His Wrath: Underground, 2 Read online

  He wore a crisp, light blue button-down shirt that matched his eyes. The sleeves were rolled up his forearms, showing a few sharp lines from his tattoos, making him appear a little on the bad-boy side. He came up beside her and smiled. They held each other’s gazes for a long moment before he glanced at the hostess.

  “Table for two, please.”

  They were led to a booth and left with menus, waiting for their server. The air was thick, silence stretching between them.

  Sitting right across from him made her acutely aware that she couldn’t escape his gaze. Her cheeks felt warm, and they only became hotter the longer he watched her. She took that time to stare at him as well. His dirty blond hair was short but long enough that he pulled off the slightly messy look. Maybe he didn’t like being the one under examination, because a moment later he brought his attention to his menu.

  Clearing her throat, she let her attention fall to her menu as well. Their waitress came by and took their orders. Adrian ordered a bottle of Moscato, looking at her almost sheepishly, as if he didn’t know for sure if he’d crossed a line by ordering a bottle.

  They were left alone again, and the conversation stayed fairly safe, maybe a little tense and unsure at first. To sum it up, they didn’t talk about anything personal, which led Brea to believe that maybe Adrian had a few secrets of his own.

  “So, how did you start fighting in the underground?” Voice pitched low so no one but him would hear, she cast a glance at Adrian. Brea had been contemplating sticking to neutral subjects, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Despite all her internal admonishments to keep her distance, she found herself wanting to know more about him.

  Their meals arrived, and they ate for the first few moments in silence.

  “I’m sorry, that really isn’t any of my business.” Everyone had their own reasons for doing things, especially her, and his silence told her she might have just asked the wrong question. Maybe he fights because of his past? It wasn’t an implausible concept.

  “No, you didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just—” He took a sip of his wine before looking at her, the silence stretching out once again. “I started fighting because I lost someone a long time ago.” It was clear he held things back. Just like she did, was.

  Maybe they weren’t so different after all.

  6

  The dejected way she looked pulled at Adrian’s heart. “Hey now, don’t close up on me.” He moved out of his seat and slid into hers. She visibly stiffened, but when he didn’t make a move to touch her, she relaxed and looked up at him. His breath stalled at the hopelessness reflected in her gaze.

  What the hell happened to her that would make her look so lost?

  A large lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed it, forcing it down. He lifted his hand, moving it slowly toward her face so he didn’t spook her, and brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. Her eyes looked impossibly big and blue on her face, and her creamy skin glowed under the soft lighting. The urge to kiss her was stronger than anything he’d ever felt before. The question was, would she let him, or would his actions scare her away?

  Was he crossing a line right now, pushing her too fast, too hard?

  He wasn’t sure any longer, because what his brain was telling him he should do and what his heart was saying he needed to do were throwing fists at each other.

  “Brea?” He said her name softly. He watched the change in her, the way her pupils dilated, the fact that her breathing increased. He saw her pulse beat faster right below her ear. “I want to kiss you desperately,” he whispered.

  “Adrian.” She said his name so low surely he’d been the only one to hear.

  “Can I kiss you? Is this okay?” He still hadn’t moved, hadn’t wanted to push her. God, he wanted her, wanted to touch the skin right below her ear, the spot that looked so soft, where her pulse beat rapidly.

  She licked her lips and looked down at his mouth, nodding slowly, almost hesitantly.

  He leaned in slowly as he held her gaze with his, stopping right before his lips touched hers. She hadn’t pulled away, and her breathing had changed to short, quick pants. Everything inside of him roared out at the knowledge that she was just as affected as he was.

  “Brea.” He could feel her warm breath sweep across his lips. “I want to know it’s okay to kiss you,” he whispered, needing her to say the words before he went any further. He heard her swallow, and when she whispered “yes,” he didn’t waste another moment.

  When his lips finally pressed against hers, he groaned. They were just as soft as they looked. As her mouth opened for him, he slipped his tongue inside and brought his hands up to frame her face.

  God, she tastes so fucking good. Her tongue against his was hesitant at first, but that was okay because this would be soft and gentle, sweet and easy. He’d never rush her, never pressure her.

  He let his thumbs caress the skin covering her cheekbones, and felt her lean into him more. Yes, that was what he needed. Tilting her head more to the side, he didn’t deepen the kiss, just kept a gentle pressure of his mouth along hers. A little sound of need came from her.

  He could have been classified as a fucking saint right then for the self-control he exuded.

  “Adrian.” The way she said the word against his lips, all breathy and needy, had his cock throbbing against the fly of his jeans.

  “Does it feel good, Brea? Is this okay?” That’s all he wanted to hear, that she felt good, that he made her feel good. She didn’t respond with words. Instead she pressed her mouth against his, giving him the answer he’d been seeking.

  Fuck. Yes.

