by Dee Garcia
“If only he’d listen to me. He’d have spared himself a sample of hell.”
“I’ve told you this before… I’m not afraid to burn, pigeon. Been through hell and back more times than I can count.”
“As have I, but seriously, the power? You had to cut the power?” I asked, more inquisitively than anything else.
Shrugging, he turned into the ledge and leaned over, watching the cars below. “Set you back a day, right?”
“Unfortunately.”
“And there you go. So, yes, the power.” A genuine grin split across his face, and it wasn’t one of the evil ones he’d flashed me a time or two.
No.
This was a full-on, genuine, mega-watt smile, with a little sinister playing on the corners.
I had to look away, because if I didn’t…
“Why are you still here, Roman?” I inhaled a deep breath as I glazed over the booming city below us.
“Why do you keep asking me this question when you know what the answer will be?”
“Because I keep hoping you’ll take the hint and move on to the next place. Miami isn’t for you. Go pester some wanker in Chicago, or in Detroit, Boston, anywhere. Anywhere but here.”
“I told you that’s not happening, I’m not a man easily deterred.”
“I can see that,” I agreed, walking off a short distance.
I needed the space.
Needed to be out of his bubble. He was too close, and that was my weakness.
When he intimidated me most.
With how loud the city was, it wasn’t exactly quiet per se, but an awkward lull fell upon us. Neither one of us spoke for several minutes, allowing all different types of ideas and scenarios to play out in my mind.
“Why don’t you just get to know me?” Roman asked suddenly, rooting me to the ground beneath my feet.
Was he serious right now?
“Get to know you?” I spun in place, looking at him like he’d gone completely insane. “You’re joking, right?”
Roman shook his head. The expression on his face was entirely serious. “Not remotely. Get to know me, Lux. You’ll see I’m not a terror unless I have to be. Just a man trying to get ahead is all.”
“Yeah, off something I built. That’s not someone I want to know.”
“You might, if you knew the story behind it.”
“And that would be?” I hedged, clearly intrigued by his response.
But he shot me down, just like I should’ve expected.
“I can’t tell you. That’s part of getting to know me.”
“Well, that’s not what I came up here for, so I’m going to go ahead and pass,” I exhorted.
“What did you come up here for? And don’t state the obvious, because we both know damn well I’m not giving up that feat any time soon. I’ll play this game with you as long as you want, pigeon.”
My blood burned.
Him and that damned nickname.
It made me cringe every time. I hated it.
Shuffling over to him, I groaned profoundly to get my point across once and for all. “Can you please, for the love of all things fucking holy, stop calling me that?”
Rome chuckled. “You really hate it, don’t you?”
Blue eyes clung to me as I leaned over the ledge once more.
“Yes, please stop. Lux will suffice.”
“Tell me something about you and I will.”
And there went my body locking up again.
I couldn’t even look at him, completely thrown off by his asinine request. He really was insane. He had to be. After everything we’d been through and all we’d done to each other, how the hell could he stand there and ask me to share myself with him, like everything was all good and gravy?
Why?
Why would he want to know me anyway?
Didn’t he realize getting to know each other would only make our predicament more difficult? It was difficult enough as it is, for fucks sake.
“Lux,” Roman’s voice boomed through my internal struggle.
He didn’t call you pigeon…
Dragging my gaze to where he stood, I found that lopsided smirk awaiting me. The simple gesture was becoming too familiar, something I both expected—and wanted—to see.
“Stop scheming over there for five seconds and tell me. I’ll even make it easy for you. Just give me one thing. If there’s one thing the world should know about Lux Mercier, what should it be?”
“That she’s a tough bitch,” I said proudly.
“True, but that doesn’t count.”
“Why not?”
“Because the world already knows that. Gotta give me something better. More.”
This man...
“Flattery thing isn’t a good look on you, Roman. Stick to the plan.”
“That is part of the plan.” He waggled his eyebrows, the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth through a wicked grin.
Fuck, I liked that.
I’m not even going to try to deny it. I liked it, maybe a little too much, and he must’ve known it, too, because his grin slithered into that devious smile I knew all too well.
My insides twisted like a wrung tee.
“And no, I’m not telling you the plan,” he added, sliding closer to me.
He was so close, our arms brushed.
“Figures,” I scoffed.
“Stop averting—I’m still waiting on that one thing.”
“I wasn’t averting, you’re the one who—”
“Eh, eh, eh,” he chided, tapping the tip of my nose. “See? Averting.”
Ughhh.
He was maddening and I was cheesing. Me, cheesing, no holds barred! What in the actual fuck was he doing to me?
“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?”
“Guilty, but you like it. Now, back to the question,” he pressed, shooting another groan out of me.
He really was relentless.
“You’re going to be the death of me.”
“Probably, but you’re averting again. The question, Lux, let’s go—tell me one thing the world should know about you.”
“That I don’t back down. Ever,” I blurted out, desperate to be freed from his ludicrous game of twenty-one questions.
