“It’s alive!” she screeches when it makes a loud sound with its jaw and swings one front leg out in front. “And I doubt it likes being picked up.”
“True. They don’t like being touched anywhere,” I agree. “Especially not after being run over by a three-thousand-pound vehicle.”
“You realize you’re completely ignoring that the reptile is hissing, right? It’s probably a warning sound before it reaches back to do real damage.”
“We’re taking it to get help. That’ll make sure no one else hits it tonight.”
“Are you sure it’s not best to leave it at the side of the road? The wildlife people will probably find it right where we leave it. And I thought it was against the law to take some of these animals out of their natural habitat.”
“This is a special circumstance. It’s the weekend. The wildlife people you’re talking about probably won’t show up until Monday afternoon, after they pick up my voice message.”
“I think you’re making it angry,” she mutters as the little guy starts to get louder.
“You’re making me angry,” I groan.
“You’re not mad at me like Cherry is, are you little buddy?” Vanessa asks the turtle in her semi-baby talk as I carry it back to her car.
“Just keep your distance. It can’t hurt us unless we get close to its mouth or claws.”
“How do you even know how to handle that thing?”
“I’m just using common sense, and a bit of compassion. Pop the trunk.”
She clicks her remote and waits for me to place it in the center of the trunk. Then she looks down at it again. “Sorry I rolled over you, you poor thing. Someone will check out the damage I did as soon as we can. They’ll get you all stitched up, okay? Because Cherry won’t let anything happen to you. She’s the turtle whisperer, I think.”
“That’s enough,” I say with a small chuckle.
“I wasn’t joking. You’re amazing. The way you stepped in and are doing that thing you do to save it.”
There’s something about what she said that gets my back up. “What thing?” I ask for clarification as I close the trunk lid.
“Oh, never mind. It’s nothing,” she answers quickly and turns to get in the driver seat. “You’re so kind, is all.”
Dusting my hands off, I jump in the passenger seat. My eyes narrow at her. “You were suggesting something else.”
“No I wasn’t,” she insists, but I know what she’s getting at, and honestly, I don’t appreciate the inference.
“Just because I don’t want this animal to die, doesn’t mean I have a problem with death, or that I let myself get too attached.”
Her eyes widen. “I never said you did.”
“But you implied it. I don’t want my best friend psychoanalyzing me, or suggesting I have a God complex. Maybe wanting to help an injured animal is just that. Helping.”
“Listen to me,” she says, and places a hand on my knee. “I’m not suggesting or implying anything, Cherry. Except that you’re being overly sensitive again.”
I let out a breath of air. This conversation is getting out of hand. “Maybe you should just drive. I need to get home.”
We don’t notice the two dark colored sports cars speeding by until they stop a few hundred feet ahead of us and start reversing toward us, one ahead of the other.
“That’s Dylan, I think,” Vanessa says, squinting to check out whether it’s her brother, Dylan’s Maserati when it stops in front of hers. She flicks on her headlights. “Yes, that’s them for sure. Maybe Dylan recognized my car and thought something was wrong.”
Both of each car’s front doors open.
Dylan steps out. Jace and a guy I never met get out of the other vehicle.
“Who’s that?” I ask about the unknown guy.
“That’s their friend, Franko.”
The three of them walk toward us, each with a hand at their foreheads, shielding their eyes from the headlights.
Then Jace realizes I’m the one in the car with Vanessa.
13
Cherry
Jace doesn’t know what the fuck he wants. Vanessa has confessed to me that Jace has done this before. Since my eighteenth birthday fiasco, he’s told the guys in our circle to stay the fuck away from me. The tension between us tonight, though, hits an all-time high when Dylan’s friend, Franko, gets flirtatious. Mind you, Franko’s no different with Vanessa. I learn that the guy’s a charmer, just like Foster. They even kind of dress the same. But boy does he get under Jace’s skin.
Vanessa knows what’s going on—or not going on—between Jace and me. She seizes the opportunity right there and then, suggesting that she can take the turtle to the animal hospital, and that I should let Jace drive me home. Then Franko injects himself into the equation, insisting that Vanessa shouldn’t drive alone this late at night. He gets Dylan’s nod of approval to ride with Vanessa, which seals my fate. I’m backed into a corner now. It’s either Jace’s car, or Dylan’s.
And I’m forgetting one thing.
These men have each other’s back.
Vanessa gives me my handbag and leaves with Franko. Then Dylan excuses himself, saying something about needing to get his phone out of his car.
And he drives off, closing out my options.
I’m not in the mood for a standoff tonight, but I can’t help myself.
“Get in the car. It’s cold,” he says.
“You’re running interference again,” I shout. “You didn’t want me, but you also don’t want anyone else to get anywhere near me.”
“That’s not true.”
“No. It is.”
“Franko isn’t serious about any woman.”
“Who cares?” I shout. “It’s my life. Stop whatever it is you think you’re doing.”
He pulls my car door open and points at the seat. I jump in. The sooner he gets me home, the better.
“What if I did want … something else with you,” Jace asks when he gets into his seat.
