Clipped Wings (36 page)

“Fuck.” I gripped my hair to shut down the rising fury. Coupled with fear, it was too much to handle. Everything Cross said could be true. I didn’t want to be a phase. I wanted her to heal, I just didn’t want her to move on and leave me behind. I’d spent the last seven years in self-preservation mode, keeping the people closest to me at a safe distance. Somehow Tenley got past all the armor, and I didn’t want that to change.

Tenley came back a minute later and slammed a piece of paper with the Inked Armor logo down on the counter. “Lisa wants the usual, Jamie said he was good, and Chris is hungry. He gave me a list.” She pointed a finger in my face. “Don’t think for a second I didn’t see right through you. What the hell was that all about? How do you two know each other?”

She was seriously pissed. She had every right to be. I acted like a jealous dick. At least she hadn’t witnessed the worst of it. I pulled her into me and hugged her hard, shoving my face in her hair. She stiffened.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered against her neck.

She remained rigid for several more seconds before she finally eased up. Her arms came around my waist cautiously. “Hayden? What’s going on?”

I just wanted to keep her, in whatever way I could, but it seemed like every time I turned around someone or something threatened to take her away from me. I pressed my lips to her neck, panic overriding every other emotion. “I don’t want you to talk to him again.”

“What?” She pushed away.

I let her go. “Cross is the cop who messed up the evidence in my parents’ murder investigation.”

“Oh God.” She pressed her palm against her mouth as shock became understanding. “That’s terrible. When was the last time you saw him?”

“When they closed the case because of compromised evidence.”

“Oh Hayden. What can I do to make it better?”

“I need you.”

“I’m right here.”

I shook my head. “I
need
you.”

“Oh,” she whispered. “I’ll take you home.”

I felt desperate, angry, terrified, and a whole host of other emotions I couldn’t and didn’t want to classify.

She turned on the neon Closed sign. After that she emptied the cash register and put the money in the safe without counting it. Once everything was locked up, she led me to the rear entrance. I followed her outside and up the stairs to her apartment.

As soon as were inside I had her pressed up against the door, my tongue in her mouth. I fumbled with the buttons on her shirt. Impatient, I grabbed the lapels and pulled. The buttons made a satisfying ping as they bounced to the floor. Under the pretty blue shirt I ruined was the black bra with the red polka dots. I suddenly wondered if she’d worn this sexy lingerie for anyone else. The idea made me fucking mental.

“Hayden?” Tenley’s hands covered mine.

I was still fisting the destroyed shirt, staring at her chest. I looked up.

“Whatever you need from me right now, you can take it,” she said softly.

“I can’t—I want to be—Fuck!” I shook my head, incapable of articulating how extreme my need for her was.

“It’s okay.” Tenley dropped her hands and stood passively, waiting.

I pulled her shirt down her arms and tossed it on the floor, fighting to keep the aggression in check. My hands moved down her sides and I dropped to my knees. Lucky for her she was wearing those legging things, so I couldn’t ruin any more of her clothes. Black and red satin appeared as I dragged them down her thighs, those little bows on each hip whittling away at my control.

Tenley braced herself on my shoulders as the leggings came off; the panties would follow soon enough. I ran my hands up the backs of her bare calves, along the outside of her thighs, over the scar to her hips.

“Turn around.”

She didn’t hesitate, spinning to face the door. “You want to do this here?” she asked over her shoulder.

“You have a better place in mind?” Eye level with her ass, I didn’t really want to move anywhere.

“There’s a counter a few feet away. I think you said something about bending me over it last week.”

“Give me a minute. I’ll get to that.” I wanted to be good to her, especially now.

She shifted her weight and popped her hips out. The pretty satin covered about three-quarters of her ass, leaving just the bottom of her cheek exposed. There was another little red bow right at the dip in her spine. I palmed the soft flesh and squeezed. Holding her hips, I leaned in and bit down right where her ass met her thigh.

