Chapter 7
Hound Dog
S he was a little spitfire when she wanted to be. She looked at me like she’d never had someone give her a choice or give her an ounce of respect, let alone care for her. Whatever had happened in her life that forced her to turn into fight mode crushed me.
At that moment, I knew I was in trouble. She could have me wrapped around her like a clingy new puppy.
She nodded, agreeing to let me see her body.
“How about this, what if you just lift it up around your bra line and if I need to see more, you do what you feel comfortable with,” I offered. As much as I was a twisted bastard and hardass, I could be a gentleman to those that deserve it. “Can you move that much?”
She nodded, resorting back to her quiet self.
“When you’re ready, Melody.” I waited.
She slowly leaned forward and inched her sweaty wet shirt up her body. She winced at every movement. Her soft looking skin tempted me to reach out and just touch for my own pleasure. She revealed luscious curves that outlined the already beautiful woman I saw before me.
Little red splotches colored her light pink skin. The imprints of the kicks left behind. If I could take them back, I would have. Imprints that overpowered the delicate ink that spreads across her skin. It was music measures that twisted along the side, it was gorgeous like her. A stark contrast to the ink that plagued my skin.
My mind wanted to read it, to play it, to hear whatever it was. What a little walking temptation she was.
“Stay where you are,” I told her, getting to my feet and walking behind the couch to get a better view of her back.
My fingers softly touched her skin, and goosebumps met my fingertips. Her back was sprouting the same red splotches. None of them were darker telling me so far we were in the clear. I pulled out my phone, silently taking a few photos, sending them to Otis, B.B, Twitty, and Shooter.
My fingers returned to graze her skin, traveling toward the bottom of her neck. I didn’t think she knew but I heard a small whimper, a pleasurable kind. Every little sound and movement she made tugged on my heart strings, when it shouldn’t.
“What’s your pain level?” I asked. I didn’t see any bleeding or signs of extensive internal bleeding, she just needed to get cleaned up and rest.
“Like everytime I move, I’ll break.” she admitted, quietly. “But, I can handle it.”
“I’m here to fix that.” I smiled. “Do you think you can eat? I definitely need you to drink something.”
I pulled her shirt back down, resisting the urge to cradle her into my arms for the rest of the night.
Fuck, what was she turning me into?
“I’m not very hungry,” she protested, her voice was a little shaky. I called bullshit on her statement.
“You need to have something in your stomach for the pain meds I’m about to give you.” I started to raise my voice, but stopped.
Her eyes widened, her body shrunk, then she laughed. “What are you a doctor or something?”
“No, but one of my men was. I trust him.” I also trusted the ample supply of pain medications that Shooter stocked piled everyone. Only in emergencies, he said. And right now was an emergency.
I walked into the kitchen. I didn’t have much in this house. This was just a house, not a home. I was at the clubhouse mainly, sticking close when times called. There wasn’t much use for me to come here. I bought it on a whim, a dream for one day. A day that faded away from my mind.
“The guest bedroom is down the hall, and there’s a bathroom in there. I laid out some clothes if you would like to change. Feel free to use the shower, I recommend it, it will help soothe the pain.” I turned my back away from the open living room.
“Recommending or commanding?” Melody sighed, “Look, you've done enough for me, I need to go.”
Go ahead little songbird, fight back.
“Melody, I would suggest you listen before I really take matters into my own hands,” I quipped back. She still didn’t have a choice, I’d get her to eat somehow.
“Be careful, Hound Dog, someone might take back the gentleman title.”
“Honey, you couldn’t handle my bite. Now, be a good girl and trust me.” I turned to look at her, and her watchful eyes dared me.
It took so much strength not to rush to her side and do whatever I needed to, whether that was strip her bare and toss her ass in the shower and into my clothes or force feed her while she was in my lap.
Lucky for her, she did what she was told as she scurried out of the living room, and I welcomed the sound of the shower turning on. She wasn’t going anywhere, she was going to rest her pretty little head here. And in the morning, she would leave and my world would return to normal.
Moments later, she returned, walking slowly back to the couch. She was a beautiful curvy woman, but even in my shirt, she looked tiny. And the shorts gave her plump behind little to no shape, though the temptation to palm it was strong. The sight of her became intoxicating, for a brief moment I knew I wasn’t going to wish her out of those clothes.
“Eat and come take these meds,” I called her.
She switched directions, making her way into my kitchen. She sat at the little two-person table I had. I handed over the grilled cheese, apples, and the water. She pinned her stare to the food and then back at me.
“I didn’t poison it.” I chuckled.
“That’s what they all say.” She raised an eyebrow.
I grabbed the other chair, flipping it around, grabbed the sandwich and bit the corner of it. She watched my every movement. She looked at me intensely, then wet her bottom lip. The warm sandwich melted in my mouth. I made a damn good sandwich.