“Don’t even… you don’t know what you want.”
“Like hell, I don’t.”
“Fine.” I decide to challenge him. I want him to spell it out, because the truth is, he sounds like he’s just yanking my chain. “Something else like what?”
“More.”
“Yeah. Right. You’re only saying that because of what Franko just did.”
“That’s bullshit. You think I’m threatened by that guy?”
“Are you?”
“Hell no. I was protecting you.”
“From what? And why do you act like you care anyway?”
“You’re right.” His composure changes. He’s not the same Jace that I’ve known. “I ignored you,” he admits to me. “I avoided you, didn’t give you the time of day…and I was wrong for pushing you so far away.”
“Yeah, okay whatever.”
He turns to me and places one hand on the backrest of my seat. “And what about you? You pursue me for years, and when I consider coming around, you go cold on me?”
“My heart is not a revolving door, Jace.” I hate how melodramatic that sounds, but it’s true. “Can you just drive me home now?”
“Cherry…I never forgot about that night.”
“What night?” He stares at me with skepticism. We both know what night he’s talking about. “Oh no. No. Just no. Don’t you dare bring that up. What you did was unforgivable.”
“I thought it was better that way.”
“Better for who? Your ego? Because it wasn’t nice for me at all.”
“At the time I thought… look, it’s okay,” he says, and starts the car.
“No it’s not okay. How could you do something like that to another person? To me?”
“It’s a small world, all right? And we move in the smallest, tightest social circle in New York. You and your dad are practically family.”
“We’re not your family.”
“You know what I’m saying.”
“That’s the stu
pidest explanation I’ve ever heard.”
“No, it’s not.”
I’m close to losing it altogether. “Yes. It actually is. I know that I wormed my way into your place that night. I took responsibility for that. It’s on me. But you let me in, took something from me that I wanted you to have, then you kicked me out after you got it. No one has ever hurt me like that. Not up to that night, and not since then either.”
“I can’t change what happened. All I can do is tell you I’m sorry about how it went down. I was a jackass.”
“And now you’re not?”
“I didn’t exactly say that.”
“At least you’re honest.”
“I’ve never lied to you, Cherry.”
“So you’re trying to tell me you’re still a bit of an ass, and you want me. Am I supposed to feel all warm and cuddly now? Is the fact that Jace Knight has been the epitome of candor and sincerity meant to help me accept what you did to me and let it slide?”
“I’m not trying anything. Look, forget about everything I said.”
“Fine with me,” I say, folding my arms.
He starts the car and drives off in a huff. I’m sick of talking. He doesn’t speak another word until he stops the car at the security gate about a thousand yards from the front door of my place.
“Let me off here. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”
“It’s fine. I’ll drive you to your door.”
“No,” I insist. “I’m okay. I just need to clear my head,” I tell him, and open the passenger door.
“Cherry,” he calls my name just as my feet hit the sidewalk and my hand grips the car door to close it.
“What?” I ask, glaring at him.
“This isn’t over.”
I can’t even begin to form an appropriate sentence to answer him. Not without a string of insults and profanity all jumbled together.
So I keep my lips pressed together, and channel all that rage into my arm. I slam the door shut, and close another chapter in my life.
I said no to Jace.
He’ll probably never forgive me for turning his sorry ass away.
It’s something I never thought I’d do.
And I feel so free, I can laugh.
Or cry.
I punch in the access code to unlock the automatic security gates, then wait for the heavy wrought iron sections to part wide enough so I can walk through.
But Jace isn’t done yet. I feel his strong, heavy hand on my shoulder, and it’s too late for me to react. He spins me around, buries his hand into the hair at the base of my neck, and smashes his lips into mine.
He may have gotten the advantage of surprise, but not for long. Reaching my hands between our bodies, I plant my palms on his chest and push hard to break free.
“Why the hell did you do that?” I ask.
He meets my eyes but doesn’t answer me. Placing each hand against the horizontal metal plate built into the gates, he brackets me in. Now I can’t move. My brain starts to form the first word to give him a piece of my mind and Jace does it again, covering my mouth with his as he blocks every sound with an uninvited kiss. He slides his tongue along the seam of my lips and parts my mouth. This kiss is more intense than the last, and I know I’ll kick myself later, but I let him take my breath away. The moan that comes from my mouth into his reveals more than it should. It betrays my need. Soon I can’t even think.
God.
I forgot how much I missed Jace.
His kiss.
His touch.
I hang on to him with fistfuls of his dress shirt in my hands, pressing my body up to him, delighting in the throb of his erection on my stomach when I should be pushing him far, far away. The heat between our bodies drags me even closer as we lose ourselves. It’s a surprise to me when I hear myself breathing out that I missed him so much. Hearing my own words abruptly jerks me back to the real world. I can’t let Jace in again. He’ll only end up hurting me with an encore of that night.
But I can’t stop myself. My body’s only warming up, yet it’s already too far gone. I don’t even resist when he pulls from the kiss, gazing down at me with his intense blue eyes. Then it’s really too late, because looking into his eyes are like staring at the sun. It blinds me, shuts off all coherent thought, and makes me forget the pain.