Tenley gasped, so I did it again. Harder this time.

“You like that?”

“I like everything you do to me.”

I stood, sliding one hand between her legs to cup her. Pulling her to me, I ground my erection against her ass. She pushed back, bracing herself against the door. I flicked the clasp on her bra and it came undone, providing an uninterrupted view of her tattoo; my design, my art, mine. The straps slid down her arms and rested in the crook of her elbows. When I grazed her nipple, she let the bra drop to the floor.

“How does this feel?”

“Good.” Her head bowed forward.

“Just good?” I circled the barbell.

“Better than good.”

I would have taken her right there, against the door, but I didn’t think she’d be able to handle standing up for what I had planned. I turned her around, kissing her as I guided her to the counter. “Did you want me to take you to the bedroom?”

“I already told you, Hayden, you can have me any way you want me.” Her hands went under my shirt and she lifted it over my head. Her eyes holding mine, she dipped her head and kissed a line of black ink to my nipple. I groaned; fire lit up my veins and shot down to my cock.

“The bedroom would be safer for you,” I warned. The counter wasn’t exactly soft.

“This isn’t about me.”

My lip curled in a rueful grin. “It’s always about you, Tenley. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

“Then let me be what you need.” She guided my hands to her body, settling them below the curve of her breasts. The fragile cage of rib shifted under smooth skin with every breath she took. She tipped her chin up and I bent to meet her. I slid a hand into her hair, holding tightly. All the sweetness of the kiss dissipated as I tilted her head back, owning her mouth. I wanted to get inside her and stay there until all the bad parts of me disappeared. I wanted to mark her everywhere so there was no doubt she was mine.

I picked her up and deposited her on the counter. It was becoming my favorite location. Her legs parted automatically to make room for me. I cupped her breasts, my thumbs rough as they moved over the jeweled barbells. Tenley made a throaty sound and arched into the touch.

“I’m so fucking glad you have these.” I shifted one hand to the center of her back and leaned down to kiss the pebbled skin. I was rewarded with a soft whimper. It seemed the piercings were finally healed enough for me to devote some proper attention to them.

I licked at one, seeking confirmation before I proceeded. “Yes?”

“Please.” She ran a hand through my hair, her palm resting on the back of my neck, encouraging me to continue.

Lips parted, I enveloped the piercing, the metallic taste hitting my tongue. I sucked hard. A rare, soft “Fuck” fell from her lips and she pushed her chest out, fingers firmly anchored in my hair, nails digging into my scalp. I released her nipple with a suctioned pop and blew on the tip.

“Was it worth the pain?” I asked, circling the skin with a knuckle, avoiding where it was most sensitive.

“Yes, do it again, please,” Tenley groaned, kneading the back of my head where she’d been tugging on my hair.

“You’re always so polite when you want something.”

I devoted the same attention to the other nipple, licking, biting, tugging at the barbell with my teeth. Tenley’s legs slid up the outside of my thighs and tried to wrap around my waist. I wouldn’t let her, though, because the second she made contact with my very volatile dick, I would lose what was left of my pitiful control. I gave her nipple one more hard suck, enjoying her sweet moan before I laid her back on the counter. I probably should have taken her to the bedroom despite her assurance the location would be fine. It was too late, though. I couldn’t stop, and I didn’t want to.

She was spread out for me in nothing but those sexy panties, hair spilling over the edge of the counter in a dark waterfall. She tried to close her thighs, maybe to rub them together and get some friction, but they locked against my hips. She propped herself up on an elbow, grabbing for my belt buckle. I stepped out of reach and settled my hands on her knees.

“Is there something you want, kitten?”

“Stop teasing and touch me.”

“Or what?” I massaged the backs of her knees, finding the sensitive spot, rubbing in slow, firm circles.

“Or I’ll do it myself.”

Now that was something I wouldn’t mind watching. Not that I had the patience to appreciate it at the moment.

