Savage Collision: A Hawke Family Novel (Hawke Family #1)(14)

Danika drains the last of the wine from her glass and sets it on the table before looking around the restaurant. I follow her gaze and realize the rest of the place has emptied out; we’re the only table left.

Her eyes meet mine, and that adorable blush races up her neck from her chest. “Damn, I didn’t realize it was so late.”

“I don’t mind.” I smile at her and reach out to take her hand in mine across the table. I gently run my thumb across her knuckles and she shudders, sending quivers down my arm and straight to my already-strained cock.

She bites her bottom lip and glances away. “I hope you don’t have to get up early. I would feel awful keeping you up.”

Christ, if she only knew.

“Actually,” I say, pulling her hand to my mouth and pressing my lips to her knuckles, “I do. I have to catch a plane to San Diego in the morning for my brother’s law school graduation ceremony. It isn’t until next Friday, but my whole family will be flying out for it, and we have a lot planned this week.”

“Oh.” She casts her eyes down, then away again.

Yes!

As horrible as it sounds, I’m pleased to see the disappointment in her eyes at learning I’ll be gone for the next week. That’s a really fucking good sign, the best I can really ask for right now.

I wait for her eyes to return to mine. “But, I would love to see you when I get back. I get in late Friday night, so maybe dinner on Saturday?” I brush my lips over her hand, and she shudders again.

She smiles at me and squeezes my hand gently. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

“Good.” I release her hand and motion for Michael to come over to the table. “Michael, can you please tell Gabe I need him to drive Ms. Eriksson home?”

Gabe usually joins me for dinner on Friday nights, but tonight, he spent his time at the bar talking with Stephanie, one of his go-to girls. I’m sure I’ll be seeing her leave his condo tomorrow morning while I’m on my way to the airport.

Lucky bastard.

Danika glances around in confusion. “Oh no, I can take a cab. I took one here.”

“Please, it’s no trouble at all. I insist. Gabe is already here anyway. This way, I know you got home safely and won’t be worrying about you all night.” The thought of her taking a cab, alone, dressed like that makes my skin crawl. I know exactly what every man who sees her will be thinking; the exact same thing I am. And while I may have some self-control when it comes to Danika, I don’t trust any other man to get within ten feet of her, except Gabe. He may be a player, but he’s also loyal as fuck and would never do anything to interfere with a woman I’m interested in.

Letting out a reluctant sigh, she nods her agreement and stands when Michael returns from speaking with Gabe.

She turns back toward the table and offers me a smile and my heart flip-flops in my chest.

Be careful, Savage. This one will hurt you.

“Goodnight, Savage. Thank you for dinner.” She leans down and kisses me gently on the cheek, her warm breath lingering against my skin before she pulls away. Goosebumps spread down my arms and my already painfully hard dick throbs against my pants.

I want to grab her and yank her down into my lap so I can devour her mouth, but I restrain myself, instead smiling at her, telling her how much I enjoyed our evening with as much composure as I can muster.

I track her progress across the restaurant to the bar, where Michael introduces her to Gabe. He tosses me a wave over his shoulder, and she glances back at me before disappearing out the front door. The moment she vanishes from my sight, my heart sinks and I bite out a curse.

This woman could break me—easily—and I am more than willing to let her.

I lean back in my seat and run my hands through my hair with a groan.

Angelo drops into the seat Danika just vacated and raises his eyebrows. We’ve known each other for years and our post-dinner, closing-time chats have usually been very lighthearted and relaxing. Tonight, the look on his face says this one will be anything but. Probably because she’s the first woman I’ve brought here in over four years.

“What?” I ask before draining my wine glass.

“How did it go?”

Twirling the empty glass in my hand, I give him the play-by-play of the last several hours, including Danika’s slips of the tongue and adorable blushing incidents. “So, great, I guess.”

“You guess?” he asks skeptically. “It sure sounds like it couldn’t have gone better, so what am I missing?”

I let out a deep sigh and place the glass on the table before dropping my face into my hands—anything to avoid looking him in the eye when I tell him. “She doesn’t know.”

I knew she wouldn’t find anything when she researched me. I pay my lawyers a lot of money to keep my personal business out of the papers.

He releases a long breath and whistles before he gives a humorless chuckle. “Then, my friend, you have a major problem.”

Understatement of the fucking year.





I lie in bed staring at the clock on my nightstand, mentally counting back two hours to figure out what time it is in California. 2:00 a.m. here means midnight there.

Fuck. Do I call him?

Not if I don’t want to look desperate.

It’s only been two days since I saw him last.

Calm your tits and give it a little time.