Free Claimed by the Marine by Dez Burke Page B

while the man tried to tear at Hawk’s fingers.
    “Obviously, Hawk’s about to kill this guy for acting all grabby with Ashanti,” Marcus said with a dry tone.
    “This is so crazy!” Ashanti suddenly shouted at Hawk, all but stamping her feet. “I can’t believe you’d embarrass me like this!”
    Her distress seemed to get to him as he suddenly let Steve go, watching the man bend over and start coughing and straining for air. Hawk lifted his hands up innocently. “Okay, I’ve let the delicate little flower go. Wouldn’t want to mess up his peacock feathers too much.”
    “You’re such a jerk!” Ashanti half-sobbed, before brushing past him and stomping off from the scene just as the huge bouncers started to arrive. Hawk ignored them and swiftly turned to go straight after Ashanti, shouldering his way through the rowdy crowd.
     
    Chapter Eighteen
    Ashanti was so furious and virtually in tears at how the night had degenerated beyond her control. She was almost tripping over her extremely high heels as she stepped out on the sidewalk into the cool night air. Just remembering how Hawk had shocked her by bending Steve’s hand back was enough to make her swear out loud. Especially when she looked back suddenly and saw he’d followed her out of the club.
    Spinning on her heels, she quickly started to walk off in a huff, intent on taking a cab since she’d come in Bertha’s ride. But obviously Hawk had other ideas. It took no time at all for him to catch up and then overtake her, making her almost collide into him as he stood in front of her, blocking her way.
    “Ashanti, look – I’m sorry, okay?” he said, taking hold of her shoulders gently as she would have side-stepped him with irritation.
    “Is that what you came after me to do? Apologize?” she sneered, about to add that she didn’t need his damned apology. But then she was cut short by the hands pulling her overpoweringly up against him.
    There was a dangerous smile on his face. “No, sweetheart. I came to do this…”
    As usual, the swift, precise way he moved jolted her. His fingers clamped around her upper arm and before she could protest, he was dragging her along briskly. Ashanti was forced to meet up with his long strides as he weaved them through the lit-up streets until he was pulling her down a secluded alleyway shadowed by two high rise buildings.
    “What are you, crazy?” she exclaimed, yanking her arm from his grip as she fought to catch her breath. Despite herself, Ashanti felt aroused by the situation. A pulse was beating right within her pussy and she felt her nipples tighten to hard knots beneath the furious hunger she saw on Hawk’s face.
    “Yes, Ashanti. You drive me crazy,” Hawk gritted out. “Do you know what I wanted to do to that fool for the way he was touching you?”
    “Uh…news flash? You don’t own me, Hawkins Malone,” was her disdainful reply. “So if I choose to let some guy touch me – or even take me home with him – that should be none of your business, don’t you think?”
    Ashanti knew it was dangerous messing with Hawk; she saw it in the way his fists clenched and his jaw took on a granite edge. She knew he’d never hit her, of course. But she was asking for trouble by pushing him this way.
    “Damn, it’s like you’re hot-wired to my brain,” Hawk suddenly snarled, shoving his fists against the sides of his head. “When I was out there on the mission…my every free thought – during those times I could think – was focused on you. All I wanted – the one thing I could hardly wait to do, was come back as soon as I could and find you. Claim you as mine.”
    Ashanti’s lips curled in a slow, taunting smile. “Ah yes; that’s your caveman side at work again I believe. The same part of you that drove you to almost cripple and strangle an innocent guy back there at the bar that was just being…well, a guy.”
    “Fuck that,” Hawk growled furiously. “There’s nothing innocent about that