Redemption (12 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Neveah

Uh oh.

I woke up with my body warmer than usual. Sweat built on my upper lip and hairline. The box fan in the corner of my room must have went out.
Dammit, I’m drenched—oh shit.
Everything from the night before slammed into my memory at once, reminding me of the reason I was so hot. Rage was curled up beside me, his palm rested against my stomach.

Shit. Shit. Shit. What time is it?

I snuck a look at the old wall clock in the corner. 9:00.
Oh, God
.
Dad would come looking for us soon.
Carefully, I slipped from Rage’s grasp and stood up. I noticed Rage was naked before I realized I was. But I had a feeling no one would blame me for staring. His hip poked through the thin white sheet, one leg hung half-way off the bed and his mouth parted.

God, he was beautiful.

Tip-toeing, I tried to pick up my clothes that were
conveniently
all over the damn place. When I slipped on my T-shirt, I sighed in relief.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I jumped, bracing myself against the wall closest to the bathroom. Rage held himself up with his elbows, his eyes raked me of any innocence I thought may have been left after the night before.

“Home,” I said, pulling my hair from underneath my T-shirt. “Dad will come looking for us soon, and I didn’t want to get caught.”

Rage didn’t move, just continued to look me up and down. “You’re making me uncomfortable,” I snapped.

The corner of his lip rose into a smirk. “Oh, really? This is
exactly
what you did to me the first day you came in here.”

It was. I regret nothing!
I tried to hold in my smile but it was useless. Rage jerked the covers, stood in all his glory and pinned me against the wall. “You were going to sneak out, weren’t you?”

Yes.
“I wouldn’t call it
sneaking
. I just didn’t want to wake you up.”

He brushed his fingers against my hair. “You do know that there isn’t any turning back now, don’t you? I’ve had you. I risked my place here and my second chance because I wanted—want you so bad. You’re not going anywhere, Angel. So don’t get any ideas. We’re not done.”

Thank God. I nodded, my eyes drifted shut at the feel of his lips against my throat. “Last night was amazing,” I whispered, trying to make sense of everything racing through me.

“Last night was just the beginning,” he cooed. “Just wait, Angel. I’m going to show you how it’s supposed to feel to be attracted to someone. How sex is supposed to feel for both of us.”

I laced my fingers into the back of his hair, knowing there wasn’t any messing it up, because the raven colored mop look disheveled in the best way. “If it’s any better than last night—I don’t know if I can take it.”

Rage smiled. “Like I said, it’s just the beginning.”

“Neveah!”

Rage dropped his hand, turned and looked out his window. “Shit. No morning sex then.”

Morning sex?
I couldn’t feel my vagina I was so sore. And swollen. Shit, I was swollen. I hadn’t realized until I took a step toward the window opposite of the house. “I’ll see you at the gym,” I said, sliding out of the window.

Rage watched as I crawled out and turned toward him. The smile on his face told me he’d stay true to his words. And the smile on my face said I was fucking ready for everything he had to offer. No matter what he was hiding, I wanted him. 

***

“What are you doing?”

The water soaking through my shoes hit me hard.
What in the—shit
.
I’d only just turned the nozzle on the urn, right?
I jumped back, tightening the top on my water bottle. “Damn, Aunt Shelly. You scared the shit out of me.”

She crossed her arms. “You should be scared. You were drooling over Declan, and the water soaking your feet didn’t even stop it. He must have some good dick.”

Heat engulfed my cheeks, and I could imagine the pink that colored it. “Funny. What are you doin’ here?”

I watched her eye me. I wanted to look over at Rage, we’d been eyeing each other all morning. Not that my dad noticed. All he worried about was Rage practicing. “You’re tryin’ not to look over there,” she whispered, a huge grin spread across her face. “You did fuck him!”

