She felt disconcerted under his intense scrutiny. She knew she was undoubtedly blessed in the looks department and had a string of admirers and lovers to show for it but this man made her feel so self-conscious and small. Perhaps, she should have let sleeping dogs lie and not allow Mandy and Jonathan convince her to seek out this man_ not like she needed any propelling, she had been more than happy to. Jonathan had been the one to find out his information because the motel receptionist happened to be a customer and friend. She resisted the urge to tug at her black mini skirt nervously under his scrutiny. She had not had time to change out of the waitress skirt but had swapped the shirt for a tank top that emphasized the ampleness of her breasts. The last time she felt this nervous when she had been summoned by her college disciplinary committee a few years ago for lewd conduct but still it was nothing in comparison to what she was feeling at being intensely scrutinized by this man.

“Is this a bad time Jack? I hate having intruded upon whatever you were doing but from the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like you were doing much.” She fluttered her lashes at him_ another try at a confidence she was slowly in fear of losing.

“How did you know my name?” Elegant shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “Is that supposed to be a secret?” she arched a brow “I asked around. It’s not that big of a deal. I wasn’t stalking you or anything.” She added after he continued to study her in silence

“Of course not.” He replied stonily she sighed even as she felt herself flush from embarrassment “Obviously I was wrong to drop by unannounced and I’m sorry.” She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and took a deep breath. “I’ll take my leave now_ consider the takeout as a peace offering.” She walked towards the door but he didn’t budge from his position against the door forcing her to pause in her tracks. At this moment, hot tears of embarrassment were stinging at the back of her eyes.

“You make this a habit then?” he inquired dispassionately

Claudia blinked “Excuse me?”

“This.” He gestured with the expanse of his palm. “Checking out customers and dropping in on them unannounced or is it just the ones that catch your fancy?”

She swallowed back an angry retort and forced herself to be calm. It was in retrospect, her fault after all. She had thrown caution to the wind_ as always. “I was wrong. I had thought there was something between us but I was wrong.”

“Hmm…” A sardonic smile curved the beautiful lips and despite her anger and embarrassment, she couldn’t help fantasizing about what it’d feel like to have those lips on her_ all over her.

She continued determined on not letting him make her feel small “I’m spontaneous, adventurous, and go for what I want…it’s who I am and…”

“Some would term it wayward.” He cut in laconically pushing himself away from the door but still standing between her and the door. Her cheeks flushed and she was sure if she didn’t leave anytime soon, she’d embarrass herself further by breaking down. She had always prided herself on being someone who didn’t give way to her emotions but this stranger was proving her wrong.

She forced herself to smile but it was a poor caricature of a happy smile_ it was sad. She folded her arms under her breast unconsciously jutting it out. Jack’s gaze dropped to it for a nanosecond before riveting back to her face.

“If that’s your thought, I won’t disabuse it but maybe it’d be best if you move from the way so I can leave.” Claudia doubted if she’d have the courage to regale Mandy and Adam about this humiliating ordeal of hers. She hoped she’d never have to see him again and relieve this humiliation all over.

A slow smile curved his lips. “Without getting what you came for? It’d be a shame now, won’t it?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

"Hmm...” He scoffed “I bet you don’t. You are here for the hard, toe curling sex those prep school boys never gave you.” He spoke even as he advanced towards her slowly backing her up against the wall.

“That is not why I’m here.” She denied in a voice that sounded weak and feeble. She could already feel the quickening of her pulses and the racing of her heart. He was so close that she could literally feel his breath on her neck. She had to curl her fingers inward to prevent her from grabbing him_ perhaps, it was just a game to him_ tease her then leave her with blue balls. She made another weak try at denial.

“I really must leave Jack.”

“Really? And deny yourself this feeling? Why do I feel your heart beating so fast then? How would you like it if I reached beneath this skirt and touched you? How would you like that?”

She whimpered “Please stop…” she felt herself go moist

“You are right. I’ve thought about you.” And with that, he covered her mouth with his in a hard fiery kiss at the same time his hands reached underneath her skirt to touch the moist core of her. Claudia cried out and threw caution to the wind, burying her fingers in his air and matching his passion with one of hers. She wanted it this way_ hard_ just like he was doing with her. His strong hands reached under her tank top to expose the lace covered breasts to the assault of his tongue.

“Tell me you don’t want this.” He murmured against her breast all the while assaulting her nipples and driving her crazy. Claudia lost every coherent thought in the heat of her passion.

“Don’t stop please.” She moaned as her discarded tank top and brassiere hit the floor leaving her naked and exposed from the waist up. He took his time forcing her to cry and plead but he seemed to be a man who worked at his own pace. Her nipples were red and sore with his assault but she didn’t mind_ matter of fact, she welcomed it he had her hands pinned above her head on the wall while he drove her wild with his tongue. By the time, he unzipped her skirt and she wrapped her legs around him as he made for the bed, she was giddy and delirious with desire.