Jace runs his hands down along my upper arms until our fingers touch. “That kiss was way overdue, kitten,” he says, lacing our fingers together. “Forget about going inside. I’m taking you to my place.”
I nod from the effects of his solar flare interfering with my brain.
And my core.
He leads me back to his car, pulls open the passenger door, and helps me inside.
I hope I don’t regret this in the morning.
14
Jace
I can’t drive fast enough to get Cherry back to my place. She’s giving me another chance. Or maybe I’m the one taking it from her this time.
Either way, I won’t waste it.
Cherry sits quietly as I break just about every highway and street traffic infraction to get back to Midtown Manhattan. The energy between us is tense, but different from where things were at on the way to her house. I’m so ready for this, it feels like parking my car will take away from the moment. That’s why I roll up to the entrance of my condo building, jump out of the driver seat, help Cherry get onto the sidewalk, and throw my car keys to the night shift valet standing nearby.
With my hand resting on the small of her back, I guide her through the lobby to the set of semi-private elevators that lead to the three top floor penthouse suites. Cherry worked hard to make her intentions known, and I fucked that up big time. It’s my priority to turn that around before she changes her mind and writes me off for good.
My phone buzzes just as the elevator arrives. I’m not prepared to give a second of time to anyone right now, so while Cherry steps on the elevator ahead of me, I reach into my pocket and shut off the volume. I make a few long strides to get to her side, sliding a possessive arm around her waist and pulling her toward me like she’s already mine. Cherry turns and faces me. I can tell from the look in her eyes that she’s just as ready for this as she was at the front gate of her house. Maybe more so, because there’s no resistance at all as she leans into my body. Her eyes search mine. Those eyes that I can never get enough of. As she gazes up at me, her hands spread out at my chest. One lifts up to my face, her finger running over my bottom lips. The other blazes another trail south, and homes in on the tented area below my belt. Fuck. It’s like she’s waited for this as much as I have. Then a slight smile rises up on her face. It could be forgiveness I’m reading, or lust. I have no idea. Maybe it’s because I’m hard as fuck, and her hand cupped over my dick is only making me want her more.
One main feature I like about living at this condo building is its high-speed elevators. If it weren’t for that fact, I’d be all over her for the ride up to the fifty-sixth floor. Less than half a minute after starting the ride up, the ping of the elevator gives me the signal that we’ve arrived. Taking her hand, I pull her through the hallway to my front door.
Neither of us waits on the other side of that door. I lean against it and pull her tight against me. Cherry’s handbag falls to the floor. She reaches her hands up into my hair and closes in, kissing my lips in one fluid movement. In no time at all, I’m rock hard. At this point, we’re best not deluding ourselves. What’s about to happen won’t be slow or tender. Makeup sex is never gentle. And in our case, three and a half years is a fucking long time to wait for it. We won’t reach my bedroom. Fuck, we aren’t leaving this spot at the front door.
Grabbing her hips, I slide my fingers into the waistband of her stretchy leggings and push the fabric down past her hips. Cherry shoves it down the rest of the way, her breathing already sped up. She removes her zippered winter boots to get them, the tights, and her pink thong panties off completely. Her cardigan is pushed off her shoulder, and she lifts the small crop t
op over her head, leaving only her bra on. I can’t look away.
The heat and need bouncing between us is off the charts. We can’t get enough contact between our bodies as we paw, kiss, claw and fondle each other wildly. I take a second to undo my belt and lower the zipper, finally freeing my cock. Picking up Cherry at the waist, I turn around and press her back against the door. The sound of her sexy moans feed my erection as her legs wrap around me. Her hot, drenched pussy makes contact with the tip of my cock, which throbs and swells in response. It’s game over for the both of us when she lowers her head to mine for a primal, hungry kiss as I hold on to a handful of her ass and drive past her folds.
Hard and rough.
Deep into her tight, soft center.
Fuck, it feels like coming home.
Cherry’s fingers curl around the back of my neck, digging into my skin as she holds on and anchors herself for this unbridled ride. She doesn’t hold back, rolling her hips for more of a fit. She’s so fucking tight. I know I’ve filled her to capacity, stretched her inner walls to their limits.
“This is mine,” I groan out somehow, and she cries her agreement. “Mine.”
“Yes,” she breathes out close to my ear as I lift her by the hips and bury into her again.
“Mine to ruin. To own, kitten.”
Her inner walls clench around my cock, driving me out of my mind as I bury myself into her sweet cunt and draw out again. Every thrust is more satisfying than the next, yet every time, I need more contact. As I fuck her hard, Cherry brings each palm to the sides of my face, then looks into my eyes. That’s the instant everything changes. She’s mine. I’m hers. It’s final. No more fighting it. There’s no her or me anymore. Just us. Forever.
The moment’s so intense, it takes me a little while to realize she’s right on the edge of her climax. Her core flutters and tightens around my shaft, she rolls her eyes up into the back of her head, and when she cries out through her uncontrollable tremors, she calls mine forth too, and I cum hard.
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