Davis, Liz - Slivers of Moonlight (Siren Publishing Classic) (27 page)

“No, I don’t think I’ll sit tight. I think I’ll follow your little weasel ass back to the bedroom to make sure you don’t try anything stupid.”

Evan’s eyes narrowed in distrust as he followed Dylan to the back of the apartment. Once they were there, Dylan headed over to a desk and pulled open a drawer, pushing papers and pens aside until he found the money he was looking for. After retrieving the bills, he walked over to where Evan stood and placed the money in his hand. Evan counted it to make sure the full amount was there, and then stuffed it into his pocket.

“So do you generally treat all women like crap, or do you just get off on screwing around with Maya?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about. You treated her terrible and took her for granted. She could have just left your ass stranded, but she went out of her way to give you a ride home.”

“Look, that’s between her and I, so it’s really none of your business.”

“She’s my woman, and if somebody does her wrong, it most definitely becomes my business.”

“Why are you still here? I already gave you back her money.”

“Because I’m sick and tired of you trying to worm your way back into her life. And I want to make damn sure you never come around her again.”

“I think you should be more concerned with Maya at this point. She’s the one who can’t let
me
go, not the other way around.”

He offered a snort. “You may
think
you still have power over her, but she’s finished with you. Whatever feelings Maya
used
to have are gone now. That little stunt you pulled last night made her realize just how much of a loser you really are. You’ve truly shown just how pathetic you are, and now she wants nothing else to do with you.”

“Well, that’s great, because I don’t want anything to do with her either.” Dylan made a move to leave through the bedroom door, but Evan blocked the way.

“I’d better not catch you anywhere near her ever again, you understand?”

“Get out of my way.”

“No.” He firmly stood his ground.

“I’m not scared of you.” He straightened his body so that he stood a little taller.

“Well, you should be, because I could knock you out right now.”

“So what are you waiting for?” Dylan backed away a few steps and then stopped, positioning himself into a fighting stance. “You want another fight, well, you got it. So let’s go.”

“You’re challenging me?”

“Looks like I am.”

A light chuckle passed his lips. “Nope, think I’ll pass.”

Dylan blinked in surprise. “What?”

“I already fought you last night, Dylan. And besides, now that I know I truly have Maya’s heart, what’s there left to battle for?”

Dylan’s mouth remained closed as he silently waited for Evan to continue.

Leaning against the doorframe, Evan fixed the other man with a thoughtful look. “People often fight out of fear, Dylan. They worry they may lose something that’s precious to them, or maybe they’re just trying to prove something to their opponent.”

Evan’s lips curled into a little smile as a mixture of confusion and disappointment swept across Dylan’s face. He could see he’d been gearing up for a fight and was obviously upset that Evan had chosen to crush him with his words, rather than with his fists.

“That’s not to say I’m not tempted, because I am. But since I don’t have anything to prove, and I’m certain you no longer pose a threat to my relationship with Maya, then there really isn’t any reason for me to waste my time or energy on you. I’ve got a beautiful woman at home, and I’d much rather conserve my energy for her.”

Dylan scoffed. “So that’s it? You’re not even going to try and set things even?”

“Oh, everything will be set square soon enough. It’s the natural order of things. And considering all the dirt you’ve done, I’d say there’s a lot of bad karma just waiting to teach you some very important lessons. But I honestly can’t think of any worse fate than having a wonderful woman like Maya and then losing her due to your own stupidity. She was too good for you, and you know it.”

Lowering his eyes to Dylan’s clenched fists, Evan continued, “I understand you wanting to fight me, though. You’re still angry about last night, and you desperately need to reclaim your manhood.”

“I’m as much of a man as I was before.”

A small chuckle came from his lips. “You weren’t working with a whole lot as it was.”

Dylan’s body tensed, and his face flushed with anger. “I can still have her, you know. It probably tears you up inside, but Maya still loves me.”

Evan shook his head with a little smile of amusement on his lips. “Not anymore, she doesn’t. Give it up, man. You lost her for good. Pushing himself away from the doorjamb, Evan offered some parting words. “Oh well. Your loss, my gain, huh?”

Turning his back to Dylan, he headed down the hallway and made his way toward the front door. He was only a few steps away from reaching it when he suddenly felt the energy change in the room. Halting his steps, Evan turned to look behind him and was met with the sight of a bat swinging toward him.

Chapter 18

Quickly ducking, Evan narrowly missed being hit in the head as the weapon whooshed through the air. Dylan followed it up with another swing, and this time it connected solidly with Evan’s torso, withdrawing a grunt of pain. Dylan tried to hit him again, but Evan caught the bat in his hands, halting it midswing.

Snatching it out of his hands, Evan threw it aside, causing it to connect with a glass that was sitting on an end table. There was a crash as the cup was knocked off the table, sending shards of glass across the hardwood floor. Grabbing his opponent by the scruff of his neck, Evan slammed him face-first into a wall. As Dylan’s eye smacked against the unyielding surface, he released a loud curse.

“What are you, a masochist? How many times do I have to kick your ass before you give up?” Evan asked in annoyance.

“Fuck you. You can’t keep me away from her. Just know that,” said Dylan, “sooner or later, you’ll have to be apart, and then she’ll be alone. And there’s no telling what could happen when you aren’t around.”

Twisting Dylan’s arm behind his back, he responded, “You lay a hand on her, and I’ll come after you.”

Dylan released a snort of laughter. “Is that
fear
I hear in your voice? Are you actually feeling threatened that something will happen between us? You must be, because there’s an awful lot of anger in you.”

Gripping his adversary’s wrist in his hand, Evan gave it a sharp, sudden twist, withdrawing a sharp cry of agony from Dylan’s mouth. In a dangerously low voice, Evan began to speak.

