Satin and Steel (13 page)

A low growl emanated from somewhere in Dax’s chest. Then he slanted his mouth down, crushing her mouth in a possessive, searing kiss. He heard a faint gasp before her mouth opened beneath his to permit his tongue inside.
God, she tastes sweet.
He probed her hot, wet mouth almost violently, his pent-up and unrecognized feelings unleashing in a torrent of passion.

Rhee knew a moment of pure bliss before the fear set in. She began to push against him and he removed his mouth from her own, regarding her in a slightly confused fashion. Rhee did the only thing she could think of to do. She slapped Dax as hard as she could and ran for the bathroom. She flew inside and closed the door, locking it with an audible click. His footsteps approached and for a few seconds she thought he might just rip the door off its hinges to get to her. Then, his soft, rueful voice came through the paneled wood.

“I guess I deserved that. I’ll stay out of your way for a few days, stowaway. Sleep well.”

Rhee listened as his footsteps retreated. The door to the room shut and then there was silence. Stunned, Rhee regarded herself in the bathroom mirror. Her lips looked swollen and her cheeks were flushed pink. Her hair was in disarray and she could see her pulse flickering erratically in her throat.
No one has ever kissed me like that
, she thought dazedly as she made her way to the bed and flopped down on it.
Not even Charisma!

She ached with some unknown need, and she didn’t know what to do about it. Rhee moaned, wishing that she had allowed him to go further instead of succumbing to her old fears. She tossed and turned, the feel of his mouth still burning on her lips. As she fell back on the bed, half-expecting him to burst back into the room, Rhee felt something hard in her pocket. Forgetting about Trish’s instructions, Rhee kicked back an Ambien and drifted into a languid, dreamy state before falling into a hard sleep.

Chapter Twelve

Dax came up behind Trish as she chatted with Rollie. The look in his vice president’s eye caused Rollie to stop speaking mid-sentence, and take a small step back. Trish turned, and let out a squeak as Dax grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to one of the bathrooms.

“Dax, what…?” Her eyes were wide as he pushed her in and slammed the door shut.

He had her tits out and her jeans off in seconds and then he was hoisting his old lady onto the counter and spreading her thighs. Trish moaned at his urgency. Dax seated himself fully inside her with one violent thrust. He slammed in and out of her hot, wet tunnel, feeling his balls tighten. With a loud groan, he shot spurt after spurt into her, feeling her walls squeeze him as she climaxed. Heaving, he pulled out, and grabbed a paper towel to catch the pearly drops spilling from her.

“Jesus, Dax,” Trish gasped. “If I had known you needed it that badly, I would have suggested we leave hours ago!”

Dax splashed some cold water on his face and helped Trish to her feet. “Yeah. Leaving sounds like a good idea about now.”

A week had gone by and there was no word from him. Rhee wasn’t even sure what had happened that night anymore. She spent the next few days paranoid that he would burst in at any moment, and feeling more disappointed as each day passed without a glimpse of Dax and his beautiful mouth.
Probably home, making love to his girlfriend
, she thought miserably.

Dutifully, Rhee kept the pace with her studies and did loads of side gigs. The anonymous projects made her feel that at least, her time wasn’t being wasted. She was earning an income, and having access to her own money allowed her to feel more in control of her wayward life. She still had nightmares, but the little white pills seemed to help.

Now that she had some focus without Dax around to throw her completely off-kilter, Rhee attacked the two problems she needed to resolve. The ever-present concern regarding locating Mickey and the ever-present wet heat that seemed to fill Rhee’s borrowed panties since the night Dax had kissed her were two burning issues that Rhee knew she had to figure out. She wasn’t the type of girl to get herself off. In fact, she wasn’t sure she even knew how. But now, with the constant ache between her legs, she resorted to an experimental rub here and there, but that only seemed to make the problem worse.

Rhee wracked her brain to figure out resolutions to her problems. Since she had no way to reduce her sexual frustration, she spent hours researching different crews through publicly available police reports online. While she came no closer to locating her sister, she learned quite a bit about what these “clubs” were really about. Guns, drugs, even human trafficking charges told stories about the nature of crews in the area. Rhee felt sad when she found Wince’s record. When the name “Daxter Jamison” came across her computer her heart skipped a beat. She read his arrest report avidly. Dax had been in jail for a couple of months on an assault charge.
He really is dangerous,
Rhee shuddered.

