Something Fierce [The Underground 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (6 page)

The longer they stared at each other, the more Tristan’s blood raced. Hands in tight fists, she forced herself to turn away from his intense stare. Nothing good could come out of this, nothing. A bond had been built between them, and it was growing into something meaningful. She wouldn’t risk losing that for one night of sex, especially since she knew her feelings would only get in the way.

He hadn’t spoken so she sneaked a glance at him from under her eyelashes. His focus was on the screen again, but his jaw was tense. He may appear to look unaffected, but he had felt the same heat that she had. He was just smart enough not to act on it. The movie ended and she pushed the blanket off her legs. Now was a good time to call it a night, while she still had her dignity and hadn’t fucked everything up.

“Thanks for the cheesy movie, Kash, but I’m heading to bed.” She looked over her shoulder and feigned indifference. He watched her, a mask covering his features. Her breath stalled at the pure animalistic magnetism that his one look held. Holy fucking shit, did this man know what kind of effect he had on her? She lifted her hand, like a blundering fool, and all but raced up the stairs. Yeah, she needed to get her shit together because things could go downhill really fast.

Chapter Seven

Two months, fifteen days, and six hours. That was how long it had been since Tristan had forced herself to turn away from Kash’s heated stare. She had thought the time would have lessened the need for him, but it only made it worse. Every day, every hour, and every minute she tried to stop the feelings that were slowly growing inside of her. It was no use. Kash, on the other hand, treated her like a little sister, a pal from down the street. She knew, without a doubt, that what she had
thought
was desire reflected in his eyes that night had only been sympathy. Yeah, he had probably seen how much she wanted him, like a damn cat in heat, and didn’t know how to let her down easy. A man like Kash certainly didn’t want a woman like her. Even she could admit how mousy and frumpy she was, especially with the attire she wore around the house.

She looked down at what she was wearing.
Yup, frumpy as hell.
Tristan picked at the too-big sweatpants and oversized tee she wore. It was Thursday, their movie night, but Kash had been gone all day. He hadn’t called, but she wasn’t his keeper and shouldn’t have expected him to call her.
Maybe he forgot?
That thought had her slumping down the couch and stuffing another chip in her mouth. Every freaking week she looked forward to these movie nights, and as much as she tried to keep it platonic, it was no use. Oh, she could play it off like she felt nothing for him, the same as he acted toward her, but deep down she pined, hard.

A look at the clock showed midnight. Nope, he wasn’t coming.
He probably got called in to work, whatever the hell that was.
She could go to bed and mope over the fact she hadn’t gotten those two hours of bliss sitting next to him and becoming intoxicated in his scent, or she could put on a comedy and hopefully forget for a little while. The movie won, although she knew there would be no forgetting. Hell, she could smell his cologne on the couch pillows. She pushed play but soon found her eyes growing heavy.

The sound of the door opening and shutting woke Tristan. She hadn’t known she fell asleep, but the TV screen was black and the clock read three in the morning. She rubbed her eyes and pulled herself off the couch. The kitchen light clicked on and she looked over her shoulder. She couldn’t see Kash, but she could hear the fridge open, bottles being clanked together, and a cap being popped.

Tristan pulled herself from the couch and walked into the kitchen. Kash had his back to her. Even half asleep she could appreciate the view. He wore a white T-shirt that was molded to his body. Every part of him was visible through that shirt, especially the tattoo that covered his flesh. He tipped his head back and drank half the beer in one swallow.

“You missed movie night.” It was only meant to tease, but when she saw him stiffen in response she wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut. He didn’t respond for so long that Tristan started to feel uncomfortable. Just as she was about to turn and go to bed his gruff voice stopped her.

“I’m sorry about that, I really am. Something came up.” He didn’t turn around when he spoke and Tristan had a suspicion that something was wrong.

“Is everything okay, Kash?”

“Yeah, just go to bed, Tristan. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Maybe she should have listened to him, but there was a part of her, a part that she tried to suppress, a part that was starting to care for him more than she should, that wanted to comfort him. He sounded forlorn, troubled, and distant. She took several steps into the kitchen.

“Go to bed, Tristan.”

She lifted her hand and placed it on his shoulder, willing him without words to turn and look at her. “Talk to me, Kash. Tell me what’s wrong.” His body was hard beneath her hand, the heat from his flesh searing her right to the bone. “I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.” He turned around and she stumbled back in shock at his appearance.

Chapter Eight

Blood, a lot of it, covered Kash’s shirt. When she regained her senses she searched his face, looking for the wounds that could have caused so much blood. The only thing she saw was a slightly swollen and red spot below his eye. He brought the beer bottle to his lips and her gaze was locked on his knuckles, knuckles that were red, battered, and starting to scab over.

When she was able to bring her eyes back to his he was watching her intently. She wanted to ask what happened, but nothing came out. He downed the rest of his beer and set it on the counter. He opened the fridge and got another out. When her initial shock wore off, she blinked several times and cleared her throat.

“Oh my God. What the hell happened? Are you okay?” She lifted her hand again, but he took a step back, out of her reach. He didn’t respond and she dropped her hand.

“You should have just gone to bed, Tristan. I didn’t want you to see me like this.” He finished his second beer and threw the bottle away before turning and leaving her in the kitchen alone, stunned. A few moments later she heard the shower turn on.

* * * *

Kash slammed his fist into the tile of the shower repeatedly as the image of Tristan seeing him covered in blood flooded his mind.
Damnit!
She should have been in bed. He shouldn’t have been so foolish as to not clean up before he came home, but he hadn’t been thinking. The adrenaline and high of receiving and delivering pain had made his mind fuzzy. He had been high off of it. Any other time he had come home she was always in bed. Hell, he had even forgotten about their movie tonight. He felt like a bastard, a selfish fucking bastard.

