Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

The cat puffed up again and ran out the door, down the hall.

"Um." I stood up, my sketchbook falling to the floor in front of him. For God's sake, he was crouching right in front of me with all that going on.

Another intense moan came through the vent.

I supposed she and the boyfriend had made up, after all. Not that I'd ever heard them going at each other before.

These apartments were very well made. Save for a few occasional odd sounds through the vents, the soundproofing was A+.

My mouth dropped open. Was that a headboard banging against the wall? Was that what my headboard sounded like to her ?

Not that my headboard had gotten any sort of rocking lately. And I'd been smart enough to actually bolt mine to the wall. Tricks of the trade, since not many people got to see the inside of these particular walls.

When I wasn't in the middle of chaos, I certainly enjoyed the oasis my bedroom provided.

My eyeballs bulged as the rhythmic whacking of something against the wall echoed through my room and down the hall.

Maybe not a headboard.

Whatever they were doing was going to leave a mark.

Holy crap. Go, Amberly.

"Music?" I suggested.

Was it hot in here?

Was my voice unnaturally high?

I covered my cheeks with my hands. Could I be any redder?

Nolan straightened up to his full height. His eyebrows shot up as another shout came through the floor.

Okay. I hoped it was just sex going on down there.

"She isn't getting murdered, right?"

"Something is getting murdered," he muttered.

I couldn't help but laugh. It didn't sound as if she was in her bedroom, but the first-floor apartments were configured slightly differently from mine, so we didn't exactly line up.

Which was why my kitchen disaster had overflowed into two of her rooms downstairs.

And the flooring hadn't been fully patched yet, now allowing all of Amberly's business to flood my apartment in a whole different way.

"Not sure there's music loud enough to cover that without outing your neighbor." His voice was deadpan, which made my embarrassment ramp up another ten percent.

I'd been pretty cool about the way I'd invited him into my bedroom without breaking a sweat.Sure, my bed was unmade, and my wall looked like I was trying out for an episode of Criminal Minds . It was all perfectly fine.

Okay, maybe I was mildly buzzing about this six-foot-three man in my bedroom. Maybe, just maybe, my once sizable and impressive bedroom currently seemed like a matchbox.

With a porn soundtrack going on around us.

It was fine.

"Davis!"

My mouth dropped open again. Amberly and our maintenance guy?

The surly, grumpy, barely said a word Davis?

No way.

Nolan cleared his throat. Then his gaze dipped to my mouth before he licked his lips, which made all sorts of things inside of me clench that had no business clenching. "Maybe I should go." His voice was even darker and growlier, if that was at all possible.

"I mean, we're adults, right?" Don't laugh. Don't laugh. It would sound crazy right about then. "We know what sex is."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets. He might have just as well drawn an arrow to his crotch. I couldn't help myself, dammit.

And well, now… I wasn't the only one feeling the buzz of reaction.

The thunderous pounding just kept on going.

My fingers slid down to my neck. "Okay, but seriously what kind of supplements is he taking, huh?"

Nolan snorted.

My heart tripped. "Oh, hey. Was that a laugh?"

"No."

"I think it was." I dipped down to pick up my sketchbook and damn...

He was definitely not immune. And just as impressive as I remembered from our roll in the grass the other day.

I glanced up and from the jaw tick he had going on, he'd definitely seen where my attention had strayed.

Straightening up, my breast grazed his chest. He took a healthy step back from me and there was a little demon inside of me that enjoyed the fact that he was uncomfortable.

Did I make him nervous?

If anyone had asked me an hour ago, I'd have said I pretty much just pissed him off.

I stepped forward and he took another back until he bumped into my desk. I reached around him to fix a pin on my board, making sure to crowd him until we were touching from thigh to chest. His sharp cinnamon scent ramped up the buzz under my skin. My shirt was thin, and I'd worn a more decorative than supportive bra thanks to the heat. Right now, there was a lot of heat pumping off his muscular chest and stomach. I knew my attributes were more of a curvy bottom half, but my boobs weren't half bad.

His gaze stayed on my face—admirable, but I was pretty sure that was sheer stubbornness on his part.

