Too Hard to Break (8 page)

“Or what? What the hell could you possibly do to me that you
haven’t already done, huh? You gonna beat me up? You gonna bruise my face? Come
on, motherfucker. You think you’re so fucking tough? Come on!”

I put up my fists and set my feet apart as if bracing to
fight. The shock on his face almost made me laugh. I’d only stood up to him
once and that had been the last time before I’d left. But the past few months
with Hank had been too wonderful, too hard-earned for me to let them go so
easily. I didn’t deserve to be hurt by this asshole and I knew that now. It was
time he realized it too.

“You can’t be fucking serious. You can’t fight me, Elle.”

“No? Why not? You seem to think it’s okay to hit me. Why the
fuck can’t I hit you back?”

He took a step back and ran both hands through his hair,
frustration clear on his face. “It’s not like that anymore. I don’t want to do
this. I just…I just want to talk to you.”

“Then talk, but it isn’t going to make a difference. I’m
never going back to you.”

He dropped his arms and glared at me. “Because of that
asshole Hank.”

“No. Because of me. Because I deserve better than you’ve
ever treated me. Because you killed any love I ever had for you and I don’t
even like you anymore. It’s over, Declan. Get over it and move on.”

As understanding and acceptance seemed to show on his face a
police siren pierced the night air. I looked past him to the restaurant and
finally noticed there was a crowd mulling outside. We were at the back and
could only see the side of the building. All the excitement seemed to be at the
front.

“But I still want you, Elle,” Declan whined. “I still need
you.”

“For what? What could you possibly need me for when you
barely paid any attention to me in the first place?”

He didn’t seem to notice the siren or the commotion
happening a few yards away. I decided to keep him talking and distracted.

“I love you,” he said. “I know I lose control sometimes but
that’s ’cause you just know how to drive me crazy.”

My attention snapped back to him at those words and I closed
the distance without even realizing it. I slapped him hard across the face. He
wasn’t expecting it and fell against his car.

“Ow! What the fuck?”

“That’s for lying about loving me, because if you did you
would never hurt me.”

I moved in while he was still gaping and kicked him squarely
between the legs. He dropped to his knees with a high-pitched shriek.

“And
that
is for blaming
me
! It’s not my fault
you hit me, god damn it. It was never my fault.”

I burst into tears and fell on him with the years of pain
and fear fueling my rage. I started hitting him on the back, head, legs,
wherever I could reach. I was still crying and possibly screaming. I lost
complete control until a pair of strong hands firmly grasped my shoulders and
pulled me off.

“Here! They’re over here!”

I turned into Hank’s embrace as he waved a police officer
over before tightening both arms around me.

“Ma’am, are you all right?”

I nodded with my face still buried against Hank’s chest and
he didn’t let go.

“I think she’s all right,” he said. “I think he’s the one
that needs to be checked out.”

I turned my head enough to peek at Declan, who was writhing
on the ground with his hands between his legs. There was blood on his face and
his shirt was ripped. I had no memory of how that happened.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you now. It’s okay,” Hank
whispered.

It took a moment to realize he was trembling and I wasn’t.
As the officer checked on Declan while reading his Miranda rights, a huge
weight lifted from my shoulders.

“I did it,” I whispered.

“What? What, baby?”

I looked up at Hank, surprised to see moisture in his eyes.
I wiped it away with both hands and he turned his head to kiss one palm.

“I did it,” I repeated. “I beat him up. He didn’t hurt me
this time.”

Hank smiled weakly before pulling me against his chest
again. I wasn’t sure if the quake through his body was a laugh or a sob. “You
sure did. I have a feeling he won’t be bothering you anymore.”

I sighed in relief and melted against him just as my name
was yelled in Megan’s familiar voice.

* * * * *

We eventually got our pizza but took it home to eat in
private. Megan insisted on sitting next to me in Hank’s truck so he followed
Sean to their house to drop her off. I wasn’t sure she was going to let me go
even then. We shared a few minutes of tears before Sean finally pulled her off
me so Hank could take me home. I expected us both to have nightmares for a
while.

