Love Me Tonight Read online

  I can hear police sirens in the distance. Time’s up, I guess, since I don’t have enough time to deal with this one anymore. I give the man a death glare, letting him know what will happen to him if he follows us.

  Snatching Stella’s hand, I pull her away from the sidewalk and lead her into dark, narrow alleyways.

  Once we hit the street on the other side, I hail another cab and make sure to get Stella in first while keeping an eye on the alleyway. If any of those shitheels want more, I need to be ready. As soon as she’s safely inside, I jump in and shout my address to the cabbie.

  “Step on it.”

  We tear away, and I look back to see if anyone is tailing us. Not yet. I hope it stays that way.

  Once my adrenaline rush subsides, it suddenly occurs to me what I did.

  Glancing at Stella, I see her smiling to herself, looking out the window while swinging her legs as if she’s sitting on a park bench, relaxing. When she hums a tune, I shake my head. She’s acting as if we weren’t just chased by a trio of hoodlums.

  This is either a normal occurrence and I’m one of the unlucky bastards she’s picked as a scapegoat, or she’s just plain weird.

  I sigh, leaning back in the seat while running my hand over my face. Why am I getting involved with this woman and her problems?

  I don’t know the answer to that but one thing’s for sure: what I’m doing right here is a bad idea.

  Four

  Stella

  I swing my legs gaily while I stare out the cab window. A small smile forms on my face with every block we’ve traveled, and there’s no sign of anyone following us. I finally got rid of them.

  And it’s all thanks to my savior. This guy is a goddamn hero.

  It’s tempting to snort at the cheesiness of it all, but it’s true. I don’t have many options available to me these days. Too many burned bridges and broken hearts. Not out of love - at least not love for anything but money.

  Those guys may be down, but they’ll definitely call the guy up top to report what happened. The bottom line is those guys are still going to look for me and they won’t stop until they get what they want.

  As if I’m giving up a fucking thing! Only if hell freezes over, and I checked the temperature down there. We’re good. In the meantime, having a bodyguard ain’t so bad. Especially one who’s easy on the eyes.

  I catch myself humming under my breath at my luck. Not only did I hit the jackpot by picking a cab with a handsome man in it, but he turned out to be someone who knows how to fight. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen somebody cracking bones like that. At least, anybody on my side.

  It’s tempting to feel safe, but I’ve got a sneaking feeling this guy’s just doing his good deed for the day. Well, he might just earn himself a little reward if I’m feeling generous. And I’m not talking about the stash.

  The cab slows to a stop and I look up the length of a tall building. This must be where Rob’s apartment is.

  “Okay,” the cabbie says, and starts punching the buttons on his meter to ring us out. Sure hope this bruiser next to me carries cash.

  My travel companion grunts in confirmation, leans over, and hands the cabbie some bills. “Keep the change,” he adds gruffly, opening the door on his side and offering me a hand.

  It’s a gentlemanly ass gesture, but I can sense he’s got something in his craw. Our short journey to Rob’s home probably gave him a chance to think about what just happened back there. I have a feeling that he might be regretting helping me out.

  He’s silent as he helps me out of the car, and he’s just as quiet as he leads me inside the building. I bite my lip at his quiet as I follow. After seeing the trouble he’s taken for me, it’s possible he’s having second thoughts about jumping in.

  How can I make it up to him? Lord knows I owe the guy for literally bringing trouble at his door...or cab door. In the end, it was probably unfair of me to use him as my shield.

  The men chasing me offered him his freedom in exchange for me. He could’ve walked away, but he didn’t. He could’ve ignored me, and yet he fought men he’d never seen before to get me out of a jam.

  Though I feel guilty for being such an inconvenience, I really appreciate his help and I’m ever so grateful he’s taking me to his place to keep me safe.

  “Why were those men after you?” he asks out of the blue.

  Well, I wasn’t expecting that, but since I owe him big time, the least I can do is answer his questions. Telling him everything, though...well, that’s a different story.

  I clear my throat as I follow him up the stairs. Does this building really not have a fucking elevator?

  “Well, alright, the truth is I don’t know what they want from me, but I know they’re from the same gang that had a bone to pick with my father,” I tell him as we arrive at one of the floors. We walk a bit before we stop in front of a door. This must be his place.

  He grunts in response as he opens the door and leads me in. I take a step inside his apartment without hesitation, make myself at home, and continue my explanation.

  “They’re chasing me because my father’s gone. Since I’m here and he isn’t, maybe they think they can get what they want from me, a blood relative, or some shit like that. The details are kinda hazy.”

  “So where are you from?”

  Dodge that one.

  “Don’t you have any other family?”

  I’ll be honest, I’m not really listening to what he’s saying. I’m too busy gawking at him now that fear and adrenaline don’t have their blinders on. This guy is fucking gorgeous.

  When I saw him back in the cab, I knew he was handsome. But now that I’m looking at him, like really looking at him, I can tell he’s almost godlike.

  Something catches my eye and I frown, seeing a rip in his shirt. He shifts in place and I gasp when I see a slight discoloration of skin under the rip.

  He’s injured!