She had no recollection of being laid on the bed because all thoughts were driven away when his mouth trailed down from her breasts to the flatness of her stomach and down to that moist part of her. That was the last thing she remembered before being carried away on the waves of passion.

It was 11.15pm when Jack sat up in bed. The pretty waitress was still sprawled on her stomach asleep. It was raining incessantly and pounding against the roof of the motel. He turned to stare at Claudia who was sleeping with a smile on her face. She had been a fiery one all right and was as passionate as they come but that was all he wanted from all women_ matter of fact, in his opinion, it was all they were damn good for_ sex. He yearned for a smoke but had given up on the habit years ago and could never pick it up again. He stood up and walked to the window to stare at the deserted street being gradually over flooded just the same way his mind was over flooded. He was a wanted man who was in search of justice and retribution. He wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. Meeting with the old man finally had been the step but it was a meeting that had left him bewildered and enlightened. He rubbed absently at the angel tattoo_ so many scars, inward and outward. Jack was one dangerous man but underneath it all, a sad one. What could be worse than a sad and dangerous man with a list in his head, anger in his heart and vengeance on his mind? The old man had underestimated him but no mind; he liked being underestimated because it meant they’d never see him coming…

Claudia allowed herself the pleasure of watching him unnoticed. He was standing naked in front of the window, deep in thoughts with his back to her. He seemed like a calculative sort of man_ one who never liked to be caught off guard. She had noticed that about him at the café_ the way his eyes took in his surroundings in a single glance. She smiled wryly. She was letting her imaginations run away with her. It was all those crime and psychology books_ they were messing with her head. She watched his biceps flex as he gripped the bars of the motel window and remembered clutching at those biceps in the heat of passion as he buried himself deep inside her. She flushed miserably and felt her core go moist at the thought. The sex had been amazing as she had known it would be. He was a master at using his lips, hands and tongue to drive a girl insane and his body was a work of art. Her gaze roamed over him greedily. She has never been a relationship person_ she found it hard to settle with one and she loved sex and diversity and she loved a man who could drive her wild with just a touch and it seems this stranger might just be it.

In the strike of a single lightning, she noticed the scars on his back. She had been too distracted in her throes of passion to notice it when her fingers raked across his back but now she has seen it and it was the only abstract to an otherwise perfect body. She longed to run her tongue over his back and kiss every single scar of his. He must have sensed that she was awake because he turned and their eyes held. It was too late to look away and it was a good thing in the semi darkness, he could hardly see her blush all over. “Hey…” she called out sitting up in bed while holding the bedcovers against her to shield her unclothedness.

He smiled as he approached but in the darkness, it wasn’t visible. “Hey.” He said as he settled himself beside her on the bed and kissed her.

“Hungry?” he asked

“Maybe not for food.”

“A little bit wanton, are we?” he chuckled

She moved so that he was beneath her and she was straddling him “What can I say? You bring out that wanton side of me.”

He reached behind to grab her backside and squeezed. “Really?”

She kissed his face and neck and felt him swell under her. “Tell me about your scars.” She whispered in his ear even as she inserted a tongue

“They are just scars_ some have got inward scars but I wear mine on the outside.”

She drew back to stare at him with a slight shake of head. “You are one intriguing man, aren’t you Jack?”

In answer, Jack buried his face against her chest then took a breast in his mouth and she moaned. “And you are one inquisitive young woman, aren’t you?”

She chuckled as she enjoyed the onslaught on her breasts. “I’m studying to be a crime investigator.”

Jack paused and stared up at her “What’s your interest in crime_ another knight in shining armor?”

Claudia laughed and tossed back her hair which framed an oval pixie face. “Just contributing my quota.” She ran a long slender finger against his lips. “What do you do Jack? You intrigue me and that’s rare.” She gasped as he buried himself inside her and she began to ride him.

He watched her face as she watched his “I’m not interested in saving the world and let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He swung her around in one fluid motion so that she was pinned underneath him while he lay on top. She moaned in reckless abandon as he impaled the entire length of him deep within her then paused mid motion to stare down at her. She stared up at him through passion glazed eyes. “Why are you stopping?” her chest was heaving and her entire being was alight with passion for him.

He smiled but there was no warmth in the smile. “This is just sex_ no need to make it more than what it is, understood?”

She moved her hips but managed to nod then mutter “Of…of course.” She just hoped he wouldn’t stop and was more than elated when he resumed his onslaught on her senses. She could sense the tide coming and screamed out in orgasm. Jack watched her as it hit her_ stared at the way her beautiful face contorted in the heat of passion, the open mouth as her breath came out in rasps and the slender neck thrown back and left to his appreciative gaze in sexual delight. He wondered what it’d feel like to wrap his hands around it, watch those pretty eyes bulge first in surprise then shock as life ebbed away. He had all these in mind as she squeezed around him and his passion overtook him as he buried his seed deep within him_ the thoughts never left him.