Flow (The Beat and the Pulse #6) (14 page)

He didn’t have to say anything, he just leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on my lips like he was sealing the unspoken deal.

Then he led me through The Underground toward something unknown and very dangerous.

Something that I couldn’t resist.

* * *

I
didn’t realize
where we were until Hamish opened the door.

He’d practically carried me into his apartment, and the moment we were locked inside, he began stripping clothes from my body. There were a million questions I wanted to ask him, but as his mouth and hands worshipped my body, they were all forgotten in the haze of desperate attraction he’d ignited.

I’d seen him almost naked before. Only an hour before, he’d been standing in the cage at The Underground, fighting in nothing but a pair of shorts that hung deliciously low on his hips. There wasn’t much left I hadn’t seen. I’d felt the last remaining frontier, but I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

The moment he shoved his boxers down, freeing his erection, my mouth began to water, and I reached out. Curling my fingers around his length, I began stroking up and down. I’d never understood cock talk. I mean, when other women, Bel especially, talked about how perfect one could be. I’d been with guys before who knew how to use theirs—and some who didn’t have a clue—but I’d never thought about it other than it being in me. As I stroked Hamish’s cock, I began to understand. His was perfect.

He clucked his tongue and pulled my hand away, but before I could complain, he practically threw me down onto the bed with him on top.

His hands lingered on the swell of my breasts before moving over my waist and down between my legs. His fingers circled around my clit with an expertise that had my hips jerking against his touch. When he slipped further down, I widened my legs and began riding his palm, not giving a stuff what I looked like.

Hamish moaned as he slipped his finger inside me, my wetness obviously pleasing to the point he thrust a second thick finger in with the first.

“Lori,” he murmured, pulling his fingers away. “You’re so…
Fuck, I need you
.” Shoving my legs open wider, he rolled on top of me, his weight feeling heavenly. “I don’t think… I don’t think I can be gentle.”

“I don’t want you to be,” I replied, hooking my legs around his.

He moaned softly, grinding against my clit. “Why did it take me this long?” he mused. “Why didn’t I develop a drinkin’ problem three years ago?”

“Shut up,” I whispered, mirroring his movements. “
Shut up and take me
.”

He pushed into me then, his cock filling my slick channel until we were joined completely. He held firm, circling his hips and grinding against my clit with an expert precision that had a strangled moan bursting from deep within me.

His eyes sparkled in the semi-darkness, and his lips parted as they brushed against my cheek. His breath tickled my oversensitive skin as I ran my hands down his back and grasped his ass. Squirming against him, I let my body beg for what I needed, the words too far away for me to grab hold of.

Hamish fisted his hands into my hair and twisted, and as his lips latched onto my neck, he drew his cock back, the emptiness he’d left behind aching even more. Then he thrust, driving home with a grunt that had me crying for more.

More, more, more, more,
more
…

We’d have time to explore each other’s bodies later, but for now, we just needed release from the pressure that had been building for far too long.

He didn’t slow his pace. If anything, he let his control slip and pounded into me harder and harder with each thrust of his hips. I dug my fingernails into his ass cheeks, relishing the flex of his muscles as he moved. Each time we joined, I rose higher, my orgasm building and building until I wasn’t sure I could take it anymore.

Garbled words spilled from my lips, and the world fell away. Then I felt the pressure uncoil and burst forth, ripping through my body.

Hamish grunted above me, the stubble on his chin rasping against my shoulder as he thrust erratically, my body tightening around his cock tighter and tighter until he came. I was so aware of him I could feel his release empty into me, and like mine, it seemed to go on forever.

His body trembled, his lips searching for mine in the haze. Lifting my hands, I guided him to me and caught his mouth with mine. We kissed slowly and then pulled apart to take deep breaths in the wake of our exhaustion before touching again.

Everything we’d done over the past six weeks—our attempt at a normal friendship—had been leading to this. I’d been attracted to him from the get–go, but I’d just disregarded it because I’d thought it was purely physical. It was,
oh God it was
, but the more I saw of the real Hamish McBride, the more I fell until I was spiraling down the rabbit hole. I seriously felt like Alice in Wonderland with the whole ‘eat me, drink me’ mind games thing.

That was the thing with Hamish—especially the scene at the hospital I wasn’t meant to have seen—I’d only read the first chapter, and I was already hooked.

I curled around his body like he was a giant pillow, and he tightened his grip with a sigh.

I didn’t know what we were doing or what the weather would be like tomorrow, but for now, I was treading water in the deep end with every shred of energy I had left. Everything we’d just done…it was purely physical, and that was the thing that worried me. I didn’t want to go from friends to friends with added benefits. I wanted it all.

I wanted him in every way he came, no matter his baggage.

It was far too late to try to stop this now. I was a goner. Past the point of no return.

I’d fallen hard for Hamish McBride.

M
aybe it was
the hit to the head, or maybe it was everything my ma had told me, but when I saw Lori watching me fight, I knew I couldn’t take it anymore.