Even though it made her skin crawl, Rhee forced herself to learn as much as she could about
Los Chicos,
and about their affiliates. It turned out that the president of the
Los
Chicos
had ties to the Mexican mafia.
Great.
A current police investigation focused on an escaped convict who was supposedly a main player in Mexico. Rhee rubbed her eyes.
All I want is my sister back, and a normal life.
Is that so much to ask?!

Rhee made her way to the kitchen. It was well past lunchtime and she had a hankering to make the guys grilled cheese. Although she was staying with
The Phantoms
at their insistence, she wanted to earn her keep. It wasn’t hard to do that since most of these guys didn’t have anyone taking care of them.
At least I’m appreciated here.

“What up?” Dax didn’t recognize the number on his phone, but it was local.

“Um, hey. Is this Dax?” Dax heard the unmistakable sound of girlish giggling on the other end.
What is this a high school prank?

“Yep. What can I do for you darling?” A louder giggle.

“Um, hi! This is Lisa. We met at the coffee shop a few weeks back. You know, with Rhee?” Dax groaned inwardly. Rhee had texted Lisa that same evening and when she had replied, Lisa had apparently saved his contact information.
Gotta get the stowaway her own phone.

“Right. So, Lisa, I’m a little busy here today…”

“Oh! Sure, um, of course you are. I just-I just wanted to let Rhee know that a post office where she used to live keeps calling. I thought it might be important.”

“Hm. Tell you what. Lisa, right? Can you forward that number to me please?”

“Sure! I’ll do it right now! I mean, as soon as we hang up.” Lisa giggled again.

“Thanks, darlin’.” Dax rolled his eyes at the sudden high laugh.
Young college girls.
So not my thing.

But Rhee, man she didn’t seem like this girl Lisa at all. Rhee wasn’t bubbly or vapid. She was intelligent and fiery. Dax had made a concerted effort to stay away from Rhee after their disastrous interaction in the clubhouse.
Goddamn it, why did I have to put my mouth on that girl?
Usually, Dax had a good measure of control when it came to women. Otherwise, he would have a different whore in his bed every night. If Rhee hadn’t stopped him, there was no telling what he would have done.

Luckily, Trish had been around to keep him distracted. A few other shipments had come in as well, so he had been pretty busy. But now, with Trish off on another rotation for a month, Dax found that he itched to see the little stowaway. It would be awkward at first, but he would try apologizing to Rhee, again.
Why am I always telling that girl I’m sorry?

Dax rolled up to the Apple store and dished out a few hundred bucks of his latest take. Maybe a new iPhone would get him back into Rhee’s circle of friends. Right now, he was the only one at the clubhouse who wasn’t part of the warm, light experience that was Rhee. She cooked for the other guys, sewed their patches onto their leathers, and even cleaned up after everyone. She was even nice to the groupies, and she had Hawk eating out of her delicate little hand.

Dax picked out a pink, sparkly case for Rhee’s phone. Wince outfitted the device with some software that would automatically copy Rhee’s messages and information to Dax’s phone, just so he could keep track of her. Wince raised an eyebrow at his request, but the kid wanted Rhee safe too. Dax waited until most of the guys were winding down for the night before he knocked on the door.

Dax waited a few minutes outside his own door awkwardly. Rhee flung it open suddenly, and from the look on her face, she was surprised to see him. Dax watched with interest as her expressive eyes widened and a rosy red blush spread across her cheeks. He smiled, feeling his chest expand as he laid eyes on the girl.

“Rhiannon. You’re looking well.”

“Thank you.” Rhee couldn’t look him in the eye.
God, I’m afraid he’ll see it-the way I feel about him.

“So….can we put the other night behind us then? I brought a peace offering.” He handed her a small bag. Rhee accepted it gingerly, as though she thought it might bite her. Dax chuckled.

“Open it.”