Was this my smartest idea?

Nope.

I wanted him to hire me on my talents, not because I was offering him a bonus tip.

Speaking of tips, my nipples were not cooperating in the least. No padding in this bra to hide them, either.

And he definitely noticed. Every muscle seemed locked against my touch.

Maybe he wouldn't think I was worth the trouble. I annoyed him every chance I got. And this girl was definitely out of practice of the naked variety. Especially the part where there was a lot of sweating and?—

"Holy crap."

The guttural groan from beneath us practically vibrated the room. Or was that him?

Nolan's chest heaved, flight or fight warring in his deep blue eyes.

A better woman would let him go.

A smarter woman would take this as a sign to end the night.

My hand rested on his rock-hard stomach as my heart rate tripled. The shout that came through the floor left me rattled and hot. God, I missed that kind of shouting. I wasn't a quiet girl when it came to the naked times. If it was good naked times, anyway. Plenty had been silent before.

Something inside me said there'd be no silent with this man.

At least not on my end.

Was he the kind to groan? Or was all this stoic silence a precursor to the bedroom, as well? All those cords in his throat...

"Hellcat."

My gaze zeroed on his mouth as I touched his lower lip, biting my own in response to the softness where so much of him was rough and resistant. "Tell me you haven't wondered." Would he taste like cinnamon? Would he burn my tongue with whatever it was he chewed or sucked on? "No harm, no foul. I'll make an appointment right now and show you to the door." I tore my attention away from his mouth to his eyes, which were currently trying to burn me alive. "Hopefully, you'll still give me a chance to?—"

"I don't fucking care about the house right at this second."

I slid my knee between his legs as I rested my other hand on his chest. "Ever since that day I've wondered…" My fingertip teased his lip, the tip of my nail finding his lower teeth. "You always smell like cinnamon."

He swallowed—hard—as his hands gripped the edge of the desk.

Was it wrong to want to break him? To make him touch me?

I'd never been so insanely attracted to such a contrary man.

I rose onto my toes, dragging the rayon material of my shirt against his ancient cotton. The slight friction made my nipples pulse, and his cinnamon scent urged me even closer. I nuzzled my cheek against his jaw and lifted my hand to his other cheek.

He flinched and I stilled as my thumb coasted over the jagged scar that cut down his cheek to his jaw.

"Just want to see what it's like to touch a monster?" He gritted out.

Startled, I cupped his cheek and brought my other hand up to frame his face. "The only monster in this room is your shitty attitude most of the time."

He grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand away from the scarred side of his face. "This isn't a good idea."

"I have lots of bad ideas. At least five of them include you, me, and lots of sweat. If you're not into that part, then I'll stop. But if it's because of some complex?—"

"You talk too fucking much." He twisted my arm behind me and dragged me flush against his chest and his mouth came down on mine.

No subtlety.

No easy first contact.

It was a full-on takeover.

Fiercely overpowering in a way that made my heartbeat careen out of control.

My free hand tangled in his hair as we vied for control. When his fingers laced with mine at my back, my breath hitched, and my heart jittered. Each callus and rough edge of his scarred hand abraded every finger as he held me so tightly in this one way. The rest of him was so separate from me.

Except that mouth.

God, he drank from me like I was that truly excellent wine he'd served me on that rainy night in his Airstream.

He owned every inch of my mouth. Tongue, teeth, and most of all, lips. Again and again, he stole my breath and my equilibrium.

The kiss wasn't gentle, and I freaking wanted so much more of it.

He tore his lips away from mine, his midnight eyes blazing. "Fuck."

I swayed a little, tripping into him. Off-balance from our tangled fingers behind my back. "Yes, please."

"Jesus, Hellcat."

"Dahlia." I cupped the back of his head, trying to urge him back to where I wanted him.

That mouth on me again.

"Hellcat. You dig in any deeper and you'll take a chunk of me."

I scraped my nails along his scalp and tugged his hair. "You like it. I can see it." I rubbed against the obvious hardness between us. "I can feel it."

He lifted me up on my toes, then he detangled our fingers to grip my ass. "Is that what you really want?"

