Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

S hephard

“Whew,” some asshole said. He was chuckling that a woman had beaten me in a game I enjoyed. All I had to do was slowly turn my head in his direction and that put the fear of God into him.

The woman’s actions had been surprising. With her mussed-up hair and still wet clothes, someone could mistake the mystery woman for disheveled. But I knew better. She was gorgeous, more so than any other woman I’d seen in one hell of a long time. With copper-colored hair, hazel eyes, and long dark lashes that augmented her stunning and very natural beauty, my balls had remained rock hard.

I’d known all kinds of women in my life, a few I’d gone to bed with, but my cock wasn’t usually at full attention before knowing the woman’s name. Although that was all I’d cared to learn about any of them. Everything about her was natural, including the light, lingering scent of whatever shower gel she’d used.

I had a feeling the girl was tough, refusing to take shit from any man. I admired that more than I cared to admit.

After glancing at the solid bullseye throws, I shook my head. She’d brushed past me when leaving, allowing our upper arms to collide. I didn’t see her as the overtly flirtatious type. But she was pushing my buttons on purpose.

I considered that a challenge.

The ache in my balls only intensified, enough so rather crazy thoughts entered my mind. I was in a dump of an area on a two-lane road basically in the middle of nowhere. I’d never see the girl again. My libido needed to be fed as I hadn’t been with a woman in… shit. Three years at least.

Sure, I could lie to myself that the reason was a product of my past, and that would partially be right. But there were always women in every port and city who wouldn’t mind spending the night with a dangerous man.

Maybe I’d grown mostly out of that behavior.

Mostly.

I sucked on the ice in my glass and made my decision. Taking long strides, I followed her from the bar. It took me all of three seconds to catch a glimpse of where she’d gone. I wasn’t known for being gentle or passionate and tonight wasn’t going to change anything. I was the kind of guy who took what I wanted. I grabbed her arm as proof to myself, spinning her around to face me.

When I shoved her against the outside wall, she immediately tried to attack, slamming her fist close enough to my jaw I was shocked I’d managed to snap my hand around her bent fingers.

“Not so fast, little lady. You should know it isn’t ladylike not to offer a man playing darts an opportunity to redeem himself.” It was the most I’d said to one person in a long time. I didn’t like to talk, had no use for words. Especially in my business when providing any clues as to identity, whereabouts or motives could mean a death sentence.

“I certainly never said I was a lady.”

Her voice was as sultry as the exterior package. My entire body was on fire, the shot of electricity weaving from one to the other damn powerful. I’d followed rules for the majority of my life, but I’d finished with that phase. Now I ate, drank, and did exactly what I wanted. Fuck the concept of consequences.

“It’s obvious you aren’t, but I like that.” I was a man of few words, preferring actions to bullshit conversation. Tonight was no exception.

While the bar had an overhang, the shift in the rain meant the heavy raindrops were now pelting against us. She wasn’t perturbed, mischievous enough to lift her head in defiance to a stranger.

A stranger she’d tormented.

I couldn’t let that go without punishment.

I pushed her arm back to the wall, catching her fingers even though they were still fisted. She obviously had no idea what I was capable of.

The stunning gal would learn soon enough.

With the bag she’d carried wrapped around her other wrist, she wasn’t able to provide herself with adequate protection from a very bad man like me. I was able to wrap the fingers of my other hand around her throat, holding and keeping her in place seconds before I crushed my mouth over hers. She had full lips and the instant hint of wine mixed with my bourbon was heavenly.

Even if I wasn’t that kind of guy.

Rarely did scents or tastes truly get to me. With this woman, my behavior seemed more reckless than normal. What the hell? I was far enough away from the crappy apartment I had rented and my parents couldn’t care less about a son who’d disappeared for years, almost two decades to be exact.

The kiss became more passionate than I think either one of us was prepared for. As the rain continued to drive against us, I was shocked the horrific weather didn’t seem to bother her. She was one tough lady.

I dominated her tongue easily, but I knew if she could break free of my hold, she’d likely attempt to claw my eyes out. Just squeezing her long neck brought out every insatiable need I’d felt in a long time. Our body language told no lies. Between the way we were grinding our hips together, the increasing scent of our desires, and the growls and moans pushing past our locked lips, our needs were intense.

I needed to be feasting on this woman soon or I might lose my fucking mind. There was no need for additional words. I mauled her mouth for a full two additional minutes before pulling away. Her gasp was satisfying. I didn’t let go of her hand, immediately dragging her toward the motel. She said nothing, easily processing what I was doing. Not suggesting but doing.

When we were close to my room, only then did she shove me off.

“Mine. Not yours. Even a bitch prefers her own lair.” She managed to back away, headed up the stairs before I could catch her.

She was certainly a handful. A part of me knew I should head to my room and forget she’d ever interfered with my sullen moments. Maybe I’d regret it later, but the brazen hunger won out. I took the stairs two at a time, stopping only when I noticed she’d left the door open for me.

I slowed as I walked toward it, using my index finger to push it open. She was standing with her back to me, removing whatever was in the plastic bag she’d carried with her. I closed and locked the door, trying to control my raging libido as much as possible.

