Chapter Eight – Sarah
I stewed the entire bus ride home. I had never in my life been accused of such awful things. I knew that some people wouldn’t understand my dancing or the reason why I needed to work at the club, but of all people, I hadn’t expected it from Archer. He himself was a man whore of epic proportions.
What made what he did any different from what I did, except I got paid to use my body. And I didn’t have to worry about any aftermath.
I was almost expecting to find Archer or Jolee waiting outside of my apartment when I arrived home but was pleasantly surprised that I got to avoid that confrontation. Inside I dropped my duffle bag onto the floor and immediately rushed toward the shower. I didn’t feel dirty from the club, but from the awful words Archer had called me.
He was so adamant about the accusations and I stood under the spray of the hot water, wondering if this had to do with something from his past. It made the most sense, but I didn’t have a reason to ask around or to pry. I could just hope that he kept his distance and didn’t show up again at Phoenix’s Fire.
I tossed and turned throughout the night, and by the time morning had arrived, I was worse for the wear. Wellington Housing Alliance expected me to arrive today, but I was within an inch of not showing up. But I couldn’t give Archer that satisfaction.
Just to be on the safe side, I grabbed a pair of noise-canceling headphones hoping that he would take the hint and stay away from me for the day.
Except my luck must have been running out because when I arrived, Dr. Fincher was teaming us up to work on special projects. Fate being the bitch that she is, Archer and I were paired together to install the cabinets in the kitchen. It made me wonder if this was some sort of sick joke to him. He probably convinced his mom to pair us together on purpose.
Except laid out on a buffet table in the house, Archer set up a slew of donuts, scones, and coffee for the workers. It was a sweet gesture that didn’t match the condescending man from the night before.
Grabbing one of the cabinets, I lifted it up as best as I could, which meant it was only an inch off the ground, but I carried its weight across the grass and into the house where Archer waited with a sketch of the kitchen layout.
“I brought some music today. Maybe you can dance for all of us,” he said as he stood with his hands perched on his hips. Even with his hate-filled words, I couldn’t help but admire the way he looked from behind.
Stupid hormones.
Without a word, I spun on my heels and went to retrieve another cabinet, leaving Archer to compile a list of grievances against me.
“You know, it would be nice if you could help,” I told him as I placed another cabinet in the kitchen. I had brought inside all but two of the cabinets and my arms and back were protesting.
“But you seem to have it all under control. I didn’t think you needed my help. Maybe we could call one of those bouncers from the club to lift all of the heavy things for you.”
Rolling my eyes, I went back outside and finished bringing in the cabinets as Archer moved them around the kitchen to match the sketch from the contractor.
“Do you think there is enough space in here?” Archer asked, and I hesitated at first, waiting for the insult, but as he remained silent, I took a second to look around the kitchen. It was spacious for the small bungalow. “I mean, why don’t you go ahead and perform for us and we can get some perspective.”
Whirling around on him, I stared at Archer with a hatred I had never experienced. Sure I danced to make money but that gave him no right to ridicule and attack me because he thought I was selling my body.
“What the fuck is your problem, Archer? Why do you care so much that I dance to make money? I have to and the only people that matter understand. So, tell me, why do you care so much? Why do you care if I stand on a stage and take my clothes off? Why do you care if I make more in one night than I have in my entire life? Why do you ca-”
Suddenly his lips were on mine in a kiss that spoke of hunger, yearning, and desire. His hand snaked around my neck and up into my hair, his hold controlling my movements. He titled my head to the side and he pushed his tongue past my lips and I eagerly twisted my tongue around his.
“Fuck,” he growled against my mouth as he reached down to tug my shirt free from my denim shorts.
I was lost in the moment, lost in the feeling and possession by Archer. His hand skimmed across the skin of my stomach as he gripped my waist and I sucked in a breath at the contact.
Footsteps sounded down the hallway and Archer quickly pulled his mouth away from mine and I immediately missed the contact. Our chests heaved in unison with stares that questioned what was happening. But before we could come to a conclusion, Archer moved backward, pulling me along with him until we were in the small bathroom right next to the kitchen.
Locking the door, Archer spun me around until my back pressed against the cold wood. He retook ownership of my lips, using his tongue to gain entrance into my mouth. My hands immediately went to the hem of his work shirt and I pushed it upward, gliding my fingers against his washboard abs along the way.
With every second that passed, his breath became more erratic until he sounded like a feral beast ready to break free from his confines.
Arched pulled his mouth away again for a second time and I immediately protested until He stood back and yanked his shirt over his head, revealing a chest that could rival Captain America’s.
“Damn,” I murmured as I drank him in. Quickly he grabbed my shirt and yanked it over my head, my hair falling around me in a mess of waves and I forgot how to speak as he leaned forward and pressed an open-mouth kiss against the swell of my breast pushed upward from the simple cotton bra that I wore.