“I’m afraid that doesn’t give me much incentive.” I smoothed my palms up the inside of her thighs but stayed well out of range of where she wanted my hands, waiting to see what she would do.

Her head dropped back again; her chest rose and fell, faster, shallower, as I continued to torment her, sweeping my fingers along the juncture of her thighs. Her hips lifted, seeking out what I refused to provide. She groaned and her hands traveled up, over her stomach, along her ribs to the underside of her breasts. Her fingers glided timidly over the swell to circle the barbell. Her eyes were closed tight, cheeks flushed, those perfect, soft whimpers falling from her parted lips.

I slipped my pinkie under the satin and she cried out. I craved this power over her, the ability to make her feel this way, to keep her on the edge until she couldn’t take it any longer. And when she came, it would be my hands, my body, my touch that would be responsible for her relief.

I yanked the satin down her legs. One of her hands abandoned her breast and descended. I caught her wrist when it reached the crest of her pelvis and pinned it to the counter.

Her eyes flew open, confusion clouding her expression. “What—”

“I get to make you come.”

I rested my forearms on the inside of her thighs, pushing them wider apart. Still holding on to her wrist, I dropped my head and kissed from one hip to the other and down, over the cupcake tattoo. Tenley used her free hand to guide me lower, so I pinned that wrist to the counter as well, rendering her immobile. When I finally put my mouth on her, she shuddered and latched onto my wrists, securing her to me. She was quite the fucking sight, back arched, legs splayed, vulnerable and gorgeous.

“Please, Hayden.”

I stroked her with my tongue, the steel ball hitting the spot that made her moan until her entire body convulsed. Only when the shaking stopped did I let up off her thighs and release her wrists. She groaned and went limp, her breathing harsh.

“Are you okay?” I asked, massaging the joints at her hips.

She made a noise of affirmation as I pulled her into a sitting position. When she seemed steady enough, I lifted her off the counter and spun her around. She bent over, and I ran my hands down her back, thumbs smoothing along either side of her spine, over the expanse of healed ink to the cleft of her ass. She tensed.

Intent on getting inside her, I unbuckled my belt, popped the button, and lowered the zipper, freeing my erection. I fisted it and gave it a courtesy stroke. Tenley propped herself up on her elbows and peeked over her shoulder at me. She spread her legs, giving me better access to the place I wanted to be.

I dragged my cock over her clit and lined myself up at her entrance, watching the piercing disappear inside. Her head fell forward between her shoulders so I couldn’t see her face anymore, but she pushed back against me.

“Hayden,” Tenley whispered.

“Hmm,” I replied absently, holding her hips as I eased inside.

“You don’t have to go easy.”

I stilled, meeting her hot gaze. She looked at me with such genuine understanding, like she knew how fucking hard I was working to hold back on what I wanted to take. What I wanted her to give me.

“Just let go.”

The last vestiges of restraint disintegrated. “Hold on to the counter, kitten,” I ground out. I pressed my palm into the center of her back as I pulled out all the way to the piercing and slammed back in. Tenley sucked in a sharp breath, but she met each hard thrust as I picked up momentum.

Gathering her hair at the nape of her neck, I wrapped it around my hand. I tugged, angling her head so I could see her face. I couldn’t get close enough like this, though, couldn’t get far enough inside her, couldn’t put my mouth on hers.

My muscles shook from the effort to stave off the inevitable. I didn’t want to stop, ever. Like my ink, I wanted her permanence in my world. I covered her body with mine, thrusting deep. My lips parted against her shoulder, my teeth leaving an impression in her skin. I worked my way up the side of her neck, leaving marks behind. Little reminders of my existence for when I wasn’t with her.

She held the edge of the counter tightly as I continued to pound into her, telling her how good she felt, how much I loved being inside her, how I always wanted her.

“I told him you were mine,” I whispered when her muscles started to tremble.

She craned her neck and grabbed me by the hair. I kissed her hard as she came, shaking and moaning into my mouth.