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“No one here is blind, bro. Well, maybe you and Britta.”
“Then you’ve got it all wrong.”
“Right!” He laughed, knowing he wasn’t going to get through to me. “I’ll grab us a few drinks, and we’ll catch up outside.” Brock darted off into the crowd, and his words played over in my mind. That and the niggling reality of Britta still behind closed doors with Jarod.
I walked through the party-goers, the music thumping and booze flowing. I needed a good fucking drink before I did anything I’d regret. And so I could forget how her red lips tonight looked so fucking kissable.Chapter 5BrittaHis mouth was moving, but I didn’t hear a word, my thoughts still on the wrathful face of Hawk. There had been fury in his eyes, and I was sure some of it was directed at me. Jarod continued talking, his hand resting on my bare thigh, his thumb working rhythmic circles, no doubt to lull me into a false sense of comfort.
Hawk!
What was Jarod saying?
Shaking my head slightly to bring myself back to the present, I caught the tail-end of what Jarod had been jabbering on about.
“... see each other more. You know, we could...”
Fuck! How was I going to deal with Hawk? He wasn’t exactly the easiest man to deal with. His broody moods rivaled ten females all PMS-ing in the one room. He had a temper, and when he was passionate about something he wouldn’t rest unless he had his way.
It was sexy.
Hawk was an alpha in every way, and he scared the fuck out of me in the most delightful way.
“... always had a thing for you, and I think...”
I can honestly say I’d never seen him so mad, undoubtedly there was more to it than just me talking to Jarod.
“... incredibly sexy, Brit—” Jarod’s elbow gently nudged me in the ribs.
“Huh?” I asked, guilt riddled my face.
“So what do you think?”
“What do I think about what?”
Jarod smiled, but behind the smile was irritation and impatience. “I was saying how incredibly sexy you look in that dress, and how about we take the time to get to know each other a bit more. Like, now.”
I couldn’t be more repulsed.
None of what he was saying was going to become a reality. I knew all about him. Every single, dirty little detail and unless I planned on welcoming a sexual disease in my life, I would never touch Jarod. He was a nice guy when you were pretending to be just one of the guys, but now I could see he was being the sleazy guy he’d painted himself to be.
And did he forget I had older brothers who’d use his head as a punching bag if they knew his true intentions?
Jarod had been the first I was warned about.
Hawk, the second.
Yes, the warning about Jarod was different to Hawk.
Jarod was dirty and sleazy and cared little for his conquest’s feelings when he slandered their name and shared their intimate photos. For a lawyer, he wasn’t the smartest, and one day when he found a woman strong enough to wage battle with him, he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
Hawk was a warning all on his own. While he’d basically been in the family for years, and he was loved and adored by all the Valentinos, my brothers also, in a strange sense, feared him. Hawk was powerful in everything he did. His temper was quick to rise, and if you were stupid enough to be on the receiving end of it, you’d feel the full brunt of his wrath. He was also the most loving. He gave himself entirely and was loyal in every way.
His intensity was frightening, and for that reason, my brothers had warned me to keep it strictly business. Hawk had always been in my line of sight, but after things came to a brutal ending with Roman, his presence was accompanied by a string of emotions I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret. Now, I noticed everything the man did. The way he walked, how he tapped his index finger on the table when he was lost in thought, the way he bit the side of his bottom lip when he watched me talk, and especially the way the vein in his neck twitched when he was mad. Just like I’d seen only moments ago when Hawk was standing at the door watching this very interaction.
Maybe I’d been paying more attention than I first thought.
Damn it!
But it wasn’t something I could ever act on.
The intense lust for him was my dirty little secret. I’d learned to suffer quietly through the hot summers when he’d be mostly shirtless, tanned and ripped.
But that was then, and right now I was horny.
Not for Jarod, who was still fawning away at me with high expectations.
I needed to get laid, and laid by someone who was not the douchebag next to me or my boss. I wasn’t quite ready to lose my career just yet, and besides, Hawk was in hot demand. He worked with gorgeous lingerie-wearing models every day, who would drop to their knees with just a wink. That was the control Hawk had over people. Not that I’d ever seen him do that, but judging by the doe-eyed girls, they’d do just about anything to get in his pants.
