Charity's Warrior (5 page)

"I'm going to take off in a second, so he doesn't see me or this gets awkward or anything. Are you on tomorrow?" I ask.

"Don't let him run you off," Trisha snapped angrily. "You were here first."

I laughed again. "Technically for tonight, yeah, but this is more his place than mine. It's fine—it's just for tonight."

I took a few minutes while Trisha was getting my bill to finish the drink she had brought. It went down fast, too fast really, but I was going to be walking back to the hotel again tonight, and there was plenty of time for my head to clear. I didn't need any change from the bill, so I was on my way quickly.

There was no way for me to know when they were looking in my direction or not, since I couldn't see them, so I simply took a deep breath and went for it. It was perfect. They were sitting at the bar, both turned away with their backs to me and the whole dining area. I was going to slip right by quietly.

As I passed behind them, I made the mistake of looking at Justin. Even though I'm upset, I can't resist the urge to check out his strong back and imagine my nails passionately digging into his neck. My eyes continued past him to the mirror behind the bar—where Justin's eyes catch mine.

Fuck!

I sped up, deciding that as long as I reached the door I was in the clear. The next few steps went easy, and I decided that Justin was probably thinking the same thing, wanting me to get out and not ruin his "sure thing" date. Really, there is no reason for me to be nervous. There is no way he's going to screw up his evening by involving me.

"Charity?" he suddenly called out from behind me as I reached the door.

Fuck again!

For a second I thought about pretending I didn't hear him, but I knew it wouldn't be realistic, and I wasn't that much of a bitch. I stopped and slowly turned.

Bring on the awkward.

"Justin, hi," I said softly.

His gorgeous smile greeted me. "How are you, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm doing good," I answered.

He didn't stop smiling for a second. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, especially not in here."

"I've always been a
get back on the horse
kind of girl," I replied with a shrug of my shoulders.

"That's amazing, I'm amazed, really," he said.

For a moment, I forgot about the girl and the awkwardness, and I was just lost in his smile and voice. I have no idea what it is about him, but when he smiles at me I never want it to stop. All I want to do is fall into his arms and stop pretending to be so strong. But I remember Trish's advice, and I know I have to get control of myself.

"How is the job hunting, anything yet?" he asked, concerned.

"Just an impressed H.R. manager that
might
call me back. It's a little rough out there." I tried not to sound too discouraged, but I don't think it worked.

Trisha was working on a table right by us, and Justin got her attention. "Trisha, can Charity slip back in her table before somebody else grabs it?"

I was protesting when Trisha plowed over my voice. "Absolutely," she said, "It's hers until she walks out. Head right over there."

I shot her my best "you're a bitch" glare and she laughed at me, so I turned to Justin to thank him but turn him down. He already had his phone pressed against his ear to ignore me. That was not going to be enough to stop me.

"Justin, I was just leaving. You have company with you—"

He waved me off. He actually put his fucking hand up and motioned for me to go to my table—
and I am doing it!

What the hell!

I hear him begin speaking on his cell as I head for my table, wondering why my feet are disobeying me, but he intentionally turns away and his words are lost into the loud room. Then, as I went by Justin's date, still propped up on her bar stool, she snarled at me angrily. She can kiss my ass; I haven't done any of this. I stormed past her and found my table and chair waiting for me like a couple of excited friends.

I'd been so busy pouting that I didn't notice anyone around me or what they were doing. Thankfully, Justin wasn't very long before he was joining me. He had on a pair of dark blue jeans that made his legs look incredible, made me wish he would turn around and show me the other side.

"Listen," I started, "the woman you're with is not going to wait and put up with this—I know I wouldn't."

"She's gone," he said, smiling that damn smile of his.

Since I couldn't see her from my chair, I didn't believe him, but he had me get up and check. She really is gone.

"How the hell did you manage that so fast?" I asked.

"I wasn't worried about that, about her, and she knew it," he said. "And you have an interview tomorrow, two-o-clock. Give me your cell number and I'll text you the details."

My mouth flapped a few times. I could feel it, but I can't stop it. I'd gone from lust to embarrassment, back to lust, to anger, and now some combination of admiration and gratefulness. "Justin, really?"

His laugh surrounds me, putting me back on the lust side again.

"She's the decision maker, too, so none of that interviewing to get an interview bullshit. She should have an answer for you on the spot. If it’s no, she'll tell me why, what you need to work on, but if it's yes, you have to take me out to dinner tomorrow." He was proud of himself and not hiding it.

"She said that, huh, that I have to take you out?" I joked.

"Swear to God," Justin said, trying to look sincere, but unable to stop the curling in his lips.

He took out his phone, reminding me he needed my number, and I read it out to him quickly. Within moments he'd texted me the info I needed, his contact's name, the address, and I have his number now as well.

"I don't have enough words, Justin. You keep saving me," I said.

"Don't thank me yet," he said. "I got you a shot—you still have to do the work. It's all up to you."

