“Fuck,” I hissed. How could Storm let her come? Or maybe he didn’t know. I wouldn’t put it past that defiant redhead to keep her plans secret. Why wasn’t she at school?
“Fuentes!” a DO shouted from the door.
Ryder lifted his chin. “Enjoy your visit.”
I muttered curse words as I made my way inside. I could refuse to see her, but I wouldn’t. She had to be here for a good reason. I wanted to know what was so important she felt the need to come to the county jail.
Like when Storm came, I was seated in a room and reminded of the rules. It didn’t take long before the door opened behind me. I smelled her before I saw her… Strawberries and vanilla.
“Fifteen minutes,” the DO gritted out.
“Thank you,” Tara sat in front of me. Her red hair framed her face, drawing my eyes to hers. I had to control my hands from reaching across the table to touch her silky locks. My gaze dropped to her tempting rosy lips. Then up to those big, chocolate doe-eyes fixed on me.
“How are you?” Her voice was a little raspy and a lot sexy.
Everything about her made me happy. Filled me with warmth and peace. But she couldn’t know how much I wanted her. Needed her. Would die for her.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed as if I were pissed so she’d know this wasn’t a fucking social call.
“I—”
“You shouldn’t have come here.”
“But—”
“Does Storm know you’re here? Shouldn’t you be at school?”
“Well, it’s—”
“Spit it out,” I growled like an asshole, covering up how happy I was to see her. “Tell me what you’re doing here, Roja?”
“If you’d shut your damn mouth for one fricking minute instead of trying to intimidate me, I’ll tell you!” Her face turned red. The way her lip snarled gave me an instant boner.
“You gonna be quiet, big guy?”
I grunted, narrowing my eyes. I loved when she called me,big guy. I shouldn’t, but it made me feel powerful like a goddamned king.
“Good.” She exhaled an exasperated breath. The fire she’d exhibited faded as she fidgeted with her nails.
I didn’t push her as I drank in her fair skin and the mouth I dreamed about every night. Her full lips had branded my cock. Ruining me for any other woman. When she’d told me she had never sucked so much cock before, I’d have sold my soul to the Devil just to rewind time. I wanted to relive every detail of that night I was drunk after AJ’s funeral and burn it into memory.
Well, I didn’t have to go as far as selling my soul. Roja had loved on my dick several times before I’d left on the run to Canada. I fought a shiver, remembering every touch, kiss, word she’d given me. I’d keep those memories forever in my heart.
“Shit… Now I don’t know why I came here.” She teared up and rapidly blinked her emotions away. “Why didn’t you come back after the run? You told me to stay in your room.”
“I did and you left.”
“Christ, Hero. You didn’t even send me a piddly text. After everything we went through together. After we spent that Sunday together. I thought I meant more to you, but I was just sex.”
I reached for her hand and laced our fingers together, not caring if I’d get in trouble. “You weren’t just sex, Roja.” I couldn’t tell her she meant everything to me. Made me feel whole again. How each time I saw her, my heart thumped and fluttered like it had when I was a young, married dude. But having those feelings for another woman terrified me.
I’d had an awakening with Tara. Flickers of love had sparked inside me.
Then guilt choked me.
Instead of emotionless sex as I had with the kittens, I had opened myself up to Tara. Let her claim my soul with a passion I’d never experienced before. Not even with my wife. My Roja held nothing back when we were together. The woman didn’t have a modest bone in her body. She gave me hell with her smartass mouth one second, then whispered the sweetest words.
“Then why?” A tear rolled down her stunned face. It cut me deep.