by Kiki Harlow
“I know,” I said. “And I will.”
I’d dealt with those bozos before. She was worrying over nothing.
“I noticed that Kelly has been hanging around them,” Yasmin said carefully.
“She has?” I asked. I shrugged. “That’s her business, not mine.”
I hadn’t talked to Kelly since I I told her that whatever we had was over and that I would never be interested in getting together with her again. She’d been furious.
“True… How are you coping?” Yasmin asked. “With everything?”
“I’m fine,” I replied.
“You just don’t seem like yourself these days. You’re off in your own world.”
She was right. My mind was elsewhere.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
The mysterious redhead with the lithe body. And those freckles.
My little redheaded peeping Jane.
Fuck, just the thought of that night could get me hard. It got me hard every night for the past week. It was like I was an eighteen-year-old again, late nights taking myself into my hands thinking about a girl.
“I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Ok, well,” she sighed. “I’m heading out for the day. I’ve got a hot lunch date.”
“Oh, yeah?” I said.
An idea began to form in my head.
“You know what? Maybe I’ll head out too,” I said. “I’m in the mood for some Italian.”
“Again?” Yasmin looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Didn’t you already have some the other night?”
“What can I say? I’ve developed a taste for it,” I grinned.
“One day I’ll understand you, Niko,” she said, shaking her head. “Just not today. See you around.”
I grinned.
If you can’t get her out of your mind, maybe she feels the same, I thought.
I felt energised by the thought of seeing her again.
I walked out of the club with a sense of purpose that I hadn’t felt in a while. It felt good.
Mama’s Italian Pizza and Pasta was at the bottom of a mostly vacant building uptown. ‘For Rent’ signs repeated all along the building in the blacked-out windows of storefronts. It was a decent area, lots of potential, even though it currently looked run down.
I pushed the glass door and entered the restaurant. It was empty. The plastic checkered cloth covering the tables was a faded red, and the black pleather chairs looked dated and torn open.
I walked to the front counter and rang the bell.
A stout looking man came out. He looked tired and unkempt, with grease covering his shirt and annoyed expression on his face.
“Yeah, what do you want?” he said.
“Just food and to have a look around,” I replied, calmly resting my arm on the counter.
“A look around, hey? That’s free, but the food isn’t. You gonna sit down or what?”
I gestured to the seats. “Here?”
“Anywhere you like,” he said, waving impatiently at the empty tables. He grumbled to himself as he took a menu from the counter.
“What are you looking around in this area for? Nothing around here for someone like you.” He stared at my suit and shoes.
“I forgot to introduce myself,” I stood up and extended my arm. “Nikolas Liekos. I’m thinking of buying the building.”
Realisation spread across his face. He wiped his hands onto his pants and shook my hand.
“The name’s Al. Mr Liekos, I heard about you from the convenience store guy, what brings you to this fine establishment?” A snivelling tone crept into his voice.
“Like I said, I wanted to have a look around,” I replied. “And get some food.”
“I saw that you ordered some of our food the other night,” he said, puffing out his chest. “You liked it that much that you’re back for more?”
No, the food was awful, but that was beside the point.
“Yes, I’d like a pepperoni pizza again today,” I said. ”Listen, I didn’t get to tip your delivery girl.”
“Oh, I can take that for her,” he said, his hand shooting out.
“I’d like to give it to her myself,” I said. “Is she around?”
“She’s out delivering something…” he trailed off. He peered through the window. “Wait, no, she’s outside.”
I could see a woman wearing a motorcycle helmet outside of the window.
He walked to the front of the restaurant and opened the door, yelling.
“Hey, Red, get in here,” he ordered.
He walked back toward me. “She’ll take her damn time, as per usual.”
He rolled his eyes. The bell rang as the door opened, and “Red” walked into the room.
In the light of day, my peeping Jane was devestatingly beautiful. A natural beauty with her long flowing red hair, freckled skin and soft brown eyes.
There was something else about this girl. She made me feel like I was coming out of my skin with the need to touch her. To protect her.
Her eyes widened as they met mine. She looked like she was going to run.
Again.
I wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Well, come on, girl, what you looking like that for? This man has something for you.”
“Your tip from the other night,” I held out the money.
She stared at the money in my hand.
“Ugh,” Al grabbed the money and shoved it into her hands. “You little fool. Stop embarrassing me. It’s hard to find good help, huh?”
His roughness with her set my teeth on edge. I could tolerate most assholes, I’d dealt with worse, but the way he treated her started to make my blood boil.
“I wouldn’t know,” I drawled. I picked off an imaginary piece of lint from my suit. “It is hard to find good tenants.”
Al frowned and backed away from us both. “Well, hmph, well then, I’ll get started on your pizza.”
The mysterious redhead looked like she wanted to disappear into the walls.
“My name is Nikolas Liekos,” I said, getting up. “I didn’t get your name the last time we met.”
“Rowena,” she replied quietly.
