught me staring at his crotch and I’m not sure how to respond. It’s not like I can deny it or anything.

I want to die.

I take the helmet from his outstretched arm and plop it on my head. “Where are we going?”

Xavier reaches over and buckles the strap under my chin, his fingers feathering across my skin. “I would say back to your place, but I doubt you’d let that fly, and quite frankly, I’m not up for being turned down again today.” I raise an eyebrow, and his lips pull into a lopsided grin. “That’s what I thought. Hop on, beautiful, and I’ll take you somewhere special.” He holds out his hand. “Trust me?”

“Yes.”

The answer slips out in a low whisper. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help this overwhelming feeling of safety I have when I’m with him. Like he can save me from anything. After all, he’s already proven that he can.

I slip my hand into his. “I trust you.”

That cocky grin of his turns into a full-on, heart-stopping smile. “Good.”

He gives no further explanation of where he plans on taking us, just grips my hand tight as I swing my leg over the bike and squish my body against his. My thighs wrap around his hips, and he positions my hands so I’m practically bear-hugging him. My fingers trace the hard muscle beneath his t-shirt and my entire body tingles.

I’ve never in my life been this turned on by a man. There’s something about him that makes me crave to be wild and out of control. He’s like freedom, wrapped up in one sexy package. A package that has me thinking about doing things that I shouldn’t.

My breasts press firmly against his back, and my nipples pucker beneath my blouse as they rub against the thin pieces of material that separates our skin. I close my eyes and snuggle into him tighter.

“Hang on tight, babe.” Xavier fires up the engine and the bike roars to life as he pulls out of the lot.

The entire machine vibrates beneath us as we zip through the streets of Detroit and adrenaline flows through my veins as I press tightly against Xavier. This is the first time I’ve ever been on a bike, and the ride is exhilarating and sensual all at the same time. I’ve never been offered such a dangerous ride before, not that I would’ve been brave enough to ever go, but I didn’t hesitate for a second before hopping on this bike with Xavier. He seems like he knows what he’s doing, so I trust him.

I’ve never felt this wild and free—like I could do anything and everything. My first day out on my own, and I’m already breaking every one of Father’s rules. I’ve never felt so alive.

When we stop at a red light, Xavier drops his feet off the pegs and onto the ground, balancing our weight with ease. He takes the opportunity to rest his hand on top of mine as they cling to his chest, and his thumb rubs over my fingers, causing butterflies to go crazy in my stomach. The small movement feels affectionate, like he’s reassuring me that I’m safe with him. It’s almost enough to make me not care that I still don’t have a clue where he’s taking me.

Almost.

I should have demanded to know where we were going instead of being a lustfully blinded twit, willing to go anywhere with a sexy stranger.

The light switches to green, and he puts his hand back on the handlebars, sending us forward in a blur once again. I’m not sure how long we ride, but it’s long enough for me to relax and feel somewhat comfortable on the bike, comforted by the continuous purr of the motor. I lay my head on his shoulder and snuggle closer to him, inhaling the spicy scent of his cologne mixed with some sort of soap and something distinctly male. As if it’s even possible, smelling him turns me on even more.

Before I know it we are just outside the city and pulling into one of those all night diners. Xavier backs the bike into an empty space and cuts the engine. I slowly peel myself off of him, and he twists, extending his hand to help me off the bike.

He reaches for the strap under my chin. “First ride?”

I reluctantly nod, unable to lie because I’m terrible at it. “Yes. How could you tell?”

He lifts the helmet off my head and chuckles. “I think the claw marks etched into my ribs are a telltale sign.”

I cover my mouth with my hand as a gasp escapes from me. I knew I was hanging on for dear life at some point, but he didn’t let on that I was hurting him. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you bad?”

Xavier shakes his head and a strand of dark hair falls across his forehead as he lifts his shirt to assess the damage. My eyes zero in on the washboard abs on full display in front of me, each muscle clearly defined and very…lickable.

Oh, Lord. Did I just think
lickable
?
Who am I?
I’ve never in my life referred to a man as lickable before. But in all fairness, I’ve never had a man like Xavier flash me his unbelievably ripped body before either, so I’m going to chalk it up to unexplored hormones.

The urge to run my fingers along his skin pushes me forward a step. I bite my bottom lip as I trace the angry red marks just above his stomach. I swallow hard. His skin is even softer than I imagined.

“We’ll have to work on relaxing your grip a little, but it’ll get easier every time we do it,” Xavier says, breaking me out of my lustful daydream.

I jerk my hand away from him and he pulls his shirt back down before shoving himself off the bike. “You think we’ll be doing this again?”