Furrowing my brow, I tossed her a dirty look. “Hush,” I said. “I didn’t, not really—,”

She burst out laughing, causing my dad and Rage to glance over. Fire burned in my lower stomach when his eyes landed on me. A small smile curled at the edge of his lip, and then he swung at my dad.

“You did,” she whispered, grabbing my elbow and pulling me toward my dad’s office.

She nearly shoved me onto the couch. “Tell me everything,” she said. “I mean everything single little detail. Is he big? Does he know what he’s doing? He looks like he would. Tell me!”

So, I did. It felt good to tell her how big he was, and how he’d filled me up so tight that I thought he’d rip me open. And the three amazing orgasms that I’d had.

“Three!” Aunt Shelly shouted. Her blonde hair was everywhere by the time I’d finished my story. She’d only pulled on it eighteen times. “You have got to be kidding me. You didn’t even like him at first. What happened?”

I did like him at first
. I shrugged and pulled at the end of my ponytail. “You can’t let this slip in front of Dad.”

She waved me off, taking a large drink of her water. “Please, you know I’m not gonna tell your dad. He’d have a heart attack and die. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve went behind your dad’s back, Nev. Remember when you would sneak out to see Cooper?”

I faked a gag. “How could I forget?”

She grinned. “He’s pissed, ya know.”

I leaned back against the couch in Dad’s office, propping my feet against the ugly ottoman in the corner. “Who is pissed?”

“Cooper. He’s mad you left the party without dancing with him. And I overheard him say that he’d get you back eventually. Once you realize that you’re still in love with him.”

I snorted, loudly. “What? Like that would ever happen. I haven’t even seen him since the party. Actually I never see him but yet I’m in love? He needs a reality check.”

Aunt Shelly grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Well, I think I know someone that wouldn’t mind puttin’ him in his place.”

I frowned. “Cooper would tell Dad in a heartbeat. I can handle Cooper.”

“Just like you handled Heath, right?’ She grinned. “I would have given anything to see you knock his ass out, Neveah. I mean I’d give anything.” She started laughing.

The door to Dad’s office opened. Dad walked in with Rage on his heels. Heat crawled up my throat, threatening to strangle me. “What are y’all doin’ in here? Neveah, when I said you could have a job, I meant one where you do actual work, not sit around with Shelly and gossip.”

Aunt Shelly flipped him off. I hadn’t even look his way. My eyes were focused on Rage in the doorway. His wide shoulders took up most of the room, both arms rested above the door frame. Sweat dripped down his torso, soaking into the fabric of his shorts.

“Neveah,” Dad said.

I looked down, pretending to be interested in a hangnail. “What’s up?”

“Don’t make plans next weekend because we have our first match in Dallas.”

I glanced over at Dad who’d started scribbling something down in his notebook. “Isn’t it kind of early? Rage just started boxing.”

Dad shot me a dirty look. “I know what I’m doin’ Neveah. I don’t need your help.”

Aunt Shelly crinkled her nose and pretended to show her claws. “Someone is on their period,” she whispered, before standing up. “I’m heading home. I’ll see y’all later.”

“Bye Shelly,” Dad said. “Come on inside, Rage. Take a seat.”

He took long strides to my dad’s desk and sat back into the chair opposite of him. “Maybe Neveah is right, Wes. Maybe I’m not ready just yet.”

Dad narrowed his gaze at me, but waved Rage off. “Please, you’re a natural.”

He was. But by his tensed shoulders, I had a gut feeling he’s hesitation had nothing to do with his ability to fight. “Where is the fight again?” I asked.

Rage gave me a long sideways glance.

“It’s in Dallas,” Dad said.

I watched as Rage took heavy breaths and tried to keep his face neutral. It wasn’t working. A worry line had formed above his brow. “You’re sure?” he asked.

Dad dropped his pen. “You’ll be with other beginners like yourself. You’ll be fine, I have faith in you.”

Rage kept quiet, his eyes glued to the floor in front of him.
Why didn’t he want to go to Dallas?
Something in the pit of my stomach dropped. Dallas was where the guy was beaten?

