WildLoving (9 page)

He turned and caught her staring. One corner of his mouth
tipped up. “Like what you see?”

“Very much.” Oh yeah, she liked it. Every inch of her skin
was tingling and her nipples were hard peaks.

“Maybe I’ll give you a private showing later.” He looked
both smug and satisfied.

She sashayed by him, making sure she accidentally brushed
the back of her hand over his erection. “Maybe I’d like that.”

Rabb’s breath caught and he groaned. “Tease.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Eliza felt more herself than she
had in a long time. The quiet, timid, frightened woman she’d become was slowly
giving way to the woman she’d been before Jason had changed her.

Rabb laughed. “That’s not likely to happen.” He set the box
down on the coffee table and opened it. “I think there’s enough ornaments to
fill the tree. With the back part against the wall we won’t need as many as if
you could see the entire thing.”

“I’m sure it will be enough.” Unable to wait, she reached
into the box and started pulling out smaller boxes. She opened one and couldn’t
help exclaiming over the pretty set of ornaments. “These are gorgeous.” They
were painted porcelain and each one in the set was a character from the
Alice
in Wonderland
story by Lewis Carroll.

“Both Nevar and I have a set. Our parents gave them to us
the year we got our own place.” He lifted out the Red Queen and handed it to
her. “Here, you put her on the tree.”

“Not Alice.” She frowned, not sure she liked the Red Queen.

Rabb stroked his hand up her back and caught her nape in his
big hand. He tilted her head, leaned down and kissed her. Their tongues clashed
and the familiar heat spread through her. He tasted so good. Hot male and rich
coffee.

They were both breathing heavily when he drew back. “You’ve
got too much fire to be anything but a queen.”

Her heart skipped a beat and then began to race. She glanced
away and her eyes caught another ornament in the box. She leaned down and
pulled it out. “And you can put the White Rabbit on the tree.”

Rabb threw back his head and laughed. She admired the thick
column of his throat, his strong jawline and full lips. “Guess that puts me in
my place.” He took the ornament from her and guided her toward the tree. “After
you.”

Eliza slipped the Red Queen ornament over a branch and Rabb
settled his White Rabbit next to it. “Perfect,” he said just before he kissed
her again.

He slipped his hand beneath the shirt she was wearing. He
stroked over her butt and teased his fingers along the elastic band of her
panties.

“We really should finish decorating the tree,” he told her
between hot kisses.

“Probably.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and nibbled
on his bottom lip. “But maybe we should sit on the sofa, rest for a few minutes
and enjoy the lights.”

Rabb backed her up until her calves hit the edge of the
sofa. “That’s a good idea. I wouldn’t want to tire you out.”

He slid his fingers beneath the band of her panties and
shoved them down. “You might be more comfortable without these.”

Eliza wiggled her hips and her panties fell to her ankles.
She stepped out of them and kicked them away. “I believe you’re right.”

“I often am,” he told her. “Try to remember that when you
think I’m just being bossy.”

Pure delight flooded Eliza and she laughed. “I don’t think
it will help you in other circumstances.”

“A man can only hope.” He sat on the sofa and pulled her
down so she was straddling his lap.

She reached down and carefully unzipped his jeans. He wasn’t
wearing underwear and his cock, free from confinement, fell into her hand.
“Look what I found,” she teased.

Rabb shifted, pushing his erection harder against her palm.
“And what are you going to do with it?”

She stroked from base to tip, marveling at how hot and alive
his cock was. Like silk over molten steel. He was so thick, and she knew how
good it felt when he was inside her.

“This situation appears dire. I don’t think we should wait.”
She kept her tone serious and was pleased when he grinned.

“I think you may be right about that.” He reached into his
pocket and drew out a condom. “You might need this.” He handed the packet to
her.

Eliza didn’t waste any time ripping it open. In seconds, she
was smoothing the latex over his cock. But Rabb was just as busy and he had the
buttons open on the shirt. Not all the way, but just enough to expose her
breasts.

“I love the way your nipples respond to my slightest touch.”
He stroked a fingertip over one taut nub. She moaned at the contact.

“Put me inside you.” He leaned forward and swirled his
tongue over the tight bud. “I want to feel your pussy squeezing my dick.”

Eliza was panting heavily, anticipation riding her hard. She
rose on her knees and shifted closer. Taking his cock in her hand, she
positioned the tip against her slit. Slowly she lowered herself.