With fumbling fingers, I undid the waistband of his cargo shorts, slipping them down his thighs with his boxers. My body was in a rage and the only solution was to own Archer’s body the way he was taking over mine.
I wrapped my hand around Archer’s impressive length at the same time he gripped my chin in his hand, holding my head still.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said as he pressed an angry kiss against my lips and then pulled back. “I fucking hate knowing that anyone can go into that club and watch you show off your body.”
“It’s not up to you,” I argued as I squeezed his cock slightly, growing addicted to the moan I received from him in response.
“Like hell, it isn’t. You’re mine for right now, Sarah. Do you understand?”
“I’m not playing your games, Archer,” I explained as he released my chin and dove for the button of my shorts. My head collided with the door as he slipped his hand beneath my panties and found my damp center. “I won’t be one of many in your gaslighting schemes. That’s a game I won’t play.”
“No games. Just right now, then we can go back to hating each other,” he clarified as he slid a digit into my slit. My body arched toward him in response, my breasts pressing against his bare chest.
“Everything is a game to you. Now stop talking and fuck me already.”
I wasn’t sure when I had grown so bold, but Archer followed my command and pushed down my shorts, exposing me to him.
From his wallet, he pulled out a condom and guided it down his shaft before wrapping his arm around my waist and hoisting me higher against the door.
“Keep quiet,” he groaned as he slid my body down onto his shaft. We moaned in unison, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I feared that someone would overhear our tryst, but my body was in too heady of a state to care.
“Fuck, feels too good.”
One of his hands left my thigh and slammed against the door as his thrusts grew wild and rough.
“Oh. Oh,” I moaned as I felt my orgasm closing in. Archer reached between us, relying on my legs wrapped around his waist to stay up, and rubbed small circles around my clit until I exploded in his arms. Archer quickly followed with his own release, then surprised me as he pressed a kiss against my shoulder befo
re setting me back onto my feet.
Words weren’t exchanged as we dressed in silence. I wasn’t sure what to say to him, and from the way he was yanking on his clothes, I was sure that Archer was left speechless as well.
It was now awkward. I shouldn’t have been surprised. The man that called me a whore had just used me as one and that realization left my lower lids watering.
“Sarah, I. . .” archer began, but I was growing too distraught to listen.
“Can you finish the kitchen layout? I need to get home.”
“Yeah, but maybe we should talk.”
“I have nothing to say. You proved your point. Thanks for making me feel exactly like you insulted.”
“Sarah.”
Twisting the knob on the door, I exited with a flourish, not making contact with anyone as I left the construction site and made my way back to my apartment. I should have ridden the bus, but the walk helped me to clear my head.
Archer was wrong about me. He accused me of things I hadn’t ever done until today. I had never let someone use my body the way that he had. Even though I had consented to every kiss and every touch. I wanted him as badly as he had wanted me. But afterward, I felt dirty and used, especially knowing that it would only be the one time.
I finally made it back to my complex a bit worse for wear and it took and an incredible amount of strength to make it up the stairs. The walk back hadn’t helped me clear my mind as I had hoped. Instead, I was left considering moving back home. I had a hard enough time fitting in with the other students at Wellington. If rumors started swirling about me dancing or being one of Archer’s many quests, I wasn’t sure that I could handle it.
A familiar blonde came into view when I approached the landing for my floor and I recognized Callie standing outside my door.
“Can I help you?” I asked and she swirled around with hatred in her eyes.
“You’re the reason he won’t give me the time of day.”
“I’m sorry, who are you talking about?”
“Archer. We. . .we had an incredible night together and then you showed up and everything fell apart.”
I looked at her in confusion. I wasn’t sure what planet she fell from, but she was absolutely delusional if she thought for a second that I had anything to do with Archer’s games.
“I think you’re confused. Archer played a game and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. He makes you believe that you’re the reason he didn’t want anything more. It’s all a mind game.”
“You’re lying.” She fumed as she took a step closer to me.
“I’m not, but believe what you want.”
I stepped around her and prayed that she didn’t retaliate behind my back.
“He won’t be with you, you know!” She shouted. “He doesn’t date whores.”
Well, it was the second time I had been called that today. At least the universe was consistent.
“You’re right. He doesn’t. Take that as a hint,” I said as I slammed my apartment door in her face.
I took a deep breath and let the calmness of my apartment wash over me. This was my haven, my safe space, and no one could question or ridicule my decisions. I was exhausted after my trek home and tossed my body onto the top of my bed, turning my head to gaze around the small living space I had created.
The credenza stood out in its green façade with brass pulls. I had completely transformed the piece from something dull and lifeless to a really beautiful piece of art. I was proud of my work on the furniture and the work I had done on myself.
Archer’s words had hit home for me, but only because I knew that there was something in his past that was causing him to lash out at me. There was a dread that played onto every one of Archer’s fears. I couldn’t imagine living my life in that way.
Chapter Nine - Archer
Shock.
There was no other way to describe how I felt as I finished installing the cabinets in the house Sarah and I had been working on. I felt like a filthy, dirty human being that took advantage of a situation.
