Hoss’s Limits (House of Lustz #2)

Cady Chapter 4

I was bored. There was no other term for it. It was Saturday night, and I was sitting at home, staring at the television. I tried to watch a movie. Nope. Next, I tried to read a book in my Tbr, to-be-read, list. It was huge. I kept adding to it but not reading them fast enough. After an hour of trying to get into the book and failing, I gave up. I glanced at the clock. It was only ten o’clock at night. I knew one place I could go despite the late hour. Well, there were two, but I wasn’t in the mood to hang out at the clinic tonight.

With her writing career, Tajah had kept weird hours for the past couple of years. You never knew when she was awake or asleep. A lot of the time, she worked in the middle of the night. Since she met Mikhail, it had gotten worse. While he did work during the day, he often oversaw his club at night—just not as late as he used to. I knew they’d still be awake. Deciding to see if I could hang with them, I texted.

Me: I’m bored. Can I come to hang out with you guys? Or are you and Mikhail in the middle of kinky time? ;)

I waited a smidge impatiently for her to respond. If she didn’t within ten minutes, I knew to stay clear. Four minutes later, she did.

Taj: We’d love to see you. Kinky time was earlier, so I can last until after you leave, LOL. Come on over to the dark side.

Tajah kept telling me I needed to spend time at Lustz and explore. A part of me was curious, but I wasn’t sure if I could handle what it might reveal, so I stayed away. I teased her that I wasn’t kinky like her as my excuse, which she knew was a damn lie. I’d always been more into trying new things than her until Mikhail entered the picture.

Me: Brag much? I hope your crotch is sore, you rip. I’m coming. Poor Mikhail needs a break from your nymphomaniac ass.

Taj: Jealous much? Look who is calling someone a rip, ho. SYS, LYL.

Me: LYL x2

With her approval, I grabbed my purse, jacket, and car keys and left the house. The temperature had cooled off. It was late October, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. I shivered even though I had on my jacket. My car windows were fogged up when I got in. As I started it, I prayed it would warm up fast. I wished I had a garage to keep my car out of the weather. It froze in the winter and roasted in the summer. Unfortunately, that was the norm when you lived in an apartment like I did.

I would love a bigger place with a yard and a garage, but with the clinic, I couldn’t afford it. One day, I’d be able to, I kept telling myself. And when I did, I’d have animals. There would be no landlord who said no pets are allowed. A policy like that for a veterinarian was like a knife in my heart. But beggars can’t be choosers. Carver said I could live with him. His complex allowed them, but there was no way I would live with my brother. I loved him, but we barely survived growing up together in the same house. It was better to love him from afar. However, I did have home envy. His lawyer’s salary paid well, and he didn’t have the overhead costs I did from running the clinic.

At this time of night, the drive was quick and painless. Pulling into the parking lot of Lustz, which was filled, I was about to head for the private parking garage. That’s where Mikhail, Tajah, their guests, and some key people parked. I would’ve done it, except I happened to glance toward the club’s front door. I wasn’t able to stop myself. It was Saturday night. I knew who would be on duty.

As I scanned for him, I was shocked to see not only Hoss but also Tajah and Mikhail standing out in front. However, what totally stunned me before morphing into pissed off was the fourth person standing there. Even in the dim light, I recognized his face. It was Flint. What the hell was he doing at the House of Lustz? And why was Tajah talking to him?

I stopped my car right where I was, which blocked in two other vehicles, but I didn’t give a damn. I’d move it once I took care of the trash. Hopping out of it, I stormed toward the door and the quartet. They didn’t see me until I was almost upon them.

Hoss’s gaze met mine. I knew he was surprised to see me, but he hid it well. There was barely a flicker of his eyes. Flint was half-turned away from me. Mikhail was standing between him and Tajah, who was peeking around him. She wasn’t happy.

“Would someone like to tell me what in the fuck is going on here? Why are you outside with this weasel?” I loudly demanded as I got closer.

Taj’s gaze snapped up to meet mine. Mikhail gave me an amused look. Hoss was partially scowling, but I got the feeling he wasn’t upset with me. Flint whipped around to face me. The sight of him made me want to scream. What the fuck was he doing in town and here, of all places?

“There you are, babe. I’ve been trying to get inside this place to see you, but they said you weren’t here. It sure looks like they lied. I’ve missed you.” Flint smiled as he approached me.

He didn’t make it more than a foot before Hoss placed his hulking self between us. While I appreciated he did it, I didn’t need him or anyone else protecting me. I was a big girl. I could do it myself. I moved up until I was beside Hoss, and I could see the others again. I would’ve moved past Hoss, but his arm snaked out and hooked my hip. He pulled me so that I was brought flush against his side.