“Um, okay.” Rhee reached inside, having no idea what she might find.
No guy has ever gotten me a gift before.
The expensive phone was the last thing Rhee expected to be in the bag.

“What’s this?”

He could tell that she was pleased, and Dax grinned. “You need a phone right?”

“Well, I guess so! Wow. These are expensive. Dax, I have to pay you back for this…”

He held up a hand. “Nope. Not necessary, stowaway. This way, your little friends can call you directly.”

Rhee’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What little friends?”

“Your friend, what was her name? Lisa. She called today.”

Rhee felt her chest constrict. “Oh. What did she say?”

He laughed. “Aside from sounding like she was making her very first phone call to a boy, she mentioned that a post office called from your hometown.”

Rhee’s interest was piqued. “Really?”

“Yep.” He pulled out his phone and a few seconds later, Rhee’s buzzed with a text.

“Now you have the number. And mine.”

Rhee fiddled with the new phone, and saved both contacts.

“Thanks, Dax. You really didn’t have to get me anything.” Her blush deepened. “I-um, I’m sorry for hitting you. Again.” Rhee studied the ground for a few moments until he cleared his throat.

Looking up, Rhee saw that his eyes had darkened again and he gazed at her intently.

“I’d tell you I’m sorry for kissing you, little girl. But, I’m not.”

Rhee’s stomach did a peculiar flip-flop at those words and she felt like her cheeks had suddenly caught on fire.
OhMyGod.
Dax flashed that killer grin of his and turned to leave.

“Later, stowaway. Enjoy the phone.”

Chapter Thirteen

A strange tension hummed constantly now, whenever Dax was around. Rhee was finding it more and more difficult to keep her feelings at bay. She was taking several of the little white pills each night, but they seemed to work less and less effectively. After yet another sleepless night spent tossing and turning, clenching her thighs together to relieve the burning ache between her legs, Rhee resorted to the unthinkable.

“Um, Dax. Could I-could I get Trish’s number please?”

He regarded her curiously. “What for?”

“I need more medicine. It’s just that for some reason, I’m having a lot more trouble sleeping.” She flushed and looked away.
For some reason, I keep feeling your mouth on mine…

“What medicine?”

“Trish gave me some Ambien. I could really use a refill.”

His eyes narrowed. “What?”

Rhee had heard that tone before. He was angry, and she didn’t have a clue why. She tensed, her stomach tightening into a knot.

“When did she give you sleeping pills, Rhiannon?”

Uh oh.
My full name again.
Why is this guy always on my case?!
“About two weeks ago.”

Dax was shaking his head vehemently. Rhee nodded, defeated. She didn’t even try to argue with him. “Okay, then.” She turned to walk away and then his hand was on her arm. Rhee froze, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling at his touch.

“I recall a night when you seemed to sleep just fine.”

Now Rhee blushed to the roots of her hair. He was of course, referring to the night she had fallen asleep in his arms.
Why is he bringing that up?!

“Look stowaway, I can get you the pills. But don’t you think addressing the problem might be a better long-term solution?”

Rhee stiffened. “No,” she said curtly.

“How do you know?”

“Because I’ve tried all that, alright?!”

“Rhee, look at me, honey.”

She couldn’t.

“I don’t know how you view us…our relationship.”

Oh Jesus.
How about, I view you as the sexiest man alive?
How about I view you as a hot, muscled alpha male who has an amazing girlfriend whom I could never compete with?
How about, I am unable to sleep at all now, thanks to the unrequited lust I seem to have developed for your hot mouth?
Arrgh!

“But, I’d like to think we’re pretty good friends, right Rhee?”

She nodded dumbly.
Friends.
Right.
Just being alone with him, being so close to him, had started her pulse skittering and her belly clenching.

“So, you can talk to me, honey. Okay? Maybe if you just, I don’t know, let it out, the bad dreams would go away.”

Rhee was shaking her head violently. Talking about it, the abuse, the violence, the fear, was like reliving it. “I can’t.”

“Was it something that happened that night? The night I found you in the van? Honey, I know those men scared you, hurt you. But, it could have been worse Rhee. We showed up before they could really get started. Right?”