Page 4 of Playing to Win

“If you promise to let me down and not try to barge your way into my apartment.” I’m busy staring at his back, wondering if he can even hear me while attempting to lift my body up and over him yet again. This time, Theo allows me to come up. His hands slide up the back of my thighs, then to my ass. When most men would cop a feel, he doesn’t. That doesn’t stop my body from being a horny little bitch and wishing he would. I really need to get laid. His hands move up, gliding beneath my tank top. Whether or not it’s intentional, I have no idea. What I do know is the feel of his bare hand beneath my tank top settling at my lower back has me really needing an orgasm, desperately.

“Thanks for the ride and I guess the lift up the stairs, too,” I say once the rushing of blood is moving downward from my head to the tips of my fingers, which are currently tingling down to my lower extremities.

“Anytime. Told you, Danica. I don’t wear out easily.” One of his hands appears in front of me, palm up.

“No way. You are not coming inside my apartment, Theo Goldman. That’s where I draw the line.” I go to step back, trying to disentangle from him for what seems like the millionth time today. Theo, being the he-man he is, holds tighter. Good grief, this man is a nuisance to my senses.

“I’m not. What I will do is unlock your door, make sure you’re inside and the door is locked before I leave.” It’s kind of hard to argue with a man who’s trying to be a gentleman. So, I do what he asks. I dig through my backpack, where I keep the keys in the side pocket for safe keeping. You never know when you’ll need to use them as a weapon, lacing each key in between your fingers in order to ward off an attacker. Yes, I watch too many crime documentaries, another product from hanging out with Mallory too much.

“Okay.” I place the keys inside his palm, making sure the one to my apartment is easy for him to locate. Theo’s hand is still on my lower back while he unlocks my door with ease, eyes on my own the entire time. He squeezes my lower back, maneuvers me until my back is at the door, and is dipping his head, nose grazing my ear while he’s muttering, “The next time you talk about my balls, it's going to be with your hand wrapped around my cock, Dani, and all you have to do is ask.” The deep husky tone is anything but joking. I close my eyes, at war with myself, wanting to do a hell of a lot more than have him in the palm of my hand. Luckily for me, Theo backs away, pulls the key out of the lock, holds them out for me, and backs away. It’s me who has to regroup. Theo may think I’m the only one effected, but the bulge in his pants tells me he is as well. I turn around, giving him my back, open the door, step inside, then close and lock the door. Theo Goldman is going to make me break a promise to myself, one I never thought I’d come close to breaking.

SEVEN

Theo

Danica’s doorshuts in my face. A chuckle leaves me, and I stand there for a moment waiting until I hear the click of a lock. Still, I remain there for a moment, eyes focused on the doorknob. Not even a fucking dead bolt. I already knew when I walked through the building what I was going to do next. My phone is burning a hole in my pocket. I’m ready to get the ball rolling, but first, I need to make it back to my car. If Danica knew what I was about to do, she’d really kick me in the nuts, and I’d really like to keep them intact. My mind is already wondering what it would feel like to have her hands wrapped around my cock as she takes me inside her mouth. Maybe that same sharp devilish tongue of hers will work its way to my balls before sucking one at a time into her mouth. I walk away from her door and head to the stairs so I can make a couple of phone calls to get the ball rolling. First to Sylvester and the next to Mallory. I’m going to get so much shit from this. It'll be worth it, though. Danica can’t deny there’s something between us. Her nipples were rock hard behind the thin tank top and what I’m sure is a barely lined bra. Then there was the way she wiggled in my grasp while I was hauling her ass to her apartment. Did I make sure her body dragged along the front of my body, allowing her to feel what she did to me? You’re damn right I did. Danica’s breath hitched. While she may have thought I didn’t notice, keeping my face and body under lock and key, it was nearly impossible when all I wanted to do was back her up against the door and let her feel what I was capable of doing with clothes on, never mind without them.

“You won’t get anywhere with that one. She’s an ice princess.” I’m almost toward the stairwell when a man talks at me, nottome butatme. I look at the man who must be talking about Danica. Disgust rolls through me.

“And you know this how?” I ask. The man is propped up outside of his own door, greasy hair, unshaven beard, too-tight shirt that has his stomach sticking out showing more than is appropriate with his unbuttoned jeans.