“Go with it,” he whispered super softly out of the side of his mouth. Flint was distracted by Tajah pushing past him to stand by me on the other side. He didn’t hear Hoss. I was lost. Go with what? Well, I found out moments later.

“No one lied. She just arrived. Cady is coming to see her man. She likes to do that sometimes, don’t you, Cady Cat,” Hoss said as he smiled down at me and squeezed.

The utter look of besottedness he was portraying momentarily left me thunderstruck and silent. I would’ve fallen at his feet if I didn’t know it was an act for Flint’s benefit. Damn, Hoss was good. He should’ve been an actor. Hoss almost had me convinced. They must’ve made up some lie to tell Flint. That was what Hoss meant by “go with it.” Not wanting to ruin it, in case this whopper of a tale worked on the moron, I smiled back and tried to make my expression appear as adoring as Hoss’s.

“I sure do, Sugar Bear. You know I can’t stand to be away from you for too long. I get so lonely when you’re gone.” I didn’t make my voice overly saccharine sweet, but I positively sounded way sweeter than I ever had with Flint the Loser. God, the day he left was still a great day for me. Why he didn’t stay gone, I had no clue. Why come around after this long?

“You can’t be with him!” Flint thundered.

“And why not?” I asked.

“Because we’re together, Cady.” He said it like he believed it and was incredulous I didn’t.

“Flint, I have no clue what you’ve been smoking, shooting, or snorting, but whatever it is, stop. It’s eating away your brain, and you don’t have much to spare. You need enough to be able to breathe and keep your heart going at the same time. You kill a couple more cells, and that’s not possible. Since you forgot, let me remind you. There is no us. There hasn’t been for a long time,” I snarked.

We watched as he went from confused to upset. “Don’t give me that mouthy shit of yours. I’m not in the mood for it. As for us, we took a break like you asked for. It’s been long enough. It’s time to get back to what we were. Let’s get out of here and head to your place where we can talk and be alone.”

He reached his hand toward me. Before it even got halfway, Hoss had it trapped in his massive mitt of a hand. His giant paw engulfed Flint’s and made his look like a toddler’s. God, everything about the man was enormous, but it didn’t make me fear him. I found him fascinating, which was something I had to battle.

“You don’t touch her. Ever. I believe the lady has spoken, and she said there’s no you and her. I understand losing someone as wonderful as Cady is hard, but you did. And I was the guy gifted with her heart. She’s mine. Like I told you right before she came, I protect and keep what’s mine. Now, I believe it’s time for you to leave. Oh, and Reid, stay away from her. This is your only warning.” The way Hoss glared at him, there was no way to miss the threat. It made me shiver, and he wasn’t directing his basilisk stare my way.

I observed Flint drop his hand, step back, and then move away. As he did, he met my glare. “Cady, we need to talk. Call me. The phone number is the same.”

Hoss growled and took a step toward him. Not wanting Hoss to end up in jail if he harmed the little shit, I grabbed his arm and clung to it for dear life. He barely slowed down. I was moving along with him. It was like I was a gnat on his sleeve. Flint took off running for his car. Finally, my pleading made Hoss halt. He squinted down at me. His anger eased, and a peek of humor broke through.

“Tiny, are you trying to stop me from killing that little irksome bug? Let me squish him under my shoe, and then we won’t be bothered anymore.”

I had to fight not to laugh at his description of my ex. “Hoss, if you touch him, he’ll go to the cops. If you squish him, someone will find out and go to the cops. See the theme here? Maim and kill equals cops. Cops equal a locked-up Hoss. Hoss in a cage is bad,” I said, being a smartass. I knew he wasn’t dumb, but I bet many people thought he was, based on his size, so I played into it again .

“Oh, I get it, but I’m smarter than to get caught, Tiny. Unlike your ex, I have more than two brain cells. You sure upgraded when you got rid of him and got me,” he smirked as he finished.

“Upgraded my ass. I now have three times as much male aggravation to deal with. It’s a good thing I’m now a lesbian.”

“Cady Cat, I can understand how Reid could drive a woman to change teams, but I can promise you, I can bring you solidly to at least a bisexual team. One time in my bed, and you’ll never want to leave,” Hoss assured me as he slowly ran his eyes up my body. I swore there was heat there.

