Baby Fever (A Real Man Book 3) (2 page)

I
’d just gone
all in here, and I didn’t know how in the fuck I was going to get Eva to agree to be mine and have my baby. I wanted her like a fiend, and I sure as hell knew she wanted me. She kept zoning in and out there when we were talking, and I wondered if she was thinking dirty shit about me … like I was of her.

I leaned back against my sixty-nine Mustang, my arms crossed over my chest, and my focus on the two drunken assholes standing by the front entrance. They were loud and obnoxious as fuck, and hearing the lewd comments they were tossing out at the women who were leaving was starting to piss me off.

I might have a reputation in town as being a bad boy, and gotten into plenty of trouble when I was younger, but I sure as fuck didn’t disrespect women.

And then there she was, her focus on her purse as she rummaged through it. I was about to push off the car and walk toward her, but I froze, every muscle in my body tightening when one of the drunken fuckers approached her.

“Hey, baby. You served me drinks tonight, remember?”

“Unfortunately, I do.” She didn’t even look up as she responded.

I had to smile. My girl was hard as nails and didn’t take any shit when the time called for it.

“Hey, you’re acting like a little bi—”

She lifted her head then, and the guy stopped speaking. If her stare could kill a man, he would have been in the ground already. “Watch it, asshole.”

I could have let her handle it, but the truth was I wanted to be the man that stepped in and took care of his woman.

And she will be my woman.

But, even if I
didn’t
want her as mine, I wouldn’t have let any bastard speak to a woman like that. I moved toward the pricks, and just when the asshole opened his mouth again, I pulled Eva back behind me. She made this small sound, maybe from shock, or maybe in protest. I didn’t care at the moment, though. I was in fight mode; whether it actually came down to that or not remained to be seen.

“What were you about to say to my woman?” I said through clenched teeth. The fuckers reeked of alcohol, and as they cocked their heads back to look into my face, I couldn’t help but feel that predatory sense rise up in me.

They wouldn’t push this. They might be drunk, might even be fuckers, but they were in flight mode. I could see it in their eyes. It was that fear, that realization they’d get their asses kicked to next week if they pushed this.

“Whatever,” the asshole muttered, and he let his friend take him away. I watched them until they disappeared down the street and then finally turned around and looked at Eva. I couldn’t help but grin at the death stare she was giving me.

“I had it under control,” she said, and I nodded.

“I know, but I couldn’t let a prick shit on you like that. It wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me.” I saw the fight drain out of her, and she loosened up a bit.

“Thanks.”

I nodded again, feeling pretty fucking proud at her words. Hearing her say that one word made me feel like a real man. I might have only stood up for her, but I would have laid it down to the pavement if it came down to that.

She stared at me for a second, and I saw her start to get nervous. It was a shift in the way she stood, a flutter of her eyes, and the fact she was picking at the strap of her purse, not really realizing it.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you around?” She made it sound like a question, even though she knew damn well I wanted to talk with her.

I reached out and grabbed her wrist. God, that spark of electricity was instant and traveled right up my arms. She looked over at me, and our eyes locked.

“I want to talk with you, catch up.” I still held her wrist in a loose but solid hold. “Come for a ride with me?” I asked it as a question, but I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I wanted her too badly, and I’d made up my mind about what I wanted; I wasn’t backing off.

“And where exactly do you want to go?” She lifted an eyebrow, her emotions clear on her face.

I couldn’t help but grin, thinking I’d like her in my bed, under me, and filled with my cum. Of course, I wasn’t about to go there … yet. “Anywhere. You can pick. I just want to talk, see how things have been with you.”

She looked a bit hesitant, and although I still held her wrist gently in my grasp, I wanted to pull her closer so she slammed into me, so I could feel the womanly curves that made up her body.

“It’s late.”

“It is.” I thought she was going to turn me down, which I’d have to retaliate by insisting we hang out. I’d wanted this for a while, but I guess I just needed some kind of internal kick in the ass to get things going. “But you did admit you wanted to hang out.” I grinned.

I was glad I was finally facing my reality and not being a douche and trying to ignore it.

She laughed softly. “Okay, Dex.”

I felt her pulse beating rapidly beneath my thumb, and I started stroking her flesh, feeling it increase in speed with each passing caress.

She was so fucking into this, even if she tried to act all nonchalant and shit.

“But how about you follow me? It’ll be easier that way. We can go to the lake.”

Charlie and I used to go to the lake to get drunk and smoke a little pot way back in the day. Once Eva was sixteen, she’d tagged along with us a few times, sneaking some sips of beer from Charlie’s bottle.

Oh yeah, seclusion, a little quiet.

That’s exactly what I was fucking talking about.

“Sounds good,” I said, acting cool, like I wasn’t really fucking looking forward to this. Hell, I wasn’t about to fuck Eva tonight, even if my dick got hard just looking at her. But having some alone time with her, working up to getting to where I wanted with her, was a good start.

I finally let go of her wrist and dragged my thumb along her pulse point.

“Lead the way.” I grinned. Yeah, this was really fucking good.

I
sat
on the hood of Dex’s Mustang, looking over at the lake and wondering what was really going on. I’d seen Dex around town, and although we’d drifted apart as the years passed, we’d always remained friends. Not like how he was with Charlie, but that was a given since the two of them spent nearly every day together.

I turned and looked at him.

“What’s this really about?” I asked, wanting the truth. Did he need something? Was he in trouble? Was this something that Charlie couldn’t know about?

A million different things were slamming through my head.