He smiles as he straps the helmet to the handlebars. “I think we will. You and I are going to be great friends. I already know it. And friends hang out with each other all the time.”

“Friends?” I question, trying not to sound let down by the idea of only being Xavier’s friend. “What makes you think we are
just
friends?”

He raises a thick eyebrow and smirks. “Come on, Anna. You’ve made it perfectly clear that I’m not your type, and that you’re never going to sleep with me, so I’ve come to accept that. I’m happy to play the friend and protector role while you find your footing here. Detroit’s a tough city. It’ll eat a girl like you alive if you don’t have someone watching out for you.”

“And why would you be willing to do that for me?”

“I guess it’s because I haven’t met someone as sweet as you in a long time, and I would like to see you stay that way. You need a guy like me around to keep all the assholes away,” he replies matter-of-factly.

I fold my arms over my chest. In just the short time we’ve known each other he believes he can read me just like that? Maybe he needs a curveball thrown his way. “Maybe that’s why I came out here—to get mixed up with the wrong kind of man and make a few mistakes.”

He smiles and takes my hand. “You shouldn’t say things like that to a man who’s a walking mistake, and one who would like nothing better than to take you home with him.”

There he goes again with that suave dirty talk that makes me want to jump his bones.

He doesn’t give me a chance to reply, just tugs me toward the door of the diner. The place isn’t packed, but isn’t entirely empty either. The white tile floor is worn but clean, and the booths look like they’ve seen better days. The open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant allows all the patrons to watch exactly what’s going on with their food as it’s prepared.

The counter is packed with mostly gray-haired old men making small talk with each other, and the waitress, wearing a blue uniform, who is refilling their coffee. None of them seem to notice that we’ve come in until the woman glances up and spots us.

A huge grin spreads across her face, making her round face appear even more like a perfect circle. Her dark hair has a lot of gray streaks through it—very noticeable because of the way she has her braids pulled up—and she seems more like a grandmother rather than a rabid wrestling fan.

“Xavier Cold!” she exclaims as she sets the pot down and scoots around the counter. “Boy, you better get over here and give me a hug!”

The moment she embraces him, Xavier wraps his huge arms around her petite frame. “It’s so good to see you, Nettie.”

She pulls back and then abruptly smacks him on the arm. “Boy, what’s the meaning of staying gone for over two years without a goodbye?”

He closes his eyes and sighs. “Come on, Nettie. You know I hate writing.”

She shoves her hands onto her tiny waist. “Would it have killed you to call us more often than twice a year?”

He nods. “You’re right. I’ll try harder, I promise.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “You’d better. Just remember you aren’t too big for old Nettie here to whoop your butt if you don’t act right.” Nettie’s eyes flick to me. “Speaking of acting right, who do we have here?”

“Nettie, this is Anna, my…
friend
.”

Being introduced as just his friend hurts a little. I know we’ve just had this talk, and this is exactly the kind of relationship I
should
have with Xavier, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting him. The fact that he’s given up his pursuit so quickly stings.

I extend my hand and Nettie’s smooth, brown skin makes contact with mine. “It’s very nice to meet you, Nettie.”

“Mmmm hmm, you too.” She lets go of my hand and her gaze returns to Xavier. “I can tell she ain’t from around here. Way too sweet. Don’t you be taking this pretty little girl down to the Block, Xavier, you hear me? A girl like her doesn’t belong down there. Hell, a girl like her doesn’t belong in a dump like this either.”

“I heard that!” the cook yells from across the counter.

She waves her hand dismissively. “Oh, hush, Carl. Ain’t nobody talking to you. Go ‘head, Xavier, sit wherever you want, honey. I’ll bring you out some water.”

“Hey, Carl,” Xavier tosses over his shoulder as he pulls me toward a corner booth.

“What up, X! Good to see you, brother,” Carl answers as he pulls the white cook’s cap off his head, wipes his brow with a dish towel, and goes right back to cooking without washing his hands, grossing me out a bit. But I refuse to be rude.

Xavier sits across from me. “Don’t mind Carl. That skinny little fucker is harmless.”

“I heard that too! Don’t forget who taught you all those wrestling moves before you went and got a real trainer. I can still take you,” Carl taunts Xavier.

Nettie smacks Carl on the butt with a dishtowel. “Hush, you old fool. Everybody here knows you didn’t teach our boy a damn thing. So quit flapping your gums and get back to what you’re actually good at—”

Carl waggles his bushy, white eyebrows at Nettie. “You know what I’m good at.”