Images of the things I wanted him to do to me in his bed had me hot all over. I felt tingles in my pussy and streaks of fire around my nipples. Christ, I had to escape before I did something beyond stupid. Like throwing myself in his arms and begging him to fuck me ten ways to Sunday. I wanted to know if that bulge in his pants the last time we saw each other was augmented or all him. I was pretty sure it was him. And if it was, God help me. I’d want to lick it like a lollipop or maybe an ice cream cone. Cady, stop! You’re drooling, and there are witnesses!

It was challenging to pull my attention away from Hoss and focus on Tajah and Mikhail, who wore deeply amused looks. I thought I should get at least a medal or a gold star when I did. Kindergarten was so much more straightforward than being an adult.

“Would you care to tell me what I just walked in on?” I asked Taj. It was purely a diversion tool to give me time to sort my thoughts.

“Let’s go upstairs where it’s warm. I’m cold. Misha, can someone come out and relieve Hoss? He should be there. It involves him more than us,” she asked her man sweetly.

“Yeah, let’s get you inside. Give me a second to call Reuben. He’ll either do it himself or send one of the other security guys out.”

“There’s no need to pull Hoss away from his work or anyone else. You can fill me in, Tajah,” I protested.

It did no good. Mikhail was on his phone within seconds, and I heard him say Reuben’s name. I wondered if we could go inside before Reuben or someone else arrived. Maybe I’d get all the info from my best friend before Hoss was relieved and could join us. Then I’d make my escape. Coming here was a mistake. I knew Hoss worked tonight. What was I thinking?

Taj was telling me to let Mikhail handle it. I got so caught up in arguing with her that I was startled that only a minute passed after he hung up before the door opened, and out came Reuben and another guy. Frantic for an excuse to escape, I found one. “Wait, I’m blocking two cars. Let me go move my car.”

I tried to turn to the parking lot, but Hoss held me hooked to his side. He shook his head. “Give me your keys,” he ordered.

“I’m not giving you my keys!”

“I’m not trying to steal your wheels, Cady. Reub will put it in the private garage. I promise he won’t put a scratch on it,” Hoss swore.

“I can do it,” I argued. I hoped he wouldn’t hear the desperation in my voice.

“No, because I can see you tearing out of here and going home. I’m not stupid. Hand them over.”

“Make me,” I challenged .

It just came out, but the way heat flared in Hoss’s eyes, I knew I’d done something wrong. I waited to see if he’d storm off or yell at me. He did neither. Instead, he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“I can make you. Don’t forget who’s in charge, Tiny. Do you need your Sugar Bear to spank you or pet you?”

I was left speechless. A part of me wanted to smart off again, but another wanted to curl up and let him do either or both things. The warmth inside of me was rising and spreading. I had to get away from him. He was lethal. When I didn’t say anything, Hoss smirked and dropped a kiss on the tip of my nose, chuckled, and said, “That’s what I thought. Give me the keys, Cady Cat.”

The next thing I knew, like a mindless zombie, I reached into my jacket pocket, took out my keys, and gave them to Hoss. He handed them off to Reuben, who I saw was grinning. I gave him the middle finger, but it only made the asshole laugh. Men. As soon as Reuben had my keys, we were on the move. Hoss guided me along. I tried to move away from him, but he held me clamped to his side. It wasn’t until we got to the elevator that I was able to speak again.

“Can’t find someone who’ll let you paw them, so you think you can do it to me? Let go,” I ordered, even though it was the last thing I wanted.

The infuriating man just raised an eyebrow and then turned to say something to Mikhail. I clenched my fist and jabbed him in the ribs with it. The bastard didn’t even flinch or look back at me. I did it again, and he absentmindedly reached over with the hand not holding me to him and patted me on the top of the head! What the fuck was I? A two-year-old or a dog?

My anger pushed aside my arousal, and I reacted without thinking. I lifted my hand and zeroed in on his nipple under his shirt. I had no idea how I found it so unerringly, but I did. I pinched down and then twisted. I heard Tajah gasp. Mikhail stopped talking. As for Hoss, he drew in a sharp breath. At the same time, the elevator door opened to the third floor.

“You go ahead. We’ll be there in a minute,” Hoss said calmly.

I saw Tajah’s uneasy look as they got out. The door slid shut, and then Hoss pushed a button. The elevator stayed in place, but the door remained closed. I was trapped, and I had no idea what he’d do to me. I braced myself. I’d been slapped around by men before. I survived those times. I’d survive this one.

He swung me so my back was to the wall, and he towered over me. His arms trapped me in place. “Acting like a brat and having a tantrum isn’t pretty, Cady. If you want my attention, all you have to do is ask. There’s no need to misbehave. Good girls get good things. Bad girls get punished. I think you need to learn that.”