  Had anything ever sounded sweeter? He didn’t think so. The sound of someone clearing their throat had Brea pulling away. He looked at her, her cheeks painted a pretty red color. She was embarrassed, and he couldn’t help but smile.

  He turned and accepted the check from the waitress, who looked just as embarrassed as Brea did. When they were alone again, he took Brea’s hand in his and brought it to his mouth, laying a soft kiss on her palm.

  Kissing Adrian had been the last thing she thought would happen tonight, but as he stared at her, had her fear and anxiety leaving, even for that one moment, she said to hell with her restraint. He was the first man in a long time, maybe ever, to make her feel so much need. He was big and strong, but his kiss had been soft and sweet, one that had her longing for so much more.

  When she was with Adrian, she felt lighter, free. Brea felt like the world was hers again, that she wasn’t running from a past that would catch up to her sooner rather than later.

  But the night was coming to an end, and as she sat in her car, the silence stretching on, the memories of their kiss a tingling sensation on her lips, all she could do was smile.

  It was the first time in so long that she’d felt a smile was genuine.

  She was proud of herself for doing this tonight.

  Several weeks later

  * * *

  Brea felt like she’d been smiling for the last few weeks, and it was all because of Adrian. It was all because she’d given herself a chance to be normal, to go after something she wanted. And she didn’t regret it.

  Since dinner with him several days ago, they’d gone out to lunch almost every day. Adrian might seem frightening in the cage, but with her he was sweet, gentle … considerate. She couldn’t remember another time when she had felt so comfortable with someone.

  Adrian’s massive presence didn’t change the fact that he was a gentle giant with her. She’d realized that after their first dinner. Lying on her bed, she stared at the stained ceiling and felt her lips tingle in remembrance of their kiss, the ones he gave her every time they parted ways. He never rushed her, didn’t pressure her into anything more than she was willing to give him.

  And as crazy as all of this sounded, Brea found herself wanting so much more with him. She found herself wanting to know what it felt like to have his big, hard and muscular body pressed against hers. She wanted t
o feel his hands on her naked form, wanted to get lost in the pleasure that she knew he could give her.

  Hell, if their kisses were anything to go by, Adrian would have all common sense leaving her once she finally gave herself to him.

  And she would. She wanted to desperately. But on the heels of that, all she kept telling herself was how foolish she was. What a stupid girl to get involved with a man when all she was trying to do was escape another one. God, she hadn’t even been honest with him yet, hadn’t told him about Cameron, about what her life was really like.

  Because when I’m with him, I don’t think about those things.

  Closing her eyes, she exhaled and knew that she’d have to either break it off with him or tell him the truth and see where things went.

  Adrian. Her strong, protective fighter. Even now all she could think about was how she’d seen him just hours ago, how he’d held her hand … how she’d felt so at ease.

  Their lunch today had been simple, but it had been so much more for her. His light banter, the way he teased her, had made her feel at ease. It’d been so long since she’d felt the emotion that it scared and confused her all in the same breath.

  His understanding when she closed up during their more intimate talks went a long way toward making her trust in him grow. It was still early in their…whatever the hell they were. There was no rush for anything.

  Well, that actually wasn’t true.

  Her cell dinged with an incoming text, and she smiled because she knew exactly who it was. Only one person would text her, had texted her since she started living in this town.

  I can’t stop smiling because all I can think about is you.

  Maybe she was letting her heart and emotions get in the way. He’d already far surpassed her expectations of how she’d always wanted a man to treat her. But the one question that kept rearing its ugly-ass head was if all of this was too good to be true.

  If Adrian was too good to be true.

  Adrian watched as his opponent fell to the blood-covered mat. His knuckles were swollen and split open, but the pain couldn’t mask the euphoria he currently felt. He tracked Brea’s movements in the crowd. Something inside of him was slowly growing, warming for this woman. He’d fallen hard and fast for her, and although they’d really just started getting to know each other, he knew what he wanted.

  Brea. Only her.

  If I want to get closer to her, I need to be honest.

  Even though he wanted her under him, wanted to have his cock buried between her thighs, he was letting her take control. She hadn’t opened up about her past, but then again, neither had he.

  That had to change.

  Just looking at Brea’s sweet face pushed all thoughts of his past away. He knew he would have to tell her everything eventually, and he wanted to. The more time he spent with her, the harder it was not telling her the truth about who he really was.

  Brea glanced up at him, and their gazes locked. It never failed. Just that one look and he wanted to jump over the damn cage and wrap her in his arms. Hell, he was acting like a fucking caveman.

  The chemistry between them was so fucking explosive he couldn’t even breathe.

  “Damn, man. You are one fucking animal in the cage.” Coots slapped him on the back, and Adrian tensed.

  He didn’t know Coots well enough to be chummy. A thick envelope was thrust at him, and he took it and ducked into the side room to get cleaned up. He’d just finished his last fight for the night, had actually requested the rest of the week off. He wanted to do something special with Brea, wanted to take her somewhere that it could just be the two of them.

