Rock Chick 03 Redemption (21 page)

Then he shrugged off his jacket and tugged off his henley.

My eyes bugged out and I stared at his bared chest.

Good God.

“What are you –” I started to say but he interrupted me.

“In deference to your ribs, you can be on top this time.” My mouth dropped open.

Then my eyes went back in my head and they narrowed on him.

“I don’t
think
so,” I snapped.

He caught me at the hips, pul ed me to him and kissed me.

I did resist, I’m not
that
weak. It’s just that my resistance didn’t last long.

When his mouth left mine to trail down my cheek to my neck I said, “You’re a jerk.”

He moved away a bit, pul ed my t-shirt free of my skirt, yanking it over my head, and dropping it on the floor.

Then he looked into my eyes.

My hammering heart thundered in a swel and then stuttered to a halt when I saw the look in his eyes. They were not distant or disinterested, they were something else, something I’d never seen on him, or anyone, before.

“Yeah,” he agreed and his voice echoed the look in his eye. “I am.”

Then he kissed me again.

Needless to say, it went wild after that (what could I say, this was Hank).

We were al over each other, hands, mouths, tongues.

He pul ed my skirt up, bunching it at my waist, turned us both around and sat down on the bed, his arms around me, taking me with him. He fel back, rol ed me over careful y, then came away and yanked down my panties and tossed them aside. Then he bent low, spread my legs and his mouth went there.

“Good God,” I breathed and I slid my hands into his hair.

He took me to the edge. I was panting, pressing my hands in his hair and nearly there when he pul ed away.

Instantly, I came up, my hands went to his shoulders, pushing him back. I undid his buckle, unbuttoned his jeans, slid them only as low on his hips as was needed and climbed on top of him. I had my hand wrapped around him to guide him inside but his hands went to my hips, he bucked, ramming into me and my hand flew away from between us.

My back arched when he fil ed me, I gasped and Hank kept bucking.

It was Hank and my wild ride and it was far more satisfying.

He didn’t make me do al the work, he was strong, his hips were powerful and I just held onto his shoulders and enjoyed the ride.

It was delicious.

When I came, his hands slid up my back, pressing me down, and he captured my moans in his mouth.

A few minutes later, I returned the favor.

Afterward, I had my face pressed into his neck and he spoke, his voice deep and hoarse, “Say my name.” I hesitated, not sure what he was asking. Did he think I didn’t know who he was? Did he think I imagined myself with Bil y?

“Hank,” I whispered, my heart in my throat.

“That isn’t what you cal me.”

My stomach fluttered but I kept silent.

His arms tightened around me and I felt his muscles clench as he sat up, taking me with him. He settled on the edge of the bed, me stil straddling him, my hands at his shoulders. I looked down at him and he was looking up at me. He didn’t take his arms from around me.

“I talked to Eddie,” he said.

“I figured that,” I told him.

He dropped his head and kissed my throat, then kept his face there.

“Christ, Roxie, I’m sorry,” he said against my throat.

I closed my eyes and my arms tightened reflexively but I didn’t say anything. What was there to say? The last twenty minutes had been the best apology in the history of mankind.

He tilted his head back again. “You need to cal Tex and let him know you’re spendin’ the night with me.” I shook my head.

I was glad he didn’t think I was some sad, lost woman in love with an abuser, but I also wasn’t ready to pick up again with Hank.

“You need to take me back to Tex’s.”

His eyes got lazy. “You aren’t goin’ back to Tex’s.” I stared at him and I figured he was right, mainly because behind the lazy in his eyes was the intense and I knew, to get what I was trying to tel myself I wanted, I’d have to fight.

Since I didn’t real y want it anyway, I wasn’t prepared to fight.

He rol ed me to the side and my head hit the pil ow. He reached across me, grabbed his phone and handed it to me.

I cal ed Uncle Tex while Hank moved away and pul ed up his jeans but didn’t button them. He then pul ed down my skirt.

“Yo!” Uncle Tex boomed in answer.

