The Hunt for Summer (NSC Industries) (17 page)

The loud splinter of
her nails made me shiver and erupt in goose bumps. “Quit with the nails” I
growled and she smirked and deliberately took a chunk out of her thumb nail.

“Fuck this!” I spat
as I grabbed her upper arms, turned her towards the door and propelled her
forwards at speed until she was over the threshold.

“Go fucking home!” I
barked at her as I slammed the door in her shocked face and made my way over to
my only friend… the whisky bottle.

My heart stuttered
when I saw Red’s graceful script on the small white note.

“Sorry. Yeah, Red!”
I scoffed bitterly as I screwed up the apology and threw it into the nearby bin
as I downed a mouthful of the liquor.

My eyes scanned the
room and then came to rest on the wastebasket as I tapped my fingers on my
glass and scolded myself as I leant back in and removed the note, smoothing out
the crumpled paper between my fingers.

“You sad twat!”

I slammed my glass
on the cabinet and wobbled into my bedroom and flopped face down onto the bed.

“Oh Christ” I
murmured when all I could smell was Red’s tantalising natural scent. She
reminded me of strawberries and vanilla and I took a huge inhalation of the
delicious fragrance and groaned when my dick sprung to life.

I rolled onto my
back and lay my arm across my face in an attempt to block out Red’s stunning
smile. The vision of the soft curl of her plump lips as her eyes twinkled
brightly caused every single blood cell in my body down into my already sturdy
cock.

But it wasn’t just
the arousal that surged through my body; there was a pain and emptiness in the
flow of my cells and I swallowed back the emotion.

“You do not love
this girl Lucas, you just think you do to get into her knickers” I told myself,
and then I laughed, loudly and bitterly at my words “Yeah sure, you pathetic bastard!”

It was like she had
penetrated the wall around my heart and whilst she was in there, I built the
bloody thing back up and now there was no escape, she was trapped forever
inside me, eternally to be loved by me.

Shaking my head in
frustration, I lifted myself off the bed and went into the bathroom for a leak
but halted at the doorway as I spotted the silk robe I had brought Red back in.

I stalked over to it
slowly and picked it up, frowning at the smear of blood on the back of it as I
fingered the soft material that was covered in her scent.

I swallowed at the
sight of the blood and then it suddenly occurred to me why she had rejected me
tonight. She was scared of what would happen, she was terrified of the outcome
of a relationship with me and she was afraid for me because of Diablo.

And then it slapped
me in the face.

Holy Fuck, she loved
me back!

The realisation hit
me like a fucking freight truck and my heart beat wildly as I dragged on my
shoes and locked my door behind me.

No more Red, no more
fucking running!

Chapter 19

Layla

I refused to let the
tears fall, locked them deep inside because I knew, if I allowed them then they
would take advantage of the freedom and just keep running, never seizing for a
single minute.

The liberation I
would permit them would be the final crack in my already crumbling armour.

So I kept busy for
the day and now finally, nightfall meant I could shut myself off from my poor
pathetic excuse of a life. I could close my eyes on the world and dream,
pretend everything was happy and hunky-dory.

Sara had gone out
for the night with friends after much argument about leaving me alone but once
she had left, I relished my time alone.

It was my time to
reflect and decide what to do next; hide, run or stand proud and battle it out,
or the final choice… go back to
him
.

Could I do that? I
knew it would be the end of me, but it would mean Lucas would be safe and to
protect him I would take whatever Diablo dished out, take it and smile while I
fucking took it, knowing the man I loved was unharmed and possibly happy.

Placing the mug of
milk and chocolate into the microwave, I proceeded to turn off the main lights
and switched on each of the little nightlights I had around the house, in case
I ventured from my bed during my unsettled nightmares.

I grabbed my mug and
made my way to my luxury, my haven - my bed, and flipped on the small lamp and
the TV, knowing I would need a diversion to help me drop off and once I had
picked an old classic movie, I settled myself down to the oblivion night
offered.

About halfway through
the film I frowned and glanced at the clock when a knock came at the door.

12:46am. What the
hell?

It was him, it had
to be. Who else would be here at this time of night?

I pulled up the
duvet around my chin, like it would protect me from Diablo’s wrath, when the
knocking persisted and I took some huge steadying gulps and desperately tried
to calm myself down.

I jumped a mile when
my phone trilled from my bedside table and I peered at it timidly like it was a
pre-set bomb and anyone who rang it would set off the timer.

‘Lucas’
displayed on the screen and I hesitantly answered it,
not sure which of his moods would be dominant tonight.

“Let me in, Red.”

My eyes widened and
I climbed off the bed. “What are you doing here Lucas?” I asked quietly as I approached
my front door and confirmed it was him through the peephole.

I smiled when I saw
his wide grin through the small glass window. “You look like a fucking wolf
who’s about to eat his prey. I’m not sure I should open the door” I teased as
my heart pelted little electrical surges through my excited body.

He waggled his
eyebrows at me now and I chuckled as I opened the door to him. “Good evening,
Miss Summers. I do believe you’re late for an appointment” he said as he
scooted past me and made his way into my flat.

I frowned and
glanced back at the hall clock to make sure I hadn’t actually dropped to sleep
at any point in the last hour but it still showed the same time “Late for what
appointment?”

