by KB Winters
All the playfulness was gone and my eyes opened wider at the realization that he was serious. He really wanted—no, expected—me to just quit my job.
I rested my hands up on his shoulders. “Why does it matter?”
“I want you all to myself. You need to be available to me, anytime of the day…or night. A job interferes with that.”
“So, what, you’re just going to be my sugar daddy now?”
“Livvie,” he frowned.
“What? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying. I’ve been on my own since I was ten, when my parents died. I had my first job at fourteen and haven’t stopped since then. I put myself through college with minimal loans, all because I busted my ass and saved for years. What you’re asking of me goes against everything I am, at the core.”
Remy rolled off of me and I could tell what I’d said upset him. I guess talking about my dead parents was a boner killer. But I didn’t regret bringing it up. It was important that he knew and respected my work ethic. I wasn’t willing to be some trophy or on-call plaything. No matter how much I wanted to be with him, I had to know there was something more at the foundation than over-the-top attraction and hot sex.
“Hey,” I whispered.
“Yesterday, after I left, I was—” He paused, as though he wasn’t sure how to finish his thought. “I went for a drive and ended up at the beach. I did a lot of thinking, and spent a lot of that time wondering what was going to happen with us.”
I scooted closer and sat up behind him, my hands resting on the tight muscles in his back. I nodded, signaling for him to continue.
“I missed you, Livvie.” He craned around to look at me. His deep eyes looked pained by the admission. “I’ve never done this before—I don’t know how to do this. And that scares the shit out of me to even say it out loud.”
I ran my fingers down his back. “I don’t either. I’ve been on my own so long, I don’t know how to be in a relationship. That’s probably why I’ve avoided having one for so long.”
He turned to face me and brushed his knuckles down my jaw line. “Liv, do this with me. We need to jump, go all in, however you wanna say it.”
I searched his eyes for a moment, turning over his words in my mind.
“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll put in my notice.”
Remy leaned in and took my lips with his, showing me with every kiss how much he wanted me, and leaving no doubt in my mind that I belonged to him.
I ended up being so late to work that by the time I got there and spoke with the office manager, he let me go on the spot. I left the office with a box of my desk contents under one arm, feeling free, but also scared to death.
After leaving, I went back home to shower and change before going to meet up with Kaylee and Mitch to talk about Conquer’s next moves.
I’d barely taken three steps inside the apartment when Tessa flew at me from around the corner.
“You ungrateful whore!” Her eyes were blazing as she stared me down. Her hands were fisted but she didn’t get close enough to throw a punch.
“What the fuck?” I yelled, slamming the door behind me, hoping the entire floor hadn’t heard her hollering.
“I thought you were my friend, Livvie.”
“What are you talking about?”
She snorted. “Does the name Christopher Diaz mean anything to you?”
Her question caught me by surprise. “Yeah…why?” Christopher’s mean, snarling face appeared in my mind and I felt a new layer of anger building up.
“He’s my boyfriend!” Tessa screamed. “Mine!”
“What?” My face twisted with confusion. So many questions, so little time. Why was she calling me a whore? How long had she been dating Christopher? And, above all, why was she dating him? Scummy piece of dirt wasn’t worthy of my…apparently ex…friend, Tessa.
Tessa dissolved into tears and collapsed back against the wall. “How could you do this to me?”
I sighed. I was mad as hell for her name-calling, but I couldn’t watch her cry like that. “Tessa, what did I do? I have absolutely no idea what you’re so upset about.”
I tried to reach out to pat her shoulder, but she twitched back violently as though I’d recently contracted leprosy or something. I dug my fists into my hips and stared her down. “What the hell, Tess?”
“Christopher told me all about your visit to his office this morning. He told me that you tried to get him to fuck you.” She sniffled, a flicker of rage returning to her hazel eyes. “So, yeah, the secret’s out. I know you’ve been trying to steal him, and that your boyfriend got jealous and punched him out. Livvie, his nose is broken! He’s going to have to have surgery to repair it. All because you couldn’t stay away from him.”
“Oh. My. God. What?” I let out a yell and stormed past her, further into the apartment. I threw my purse down on the table. I rubbed my temples, feeling a massive headache coming on. “Wow.”
I didn’t even know where to start.
“That’s it? Wow?” Tessa said.
I spun around and she was standing right behind me, leaning against a different wall. “Tessa, I did not try to sleep with Christopher. He’s revolting. I don’t know how long you two have been dating, or whatever, but he’s the one who’s been trying to sleep with me!”
Tessa’s face flickered between her sad, pouty face and her angry, flashing eyes, debating her conflicting emotions. “I want you out by the end of the day.”
I guess she was sticking with angry.
“No! I’m not moving out just because you’re being an idiot and getting snowed by some douchey guy.” I walked out of the room and headed down the hall. I needed to get away from her before I said something I’d regret later.
She followed me, her footsteps hard and firm on the wood floors as she chased me down the hall. “I mean it, Livvie! Honestly, you’re lucky you showed up when you did. I have movers on the way and I was just about to start chucking your shit off the balcony!”
I froze in my tracks. “You what?”
