Chapter Six
"You and I are about to have a fight," he leaned in close and whispered against her cheek.
"About what?" she wondered under her breath.
He sat down in the sand and pulled her atop him and they landed somewhat awkwardly, but in the general position he intended. He was on his back and she straddled him. She was still finding her balance when he kissed her hard.
She pushed him away and whispered, "what the hell are you doing?" through clenched teeth. Her eyes were full of fury and fire.
"I want you to hit me," he told her gently.
"What? No!" her response was loud enough to draw the subject's attention.
Charlie grabbed her by both arms and pulled her tightly against his chest. "You need to hit me. Do it now," he said in a conspiratorial tone. He watched her struggle with what he asked. He knew in those moments that as tough as Dani Reese pretended to be she'd never hurt him intentionally. He'd have to make her.
He framed her face and kissed her again. It was a fierce, brutal kiss. He tasted her shock. She pushed against him to escape but he held her tight and continued. She struggled hard but he was far stronger than his smaller partner and she could not escape his grip. Then suddenly she stopped fighting and he felt something in her change. He no longer tasted shock, but registered instead desire.
The kiss twisted and was suddenly something neither expected. He eased and for just a moment he was just kissing her, not pretending something as a ploy. His tongue teased and she permitted him entry. He released her arms and ran his hands down to her buttocks and pulled her fully into his tight waist and obviously aroused manhood. He could have sworn she moaned and then she was gone.
Both her hands were on his chest and her eyes were nearly black with something that looked an awful lot like lust. He thought for a moment she was going to disrobe and jump him right there on that beach and he wouldn't have stopped her. Instead she drew back and hit him as hard as she could. Her fist made a loud smack as it impacted his pale cheek and he tasted blood in his mouth.
She climbed off him and stalked away through the heavy sand.
He rolled onto his side, watching her leave and completed the show, laughing loudly…."Come on baby, don't go away mad."
She looked over her shoulder and her eyes registered pure hatred and fury. He lay back on the sand and continued laughing loudly like it was some kind of game he was playing at.
After she was long out of sight and safely away, he stood and began knocking the sand off. He cast a look at the subject who was four beers into his six-pack and staring. "Can I buy one of those off you?" he opened.
The man mutely held up a can. Charlie took it, popped the top and toasted proudly, "To women. Can't live with'em. Can't shoot'em."
The subject began laughing with no sound. His chest heaved but no sound escaped. It was strange, but Crews continued. "She's got a husband, but he doesn't know how to treat her. She needs someone who knows how to treat her – someone who'll show her who's boss. You know what I mean?"
The other man nodded, but wisely stayed mute. Charlie turned and looked away at the almost gun orange orb on the horizon. "You married?" he asked boldly.
"Used to be," the man hiccupped.
"You cheat on her?"
"Uh-uh," he shook his head.
"She cheat on you?" Charlie wheeled as he asked the question.
The man nodded, "bitch was having a go with some biker from a bar near here. She came here where we came, where we met and picked up some guy…" he stopped talking and looked at Charlie hard.
Crews had to think fast or he'd lose the man. "That one?" He gestured in the direction Reese stalked off, "she came looking for trouble."
"Did she find it?" the man asked Charlie.
"Yeah," Crews sneered, "she did. She found me. Why don't I look like trouble?"
"You look like a banker," the man stated flatly.
"Looks isn't always what is," Crews confounded the man by staring directly, "bet you wouldn't have guessed I've killed men."
Mr. Bottled Blonde laughed a wheezing chortle and replied, "no, I'd have figured you more for a hairdresser….or a cop." His eyes were hard and cold. He wasn't stupid. He was testing Crews and watching for a reaction.
"Let me buy you a beer, return the favor," Crews offered and pointed to a neon sign about two hundred yards down the boardwalk behind them.
The man accepted and Crews helped him to his feet and they slogged through the heavy sand. Their path would take them right past the unmarked where he could make out Dani's shape in the driver's seat. He thought about altering course, but he looked up she was gone. Clever girl, he thought. She'd returned to the car and watched and was still watching – his back – even when he didn't deserve it.