Page 17 of Snagged By Hook

“I appreciate what you’re offering, I really do, but I can’t, I mean I won’t sleep with you for a place to stay. Just take us back, and I’ll figure it out. I always do.”

Before he could put her mind at ease, June came barreling into him. She murmured her apologies before skirting aroundhim to go to her mom. “Thank you, Mommy.” She wrapped herself around Nova, and it did funny things to his stomach.

“For what, June Bug?”

“For saying yes to Jeremy.”

Hook watched tears pool in Nova’s eyes. When she lifted her watery gaze to him, he saw it in the glittering brown—resignation. She was willing to sleep with him to make her daughter happy.

The hell she would.

Hook was without a doubt wildly attracted to her. He damn sure wanted to fuck her, but not for any other reason than mutual desire. If she happened to be totally enamored with him at the time, so much so she begged, all the better.

Like all kids, Flower was oblivious to the tension in the room. “I’m hungry,” she announced.

“Why don’t you check out the fridge and see what you want, and I’ll cook up something for you as soon as I show your mom where she’s sleeping?”

June ran to the kitchen, and Nova followed him to the bedroom. “Okay,” she said once they were in his bedroom.

Depositing her bag on the bed, he turned.

There was no need to ask,okay,what?He knew. While most of his brain told him to clear up the misunderstanding, one part of his brain—a tiny, but very loud part—said to steal a kiss first.

Hook stepped into her personal space without words, cupped her cheeks, and caressed her lips with a thumb as he turned her face up toward his. He bent ever so slowly before fitting his lips to hers. At first, she seemed too stunned to respond, but when he licked the seam of her lips, her hands latched onto his neck, and she took the kiss to the next level.

Before long, he pulled away when what he really wanted to do was back them up to the bed and fall onto it.

Looking deep into her sensual chocolate eyes, he almost gave in to that desire. “Nova, when you sleep with me, it will not be with gratitude. It’ll be because you want to. Hopefully, need to with an intensity that will curl both our toes.”

“But…” She shifted her eyes to the bed and back to him.

Fuck if she wasn’t beautiful. This close, he could see the warmth in the eyes he’d previously thought were almost black. Her full lips were wet from their kiss. He didn’t fight the urge to lick them but allowed himself nothing more. He’d already exploited one kiss; he would do no worse.

“Buuut…” he said, mimicking her. “I planned to stay at the clubhouse until we’ve got your living and auto situation ironed out or until you invite me to stay with you. ’Til then, the club’ll make sure you get to work, June gets to school, and someone’ll be here to watch her during your shift at the bar. I promise I won’t touch you until you beg me to. Now, let’s go throw together some dinner so we can get you to work.”

Hook left her with her mouth agape to go see what June chose to eat.

NOVA

When Brent had left her with nothing, or the many times during her marriage he’d cheated on her or was disinterested in his own child, she wondered who she’d pissed off in a former life.

But after Hook towed her car weeks ago, she found herself wondering who she’d blown in a former life to be so lucky as to apply for a job at the local music venue on a fluke. A fluke which led to Hook.

When her electricity had gotten shut off, she was already down to one job. She had gotten June to school that next day and made it to work on time. She’d planned to swing by after her shift and leverage the fact she was gainfully employed to beg them to turn it back on. That did not go as planned because she had been downsized right out of employment by lunchtime.

Leaving work that day, she’d been basically doing a bad impersonation of an eighties song—she was drivin’ and cryin’, while wondering how she would bathe her daughter that night. That was when she happened to pass the bar and see a help wanted sign in the window.

She took it as a sign. Not a literal one, but a metaphorical one, because who hired that way anymore? Most businessesshe’d asked about a position available in the three hours since she’d been let go told her to go online. Well, the internet had been the first thing that she’d budgeted out, so…

The spur-of-the-moment decision to pull into the bar led her to a job. That job led her to the Bastards, which led her to the Hook, which led her to a place to stay and a car to drive.

Hook had been her savior; she’d completely misjudged that particular book by its cover. Other than his comments and the kiss the day she’d moved into his place, he’d been a perfect gentleman. Well, that was a bit of an overstatement. He’d given her looks and winks, but he never lingered long after she got off work. And when he did, it had been like old friends hanging out and watching a movie with her daughter. Not to mention, June thought he hung the moon. She had to admit, if only to herself, he looked at June the same way.

Maybe, just maybe, she was starting to look at him that way too.

That’s why as soon as she’d cashed her most recent paycheck, she swung by for his favorite pizza. According to Croon, that was a pineapple, anchovies, and onions with a heavy garlic crust from Lil’ Tommy’s. Good thing it was open late. She cringed at the thought of salty fish with garlic and onions. Thank God she wasn’t making out with him, or that would be a mood killer for sure.

That voice inside her, one that was apparently sex-starved, pointed out that he owned a toothbrush and mouthwash. The logical part of her argued that she didn’t want to make out with him. Horny her stage-whispered in her brain,she doth protest too much.

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