He turned slowly
towards me and a sly grin lifted his lips as his eyes dropped to my mouth,
before he took the distance between us in a single step. “An appointment with
my mouth, Miss Summers” he divulged as he took hold of my hair in one hand and
enclosed my jaw with his other whilst he brought my face to his.

As soon as his lips
touched mine a fire roared within me and I whimpered against the softness of
him. He returned my moan with his own and slid his tongue between my parted
lips and took control of us, of me, of my mouth and finally of my denial.

“I won’t let you do
this, Red” he whispered against my skin as he kissed his way across to my ear
and I closed my eyes as desire raged through my body “I won’t let you push me
away when I know you feel exactly the same as I do.”

My head dropped back
against the wall as he continued his torturous kisses down my throat, his
tongue sweeping out and tasting me as he went.

“We can’t do this
Lucas. Think about what you’re doing” I warned on a huff of breath as his mouth
brought out a wicked side in me and I clasped hold of the back of his shirt and
pulled him to me.

He leaned back a
little and palmed my cheek as his eyes bore straight into me “I’ve thought
about it and I’m gonna go with my heart Red, cos’ my head seems to know fuck
all.”

He didn’t give me a
chance to answer as he scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the
bedroom, where he laid us both down, side by side and he stared at me. “You are
so fucking beautiful, inside and out. You make me wanna worship every damn inch
of you” he whispered as he came in for another kiss, this time a more heavy and
passionate one and my belly heated and sent blood pumping into my sex.

“We can’t Lucas, I, I’m
too….” I couldn’t finish as a deep flush scurried up my body and heated my
face.

“Ssshhh” he breathed
against my neck as his lips melted into my hot skin “I’m not gonna have sex
with you, Red. I’m gonna make love to you with my mouth. I’m gonna make you
feel every damn inch of my tongue as I idolise and savour you.”

Oh crikey!

I nodded and mumbled
a reply but even I wasn’t sure what I said as I just let him love me; let him
devour every part and every fibre of me as I lay back and took it all.

He drove me wild
with need as he licked, suckled and kissed each fragment of me, his tenderness
was astounding and his love was blazing as he whispered dirty statements along
with loving gestures.

I felt like a
goddess, being adored and worshipped as Lucas brought me to a new level of
ecstasy, his tongue on a relentless mission to pleasure me and bring a bliss so
fucking pure I fought for breath as my climax took me over the edge and deep
into annihilation.

“That’s it baby. Let
it take you...” he groaned against my slick blistering skin as I flipped us
both across the bed with my wild spasms and shudders.

“Holy fuck” I panted
as he straddled himself across my chest and masturbated over me.

“Open your mouth,
Red. I want you to take me inside you” he growled and I did as he asked and
opened wide to catch each delicious drop of his cum as he exploded into my
mouth.

“Christ Lay…” he
roared as his hips bucked and he thundered a sound so feral I was coming again
at the sight of the carnal rapture on his stunning face.

“Shit baby” he
gasped as he rested his forehead against mine and his eyes held mine. The deep
piercing blueness seemed endless as I gazed back at him but I saw the flicker
of anxiousness and uncertainty behind the brightness.

I cupped his face
and locked him down with my own gaze. “Tell me again” I ordered softly.

He stroked the tip
of his nose along the length of mine before he rested his lips over mine “I’m
in love with you Layla Summers.”

I closed my eyes and
savoured his words, the passion and truth in the way he said them held my heart
in a powerful grip and thumped it harshly causing a ripple of exhilaration to
course through every nerve ending in my body.

I sighed in
contentment and I opened my eyes and smiled widely at him “I love you too,
Lucas Hunt.”

He stuttered on a
breath and then the biggest grin lit his face and he beamed at me as he rolled
us over until I was sprawled over him.

“Say it again” he
whispered breathlessly in my ear as he nibbled on my lobe.

“I love you, I love
you, I love you” I repeated happily as he inhaled a lungful of me and held me
close.

We remained silent
for a while; just wrapped up in each other as our thoughts took over and we
contemplated what was to come between us. I sighed heavily when Diablo burst to
the forefront of all other thoughts and as if sensing my apprehension, Lucas
shifted us so we were side by side and facing each other.

“Listen to me Red,”
he started as he stroked his finger along the edge of my cheek and down my
chin, his eyes mesmerised by his own movement “I’ve never been a hero, never
even watched bloody superman. I run at the first sign of trouble and I jump a
mile at my own shadow. But for you, I’ll take on the fucking Devil himself… and
I’ll win and I’ll make sure I win well.”

I cried then, big
hefty, snotty gusts of tears. They poured from everywhere; my eyes, my nose, my
heart, my spirit and from my very soul.

Lucas held me as
they took over and conquered me. His soft rocking motion comforted me as he
whispered words of love in my ear and planted tender kisses on my forehead,
whilst I clutched tightly on to him. My hands fisted his flesh as my nails dug
deep into his skin but he took it all, absorbed every single piece of my
torture and swallowed it from me as I tried to climb inside him for protection.

“Shush baby” he
whispered “I love you. I’m here to protect you and I’ll die doing it if I have
to…”

These words halted
my tears and I looked up at him, my wet cheek sliding against his smooth chest
“I won’t let him hurt you, Lucas.”