“Hey, Uncle Tex. I’m with Hank.”

I heard a chuckle. “Yeah, I saw that. These boys are
the
shit
,” Uncle Tex replied.

I sighed.

“I’m not coming home tonight.”

“Not surprised. Get Hank to bring you to Fortnum’s tomorrow, I’l put a key under the mat if you need to come home.”

“How’d it go with Mom?” I asked.

“She and Herb are comin’ out in a few weeks.” Hank was up on an elbow, leaning over me and, I couldn’t help it, I smiled at him. His eyes went soft and his hand went to my neck. He stroked my jaw and I bit my lip.

Silently, I shared my happiness and silently, he accepted it.

I mental y shook myself out of the moment.

“That’s good,” I said to Uncle Tex.

“Gotta go, told Nancy I’d cal her. She’s not gonna believe this, you and Hank, me cal ing Trish. Fuckin’ A. But things don’t stay borin’ around here for long.”

“I love you, Uncle Tex,” I blurted, then closed my eyes, wondering if that was too much for him.

There was silence, then, “Darlin’ girl.”

That’s al he said before he disconnected.

I opened my eyes and hit the off button on the phone.

Hank took it from me and put it in its cradle. Then he looked at me. “Have you eaten?”

I nodded.

“Did you have dessert?”

I shook my head.

He knifed up, grabbed my hand and pul ed me up after him.

“Get dressed, let’s go.”

* * * * *

He took me to a place cal ed Gunther Toody’s. A gimmick restaurant designed for family dining and to give the feel of a 50s style diner. Neon, chrome, vinyl and waitresses in white uniforms covered in slogan buttons wearing shocking red lipstick.

Hank ordered a burger and cheese fries. I got a chocolate malt. The malt was the thickest, biggest, best malt I’d ever had in my life.

I was staring out the window, sucking on the straw in my malt, trying to catch a thought. Everything had been happening too fast, I couldn’t keep up. I didn’t know what to do next, where to go, what to think.

The only thing I did know was I needed to slow down, catch my breath, heal my body and get myself safe. I didn’t figure Hank was safe. Denver certainly wasn’t safe, at least not emotional y. Neither was Chicago, if I was honest.

I felt Hank’s foot nudge mine, taking me away from my thoughts and I looked from the window to him.

God, you’re handsome.
I thought when my eyes settled on him.

I sighed and realized I was stil seriously in trouble.

He was done with his food and his plate was pushed away. He was watching me.

“There are things to say,” he told me.

I supposed there were but I not only didn’t want to say any of them, I didn’t want to hear any of them either.

I wasn’t going to get a choice.

“You told me that you loved him,” Hank said.

I blinked.

“Loved, lov
ed
, deh, deh, deh,” I said. “Past tense.” Hank leaned forward and took my hand. “Sweetheart, I asked, ‘Do you love him?’ and you nodded, not past tense.” Oh.

I remembered that.

Shit.

I leaned forward too. “I’d just been rescued from a crazy man and hadn’t slept in days. I was so tired, I didn’t know what I was saying or doing.”

what I was saying or doing.”

His

hand

squeezed

mine.

It

was

the

only

acknowledgement he gave that he understood and he was sorry but I knew he understood and he was sorry. A man like Hank probably didn’t apologize a lot and I’d already got one straight out from him that night.

I looked back out the window.

“I’m glad we got that straightened out,” I said to the window and I was. It would be good to have a clean break, leave things settled and good rather than ugly and bad.

His hand gave mine a little tug and I looked back at him.

“We’l go back to where we left it. We’l have to deal with Flynn when they find him, but you and I can go on from here.”

I shook my head.

“No, my friend Annette is bringing my stuff to Denver as we speak and as soon as I get it and my car, I’m going.”

“Sunshine –”

“No, Hank. There’s no going back. I’m not mad at you for thinking I’m an idiot, because, wel , I am an idiot, I’m just not an idiot about that. It’s that… I have to get my life sorted out and that’s going to take awhile. You should… move on.” His eyes flashed dangerously.

