Sabian

by Ali Parker

I shook my head and nuzzled in tighter to his chest. He cradled me to him, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as he pressed his lips to my forehead.

  “I want to take care of myself. I want to stand on my own two feet and build my own life. I don’t want to be a Cooper anymore.”

  Sabian lifted my chin, forcing me to look up at him. We were lying on Axel’s sofa. He didn’t know we were both out in his living room. Had he walked in and discovered us, all hell would have broken loose. But we got lucky, and we had the room to ourselves.

  “You can be whatever you want,” Sabian said. “You just have to have the nerve to make it happen. But if you want to stand on your own two feet, then that’s where you need to start. You need to get out on your own.”

  He wasn’t rejecting me. Not completely. He was telling me what I so desperately needed to hear. He was pushing me toward dreams that I hadn’t even fully realized yet.

  Sabian smiled softly, and then his lips were on mine, soft and gentle, and I was coiling around him with desperation. I craved his touch more than anything. It chased away all my fear and all my doubts. His kiss grew fiercer. His tongue slipped between my teeth, and we tasted each other as our breathing quickened and our hands began to wander.

  “We can’t,” Sabian said suddenly, ending the kiss.

  “Please.”

  He shook his head. “We’re only making it harder on ourselves.”

  “You all right?” Sabian asked, his head cocking to one side as he studied me.

  “Yes, sorry, I just got a little excited.” My cheeks burned, and I hoped he didn’t catch the double meaning of my statement. “This is great. Thank you so, so much. Seriously. You’re a life saver.”

  “Don’t mention it. Seriously. The last thing I need is for the boys to catch wind of this.”

  “Axel won’t be there so we can keep it between us.”

  “Great,” Sabian said, a hint of relief in his voice.

  “I’d better get going,” I said, even though I wanted to stay. “You have my number. Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, I’ll see you on Saturday. Okay?”

  “Okay.” He nodded.

  I grabbed his sleeve and hopped up to my tip toes to plant a kiss on his rough, stubble-covered cheek. “Thanks again,” I said softly.

  He didn’t say anything as I turned from him and went back to my car. I got in, started the engine, and admired Sabian as I backed out of the drive. He was basked in the brightness of my headlights, and he walked forward, following the light, until I was out on the main street. He waved and continued to stare after me as I drove away. I kept looking back at him in my rear-view mirror until I took a turn, leaving him behind.

  “What are you getting yourself into?” I muttered to myself as I shifted in my seat. My panties were wet, my heart was racing, and the blood in my veins felt like it was on fire. His touch had sent me over the edge, and now all I needed was a nice cold shower and a session in bed with my vibrator.

  Sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

  Chapter 9

  Sabian

  I rapped my knuckles on the steering wheel as I waited for Angela to come down from her penthouse. I was early, as per her request, and dressed in the tux she had sent over to my place the previous afternoon. It fit me perfectly, which was equally as unnerving as it was impressive. It was navy blue, and she had paired it with a black shirt and black tie. It was sleek and simple, and I felt good in it.

  I leaned down to peer out the passenger window at the front doors of the Kent building. As I did, they swung open and Angela stepped out.

  My jaw nearly bounced off the gear shifter.

  She looked absolutely stunning.

  As I watched her walk down the path from the door to my car, I tried to collect my thoughts. Staring at her all night like a horndog wouldn’t convince any of her family that I was the guy she had been seeing for half a year. So I got it out of my system now without shame. I checked her out from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, which swished out from beneath the gown she wore with every step.

  Her short dark hair was slicked back rather than tousled as it had been the last couple times I had seen her. Glittering tear drop earrings hung from her ears; they were so massive they nearly touched her shoulders. The gown she wore was strapless and navy blue to match my suit. It was tight around the bodice and then flowed gently to the floor at her hips, creating a silhouette of long legs and a slim waist. The fabric had a subtle sheen to it, but it wasn’t decked out in anything flashy. It was classy and elegant.

