Chapter Sixteen

Laura

T he day at the hospital was moving slowly, but I didn't dare say that aloud because everyone who'd ever worked in a hospital knew that saying words like slow and quiet was begging for trouble. Still, on a slow day like today, I wished my best friend was around. Living with Hawk and long hours at the hospital meant we didn't get to see each other nearly as much.

It was my last break of the shift, so I picked up the phone to check in with her. "Where the hell are you?" I whispered. "Please tell me you're shacked up with some hottie who has you walking funny."

After a long second, Kristy laughed. And then coughed. "I wish that's what I was up to, but the truth is far less glamorous, I'm afraid. I feel like crap, so I figured a building full of sick people was the worst place to be."

I heard her words, but the tremor of worry that went through me gave me pause. "You never get sick."

"Tell me about it," she snorted. "And when I do, I get it all at once. But at least I got a day off. Maybe two." She tried for a laugh, but I didn't believe for a second.

"I get off in two hours and I'm coming over."

"No," she shouted. "I'm sick and probably highly contagious. Save yourself, woman."

I couldn't help but smile at the fact that even when she was under the weather, Kristy could make me smile. "I'll be fine. And so will you because I'm going to make sure of it." I ended the call before she could tell me not to show up, smiling that I'd beaten her at her own game for once.

"Laura, a patient is asking for you." Another nurse, Marta, found me hiding out in an empty room.

My shoulders slumped forward, thinking of my last visitor. "For me specifically?"

"Yep. He's cute too, in a bad boy way. Exam room four." She grinned suggestively and left me in peace.

My heart sped up because there was only one cute bad boy who would be coming to see me at work. Hawk. I pulled out my hair tie and straightened my ponytail even though he'd seen me looking way worse, and rushed to exam room four. "Hey," I began, but whatever else I'd been about to say died on my lips at the sight of one of the men who tried to kidnap me. I looked around before stepping into the curtained-off exam room, but there was no one around.

"Don't be shy, chica ." The man was in his twenties with a scar over his left eye and a dimpled smile. "I won't bite."

I swallowed hard. "That's not comforting considering our last meeting."

He laughed. "That's fair, but it wasn't personal, just business."

I folded my arms. "Well, it felt personal to me. You're not here for medical help, so why are you here?" I did my best to look strong and confident, hoping like hell I was hiding my fear.

"You told the cops our faces were covered, and you couldn't identify us."

I nodded. "Yeah. So?"

"So, we're good. As long as you stick to that story, blanca. "

His calm words pissed me off. "I don't believe you since you tried to run me over just a few nights ago."

He frowned. "Don't know what you're talking about, babe. Wasn't us. We gave the Steel Demons our word."

I opened my mouth to reiterate my disbelief, but a motor vehicle accident was headed our way and I needed to get prepped. "I have to go. I kept my word, so please leave me alone." I rushed to the ER and cleared my head. Time to focus on work.

***

Two and a half hours later I was on my way to my friend's house after stopping at the grocery store and grabbing a few things to take to her, including ingredients for soup, her favorite snacks, and the good tea to help her sleep, as well as a bunch of groceries for myself and Hawk.

She opened the door with a scowl on her face. "I told you I was fine."

"And I told you I was coming anyway. It's what best friends do," I replied, and brushed past her to get inside. "It's in the handbook."

"Wait, there's a handbook ? I didn't get a copy."

"Funny." She coughed and my smile turned to a frown. "I'm making you soup. Sit down and don't get up." I shot her my patented ‘don't screw with me' look and she dropped down in a kitchen chair.

"Bossy." She accepted the ginger lemon tea with a smile and sipped it happily. "How are things going with the sexy biker?"

I looked at her over my shoulder and rolled my eyes. "Things are as expected given the close proximity."

"Bullshit. The chemistry between you two is off the charts, but we'll circle back to that in a minute. Any other weird shit?"

"Yeah." I told her all about my guest in exam room four. "He said it wasn't him or his guys, but who else would it be?" That was the part that didn't make sense.

"Did you tell Hawk yet?"

"No. I went shopping and came to get some time with my best friend, sick and gross though she is."

Kristy stuck out her tongue. "Are you gonna get in trouble? Is a biker spanking in your future?"

I laughed. "Even sick your mind lives in the gutter, doesn't it?"

"Yep. It's nice here and they know me in the gutter." She flashed a smile. "So, honestly, how is the sex?"

I said nothing for a long time, but I felt the blush as it crept up my face, and Kristy's loud laugh said she saw it too. "Shut up!"

"I will, as soon as I have all the dirty details, and I mean all of ‘em. Come on, my love life is nonexistent, and I need to live vicariously through my bestie. Help a sick woman out, damn it!" She smacked both hands on the table and mock glared at me.

I stood my ground as I poured the broth into the biggest pot Kristy owned. "Who said we're having sex?"

"Besides that radioactive glow you've been sporting since you walked in? The blush was a dead giveaway."

"Fine. It's the best sex I've ever had. Earth shatteringly amazing and I didn't know that sex could be like this, so intense and fun at the same time."

Kristy smiled big and fanned her face. "Hot damn, girl, I am so happy for you!" She clapped her hands and listened as I gave her some—not all—of the details she requested. "So, is this still fake?"

That was the question, wasn't it? I shrugged since that was the most definitive answer I could give. "I mean, the sex is real, but the rest of it is confusing as hell. We live together and we sleep together, but we're not together."

Kristy nodded sagely. "The good news is you're in the perfect position to figure it out."

Kristy's words stuck with me the whole drive back to Hawk's place, and even though the very thought of him brought a smile to my face, I knew that whatever was going on between us couldn't last. Our lives were too different, we were too different, and this pull between us was just chemistry. Lust. Combustible, nuclear level lust.

