She walked toward the garage, noticing a light in her bedroom window. “Vinny,” she said, hurrying across the lot. She took the steps two at a time, stopping to smooth down her hair before opening the door. When spotting Dez on the corner of her bed, she choked back a groan.
“Excuse you,” Sasha said in a sneer, holding her hand out to the open door.
Dez grinned, rising to his feet.
“Leave,” she said, since he was too dim to pick up on her hand gestures.
The frost melted from Dez’s stare as he walked toward Sasha. He grabbed the door, his chest brushing against her arm. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, slamming the solid slab closed.
“What the fuck, Dez? Nobody’s here to watch you put on a show.”
“You’d do the same thing if some youngin’ came in here flashing their shit.”
“Youngin’?” Sasha took a deep breath. It was either that or slug Dez. He reached for her hand, and she pushed past him, yanking off her coat.
“This was supposed to play out different,” Dez said, almost to himself.
“What are you talking about?” Sasha tossed her jacket into a corner, searching her nightstand for a joint.
“I went to jail because of you.”
That stopped Sasha’s fumble with the ashtray, and she stood up straight. “How do you figure? ‘Cause the last time I saw you, before you got pinched, you were shattering the side of my face with that fist of yours.”
“Yeah.” Dez rushed toward Sasha and she backed away, bumping her nightstand. Bottles clinked as he froze in place. “I couldn’t stand what I did to you. I couldn’t stop feeling your bones break, so I took it out on some asshole in a bar.”
“That’s not my fault.”
“I’m not blaming you,” Dez shouted in a way that clashed with his words. “But I spent sixty-eight months thinking of ways to make it up to you. This sergeant at arms shit is fucking that up.”
The air grew thick between them, and Sasha slithered away from the intense stare bearing down on her. Dez grabbed the sides of her arms, driving her back against the wall. She held her breath. Her coward of a mind fled, leaving her head empty and body trapped inside the fire behind Dez’s icy blue eyes.
“You’re reckless,” he said, pressing against her. “Too smart for your own good. You’ll hurt the club, hurt yourself.”
“Let me go.”
Dez squeezed tighter, grinding against Sasha harder. “Say it again, with more fear, and I will.”
Sasha turned her head, skin rubbing skin. Their lips hovered over one another, generating an electric charge. Dez’s hand glided along her cheek, sparking prickles of heat, and Sasha fell into his kiss. It all stopped. Her whirling thoughts, tight chest, aching heart, they all dwindled under his touch.
Dez spun Sasha toward the wall, her forearms slamming onto wooden planks. Hands traveled her body, teeth digging into the back of her neck. His fingers slid inside her pants, and a moan scraped past her throat. This was right. Rough, hard. That’s what she needed. That’s what she deserved.
Her tank top flew over her head, bra dropping to the floor. She turned, but her eyes wouldn’t lift to Dez’s face. Her hands, however, couldn’t keep off the ripples on his chest as he removed his shirt. When her courage kicked on, Sasha looked up from the muscles in front of her. Dirty blonde hair tumbled from Dez’s shirt, splashing over his wide shoulders, and a somewhat wicked giggle slipped from her mouth. Dez gripped Sasha by the waist, skating his lips along her neck. He pushed her to the bed, knocking a gasp from her lungs.
Sasha stared up at Dez, reaching for the button of her pants.
“No,” he said, dropping to his knees. “I want to.” He tugged on her pants, peeling the fabric free from her skin. “It’s been so long since I’ve tasted a woman.”
Dez yanked Sasha to the edge of the bed, his head sinking between her legs. The deepest groan ripped from Sasha’s chest. Sheets balled beneath her curled fingers, a tingly haze fogging her brain. Before she could gasp for air, he covered her with his body, enveloped her, invaded her. Softly, gently, Dez wrapped his fingers around Sasha’s neck and lifted her onto his lap. His hold on her throat remained light, but he thrusted into her hard, making her arched back shudder.
Chapter Seven
Sasha rolled onto her stomach, slowly peeking over her shoulder. Through waves of brown hair, she watched Dez buckle his belt. When he sat on the bed and pulled out a sandwich bag of green buds, she scooted away.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be or something?” she said, propping on her elbow.
Dez chuckled, opening his bag. “You got a tray and some papers?”
Sasha slinked out from behind Dez, hopping off the bed. After tossing on an oversized t-shirt, she grabbed a small silver tray and a pack of rolling papers. She stood in front of Dez, tray in hand. If not for the bag of weed, she would’ve tossed him out. Or just left. Dez took the tray from Sasha’s grasp, gliding his thumb along her the edge of her hand. She yanked her arm away, sitting at the far end of the bed.
Shame, guilt, and awkward humiliation churned in the air, hanging over Sasha like a dark cloud. The noises Dez pulled from her, the way she squirmed…she never felt so foolish. It’d be nice if he’d just split. His chilled expression, steady hands. It only added to the thorns of embarrassment that burrowed in her gut.
The aroma of kind-bud surrounded Sasha like a warm hug. Her legs uncoiled, and she leaned toward the scent. Dez slipped a joint between her fingers, and she took a big hit. The smoke carried a fraction of worries from her body as it left. It wasn’t enough of a release, so she went in for another hit. Mid-puff, Dez’s hand landed on her thigh. Thick smoke bunched in her throat, which chose now to seal shut, and she coughed.
“Are you dating my brother?” Dez asked.
The cough turned to a full-on hack, and Sasha pushed the joint into Dez’s hand. “No.”
Dez narrowed his eyes, staring at Sasha. “A lot of people were saying—”
“We’re just friends.” Sasha was trying for an honest tone, but her words came out through clenched teeth. “People, opinions, assholes, you know how that goes.”
“Tell me about that firebombing,” Dez said, passing Sasha the joint.
“What the fuck is this?” She took a few hits, each puff renewing her barbed edges. “You don’t have to go through this uncomfortable after-sex chit-chat bullshit with me.”
“You used to be all smiles, floating around this compound. What happened to you?”
Sasha leaned back, glaring. “I got thrashed by the people I trusted most in this world. And the last five years I’ve spent earning their respect back was blown by your little stunt at the clubhouse.”
Dez held a blank stare, which grated Sasha’s already flared nerves. She jumped up off the bed, heading toward the bathroom. “It’s late. You should hit the road.”
Once shut inside the tiny bathroom, a puff of relief sailed from her mouth. She froze, waiting until her outer door slammed before turning on the water. Twenty showers wouldn’t wash the filth from beneath her flesh or cleanse the part of her that enjoyed his hold over her body. She had to try, though.