Rabb wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her down
onto his lap. His cock forged inward, stretching her, filling her.

She leaned against him, loving the way he automatically
banded his arms around her, surrounding her with his strength.

And then, in the glow of the pretty Christmas tree lights,
Rabb rocked them both to the edge of oblivion and then over.

Eliza finished loading the breakfast dishes into the
dishwasher and wiped her hands on the kitchen towel. It had only been a couple
of days, but it was amazing how quickly she and Rabb had settled into a
routine, the two of them eating together, going to work together and, best of
all, sleeping together.

She hung the damp towel over the handle of the stove to dry
and looked around the open apartment. The tree perfumed the air with its tangy,
fresh scent and, even now, the colored lights shone. They had the lights on
whenever they were home.

Home.

Eliza hadn’t lived in a place that felt like home for a long
time. Even now, she couldn’t help thinking that this was nothing more than a
dream, that Jason would suddenly appear and snatch it all away from her.

Strong arms slid around her from behind and she
automatically leaned into them. “You were lost in thought. What were you
thinking about?”

She shook her head, unwilling to let the ghost of Jason
taint what happiness she’d found with Rabb. “Nothing. We should get going.” She
eased away from him and straightened her sweater, one of several new ones she
now owned, compliments of Rabb. Every day, something new seemed to appear in
her wardrobe. He might not think anything of it, but she was keeping track of
how much he spent so she could pay him back.

Rabb checked the large-faced watch he always wore strapped
to his left wrist. “We’ve still got a few minutes.” He leaned against the
counter and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Talk to me, Eliza.”

It was hard not to fidget beneath his intense stare, but she
managed. “There’s nothing to talk about. You’re making something out of
nothing.”

His phone rang before he could question her again. She
started to walk by him to give him some privacy, but he reached out and snagged
her hand. He tugged her close as he answered the call. “Hatter.”

Rabb’s lips thinned and he made several noncommittal noises.
Eliza wasn’t sure who it was, but Rabb didn’t seem pleased by what he was
hearing. “Okay, call me if you find out anything else.” He ended the call and
tucked his phone back into his pocket.

“Who was it?” she asked.

He pulled her closer and snuggled her against his chest,
locking his hands at the small of her back. “That was Archer.”

Jaime Archer was the private detective Rabb had hired to
look into Jason and his whereabouts. Her stomach knotted and every muscle in
her body tensed. “And?”

“And nothing. Jason seems to be going about his business
same as usual.”

Eliza heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s a good thing, right?”
She didn’t understand why Rabb was so tense.

“Maybe.” He gently stroked several strands of hair off her
forehead, leaned down and placed a kiss there. “But a man doesn’t simply forget
an obsession like that. Archer is going to keep digging.”

“I refuse to worry about Jason right now. As far as we know,
he has no idea where I am.” She grabbed his wrist and checked the time on his
watch. “And if we don’t get a move on, we’re going to be late.”

“We’ll talk more about this later,” he promised. She made a
face at him and he playfully tapped the end of her nose. “Come on. Get your
things and let’s get to work.”

An hour later, the bar was ready to open for the day and
Eliza was safe in the kitchen. Rabb had just unlocked the door. The sound
system pumped out a seasonal tune, reminding him that it was Christmas Eve.
Unlike a lot of bars and restaurants, Hatter’s closed around eight Christmas
Eve and didn’t reopen until eight in the evening on Christmas Day. That way the
entire staff had a chance to enjoy the day with their families. He was looking
forward to spending the day with Eliza.

The door opened and a man wearing a dark-gray wool topcoat
walked in. The hair on the back of Rabb’s neck rose. This couldn’t be
coincidence. No way in hell.

Jason Ware shook the light dusting of snow from his blond
hair and walked toward the bar, a genial smile on his face. “Rabb Hatter. I’d
heard you and your brother opened a club.”

“What are you doing here, Ware?” Rabb busied himself behind
the bar, keeping one eye on Jason and the other on the hallway to the kitchen.
He seldom saw Eliza during business hours unless he sought her out. He hoped
like hell she didn’t decide to break that habit this morning.

Jason strolled across the room and settled himself on a
barstool. “Now is that any way to greet an old friend?”