“Rowena,” I repeated. I held out my hand, and she shook it gingerly. Her soft skin and delicate hands felt like silk underneath my fingertips. “Lovely.”
“I’m… really sorry,” she stammered. Her eyes darting in every direction but mine. "About the other night."
“It’s my fault,” I grinned, reassuringly. “I should’ve locked the door. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Rowena blurted out. “I mean, shit, I mean…”
I laughed. “OK then, I won’t be sorry.”
Was it weird to say I wasn’t sorry at all? I didn’t expect my little building reconnaissance to end up like this. I just wanted to get to know who the existing tenants were before I made my decision. However awkward that first encounter was, I was here standing in front of her. I had no regrets.
“Why are you bothering the man for? Don’t you have work to do?” Al reappeared.
I looked at the man from the corner of my eyes. This guy just could not read the room.
“If you have time to stand around, you have time to clean!” he said, clapping his hands. He seemed to enjoy showing off in front of me.
I really wanted to deck him. Or at least scare him a little. But I didn’t want to do it in front of her. She was skittish enough around me.
“Ok-k I’ll…” Rowena stuttered.
“Get started on the dishes,” he said, jerking his thumb toward the kitchen.
She hurried away.
Al turned to me and started to talk. I tuned out the words and concentrated on my breathing. Rowena looked so defeated. A long buried feeling from my past rose up at seeing her so poorly treated.
A shriek came from the kitchen.
I shot up and ran toward the back door. Al trailed behind me.
He let out a guffaw when he s
aw Rowena covered head to toe with water.
“I. Told. You. The. Faucet. Needed. To. Be. Fixed,” Rowena said through gritted teeth. Her eyes fixed firmly toward the floor.
My temper boiled over.
I looked around for some sort of cloth or towel. Everything was filthy. Nothing was fit to touch her.
I shrugged off my suit jacket, stepping closer to her.
I patted her shoulder with the jacket. Rowena looked up at me, tears filling her eyes and something inside of me came apart.
It was then I knew that if I stayed, I’d catch a charge. I wanted to take the pain away from her eyes. I wanted to free her from this awful place.
I also wanted to beat the living daylights out of Al, who seemed to take pleasure in causing her pain. Al had it coming, but I needed to leave. Now.
I’ll deal with him later, I thought.
I tipped Rowena’s face toward mine and brushed a stray tear. I placed my jacket over her shoulders, took a deep breath and walked outside.
This girl was dangerous. In ways I didn’t even understand yet.
And yet, I still wanted her. Even more now than ever.
Chapter Five
Rowena
By the time I had dried off, Nikolas had gone, and Al was complaining about something else that I did wrong.
I didn’t listen to him. I was too far into my fantasies and thoughts to care what Al thought about anything.
As if the sexual dreams of him wasn’t enough, the kindness in his eyes when he tried to dry me off cemented him into my very consciousness.
I hadn’t felt kindness like that in a long time.
I hadn’t felt so seen. Nikolas looked at me like he knew me, even though he didn’t. He looked like he understood.
I took the money that he gave me, an incredible tip for what was a twenty dollar meal, and got his suit jacket dry cleaned and pressed.
I didn’t know much about men’s clothing, but it looked cleaner. It smelled clean.
It was a pity that it didn’t smell of him anymore though.
I’ll admit it, I sniffed that jacket more than a few times.
God, he’s made me into such a weirdo stalker.
I made a frustrated shriek into my pillow before pounding it and propping myself up against it.
I stared at the framed picture of my parents that I kept on my bedside table.
They were frozen in time, smiling at each other, like no one else in the world existed. The photo was taken on the Christmas my father bought me a violin, and I was introduced to my first love, music.
It wasn’t love at first note, I was awful at it, my mother coaxing me to continue every step of the way.
Nikolas came to find you, a small voice inside whispered. It must mean something.
I wanted to know what that something was.
I thought, for a moment, that I heard my mother’s voice.
Just try, my girl, just try.
I dressed up a little for my trip back to STYX. I put on the cutest dress I had, a yellow sundress, more suited to a day on the beach than a night out at a club but I felt pretty in it.
The bouncer, the same guy from the other night, looked at me quizzically when I mentioned the last time we met. “I don’t think I remember you.”
“I delivered stuff to Nikolas,” I said. “He’s a… friend.”
“Whatever,” he shrugged and gestured for me to go in.
It was still early, and the dance floor was quiet. I walked up to the bar toward the tall brunette from the other night.
“You again,” she said. “You look nice. Business or pleasure?”
“Um,” I blushed. “Pleasure?”
“You’re too cute,” she said, with a laugh. “What can I get you?”
“A cosmopolitan?” I said the first cocktail that came to mind.
“That’s a throwback,” she smiled. “Watching old tv shows, huh?”
I shrugged sheepishly. While she busied herself with my drink, I glanced at the stairwell.
Was he there? What should I do? Should I just go up?