“I’m only going to say this once, so make sure you listen good.
You won’t threaten, harass, or stalk Maya. You will not cause her any harm, and you will most definitely not show up at her apartment or hang around her workplace. If I ever find out that you’ve done any of those things, I will make it my personal mission to
destroy
you. And I’m not just talking physically, here. Now that I’ve been inside your apartment, I’ve taken note of a number of things that could get you into some trouble.”

Dylan’s eyes flitted nervously to the coffee table, where the stash of pot was located, and he gave a nervous swallow.

“I have friends in law enforcement, Dylan. People who would gladly investigate your background for me. And knowing what kind of a shady character you are, I don’t doubt there are things in your past you’d much rather hide. And if you think this is an empty threat, then you know what? Just try me. You will
not
interfere with our relationship and will
not
cause her any more pain. You will, however, leave us the fuck alone. Now, do I make myself clear?”

Dylan grunted in pain as his arm was bent into a sharper angle.

“I asked you a question. Now answer me!”

“Yes! Okay, okay, I’ll leave you alone!” Dylan cried out in desperation, squeezing his eyes shut.

Evan released his hold on him and moved toward the door. As soon as he reached it, he took one last look at Dylan and offered a final warning.

“Remember what I said, Dylan. Don’t forget.” Then he was on his way, slamming the door with a reverberating finality.

* * * *

When Maya heard the sound of Evan’s key in the lock, she hurried into the living room and met him at the door, falling into his arms as soon as he walked across the threshold.

“Hey there, beautiful.” Dropping the bags of groceries to the floor, he gave her a wide grin and bent down to kiss her, encircling his arms around her waist.

Their mouths met in a hungry kiss, as if they’d been separated for weeks, rather than for just a couple of hours.

After parting lips, they nuzzled noses and gazed into each other’s eyes.

“So where did you go? All you left me to wake up with was a note.”

“Sorry about that, sweetie, but I had to take care of something important.”

“Okay, so what was this errand you went on? Must have been pretty serious if it kept you out after dark.”

Glancing at the clock, he saw it was already after seven. “I know I said I’d be home half past six, but the drive took longer than I thought.” He took his jacket off and tossed it onto the couch.

“So are you going to tell me what you were doing, or do I have to guess?” She leaned down to pick up one of the grocery bags, but Evan grabbed hold of it before she could, then carried all four of the bags into the kitchen.

“I drove out to see that wonderful ex-boyfriend of yours. But funnily enough, he didn’t seem too excited to see me.” Glancing at Maya, he gave her a little wink.

“What’d you go see him for?” Once they reached the kitchen, Maya lifted herself onto the table and watched him put the groceries away.

Grabbing a carton of milk from the bag, Evan opened the fridge to put it away. “To tie up loose ends. I needed to let him to know that coming around you wasn’t an option anymore, and I also made sure he returned the money that he stole from you.”

He reached into his jeans pocket to retrieve the bills, and then placed the currency in Maya’s hand.

“You drove all the way out there just to get my money back?”

“Of course. The last thing I wanted was for you to go without what was rightfully yours.”

Maya was stunned by the effort Evan had gone through to return her money, and she realized it was the sweetest thing any guy had ever done for her. In fact, it was the sweetest thing just about anyone had done, guy or girl.

Grabbing his hand, Maya said, “Thank you, honey. You didn’t have to go all the way out there, but I really appreciate that you did. It’s sweet of you to care so much.”

“Baby, you don’t have to thank me. You’re my woman, and if somebody does you wrong, then I’m going to make sure that things are set straight.”

Lifting her hands to his face, Maya placed her palms against his cheeks, pulling him down so that she could kiss him. As his soft lips touched hers, she softly whispered, “Thank you, again.” Then she gave him a deep kiss.

Their lips sealed in a passionate kiss until they were forced to part by the need for oxygen. Reaching down to adjust his pants, Evan said, “You’re getting me hard, girl.”

“Yeah, that’s the point.” Maya flashed her dimples then lowered her eyes to the crotch of his pants.

A large bulge beneath the denim fabric displayed his obvious excitement. She cupped her palm around the tent in his pants, then began to softly massage it. A throaty moan fled his lips, and he leaned in to kiss her on the neck. She felt his hands slide across her breasts, and then he began to unbutton the flannel shirt she had on. It was one of his articles of clothing, and he found it incredibly cute how oversized it looked on her smaller body. When he got to the fourth button, her cleavage began to show, and this excited him to the point of no longer having any patience. He ripped the blouse open, then cupped his hands firmly around both of her breasts, stroking his thumbs back and forth against her hard nipples.

Releasing a moan of pleasure, Maya placed her hands against the back of his head, sliding the elastic band off his hair so that his locks were freed. His silky strands fell around his face, providing a pleasant tickling sensation against her bare skin. Snaking his tongue across her pebble-hard nipples, Evan teased her nubs, giving her soft, tender nibbles.

She offered a gasp of pleasure as his tongue slid out, sending her into a lust-filled frenzy as the tip of his appendage lashed back and forth against her peaks. With her sitting on the table and him standing up, it provided him with just the right angle to press his cock against her heated center. As his erection made contact with the space between her legs, she released a little moan, bucking her hips forward to increase the friction.

Evan released his mouth from her nipple and cradled her face in his hands, placing a soft kiss on one side of her neck and then on the other. Then she felt his fingertips brush along the inner part of her thighs, traveling further up until they reached the moistness between her legs. The first touch of his fingers sent an electric spark through her clit, and she rocked her hips forward to signal that she was eager for the touch of his skin against her own. His finger traveled up and down the slit of her pussy, gently caressing the heated warmth that lay beneath the dampening fabric.