“We were never friends, Ware. We were barely passing
acquaintances.” Rabb tossed aside the towel he was using to wipe down the
counter. He casually removed his phone from his pocket and surreptitiously
thumbed a button before setting it on the counter out of sight. “Why are you
here, Jason? I don’t think it’s because you had a sudden urge for a drink and
just happened to be in the neighborhood.”

Jason unbuttoned his coat to reveal a well-tailored business
suit and leaned back slightly, looking totally relaxed and in control. Rabb
wanted to punch him right in his pearly white teeth.

“No indeed. I heard some rather distressing news and thought
I could do you a favor.”

Rabb propped himself against the back counter and grabbed
the edges with his hands to keep from reaching out and choking the smug
bastard. “Oh and what favor is that?” Just for a moment, he saw a flicker of
anger in Jason’s eyes, but it was gone again in a split second.

“A friend of mine attended an afternoon cocktail party here
a few days ago. A client’s party he almost passed on.” Jason waved negligently,
the movements graceful and precise. “He couldn’t wait to call me when he got
home. Seems he saw a woman working here, a woman who has caused me quite a bit
of trouble.”

“Is that so? And who might that be?”

A flash of annoyance was quickly covered. “Eliza Hart. You
worked with her at Bruno’s Bar and Grill before you opened this place.”

Rabb canted his head to one side and studied the other man.
He seemed totally at ease unless you were looking closely. There was a
tightness in his jaw and he had a tendency to open and close his hands. It was
all too easy to imagine those hands hurting Eliza. He’d seen both the physical
and mental scars Jason had left on her. If he thought it would end this, Rabb
would drag Jason out back and beat the hell out of him, but that would only get
Rabb arrested and leave Eliza vulnerable.

He had to play this smart.

“Why do you care who I hire? This isn’t exactly your line of
work. What is it you do?” Rabb tapped his forefinger against his chin.
“Something in finance, isn’t it?”

“I’m a financial consultant.” The words came out fast and
hard. Jason didn’t like anyone not showing him the proper respect.

“Hmm.” Rabb made the noncommittal sound. “Not exactly bar
management.” He heard a sound off to his right and tensed, praying it wasn’t
Eliza. When no one appeared, he released a low sigh of relief.

Jason took a deep breath as if gathering his thoughts.
“Look, I didn’t want to get into this.” He assumed a serious, concerned
demeanor. Rabb figured it went over well with the folks he was helping with
their investments. Why they didn’t see that the guy was a complete fake, he
couldn’t say.

Then again, he’d been taken in himself by the guy. And that
didn’t sit well with Rabb.

When Rabb didn’t take the bait, Jason plunged ahead. “Eliza
is not well.”

This was interesting. Rabb was curious to see just how far
Jason would take this. “What do you mean
not well
?”

Jason glanced aside as if wrestling with his conscious. As
if the guy had one. “I really don’t want to say any more.”

Rabb shrugged. “Up to you. I couldn’t care less one way or
the other.”

Jason’s face flushed a bright red and he quickly stood,
knocking the stool back. “She’s crazy. All right? The woman should be
committed. And she’s dangerous too.”

“Dangerous how?”

As if catching himself, Jason stroked a hand over his red
tie to make sure it was in place beneath his dark-gray suit. “She stalked me
for weeks. A sort of obsession.” He waved his hand as if to say it was no more
than he expected. The man obviously thought a lot of himself.

Jason was on a roll now and kept spouting his lies. “Then
she had the nerve to intimate I was the one stalking her.” There was no mistaking
the fury in his eyes now. “She had me served with a restraining order. At work.
I had to work long and hard to convince my bosses that Eliza was crazy.”

And he didn’t like that at all. Wasn’t nice when the shoe
was on the other foot. “Again, why are you telling me this?” Rabb knew he was
provoking the man, but he was hoping Jason would mess up and say something
incriminating. Right now he was simply guilty of being a pompous, self-absorbed
idiot.

But he was so much more. He was a very dangerous man.

“Why?” Jason stared at him as if he were crazy. “I warned
you about her once before.”

“So you did. And now I have to wonder why.”

Jason blinked as if he couldn’t quite comprehend Rabb’s
words. “Why? he sputtered. “Because it was the right thing to do. She was
sleeping with me and stringing you along.”

