Page 14 of Craving the Bad Boy

The door slams shut behind her, and I quickly turn to face Tammy, my heart racing, all my protective instincts flaring. I wrap an arm around her and pull her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t listen to her, Tammy.Ever,” I say firmly. “She’s just a crazy short-term ex. I’m sure you’ve had one of those before.”

Tammy shakes her head. “I’ve never had an ex before,” she replies. “Remember?”

I sigh a deep breath and softly laugh, shaking my head at myself. “Of course I remember. How could I ever forget that I was your first and only?”

Tammy looks up at me, her eyes filled with obvious uncertainty. I have to make her understand that Roxy means nothing to me. I’ve finally found a girl I actually want to be with and can open up to. I can’t let anything screw that up.

“I’msosorry,” I tell her, searching her eyes for any sign that she might be starting to have misgivings about me. “Youare mine, Tammy. She’s just jealous and wants to screw things up for us. We can’t let her. Okay?”

Tammy nods, and I run my hands gently through her hair, awestruck by her pure, innocent beauty.

“Okay” is all she says. I want to push it, but I don’t. That could just end up making things worse. And all I want right now is for her to trust me. Roxy can try her hardest to tear us apart, but Tammy is mine now. And nothing is going to change that.

7

TAMMY

I siton the edge of my couch, drumming my fingers on the cushions as an absurd amount of anxiety continues to boil up inside me. Saxon said he was coming over, but he’s already ten minutes late, and every second that ticks by feels like an eternity. I haven’t even heard his bike pull up outside, but it’s like I can still somehow feel his presence…watching, listening.

I want him here desperately, just like I’ve wanted him ever since the first time he walked into Jayne’s and set his fierce eyes on me. He made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. But now that it’s my day off, and I’m alone with my thoughts, the doubts have started to creep in.

The way Roxy looked at me. Told me I would never fit into his world.

Visions of my father. The way he used to slap me, hit me.

Is this thing between me and Saxon just a big mistake on my part? Just another man waiting for his chance to hurt me? My heart is really starting to race when I finally hear the heavy rumble of his bike as he pulls up out front. I scurry to the window and look out as he stands and walks to the door. He’s like a star at the center of a solar system. Everything just seems to orbit around him.

His heavy boots thud up the stairs as he comes up to my unit. I go to the door, but before I can reach for the handle, it opens inward, revealing his enormous frame that fills the doorway.

A warm shiver runs through me as his eyes lock on to me, lingering between my thighs as I try to pretend I’m not totally checking him out too.

His T-shirt is torn, revealing the sculpted lines of his massive chest muscles. I can’t picture Saxon in a gym working out. It just doesn’t seem like his style. No, he’s just naturally this jacked and this sexy. I wonder if he has any idea the effect he has on me.

I bet he does.

“Hi, Tammy.” He speaks my name like it’s sacred, and a knot tightens in my chest, forcing me to inhale deeply and try to keep my heart rate down.

I want to throw myself into his arms, but I freeze. Something about Saxon makes me feel blissfully alive, but also terrified. Whenever we’re together, the rest of the world no longer matters. It’s like only the two of us exist.

And that scares me.

I’ve never felt like this about a guy before.

“Hi, Saxon,” I reply, an obvious quiver in my voice. He closes the door behind him and slowly steps into the room. I can almost feel the distance between us closing with every step he takes, his eyes searching my face like he’s trying to read my mind.

What is he looking for?

“You all right?” he asks tenderly–more tender than a man with his image should be capable of. “You look nervous.”

I nod, ashamed. “I am. I’m sorry.”

He cocks his head to the side, his lips twisting into a gentle smile. “Why are you nervous, Tammy?” He’s right up on me now. “You know I’ve seen you naked.”

A snort of a laugh chokes its way out of my throat, embarrassing the hell out of me. “Yeah.” I nod. “I do know.”

He eyes me like he’s not sure what I’m going to do. Like he’s giving me a chance to make a dash for it. I bite my lower lip and look up to him. Despite our differences, I’m so drawn to him. Maybe our differences is why I’m drawn to him. The rough yet tender man standing in my apartment simply fascinates me.

But what if I fall too hard?

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