Thicker Than Blood (Thicker Than Blood #1)(81)

“That’s four,” I said, grinning back. Or was it three?

“Four what?” he asked, and I shrugged.

“Never mind.”





Chapter Thirty-Two



Evelyn

“So you want to trade, do you, Wildcat?” he asked, his tone languid yet laced with amusement. Leaning back against a brick wall, the man crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes dropped from my face to the can I held, then back up to my face again.

We both knew we weren’t talking about food. This was so much more than a simple trade; this was me doing what I’d always done to wash away the pain, the stress, the never-ending disappointments. Using my body, letting others use it as well, to fill the hole, to ease the ache. It was all I’d known for so long now, and I found myself easily slipping back into that role, like an old friend I hadn’t seen in some time.

Hey there, how’ve you been? It’s been too long, I’ve missed you. Let’s lose a little more dignity, shall we?

People, like Leisel, thought of me as strong. Brave. Fearless, even. But the truth was that I was just as weak and as f*cked up as she was. Maybe even more so.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

He smiled slowly, his dark gaze running over me with lustful appreciation, blatant and suffocating.

“Does it matter?” he asked. “How about you call me whatever you want, Wildcat.”

Although he was still standing there, his muscular arms folded over his large chest as he smirked at me, his answer almost seemed defensive. Which was ridiculous, that this big hunk of man would feel the need to hide any part of himself from a silly little woman like me.

I rolled my eyes, feigning confidence. “How about I call you whatever your mama named you?”

“All right.” He laughed, a deep, throaty bark that sent chills up and down my arms. “They call me E around here.”

I frowned. “They?”

He nodded, still smirking. “They,” he confirmed, without further elaboration as to who the elusive they was.

“They call you E?” I asked, forcing myself to smirk as well. “Seems kind of strange to me. Do they not like you very much?”

“Not really,” he said. “Not that I give a f*ck who likes me or not.”

I paused, thinking through my answer before replying. “So, what’s your real name?”

“Too many questions,” he said, sounding almost irritated. “Why the f*ck does my name even matter to you?”

I shrugged, not sure myself why it mattered, or why I’d even asked to begin with. It was just that I’d always asked my sexual partners’ names first; it was the only thing I ever asked. Somehow it made the act seem less cheap, made me feel less cheap.

“What’s your real name?” I asked again stubbornly, needing to know it before I went any further with this.

He studied me for a moment, his lids somewhat shuttered, before letting out a throaty, annoyed growl. “My name is Adler,” he finally said. “It means eagle in German, and they call me E for short. We done with the questions now, Wildcat?”

He didn’t wait for my answer. Already pushing himself away from the wall, he landed his hands on my waist and squeezed. His touch, the feel of his big, warm hands on my body, sent a jolt of sexual energy sizzling through me. Lifting them, he rubbed his thumbs against the underside of my breasts while his fingers dug painfully into the skin on my back.

Releasing a breath, I allowed my body to relax, telling myself this is exactly what I needed. Once I did this, I’d feel better, less empty. I’d always felt better after being with Jami. He’d taken away the bad, replacing it with something infinitely preferable—not good, but better than bad.

But E wasn’t Jami, and he certainly wasn’t Shawn. They’d been good men, kind men, and E was the exact opposite of good or kind. This was dangerous ground I was treading, not knowing E or anything about him, but his hands that were now traveling down my body sent my heart rate skyrocketing.

Like a drug addict who’d been offered a fix, I couldn’t resist him. The lure of what he could do for me was too strong; I knew he would numb the unwanted feelings, even if for just a little while.

Spinning me around, reversing our places, he slammed me hard up against the wall. I was reminded of Jami once again, how he’d always done something similar, and a pang of sadness rattled through me.

Because Jami was gone. Shawn was gone. And Leisel blamed me for everything.

It was just me now.

E’s mouth had found my neck, trailing hot, wet kisses across my throat and up my chin until his lips finally met mine. Coarse, bushy facial hair tickled against my cheeks while he pushed my lips apart, his tongue slipping inside my mouth. I still couldn’t bring myself to touch him, yet he didn’t seem to mind. Groping me harshly with experienced hands, he kissed me hard, full of eager tongue and nipping teeth.

“I won’t be gentle, Wildcat,” he said as he pulled away for a moment, his words as rough and threatening as his hands. Then he bit down on my lip, causing me to gasp while his hands painfully squeezed my breasts, as if to further make his point.

“You’re not gonna like me when I’m done,” he continued. “But you’ll be satisfied.”

Pulling away from me, leaving me breathless and full of wanting, he shrugged out of his faded denim jacket and let it fall to the ground. Then he was back, his hands on my waist, squeezing and kneading me as he brought me flush against his waiting erection and ground his hips against mine.