Desires of a Full Moon (8 page)

“Sounds good.” Dana gave Haley a wink before making her way back to the dorm.

Haley waited for Jayden to release her since Dana was out of sight, but he didn’t.

“So how much homework do you have?” His breath tickled her ear sending butterflies fluttering around her stomach.

Slowly she shook her head trying to calm her racing heart. Her body warmed under the embrace of his protective body. “I don’t have any homework and my next test is Monday.”

“So you’re free?”

“Pretty much.” She tried to catch her breath. She was pretty sure he could feel her heart racing. She sucked in a deep breath and concentrated on not grinding her butt against his crotch.

“Good.” He released his hold.

She forced herself to step away. She needed to get used to letting him go. Jayden was here on a job, not for anything else.

To him, she was just a mission.

She rubbed her hand across her chest, easing the tiny ache that found its way into her heart.

She knew Jayden would leave, just like her family had. She wasn’t going to let it devastate her like before. She didn’t have to be a victim. She could choose to look at this short time with Jayden as an opportunity, an opportunity to learn how to be herself again and to live.

Lifting her chin, she turned and faced him. He was gorgeous standing there, all cut muscles, blue eyes and blonde hair, like something out of a surfer magazine.

“I’m not sure I like that look in your eye,” Jayden teased.

“I’m thinking how I want to redo you.” Not that it mattered. He could wear a potato sack and still look hot.

“Why does that scare me?” Jayden reached out and took her hand as they headed towards the parking lot.

Her heart tugged at the warmth of their hands. She shook her head and quickly willed her body to stop being such an idiot every time he touched her.

“Don’t be scared. I happen to think you would look really good in pink.” She gave him a cheery smile as he laced his fingers through hers.

Jayden halted midstride. “Pink.”

Haley gave him an innocent look. She tried not to laugh at the horrified expression on his face.

“We did make a deal. And there’s no going back on a deal.”

#

After dining on burgers and fries at the local hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Jayden drove to the mall. They made their way into the department store. Haley’s face lit up with excitement.

He took her hand in his, telling himself it was for show, pretending to be a couple so he wouldn’t blow his cover. He also had told himself that same lie when he had kissed her in front of Dana.

He knew better. He’d kissed her because he wanted the rest of the world to know who she belonged to. He’d kissed her because all day he’d suffered through watching all those college assholes gawk at her with lust. He’d kissed her because he needed it more than his next breath.

“Jayden?”

He shook his head, forcing his thoughts under control. “Yeah?’

“I asked what size jeans you wear.” She glanced back at the display. Her gaze was glued to the mannequin wearing dark denim jeans the color of midnight.

“I thought you said my jeans were fine.” He glanced down at his favorite denims. He’d had them forever and they fit him just right

“Come, Jayden, let me play.” She stepped up to him, pressing her palms to his chest, while her full lips curved into a sexy pout.

His nostrils flared. On instinct, he cupped the back of her head and swiped his thumb across her bottom lip. “Be careful, sweetheart. I don’t play gentle.”

“Neither do I.” Her eyes flared with lust.

He was trying to warn her away from him. But she wasn’t having it. His shy little college girl wasn’t backing down from him.

His cock hardened behind his zipper, making his jeans uncomfortably tight. His heartbeat drummed in his chest and he could feel it all the way to his balls.

Jayden slammed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth.

“What’s wrong?”

He opened his eyes and scowled. “I’m trying to get myself under control.” Did she have no idea what she did to him?

“And what exactly do I do?”

He pulled her against him. Her eyes grew wide as his cock pressed into her stomach. A blush stole across her face.

Then that little minx did the unexpected. Instead of stepping back, Haley reached up on her tiptoes and sucked his earlobe into her hot little mouth.

“Fuck, Haley,” he growled as lust slammed into his stomach so violently he considered taking her right there against the wall.

She didn’t even have the courtesy to look sorry. Instead, she laughed.

Taking a step back, she grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s go in here. I’m sure once you start trying on clothes you’ll lose your erection.”

