WildLoving (8 page)

Eliza gasped for breath, her lungs desperate for air.
“Rabb.”

He surged to his feet and spun her around. “Hands on the
back of the sofa.”

She grabbed the top, digging her fingers into the plush
cushiony top, more for support than anything. Her legs were like jelly.

Rabb wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back
until she was leaning forward, her butt stuck up in the air and her legs spread
wide. Then she heard the rasp of his zipper and felt the blunt tip of his cock
pressed against her opening.

Then he cursed and withdrew. Before she could wonder what
was wrong, he muttered, “Condom.” She was glad one of them was thinking because
her brain cells were totally scrambled.

When he came back to her seconds later, she felt the smooth
end of the latex probe her pussy. Rabb reached around her and gripped her
breasts. “I need you.”

All she could do was nod.

He slammed into her in one smooth motion, burying himself
deep. Her pussy rippled around him, clutching at every hard inch of his cock.
“Fuck, you feel good.” He kissed the back of her neck. “I’ve been thinking
about fucking you all day.”

His clever fingers rolled her taut nipples and her pussy
involuntarily squeezed him tighter. He swore and began to rock back and forth,
pulling his cock out a few inches before driving back in.

She was close to coming again. Only Rabb was able to do this
to her. She would never have thought herself an overly sexual woman until she’d
made love with him. He brought out a wild, untamed side of herself that she
couldn’t control.

He gripped her hips and began to fuck her hard and fast,
slamming his hips against her ass. The slap of skin against skin, the sucking
sound of his cock plunging in and out of her pussy, the heavy sawing of their
breath, combined in a sexual symphony.

“Come for me,” he ordered. “Now.” He slid one hand between
her legs and pressed his thumb against her clit. Eliza’s body exploded. Lights
flashed in her head. Her orgasm rocked every cell in her body. She cried out
his name.

His grip tightened and he plunged into her again and again,
repeating her name like a talisman or a prayer. Rabb tensed and then his cock
jerked inside her. She knew he was coming. His fingers dug into her hips and he
swore under his breath. She was sure he wasn’t even aware he was swearing. It
made her smile. She was glad she wasn’t the only one who lost her head whenever
they came together.

They were both breathing hard. Rabb leaned heavily against
her. Eliza barely kept herself upright. All she wanted to do was melt in a
puddle on the floor.

Her skin was slick with sweat and she shivered. Rabb swore,
straightened and carefully withdrew from her. He was still hard and she
shuddered and moaned as his shaft dragged across her swollen inner walls.

He lifted her into his arms and carried her down the
hallway. She hoped he wasn’t taking her to bed. She didn’t think she could
survive another round of lovemaking.

Lights came on and she blinked. These were much brighter
than the one in the living room. He set her on her feet and she felt the cool
tile beneath them. The bathroom. She blinked again and the room came into
focus.

“Rabb?” He seemed more agitated than sated.

“Just one second, baby.” He started the water running and
stripped out of his pants. Somewhere along the way, he’d gotten rid of his
shoes and socks. He quickly turned on the water in the shower and tested the
temperature. Then he urged her into the shower stall and followed her in.

She moaned when the hot water streamed over her sensitive
skin. Rabb hugged her from behind and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“I’m sorry.”

Eliza frowned. “For what?”

Rabb swore, and she tilted her head back so she could see
him. “For jumping you as soon as you were through the door. Hell, I was on you
like a rutting bull.” He shook his head. “I meant to feed and pamper you.
Instead I’m all over you before you even have the time to take off your shoes.”

He sounded so disgruntled, she smiled. “Did you hear me
complaining?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t give you the opportunity.”

Eliza couldn’t help herself. She laughed. “Poor Rabb. You
honestly think if I hadn’t wanted you I wouldn’t have said anything?”

He dragged his fingers through his wet hair, slicking it
back. Steam billowed around them. “I’m being an ass, aren’t I?”

She turned and placed her hand in the center of his chest.
“No, you’re being very sweet.”

He shook his head again. “I’m going to do things right this
time. Shower first, then you can rest while I get us something to eat.”

“You’re the boss,” she told him.

“Yeah, right,” he muttered.