My heart was suddenly hammering, spiking higher and higher as he leaned in toward me. Alarm bells sounded off, but fuck me if I could move.
I could barely breathe.
Too close. He was too close, like all up in my bubble close. I could feel him, all of him; his vibe, his warmth, his fucking everything in my bubble and I couldn’t fucking breathe.
“I knew that already, too, but I’m gonna let it slide this time. Next time, though, don’t give me some obvious bullshit answer, or I’ll pester you until I get the one I want.”
Something about his threat snapped my eyes up to his, and unbeknownst to me, it was a wrong move on my part.
A trap.
The second they fused together he was quick to hold on and not let go. That compel tattoo scripted over his eyebrow had never been more apt, because that’s exactly what he was doing to me.
I couldn’t look away, watching his every move. When his gazed dropped to my mouth, I was there, struggling not to squirm as his tongue lashed out across his bottom lip.
I felt it everywhere and no where all at once.
He inched a spec closer and I sucked in a heap of air, squeezing my eyes shut to save myself from falling deeper under his spell.
“Don’t do it, please” I whispered, because I knew what was coming.
I knew it with every fiber of my being.
“Hell yes I’m doing it,” he whispered back, lips hovering so tangibly against mine I could already feel their softness. “I have to. Been dying to. Let me.”
“Don’t.”
“Yes. Just relax. Those street rats can’t see us—it’s all good.”
“I know, but still, don’t…” I beseeched him.
If he did this—if I let him do this—n
othing would ever be the same again.
“If I put my lips on yours right now, are you going to move?” he questioned, ever so softly clasping my chin between his fingers.
“N-no,” I admitted, breathing hitching.
“Then yes, I’m fucking do it. One taste, Lux. Quick and painless...”
“But deadly—”
And then he was kissing me, dragging me down further into his depraved rabbit hole of sin and temptation.
My brain screamed for me to get the hell out of there, and yet once again, I was helpless against him. This man had me stuck, melting into him as he kissed me with purpose, like his life depended on it. What was supposed to be one kiss, went on and on, building rapidly from gentle to urgent. His fingers speared into my hair, pulling me closer until I was trapped beneath him with no escape route in sight. The way his lips moved over mine was unlike anything I’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing before. He knew when to kiss, when to nibble, when to lick, intoxicating me beyond repair. I couldn’t control myself, opening wider as he sought out proper entrance into my mouth, his hands trailing along my body like we’d done this a million times before.
I was lost, so damn lost in this moment… Until a breathy moan bubbled in my throat and reality threw a bucket of ice water over my head.
Gasping, I pulled away from him, shaky hands flat on his hard chest to put some much needed space between us.
“I’ve gotta go,” I said in a rush, scrambling to get around him on jelly-like legs.
“Lux.” He tried reaching out for me, but I was too quick. “Lux, don’t go.”
“I have to,” I called out over my shoulder, nervously booking it to the door.
What have I done? What the hell have I done?
♫ Carousel - Melanie Martinez ♫
That kiss. That electrifying, inebriating kiss. His lips devouring mine. So warm and demanding.
It was on replay.
Wet mouths.
Haunting me…
Frantic hands.
Enticing me…
Dueling tongues.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Even now, as the scalding shower pelted my face, all I could focus on was the way Roman’s mouth nearly devoured me.
He would have for sure had I not left when I did.
Truthfully speaking, I think he did regardless because I could still feel every bit of it diverging through my body.
Just one taste, Lux—quick and painless.
That moment right there, the one where he first put his lips on me without abandon…
That’s what I felt most.
Electrifying my fingertips, burning up my neck.
Searing my lips.
My nipples puckered at the reminder, the warm rivulets of water running down my breasts clinging to each rigid peak.
I squeezed a small globe in each hand to wane off the sharp bite and threw my head back.
Eyes shut.
Heart palpitating.
If this is what he could do to me with a kiss alone, imagine what he could do…
Fuck.
That image was hazardous.
I shouldn’t be thinking such thoughts, shouldn’t be thinking about him, period, but I couldn’t stop.
Didn’t know how.
He’d left a whole new mark on me, and I didn’t know what the hell to do about it.
Was there even anything I could do?
No, probably not.
I mean, I hadn’t done a very good job at running him out of Miami thus far, so how in the ever-loving fuck was I supposed to stop this?
Whatever this was…
The remainder of my shower continued on in the same torturous fashion. By the time I stepped out and reached for my towel, the space between my thighs was throbbing.
Aching.
Begging for relief.
I considered it for all of two-point-five seconds, eyeing my nightstand where B.O.B laid to rest, but all too quickly I realized indulging in this manic, lust-driven episode would only reiterate the fact Roman had managed to settle himself deep under my skin.
Nope.
No way.
Not happening.
There’s no way I could touch myself with his blasted face entrained in my mind and not be a ruined mess after the fact.
Nope.
Hell the fuck no.
It was bad enough as it is.