Now it was his turn to look shocked.

She looked across her shoulder and grinned. “Maybe I’ll help you out and put some pink on you. I’m sure you’ll lose your hard-on then.

#

“Are you sure you don’t want me to carry anything?” Haley cut her eyes at Jayden as they walked out of the mall and into the parking lot. The slight breeze drifted across her, chilling her skin.

“No, I got it.” Jayden shook his head as he carried three bags in each hand with ease.

“Are you still pouting?”

“I don’t pout,” he groused.

“Okay.” Haley nodded her head, not believing him for a second. “So are you still upset about me dressing you up?”

Jayden shot her a glare. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“That shirt looked really good on you. I don’t see what the big deal is.” When he’d walked out of the dressing room, all she wanted to do was lick him from head to toe.

“I told you I don’t wear pink.”

“It’s not pink, it’s coral.” And he looked hot in it.

“It looks a hell of lot like pink to me. Can you imagine what the other Guardians would say if they see that on me?” He grimaced.

“Then don’t wear it around them. “ She shrugged. She’d been around the Guardians enough in Arkansas to know they wore jeans and leather and rode Harleys. To humans, they looked a like a biker gang.

“I don’t go anywhere but to work, Haley.” He shrugged. “It’s not like I’ll have a place to wear it or any of this other stuff.”

She pasted a smile on and forced the next words out. “Then wear it when you go on a date.”

His gaze hardened before he glanced away. The mood between them shifted.

“It’s been a while since I had a date.”

She frowned.

That’s not what she had heard. In fact, Dana was constantly talking about how many women Jayden had gone through. From his reputation, he was insatiable in bed.

“I don’t think a week constitutes a long time.” She elbowed him, trying to lighten his mood.

Jayden stopped and faced her, his expression grim. “The last time I took a woman out on a date was over six months ago.”

Haley’s smile slipped. Her mind quickly calculated the date and she realized that would have been around the time she had been abducted.

“Besides, I don’t date, Haley. I hook up with women.” His eyes narrowed, driving the point home.

“Okay.” She knew this about him already. She didn’t expect him to be celibate, for heaven’s sake.

He shook his head and looked away, frustration creasing his brow. “I shouldn’t have bought this. It’s just a waste of money

Haley’s chest ached as self-doubt crept through her heart. She dropped her head. She didn’t want to push Jayden to do something he didn’t want to do. Heaviness settled across her shoulders like a shroud of guilt.

She dug out her cell phone and pulled up her inspiration app. It had been her go-to since she’d moved to Arkansas and felt abandoned by everyone that had ever mattered. She knew she was going to have to find a life on her own now and she was determined to have the life she wanted. This time she was doing it on her terms.

“Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times”—Aeschylus.

She wasn’t sure who the hell Aeschylus was, but he hit the nail on the head.

Sucking in a deep breath, she slipped her phone back in her purse and looked at Jayden. “If you really think it’s a waste then take it back.” She grabbed his keys out of his jean pocket. “I’ll wait in the car.”

#

He was a dickhead.

He’d seen the hurt in her eyes.

“Haley, wait.” He quickened his steps to catch up to Haley as she stomped away. He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings.

“Haley, wait.” He jogged around in front of her blocking her path. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. You put a lot of effort into making me look good. I didn’t mean to dismiss that.”

She crossed her arms and glared at him, as her foot tapped against the asphalt.

“Would it make you feel better if you told me to fuck off?”

“Maybe.”
Tap, tap, tap
. She held his gaze.

“What I said came out wrong.” He was able to talk a female out of her panties, but trying to apologize was more painful than listening to his Granny talk about sex toys.

“How’s that?” She continued the incessant tapping of her foot against the ground.

“I actually like the clothes. I think you really did a good job picking stuff out.” He swallowed. Why the hell was this so hard?

She stood there in silence.

“Look, I don’t date. I haven’t for a very long time.” He blew out a breath.