“Been watching her a lotta years. She’s good, real fine, but never lets anyone near her snatch.” His crooked teeth appear, yellowed from years of smoking. My anger ratchets up, and I’m ready to cold cock the motherfucker, if it weren’t for the fact of Danica finding out. Plus, this damn possibility of a bank merger. While knowing it feels fucking good to use my fists, I also know where to hurt a man worse—his pride, his money, and his self-worth. The one problem with the man in front of me is that he more than likely has none of that.

“What’s your name?”

“Brian, the landlord. You?” I take a step forward, allowing him to see who is going to tear him apart bit by bit.

“Theo,” I say, “Theo Goldman, and I’ll be seeing you around.” The lightbulb goes off in Old Brian’s head, and I leave him perched up against his doorframe. I’m done playing. Danica will spend her last night in this damn building where a man resides who leers at a woman in a way that has me adding another item to my long-as-hell to-do list.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, hit the code to unlock it, and scroll through my contacts as I make my way down the stairs, double-timing my pace. “Are you calling to bust my balls again?” is how Sly answers the phone. I was going to make the phone call myself to our security firm but figured this would be easier than staying on the phone for most of my evening. Besides, Sylvester is on a permanent retainer. It’s only fair to put him to work.

“Everyone is talking about someone’s balls today. Jesus, it’s like people are obsessed with them or something,” I respond, a grin tipping my lips. There’s only one woman I want around my cock.

“Man, you know as well as I do that well will dry up eventually. One day, you’ll settle your ass down,” Sylvester grunts into the phone. I hear Fawn in the background telling him to stay out of my personal life. I love that woman, in a sisterly way, of course, and I’d never say those three words to Sly’s woman. The man is ass over elbows for her.

“I need you to do something. I’m at an apartment building on the corner of Amelia and West 304th Street. Buy it. I don’t care what it takes, make the purchase yesterday. Then work on updating the building, and get the landlord out of there, too. I don’t care if you have to rough him up, send him to fucking Neptune.” I can hear Sylvester on the other end of the line, typing away, probably pulling up a website that gives him all the details I’m leaving out.

“There are only two reasons you’d be calling me after six o’clock at night and making me rough someone up. Either they fucked with your family, or you’ve finally got your eyes on one woman, the woman you claimed never to want.” Sly takes a breath. “We both know your family can handle themselves, which means, brother, you’re fucking sunk.” He laughs over the phone, eating this shit up. I let him have at it, knowing he’ll be calling the rest of our friends and I’ll either get a phone call from each and every one of them or a group phone call.

“Yeah, well, if you can shut your trap long enough, I’ll tell you all about her.” What I don’t ask him to do is run a background check. If Danica is working for Mallory, I know she’s been through the process. The only reason I had an issue with the last one was because the woman wanted more hours, more houses to clean, and Mallory told her no. Sticky fingers ensued, and she got caught and became jobless.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell me what I need to know. Don’t think I’m not charging you double either. It’s after hours, and you’re taking my time away from Fawn.” I hurriedly give him the information as I walk out of the building, head to my car to sit and fucking wait for Danica. I’ll be the one giving her a ride to her college classes, and I’ll be the one bringing her home to repeat the process we just went through.

EIGHT

Theo

My phone callto Sylvester lasted until I made it to my car. Danica’s worry about it wasn’t necessary after all, unlucky for her and lucky for me. I wasn’t worried too much. If the car was stolen or sitting on jacks with the tires off, I could easily call for a car to pick me up. Four Brothers has a slew of amenities on speed dial—hired drivers, a private jet at the ready, and houses around the country we can easily use at our disposal.

Now I’m sitting in my car, waiting for Danica to come out to get to her night class while I make the last and final phone call before I’m able to intercept the headstrong woman who’s got me thinking thoughts I never thought before. Jesus, Sylvester is right. I’m gone for her, and I only met her earlier today. I hit Clean and Gleam’s saved contact in my phone, a personal line to Mallory in case I ever need something after what happened last time.

“Hello, Mr. Goldman, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon,” Mallory gets right to the point. You’ve got to admire a businesswoman who knows how to corner the market with not only commercial business cleaning but personal as well.

“Mallory, I wasn’t expecting to call you so soon, either.” She makes a humming noise in the back of her throat.

“I hope it’s with good news,” she fishes, then waits for me to elaborate on the reason behind my call. I can’t say that I blame her. Clean and Gleam made a good name for themselves, and if the situation in my penthouse escalated, it could have meant more backlash than she wants.

“It is. Nothing to worry about there. I’d like Danica permanently.” In more ways than work, too, but I’m not telling Mallory that. She’d probably think I’m a raging lunatic.

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