Beautifully Damaged(41)

He was kissing me with his lips moving over mine, seeking and tasting as his hands came up to frame my face. When his tongue touched my lower lip I sighed and he wasted no time sweeping my mouth, tangling his tongue with my own, as his taste intoxicated me. When his mouth pulled away I almost whined in protest but then his lips were on my neck, pressing opened-mouth kisses down my neck and along my collarbone, and when he moved back up the other side his mouth lingered near my ear.

"I want you under me. I want to be inside you."

"Yes." God I wanted that, too, as his kiss mimicked the act of which we were both thinking, and when he pulled away he held my gaze as his thumb brushed over my lips.

"I love your tattoo."

I touched my hand to his cheek and savored the moment. I could tell he was feeling a little off balance and so I tried to lighten the mood.

"It's irritating but not necessarily painful, like hell."

His grin was wicked before he said, "Ah, baby, I'll kiss it and make it better."





Chapter Nine


Trace and I were out shopping in a part of the city that I don't often visit, Fifth Avenue. The shops were great, the tourists awesome but the price tags were way too steep for me. There was a dealer of Schuberth helmets that Trace wanted to visit so he could get for me my own helmet, a really safe helmet, for his bike and, honestly, were there even words?

Once we picked the one we wanted, I walked through the store as Trace took care of the rest. As I walked past the front window, I found myself stopping abruptly at the sight of Lena and Todd standing right outside the store. They saw me at the same time and Lena wrapped her arms around Todd's in what I suppose was a sign of solidarity. Though I had no interest in talking with them, she once had been my best friend so I moved out the door to join them on the street.

"Ember, funny seeing you out and about. What, no book to read?"

So, apparently, not only had the bridge been burned but also disintegrated and the remnants swept away by a raging current. I held her gaze as I offered in an overly sweet voice, "Actually, I just finished a wonderful story on karma and how it always comes back around. No one is safe, neither the bitchy and self-absorbed nor the calculating rapist-wannabes."

Lena's eyes grew wider and her face went pale for a second. I watched as she dismissed my claim in the note that I left for her explaining why I was moving out -- not that seeing her with Todd wasn't answer enough as to where her loyalties lay.

"I don't believe that, Em. Todd and Dane aren't like that."

"And you know this because you've been with Todd for a few months so you readily take his word on the matter over someone you've known since the seventh grade?"

"Todd doesn't lie?"

"And I do?"

Her expression was snarky, a look that was usually paired with my hands balling into fists. "I didn't say that; don't put words into my mouth. I'm just saying you don't have much experience talking with people so it's more than likely you just misunderstood the situation. It happens when you're socially stunted from spending all of your time alone."

My disgusted disbelief started out as a chuckle but before long I was roaring, laughing so hard that my eyes were filling with tears. I wiped away the tears with the back of my hand as I met, and held, Lena's incredulous expression.

"I can't believe it took me this long to see you for what you really are. My dad had you nailed and Trace only needed to hear about you and pinned your character, but me, I guess I'm not that quick on the uptake."

At that moment the door of the shop slammed open as six-feet-four of towering rage moved with panther-like speed. Trace fisted Todd's shirt before lifting the man six inches off the pavement. He looked like he was going to commit murder and, when he spoke, his voice was so low and sinister that it had the hair at the nape of my neck standing on end. Todd, it seemed, was about to toss his lunch.

"Five-mile radius, asshole! This doesn't look like five fucking miles to me."

My eyes stayed on Lena's and when she was able to pull her gaze from my spectacularly, gorgeous boyfriend, I saw jealousy burning in hers.

"It was Trace who overheard Todd and Dane." I leaned closer before I added,"He really hates your boyfriend so do yourself a favor and get him away -- far, far away."

Trace shoved Todd causing him to stumble backwards before falling onto his ass as Trace took a few menacing steps closer to loom over him.

"If there's a next time, you'll need to be carried away."

Todd didn't hesitate to scurry to his feet before he turned and practically ran away, his arms pumping at his sides in his retreat. I turned to Lena as Trace reached for my hand to link our fingers.