“Neveah!”

I blinked. Dad frowned and tucked his pen behind his ear. “Can you handle dinner for you two tonight? I have to get caught up on payments.”

I nodded absently. I needed to find out what the hell was going on. The trouble was that Rage wasn’t going to say anything. I’d have to do my own digging.

***

I dipped my finger into the mashed potatoes and tasted. I’d been cooking for the past hour and a half, contemplating brining up why Rage didn’t want to go to Dallas. He’d already told me he was bad news, and I got the hint he wasn’t going to willingly give away any more information.

Lucy whined at my feet. “Stop begging,” I whispered, dropping her a tiny piece of fried chicken.

“What you cooking?”

I spun on my heel. Rage leaned against the opposite cabinet in our small kitchen, a smile on his face. We hadn’t talked much about the night before besides that morning, and I had planned on not talking about it. By the smug smile on his face, I knew he’d bring it up. “Chicken, mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese.”

Rage lifted a brow and took three steps to stand in front of me. His woodsy scent enveloped the air around me, his eyes burned holes into my flesh. “You cook too?” he asked, dropping his gaze to my mouth. “And I thought you couldn’t get any hotter after last night.”

Here we go.
Heat burned my cheeks, but I kept eye contact. “Well, consider yourself impressed. I’m good at a lot of things.”

His grin widened. One hand reached out to stroke my jaw and the other landed on my hip. His touch was so gentle compared to what he’d unleashed the night before. “I know you are, Champ,” he whispered, tracing his thumb against my lower lip.

Before I could respond, he grabbed my thighs and placed me on the cabinet opposite of the stove, leaning in close enough so that I could feel his erection against my stomach.

“Do you know that I haven’t stopped thinkin’ about you all day long?” he whispered, dragging his teeth along the curve of my neck. “All day I’ve been replaying last night. Thinking of ways to get you back into my bed.”

“You don’t have to think of ways because last night showed me it’s exactly where I want to be.”

A moan vibrated in his chest, and he closed his eyes. Greedily, I took in his face. The dark stubble on his jaw, his full lips, long lashes and thick hair.
What was he hiding? Such a beautiful man with so many secrets.
The cut on his lip had healed but the risen evidence of a scar was still there.

Unable to stop it, like word vomit, I asked, “Why don’t you want to go to Dallas for the meet?”

Rage’s eyes opened, the grey darker than usual, and his hands stilled on me. “There are many reasons why I don’t want to go.”

I stared blankly at him. “Wow, what a detailed answer.”

His jaw locked, and he took a step backwards, shoving his hands into his jeans’ pocket. “Neveah, I told you I was bad news. I warned you about it. There are things I won’t talk about and this is one of them.”

Biting my tongue, I tried to control my anger. “Okay, I see. You can fuck me senseless and go all ‘you’re mine’ on me, but you can’t tell me anything about yourself? Go figure.”

He stepped forward before I could blink and wrapped his hands around my upper arms. “You listen to me, Neveah,” he whispered, his voice grave. “Don’t go digging around in things that isn’t your business. I keep things from you because I care. Because I care what happens to your dad and you. So just drop it.”

Easy for you to say
. “I just don’t understand how telling me would hurt anything. It’s not like I’d tell on you. I already know you’re not Declan Samuels. You’re Rage …whatever your last name is. That’s another thing. I’m fucking you, and I don’t know your last name. How messed up is that?”

“Neveah,” he warned. “Don’t make this harder than it already is. We’re already sneaking around behind Wes’ back. Letting you in on who I used to be won’t help either of us. Drop it.”

I lowered my gaze and turned back toward the stove. My shoulders were trembling in anger. “Whatever,” I mumbled.

Rage groaned. “Neveah, stop being such a girl. This is way bigger than you think it is.”

I shrugged, turned the fire off and gestured toward the stove. “Dinner is ready, I’ll be in my room.”