Only for the Night (If Only Book 2) (25 page)

Hank chuckled and nipped the jut of her hip bone. “All right, baby.” With both hands he shifted her. The current of water pushed lightly against her side as he moved them deeper into the water.

Hank’s gaze locked on hers. “Ready?”

Ready for what?

“I want you to spread your arms wide, keep your head up.” He positioned himself between her thighs, his big hands cupping her lower back and ass to steady her. All it took was gentle waves of her arms to keep her above water, but still she wondered. What was he doing? The water was chest-high on him, too deep for him to…

“Oh!”

The touch of Hank’s nose nuzzling her lower lips apart was electric. Sage felt it all the way up her spine, a spine she couldn’t arch if she didn’t want to sink. Hank was binding her tighter than any ropes, with nothing more than water and his hands under her body. She widened her legs, giving him room, giving him everything she could as all her concentration went to her core and the slick heat of his tongue lapping water from her clit. He licked, sucked—she even felt the slightest graze of teeth as he feasted on her most intimate spot. “Hank, oh yes, don’t stop.”

He didn’t. His tongue slid lower, lower, to find her opening, and then it was inside her. Nerve endings screamed with pleasure as he pumped in and out, nudging her clit every time, over and over and over…

“Hank!” Her back arched instinctively, her climax hitting with the force of a bomb going off in her core. Hank was right there, his hands keeping her afloat as the pleasure took over. His tongue thrust inside her until her muscles went slack and every breath was a sigh; only then did he reach around and tug her into his arms.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, dropped her head into the perfect hollow beneath his collarbone, and let the peace envelop her.

She wasn’t sure how long it was before Hank reached between them. His hand jerked. Wet skin slid against her: he’d opened his shorts. She replaced his hand with hers. Slick latex already covered him, and she didn’t hesitate to guide him to her opening. Hank slid inside with a grunt.

That full feeling overwhelmed her just like it had every time before. Probably always would. He was so thick, his cock perfect inside her, and when he pulled back, then surged forward again? Perfect didn’t even begin to describe it. She adjusted her hips, her legs to let him all the way inside, and Hank took advantage, rocking her up and down his erection, strong and steady, over and over, until his fingers bit into her skin and his pace went frantic and he shuddered through a release of his own.

That was it, exactly what she wanted. To please him as he’d pleased her. Nothing else mattered. And when he carried her out of the water and placed her feet on the sand with a low, sexy “Thank you, baby,” there was really only one response.

“Thank
you
, Sir.”

Pleasure and pain

Beauty in surrender

Hunger so deep

It has to last forever…

Hank stopped strumming to make a notation on his sheet music, then began the chorus again. He’d woken with the new song flowing through his brain a few days ago, which really wasn’t a surprise since it was all about Sage. They were all about Sage. The bridge had him stumped though. He—

A loud knock rattled the screen door to the apartment. From where he sat on the window seat, Hank couldn’t see onto the deck. Sage wouldn’t knock. Neither would Merry. He glanced at Knight, but the shepherd hadn’t done more than lift his head and stare over at the door with mild curiosity. Someone Knight knew, then.

Who the hell was it?

The answer surprised the shit out of him. There, standing on his deck, out of the blue, was Chad Rezler. The son of a bitch.

Hank didn’t even consider opening the screen. “What do you want?”

Not the best choice of opener, but what did the prick expect?

“Hi, Hank.”

If he didn’t know better, he’d describe Chad’s look as
tail tucked between legs
, but he wasn’t buying it. Knight, seeming to sense his antagonism, padded over to sit just behind his leg. Guard duty. Hank dropped a hand to the shepherd’s head. “When did you get back?”

Chad sighed as he ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair, making it stand out in all directions. When he looked away, the sun shone on his empty earlobe. That’s when Hank realized his former friend was completely stripped down. No glitz, no glamour, no flashy clothes or fancy boots. This Chad was a shadow of the persona the man had worn onstage for years now, and even offstage since he’d met his boyfriend. Looking at him now, a twinge of pity awoke in Hank’s gut. He squashed it ruthlessly.

“This morning.”

“And you didn’t go straight to V.’s?”

Chad shook his head, still looking away. The half of his face that Hank could see had red creeping up the side. “Can…can I come in?”

Everything in him shouted
hell no!
but Hank just quirked a brow and pushed the screen open.

Chad picked up a backpack Hank hadn’t noticed and grabbed the door. Knight came to attention. Chad jerked to a stop.

“Relax,” Hank told the shepherd, signaling him across the room to the sunny spot he liked to sleep in. Knight whined but went.

Chad dragged himself into the house.

“Where’s your luggage?”

“At the bottom of the stairs. I figured—” Chad shrugged, still without meeting Hank’s eyes.

He’d figured right. Hank gestured to the kitchen table.

Chad pulled out a chair and, when he sat, dropped his head into his hands. Something clicked in Hank’s brain.

“He dumped you, didn’t he?” Figured. A two-month European vacation was a helluva parting gift, especially when the person paying for it didn’t know about the “parting” part.

Chad didn’t bother to deny it; he nodded, face still covered. No longer the charismatic playboy, at least right now. What Hank was staring at was a shattered shell.

If he could believe his eyes.

Man, when had he gotten so cynical? “You really did love him, didn’t you?”

“I did. I-I—” Chad shut up, straightened, eyes anywhere but on Hank. “Can I use your restroom?”

“Sure. You know where it is.”

While Chad was gone, Hank rewarded Knight for his diligence with a treat, then grabbed two beers from the fridge. When Chad returned, the old him was back in place, but without the continual cockiness he’d worn like a second skin for a long time now. “I’m sorry” was the first thing out of his mouth.

Hank took the apology with a nod, slid a bottle across to Chad, then waited for more.