  I hurried out of the car and rushed to open her door for her.

  She flashed me a brilliant smile as she slid into the passenger seat. I walked around the hood and got back inside, started the car up, and pulled away from the curb before I did something stupid, like try to kiss her.

  “You look incredible,” I said after a couple of awkward silent minutes.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You look pretty fantastic yourself. I knew the suit would look good on you.” Her earrings caught the sunlight as she turned to look at me. Her dark purple lips stretched in a pretty smile. “You nervous?”

  I shrugged and tried to act cool. She didn’t need to know that my cock was trying to spring free from my pants. “Not really. It’s just a wedding, right?”

  Angela’s laugh made me second guess myself. “It’s a Cooper wedding, Sabian. Brace yourself for a whole lot of crazy and a whole lot of glitz and glamour.”

  “Bring it on.”

  The venue was on the top floor of a hotel in downtown New York. A valet was there to take the car, and he drove away, leaving Angela and me to follow gold-plated signs surrounded by white flowers through the lobby to the elevators, directing us to the top floor to the “Cooper & Smithe Ceremony and Reception”.

  In the elevator, Angela popped open a small silver clutch she had tucked under her arm. She dug around for a moment and then withdrew something small and sparkly. She slipped it on her left ring finger.

  “Wait a second,” I said as her hand fell to her side. I stared down at the massive diamond ring she had just put on. “Is that what I think it is?”

  She smiled nervously. “I may have told my family that the guy in New York was my fiancé, not my boyfriend.”

  “What the fuck, Angela? Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” she said hurriedly. “But this doesn’t change anything. Okay? Just play it cool. No one will think anything of it. We don’t even have to stay late. We can—”

  “This is not what I agreed to.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. I just knew that if I told you—”

  “I wouldn’t come? Yeah. You’re right. I wouldn’t have.”

  She clasped her hands and looked down. “I’m sorry. But I needed you.” She looked back up at me and smiled sweetly. “I knew you were the only one who cared enough to help me.” She stepped toward me and lifted her hand to my face.

  I caught her wrist and shoved her hand down. “Don’t you dare try to manipulate me.”

  “I’m not trying to—”

  “Yes, you are. The girl I was with three years ago would never have pulled a stunt like this. That girl was sweet, and kind, and wouldn’t ever dare use her body and her looks to get what she wanted out of me.”

  Angela’s cheeks flushed a bright shade of red, and she pulled back from me to retreat to the far corner of the elevator. “It was either this, or I lose everything I’ve worked so hard for,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know what to do. I can’t go back to Los Angeles. Please, Sabian. Do this for me? I won’t lie to you again, I promise.”

  Her promise did not reassure me at all. It was easy to forget who she was and where she came from. Her life had been the polar opposite of mine, and she had to do what she needed to do to get away from that. But I didn’t accept lying. It never did anyone any favors.

  “I’ll do this for you,” I said as the elevator chimed at the top floor. “But if I catch wind of any more bull
shit, I’m leaving. I don’t care what position it puts you in. Understood?”

  She nodded once. “Yes.”

  “All right.” I turned to face the doors and held my elbow out for her. She looked down at it, then back up at me. “Take it,” I said. “I don’t half ass anything. If I’m going to be your fake fiancé for the night, we’re going to sell the shit out of it.”

  She wrapped her arm around mine and pressed herself into my side as the doors opened. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “Thank me when this is over.” It sounded dramatic, but it was genuine. I was walking into a wedding of two wealthy, important, influential people, and I was doing so under a false identity. This was the extreme opposite end of the life I had known growing up. I was out of place and out of sorts. I was used to food stamps and sloppy joes (on the good days).

  This was going to be a ride and a half.

  We walked from the elevator to a set of glass doors, where a final, massive gold sign announced the details of the wedding ceremony. The Cooper family was to sit on the right, and the Smithe’s would be on the left. The reception would take place on the rooftop patio immediately afterward, while the couple went and had their photos taken.

