Eleven
ELEVEN
Danté squeezes my hand and he pulls me to the back of the bar where pool tables and dart boards are stationed. He’s a nice guy and ridiculously good looking, but he’s also incredibly full of himself.
The entire way here, he talked about nothing but himself and his accomplishments. I admit, it’s very impressive. Going from foster care having never stayed in one place too long, to a millionaire before he was twenty-five is a hell of a rags to riches story. But it would’ve been nice to get a word in or even ask a question about something other than his money and the things it allows him to buy.
We step up to a board and Danté grabs the darts and holds out the blue ones for me.
“Red’s my lucky color,” he tells me with a wicked grin.
The black of his hair shines like an oil slick and matches his eyes…and his clothes…and his shoes…and basically everything about him including his personality.
He’s so opposite of Hendrix. While Hendrix looks dangerous tonight, like a bad choice on a school night, Danté looks like alcohol poisoning at a ditch party. Neither is a good idea, but at least one can lead to some fun whereas the other just lands you in the hospital.
“Mind if I watch?” Hendrix slowly saunters up to the high top table we stand at and rests his elbow on it.
My eyes drink him in like they do every time he’s near. Each time, I find something new to focus on. Right now, it’s the way the rings of blue fade from azure blue to a dusty gray.
“Maybe you should play,” I tell him and hold out my hand. “I’m not very good at darts. Pool, horseshoes, poker, I got those in the bag. But I’ve never been much of a dart thrower.”
“You mean little miss pioneer girl can’t throw a dart?” Hendrix asks as he pulls the darts from my grip.
Our hands touch only for a moment, but it sends a tremor of need through my body that I didn’t realize it was missing. The look in his eyes is suddenly hungry and I get the feeling that he wants to feast on me. My brain screams to stay back, but my body is already thinking of how quickly it can wiggle out of these jeans.
“Shooting a gun or arrow is not the same as throwing a teeny ass dart at a board and hoping it sticks. The target is usually a tad bit bigger.”
“Like what?” Danté asks. “You shooting animals?”
His tone is mocking and it unnerves me. Much like when Hendrix doubted my knowledge on classic cars.
“Sure do. I bagged a two hundred pound Scimitar Horned Oryx last fall on my family’s ranch. Bow and arrow. No guns on that beauty. I’ve got him mounted in the main cabin. Ever shoot a thirty-one inch arrow at a moving target sixty yards away?”
“Sixty yards? Is that all?” Dante’s arrogant tone irks me.
“Yes, considering the average distance a bow can pierce through the skin of an animal accurately and lethally is forty yards.”
Hendrix snorts and we both look at him as he covers his mouth. Fingers inked with knives and letters hide his full lips that are spread into a smile. Danté looks like he wants to punch him in his face and it amuses me that I was able to not only make Hendrix laugh, but let Danté know I’m not some little woman who can only bake and hold her tongue until she’s spoken to.
Fuck that shit. I’ll kill the cow and cook you steak when I’m done. I can do it all.
“Let’s play, D. What’s on the table?” Danté’s eyes turn from troubled black sea, to dark but calm waters. “Do we play for money or bikes?”
My shock must fall from my lips because they both turn to look at me.
Danté’s lips curl and he says, “Nah. I think we should play for something better. Winner gets a kiss…from Dagen.”
My heart skids to a stop and says excuse me. These two are betting with my chips and I’m not much of a fan.
“Um, shouldn’t I be the one offering that? And since I’m not playing, maybe you should bet with your own money. Or in this case, your own kisses.”
“C’mon sweetheart. It’s just for fun. A quick kiss on the lips for the winner. No tongue. Nothing more.” Danté’s brows move up and down and Hendrix keeps his eyes focused on the darts in his hand.
It’s a silly kiss, I know, but I’m worried that if Danté wins, he’ll want more than I’m willing to give. And if Hendrix wins, I’m worried I’ll want to give him more than he wants. My mind battles my will. My eyes move between the two and I chew on the inside of my cheek.
“What’s goin’ on over here?” Kinsley and Malik finally join us and it gives me a little more courage to have another woman by my side.
“Henny and I are going to throw darts, and we’re trying to get sweet Dagen to kiss the winner.”
“ You are trying to get Dagen to give the winner a kiss,” Hendrix corrects.
Kinsley looks at me with a sparkle in her eyes. “Aw shucks. A little kiss. You can do that Dagen. I’ll make sure these boys keep their hands to themselves.”
She winks at me then rolls her eyes in Hendrix’s direction like she’s trying to tell me something, but I haven’t known her long enough and I’m in the early stages of learning to speak Kinsley.
An arm is thrown over my shoulders and I see Malik’s tattooed hand. “You mongrels are scaring our new friend away. Back off,” he tells them.
I jokingly punch his stomach and tell him, “You’re just saying that because you want suite tickets to the Wranglers game.”
He beams with a wide mouth and bright teeth and shrugs. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
The four of them stand around, all looking at me and waiting for my answer. Danté looks devious, Malik is far too jovial, Kinsley looks playful, and Hendrix has what looks like a hint of hope in his eyes.
“Fine,” I finally concede. “A small, no tongue kiss for the winner.”
Danté, Malik and Kinsley all cheer in their own way, and Hendrix stays looking at me, emotionless. I don’t really know what to take from that, but I guess we’ll see.