Oh God. What if this has to do with Dex fucking someone Charlie had been with?

I didn’t know how that really worked, but I assumed it would still be fucked up in guy code.

I shook my head, not sure what I’d say or do if that was the case. Hell, that’s probably why he was acting all interested in me … he needed my help.

And maybe I’m just reaching here? Maybe this has nothing more to do than him wanting to hang out with me?

I stared at the lake, the silence stretching. However, it wasn’t an uncomfortable one.

“This really is about me wanting to talk.”

I looked at him after he spoke. He was watching me intently, the shadows playing across his face. He looked dangerous, in a way, but I liked that.

“That’s the truth, Eva.”

I heard the sincerity in his voice. Everything in me was on high alert, and just being beside Dex, smelling the heady, masculine scent of his cologne filled my head, made me dizzy.

I was also a little ashamed to admit I was aroused. It had always been like this, though. He’d just walk by and I’d smell him, see the muscles rippling under his clothes, and I’d instantly want him.

“Okay, so what should be talk about?” I tried to sound like this was normal, and although we’d had plenty of talks over the years, this felt different.

This felt intimate.

“How have you been?” he asked, his focus still on me.

I shrugged. “Fine, I guess, if working at the bar and having to beat off the drunks is an accomplishment.” I was teasing, but I saw the dark look crossing over his face with each passing second.

“You shouldn’t work there,” he said, his voice hard.

I smiled, hoping to lighten things. “I was just kidding.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“Besides, I can handle myself; you know that.”

He looked at the lake and I saw his clenched jaw. “Yeah, I know that, but if motherfuckers are bothering you—”

I placed my hand on his forearm, his skin warm, his muscles tense. “Hey,” I said softly and waited for him to look at me. “I can handle myself. And if they get out of hand, you know Jarren won’t stand for that.”

He stared into my eyes for long seconds, not speaking, but even just having his gaze on me I felt like he was stroking his fingers along my bare flesh.

“Yeah, I know, but I still don’t like it.” He looked down at my hand on his arm, and I was embarrassed I was still touching him. But before I could move it away, he placed his much bigger had over mine. “No, keep it there. I like the way it feels.”

God, my heart jumped right into my throat.

I probably should have removed my hand anyway, but I liked the feel of his muscles tensing beneath my palm. I’d caused that, and I could see that reality written on his face. I felt it in the way he tightened his hand on mine.

“You know I always noticed you, Eva.”

The way he said those words had my heart stopping a little bit. I knew what
I
wanted him to mean, but that didn’t mean that’s what this was about.

“I noticed you, too,” I said, smiling, but knowing it didn’t really reach my eyes.

He didn’t speak for long seconds, and as the air between us became heated, thick, I had a very real feeling Dex meant something more … intimate.

He slowly shook his head, and my throat tightened further.

“Do you understand what I mean?” His voice sounded thick, serious.

I didn’t answer, because I didn’t know if I wanted to admit anything, at least not right now.

“I’ve
noticed
you … for years.” His voice was low, soft even.

He leaned in just an inch, and I felt the light puffs of his cinnamon breath brush across my lips. A tingling settled over me, and I had this strange feeling Dex might try to kiss me. And when he lowered his gaze to my mouth, something in me shifted.

I wanted his mouth pressed to mine.

I wanted his tongue moving along mine.

I wanted to be in his bed, under him, with that massive cock I knew he had deep inside of me.

God.

But despite wanting this, fear took hold. I didn’t know why I was scared as hell, but either way I tensed. Dex must have sensed that from me because he backed off an inch.

“I…”

What in the hell was I supposed to say? Wasn’t this what I’d wanted, to have Dex interested in me?

But instead of embracing it, I was afraid of my own feelings.

“I should probably go.” I got off the hood of the car, my legs feeling like they were made of pudding, and my mind swirling with this small exchange. Nothing had even happened, yet I was running.

“Eva,” Dex called out, his voice deep but firm. I looked at him and watched as he came closer. God, I wanted him to touch me again. I wanted him to look at my mouth as if he was starving to kiss me.

“You’re okay?” he asked, genuine worry in his voice.

“I’m fine. It’s just late, and I should be getting home.”

“I’ll follow you, make sure you get home safely.”

“You don’t have to.” I was trying in vain to keep the shakiness from my voice. I was so aroused, so wet, so needy, that it was hard to even think straight right now.

“I know.” He took a step closer. “But I’m going to follow you home and make sure you get in okay.” There was this hardness in his voice, this “I’m not taking no for an answer” tone.

I nodded, feeling good that he was firm, that he wasn’t letting me back down so easy. Call me weak, but I liked that … loved that.

“Dex—”

“Don’t fight me, Eva.”

The way he said that had all these thoughts running through my head.

“Don’t fight me while I’m deep inside of you and you’re begging for more.”

“Don’t fight me when I have your hands pinned above your head and I’m owning every part of you.”

“Don’t fight me as I love you, Eva.”

“I won’t fight you,” I whispered, and I watched as his nostrils flared slightly, as if my words had gone deep inside of him … as if that’s just what he wanted to hear.

“Come on. Let’s get you home.”

I followed him over to my car, where he opened the door for me. When I bent down to climb in, I swear I heard him inhale deeply right by my hair. This shiver worked its way through me. I looked up at him once I was seated in the driver’s seat. I saw how tightly he held onto the door, so much that his knuckles were white. I wished I knew what he was thinking.

“I’ll be right behind you.” He shut the door, and I sat there thinking about what in the hell was going on.

This felt different, and I didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing.