Page 72 of Stella
I bite down on my lip to save from smiling, then check myself as I hear the bolts unlocking. She’s letting me in. I take a breath as the door handle turns and she swings the door open.
Stella isn’t tall, but seeing her bare legs somehow makes them look longer. She’s wearing some kind of long nightdress thing, but it comes down to her knees, and it has Victoria Secret across the front. Her hair is up in a high ponytail and she has nothing on her face except a scowl. Stella is exceptionally beautiful with dark eyes, and long lashes, she doesn’t need makeup, but seeing her like this, it stirs something inside of me. It isn’t just my dick twitching, it’s my entire body.
“I didn’t like you scowling at me at the game,” I say, placing one foot in the door before she decides to slam it shut. “Can I come in?”
She folds her arms over her chest and I do not drop my gaze. I came here to apologize, not gawk at her impossibly beautiful body. “Like I said, five minutes.” She steps aside and I don’t waste any time.
Clearing my throat, as she closes and locks the door behind me, I say, “Great game tonight, the Pelicans outdid themselves.”
“I didn’t know you were a fan,” she says blankly as she secures the last lock. “Or I would’ve stayed home and watched it on the television.”
I deserve that. Thinking it wise I keep my mouth shut, I wait for her to turn. When she does, I see the hurt in her eyes. “Stella, I really am sorry?—”
“Come upstairs,” she huffs. “I’m not having a conversation down in the bakery kitchen.”
She stomps ahead of me and I try my hardest not to watch her ass as she mounts the stairs, but I fail. Following behind, I crack my neck, ready for combat. Stella has a way with words and a fiery side, granted, it’s a side I’ve come to love about her, but not when it’s aimed at me. Plus, my dick hardening in my jeans at the damn sight of her isn't helping matters.
As usual, it smells like vanilla cupcakes up in her apartment, and it isn’t from the bakery floor. Nope, Stella’s place smells just like she does and my mouth waters at the scent, remembering how her skin tasted against my tongue.
Pay attention! You’re not here to make out or get lucky.
Right. I came here to explain, and break things off for good. Not to remember how fucking good she smells or how her ass jiggles in that thing she’s wearing and it’s making me wonder if she has any underwear on underneath.
When we get to the top, she makes her way to the kitchen and I follow. Thinking it’s probably safer to stand on the other side of the counter, I take a breath as she folds her arms once more and then gives me wide eyes. “So? What did you have to say?”
Right. Breaking this non-existent thing off. Telling her gently that it really isn’t her, it’s me, and it’s the fucking Rebels MC. Followed by: I can’t do this with her. I can’t be okay with her prospecting for the MC and be in her bed. It goes against everything I believe. That entire club does. And she’s part of it.
“I wanted to say that I didn’t mean to ignore you, that truly wasn’t my intention. I just… I needed to take some time to think. It wasn’t because I didn’t like you, or what we did, because that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Think about what? How you made out with me then said nothing for an entire week?” She shakes her head. “Great way to make a girl feel special after you made me come. Touching andkissing may not be a big deal to you, but it is to me. Then again, I guess we really are nothing alike, right?”
“I know that I was a jerk, and I regret that. I thought that somehow I could try and pretend like it didn’t happen, and not because I didn’t enjoy it, fuck, Stell, I did. I wanted more, but you and me? We can’t work.”
“Great.” She waves a hand behind her. “You can go now.”
I stare at her, unable to move my planted feet. “I don’t want to go yet.”
“Well, I think you’ve done enough damage. I really liked you, Cale, then you acted like a dick so now I don’t like you one little bit.”
Liked.Past tense.
Hearing her say those words makes me feel ten times worse. I don’t like it. “Then why did you let me in?”
“I guess some stupid part of me wanted to hear you out,” she says. “Because I’m a sucker and I always see the best in people.”
I take a breath. “The honest truth is I don’t want you to have conflict in your club for being with me. Just think about it for a second. We both know that once the club found out we were seeing each other they’d have a big fucking problem. I don't wanna cause waves for you, especially while you’re a prospect.”
She laughs without humor. “Just think about it for a second?” It’s never a good thing hearing a woman repeating your words, especially at such a high decibel. “Are you for real right now?”
I palm the back of my neck. “I said we can’t work, not that I didn’t want to try. The right thing to do is walk away and leave you alone.”
“Now you’re talking in riddles. Which is it,Detective?Spit it out because I don’t have all night.”
The way those big eyes look at me; like she really can’t trust me, and that’s a problem. I don’t want her to feel that way. I wanther to be able to put her faith in me, no matter what. “I wasn’t lying when I said all those things about why we wouldn’t work, but I also know every time I look at you, you steal my breath away,” I say. “I came here to apologize, not try and win you over, but you do that without even having to try. What’s it like having all of that power?”
She snorts. “Power? I don’t have any power, Cale, I think you’re getting me mixed up with whoever you’ve been with before me.”
I shake my head. “That isn’t true.”
