Page 30 of Out of the Shadows
I had learned over the years to be proud of my body and what it could do, but it was hard to let go of old habits. Hailey stood there in skin-tight black yoga pants and a loose crop top that exposed her tanned flat stomach, looking good enough to eat.
Even if I’d been hungry instead of consumed by anxiety, that feeling would have been eclipsed by the spikes of lust and the fire burning in my core. Thank fuck I always wore loose clothes anyway, otherwise this could’ve been rather embarrassing for me.
Out of habit, I stuffed my hands into my pockets and rolled my shoulders forward, but her words from our first meeting echoed in my mind, and I readjusted my posture, straightening to my full height.Was that a smile of satisfaction that played on the corner of her lips?
I stopped about a foot away from of her, the uncertainty melting away in an instant, as if Hailey was a fucking inferno only I could feel. Last year, I’d let my insecurities get the better of me, let them take control, and I would not let them fuck me this time. My chance was right there in front of me, and I made the conscious decision to take it. It would have to be ripped from my cold, dead hands before I ever let it go.
With a confidence I didn’t know I possessed, my fingers speared into her hair, cupping the back of her head to tilt her chin up, and I slammed my lips down on hers with urgency.
A surprised moan escaped her lips, and I swallowed it, consumed it, wanting all of her: every sound, every touch, every little movement. Breathless, I tore myself away from her, still leaning over her as if I wanted to devour her very flesh, and whispered softly, “Hey.”
“Hey,” she said, panting. I liked that. I liked her breathless, liked thatIcaused it.
“Ready?” I asked, grasping her hand as she nodded and intertwined our fingers. Soft and calloused. “Then let’s head inside before the other idiots show up.”
Without protest, Hailey let me lead her into the diner, and emboldened by her not breaking the connection and stroking my hand with her thumb, I found myself enjoying the looks we got for the first time.
Yeah, that’s right, motherfuckers, she’s here with me — and if it were up to me, she’d go nowhere without me again. We sat in a crescent-shaped booth, and since no one else was here yet, we slid right into the middle.
Although there was more than enough room to keep some distance between us, Hailey scooted until our thighs were pressed together and our arms brushed every time we moved. This proximity triggered a split reaction within me.
One side of me was preening like a peacock at the idea that shewantedto be this close. The other side was hoping she wouldn’t notice the sweat collecting on my lower back or the fact I was once again half hard. Every time we touched, it felt like being zapped with jolts of electricity.
“This place is really nice!” She looked around, evident delight on her face, and my mouth dried up to where, as so often, I couldn’t get a word out. I licked my lips and …Was it my imagination, or did her eyes linger on the movement?
“Yeah, we come here a lot,” I finally choked out, distracted by the way strands of her hair tickled my skin. Before I could make a bigger fool of myself, the door burst open and the whole pack poured inside.
“See, I told you he’s already here,” Asher called. It was usually just him, Jax, and Hunter I hung out with on a regular basis, but I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Knox and Nico stroll in behind him.
I guess their curiosity had gotten the better of them. Hailey stiffened next to me for a fraction of a second, almost imperceptibly. Whatever the cause of her initial reaction seemed to have vanished, or she hid her emotions well.
They were making their way over to us, and I realized we would have a problem. This was the biggest table they had in here, and it would have been big enough for our normal group. However, with two extras who were anything but small, plus Hailey, I had no idea how we would all fit at this table.
I seemed to be the only one who had noticed the issue as Hunter, Asher, and Knox slid into the booth without a second thought. It was only when Nico and Jax tried to sit down that they realized there was a problem. They stood facing the table, looked around the crowded room, and came to the same conclusion as me.
“Fuck,” Jax said as he brushed his long still-damp strands back from his face and tied it into a bun with quick, practiced movements. “Doesn’t look like they have any free chairs for us to grab.”
Hunter studied the menu nonchalantly, even though we both knew he would order the same thing he always did.
I leaned back with my arms crossed as Asher snapped andpointed in my direction. “Grab your girl, Michaels. You can be her seat, problem solved.”
I fumbled for words, sputtering because even the thought of it was driving me to the brink of insanity, but before I knew what was happening, Hailey was taking matters into her own hands.
“Oh yeah, sure. No problem,” she said before she tapped my thigh. She gave me an encouraging look, and even though I knew better, I couldn’t resist. My balls would besoblue after this.
I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto my lap. Bliss and agony coursed through me in equal measure. I had no idea if I’d manage to eat a single bite, distracted as I was, but this felt too good. Tooright.
With the curve of her ass pressed against my hips, I wrapped one hand around her middle while the other rested on her thigh, and the coconut scent of her hair permeated my nose.
“Comfortable enough?” she asked as the others finally sat down.
“Yup,” I stated, a little choked up, hoping she wouldn’t notice.
On the other hand, she would no doubt soon notice that my cock was delighted to feel her so close, so perhaps it didn’t matter. The others all ordered, and I rejoiced a little too soon, thinking that maybe it would be a regular dinner.
But as soon as they had placed their orders, and our waitress, who was shamelessly flirting with Jax, had left, the grilling began.
“So, Hailey … you and our boy Colt here?” Asher smirked and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