She bit her lip to keep from laughing as he reached for the
soap. Her problems hadn’t disappeared, but being with Rabb reminded her there
were still good things in life, good people, good men.

He rubbed his soapy hands over her breasts and she stopped
thinking about anything at all.

Rabb swore a blue streak as he tried to position the lights
on the tree. He glanced over at Eliza, who was watching him from the safety of
the sofa. She simply smiled at him, not the least bit offended by his off-color
language.

He still felt lower than a dog’s belly for jumping her bones
as soon as they had gotten home earlier. But he’d wanted her too badly to wait
and she hadn’t objected. There was something about Eliza that brought out the
primitive side of him. He wanted to mark her somehow, stamp his name on her
somewhere so other men would know she belonged to him. And if she knew what he
was thinking she’d probably run screaming for the door.

He concentrated on the job at hand, glad to have something
to occupy his hands. Otherwise he might be tempted to drag Eliza back to bed.
Not a bad idea, but she was tired and it was his job to take care of her. He
hadn’t expected her to work all day. If he’d had his way, she wouldn’t have
started work until after the new year, but he knew better than to suggest she
leave early. Eliza had a lot of pride.

It might be a little later than he’d planned, but she was
clean and wearing a pair of his wool socks and a long-sleeved cotton shirt that
fell almost to her knees. It should look ridiculous on her, but Eliza somehow
made the mismatched male clothing sexy. He liked the idea of her wearing his
shirt.

His cock jerked, but he ignored it as he finished stringing
the lights on the tree. He stood back. “What do you think?” It was important to
him that she like them. “We go for the different-colored lights in our family,
not the white ones.” If there was one thing his family loved, it was color.

“They’re perfect.” She plucked another grape off the plate
and popped it into her mouth. After their shower, he’d made thick turkey
sandwiches piled with lettuce and tomato, and she’d eaten over half of hers. He
was pleased to see she’d also eaten about half the grapes he’d set out for
dessert.

“I’ve got something for you.”

She tensed but didn’t say anything.

Rabb walked to the shelf and grabbed the phone he’d picked
up earlier today. He went to the sofa and sat next to her. “You need to have a
phone. I don’t like the idea of you not being able to call for help if you need
it. Plus, I’d like to be able to be in contact with you at all times.”

He held the phone out to her but she didn’t take it. “I can’t
afford a phone,” she began.

“I can,” he snapped. He took a deep breath and clung to his
patience. “Look, I understand all about pride. I get that you want to do
everything by yourself, and I respect you for that.”

She shifted on the sofa and curled her legs beneath her.
“But?”

He chuckled. “But there’s a difference between being
independent and letting pride get in the way of safety. You need this.” He held
it out to her again.

Her face pale and solemn, she reached out and took the phone
from him. “I’ll pay you back.”

Rabb wondered what Eliza would think if he went over to the
wall and banged his head against it a few times. He decided it was probably
better he didn’t test that theory. He loved that she was independent, but that
particular trait was making things a lot harder than they had to be.

“It’s on my plan so it’s not costing much at all.” He took
her free hand in his and brought it to his lips. “The fact is you need help and
I can give it to you.”

She glanced at the tree and then back at him. “I hate being
a burden, bringing my problems to your door.”

Rabb swore inwardly, but managed to keep from repeating the
words aloud. “Look, we all need help sometimes.”

“Even you?” From the expression of doubt on her face he
could tell she didn’t believe him.

“Yes. Even me. You don’t think my family hasn’t helped me?”
Unable to bear not touching her any longer, he sat back on the sofa, scooped
Eliza up and settled her in his lap. She tugged at the hem of the shirt. He
didn’t mind the fact it rode up, giving him a great view. He liked looking at
her legs, but he also didn’t want her to get cold. He tugged the throw blanket
his mother had insisted he’d needed when he furnished the place off the back of
the sofa and spread it over Eliza. He was grateful his mother had insisted on
the damn thing. Up until now it had only seemed like a dust catcher.

“Thanks.” She tucked the edges around her legs and sighed.
“How has your family helped you?”