The fighting, the pushing away, the secrets and lies… I was so fucking tired of shouldering the burden. At that moment, right before Blaze punched me in the face, I saw her sitting in the sea of people, and I’d just let go. If I was going to come clean to anyone, it was her because she could be the one where Josie wasn’t. It was what I’d wanted all along.

Fame, glory, riches…that shit was empty. Those things were nice, but they weren’t what I wanted. Not really. What I wanted was
somebody
.

That somebody was Lori Walker.

She wriggled in my arms, her skin soft and warm against mine, the scent of sex clinging to our skin. Talk about some addictive shit right there.

She turned, twisting around so we were face-to-face, still half-asleep. Her cheek was creased with marks from the pillow, the lines crisscrossing like a patchwork of terrain on a map. Her skin was soft and pale, which made the colors of her tattoos stand out brightly. She was a kaleidoscope that made me want to keep turning her around and around so I could see every shard that made up the whole.

“Hey,” she whispered, her eyes still hooded with sleep.

“Hey.”

I’d never really stopped to look at her tattoos. They were just part of her, so I’d never thought twice, but now that she was naked in my arms, I could see all the marks that were usually hidden by her clothing, and I began to study them. Every word, image, color, and shape.

“What?” she asked, her skin heating under the force of my gaze.

“You have so many…” I ran my hand over her chest, tracing the lines of ink that swept between her breasts. “Why?”

“Lots of reasons.” She shrugged, her lips parting as my thumb brushed against her tight nipple.

Lowering my head, I brushed my lips against the place my hand had just been. “I want to know them all.”

“Right now?” She gasped as I pulled her nipple into my mouth and sucked.

Rolling over, I pushed her legs apart with my thigh and began paying closer attention to two of my many favorite things about Lori.

“You’re insatiable,” she said, her hands fisting into my hair. “Number six for the high score.”

“I’m treatin’ you,” I muttered, feeling my cock begin to harden. “You don’t have to be anywhere until tonight, right?”

“Right…”

“So quit your complainin’, and let me have you again.”

She widened her legs, and I settled between them, thrusting the length of my cock against her clit. She arched into me, her breasts rubbing against my chest, and I moved my hips backward. I hissed softly as I pressed against her opening, the slight pressure threatening to take every last shred of my control.

“Hamish,” she murmured, her gaze meeting mine. “Don’t be such a tease.”

My lips curved into a smile. “But it makes the next part so much more satisfyin’.”

I slid into her and began moving slowly, our bodies shucking off the last remnants of sleep and waking up to one hell of a good morning.

Just like the first night I’d spent hanging out at her place, everything about this was easy. Which made everything else I wasn’t telling her so much worse.

I just wanted this moment of uncomplicated happiness before I dropped the mother lode on her. Then I’d take the test to see if I had a chance at getting the same cancer as Ma…if I didn’t have it already.

I’d tell Lori the truth tomorrow.

Then if she was still in this, we’d figure it out.

C
asting
my gaze out across The Underground, I sighed.

I was positive people were staring at me. Randoms who’d never paid any attention to me were now whispering and throwing glances, keeping the gossip mill in business. It had everything to do with Hamish ‘Goblin’ McBride and his showy display of ownership after his fight with Blaze. That and his constant barrage of attention since.

Leaning against the bar, I glared at a group of women who were throwing me daggers with their eyes. If looks could kill.

I wasn’t really worried about a group of jealous chicks. I was worried about all the things Hamish hadn’t told me. I didn’t have a chance to tell him about what I saw at the hospital. Not yet.

We hadn’t discussed anything about the other night, either. About how he’d pulled me off the bleachers and dragged me away like a caveman, about the sudden one-eighty our relationship had taken, about how he’d lied to me the night he’d saved me from Stu… We hadn’t talked about any of it, so for the last week, I’d been walking around under a storm cloud that was threatening to zap me with lightning and douse my ass with pounding rain.

What a metaphor.

We’d been indulging in a great deal of sex and nothing much else. The talking part that had been so important in the beginning of our friendship had been all but forgotten, and it worried me. He hadn’t mentioned his mother or the hospital once, and when he said he was going to the gym to work out, I was left wondering if he was really spending time with her.

Hours and hours would pass, and all he’d say was that it took a lot of work to be as ripped as he was. I’m sure it did, but I wasn’t a fool. I could see the sadness behind his eyes. I just didn’t know how to approach him about it.

Then there was the fact that we’d slept together—six times in the one night and then at least twice every night since—and we hadn’t spoken once about what that meant. Were we together? Or did we just scratch an itch?

“Hey.”

I jumped, my heart thumping, and my gaze collided with the last person I was expecting to see again. Storm.

“Fuck off,” I spat before I could stop myself. I really had a problem with using the f-word too much. Four hundred and fifteen times in the space of a single shift kind of problem.

“Can’t do that,” he said, his lips curving into a smile. “Not just yet.”

He looked the worse for wear with a yellowing bruise over his left eye, and I snorted. I hoped that hurt. He leaned against the edge of the bar, and I couldn’t help cringing. It’d been a long-assed time since I looked at the man and swooned.

“Come back for another shower?” I asked, reaching for the hose under the bar. “I’ve got a choice of carbonated water, Cola, or lemonade.”