I had been angry, so furious that everything I saw in my vision was in vivid colors of red. It reminded me of the paintings in my closet.
With her pure, innocent heart, Sarah had let me possess her in a way that I had never done with anyone before. I was filled with so much fury at the thought of anyone watching her dance on a stage, watching her body sway to the music while wearing nothing more than silk and lace, that I had an uncontrollable need to own her.
And she had let me. She had matched me kiss for kiss. I had thought her the pawn in my game of control, the weakest out of us. But she was proving to be the bishop, the one to watch, the one that could make any move and capture the other player.
She had captured me alright.
The rest of the afternoon she was all that I could think about. And the more I thought about why I had this overwhelming desire to be with Sarah, the more I realized that she had captivated me from the start.
She had seemed weak at first when I watched her trip and fall on campus, but looking back, she had been so strong. She had ignored the snickers and held her head high as she kept moving along.
And she didn’t take any crap from me either, despite how cruel my words had been.
I was completely taken by her. An affection that had grown by each day as we worked side by side on the house project.
Normally I had a plan in place when it came to women, but this time when it really mattered, I was at a loss. How could I convince her that I wanted more than just the one moment together? How could I convince her that she was worth more than the few thousand she made dancing on a stage?
Could I even compete with the money?
“Hi, archer. You’re here late this evening.”
My mother stepped foot into the kitchen and glanced around the project that was coming together nicely.
“Yeah, I wanted to finish this up.”
“You’re done a great job. Where’s Sarah?”
“She. . .ugh. . .asked if she could leave,” I said as I went back to screwing in one of the cabinet doors.
“What did you do, Archer Samuel?”
“Me? How do you know that I did anything?” Damn her for having a sixth sense about relationships. She knew about Jolee and Ford before they had even come out.
“Because I saw the way you looked at her when you thought no one was looking.”
“Yeah? And what way is that?”
“Like you love her.”
“Love her? Mom, I’ve known her only a couple of weeks.” Let's not mention that I royally pissed her off, accused her of something she had never done, and then took advantage of a situation.
“I fell in love with Adam in only a couple of hours. Would it help you to know that she looks at you the same way?”
“Maybe. It’s just. . .I screwed up. Big time. And I don’t think that there is a way to fix it.”
“I’m not surprised. Sometimes you boys act before you think. You have been that way since you joined the family. Archer, the thing about you is that you have one of the biggest hearts that I know. You just need to open yourself up to her. It’s that simple.”
“And what if that isn’t enough?”
“Then you keep trying. You’ll find a way.”
“Thanks, mom,” I said, wrapping her in a thigh hug.
“And don’t forget, you have someone at your disposal that would be more than willing to make sure you and her friend end up together.”
“Jolee,” I murmured. If anyone could help me convince Sarah to give me a chance, it was her closest friend.
“See? I told you that you were bright. Now, why don’t you get out of here?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said just as the contractor came in to inspect the work done for the day.
Once I got back to the apartment, I had a plan of sorts in place, but I needed Jolee more than ever. Ford was sitting on the couch when I arrived and I asked where his second half was. He pointed toward his
bedroom and I made my way in that direction, knocking on the door.
“Hey. Sorry, I’m just folding clothes. What’s up?” I followed her into Ford’s room. Jealousy arose in me at their domesticated bliss and I wondered if I would ever have that, if I even deserved it.
“I need help. . .with Sarah.”
“What about Sarah?” she asked as she set down the shirt she had been folding and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Did you know that she-”
“Dances at Phoenix’s Fire? Yes, I promised her I’d come to watch one night when she was ready. How did you find out?”
“I was there by accident and when I saw her go inside the building I. . .I may have overreacted.”
I went on to explain our fight that night and what happened at the job site today, leaving out specific details. I felt even worse after reliving it a second time.
“Oh, Archer. You’re better than that. You didn’t even give her a chance to explain, not that she should have to.”
“I know that you’re right. I just felt out of control when I saw her there. It didn’t make sense to me and it brought back memories from my childhood that I try to keep at bay.”
“Look, I won’t say that I begin to understand what you or your brothers have been through. Each of you has some sort of horror that haunts you every waking second. But you can’t use that as an excuse to treat a good and kind person so poorly. She had a choice to make and it took a lot of courage for her to choose the path that she did.
“Sarah can tell you herself, but it’s not a secret. She was a recipient of the Hastings Scholarship, the one that has been revoked since Ford’s father passed away. The school wants full tuition by the beginning of the next semester.”
Because I was the adoptive son of a Wellington University professor, my brothers and I went to the college for a very small amount. Most of us had some sort of academic scholarship that covered tuition and our off-campus housing. We were one of the lucky few, but I knew the cost of tuition for the private college and I knew that a normal student wouldn’t have access to funds of that amount.
Of Bishops And Pawns (Ridge Rogues Book 2) Page 7