“Christopher hired a team of movers to get you the fuck out! Today.”
I pivoted to face her, only this time, it was my nostrils flaring and fists itching for a piece of the side of her face. “Tessa, you can’t do that! We are co-lessees. You don’t get to kick me out. Ya crazy bitch!”
“If you fight this, Christopher said he’ll press charges against Remy for attacking him. You don’t have a choice.”
My mouth flopped open a few times, completely stunned into silence. Tessa smiled a vindictive, evil smile and I went to my room, slamming and locking the door to keep myself from throwing her off the balcony like she’d been plotting to do with all my belongings.
“Mother fucker,” I groaned, sinking down onto my bed.
What the hell was I going to do now? I knew I could—and probably, should—call Remy and let him know what was going on, but there was a part of me still shaken up by the conversation that morning about him wanting me to quit my job.
Fuck.
I’d already agreed to quit my job, rationalizing it was a necessary step to allow me to focus all my efforts on Conquer and building the business. But this? Asking him for a large loan to cover move in fees and first, last month’s rent at a new place with no one to split the costs with until I could find a room mate.
No, I shook my head. It was too much. I needed to hang onto a shred of my independence.
A loud banging vibrated the walls of the small apartment.
“Livvie! The movers are here!” Tessa shouted down the hall.
“Shit.” I squeezed my eyes, wishing I could tap my heels together and go back to being in bed with Remy like I’d been last night, so safe and peaceful.
I opened my eyes and knew what I had to do. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Remy’s number.
“Hello, gorgeous.” His smooth voice radiated through the phone, going a long ways towards soothing my frayed nerves.
“Remy, I’m in trouble.”
Chapter Six — Livvie
“He what?” Remy boomed into the other end of the phone when I told him Christopher had brainwashed Tessa into turning on me and, subsequently, booting me out of the apartment.
“I know, it’s totally jacked.” I took a deep breath. “Remy, I know it’s asking a lot, but is there any way I can come crash at your place until I get something else lined up?”
“Hell, no. You can’t crash here.”
My heart sank. Maybe there was a cheap motel that I could afford week to week…
“You’re moving in with me.”
“Remy—” I started to argue, but then paused at the sound of footsteps in the hall. “I gotta go. I don’t want them to mess with my stuff. Lord only knows who Christopher hired. Probably a bunch of thugs from his record label.”
“Stay in your room. Do not let them in. I’m on my way.”
“Remy! I was just—” The line cut out. “—kidding.”
“Ugh!” I flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, allowing myself a few moments to marvel over how incredibly screwed up things had gotten in the past few weeks. I thought back to when I told Remy that I needed simplicity. Ha! Nothing about this life was simple. But then, mine had never been simple before—why had I ever expected that to change?
I heaved myself off the bed, knowing I wouldn’t find answers to any of my questions staring at the ceiling. I started pulling clothes out of the dresser and folding them into piles on the bed. I needed boxes, and tape, and scissors. All of which the movers probably had.
I glanced towards the door. Remy had told me to stay put, and he was doing his whole macho, “you listen to me, woman” routine and would be furious if I didn’t listen to his instructions. But, I was a practical girl, and knew that it would take him at least twenty minutes—on a good day—to get across town from his high-rise.
“Ms. Sanders?” someone called, knocking softly on the door.
I opened the door. A tall, beanpole guy stood there with a clipboard and a pen pointed in my face. “I’m Teddy. I’m here with a crew to move your belongings. It looks like you need assistance packing?”
I snarled at him. In the back of my mind, I knew he wasn’t the cause of my frustration, but I couldn’t help taking it out on him. “No, Teddy.” I snatched the pen out of his hand and started to look over the documents attached to the clipboard. “I do not need assistance packing. I want you and your crew out in the hall. I will let you know when I have finished packing and am ready for your assistance. Understood?”
He balked and flushed slightly. “Ma’am, that’s not really—”
“You’re getting paid by the hour right?” I interrupted.
“Yes,” he answered slowly, as though suspicious I was trying to trap him into something.
“Then go get lunch, coffee, whatever.”
“Mr. Diaz—”
“Isn’t here,” I finished. “You have his credit card number and will charge it at the end of the day for however many hours you were on the job. I’m not going to tell him if you went off to get a snack. Not my deal.”
He still didn’t look convinced.
I knew I had to pull a different card. “My boyfriend is on his way and he’ll give you a very generous tip if you follow my instructions, capiche?”
He nodded. I signed off the moving contract and he scuttled off with his buddies to go to the cafe around the corner. Tessa had barricaded herself in her room, so at least I didn’t have to worry about her calling Christopher. Not that I thought he’d care. In his eyes, he was winning. What did he care if it cost two or three hundred extra bucks if at the end he got what he wanted?
I found the stash of moving supplies the movers had dumped in the living room, and took a handful of collapsed boxes back to my room and starting packing. I was taping shut my third box when I heard the front door open and close.
“Livvie?”
“Over here!” I called out.
Remy appeared in the open doorway and gave me a stern face. “I told you not to leave the room.”
“I know, I know. You can lecture me later.”
He gave me a wicked grin. “Oh, I’ll do more than that.”