It turned out not everyone in the restaurant had been
oblivious. While Megan was yelling at Declan’s friends, an observant waitress
had dialed 9-1-1. She then grabbed the fire extinguisher and threatened the
thugs until they left Megan alone. A couple of guys at a nearby table had
jumped up to help her and Declan’s friends ran off. Hank and Sean finally
walked up about that same time and she told them what had happened. They
immediately ran out the front door. Once the cops arrived, Megan was finally
able to tell them I had been dragged out the back and Hank was the first to
make it around the building. If Declan hadn’t already been on the ground, Hank
probably would have killed him.

I shuddered at the thought and glanced at him from my perch
on the sofa. He had insisted on doing everything since the moment we walked
through the door. I waited patiently as he got plates and two glasses of wine
to go with our pizza.

“Here you go,” he said, handing over my glass.

I immediately took a sip as he put a plate of pizza in front
of me on the coffee table. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. How are you feeling?”

I set the glass down and picked up the plate. “Not bad. Just
hungry.”

He grunted in what I took to be agreement before getting his
own plate of pizza. We sat side by side, close enough to touch on the huge
sectional, which took up most of his living room. It was kind of funny. Like
Megan, he didn’t seem to want to wander too far away from me. I caught him
glancing at me from the corner of my eye as we ate.

I had two slices and finished a full glass of wine before
finally sitting back with a sigh. My hands rested on my belly until he took one
between his.

“I told the officer you would press charges for attempted
kidnapping. He was going to try to find other charges too but we have to go
downtown tomorrow morning.

I nodded and watched his fingers as he ran them over the
back of my hand.

“If you decide not to press charges—”

“That won’t happen,” I said. “I’m definitely pressing
charges and filing another restraining order if I have to.”

He nodded and kissed my hand. “Good. That’s good to hear.”

“I’m sorry this is such a mess.”

“No, don’t apologize. I already told you about that.
Declan’s actions are not your fault.”

I nodded and for the first time I really believed the words
I was agreeing to. “I know. I think I told him that.”

“Told him what, baby?”

“That it wasn’t my fault. It’s kind of hazy, but at the
end…I think I told him it wasn’t my fault.”

He smiled and kissed my lips. “I thought I heard you yelling
something like that but I was more concerned with keeping you from killing him.
He’s definitely not worth jail time.”

“Definitely not.”

He kissed me again and I moaned into his mouth.

“So…you okay now?” he asked.

I shook my head and kicked off my shoes. “Not really. I
think I need more than just one kiss.”

He grinned. “That was two, baby. But I’m more than happy to
give you more.”

“Okay,” I whispered against his lips.

He released my hand and I wrapped both arms around his neck,
pulling him on top of me. His hard chest pressed into my breasts and my nipples
peaked at the contact. This was what I’d been wanting. I felt as if I’d waited
my whole life for this man. He’d given me a taste all those months ago in
Declan’s apartment when he found me packing. Poor Megan had walked in and guilt
had stopped me from ever trying to start it back up. But that small taste of
passion had shown me what had been missing from my relationship with Declan.
Not only care and understanding, but passion and pure unadulterated
need
.
I had never felt needed by Declan and certainly never needed him like I did
Hank in that moment.

“Wait,” I panted. “Hang on.”

He pulled back and I pressed both hands against his chest
until he sat back with a groan. I barely gave him time to miss me before
straddling his lap.

“Oh yeah,” I said. “That’s better.”

He grinned and ran his hands up and down my sides. “Yeah,
definitely.”

This time
I
kissed
him
. I leaned forward
slowly, rubbing my breasts against his hard muscles until he groaned again.
Then I started at his forehead and, working my way down, pressed light kisses
against his warm skin. He remained passive beneath me and let me have my way,
just as he had the first time I’d found myself in a compromising position with
him. I thought back to Declan’s bedroom when I’d been frantically packing and
Hank had walked in.

“Baby? What’s wrong?” he asked.

