Chapter 17 – Harley
S tepping outside, I hoisted my purse on my shoulder. I’d had an hour since Kole left to sort through…everything. The guy I was hoping to spend even more time with came into my work. That was the first big burst of relief. He wasn’t avoiding me! The second came when he saved our asses. I couldn’t help but think that what he’d done tonight was for me. Why else would he have worked tirelessly? There was nothing in it for him. Without asking, Kole simply jumped into the insanity and took charge. He didn’t need guidance to figure out the restaurant’s systems. He handled the night like a seasoned pro, keeping his cool, barely saying anything.
What kind of man did that?
For that matter, what kind of man moved with such lethal grace?! Kole might be living in a gigantic mansion, but the way he’d smoothly put down Joe was mind boggling to watch. It gave me chills even now. If he’d wanted to snap the prick’s spine in two, I doubted there was anything we could do to stop him.
It was terrifying.
And downright the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I wanted nothing more than to rush into him, give him a big old squeeze, and thank him with all my heart.
“You broke up with my brother so you can go play rich girl with the lake crowd?” a voice sneered behind me.
I let out a long, strangled breath. Turning, I faced the bar-babe, smoking by her truck as she waited for her on-again-off-again fiancé to finish cleaning the kitchen. “Todd will be done soon. We were slammed tonight.”
“I asked you a question.” The woman pushed off her truck and flicked her cigarette.
“Tami, I’m not in the mood,” I sighed. “Derik and I went on two dates.”
Not that going to the truck pull or the two-for-one dinner at Denny’s last autumn counted, especially when I paid for both, drove his drunk ass home, and didn’t even kiss him. I’d only agreed to go out with him because his mother cornered me.
“I heard rich boy wrestled Joe pretty good. Should I expect him to come hunt all your exes?” Tami scoffed.
I let out a short laugh. “Only if they want to cause trouble. Tell Derik to learn from Joe’s mistake.”
“Dating you was a mistake,” she cackled.
Done with this conversation, I walked around her to my Passat. Tami kept slinging insults behind me, but my attention focused on the clump of wildflowers tied with twine on the windshield. The world faded. The night wind seemed to whisper a soft melody, cooling the back of my neck with a gentle caress. I knew without a shadow of a doubt who these were from.
He remembered.
It had been a little blip in the conversation at breakfast, and yet Kole remembered. My fingers wrapped around the cut stems. He hadn’t broken or tugged these from the dirt, but rather made clean and precise cuts. And they hadn’t been sitting out here long, which meant he’d done it after finishing up his unofficial shift as a serving assistant at the Landing.
Kole had left as quietly as he’d come. The calm in the storm…until he wasn’t. From the way he took out Joe, it was clear who the true force of nature was. I hadn’t known how to approach him, and then he vanished before I could tell him Joe and his buddies deserved it.
Now, more than anything, I needed Kole to know I loved how he threw them out. And while his strength might intimidate me, I wasn’t scared of him.
Tapping my smartwatch, I cursed. There wasn’t enough time to run into town before the Piggly Wiggly closed. But…I worked at a restaurant. Just because everything was cleaned and put away didn’t mean anything.
Unlocking my car, I gently laid the flowers on the front seat. Tami let out another sneer as I raced past her. Back in the Landing’s kitchen, I took down three to-go containers. One for meat, one for buns and toppings, and the third was for fries.
“Whatcha doing?” Todd snapped.
I arched a brow. “Placing a last-minute order.”
“The fryer’s off. Grill’s scoured.” He crossed his scrawny, badly tattooed arms over his chest. “Kitchen’s closed, Harley.”
I waved him off. “I’m taking them frozen—I’ll cook them myself.”
“You don’t get to just come in here and take food,” he boomed.
“What’s going on?” Angelica pushed through the swinging door and surveyed us.
“Ring me up for an order of mini corn dogs, two cheeseburgers, and fries?” I asked the bartender, who would lock up tonight.
Angelica smirked knowingly. “Go get ‘im, Harley. I’ll cover this.”
“No, no!” I shook my head. “I’ll buy my own dinner.”
“Seriously, we’d have sunk if it wasn’t for the extra help tonight. Dinner’s on me.” Angelica cut a look to the cook. “Got a problem, Todd?”
“Come on, bro, let’s go to Pine Lawn Tavern,” Scott said with a nudge to Todd’s shoulder.
Devon was already at the POS computer, clocking out. He waited for the others, smacking his box of cigarettes against his palm. “I never thought to take the shit home frozen, Harley.”
I hummed under my breath. “It makes it so they aren’t soggy, and I don’t have to reheat.”
“How often you do that?” Devon asked.
I finished up the last of the three boxes. “Often enough.”
Shooting the one cook I liked a grin, and throwing a goodnight to Angelica, I hurried out the back.
“Yeah, that’s right, you go get that rich boy real good,” Tami called after me.