I love the way he looks at me, like an angel he was about to seduce, with gentle, fuck-me eyes. I know exactly what I want do to with him, but I don't know how to get it, so I'm just following along to his lead. I know he doesn't want me to feel I owe him, but I really wish he'd just let me pay him back, and if he keeps looking at me like that I'm going to lose my mind.

This was Trisha's fault, I'd wanted Justin bad enough before, but since talking to her, I just want to be taken by him and shown what a man can do. All of that skill is sitting in front of me so close that I could run my hands across his chest and dig my heels into the back of his legs.

"So, the place you're going tomorrow is called Panther Inc., they're an Enterprise IT security company. You won't be able to Google much about them, they keep themselves pretty private, so I told Lena not to pull that "how much do you know about us" crap during the interview. The position is for an assistant to the Director of Sales and Marketing, now I don't know if that's the kind of position you were looking for, but it's what they have open. It gets your foot in the door to move around to other departments."

"No, it's perfect. Lena is who I am meeting?" I asked.

"Yes, Lena Croft," he said simply. "She will be judging you just on how you interview, so we need to get you out of here pretty soon, in to bed early tonight. And tomorrow, unless you have an appointment scheduled, stay in and don't worry about resumes, emails or cold calls. Concentrate your efforts on this one thing."

"Anything else," I said sarcastically.

"I'm not trying to be a jerk," he said through a devilish grin, "but I know you already, Charity. You'd take on the world if you had to, and if it resisted you'd push harder. You are stunningly beautiful, but you also face a challenge in the eyes like a warrior." Then he looked at me as if he was hungry and I was covered in whipped cream. "Let tomorrow's challenge be this one thing. You'll beat it, and you deserve it."

Okay, the man could throw a fucking compliment!
I melted. In fact, I'm not even sure I had resisted in the first place. What I did know was that right now I'd do just about anything he asked, especially if it involves ripping his clothes off and our bodies touching. I smile and nod at him.

"Good," he said. "I'm going to go settle my tab at the bar, and then I'll get us a cab?"

When I agreed, he got up from the table and went to the bar. Trisha came trotting over very excited about something.

"Okay, I have never seen him do that," she said. "He kicked that skank right out on her ass for you. I've seen girls fight each other over him and he just lets them be assholes until one runs out and the other takes him home."

I blushed.

"You've got skills, Girl," Trisha said, laughing again.

Throughout the ride back to my hotel, I was planning my first move over and over of how to get his tongue in my mouth and my hands under his shirt, but it was too much planning and not enough doing. We were getting out of the taxi, and he was telling the driver to wait, like last time. I know I have his number, I know I'll see him tomorrow, but I want him tonight.

Say something, demand he come up with you
, I screamed at myself.

Suddenly his hands take me by the waist, turning me and pulling me into him. Justin's face is close to mine, but our lips do not touch yet. I feel his strong hands slowly climb my sides, stopping for a moment on the sides of my breasts as if he doesn't have the strength to move on. I feel his cock stir against my abdomen, twitching as it engorges a little, so I grab the small of his back and grind him into me. His back is a sheet of muscle that I can feel through the fabric of his warm shirt. Justin moves his hands to the front of my chest and up my neck to hold my face, and his thumb begins to rub my bottom lip. He stares at my mouth and face as if he is fascinated by the feel of me.

While my body was aching for him, I also felt a twinge of emotion that I knew I had to deny. Trisha's warnings were not forgotten.

Justin opens his hands a little wider, putting his palms and thumbs on my jaw and cheeks, burying his fingers in my hair. Then he lifted me up to his mouth. I don't think I actually left the ground, but I felt like I was floating on the sensuality of the moment.

All that dreaming and fantasizing, and it was here, our lips pressing together and opening, our tongues meeting in the middle. My face in his hands made me want to melt, his hard cock and the taste of his mouth made me want to cum. The mix of it made the kiss incredible and intense, our tongues swirled around each other in circles, and I didn't want it to end.

Of course the taxi was still there waiting for Justin. I wanted to tell the driver to leave; he was not going to be needed. Tonight the man that had saved my life was going to be inside of me saving me again.

Justin ended the kiss, still holding my face and still just an inch or so away. "I know you want me to come up and, damn, so do I, but the first time I'm with you, I'm not going to be worried about what time it is, or if I'm ruining your chances on an interview. We're going to be celebrating and have all the time we want."

No, no, no—I do not want to hear this!

His face moved further away from mine, and I knew I was not going to have a choice. There was a point to what he said, if he came up now, I wanted to fuck him for hours. I would be shot tomorrow. His hands came down to my shoulders, grabbing me carefully but firm and separating our bodies.

I groaned at him and he laughed.

"Go to bed," he said sternly. "Get some sleep tonight. We have a date tomorrow."

"
If
my interview is a success," I joked, teasing him. "That was your offer, remember?"

His sexy grin was still there. "Yeah, I remember, but I don't have any doubts. You’re a warrior. You're gonna kill it."

"You think I'm a warrior now, wait until you see me tomorrow night if you're really making me wait," I replied through a very wicked smile.

Justin stepped toward the cab and grabbed the door handle. "I'm almost scared," he said. "That makes it even more interesting." He opened the door. "Get to bed."