“Move on?” he said the words slowly.

I nodded.

“Yeah, it’s nice that we’l end on a good note and not a misunderstanding,” I told him.

“Roxie, we’re not ending.”

“Yes, we are. You’re a good guy…” I stopped and realized that was just it. He was a good guy. I was a nut, my realized that was just it. He was a good guy. I was a nut, my house had been trashed, my ex-lover was wanted in four states and stil at large, God knew where, and the thing we were both skirting around was that I was tainted. He knew it. I knew it. Even if he knew I didn’t love Bil y anymore, the fact that Hank would even think that let me know al I needed to know about what he thought of me.

“It’s over,” I finished.

“Sorry, wasn’t it you that I was fucking an hour ago?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

I scowled at him.

“It isn’t over,” he said.

My brows drew together. “It is. I’m leaving tomorrow.” He watched me for a second, then let go of my hand, pul ed his wal et out of his back pocket, threw some bil s on the table and got up, shoving his wal et back in his pocket.

He pul ed me out of the booth and, holding my hand, guided me to the door with a chin lift to our waitress before we went through it.

Once we got outside, he dropped my hand and put his arm around my shoulders and pul ed me into his side.

Wel . He was taking my ending things real y wel .

Although I knew I should be relieved, it kinda pissed me off.

At the 4Runner, he opened my door for me and I turned to him, deciding to keep things on a positive bent and be polite.

“Thank you for understanding.”

He looked down at me. “I don’t understand,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“Excuse me?”

“Roxie, you aren’t going anywhere. I just have to convince you to stay.”

I blinked at him.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I said (again).

He moved into my space, I moved back and he pinned me against the inside of the door.

“Then, I gotta convince you before tomorrow.”

“You won’t be able to do that. My mind is made up,” I told him, pressing on his chest with my hands to push him back.

“A few days ago, you didn’t even want to have dinner with me. In less than twenty-four hours you were in my bed.

I’l be able to convince you.”

Wel ! He was certainly sure of himself.

Of course, what he said was true (al but the convincing me part) but stil .

“Take me back to Uncle Tex’s,” I demanded.

He grinned.

“You aren’t going to Tex’s. You’re comin’ home with me.” I made a huffy noise.

So, I guessed this meant he wasn’t taking my ending things with him real y wel , in fact, he wasn’t taking it at al .

Then, he kissed me.

Then, stil feeling dizzy, I went home with him.

* * * * *

I was on my back. Hank had lifted my legs at my knees so they were tucked into his sides. He was up on his elbows so his weight wasn’t on me. With my legs bent and his leverage, he was sliding deep inside me, deeper than anyone had ever been.

I had my eyes closed, feeling him move, my arms wrapped tight around his back.

I let him seduce me again (honestly, it didn’t take much) and was memorizing everything, the smel of him, the feel of him, the taste of him, the strength of him. I’d need to keep these memories for a long time.

He pul ed out and broke his rhythm, his body tense, I could feel him but he wasn’t coming inside.

My eyes opened.

“Hank?”

His head dropped and in my ear he said, “Stay.” Holy cow.

My entire body spasmed.

“Don’t.”

“Promise me you’l stay,” he whispered.

I moved, tightening my arms and wrapping my legs around his back.

“Whisky –”

When I used his nickname, he slid deep inside and kept going, finishing me off.

* * * * *

After we were done, he held me against his side and made me tel him what happened with Bil y, from the minute he left for his run, to the minute he got into bed with me after I came back.

He listened without saying anything but his body was speaking for him, getting tense; his hand, which was stroking my back, going stil every now and then, sometimes, flexing and biting into me.

Then, he made me tel him about the sledgehammer incident.

He said something then. “I’m gonna kil that motherfucker.”

“That’s what Uncle Tex said,” I told him.

Then, he made me tel him about my plan to get rid of Bil y.

In other words, we had the conversation we were meant to have over breakfast five days ago.

“That wasn’t a very good plan,” he said to me.

“I know that
now
,” I replied.