  “You’re hurt!” I blurt out and, before he can say anything, I pounce on him.

  “Hey, woah! Stella, what are you doing?!” he demands, but I ignore him.

  I grab his toned arm and make him sit on his couch, his protests and questions falling on deaf ears. Perhaps the best way I can show my appreciation right now is to tend to his injuries. I try to be gentle and careful as I peel his shirt off his body, revealing an acre of sculpted man.

  Holy shit.

  My throat gets drier and drier.

  This guy is racked! I run my hand over his hot skin, half-checking for bruises and half-ogling him.

  Oh, who am I kidding? I do more ogling than checking.

  Rob sucks in a breath and, when I look up, all thoughts of checking for injuries and nursing him back to full health fly right out of the window. All I can see in the depths of his beautiful, brown eyes is desire.

  Fucking hell, do I want this guy.

  Before I can think of my next move, I press myself against him and kiss him hard, just like when we first met in the cab. When he kisses me back, I drop my bag on the floor and I feel Rob take off my coat and throw it to the side.

  All I care about at this moment is Rob. And I want more than just a kiss.

  Five

  Rob

  This is a bad idea. Kissing her is a bad idea. Everything that’s happening right now is a bad idea.

  I repeat those words in my head like a mantra, hoping it can magically deflate the hard on pressing at the front of my jeans. Maybe they’ll even me stop growing even hungrier for her taste. Maybe thinking those words over and over again will convince me that this is a bad idea and that I shouldn’t be getting involved with this woman.

  As I hold her close in my arms, her soft body resting against mine, our lips and tongues locked in a mating dance, I struggle to keep my sanity. Despite the overwhelming feeling of lust coursing through my veins, I still have half a mind to think about my options.

  The right thing to do here is to give her money, if she doesn’t have any, and send her on her way. She�
��ll be far away from her enemies and she won’t be able to cause me any more problems. Even though everything in me seems to protest that thought, my common sense is telling me that that’s the right thing to do.

  I’m not where I want to be yet; things in my life aren’t as stable as they should be. I shouldn’t be responsible for someone other than myself. I shouldn’t be in charge of this woman’s safety…

  Not when I’m so fucked up after seeing so many people die. People I was supposed to take care of. I’ll be damned if Stella’s going to be yet another number in that tally.

  I also have to figure out my shit, discover what this seemingly new world has for me, get a fucking job, and learn to just survive.

  Even though I’m no longer fighting in a war, I still struggle. I prefer living in a world where I know what my purpose is, what’s expected of me, and the risks and consequences I might face. Instead, I feel as if I’m groping my way around in the dark, at the mercy of a new and unfamiliar world.

  Though, at the moment, I’m groping and feeling a lot more.

  I snap myself back into the present. What if they followed us here. I didn’t see anyone tailing us while we were in the cab, but we could still be tracked somehow.

  The thought of anyone trying to find Stella makes me want to crush her in my embrace and keep her safe. If anyone of those goons lays a hand on Stella’s fine skin, blood will be spilled and I’ll make sure that heads will roll.

  I draw back for a second. I don’t know why I’m prepared to kill for this woman, but this must mean that I can no longer deny the attraction I’ve been feeling for her. Maybe, just maybe, I can afford to spend a little more time with her and indulge in a little flirting and kissing.

  Groaning, I dive in again and clutch at the clothes on her back, torn between pulling her closer to me and pushing her away. All the while, my mouth keeps working on hers, my tongue pushing between her succulent lips and sweeping inside her sweet, sweet mouth. I groan again, amazed at how delicious she tastes.

  It’s been so long since I’ve been with a woman and everything I’m feeling with Stella is exponentially more potent than the last memory I can dredge up from my head. There’s just something about her that makes every kiss, every touch...different. So different that I can feel my heart pounding, as if it’s shaking the door to my apartment.

  Bang! Slam! Bang!

  My eyes pop open. Both Stella and I stare at each other for a moment before everything becomes clear. My door’s literally being pounded open by someone outside, and I’ve got a sinking feeling it’s not the landlord.

  “Open up, you son of a bitch. Stella! We know you’re in here and if you don’t want to make everything painful for you and your little bodyguard, you better open this door or we’ll do the fucking honor!”

  The pounding starts again. It’s a shitty door, so they’ll kick through it any second. Shit’s gotta happen, and fast.

  I don’t just think, I act. Snatching Stella’s hand, I shoot up from the couch, pull her toward the windows, and push them open.

  “Quick, get outside before they come in!” I whisper-yell at her urgently.

  She stares at the open window in disbelief before turning on her heel, like she’s about to go back into my apartment. I growl in frustration as I grab her by the arm and stop her in her tracks.

  “What the hell are you doing? Are you just going to hand yourself over to them after all the shit you put me through?!”

  “I need to get my coat!”

  Fucking hell.

  I want to roll my eyes but that’d be rude. How can she think about her coat at a time like this? The men chasing her are just right outside my door and she wants to get her coat? Women.

  I sigh as I bend, scooping her in my arms, ignoring her smacks and her screeching at me to put her down. All I can think about is how those goons are at my apartment right now. They managed to track us down. They mean to take her away from me to who-knows-where to do God-knows-what to her.