  Where he could finally open up and tell her the truth.

  He wanted to take her to the coast and walk on the beach with her. When he asked her a week ago if she’d take a few days off, a weekend maybe, he’d expected her to decline. He’d seen the hesitation on her face, but to his utter surprise she’d agreed to go.

  And so he was going to spend some real time with Brea, let her in, show her the type of man he was. He just prayed that when it was all said and done, she still wanted him, because the very thought of losing her was too fucking hard to swallow.

  He left the cage and headed toward the back room to clean off and change. They’d leave for the weekend tomorrow morning, and he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t pretty fucking excited about the whole thing.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked forward to something so much. And damn, was it a pretty incredible feeling.

  7

  When Adrian pulled his truck onto the strip of asphalt that overlooked the beach, Brea felt this peace and calm settle over her. The windows were rolled down, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore lulled her. She rested her head back on the seat and smiled, staring at the horizon as the sun kissed the water, casting tiny shards of light across it.

  They sat there for long moments, neither speaking, this comfortable sensation filling the entire truck.

  She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to come this weekend. This was so out of the norm for her, so reckless even. Although she cared for Adrian, her emotions growing deeper with each passing day, doing this with him was not smart. What would happen when she saved enough and left? How would she disconnect her feelings from him? Could they even be together? Would he understand? God, she was consumed with her worries, and she still hadn’t even told him about herself, about Cameron and the shit she carried around.

  How can this work when his life is here and mine isn’t?

  Glancing over at him, she saw he watched her, this small smile on his face. The wall she’d erected had started to crumble, and she realized it was when Adrian had first looked into her eyes as she was on the ground, her fear consuming her.

  And since then unadulterated happiness had filled her.

  The weeks were passing, and she was thoroughly enjoying her time with Adrian. He was changing things in her. Their kissing had since moved up to light touches, but the ache between her thighs was slowly growing. Her need for him was starting to consume her in the best of ways.

  She deserved this.

  She deserved to be happy.

  His smile was lopsided, and he reached a hand out and caressed her cheek. Brea couldn’t help but lean into his embrace.

  “Come here, Brea.” His words were low and slightly husky, and she could see the desire growing in Adrian’s expression.

  Instantly she became aroused.

  Nipples tightening to the point of pain, she squirmed in her seat as her panties started to become wet. As she shifted on the seat to move closer to him, the dress she wore moved up her thighs. She noticed he was staring at the patch of skin that was exposed. He swallowed audibly and then lifted his gaze to her. His grin was almost sheepish, and she couldn’t help but lean into his chest to hide her own smile.

  It felt good being close to him, smelling the masculine scent that had her drunk and feeling heady.

  “Brea.” He whispered her name and used his finger to lift her chin. His face was close to hers, so close that if she just craned her neck a little more, their mouths would brush together.

  “Yes?” God, she wanted him to kiss her, desperately. She’d never been the one to initiate their physical contact, but maybe that should change? She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. A heady feeling washed through her when she saw him close his eyes and sigh. She didn’t waste any more time or deny herself any longer.

  She pressed her lips to his, loving the small growl that he made from the contact. The kiss started off slow and easy, but soon he took control. Tongues moving together, the act mimicked the sex she wanted to have with him. As the kiss intensified, she knew she wanted more. Her body positively ached for him, but before it got any more heated, Adrian slowed the kiss and then pulled away.

  He rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily with his eyes closed. When he moved away, it was too soon. Brea wanted more.

  “I’m sorry.” He ran his hand
over his jaw and stared out the windshield. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. “I’m trying to go slow, but it’s so damn hard.” He cut a glance at her. “I want you too much.”

  Her heart stopped. As she licked her lips, Adrian tracked the movement and another groan left him. Adrenaline rushed through her body at the way he watched her. Hearing him confess how much he wanted her had her arousal accelerating.

  She knew she wanted more, but when she actually went for it, would she freeze and blow everything? She didn’t like keeping things from him, and she had a lot of shit from her past that would most likely have him running in the other direction. Could she be selfish and just let herself enjoy it? Even if it was just for a little while?

  Her experience in seducing a man was zilch, but she pictured in her mind what she wanted to do and it seemed easy enough. Moving so close to him that there wasn’t an inch separating their bodies, Brea gathered all her strength and slid her hand on his thigh. The muscles under her palm tensed as she slowly started to move her palm up, closer to where she wanted to go.

  Her heart was racing at what she was doing, at how this was so new to her but so exciting all in the same breath.

  “Brea?” He sounded almost pained, and she stopped, fearing she wasn’t doing it right.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t really know what I’m doing.” She went to move her hand away, but he put his on top to stop her retreat. The look in his eyes made her feel a little embarrassed. “I’m not a virgin or anything, I just—” God, she was screwing this up and making it awkward as hell. “I’m just not that experienced. I’m sorry.” She felt her face heat, but he didn’t let her slide back to the passenger seat.