I startled and looked down into his piercing hazel eyes,
realizing I had stopped kissing him while lost in the memory of kissing him.
Only me.

“Nothing. Sorry.”

I smiled and lightly bit his lower lip before making my way
down his jaw with small bites. He squeezed my hips and pulled them down to meet
his, giving me no doubt he was very aroused.

“I want to make love to you,” he whispered.

“Yes…”

I found a spot on his neck to taste and sucked it between my
lips. I’d never marked a man before—hadn’t ever wanted to—but I wanted to see
evidence of our passion on his skin. He didn’t seem to mind as he held me
tighter, with both hands pressing into my back.

“Now, Elle…I want to make love to you
now
.”

I bit down lightly on a spot just beneath his collar and
sucked the skin until it warmed in my mouth.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he slid his hands down to my ass. “I
can’t take much more, baby. I need you so bad.”

I released his skin and kissed my way back to his mouth,
plunging my tongue in deep. He sucked on it and thrust his hips up harder,
hitting my core with delicious friction.

“Yes…yes, okay,” I panted.

Without another word he stood. Unsteadily at first with me
in his arms, then with a little more confidence as I hugged his neck. I clung
to him as he made his way through the house and to the master bedroom.

His room was nothing new to me. I entered it at least once a
week to put away his clothes, even though he swore I didn’t have to do laundry.
Being carried into the room in his arms was so different from slipping in
quietly while it was empty. The cocoon of his masculine presence left me
feeling protected and free. For the first time in a very long time sex wasn’t a
chore or duty to get over with as quickly as possible. I pushed thoughts of
every other time I’d been touched out of my mind and concentrated solely on
him.

“I love you, Hank.”

His perfect lips split into a knee-melting grin as he placed
me on the bed. He didn’t let go right away, but leaned over to press a chaste
kiss to my lips. “I love you too, Elle.”

The sincerity in his gaze warmed me from the inside out and
I didn’t protest when he stood. He pulled his shirt off in one swift tug and
went to work on his boots. I sat up and pulled off my tennis shoes and socks,
tossing them onto the floor beside his clothes. When I grabbed the hem of my
shirt he stopped me.

“Whoa, now. Not so fast. I get to do the rest.”

I raised one brow in challenge and leaned back on my elbows.
“Oh yeah? Says who?”

He unbuttoned his jeans and lowered the zipper, momentarily
frying every cell in my brain. “It’s my room so what I say goes. At least…the
first time.”

A giggle escaped my throat and I gave a slow nod as he slid
his jeans to the floor.

“Okay, I’ll let you go first.” His boxer briefs tented
enticingly forward, arresting my gaze until he sat at my side.

“First things first,” he said. “Gotta get rid of these
shorts. Lay down, baby.”

I settled onto my back and held my hips off the bed as he
slipped my shorts off. He left my panties alone and slid my shirt up over my
breasts.

“Mmm, I like black lace.”

Suddenly I was nervous and laughed to hide it. He kissed my
belly, which only made me laugh more.

“Aha, I found a ticklish spot.”

“Oh my god, no! Don’t you dare.”

Of course that’s exactly what he did.

Sex with Declan and the one other guy before him had started
out as an experiment and turned into a chore. Never in my life had I had
fun
while naked. I knew for a fact I’d never laughed like I did beneath Hank’s
fingers. He was laughing right along with me as I tried to reach his sides and
only succeeded in exposing more of my body to him.

“S-stop…oh go…stop…”

I finally slipped away from him and rolled to the edge of
the bed. I would have gone straight over the side if he hadn’t grabbed the back
of my shirt.

“Whoa!”

We wound up laughing and panting in the center of the bed,
me cradled securely in his strong arms.

“Damn, baby. I almost lost you there.”

Another small laugh escaped as I looked up at him.
“N-no…never. I’m yours.”

The amusement melted from his expression and he gently
brushed the hair off my face. “Yeah? Promise?”

“Yeah. I promise.”

“Then marry me.”

Shock twisted my tongue and I simply gaped for probably a
full minute. He frowned and shook his head as if I’d answered.