The water slid down his body, washing away the sweat and blood that covered him. This was his life, and he had brought Tristan into it. She had seen him covered in another man’s blood, and she had feared him. Feared him! Oh, at first she had been so worried, thinking all the blood had come from him, but then she had realized it wasn’t his, and all that worry had evaporated. He couldn’t explain it to her, couldn’t tell her he would never hurt her because if she knew who he truly was, what he actually did for a living, she would really fear him.

He quickly washed the rest of his body, needing to go to bed and forget about everything that had just happened. Maybe he should leave? Maybe fleeing like a coward was the better option. Even thinking this, knowing this was the best thing for both of them, he couldn’t. He had feelings for Tristan, ones that were far stronger with each passing day. Just thinking about her, with her soft voice, smooth lips, and supple body, had his cock standing hard instantly. Yeah, he was a sick and selfish bastard.

He shut the shower off, a little more forcefully than necessary, and grabbed a towel. When the terrycloth was secured around his waist he lifted his hand and ran it over the mirror, smearing the condensation off. The man that stared back at him was not the man he wanted to be, but there was no way to change that. He wanted to be so much more for her. He wanted to be decent and good, give her everything that she deserved. Hanging his head in frustration, he breathed out. He knew what he had to do, knew he would need to make her see who he really was, what a motherfucker he could be. It pained him to even think about doing it, but if she hated him it would be better than seeing her desire for him.

* * * *

Oh God, who have I let in my home?
He had looked raw and fierce, like some kind of warrior. She had no clue why that image had formed in her mind, but something primal and animalistic had come off of him. He was dangerous. That much was true. His green eyes had been blazing, and although she knew he could have hurt her, added her blood to his shirt, she knew without a doubt he would never lay a hand on her. She wanted to talk to him, find out what had happened, but she had sensed he needed his space. She was not about to tease the lion.

After she turned everything off and made her way upstairs, her mind was still reeling. The shower had since turned off, and right before she made it to her bedroom the bathroom door opened. The light was already off and steam and heat billowed out of the small confines. She stood there, not able to move as she stared at Kash. Despite the fact there were no lights on, the moon shone through the window, making his appearance as clear as day. Her heart raced at the sight.

Her body reacted to the sight of him in nothing but a towel slung low on his hips. A light sheen of perspiration formed between her breasts, her breathing quickened, her nipples grew hard, and the most intimate part of her grew wet with desire. He was formed like a Greek god, like Hades waiting to cause destruction. All she could do was stare. He took a step out of the bathroom, and before she knew it he was standing before her. The smell of him, darkly rich and intoxicating, washed over her, and she found herself closing her eyes and humming in approval. When she was able to open her eyes again, she felt her cheeks heat at the embarrassing noise that just came from her.

He was so big, so tall, so…intense. His masculinity and testosterone surrounded her, and she felt wholly feminine in his presence. Inappropriate thoughts slammed into her mind and she felt her mouth go dry. He didn’t move, just stared down at her with his eyes at half-mast. Tristan found herself lifting her hand and slowly bringing her fingertips to the small, swollen area right below his eye. He didn’t flinch when she lightly traced the edge of the wound. It was warm beneath her fingers. He exhaled and she watched as he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. When she realized what she was doing she went to remove her fingers, but as if he anticipated the act, his hand covered hers, securing it on his face. Her palm now covered his cheek. The feel of smooth, freshly shaved flesh rubbed against her hand. She licked her lips and saw Kash’s gaze dip down to watch the motion.

At that moment she wanted to be kissed, badly. The arousal she felt was like a thunderstorm inside of her, like nothing she had felt before.

This is wrong. Step away, Tristan. You’ll ruin everything, like you always do.

Finding a strength she didn’t know she possessed, she took a step back, but Kash moved with her. When she took a step back, he took one forward until she felt the wall behind her. She continued to stare up at him, knowing that what she wanted to do with him was wrong on so many levels. The words to tell him just that were there, in her mind, but she couldn’t force them past her lips. His hot breath skittered across her face, and the scent drove her desire higher. She could smell the hops from the beer he drank, could even smell a hint of whiskey beneath that.

He let her hand drop from beneath his, but he didn’t move away. “Kash.” She whispered his name and watched as he closed his eyes again.

“Tristan.” He said her name like they were having sex, raw, powerful, erotic. When he opened his eyes again they glowed like emeralds on fire.

He moved an inch closer and Tristan gasped when she felt his erection press against her belly. He felt huge, but Tristan wasn’t surprised. He was big all over. He lowered his head until their lips were mere inches apart. Their breath mingled together as their eyes stayed locked. She knew that if she leaned in just a little, her lips would press against his. The idea was tempting, but Tristan reminded herself how things could go terribly wrong in the next instant. She didn’t want a repeat of what happened with Zac, yet she couldn’t move away from his hypnotic stare.

Kash lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders. The act itself wasn’t overly erotic if an outsider were to see, but when she felt his palms touch her, a bolt of lightning sang through her body. Her pussy clenched involuntarily and she had to hold back the groan that would have spilled forth. The knowledge of what he wore wasn’t lost on her. All she would have to do was reach down and yank the terrycloth away from him.

“If you knew who I truly was, you wouldn’t be so aroused.”
With that he pushed away from her and stalked back to his room, shutting the door behind him.

She stared at his now-closed bedroom door and tried to catch her breath.
What the hell was that about?
Had she misinterpreted what had just happened? She had most definitely felt his hard shaft pressed against her, and the heated look he had given her had said he wanted her, but his comment confused her. She should be happy he stopped before things escalated, but there was something inside of her, that feeling that she had been trying to smash down since he first moved in, that screamed she needed more, wanted more.