He raised an eyebrow and glanced at my hand. “You and Goblin?”

“What?” I snapped. “You think he’s too good for me or something?”

Storm snorted. “More like the other way around.”

I rolled my eyes and willed him to go away. “I could say that about you and your wandering dick.”

“C’mon, Lori. Do you think I’m here because I want to be?” He glanced over his shoulder like he was afraid Hamish would appear at any second and beat the crap out of him. “I’m risking a lot by standing right here.”

He emphasized the words ‘right here,’ and I had to stop myself from throwing up. I didn’t like the fact he was implying he’d come back to The Underground for me. After all the time that had passed… Did he think time healed all wounds?
Fat chance, buddy
.

“I know all about you,” I said, eyeballing him with as much confidence as I could muster. “All the gritty little details.” I held up my hands and mimicked a choke hold.

Storm shifted from foot to foot, beginning to look uncomfortable.
Good
.

“I can explain all of that, you know,” he began. “There are two sides to every story.”

After what he had done to me, the thought he could be innocent blew my mind. It wasn’t possible because in him, I saw the ability to manipulate. To hurt and cause pain and not feel a damn shred of regret over it.

“I don’t believe you,” I declared.

“Lori, you’ve got to let me explain. That whole story—”

“Leave it alone,” I interrupted him. “I’m with Hamish now. Even if I wasn’t, I’d still be telling you the same thing. You hurt me beyond repair, Storm.
Beyond repair
. I’d never take you back.”

He frowned and pushed off the bar looking hurt.
So he should be
.

“Whatever we had, it’s done,” I said, bringing the notion home once and for all. “Nothing you can say or do will ever change that. We were done the day I found your cheating ass in bed with three other women. All of this is pointless. Save yourself the hassle and move on, Storm.”

He glanced away and snorted. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Yeah…”

I stared after him as he turned on his heel and disappeared through the crowd. What had happened to my uncomplicated life? The one where I’d decided flying under the radar was the way to go? It was safe and warm underneath all the chaos of every day life. Totally mundane but at least I wasn’t getting the runaround by a bunch of beefcake fighters or being felt up by slimy bar managers.

The night I’d decided to talk to Hamish McBride at the bar was when things began to spiral. It was the exact moment I’d decided it was time to come out from behind the impenetrable walls I’d built in the wake of Storm’s betrayal. I was still trying to decide if it was a good thing or not. Short-term, so far so good. Long-term, it was still playing out. Big-time.

“Lori.”

At the sound of Hamish’s voice, I turned, and the moment I saw the look on his face, I knew he’d seen Storm talking to me. Goblin made my heart flutter, especially since all I could think of was the hours and hours we’d spent naked together, but he also intimidated me when he looked like he did right now. He had his caveman aura switched on.

“Was he botherin’ you?” he asked, his eyes dark with anger.

I grabbed a cloth and started wiping down the bar for something to keep my hands occupied. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“What did he say to you?” He sounded pissed.

“Hamish, just leave it alone. It’s not worth the energy.”

His eyes narrowed, and I knew I’d have more luck talking to a brick wall.

“
Hamish
.”

“It’s worth it,” he said tightly. “I don’t want him comin’ near you.”

“Let’s get one thing clear, Hamish McBride,” I snapped. “I do not need you to fight all of my battles. I’m quite capable of telling that asshole where to go, which is what I just did.”

“What did he do to you?”

“
Don’t.
”

“What did he do to you?” he asked more firmly.

“I walked in on him having an orgy with three women,” I said, throwing my hands into the air in frustration. “I walked in, and they didn’t even stop. He didn’t even… He…
Are you fucking happy?
”

Hamish stared at me, his eyes wide. “He did that to you?”

My lips thinned as I began wiping down the bar again.

“Did he…” He closed his mouth and bowed his head.

“I told him where to stick it, so you can just leave it alone.”

“I taught him a lesson once,” he said, glancing at me. “If he came back here, he obviously didn’t listen.”

“Hamish, please just leave it alone.”

He shook his head. “You know I can’t do that. Not now that we’re…”

“Fucking?”

He snorted and shook his head. “Together.”

Together
. I’d said as much to Storm, but that was just to stop him from sniffing around where he wasn’t wanted. Hearing it from Hamish himself made everything tingle in just the right way.

“Together?” The cloth slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor.

“Why do you think I said that awful shit to you last week?”

I grimaced and shrugged. “Because you were an asshole?”

Hamish sighed and glanced around the bar. People were starting to move back toward us now that the last fight in the cage was over.

“We’ve got to talk about a lot of things,” he said. “But not here. Not like this. Later. I’ve got to talk to that asswipe first.”

“Hamish,” I said with a groan. “Don’t cause a scene.”

He winked and pushed away from the bar, leaving me to glare after him. Cocky bastard. Talk about a mixed bag of emotions all in the space of ten minutes.

As he stalked away, I knew he hadn’t listened to a word I’d said. Not about Storm. I assumed the punch-up that was about to happen out back was going to be spectacular.

It was just another night at The Underground.