The urge to punch her, to knock her lights out, made my fist clench. While it would feel so good, I knew it would only make her the victim. I slammed my car door, shutting out the voices of my past.
Fortunately, anticipation for the future kept me company the entire drive. Kole came to me. Sought me out. Helped, defended—thought of. I smiled at the flowers. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was a little obsessed with me. Different in a good way, I didn’t mind the attention. And while the sensible part of me needed some ground rules—such as how long this thing between us had—I also was driving over the speed limit to embrace it!
***
Nerves fluttered in my stomach as I crept through the great gate. It was already open, sparing me from making an awkward call over the intercom. Was Kole expecting me? It couldn’t be anyone else…right?
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. By the time I reached the front door and cut the engine, I managed to worry off a piece of dry skin, making the lip throb. Blood spilled over my tongue, and I tried to suck the tang away so it wouldn’t be noticeable.
Light bloomed in my peripheral. I swung my gaze to the front door, where a large, muscled frame was shadowed by the light pouring out from behind him. Holy cow . Kole was hot. It wasn’t just that he was a big guy. There was a…something about him. It wasn’t just the violence that simmered under the surface. He was like a wild animal, a loner. A predator .
And I was the tasty little morsel popping over for a bite and chat.
If I’m not careful, I’ll be on the menu .
Laughing at my own joke, I stepped out of the Passat. “You left without your supper.”
I held up the takeout bag by way of explanation.
Kole studied me silently.
“You didn’t already eat, did you?” I asked, pushing back the wave of unease. What if I misread the situation? Worry gnawed in my chest.
“Not yet.” Kole stepped to the side, sweeping his arm for me to venture inside.
Going straight to the kitchen, I began to unload the takeout bags. Words tumbled from my lips in a random blabbering. I turned toward the stove, looking for a skillet—
And bumped into a wall of flesh.
“What’s wrong?” Kole’s strong hands slid along my shoulders.
Startled, I blinked up at him. “Nothing. Should there be?”
“You’re on edge.” He reached up, brushing the pads of his fingers along my cheekbone. “Your smile doesn’t reach your eyes.”
That quelched the flow of words. My mouth clapped shut.
“Did you not like the flowers?” Kole asked softly. “Did it cross a line?”
Wildflowers—freaking wildflowers! This was a man who’d eaten me out on his counter, watched me with almost stalker-like frequency, paid me an outrageous sum both for the swimming and the tip tonight, and it was the flowers he was worried about? I didn’t know how to process that. It was almost like he was unfamiliar with social conventions.
My gargoyle theory held more and more merit.
“I loved the flowers,” I breathed. “They were a beautiful surprise to a crappy night.”
Kole studied me with that unwavering intensity. I couldn’t begin to guess what kind of thoughts provoked the turbulence in his eyes. My pulse pattered rapidly, fueled by my racing heart. I wet my lips, thankfully not tasting any more blood.
Kole’s gaze snapped to my mouth. “You shouldn’t stay long.”
The comment was so at odds with the sizzling energy of the situation that it didn’t compute. I drew back, sucking in a deep breath. What did he just say to me?
Kole’s touch fell away, but he didn’t move to put distance between us.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to invade your space,” I said with a bite of heat behind my words. “Enjoy your dinner.”
A tormented sound rumbled in his chest. Kole’s arm shot out, blocking me. The other likewise grasped the island, caging me against the granite.
“Kole?” I warned. “I don’t want to play games. I’m not that girl.”
“I’m not playing,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Okay.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Then do you mind explaining the mixed signals you’re giving off?”
His chest rose and fell with each hard breath. Those blue eyes pinned me under their stormy gaze. There was the briefest moment where the decision snapped into place, and right before his lips crashed into mine, he growled, “Fuck it.”
The kiss was hard and hungry.
I stood still for a moment as my brain tried to process whatever the heck just happened. But then my hands reached out of their own accord, sliding around his waist. Heat surged through me. My nipples hardened to a needy ache as I brushed against him.
Kole pulled back, staring down at me with a blistering intensity. “Does that clear things up, little sprite?”
A breathless pant escaped my lips, and I nodded eagerly. My hands clawed at him, begging him to come back to the kiss. Fire burned in my veins.
Kole lifted me. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”
I did.
He started walking away. The friction of his body moving against mine was too much. I let out a strangled moan. His tongue delved into my mouth. His touch slid down to massage my ass. Tightening my grip around his hips, I rocked into him. My pussy brushed against his stiff cock.
It was his turn to groan. “Fuck, babe, you’re going to make me explode before I even get you undressed.”
We were going to the bedroom. Through the fiery haze, I asked myself if this was a good idea.
He told me I shouldn’t stay.
In the upstairs hall, Kole stopped to push me against the wall. He palmed my breast, squeezing and kneading the sensitive flesh. Pleasure shot through me, muscles tightening in response.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” he rasped against my lips.