My blood roared in my head as I scraped my teeth over his lower lip. "Pretty sure yes is in neon over my head."

His rough fingers scored up my forearm, and I hissed.

"Fuck." His eyes were wild, but he was shutting down. "You're still banged up."

"No. I'm fine." I held onto him, suddenly afraid he'd push me away. "They're just scratches."

"They're more than that, Hellcat. I know what it's like?—"

He cut himself off. He knew all too well what pain was like. It was as obvious as the charged air between us. He was shutting down. I didn't know him that well, but I'd been around him at his worst twice before. His self-preservation instinct was like a bramble-covered wall.

I needed to climb over it or hack at it with something. I hooked my arm around his shoulder and held on tight. "I'm not a fragile girl. I want this." The air practically crackled as his gaze bounced from my mouth to my eyes and back again.

I cupped the back of his head, and the pinch of my nails made him groan.

"I want this," I said again.

His fingers dug into my ass again. I could see the war inside of him. In the tightness of every muscle, in the flare of his nostrils. Hell, I could hear him grinding his damn molars.

It wasn't that serious.

Or was it?

I nipped at his chin. "Don't tell me I'm the only one. Not when I can feel that hard cock between us."

His eyes dilated.

My other hand coasted down his side and slithered between us and cupped him. "This doesn't lie."

"I'm not a slave to my goddamn cock." The words were little more than a growl between his gritted teeth.

"Maybe I want to be." The thrill of it made me far more bold than I'd been—ever.

"Fuck."

My lips twitched. "I keep telling you, yes, please."

I slipped my arm free from his shoulder and slowly, I sunk to my knees. My nails dug into his belly and under the hem of his shirt to all those glorious muscles underneath.

He tipped his head back as I went for his buckle.

His fingers gripped mine. The warmth of his skin was right there. The coarse hair above his belt burned the back of my fingers "Dahlia. I can't."

I gazed up at him. "Can't? Or won't?"

His jaw was pure granite, indecision painting a suddenly gruesome tale on his face. "It's been a long time."

Suddenly, the story behind of all his scars made me wonder. "Sure feels like everything is in working order under this zipper."

"You don't want to see what's under these clothes. It ain't pretty." His voice was gruff with…shame?

I pushed his shirt up and followed the jagged line of his scar with the pad of my fingers. "What if I don't really care about pretty?" I nipped at the skin beside the puckered flesh and his cock lengthened, if that was at all possible.

I jerked the tail of his belt out from the loops of his jeans, and the clink of the buckle was so damn loud in the room. Above my breathing, above the rush of blood in my head, above my racing heart.

The soundtrack from downstairs had faded and it was just us now.

He dragged me up off the floor and hoisted me up. "Wrap those legs around me, Hellcat."

I did and yelped as he juggled me higher.

His night sky eyes were fierce now, the hint of pain and shame gone as if it had never existed. "Last chance."

"Just get me naked already."

He just grunted as he covered the length of my bedroom in no time to stretch me out on my bed, caging me in from every angle. His chest looming over me, pumping heat around me like a damn furnace. He straddled my lower thighs, holding me down while he slowly rolled up my shirt. His nose trailed up my stomach and between my breasts. His hair fell forward to tease my skin. The mix of the softness and his overwhelming strength made my heart hammer.

When he got to my breasts, he slowly trailed his nose around each curve before he dipped his tongue beneath the lace of my bra.I gripped his hips, teasing my fingers underneath the cotton of his shirt. I wanted more of his skin.

More connection.

His gaze lit mischievously as he noted the front clasp of my bra. He flicked it open with his teeth and groaned when it broke free, and he closed his teeth over one nipple. A gentle tug slowly became harder, and I hissed out a breath. Every bit of me throbbed from just one touch.

Starved for more.

He released my nipple and the corner of his mouth tipped up into something resembling a smile. But there was an edge to it that made my skin prickle. "How loud can you get, Hellcat?"

I squirmed under him. "How much do we want Amberly to know?"

He dragged his bearded chin across the tip as I whimpered. "Depends on you. You're the one who started this crazy show."

