Blade (RBMC: Dallas, TX #4)

Chapter Six

“GoneSovereign”—StoneSour

“H i, Blade,” I heard from behind me. My movements froze with my glass halfway to my mouth The slightly husky and wicked as sin voice was unmistakable and I knew immediately who had approached. As if the way my stomach rippled and my heart sped up as she neared my seat at the bar wasn’t enough of a warning.

Fuck . I’d managed to avoid her for the last few days. Looked like my luck had run out.

Steeling myself to remain calm and appear unaffected, I slowly spun the stool to face her. It took a lot to remain impassive as I fought the way my eyes wanted to sweep over her from head to toe.

“Eliska.”

“That’s it? All I get from you is my name. Not even a hello, how you doing, long time no see?”

In my peripheral, I watched the prospect that had been manning the bar slowly make his way from behind the counter and go over to the seating area. He turned the TV on and raised the volume in a blatant attempt to give me privacy. Or maybe it was for her.

“Why did you come here?” I demanded, intentionally not answering her question.

Because in reality, I wanted to touch her.

Pull her close.

Breathe her in.

Taste her.

And do so much more.

Fuck, fuck, fuck .

The instant flash of hurt that I saw in her stormy gaze did something to me that I had to quickly lock down. I hadn’t experienced that feeling in a long fucking time. It felt a little like remorse and that would never do.

“I had the choice to come here or go to Roanoke. I figured at least here, there would be familiar faces. Obviously not friendly ones,” she replied in a clipped tone. Then she spun on her heel and instinct kicked in.

I grabbed her by her arm to stop her. She looked over her shoulder, but didn’t say a word. She simply stared into my soul with those smoky-blue eyes of hers.

“I’m sorry.” Goddamnit. What was that? I tried again, “You didn’t deserve to have me snap at you like that.” That was better—put it back on what she deserves, not my feelings .

“I don’t want your pity, Blade. I just wanted a friend.”

“I’m not your friend and trying to be your friend would be a disaster,” I muttered, running my free hand over my short beard.

“Why?”

Jesus, couldn’t she leave it alone? “Maybe because I couldn’t possibly be just your friend and that’s not something I think you could handle.”

Boldly, she stepped closer until the tips of her tits nearly brushed my chest. She leaned in and her warm breath feathered over me as she spoke. “Try me.”

Now she’d gone and done it.

I was on my feet in a flash, her arm gripped in mine and dragging her across the clubhouse. She hurried to keep up.

“Blade, what are you doing?” There was a tiny hint of fear in her question.

Good. She needed to be afraid of me. I wasn’t the one for her. No matter how badly I’d wanted to steal her away and keep her from the moment I saw her over three years ago.

I didn’t answer her as we exited the building and stepped out into the blinding sun. I didn’t answer her as we crossed the lot and caught the gravel pathway that led to the small houses that now made a half circle. I didn’t answer her as I tromped up the stairs and onto the small porch. Nor did I answer her as I opened the unlocked door and drew her into the cool, dim interior.

“Where are we?” she asked in a breathless rush. As if she didn’t know I lived in one of these cabins. Maybe she was trying to make small talk. Honestly, it didn’t matter.

With determination, I closed the door behind her. Then, I stepped toward her until her back was to the wall and my chest was touching hers. My dick instantly thickened in my jeans, and I realized the terrible position I’d put myself in, trying to prove a point. Yet I couldn’t make myself stop. I’d dreamed of having her this close to me for what felt like forever.

“This is all I want from you,” I murmured against her jaw as I ran my lips along her soft skin. When I reached her ear, I not so gently bit the soft lobe, then moved on to the graceful column of her neck. As the sound of her soft breaths seemed to fill the room, I l skimmed my teeth down the side.

I was suddenly aware that my hands had gripped her hips. Every little thing about her surrounded me—her scent, the way her tits brushed against me with each inhale, the way her skin was like satin under my tongue. She was intoxicating. Addicting.

With purpose, I took one hand and trailed it up her breastbone until I wrapped it around her throat. Her pulse thrummed beneath my thumb and fingers. In my mind, I could see the rich red liquid as it coursed through her veins. I pictured taking my knife and nicking her peaches and cream skin until a small trickle of it slowly rolled out. I imagined what it would taste like if I licked it off.

A moan escaped me and at the same time she mirrored the sound.

That sweet sound was almost my undoing. I squeezed her neck and I reached up and grabbed a handful of her golden hair and jerked. Her head was pulled back and I could feel her try to swallow. Dark, blown pupils seemed to flood out the gray-blue of her eyes.

“All I want to do is fuck you. Hard. Fast. Rough. Don’t fool yourself into thinking I have a heart that is capable of feelings. I’ll use your body and you’ll love every second of it, but that’s all I can promise you. So, if you came down here with some kind of fantasy of us with hearts in your eyes, you’re delusional.” By the end of what I had to say, my teeth were clenched—as if subconsciously I was trying to stop the words that were flowing from my mouth.

Her lower lip trembled as her eyes grew shiny. She blinked and a single tear broke free and rolled down her cheek.

As self-loathing roiled through me, I stepped away and dropped my hands from her as if she’d burned me. I moved further back and lifted my chin. “Get out, Eliska. You’re too damaged to deal with my darkness.”

She gasped, then a shuddering breath filled her lungs, and she fumbled behind her for the doorknob. Finally, she was able to open it. I turned my back to her because I couldn’t stand to watch her leave. It didn’t matter that I’d made the best choice. My fingers curled up and my nails dug deep into my palms as I fisted them to stop myself from spinning and slamming the door to keep her from walking out the door.

She remained in the doorway. My ears picked up every little sound and I knew she was waiting—hoping I would change my mind. What she didn’t understand was that this was what needed to happen.

Maybe I’d been a little too harsh, but I’d never been good with kid gloves. I was no good for her. Too much of the world’s vile cesspool had already touched her. She didn’t need me adding to it.

I knew damn well that if I didn’t make her hate me enough to want to go somewhere else to hide, I was going to want to keep her.

Make her mine.

Possess her.

Devour her.

Though every fiber in me was screaming to stop her, I stood fast. When I still didn’t stop her, she walked out, closing the door behind her.

My eyes burned as I squeezed them tightly closed.

In that moment I hated myself more than I ever had.