Rabb laughed. “You think Nevar and I could have started our
club in such a perfect location if our parents didn’t already own the damn
building? We couldn’t afford the normal rent on a property this prime. For that
matter, I wouldn’t have been able to afford this apartment until recently. Our
parents have helped us every step of the way. And there’s no way I’d be a
partner in a place like Hatter’s if I didn’t have Nevar by my side. It’s not
easy to find a business partner you can work with. One you can trust.”

Eliza tilted her head to one side and studied him until he
began to get uncomfortable beneath her scrutiny. He wished he knew what the
hell she was thinking.

“I never thought about it that way,” she began.

Rabb leaned back and propped his feet on the coffee table.
The motion made it impossible for Eliza to remain sitting upright in his lap.
She fell back against his chest, sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

This was how it should be. How it would be.

He wanted to enjoy this moment because what he was going to
tell her next was going to make her mad with him. “I hired a private
investigator.”

“What?” Eliza bolted upright and would have been out of his
lap in a heartbeat if he hadn’t wrapped his arms around her to keep her there.
“What have you done?”

“What needed to be done.” He hated having to explain himself
to anyone, but this wasn’t just anyone. This was Eliza. “It’s a guy I know.
He’ll be discreet, but we need to know if Jason is still looking for you, what
he’s up to.”

“I can’t pay for that.” Her face was pale and pinched with
worry.

“I can.”

Eliza struggled to get off his lap until he had no choice
but to let her go. She tossed the blanket aside and began to pace back and
forth across the room. “I thought this might work, but I was wrong.”

“You’re not wrong.” He hated hearing her say that. Anger
welled up inside him and he struck back. “You were doing such a fine job on
your own.”

If it were possible, she got even paler. “Shit. Fuck. I
didn’t mean it like that.” Rabb jumped to his feet and started to go to her but
halted when she took a step away from him. “It’s just that I hate hearing you
think being here is wrong. It’s not.” Rabb rubbed a hand over his heart. “It
feels right.”

“Oh Rabb, what am I going to do with you?” She sounded so
tired, so defeated, he didn’t have the heart to joke about what she could do.

“You can let me help you.” He walked slowly toward her and
held out his hand. She was like a wounded animal, afraid and untrusting. He
couldn’t blame her for that after all she’d been through.

Eliza didn’t reach out to him, but she didn’t flinch away
when he touched her shoulder. “It’s selfish on my part.”

“Selfish? How is it selfish? If anything, I’m the one being
selfish by staying here, by involving you in this mess.”

She trembled beneath his touch. Rabb couldn’t take it
anymore and gently pulled her into his arms. He heaved a sigh of relief when
she leaned against him. “The quicker we get things straightened out, the faster
you can concentrate solely on me. See, selfish.”

She touched the side of his face. “You’re a fine man, Rabb
Hatter.”

That didn’t sound good. It sounded more like the beginning
of goodbye. “You need to stay with me, otherwise I’ll just worry. I’ll spend
all my time looking for you and Nevar will fire me and I’ll lose everything and
it will be all your fault.”

Eliza stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. Then she
laughed. It burst out of her and the corners of her mouth turned upward.
“Piling it on a little thick, aren’t you?”

“Whatever it takes.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“And it’s true. If you leave here, I will look for you. And I will find you.”
He paused. “Shit, now I sound like a stalker.”

She shook her head and her smile grew. “No, you don’t. Trust
me. I know the difference.”

“Yeah, you do.” He hugged her close and rocked her gently
from side to side. “Stay with me, Eliza. Let me help you.”

“I know you want to help, Rabb. But honestly, what are you
getting out of this other than a big headache and extra bills?”

He held her at arm’s length. “You’re seriously asking me
that?”

She frowned and shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m not
talking about sex.”

“I’m not either.” Or at least that wasn’t all he meant. When
she gave him a look of disbelief, he elaborated. “I really like you, Eliza.
Jason came between us once before, and that was my fault. I want the chance to
see where this goes.” He paused. “Plus, we get a dishwasher for the club when
we really need one.”

“Like you couldn’t get a dishwasher within a couple of
hours,” she retorted.