Cursing him to hell and back, I finished drying myself off and padded into my closet with the damp towel now wrapped around my body. Every single article of clothing was whipped from one side of the rack to the other as I searched for something to wear, the angry scrape of metal on metal a tell-tale sign of my frustration.
I couldn’t decide whether I was more angry with him or myself.
How daft could I be to let him put his lips on me?
I should’ve run when he got too close. Hell, I should’ve run the second I deduced what his intentions were.
Could’ve spared myself from all this nonsense. But no, of course not, because I was an idiot.
A masochist, too, evidently.
As the last blouse joined the rest of my wardrobe, I groaned aloud in defeat and stomped to my bed, falling onto my back in a disheveled heap.
What the hell is wrong with me?
No, seriously, what the hell was wrong with me? Why was I letting a man, a man whom I loathed no less, have this inexplicable effect over me?
Because you don’t really hate him…
Right as the ridiculous thought crossed my mind, my phone began blaring on the nightstand. I shot up with a gasp and snatched it with a quick hand, thankful for the perfectly timed distraction like never before.
“Hey Rams,” I answered, keeping my voice as even and unsuspecting as possible.
The last thing I needed was for her to pick up on my crazy and start another round of twenty-one questions.
“What are your plans for the hurricane?”
The blurted query caught me off guard, contorting my face in confusion. “What do you mean what are my plans?”
“Like, where are you staying?” she clarified.
“Um, in my flat?” I answered, though it sounded more like a question.
Ramsey gasped just slightly, a loud clatter arising in the background behind her.
Sounded like dishes clashing in the sink.
“Are you insane? You’re in a high-rise!” she squeaked, and I rolled my eyes, clutching my towel as I rose onto my feet.
“And? Your point?”
“It’s not safe, L. Those buildings sway with high winds. Not to mention you’re surrounded by windows, windows that won’t be protected.”
“I understand that but, I don’t really have much of a choice,” I chuckled, wandering back into my closet. “It’s not like I have family I can hunker down with. I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t,” she deadpanned. “It’s a big storm, Lux—you’re coming with me.”
“Where?” I was intrigued to say the least, rummaging through my wardrobe once more.
“To this hurricane party Marco invited me to.”
“Marco, as in Stryker’s mate?”
“Yup.” She popped the P, whipping my head back in disbelief.
“Since when do you talk to Marco?”
“Since the other night when I showed up at Vybe and he was there.”
And where was I?
If it was within the last week, probably obsessing over Roman…
“Does this mean Stryker and Suki will be there, too?” I hedged, swallowing down the abrasive lump in my throat as those vicious thoughts of our kiss plagued me yet again.
“No actually,” Ramsey snickered. “Suki’s staying at Stryker’s.”
I heard the words, both my mouth and eyes popping in surprise, but it took several moments for what the full extent of that statement meant.
She was staying with Stryker and she hadn’t told me?
“What?! When did this happen?”
/>
“I don’t know. She literally just told me about ten minutes ago when I called her to ask if she wanted to come with.”
My hand clenched around one of my little black dresses. “You called her before me?” I couldn’t hide the disappointment in my voice.
“L, c’mon—don’t take it personal. Shit, I don’t and you two leave me out of a lot,” she countered, ripping what sounded like a paper towel free from the kitchen roll.
“We do not,” I blurted out, yanking my dress off the hanger.
“Yes, you do, but that’s okay. You’ve known her forever. I wouldn’t expect anything less.” I could almost see her shrugging. “Not the point, though…are you coming or do I have to drag you?”
Sighing, I set the phone on speaker and tossed it on my bed.
“Where is this supposed party?” I questioned, dropping my towel as I pulled out a pair of panties from my nightstand and shimmied into them.
“I don’t know, somewhere near Star Island which means plenty of space, lots of booze, and a good time.”
“You really want to stay at some random house for God knows how many hours?”
“It’s better than your flat or my shit hole in Carol City. Besides, if Marco is going, I’m sure that means whoever’s throwing this shit must be cool people.”
Somehow, I doubted that. Cool people didn’t exist nowadays. Our world was beyond fucked up, humanity included. Most people—myself included—had cruel intentions.
Sad, but true.
“We’ll check it out,” I conceded doubtingly, “but I’m not making any promises. One measly bad vibe and I’m out of there, you hear me? I don’t care if it’s raining a tsunami outside, I’m leaving.”
Now had I only stood my ground and held onto the already festering bad vibe roiling my gut, I could have avoided what I would later deem the night the devil finally possessed me.
♫ Party Favors - Tinashe & Young Thug ♫
I knew I was fucked when it came to Lux from the moment I first laid eyes on her, but that kiss just about signed my name on the dotted line.
In my blood.
I couldn’t get it, or her, out of my mind.
Couldn’t get the horrified look on her face or the way she ran from me out of my mind.
She was shook—rightfully so—bolted before I could grab her, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she went into hiding regardless of me hand-delivering another threat. Might’ve been a good thing honestly, because I wouldn’t’ve have been much help. Other than pinning her to the wall and kissing her senseless a second time.