But I fully intended to enjoy it for however long it lasted.

I was too tired to cook again, so I stopped for takeout. Hawk said he had a lot of MC stuff to do today so I wasn't sure if I would see him tonight. I liked spending time with Hawk even though I shouldn't. He was overprotective and crass, and his mouth was so dirty. Deliciously so. My mind was all over the place and I reached into the bag to shove a handful of steak-cut fries into my mouth, hopeful the salt and the carbs would curb my dirty thoughts.

***

The drive home felt off. At first, I chalked it up to the visit from the guy from Los Ochos, but the feeling intensified and I looked around, checking my mirrors for anything that seemed off. I spotted a red car that, for some reason, put me on edge. I knew it was stress that had me feeling so paranoid, so I jumped off the freeway and decided to take the longer route back to Hawk's place.

I looked up again to change lanes and the red car was still there. A minivan idled between us, but it was the same car. I made random turns that were completely unnecessary and each glance into the rearview mirror showed that damn red car. I felt confused and angry, and scared as hell. I had believed the guy earlier when he said we were good as long I didn't talk, but now I felt foolish.

Time to beat myself up later , I thought, and pulled over on a residential street not far from Hawk's place. The red car rolled right past me as if he wasn't following me, but he parked near the corner while I grabbed my phone. "Hawk, I think someone is following me."

"I'll be right there," he said after a long beat of silence.

"No, that's not necessary. I pulled over because I didn't want them to know where I was going." I'd realized if Hawk was out, then leading whoever was following me straight to his house where I'd be home alone, was a bad idea.

"I'm home now," Hawk said.

I breathed out a sigh of relief, "Can you, um, just talk to me while I drive to your place?"

"Smart."

I rolled my eyes, feeling anything but smart in that moment. "Yeah, thanks. Oh shit, he's driving past again." I turned my head just enough to look at the red car without being obvious. "The tint is too dark to see inside," I whispered as if the driver could hear me. I rattled off his plate number and put my own car in drive.

"You're not following him, are you?"

I laughed. "Hell no, I'm not crazy. Just making sure he's lost interest." I was a nervous wreck as I drove the last few blocks to Hawk's place, taking the circuitous route, eyes darting all around in search of the red car as I climbed out of the car and headed for the front steps. "Hawk?"

"I'm here."

His deep voice stole a scream from the depths of my diaphragm. "You scared the crap out of me!" I spun and jumped back at the same time and smacked my back against the car. "Ow."

He pulled his lips into his mouth, to stifle a laugh no doubt, and reached for me. "Sorry."

"You said you had stuff to do with the MC." He looked at me oddly in that moment and I wasn't sure why. "What?"

"Nothing." He grinned. "You sounded like an old lady for a second."

I smiled, ignoring the tingles that made my limbs sizzle at his tone and that heart-stopping look in his eyes. "That's because I am one. Remember?"

"Right." He rolled his eyes and took the bags from my arms. "Come on."

I followed him up the stairs with my eyes glued to his ass the entire time. It was better to focus on that beautiful backside than the potential of someone following me. My shoulders relaxed a little as I stepped inside the house, and with every step I took, I felt more relaxed. More calm. I felt at ease.

I kicked my shoes off and followed Hawk into the kitchen. When I made it, all the bags of groceries were piled on the countertop, and he was looking at me like I was his favorite flavor of ice cream on a hot summer's day. "What?"

He took one step forward and then another. And another until he stood right in front of me, his green eyes dark and hot. "I'm so fucking glad you're okay." That was it, just those six words and then his mouth was on me, hot and demanding, unrelenting as our tongues danced together. His big hands cupped my face and tilted my head back before he deepened the kiss.

Every hot, wet sweep of his tongue made me shudder. My panties were a sopping mess just a minute into the kiss and I didn't care as I pushed my chest against his and let my hands crawl up the black t-shirt to feel his hot, soft skin. The rock-hard muscles that bunched and flexed under my palm.

I moaned into his mouth and jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist so the hot ridge of him rested exactly where I was hot and wet for him.

One hand tangled in my hair while the other gripped my ass, squeezing and kneading as I moved against him, enjoying the hard length of him, the barely contained control that stretched with every swipe of my tongue. I nipped at his bottom lip and let out a whimper as he pulled me flush against his cock, and in the next second he tore his mouth from mine.

"Too much?" There was something about this man that made me act outside myself. I wasn't this bold and aggressive when it came to intimacy, but with Hawk, I took what I wanted and gave him what I thought he wanted.

"Never." He was panting heavily as he searched my face.

I stared back, shocked at what I saw in his eyes. It was a blend of want and affection, yearning and a dark desire that made it difficult to swallow. It had to be the visual embodiment of the feelings that tore through me when I looked at him. Kissed him. Got devoured by him. "Then, what?"

His lips pulled into a teasing grin. "Nothing. Just needed a breath." And then his mouth was on mine again and this time he didn't let up, didn't give me a second to save myself from drowning in his kisses or his pleasure. There was no lifeboat to save me from this and I didn't want it. I wanted to drown in this man because I felt like the me I was supposed to be when we were together. Because the pleasure he gave me was unlike any I'd ever experienced. Because when his green eyes settled on me, they swirled with so many emotions, many I've never seen aimed in my direction.

My fingers tangled in his hair and pulled him closer, my hunger for him turning to starvation, and I kissed him like nothing else mattered because it didn't. The whole damn world could burn down around us, and it wouldn't matter because that kiss was everything I ever wanted.

Ever needed.

It was just plain everything.