I let out a strangled growl of frustration. “I want this, I do!”
“Good.” His mouth kissed my cheek. My jaw. My pulse . Teeth scored against my flesh, pulling and nipping. “But?”
“You told me not to stay long,” I reminded him, fingers digging into the muscles of his shoulder.
“What is long?” he countered and tugged my tee from the black jean shorts. “Lift your arms, baby. I can’t stand not seeing those gorgeous tits a moment longer.”
Heat blasted through me. For a man of few words, he sure had a dirty mouth on him when he did decide to talk.
The tee slid off my torso.
One hand around the back of my neck and shoulders, the other wrapped around my hip, Kole used the wall and gravity to lift me higher. He buried his face between my breasts, rubbing as if to relish the scent of me.
I fell on the bed. With a sharp tug, my shorts and panties came off.
“You too,” I protested, fisting his shirt and pulling.
He bent his head, and the tee pulled free. The woodsy smell of fresh body wash tickled my nose. I breathed deeply. I no doubt smelled like grill food and spilt beer, but Kole didn’t seem to mind. He settled over me, nudging my thighs apart.
“Look at you, all wet and ready for me,” he murmured against my throat as his hand coated my arousal over the tip of his erection.
A wild, insane idea pulsed in my mind. I wanted him. Bare, just like this. I was desperate enough to ask him.
But he was already reaching for the nightstand drawer. I swallowed the want.
“Hurry.” I tapped his shoulder, arching my hips up to rub against him.
A dark laugh surrounded me. “So needy, but don’t worry, little one, I’ll give you what you need.”
I knew he would.
He snapped the condom in place and nudged his tip against my entrance. I waited in breathless anticipation for the fullness and pleasure I knew was coming.
He pushed slowly inside.
The invasion that stretched me bordered on painful. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth, inhaling deeply to grapple with the sensation.
Kole paused. Bracing his weight on one arm, he reached up and tugged my lip free with his thumb. Lowering himself, he bit gently on my swollen flesh.
He pushed a little deeper while his teeth worried my lip. But he stopped after a moment and pulled back to gaze down at me.
“I’m only holding back so you get used to me,” he said, voice tight.
I breathed through the pressure, nodding to let him know I understood.
“And then, I’m going to fuck you hard and fast—it’s what we both need.”
I whimpered.
Kole pushed in more. “Halfway there, baby.”
Stars exploded in my peripheral. I remembered him being big, but he seemed massive. Our last encounter was frenzied and explosive. This time, I was able to take in every detail. The way Kole smelled. The small ways he moved. His taste—oh, heavens the taste of his skin on my tongue! I was in danger of becoming addicted to him. But was that such a bad thing? This was the man who’d rolled up his sleeves to help me, and then left me flowers because he remembered I liked them.
Those beautiful, early summer blooms that I loved so much.
I lifted my head, finding his lips.
It was my turn to devour him. He tasted like fire and sin. I couldn’t get enough.
Kole rumbled approvingly and sank the rest of the way into my channel. I huffed, my exhale filling the space between us. He continued to kiss me, worshiping my mouth with his. My body, stretched and full, adjusted to him.
“That’s it, you’re taking me so well,” he rasped against my mouth.
My whole body shuddered. This was earth-shattering. Cataclysmic. A once in a lifetime experience. I wasn’t inexperienced, but I might as well have been. I craved everything he offered, hooked and addicted to his energy.
Lifting his hips, Kole pulled back before thrusting forward. Pleasure spread in a low, coiling burn through my insides.
And then, he fucked me hard.
He just lost control, burying himself inside me. My body’s response was to tighten as the beautiful sensation built. Higher and higher, he took me to a new level of need. Clinging to him, I rose to the challenge. I met each stroke, taking the rhythm and making it my own.
“Kole,” I gasped. “Oh, holy cow, this feels so good!”
“Cow?” he growled, snapping his hips viciously against me.
I barked a noise that was part laugh, part scream. The blissful cliff was so close, it was impossible to form a comeback. My body raged for the release.
“That’s it, baby, right there. Give it to me, Harley,” he demanded, sucking a path across my jaw.
A piece of my very being shifted in my chest.
With a guttural, wild cry of abandonment, I exploded. Every muscle shuddered and shook. My thighs clenched around him, hanging on for dear life to the furious onslaught of his body.
“Your turn,” I choked. “Give it to me.”
Kole’s massive frame jerked forward. He sank deep and stopped with a hoarse groan.
“That’s it,” I hissed. “Just like that.”
There was a feeling of incredible power surging through me knowing that my body—and my words —sent this monstrous being over the edge.
We remained locked together, heartbeats racing right under where our skin connected. One thought broke through the cloudy haze of bliss in my mind. I was definitely addicted to this man. For better—but probably for worse—I was going to take every drop of him that I could.