I was scared, but I’d never let him see it. I thrust out my chin. “I don’t throw tantrums. Maybe if you listened to me or picked up on cues, I wouldn’t have resorted to twisting your nipple. But go ahead, do it,” I challenged.

“Do what exactly?”

“You said I needed to be punished. Do it. Get it over with. Hit me. Throw me around by my hair. Slap me,” I egged him on. I had no idea why, but my mouth was out of control. It often was when I was faced with a situation like this. The wise thing to do would be to stay quiet, but it was impossible.

His breath hissed out of him, and then he lowered his head until he stared intently into my eyes. I saw anger in his. I braced myself. If I survived whatever he dished out, I’d make sure never to be where he could touch me again. I had to have lost my mind to do this to a man like him. He could kill me with one blow from his fist if he put his power behind it. My knees were weak, and my mouth was dry. I locked my legs to keep them from shaking visibly.

“Who the fuck has done those things to you? I want names,” he snarled.

I gulped. I tried to look away, but he grasped my chin to hold my head there. His touch was gentle, totally at odds with the fury on his face. I didn’t say anything.

“Cadence, I asked you a question. I expect an answer. Who has done those things to you? And why?”

“You know why. I just did it. I’m mouthy. I smart off, and I push too much. Guys get tired of that. And when I don’t behave, they get upset. I’m too much for them to tolerate. As for whom, I’d rather not say.” My voice was too wispy for my liking. Where was the smart-mouthed ballsy bitch who stood up no matter what? Even if she knew it would end up with her getting beaten or worse.

He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before he opened them again. “I want you to listen to me very carefully. No one has the right to abuse you, Cady. Some punishments and funishments are corrective but mutually acceptable. If they’re not, then they should never occur. Slapping you, throwing you by your hair, or hitting you is a hard fucking no. I would never do that to you. Would I find ways to tame down some of your tendencies to be bratty sometimes? Absolutely, but you’d never be afraid or harmed. Those guys who’ve told you that you’re too much, you should’ve told them if you’re too much to go find less. They weren’t the men for you. They don’t know how to handle you, Tiny.”

His voice was soft and soothing. I felt entranced by it. I found myself whispering back to him. I no longer feared he was about to get physical with me in an ugly or painful way. “And how should they have handled me?”

“Give you the sweet with the corrective. My Tiny Brat needs to be petted, celebrated, and given rules. To know she’s safe.”

I snorted. “Yeah, like a man could stand to stick around and put up with my moods and temper long-term. No man wants or needs that.”

“Your brattiness doesn’t turn me off. It doesn’t scare me. It doesn’t intimidate me. And it sure as fuck doesn’t make me want to run,” he countered instantly.

“Then what does it do?”

“It makes me want to get scratched by you, Cady Cat, but only long enough for me to make you purr and let me play with you. Oh, and this.”

And bam, as those last words registered, he sealed his mouth to mine, and I knew what people meant when they said the earth stood still for the first time in my life. His lips were pressed firmly to mine, but not too hard. My lips weren’t painfully ground against my teeth. He kissed me, altering the pressure a couple of times before his tongue joined the party. He didn’t try to force it between my lips like most guys did. He teased my lips, tickling them with the tip. I willingly opened my mouth so I could feel him do the same thing inside. Plus, my tongue wanted to play. When mine touched his, he groaned softly and pressed his mouth a tiny bit harder to mine. A small battle, a wrestling contest, broke out. It was a tongue wrestling match. Our tongues twined together and tasted the other’s dark, moist home. It was hands down the sexiest kiss I’d ever had. Period. It was the best kiss of my life.

I didn’t know what to do. I was drowning, and I didn’t want to save myself. There was no way he was real. Men didn’t put up with women like me. I’d found that out more than once or twice. Men didn’t stick around for me. I tried to change, but I couldn’t. This thought had me pulling away from him, though I hated ending our kiss. I stared up at him.

“Hoss, we’re not doing this. Whatever game you’re playing, I’m not. Don’t kiss me again,” I warned him.

He slowly straightened. Poor man, his back had to be broken from bending that low. His expression was dead serious when he answered. “Cady, I’m not playing a fucking game. I see I have a lot of work to do to undo the damage your previous lovers have done. Believe me when I say I can do it, and I will. I’ll let you think about that, and we’ll discuss it again soon. However, now, we need to rejoin our friends and get you up to speed on what that jackass was doing here. I need details.”

He leaned over and pushed the button without waiting for me to respond. The elevator door slid open, and I was guided out into the hallway, then toward Tajah and Mikhail’s home. I was too stunned to do anything other than follow.