The guys are in game four of five and each has one dart left to throw. Danté won the first game with Hendrix winning games two and three. Now Danté leads and I anticipate this going one more round.
We’ve been laughing and hollering with each point, and it’s drawn more attention. Now what was a game between five people is a spectator sport with at least ten others watching.
Danté steps up to the line and closes one eye, trying to focus on the bullseye. He aims and releases. The dart zips through the air and lands with a thunk on the triple ring in the ten spot.
“That’s thirty, chump. I don’t think you’ll beat that. Dagen, sweetheart, I think you better get your chapstick ready.” Danté picks up a shot glass that was placed on the table and throws it back.
I definitely won’t be riding in the car with him driving.
Hendrix’s fingers swipe the corners of his mouth as he stares at the board. He rolls his last dart in his hand and moves silently to the exact spot where Danté just stood. His head dips and he looks at his feet, one angled behind the other, then brings his eyes and his hand to face the board.
He blinks a couple of times then inhales deeply. A large gush of air expels from his mouth and he throws the small dart. I watch as it spirals its way to the board and sticks perfectly in the bullseye.
People around us shout and Kinsley jumps up, giving Hendrix a high five.
“That’s fifty, D. Looks like I beat you.” He walks over to where I sit at the table and comes to a stop. “Time for me to collect my prize.”
He places his hands on my thighs and instantly I’m wet. Swallowing down what feels like a boulder coated in sand, I nod my head and lick my lips. Carefully and somewhat guarded, I lean in, my eyes wide with the nerves that wrack my body. Gradually I move closer and closer until I feel his warm breath mingle with mine.
“Don’t be afraid, little mouse. I won’t bite,” Hendrix whispers for only me to hear.
With every bit of courage, I press my lips to his and immediately know it was a bad idea.
His lips are soft and pillowy and I would love to open my mouth and taste his tongue. Without my permission, a moan works its way out causing Hendrix to lick my lip, breaking the rule of a small kiss only set by me, nonetheless.
Fuck the rules.
I part my lips and invite him in. He wastes no time and quickly wraps his tongue with mine. I feel his hand come to rest on the back of my head and hold me tight to him. I spread my legs allowing him to stand between them, then hang my hands on his shoulders.
We’re so lost in the kiss that I forget that we are not only in a public place, but that others are probably standing around watching us. I quickly pull back and gasp, my chest heaving and eyes wide. Hendrix’s chest does the same but instead of shock from what just happened, a sexy smirk is splayed across his handsome face.
I look around and see Danté stomping off towards the bar with Malik on his heels and Kinsley watching with a shit grin and flushed cheeks. We make eye contact and she quickly spins on her heels and speeds off to the bar with the others.
Clearing my throat I turn to Hendrix. “I’m sorry. I guess I got carried away. Excuse me.” I try to push my way off the chair but he stops me.
“I’m not sorry. Not one bit, little mouse.” The noise in the bar is suddenly drown out by the pounding in my chest. “Do you want to go back to my place?”
“Well I am staying there, so yeah.” I use my sarcasm to help lighten the tense mood.
He shakes his head slowly. “Not to the room you’re staying in. To my room.”
Oh boy . Here’s where the tough part comes into play. I’m not a virgin, but I have little experience. I’m afraid that Hendrix would do things to me that I’ve only ever heard Aunt Viv talk about…unfortunately. Lord, I wish I could bleach my brain because I will never be able to unhear the atrocities she spoke of.
“What about Malik and Kinsley? You drove them here. And Danté is far too drunk to drive. I think it would be irresponsible of us to leave them to their own devices.”
“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about them.”
My brain tries to find other means in which to delay. “I thought you hated me.”
“No, little mouse. I don’t hate you. It was a front to keep me from devouring you like the way I’ve wanted to since you hopped out of Kinsley’s old blue truck. Now, are you going to walk out of here with me, or do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out?”
Now I’m hot under the collar because how dare he act like I’m just going to run into his bed and throw myself down for him to have his way with me.
“What makes you think I even want to go home with you? You’ve been nothing but an ass to me and now you want me to just roll over… literally .”
He stands tall causing me to crane my neck to look up at him. His blues turn dark with a hint of danger that seems to be permanent in Danté’s.
“Oh, little mouse. I can smell how much you want me. And if that kiss was any further indication, I’d say you’re about ready to lay across that pool table for me.”
My jaw drops at his audacity. So what if he’s right. I’m not about to let him know that. Instead of arguing with me, he takes my face in his hands and lays another kiss on me. I fall pliant in his hands.
Damn these hormones and his stupid, gorgeous face.
He releases me with a pop and asks, “Are you ready?”
His gravelly voice sends a tingle through my body and I’m completely helpless. I nod and he helps me off the tall chair and grabs my hand.
We work our way from the back of the bar to the front and run into Danté, Malik and Kinsley.
“We’re leaving,” Hendrix tells them.
“Alrighty then. Let me just finish thi–”
“No. You misunderstood me,” he interrupts Kinsely. “Dagen and I are leaving. I’ll ask Lainey to get one of the guys to take you back to my place.”
Kinsley mouths “oh” and it’s the last I see of her face before I’m tugged straight out of the bar and right into his car.
“Hold on tight, little mouse. You’re in for one helluva ride,” Hendrix says once we’re both inside and buckled.
I’m afraid to ask if he’s talking about his car or…
Himself.