My entire body tingled with the surge of suggestive thoughts that went through my mind at his promise. Maybe living together wouldn’t be a bad thing after all…unlimited sexy talk and hot, naked Remy available whenever, wherever I wanted.
“Where’s Tessa?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Her room, I guess.
Remy surveyed the small room. “Was Christopher here?”
I shook my head and started packing again.
Remy grabbed a box and started filling it with clothing. “I guess I should have seen this coming.”
“How could you have known?”
“I should have figured he would try to do something to retaliate for what happened at his office.”
“About that, Remy—”
He held up a hand, obviously expecting some kind of ass-chewing.
I flashed a smile. “I was gonna say, nice right hook.”
Remy looked surprised by my comment but he laughed. “Thanks.”
We worked silently for awhile. He seemed to want to stay as quiet as possible to hear if Tessa or Christopher would pop in on us. I wasn’t sure what he was plotting in his mind, if that were to happen, but I was pretty sure it would land one—or both of us—in a lot of trouble. He was contained, but I could feel the anger radiating off of him as he worked alongside me.
“I didn’t even know he was still seeing her,” he said, almost to himself, as he taped one of the last boxes of clothing shut.
“What?”
“Well, to be honest, Tessa seems like the typical gold digger type. Which is perfect for Christopher.He loves a girl so blinded by dollar signs that she’ll do anything he wants. I thought Tessa was a fling for him, a plaything.”
I shook my head.Something didn’t fit into place. “Wait, you knew they were dating?” I asked.
Remy shrugged. “I saw them together at a charity thing. But, like I said, that meant nothing. For all I knew, it was a one and done kinda deal.”
I stopped packing and whirled to face him. “But you knew she was my roommate, and you knew he was working with me. Why wouldn’t you tell me something like that?”
“You weren’t exactly a receptive audience and if I was going to get you to listen to anything—I had other issues that topped that in terms of importance. All right?”
My lips thinned into a tight line. I was still irritated, but I knew I needed to drop it. After all that had happened today, Tessa’s gold digging was the last thing on my mind.
I finished boxing up my clothes and trinkets. Then, with Remy’s help, we went through the apartment, marking pieces with sticky notes that belonged to me. By the time Teddy and his crew returned, everything was ready. Remy slipped Teddy a few large bills and a piece of paper with his penthouse address, and told him where to go to park the truck when they arrived.
As soon as that was settled, he ushered me out of the apartment without so much as a glance back, and whisked me across town back to his place to wait for the moving crew.
“You know, this will work out well for me, because in another couple of months I’ll probably need help covering rent,” Remy joked.
I was standing at the kitchen island, running my fingers over the veins in the slab of granite, watching while he whipped up a couple of cappuccinos with his pricey espresso machine on the other side of the kitchen. I gave an over dramatic gaze around his gorgeous penthouse. “Somehow, I doubt that.”
Remy laughed. “Come on, play along.”
I strutted towards him slowly, emphasizing the swivel of my hips. “But, Mr. Maddox, I don’t think I can get the rent to you on time this month. Is there any way we can make…arrangements?” I asked, dropping to my knees in front of him.
“Shit, Liv!” Remy gasped. I smiled up at him. I loved the moments when I could ca
tch him off guard.
“You told me to play along,” I replied, letting my fingers run over his noticeable bulge.
“Right. Well, Miss. Sanders, I’m sure we can—” His voice broke away as I nuzzled my cheek against his hard cock. He stopped trying to speak and instead, channeled his energy into unbuckling his jeans as fast as I’d ever seen someone undress.
His perfect cock sprung free of his boxer briefs and I wasted no time, sliding the entire shaft into my mouth, letting the tip go hit the back of my throat. I moaned, and Remy gasped and took a firm grip on my ponytail. I kept my cheeks tight as Remy took control. He thrust into my mouth as far as he could and tugged on my ponytail to make me bob over his cock at the speed he wanted. Each tug of my ponytail got me wetter and wetter. I knew how much Remy wanted me, and felt him throbbing more and more with each pulse. I swirled my tongue up and down the shaft and he groaned.
“Suck my cock! Yes, like that,” he demanded, his voice gravely and slightly breathless.
I sucked harder and his tugging on my hair got harsher. I winced at the slight pain with each yank but didn’t dare tell him to slow down or ease up. He was getting tight and swollen inside my mouth, and I knew he was close to the edge and I wanted to get him there.
Remy thrust in so deep he hit the back of my throat and I let out a moan to accommodate his thick shaft. “Take it like that.”
I nodded and he groaned again, digging his fingertips into my head and holding onto me as he thrust a few more times and then came inside my mouth, his warm seed filling my mouth and dripping down my throat. I swallowed it all and tongued it off his skin as he pulled out of me.
“Damn, Livvie.”
I smiled, loving the sight of him breathless and undone. “So, what do you think? We square for next month’s rent?” I teased.
He gave me a wicked smile before launching himself at me. In one swoop, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.
“I’m afraid we have to continue negotiations,” he replied, smacking my ass in the process.
I laughed and squealed as he started down the hall towards the bedroom.