The fact she’d felt my gun meant nothing to me. Yet I instinctively knew she had a weapon inside the duffle bag she’d placed on the dresser. She was also carrying, the outline easy to see. A chuckle reached the surface of my mouth as I removed my jacket, securing it on the single chair in the room before taking a step closer.

She gingerly placed her weapon beside her things, eyeing me with a look that said if I dared attempt to touch it, my life could be in peril. With a food container in her hand, she moved toward the back of the room. I didn’t have to see the animal to sense it was there.

A dog.

I was surprised the bozo downstairs had allowed an animal inside one of his precious rooms.

With all I’d been through in my life, a man with the scars to prove what I’d endured, few things could even raise an eyebrow. She broke up a burger of some kind, whispering softly before placing the food down.

The moment she returned to the dresser, I was put in the uncomfortable position of being uncertain what to do. That wasn’t like me in the least.

But when a big, nearly all black Malinois sat only a few feet away, her eyes pinned on me as if I was her dinner for the night, yeah, I was placed in a moment of limbo.

“This is Pepper,” the mystery girl said as she leaned against the edge of the dresser, her legs crossed at the ankles. “She’s a drug- and bomb-sniffing dog capable of tracking criminals a few hundred yards away with a single whiff. More important, she can sniff out a bad man from a mile. She’s my asshole meter. I bring her everywhere.”

The girl was having fun with this. She thought she could ruffle my feathers. I said nothing. She was pulling out all the stops to try to drive me away. She certainly had no idea what I was made of.

“She’ll let me know if I need to reach for my weapon,” she continued.

Animals were powerful, peaceful beings. Violent dogs were all a product of bad humans. I’d come close to ending a man’s life once for his repulsive and abusive behavior with his pit bull. Malinois had also been given a bad rep. If what she’d told me about the pup’s skills was true, the dog had been used in the military. Which could mean the woman had also served. That could certainly account for the chip on her shoulder. I could recognize one a thousand miles away.

This was a test and if I had to guess, I’d say only a few men ever passed. That’s what she wanted. The connection was real, the chemistry raw, but she couldn’t commit to a single night without guilt or worse.

I could walk out, but that wouldn’t ease my blue balls. Instead, I dropped onto all fours, taking my time crawling toward Pepper. Most people had no clue about meeting a dog for the first time. If they assumed the breed was friendly, they believed they could roughhouse right away. Pretty much all dogs were protective of their owners, which altered even a Golden Retriever’s behavior if he or she thought her owner was in danger.

Pepper was very tight with the girl. I could smell it. The dog was also one highly intelligent breed, easily smelling any level of discomfort. I had none. As I crawled closer, I noticed her scrunched-up face out of the corner of my eye. I’d floored the beautiful woman.

When I was close to Pepper, I lowered my head just enough that the dog believed she had the upper hand. After a snort and a heavy sniff, Pepper was satisfied, dropping to her belly and crawling closer to me. I gently rubbed behind her ears, enjoying the moment as well as the softness of her ears.

“Cheeseburger,” I told the girl.

She knew what I was asking, half chortling as she handed me the second one whole. I held it firmly in my hand, keeping my fingers enclosed around it. Pepper responded accordingly, eager to eat without taking off any digits.

I fed her the fries as well in absolute silence.

“Impressive. I guess you pass,” she said and I wasn’t entirely certain she wasn’t disappointed.

When I slowly stood, I was only inches away from the woman. Her breathing was heavy, her seductive gaze falling very slowly to my scuffed boots.

“Tests are over,” I told her. That’s all she was going to get. I was much taller than her by several inches, easily able to pick her up. I wasn’t worried Pepper would attack me. The test was final.

As soon as I placed her on the edge of the dresser, she shoved me away using both hands this time. She was stronger than she looked, able to pitch me back by a few feet. She used that as an excuse to bolt. She knew she wasn’t getting far. There was nowhere to go in the ugly shithole.

She was doing this for the chase and the thought of winning. While a damn good dart player, she was no match for a man like me. I snagged her arm easily, using the momentum of my body weight to toss her onto the center of the bed.

Her rebound was quick, her fists flying. I met almost every hard punch with the palm of my hand, thwarting her blows. Within seconds, she was frustrated as fuck, hissing in the cutest darn way.

I grinned, but was in instant pain when she changed her method of throwing a brutal jab. She caught me in the stomach. Hard. Damn, the woman was feisty as fuck. I’d need to settle her ass down.

I backed away to catch my breath and she flung herself at me like a banshee, even issuing the sexiest little growl. She threw her legs around me, the heat of her body doing nothing more than adding gasoline to a huge fire burning deep within. I allowed her to pitch me against the wall, but quickly made certain she knew I was very much in charge.

I fisted her hair, spinning and slamming her against the wall in the same spot.

“Bastard!” She almost managed to scratch out my eyes, instead deciding on ripping my shirt right down the middle.

If she thought I wasn’t in the game, she was dead wrong. I did the exact same thing, also wrenching off her lace bra with a single snap of my hand.

Her gasp was filled with just a tinge of horror. “What do you think you’re doing, buster?”

I raked one hand through my hair before driving my palm against the wall beside her head. “Taking what I want, sweet cheeks. You play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.”