  We paused as a man dressed in a white suit opened the doors for us.

  The ceremony hall was beautifully decorated. My mind spun as I tried to fathom how much money had been spent on the decor alone. It had to have been over a hundred thousand dollars. Easily. Flowers hung at the end of dense vines on the ceiling, giving the room the illusion of being in a fairy-tale garden. The carpet between the aisles was white and lined with candles and more flowers. The seats had white covers on them and pale pink sashes tied around the backs. More flowers were tucked in the middle of the bows on the sashes.

  “Come on,” Angela whispered in my ear as she guided me to the right side. We took two seats about three quarters of the way back.

  After sitting down, I looked around at the guests.

  Everyone was well dressed and dripping in expensive jewelry. There were plenty of wide-brimmed hats, lace dresses, flashy suits, and bedazzled shoes.

  “This is insane,” I muttered to Angela.

  She crossed one leg over the other and adjusted her dress. “I know.”

  I was aware of all eyes shifting over to us. I could feel the heat of their stares on my back as they sized me up. Despite the suit, fresh shave, and slicked back hair, I felt that I stuck out like a sore thumb. I was by no means all that dark skinned, but my Mexican blood stuck out like a sore thumb. I was the darkest one in the room by a lot.

  “Maybe you should have asked Hyde to come to this with you,” I said. “He looks more the part.”

  Angela shook her head and leaned into my shoulder. “I don’t know him. Besides, I’ve always liked giving these snobs something to talk about.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at that. Angela had been born into this cuckoo’s nest, but she didn’t fit the part. She would have been better suited living a normal life where she had to work hard for what she wanted. I had no doubt she would be extremely successful. Her bite was bigger than her bark, her determination was impressive, and her sheer defiance to being held down was her best quality.

  As I continued to look around, I noticed that a lot of the people were casting their sour looks at Angela and not at me.

  What a bunch of fucking trash.

  I sat up straighter in my seat and adjusted my jacket. I put my hand on Angela’s thigh and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s show these morons a good time tonight, shall we?”

  Angela grinned up at me. “Really?”

  “Oh, hell yeah.” Sometimes, under the right circumstances, games could be a lot of fun. And, truth be told, I was wickedly good at them. Growing up on the streets and spending so much time in the Lost Breed MC would do that to a man. A room of two hundred social elites was nothing compared to the shit I’d seen in the slums as a teen.

  “Come here,” I said, lifting my arm up so Angela could tuck herself into my side. “Put your hand on your knee so everyone can see that ring I bought you.”

  Angela giggled and did as I said. “I like this side of you.”

  “Baby, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  Chapter 10

  Angela

  The ceremony was a grueling hour and fifteen minutes long. Sabian had sat with his arm around my shoulders the whole time, and when the vows were read (not personally written ones, I might add), he tugged me in close and kissed my cheek. Then, just to put on a good show, he nuzzled his nose up close to my ear and whispered, “This had better be an open bar wedding.”

  I giggled, and from the outside looking in, I hoped it looked like we were two sweethearts in love.

  When the ceremony ended, everyone took their time leaving the room. Sabian took my hand in his and guided me through throngs of family members who had stopped in little clusters in the aisle to talk about how beautiful the ceremony was.

  “Beautifully boring,” I muttered close to Sabian’s shoulder as we slipped through the doors. He chuckled, pulled me up beside him, and guided me out to the balcony with him where the rest of the guests were gathered to wait for the newly married couple to return.

  As we waited, we were spoiled with trays of champagne and appetizers that were on a never-ending circuit of waiters’ arms. Sabian plucked two glasses from a gold tray for us and passed me mine. We clinked our glasses together and both tossed them back in three mouthfuls. As another waiter passed, I put our empty cups on his tray and switched them out for fresh ones.