“I don’t know how to fix this,” Chad finally said.

Not what Hank had expected. “I’m not sure I know either.” He took a cold swallow of beer. “You’ve put us through some pretty bad shit, you know. The studio, the album…”

“I know.” Again without the arrogance Chad had become known for. “I really thought— Well, it doesn’t matter. I let someone take advantage of me, and in the process I hurt a lot of people.” He squared his shoulders. “If the band still wants me, if you guys don’t…haven’t… I want to come back.”

“Then answer me one question.” Hank leaned forward over his beer and pinned Chad with a look. “Why? You chose him over us. Why?”

Something sad and lost came over Chad’s face. “Would you give up your responsibilities for someone you thought loved you?”

Would he? Hank knew what Sage was coming to mean to him. Would he give up the band for her? Would she give up the market?

Finally he shook his head. “If she or he asked me to give up my responsibilities to others, no warning, not even a real good reason, then they never actually loved me in the first place.”

It was an ugly truth, but it had to be said. True love was give-and-take, not just take. It was working together. Giving Sage what she needed had been more fulfilling than most of the things Hank had done in his life, including his career as a cop. But this wasn’t all about Sage. She was helping him too. He’d been bound in chains so long he hadn’t realized how heavy they were. He wasn’t becoming a different man for her—she’d already told him she wouldn’t force him past where he wanted to go. No, he was rediscovering the man he’d been all along. That’s what happened when two people cared about each other.

Chad cleared his throat. “You’re right, absolutely right. I know that now. I’ll find a way to make it up to you, to all of you.”

Hank nodded toward his phone, sitting where he’d left it earlier in the middle of the table. “Start with an apology. To them, not just me.”

Chad nodded. “Right. I’ll just…” Pulling his phone from his pocket, Chad walked toward the door. Hank didn’t envy him the talk he was about to have with V. That’s why Chad had come to Hank instead, to avoid having to talk to their manager. V. didn’t just have the Dom act down in the bedroom—when it came to their band, he was an intimidating SOB.

Hank? Well, V. called him Daddy on occasion for a reason. He’d cultivated the easygoing persona for a long time, but as his conversation with Chad had just proven, it was no longer who he was. Pity Chad found that out too late.

By the time Sage’s footsteps sounded on the stairs later that afternoon, Hank and Chad had progressed from bitter standoff to temporary cessation of hostilities. Hank could usually tell by the sound of her footsteps how rough a day she’d had, and tonight they were particularly slow and heavy with the stress of a new business and new employees. He’d looked forward to helping get rid of some of her stress tonight, like he had at the cove, but not with Chad here. Not till they went to bed, anyway.

The look of interest Chad shot her way when Sage came in the door had Hank gritting his teeth and reminding himself that Chad was gay. Still, a surge of jealousy spun in his head. He was crossing the room before Sage could ask the question so obviously on the tip of her tongue as her gaze landed on their guest.

“Sage.” One arm slid around her as if he’d been doing it all his life, and just like that she was against his chest. The fact that his wide shoulders blocked any view of Chad was a bonus, as was the cock-hardening kiss he gave her before pulling away.

And then he realized what he’d done and a wry grin tugged at his mouth. He marked territory better than Knight, didn’t he?

“We have company.”

“Uh, okay,” she said, staring up at him. The distracted look on her face made him feel ten feet tall. When he chuckled, she snapped out of it enough to give him a light punch in the stomach.

“Hey, you know how I feel about hitting.”

Both of them stopped, stunned. He’d joked about it. Good God… Then Sage’s smile broke through the shock. “I do,” she whispered. A sweet kiss above his heart made it melt. “Thank you.”

They didn’t need words for him to know what she meant. He knew now exactly how much his understanding and, yes, validation meant to her. He just wished he hadn’t given it in front of his dumb-ass bandmate.

He satisfied himself with rubbing his thumb across her chin, and then he turned toward the kitchen. “Sage, I’d like you to meet Chad Rezler.”

“Ch-Chad.” Sage’s gaze shot to his, wide and surprised, before going to the man now standing next to their kitchen table. She stepped forward, hand extended. “It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”

Chad winced at the
finally
.

That’s right; she knows all about what you did.
Just to make sure Chad understood, Hank added, “Sage is my girlfriend.”

Chad might be a great front man, a natural showman onstage, but off? He’d never been able to overcome the blush that now crept into his cheeks. “Congratulations.” He shook hands briefly with Sage. “It’s…uh…nice to meet you too.”

Sage moved around to a seat. The sigh that escaped when she toed off her shoes must’ve been stored up for a while. And then she added her own wicked barb. “So you’re back from Europe. How was the trip?”

Chad choked on the beer he’d just taken a sip of. Hank resisted the urge to give his little hellcat a high-five. He retrieved a drink for Sage to keep himself from laughing.

Sage and Chad talked about Paris as Hank started on the hamburger patties for the grill. Nice thing about SoCal—there was never a bad time to barbecue. He and Sage had gotten into the habit of him cooking the meat while she fixed a side or two each night for dinner. Tonight, when she would’ve risen to help, he waved her back into her seat. Alongside the patties he prepped some veggie kabobs to grill and washed lettuce for a salad. In short order dinner was ready.

“This bread is fantastic,” Chad raved after diving in. He’d had Hank’s hamburgers a million times, but the buns were Sage’s made-from-scratch specialty, complete with sesame seeds on top.

Hank smirked. “That’s because my girlfriend is the best pastry chef in California. You should taste her bear claws.”

Sage blushed like he’d said something dirty. Considering the effect her cooking had on him, he kinda had.

Chad stopped, looked between the two of them. “Really?”

Sage lifted a shoulder. “Really.”

Chad burst out laughing.

“Care to explain the joke?” Hank asked when he could finally be heard.