“Not one we could research enough to trust.” He rubbed his
hands up and down her slender arms. “And not one who’ll work as hard as you do.
Nevar shouldn’t have let you start today.” Rabb frowned. He felt like going
downstairs and kicking his brother’s butt. “You need to rest.”

Eliza studied Rabb and a sense of wonder grew inside her, expanding
until it consumed her entire body. He was the real deal, a man whose word was
golden. He’d never let her down. If he said something he meant it.

But that didn’t mean she was going to take advantage of him.
“I’ll take the phone on one condition.”

He didn’t look happy about her putting a condition on it but
too bad for him. He canted his head to one side. “Let’s hear it.”

“Whatever the extra cost is, you take it out of my pay.”

A slow smile covered his face, making his rugged features
even more handsome. His brown eyes twinkled in the lights. “That means you’re
keeping the job.”

So it did. She hadn’t even realized that when she’d said it.
She wanted to stay. To make a stand. She was tired of running, of constantly
looking over her shoulder, of not really living. “It does.”

Rabb gave a whoop and swept her into his arms. He swung her
around in circles until she began to get dizzy. “Rabb, stop.”

He came to such an abrupt halt her legs kept swinging for a
second after. “Sorry about that,” he began.

“It’s okay. It was just making me a little queasy.”

He set her on her feet immediately. “Are you okay? Damn, I
didn’t mean to do that.”

“I’m fine.” And she was. Better than she’d been in a while.
She had a job, a place to stay and a remarkable man who wanted her. Life hadn’t
been this good in a long time.

“Do you need to sit?” He was already leading her toward the
sofa.

“No.” She stopped and placed her hands on his broad chest.
Rabb was so strong, but he never used that strength against someone weaker. Not
like Jason did. Rabb was a man of honor. A man a woman could trust.

He was also hot. She loved the way the seams of his shirt
were stretched by his broad shoulders. His heart beat steadily beneath her
palm. A lock of hair fell across his forehead and he absently shoved it back.

She loved him so much she ached.

Up until now, Jason had been the monster under the bed, the
boogie man. And with good reason. He’d cost her everything she’d earned and
built. And he’d almost taken her life from her. But no more. It was time to
fight. And with Rabb by her side, she felt strong enough to do it. She was no
longer alone.

“I’ll have to call Detective Zurkowski and let him know
where I am.”

“That’s fine. I wouldn’t mind talking to the detective.”
Rabb frowned, and she could almost read his mind.

“It’s not his fault. He believed me and did everything he
could. It’s not his fault that Jason is a slippery SOB. Jason always has an
alibi. Plus he’s made a lot of people believe I’m the one making his life
miserable.”

“Yeah, I get that. I don’t have to like it, but I get it.”

“Let’s wait until after the new year to do anything.” Eliza
was happy. And it had been a long time since she’d felt that way. “Let’s just
work and enjoy the next few days and deal with this mess after the first of January.”

“We shouldn’t wait,” he began.

“Please.” Eliza knew she was being shameful, knew Rabb would
cave because he cared. Sure enough he nodded.

“Okay, but you’ll take the phone. And you won’t leave the
club unless I’m with you.”

“Deal.” She could tell by his shocked expression she’d
surprised him. “What? I can see reason.”

He grinned. “I’m not touching that one.”

“Smart man,” she shot back. This felt like old times, the
two of them talking and bantering. “So what’s next?” She rubbed her hands over
his chest, loving the play of his hard muscles beneath his shirt. A quick
glance downward showed her he was aroused. Again. He was definitely good for
her ego. The man always seemed to want her.

“The tree.”

He caught her off guard and the beginnings of her sexual
fantasies went up in a poof of smoke. “The tree?”

“Yeah.” He turned her so she was facing the pretty pine tree
covered in colorful lights. “We need to decorate our Christmas tree.”

Our
. The word almost brought her to her knees. She’d
been alone for so long and had forgotten what it was like to feel like a part
of something, to feel as though she belonged.

“I’d like that.”

Rabb patted her butt as he left her and went to a box he’d
set on the floor in front of the entertainment unit. He bent over, giving her a
spectacular view of his firmly muscled ass. After their shower, he’d put on an
old pair of jeans that cupped his behind and showed it to its best advantage.