  The surge of anger in me is fast and surprising but I don’t have time to dwell on it. What matters is that Stella stays safe.

  After making sure Stella is secure in my hold, I jump out the window and rush down the alleyway connected to the fire exit just as I hear a faint crash from my apartment.

  Without looking back, I run toward the street as fast as I can.

  Six

  Stella

  Are we really just gonna leave my shit behind? If we get out of here and leave my coat and my bag, that’s the fucking end. Game over.

  But we’re already out on the street.

  “I really need my coat and bag right now,” I mindlessly say as I turn around to make sure we aren’t being followed. “Can we go back?”

  “That’s not a good idea, sweetheart,” Rob mutters under his breath.

  “You don’t understand,” I beg, hoping to change his mind. For a second, I feel the need to spill. “Please, we have to go back.”

  “The apartment’s gonna be surrounded. I take it that you don’t want to be on tonight’s six o’clock news,” he replies without looking at me. Our pace quickens as we get to another corner. “Why are you getting worked up over a coat and a bag?”

  I choose not to answer him. Although I’m beginning to formulate a few reasons in my head, the reasons don’t sound convincing. Because it’ll only complicate things and telling him will only give me the reason to involve him further.

  Besides, I can’t trust him just yet.

  “Oh, fuck me,” I whisper to myself. Rob steals a glance at me and I see a smile spread across his face. How could he be thinking of that right now? I feel like I’m going down the drain as I imagine the men with my belongings in their possession.

  “How were they able to find us anyway?”

  The question sounds rhetorical. Only then does it hit me that they could be tracking my phone. I pull the phone out of my pocket, turn it off, and toss it in a large dumpster as we pass it by.

  “That’ll probably stall them,” I announce weakly. Rob watches me toss the phone and pulls his.

  I still can’t seem to compose myself. If they rummage through his apartment and find it, I’m in a lot of trouble. Shit, this chase is giving me motion sickness. Where the hell are we heading anyway?

  “Hey Jamal, it’s me,” Rob greets someone on the other line. “I’m in a little bit of trouble here...”

  Little?

  Rob stops for a second and says, “I need a gun and a car.”

  What did he just say? A gun and car?

  Watching his lips move, I feel an instant attraction. It may be untimely, but I have to admit I’m really beginning to appreciate his efforts. His decisiveness is especially attractive. Does he have an idea how sexy he is right now?

  I need to get my head together. There are bigger things to think about than how sexy he is.

  Why would he take the risk of helping me out? Does he even know what he’s putting himself into? Could it be that he’s willing to save me from this chase without asking for something in return?

  Come to think of it, he seems oddly calm. Anyone in this state wouldn’t act this way.

  “—good, I’m two blocks away. Thanks, bud.” He eyes me while ending the call and stops.

  “A car is fine, but a gun?” I ask him in disbelief. He puts his phone in the back pocket of his jeans and runs a hand through his hair.

  “Do you think those people chasing after you will swing by for a game of golf?” he says sarcastically, but I can’t come up with a good answer. “I guess not.”

  “Okay, fine. But would you care to answer just whose gun and car we’re going to use?” I add. He peeks at the end of the alley and holds my hand gently.

  “We don’t have time to chitchat,” Rob sighs. We pause for a moment as I study his brown eyes full of vigor—I can sense he genuinely wants to help me. “You want to get your stuff back?”

  I curtly nod. Damn, yes! I want them back! It’s now or never.

  �
��Then we better hurry.”

  Without a minute to spare, he gently takes my hand. We’re already on the main street. There are crowds of people minding their own business, thank God. This is a good place to blend in and camouflage ourselves from the gang.

  The walk sign flashes, and we casually cross the street and proceed to hike past a few more buildings.

  We step inside a falafel food stop and Rob bobs his head at the man with a thick moustache behind the counter. The man says something in a language I can’t understand. Rob bobs his head the second time as if acknowledging the man’s words. He’s just full of surprises, isn’t he?

  “Where are we going?” I lightly pull Rob’s shirt.

  Instead of answering, he guides me to the kitchen. There are two more heavyset bruisers who don’t give us a second look. The man close to the metal table keeps mixing and putting more ingredients in a bowl, while the other is expertly cutting the vegetables. Way better than those you see on TV.

  We duck through the back door and head toward a rusted gate. Rob unlatches the lock and opens it wide. I realize that we’re inside a huge storage area with cars in it. Judging the place, it appears to be an auto repair shop. Monkey wrenches, toolbox, screwdrivers, and a bunch of other tools are spread out on the floor.

  Rob pulls the covers on one of the cars and climbs inside it, searching through the compartment box. I hear a sound of a gun cocking before he moves out and tucks something behind his back.

  “We’re all set,” he says, as if ready to wage a war. Is he always this prepared?

  “I’m not even gonna ask where we are, or whose car this is...” I pause. “Why are you helping me?”

  He closes the door and is nose to nose with me in one stride. Shrugging and completely clueless, he says, “I don’t know.”

  “This is ridiculous. You could be one of those guys for all I know,” I cross my arms, uneasy.