“And I haven’t had a date in over six months either, but it’s not like I’ve written off ever finding someone, or given up dating.” She shrugged. “Maybe you’ve just gotten picky. Maybe what you used to like isn’t what you want anymore.”

What he wanted was her. Naked and in his bed with his face between her sweet thighs. Jayden’s breathing increased as his body hardened with overwhelming lust.

“That’s not all of it.”

“Then what is it?” She cocked her head, waiting for an answer. For someone who’d been stalked for months she certainly wasn’t scared of him.

“I don’t date because I…” His voice trailed off, the words refusing to come out. A cold sweat popped across his skin as his thoughts turned to that night of torture.

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Jayden. You don’t owe me anything.” Haley stepped around him.

He stood there for a second, trying to shove the memories away and lock them down.

He shook his head and followed after her. He caught up to her as he stood at the hood of the Mustang.

“Look, I…” The words trailed off as he met her pale face and wide eyes.

Jayden followed Haley’s frozen stare. On the windshield stuck under the wiper was an envelope with Haley’s name sprawled across the top.

“Shit.” He dropped the bags and reached in his boot for the concealed gun he always carried. He sandwiched Haley between him and the pickup truck parked next to him.

“Get down.” Jayden searched the parking lot, hoping to catch a glance of the stalker. He only spotted one elderly couple getting out of the car and heading inside.

Squatting down in front of her, he met her scared gaze and caressed her cheek. “Are you okay?”

She looked from him to his hand. “You have a gun.”

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t tell me you had a gun.” She trembled as her eyes widened.

“You didn’t ask.” He quickly checked his car, making sure it was safe from explosives before unlocking the door. If someone had tried to set an explosive or tried to place a tracking device on the Mustang, the car would have alerted him via his phone. It was one of the many perks for working with Barrett and his Guardians. They always had the latest technology, far beyond what the public had access to.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” He helped Haley into the front seat and buckled her in before going to his side.

“Don’t forget your bags,” she murmured as he opened the car door.

Jayden growled. He didn’t give two shits about the clothes but thought it was better not to argue with her. He was just relieved she wasn’t in shock. For a second he thought she was going to pass out on him.

After shoving the bags in the backseat and swiping the envelope off the windshield, he got in and peeled out of the parking lot. He turned on the street headed out of town.

“Where are we going?’

“We are going the long way home. Just to make sure we are not being followed.” He cast a glance at her.

She nodded and clenched her purse like a shield to her chest. Her gaze was glued to the envelope sitting on the console. She angled her body away from the offending paper, scared to even touch it

“You’re safe. I’m not going to let him get you.” Jayden put the envelope on the backseat and out of her line of sight. He reached for her hand. Her cold fingers tightened around his.

He would protect her no matter what.

“I know, Jayden.” She met his gaze, humbling him with her utter trust in him.

This time he wouldn’t let her down.

This time he would kill before he would let harm come to her.

#

“He left the note on my fucking car, Barrett.” Jayden glared across the back deck of the house as he fought to keep his wolf side under control. Anger surged through his veins and he wanted nothing more than to shift so he could run all this hatred off.

“How’s Haley?” Barrett asked.

“She’s shook up. She wanted to know what the envelope said. I think she’s pretty pissed that I wouldn’t let her read it.” Jayden forked his fingers through his hair. “She’s in bed now, asleep.”

“Good call. She doesn’t need to know what it says. All it does is feed the stalker’s ego and his need for attention.” Jayden could hear the tap of Barrett’s fingertips on his keyboard. “What did the note say?”

Jayden growled as he recited the vile words.
“I’m coming for you, Haley. I’m coming to take you to our perfect paradise where no one can find us. I’m going to tie you up and fuck you until you scream my name.”
That’s not all. Put some gloves on before you open the envelope.”

“I doubt he’ll leave finger prints.”

“That’s not why you need the gloves. The motherfucker jacked off on the letter.” Jayden had smelled the stench of semen the second he reached for it. But he said nothing, not wanting to freak Haley out any more than she already was. She didn’t say anything, but he couldn’t help but wonder if she smelled it too.