Page 11 of Under the Influence
Fuck that bastard. He cannot have her. He will not have her. Not her generosity. Not her body. Not herlove.
I jerk open the back door and hurl the chilled champagne to the concrete below. The clang of the thick glass bangs against the metal steps as the bottle tumbles down, echoing in the empty breezeway. Relishing the shards ricocheting off the ancient silver patio furniture circling the small fire pit where we relaxed during cool spring evenings. Nights I thought would never end. Contentment that I never thought I would have to giveup.
Fury pulses in my veins as I stride to the bedroom. Ready to destroy any candles she has set out for that asshole too. The words curling across the mirror in her delicate handwriting destroy meinstead.
TheOPPOSITEofboring!!!!
Run the KTmarathon√
Goskydiving√
Ride a mechanicalbull√
Accept thejob√
Say yes toLeighton
Book tickets for MardiGras√
Fuck me. She's lived a fucking lifetime in the six months we've been apart. And I've missed every god damn fucking minute of it. Missed every god damn fucking minute withher.
The only goal unchecked on her list is the one that infuriates me the most. I don’t know what the fuck she’s thinking about agreeing to, but I sure as hell won’t let that happen. This may be my fucking fault. I may have driven her to considering a request from him. But I'll make damn sure I'm not the reason she finally saysyes.
My buzzing phone interrupts my more-than-deserved self-diatribe, and I yank the cell out of my pocket. Tucker's update fills the top half of thescreen.
Heading to her place. Be there intwenty.
Good.
A sharp creak shrieks under the mattress from me sinking down to wait. The squeak always making her giggle before I fucked her deep and hard the way she loves. Just like I was going to do that night after I proposed to her. And never got the fucking chance to do eitherone.
My gaze automatically drifts to the thin streak darkening the natural hardwood. So slight you wouldn't notice the stain unless you knew about it. But, I know. Because we put it there. From the first night I tookher.
Evidence of her innocence seeping through the blankets we were sprawled across. Her gorgeous body so fucking beautiful with shadows from the golden flames dancing over her flawless skin. Almost as amazing as the trust in her eyes every moment I was inside her. Never hesitating, physically or emotionally, to let mein.
Now I’m finally here again. Alone, and for the first time ever, insecure. So fucking unsure of myself. Uncertain if I can get back what we hadbefore.
She leans forward, a sultry laugh filling the electric air between us. Her palms playfully resting on my thighs. Mere inches from my greedy cock. Her dress drooping from her silky skin, giving me an unintentional peek at her chaste pink bra, overflowing with gorgeous tits I can already taste. Salivating from the thought of her luscious nipples filling mymouth.
Reminding me once again what a fucking lucky bastard I am. She’s so fucking beautiful. Smart. Driven. And still hard to believe untouched by any man except me. Which is hotter than hell. I’d have given up my fortune to be the man to steal her virginity. Yet I never had to seduce her. She gave her body to me without hesitation. Just like herheart.
“I was so nervous, but it seemed to go really well. We talked for almost two hours. He said that I could work part-time around my classes now and then when I graduate, I would be fulltime.”
Pride pounds in my chest from her success. Landing her dream job. That I didn’t even have to threaten anyone to get for her. “Congratulations, Books. I knew you could doit.”
A sweet blush brightens her flushed face, and she ducks under my gaze. Always so damn modest when I compliment her. Like the demure lady she was raised tobe.
“Thankyou.”
Her attention drifts to the two girls in the booth next to us. Kissing, stroking, and whispering with each other. Putting on more of a performance than the ladies suspended above the dance floor in their cages. Exhibitionists eager to shock everyone with their wanton display. Maybe even entice them enough to joinin.
Chryseis smiles and winks at me. So fucking adorable. “You’re missing out on quite the show over there. I can change seats with you if youwant.”
Instead, I caress the smooth line of her slender shoulder, brushing my lips down her delicate throat. Savoring the slight shiver under my tongue. Ready to get her out of my club and into my bed. “Nah Books. The only show I want to see isyours.”
Cherry circles dot her cheeks again, but before she can respond, Tucker steps from the shadows. The pulsing lights, flickering in tandem with the thumping beat vibrating through the cavernous space, amplifies the rage lining his face. A death grip on his phone as he pounds against the screen. Damn it. No words necessary with the fury clenching his body. The hunch we had earlier must becorrect.
All the excitement as well as the color drains from Chryseis’ face. She infers the implication from the tension radiating between us, and stands up. Slipping from her seat without even remembering to kiss my cheek in her apprehension. Eager to escape, lest she hears the upsetting details he reports. Which is unnecessary because I would never expose her to the realities of my ruthless worldanyway.