As I finished chewing, I turned the sandwich back to her, holding it close to her mouth. She didn’t grab it. She wanted to push a little bit, fight me a little. “Open.”
One word. That’s all it took for her to soften up, and open that pretty little mouth. She leaned forward, taking the sandwich in her mouth. “Eat,” I told her.
With wide, soft eyes, she bit down and stayed there. Melody was waiting on something, something from me. She started to chew on the bite of the sandwich. Those beautiful eyes were pleading.
“Good girl.”
She liked to be praised, the curve of her mouth told me so. I offered the sandwich again and she took another bite. Melody finally took the sandwich out of my hands. The woman couldn’t tell me that she wasn’t hungry, she scarfed it down like it was her last meal. I passed the two oxys her way. Hopefully she didn’t have an allergic reaction.
“You allergic to anything?”
She shook her head.
She quickly grabbed the medication and the water and took it. A sigh of relief escaped me.
I would feel better in the morning knowing how she was going to get past all this and move on with her life.
She finished her plate. She curled up in the chair, looking around. I could see the gears twisting in her mind.
“I hope this is your place,” she said.
“Well, if you wanted to come to my place, you didn’t have to get yourself in all that trouble.” I laughed. I was somewhat joking with her. She didn’t laugh. “I’m kidding. I’m sorry that was horrible. Yes, this is my house. You’re safe here.”
She sucked in her bottom lip, she had this switch between fight or flight, I was sure she was giving herself whiplash.
“I wasn’t going to take you to the clubhouse.”
“Why not?” she quipped back.
“Because right now, you’re mine to take care of, and having you enter the outlaw’s compound, I’d have blood on the floor.”
She jolted back, but then relaxed at the mention of mine . I had to be careful. I didn’t know what kind of damage was going to be done.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Melody didn’t need to express her gratitude. But it was appreciated.
“You need to rest,” I quickly said. Her presence was doing something I hadn’t done in years. I smiled.
She simply nodded, pushing the chair back. She stood up and walked away. But not before she bent down to kiss my cheek.
The tender sentiment threw me off. I brushed aside whatever feeling this was and shoved it down to the bottom of my core.
“Good night, Hound,” she whispered as she went back to the guest bedroom. I hoped she would rest and dream of sunshine and of tomorrow.
My hands flexed, shaking the thought of one day she could be mine. I shouldn’t want her, but I did.
I couldn’t help but watch her later, chalking it up to checking to make sure she didn’t have a concussion or trouble breathing. Her little moans of content had me in knots. A few times she whimpered after she tossed and turned. I ached to be closer, to hold her. It was the protective instinct that all I wanted was for her to be okay. Hoping maybe she was dreaming of me.
This quick infatuation was not me. I took, I claimed, but not her. She deserved a happier ending than a deep dark path.
This is a new level of stalking, watching her sleep.
And yet, it filled me with peace.
Sleep begged me for peace as well. I carried my ass to my bed and stripped off everything. I was damn tired. Now that I had Melody resting in the other room, I could at least shut my eyes for a bit.
It felt like a blink, as a sudden creak down the hallway. Barely any morning sun shined through the windows, but enough to welcome the new day.
Little birdie is already trying to leave. I think not.
I sprang from the bed, half dressed, with sleep still in my eyes. I dared her to try to fight me, I’d entertain the idea. I leaned on the doorway, waiting for her reaction.
Melody had exchanged her sleep wear with her clothes from last night. She tiptoed out of her door, hunching over to quietly close it. She winced at every sound that came through the door. When she started to straighten up, her shoulders relaxed, thinking that she was going to get by with it.
She turned to her left, and froze in place. Like a teenager getting caught for sneaking out. I hid a tiny smile. She went speechless, but tried to find the words.
“Good morning, little songbird,” I rumbled out.
Her eyes scanned my body, her chest heaved with surprise. Her mouth let out a troubled sigh, shaping it in an “o”. She was speechless for more than one reason. She had me flattered. “You see something you like?” I said, teasing her. My voice was still rough from the morning.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she squeaked out.
I walked over to her, inching closer to her, her face forced to look up at me. Her auburn hair was twisted into a messy bun. She gulped.
“Trying to fly away already? Before we could even talk.” I pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Any closer and my lips would have been on hers, I wouldn’t have complained.
She thought for a moment before saying, “Like ripping a band-aid, I thought this was easier.”
I just shook my head, I wasn’t completely ready to let her go. “What kind of southern man and host would I be if I didn't feed you before you scurry off?”
“Thought you said I couldn’t handle your bite?” She folded her arms.
I leaned down, “Sometimes I’m wrong. Come on.” I took her hand from her folded arms.
“Where are we going?” she questioned me.
“To the kitchen. I need to have coffee before I say what I want to say.”