The idea of us putting on a show for my neighbor had me releasing a sputtering laugh. My back arched as his mouth covered my nipple and he did some tongue and teeth combo that had every nerve in my breast throbbing. "Okay, whatever you just did… Yeah." He did it again, and my thighs squeezed tighter together as I shifted restlessly under him. "I'll take more of that, please."

"Is this how it's going to go? A play by play?" He inched down the bed until his bearded chin coasted down my belly to the snap of my pants.

When I tried to reach for him, he avoided my touch.

Annoyed, I propped myself up on my elbows. "I mean, if you want me to call the game, I can."

He jerked down my zipper and the calloused tips of his fingers skimmed down the vee of my bikinis to the triangle of hair hidden just below. He tucked his thumb into the silk and hissed at how soaked I was. "You weren't kidding. You do really want this."

"What, you thought this was some pity fuck? Or to get the job?" I tried to scoot back, but he clamped his knees around the outsides of my calves.

His hands gripped each of my thighs to stop me from pushing him away. "I don't know what I was thinking." Again, he sounded so unsure of this. As if the air wasn't literally crackling between us. "I sure as hell didn't think I'd be getting you under me today."

I knew this wasn't smart from a business standpoint, but I'd made it very clear I was on board with having sex, dammit. "You keep talking like that and you won't."

He inched his way down further until his knees were at the edge of the bed. He peeled down my jeans and tossed them over his shoulder. When I kicked out at him, he grabbed my foot and settled it against his belly. "For someone who keeps getting pissed when I call you Hellcat, that's exactly what you are."

"You just intimated that I was doing this for the job."

"Many have, babe."

Shock left me reeling. "You've been around a lot of shitty people, then."

"Maybe." He scored his fingers along the outside of my thigh to my panties then dragged them down my legs too. "But the hell of it is, you have the sweetest pussy I've ever seen." He hooked my knee over his shoulder and lowered himself to the bed. "It makes up for that mouth. Now let's see if I can get you to shut up for five seconds."

"Is that all it's going to take?"

He licked his lips, the blue of his eyes reckless and wild. No underlying anger. Then he dragged his chin over the triangle of hair above my pussy and drove his tongue inside of me without warning. Again, no preamble, and dear God, did he know what he was doing.

I arched up off the bed and my heel dug into his back. He gripped my ass and lifted me to his face like a damn meal. His tongue lashed one moment and stroked in the next, until I wasn't sure which was coming. All of it was enough to drive me crazy.

I sunk my fingers into his hair and the room went fuzzy and dark for a few seconds before I realized I wasn't fucking breathing. I gasped and his name ended in a shout as the first orgasm punched through me. His hold tightened and I knew I'd find bruises on my ass tomorrow.

Love bruises were the best bruises when an orgasm could be timed in under five minutes.

Hell, more like five seconds.

He stared up at me. His hair had fallen forward to hide his features.

Everything but those turbulent midnight eyes.

I pushed the fringe of hair back and he shook me away.

Still hiding from me?

The blunt ends of his fingers slipped inside of me, and as he crooked them with a twist, I was gone again. The deluge of pleasure was stronger than an undertow. Where one orgasm started, another came crashing over me until I couldn't find a word in my addled brain. The bliss actually turned into a strangled moan as I tried to protect myself from the unrelenting pace of his tongue and fingers.

I cupped my breasts, tugging at each nipple as if it could help the intensity of the cliff-like breakers that kept banging me along the rocks that were this bed.

His name was a chant along with every version of God I could think of.

Maybe a few angels.

"Nolan, please."

He tore his mouth away and grinned up at me. The first real smile I'd ever seen out of him, and his lips were ridiculously and obviously wet from me. That was indelibly sealed into a core memory. "I like hearing you scream my name, Hellcat." He widened my legs and crawled up to cover me, his forearms propping him up enough that I wasn't completely crushed.

I hissed as he settled his jean-clad cock between my thighs, my deliciously abused pussy so sensitive I could barely breathe.

He was heavy.

But that delicious kind of heavy that only came with sex.

There was truly nothing like it.