Rabb pushed away from the counter, grabbed a mug and poured
himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t offer Jason anything. “Again, why would you
care?” Rabb wrapped his hands around the mug and envisioned it were Jason’s
neck he was wringing.

“Obviously I shouldn’t have. But the woman is violent.” He
nodded to emphasize his point. “She actually stabbed herself and then had the
nerve to accuse me of it. The police came to my house.” Pure outrage dripped
from every word. “They questioned me like I was some common criminal.”

Rabb carefully set aside his mug before he inadvertently
crushed it with his bare hands. “You’re telling me that you think Eliza stabbed
herself just to get back at you.”

“Yes. Yes. That’s exactly it. Don’t you see? The woman’s
obsessed.” Calmer now, Jason stuffed both hands in his pockets. Rabb watched
them closely, not trusting the other man not to have a weapon.

“Boy, you think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”

Jason looked flustered. That was obviously not the answer
he’d been expecting. He drew himself up and threw back his shoulders, as if
trying to use his height to intimidate Rabb.

“Obviously, I was wrong to come here. But if Eliza is
working for you, you need to be aware that she’s dangerous. You need to fire
her.”

“If Eliza was working here, and I’m not confirming or
denying she is, that’s my business. No one comes in to my place and tells me
who to hire or fire.” If Jason didn’t leave soon, Rabb might not be responsible
for what he did to the man.

“You have a partner who might be interested in this
information,” Jason threatened. Rabb almost laughed in his face.

Nevar chose that moment to step out from the hallway. “What
might I want to know?”

Jason turned to Nevar. “That your brother hired a seriously
mentally ill and potentially dangerous woman to work in your club.”

“Really?” Nevar glanced at Rabb. “You did that?”

Rabb shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.”

Nevar barely suppressed a grin, but had it well under
control by the time he turned back to Jason. Rabb relaxed and let his brother
go to work. “Thank you for your concern, Mr…?”

“Ware. Jason Ware.” Jason puffed out his chest. Rabb could
tell he thought Nevar would listen to him. Jason was like the tattletale on the
school playground, a bully thinking everyone would give in to him out of fear.

“I’m Nevar Hatter and I own this place with my brother. And
I don’t like being told what to do either.”

That stymied Jason, but only for a moment. Damn, the guy was
relentless. Rabb was only beginning to get an idea of what Eliza had been up
against and it wasn’t pretty. It was a wonder she’d survived on her own.

“I’m sure your landlord wouldn’t like the idea of harboring
such a potential liability. Just think what would happen if they were sued if
something went wrong.” Jason tugged on the cuffs of his coat, doing his best to
look important. “It wouldn’t be easy to find another location this prime if you
lost your lease to the place.”

Nevar simply smiled. “Hey, Rabb, you think Mom and Dad would
kick us out of the building?”

Rabb pretended to think long and hard about it. “I don’t
think so, but you never know. Mom can be mean when she’s riled.” He gestured
toward Jason. “But hey, feel free to try.”

“I can see I’m wasting my time here.” He turned and strode
across the room, but paused dramatically at the door. “But mark my words. It’s
only a matter of time until she does something.” He stroked his chin. “Or maybe
you’ll get lucky and she’ll just run off and disappear one day.” He yanked open
the door and left.

“That is one seriously angry man,” Nevar pointed out.

That last remark worried Rabb. “Yeah, and that remark was a
threat if I ever heard one.”

Nevar shoved the stool Jason had been sitting on back into
place. “Do you think he’d really do something stupid?”

Rabb had told his brother the basics about what had happened
to Eliza. He only thought it was fair to warn him of the potential danger.
“He’s put her in the hospital once before and they couldn’t prove it. He always
has an alibi.”

“He’s smart and he’s obsessed. That’s a dangerous
combination.”

“I won’t let him touch her.” There was no way Rabb was going
to let him close enough to Eliza to do her harm. He picked up his phone and hit
the button to stop recording.

Nevar looked at the phone and then back at Rabb and smiled.
“That was smart.”

Rabb shrugged. “I have my moments. But damn, I really wanted
to beat the fucker to a pulp.”

Nevar came around the bar and slapped Rabb on the back.
“This is better. You should pull the security footage as well. He was standing
right in front of the register and we’ll have a perfect picture of him being
here.” They only had one security camera in this section of the bar and it was
pointed so it had a perfect view of the bar. They had another one on the back
entrance and one in the office.