I looked down at the jacket in my arm. I had wrinkled the fabric from all of my fidgeting.
I heard a woman laugh from the other side of the room.
I looked over a group of people lounging at some plush velvet seating.
The woman laughed again.
I narrowed my eyes.
It was the woman from the other night. Kelly.
I felt a bit of bitterness, like bile rising up in the back of my throat.
Jealous, already? Oh, Lord. I thought to myself. He’s not yours to be jealous over.
The woman, Kelly, was flirting with another man. He had a long grey beard and wore a leather vest. He was the complete opposite of Nikolas in every way.
I frowned.
“You are not pleased,” a low voice said from behind me. My heartbeat quickened, and my mouth went dry.
Nikolas sat down next to me. “What are you looking at?”
His eyes followed mine and stopped at Kelly’s table. The man she was with pawed at her breasts. “Oh. Road Rebels. Don’t worry about them, you’re safe with me.”
I cleared my throat. “I wanted to thank you for this,” I held out the jacket.
“You came to give me this?” He reached down, his hand covering mine. He was so warm, and his fingers were long and strong. “It is yours.”
I blushed.
Kelly laughed again. I flinched.
“You’re upset,” he lifted. “Tell me why?”
If I had a man like him I wouldn’t be sitting on another man’s lap.
“Is it Al?” His voice lowered to a growl.
“No, I..” I glanced back at Kelly. “I thought you were together…”
His eyes lit up.
“You’re upset for me?” He grinned.
I stayed silent.
“She is not mine, I’m not hers,” He brushed my hand reassuringly. “Trust me, there isn’t going to be anything between us ever again.”
“It’s none of my business,” I said quietly. “And I don’t need to know that.”
“I want you to know,” Nikolas said. His hazel eyes darkening. “I think you do want to know.”
I felt my cheeks get even redder.
“I can’t begin to tell you how it makes me feel when you blush like that?”
The glint in his eyes turned dangerous. “Why are you here, Rowena?”
“To give you the jacket,” I answered feebly.
“No,” he said, his voice firm. He touched the inside of my wrist.
I was a moth to his flame.
“Why are you here?” he repeated.
“Cosmopolitan,” the bartender chirped, sliding the drink over to me. The moment hung over us, his fingertips still tracing circles over my wrists. “Niko, what are you, oh…”
She looked between us. “Oh, I’ll talk to you later. I see a customer.” She hurried away. There was no one else at the bar. I let out a nervous laugh.
His hand circled my wrist, and he pulled me gently toward him.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered in my ear. His breath tickling my neck and sending the rest of my body into high alert. “Now will you tell me the truth, gorgeous, why are you here?”
I squeezed together my eyes as if to hide them because if he saw them, he’d know everything.
“Is it because you can’t stop dreaming about me?” he whispered. “Like I can’t stop dreaming about you?”
“Is it because being close makes you feel more alive than you’ve ever felt? Am I right, baby?”
I nodded.
He pulled me closer. His breath laboured. “Do you ache for me, like I ache for you?”
“Yes,” I whispered, my eyes still shut tight.
“Where?” he asked, his voice just a little bit desperate this time.
“Here.” I placed his hand over my heart. He kissed my cheek, my heart soaring at the contact.
“And here.” I took a shudder
ed breath and moved his hands over my breasts. My nipples hardening even more under his touch.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
“Where do you feel it?” I asked. I couldn’t believe I said it out loud. The devil in me made me do it.
He growled.
“I’ll tell you,” he said through gritted teeth. “But not here.”
He moved back his chair. I could see his growing excitement. I bit my lip, remembering how long and hard he was.
He wanted me. I wanted him. This felt good. I wanted to run with it for as long as it felt this good.
I stood up and leaned into him. “Take me to your office.”
He looked so dangerous at that moment like he could swallow me whole.
He gave me a devilish grin and led us slowly to the stairwell.
I could feel eyes on us as we headed up the stairs. The attention would’ve made me cringe, but I held my head high and kept my eyes on the beautiful man in front of me who was leading me, further and further into temptation.
Chapter Six
Nikolas
I locked the door this time. Though I barely managed it. It only took a moment after we entered the room before my body, my hands, my lips were on hers and hers on mine.
The room buzzed with the electricity between us.
“Nikolas,” she moaned against my lips. I could hear her say my name like that for a lifetime.
“Yes?” I asked.
She shook her head and pressed her lips to mine. I scooped her up and lifted her onto my desk. I stood in between her legs. Not for a moment did our lips part. I wanted to be touching her, all the time, now that we were away from prying eyes. I could do what she would allow me to do. I would take what she readily gave.
She was such a soft little thing, but she gave as hard as she got. Her hands gripped at my shirt as she pulled me down to her face. Her mouth, her tongue, her teeth, licking, nipping, sucking. I was coming undone, entirely and utterly undone by her.
Part of me felt that I could do this forever, just kissing like this, but another part wanted desperately to slide my hands up that cute little sundress.