It had been so long since I'd been intimate with someone. I lifted my knee to his hip and was rewarded with a groan from him. I reached between us for his belt again, but he grabbed my hands and dragged them up above my head.

Why didn't he want me touch him?

He rocked against me, and a rumbling moan traveled up from the very heart of me.

He cuffed my wrists with one hand and dug under me with the other to grip my ass until each rocking motion was under his control. "You're soaking my jeans, just like my beard."

I shuddered, unable to string a word together at that particular moment. I shouldn't be able to come again, for God's sake, but I was already close again.

He drew his chin along the side of my neck and nipped at my ear. "Again, Hellcat. My name."

"Nolan."

"That's it. Can you come for me again? Before I get inside you, I want to hear it one more time."

"Nolan, I can't."

"You can."

The room went sparkly white as he ground against me.

"Before you won't want me."

I frowned. What did he say?

But the words slipped away in the white and the undertow as I bowed up again and again. My body wasn't my own right then.

It was his.

It was the now.

The moment between us.

He ground against me, the heavy column of his cock behind his zipper just as deadly as his mouth. My breath stalled out as the drumbeat in my head went silent as if I was falling. Then it was nothing but my shouts and him holding me down to take every bit of pleasure.

"Let me in. Let me in." His voice was low and near-menacing.

"Yes." I pushed at his jeans. "Inside."

With trembling fingers, he dragged out his wallet and there was a crinkle of something.

Condom.

Thank God.

I was too far gone to want anything but him inside of me at that moment. I almost didn't care.

Dangerous in every way.

He pushed his jeans out of the way enough and then there he was.

I jerked at the prison of his hands holding my hands above my head. I arched and writhed under him, wanting something more that I couldn't voice. Then he was there fitting himself against my soaked slit.

Inch by inch, he filled me until there was nothing but Nolan. Until there was so much pressure and pleasure all wrapped up in one overwhelming moment.

I wanted to wind around him like a thorny vine. To make my mark in the bramble of his protective walls. I wanted him to feel as powerless as I was right now.

He controlled every touch.

Why?

But the swamping intensity of him filling me so completely chased me into another wall of bliss. I arched below him, my breasts digging into the cotton of his shirt, my legs winding around denim.

I wanted skin.

But he didn't allow that.

Wouldn't give me that part of him.

But he did thrust inside of me over and over with his deliciously perfect cock.

Again and again.

Smooth and perfect and powerful. My thighs burned and my back ached, but I took every thrust and begged for more.

Suddenly, he released me. Before I could grip his shoulders, or touch anything on him, he flipped me over, caging me again and drove into me. The pace was brutal, and his touch was anything but gentle.

But I already craved that end.

Craved the speed and accuracy of his divine cock inside of me. He buried his face in my neck, my name a growl and a promise as he fucked me within an inch of madness.

Not a single moment of gentle or care.

And I gloried in every thrust. I pushed back on him and demanded more with my body. Even as he controlled the pace, I let him know with the only thing I had available to me.

My moans.

My pussy.

My welcoming and accepting body.

It felt like a war between us. He covered me from neck to ankle, trapping me under him as if I was going to run away.

Finally, I got one hand free, and I reached behind me to grip the back of his neck. "Nolan," I gasped, his name little more than a sob. He jerked inside of me, his whole body going rigid.

I clamped down on him as I trembled beneath him. As the last gasp of my completely sated body tightened as if to hold onto the only part of him he'd shared with me.

His arms finally gentled as he rolled us onto our sides but remained banded around me as if he couldn't let me go.

As if the war was still raging inside of him.

I tangled my fingers into his sweaty hair. Gently, he kissed my shoulder before he rolled away and off my bed.

He paused at the threshold of the doorway, his back to me.

I wanted to say something, but what?

Then he staggered out into the hallway, and I heard my bathroom door slam.

I pressed my hot cheek into the coolness of my bamboo sheets.

I wasn't sure exactly what that had been, but it hadn't been merely sex.

It had been a freaking battle, and I was the one wearing the scars this time.

Ones I wasn't sure I ever wanted to get rid of.