Page 6 of Blade's Return
I can feel tears stinging my eyes. No one, but my dad ever came close to saying something like that to me. I even felt that Blade truly meant it, too. He didn’t seem to just be feeding me a line either. I swallow nervously, trying to control my heart—which is trying to beat out of my chest. “I’m just me,” I breathe.
“Well, I really like you. Can I see you again?”
“I … Can I think about it?” I ask, stupidly. The truth is I want to see him again, but it’s not smart to have anyone in my life. In fact, it’s downright dangerous. I don’t need to do anything that will draw attention from my brother. I’m only free of him right now because I’m taking care of our father. I’ve also heard he has his hands full with his club. I don’t know the particulars. I don’t want to know them. I would move out of the country to get away from Doyle if I could. I’ve thought hard about it. My dad even encouraged me to do the same. I just couldn’t bring myself to leave him. Dad is innocent in all of this, and he needs someone to look out for him. I love him and I couldn’t live with myself if I just abandoned him.
“Think about it?” he asks, his left eyebrow cocking up on a high arch as shock and then humor floods his face. “That’s a first for me, I think. I ask a beautiful woman out, tell her that I really like her, and she wants to think about seeing me again.”
“I—”
“You know, some women think I’m a good catch. Hell, most women actually.”
“Blade—”
“Although, if you were most women, I probably wouldn’t be interested.”
“Blade.”
“You think about it, Livy.”
“Okay,” I whisper, confused but happy he wasn’t just dismissing me.
“But if you’re going to make me wait, then I’m going to give you something to think about.”
“Wha—”
Before I can finish my question, his lips are on mine and the world seems to fade away. His lips were softer than I expected, warm, spicy and full of hunger. Hunger for me. That was a unique feeling. I brought my hands up and they found a home on his chest. I didn’t push him away, though. My fingers clenched, wrinkling his shirt against my skin and I held on for dear life. I was losing myself in the taste of him. It was dark, wicked and made me feel alive more than anything or anyone ever has. His breath is hot and demanding as his tongue slides against mine. I may have had some kisses before, but none of them have been like this. None made my body feel as if it was on fire. I moan from just that simple contact, following his lead as the kiss deepens. I follow his lead as our tongues continue to dance together.
Blade’s arms go around me as he pulls me against his body. It’s a rough move that makes me cry out. He swallows down the sound, while I fight to keep memories from my past from taking over. When I feel his fingers through the fabric of my dress, as he brushes them against my breast, my entire body tenses up, going solid against him. My hands—once holding on for the ride—now press against him. I need air. I need space. I can feel panic gathering deep inside trying to find the light of day. I fight against it.
“It’s okay, little one. I just wanted you to know what we could create together. I want you, Livy. I think the two of us together would be damn good. I warn you right now, I’ll use whatever is in my power to keep you from walking away.”
“Blade …”
He pulls me back into the shelter of his arms, erasing the small distance I had created between us. Then, he shocks me by not kissing my lips. Instead, he leans down and presses his lips to my forehead. “Think fast, Livy. I don’t think I’m going to like being away from you—not for even a day.”
With that he walks away. I watch him go, feeling lost.
I resist the urge to call him back. His words ring in my ears as I get in my car and lock the doors. I should be breathing easier now that I’m alone. I’m not. I sit, looking in my rearview mirror—seeing nothing really. I don’t have the mental capacity to focus on anything around me. All I can do is think one thing …
I’m not going to like being away from Blade either. I know this with a surety that settles in my soul. I can’t explain it, other than to acknowledge that he just walked away and I’m already wishing I was back in his arms.
Shit.
4 BLADE
Rain drums against the window, a steady rhythm that seeps into my dream. I’m kissing her again. Olivia. A blonde bombshell with haunting blue eyes. The woman who got under my skin the second I met her. The one I can’t stop thinking about.
I’m caught somewhere between semi-consciousness and sleep. I know I’m dreaming but can’t be bothered enough to truly wake up. Instead, I concentrate on the pleasure this fantasy is giving me. Olivia’s mouth is soft and sweet, just like it was outside after the meeting ended. Our kiss … Hell, it wrecked me—much like reliving it is doing now. I feel the slide of her lips against mine. Hear the tiny sound she makes as I pull her close. I swallow down her moan as I deepen the kiss and coax her tongue to play with mine in a dance that might be as old as time but feels brand new with her. It’s everything I never knew a kiss should be. It’s perfection.
“Blade!” she cries, calling out my name as the dream disintegrates and fantasy tries to take over and I shove my hand in her panties, desperate for the wet heat that I know is waiting for me. “Blade!” she cries again, the sound so desperate that it jolts through me like a damn shockwave. I jerk awake, heart hammering.
“Motherfucker.”
It takes me forever to get used to my surroundings. My breathing is as ragged and loud as a freight train. I’m fucking hard as stone—filled with such a hunger for her that my damn balls are painful and feel like they are going to explode. I drag a hand over my face, noticing it’s trembling.
“Shit.” I take a deep breath, letting it fill and then escape my lungs as slowly as possible. I’m in bad shape here. I swear I can still taste Olivia on my lips. The rain’s coming down harder now, splattering against my window and creating wild paths down the panes. I shove the covers off and swing my legs over the side of the bed, trying to get a grip on myself.
God help me, I’ve never wanted a woman like this before. Not once. It has me twisted up—craving her like a damn addict chasing a fix. That scares me more than I care to admit. I mean, fucking hell, it has only been three days since I’ve seen her. That’s it. Three days since I kissed her, and she’s taken up permanent residence in my head.