  “Your family is going to think we’re alcoholics,” Sabian murmured.

  “They can think whatever they want,” I said, sipping my drink. “We’d be silly to turn down free champagne, right?”

  “Right.”

  We milled around for a good hour and a half as we waited for the bride and groom to return. I took Sabian around the patio and introduced him to family members I didn’t absolutely loathe, which weren’t many. People looked him up and down without shame, then looked back to me. They would always ask how we met. I told them all we met online on a dating site. It was the most believable lie.

  The mother of the bride, my Aunt Josephine, pulled Sabian in for a hug when I introduced him as my fiancé. The many rings and diamond bracelets she wore flashed in the sun as she squeezed his shoulders.

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said as she leaned back to give him the same sweeping up down that everyone else had given him. “I must admit, you are not what I was expecting when our Angela said she had a fiancé finally.”

  “He was worth the wait,” I said, addressing her passive aggressive stab at me.

  Sabian ran a hand over my bare back. “I’m a lucky man,” he said. “And I have a confession of my own. You all weren’t what I was expecting, either.”

  I glanced up at him, worried at what he might say next.

  “Oh?” Josephine inquired, her overly plucked eyebrows creeping millimeters up her forehead. If she hadn’t indulged in so much Botox, they would have been able to go higher. “And what were you expecting?”

  “Well, you know? Sometimes extravagant weddings such as these can come off kind of tacky.” Sabian gestured around at the overflowing bouquets, water fountains, ice sculptures, and waiters milling around the patio. “But this is a tasteful affair. You are all a beautiful family. Although it is quite easy to spot the Coopers amongst the Smithe’s.” He winked at her.

  Josephine bubbled over with laughter. “Oh my,” she cooed, putting a hand to her tanned chest. “You are a charmer, aren’t you?”

  Sabian shrugged and let his hand fall from my shoulders. He reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips, where he placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. “Good company brings it out of me.”

  Josephine turned to me, her eyes glittering with sheer joy. “My dear, you must bring him around more often. He is a delight. Such smooth words from a man of such… flavor.”

  I knew
as well as Sabian that the word “flavor” had not been her first choice. “I will,” I said. “I’m sorry, Aunt Josephine, but we must be going. There are more introductions for us to see to. The ceremony was lovely. Jessica and Brandon make a beautiful couple.”

  “They are, aren’t they?” Josephine sighed.

  We left her fawning over her own daughter and slipped away to meet more aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family members. Sabian was equally as charming with all of them, and his commitment to our lie was sparing me from suffering the doubting looks of family.

  I was exceptionally grateful for that.

  “Come on.” I took his hand and tugged him toward a couple sitting at one of the tables. “I want you to meet my mom and dad.”

  “Can’t wait,” Sabian said dryly.

  We stopped behind my parents at their table, and I cleared my throat. “Mom, Dad,” I said.

  They both spun to face me. My mother leapt from her chair and threw her arms around me. “We’ve been waiting for you to get to us,” she said. “I’ve missed you so much!”

  “It’s only been a week,” I said into her hair.

  She pulled away and cupped my cheeks. “What have you done to your beautiful hair?”

  “I chopped it. I wanted something fresh. It’s more New York, don’t you think?”

  My mom made an unsure sound in the back of her throat as my father got to his feet beside her. He gave me a warm hug, kissed the top of my head, and looked me over. “I like the short hair. It suits you.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I smiled. Then I gestured to Sabian, who stepped forward. “This is Sabian, my fiancé.”

  “Finally, we get to meet the mystery man in the flesh,” my father said, extending his hand to shake Sabian’s. “It’s nice to meet you, Sabian…”

  “Delgado,” Sabian said.

  “Delgado,” my mother said, her tone suggesting she did not like the way his last name sounded on her tongue.

  “Leave it, Hera,” my dad said to her without glancing over at her. I’d have to thank him for that later. “What did you two think of the ceremony?”