Broken Ground: (Broken Series Book 1)

by Anna Paige

  Ali didn't look up, but I could tell from the shift in her posture that she knew I was there. Standing way too close for my liking, Keith and his date backed away from her as soon as they registered my presence. I walked over to stand at her side and turned to face them. "There a problem here?" No response. "Maybe things in the ballroom got stuffy, and you were looking for someplace to get some fresh air." I shifted my gaze back and forth between them, nodding. "I couldn't agree more. That sounds like an excellent idea. How bout we step outside?" I pinned him with a stare, voice deadly serious. "You want to step outside with me, Keith?"

  He and his date both seemed a lot less cocky than they had been a minute ago. Must have been something I said.

  I stared him down, enjoying the random twitch in his jaw. He was pissed, but he'd never have enough balls to challenge me. Cowards like him rely on their ability to exploit weaknesses, and I didn't have one. Not where he was concerned.

  His date, however, seemed to have some balls. She eyed Ali and said, "You boys do what you like, Ali and I can stay here and finish our conversation."

  When Ali lifted her chin and met the woman's eye, there was no hesitation. "Absolutely."

  Keith shifted on his feet, pulling at his collar and looking nervous as hell. "No, baby," he said to his companion, "We should probably be leaving now. It's getting late."

  I couldn't tell if he was more afraid of me taking him outside, or the idea of Ali spending time with his date. Either way, it was pathetic. Such a fucking coward.

  His date gave him an incredulous look and turned to leave, obviously getting a good whiff of his cowardice. When she slipped between Ali and I, she bumped Ali's shoulder. Hard.

  Fuck. Not a good idea.

  Ali's hand shot out and snared the woman by the arm, snatching her back as she stepped close enough that barely an inch separated their faces. The woman struggled to free herself, but Ali held firm. "I'd advise you to watch where you're going. You wouldn't want to get yourself hurt." Her eyes were narrowed, teeth bared. "Either tread a little more carefully, or Needle Dick over there," she pointed at Keith, "will have to carry you to the car. Understand?"

  She released the wide-eyed woman, giving her a shove in Keith's direction. Ali and I watched her as she stumbled over to him, and they stood looking at each other, neither seeming to know what to do.

  Ali turned to me for the first time since my arrival, a tight smile on her face. "I'm ready when you are." She glanced down at her empty hands. "Well, as soon as I grab my purse. I must have left it on the table."

  I nodded, not taking my eyes off of Keith. "You go ahead. I'll be right there." His eyes widened, knowing I wasn't finished with him yet. "Actually, meet me at the bar, one last drink and we'll head out."

  I could feel her eyes on me. I knew she didn't want me fighting her battles, and she was probably pissed that I wanted to stay behind. She didn't argue, though. "Alright. Don't take too long or I'll drink yours too." She turned and made her way back to the ballroom, her heels clicking on the expensive marble flooring.

  When I could no longer hear her footfalls, I closed the distance between Keith and myself. His date muttered something about meeting him at the car and scurried away, rubbing her upper arm. That left us all alone in the deserted corridor. I could see his pulse in his neck, the vein bulging rhythmically under a fine sheen of sweat. He couldn't quite look me in the eye, choosing instead to look slightly to my left.

  Pussy.

  He was so pathetic it almost sucked all the fun out of it. Almost. I wouldn't make him piss himself tonight though he looked to be on the cusp of it already. No, I had only one point to make and then he could scamper off to make amends with his escort.

  I decided I'd made him sweat long enough. The stench of him had become repulsive. I leaned in, bringing my face so close he had no choice but to meet my eye. "Don't worry. I'm not in the mood to get blood on my shoes tonight. I just thought you should know that you're wrong about Ali. She is far from frigid." I smiled as his eyes widened in surprise. "I made her come twice in the limo on the way here, so I'm pretty sure whatever problems you guys had in the sack had nothing to do with her." I leaned back and regarded him with a thoughtful expression, arms crossed over my chest as I studied him. "If I had to guess, I'd say it was operator error. You just don't know how to fuck."

  His face turned scarlet, and he dropped his eyes, saying nothing.

  "Yep, that's what I thought. Dropped your head like a damn dog, so it must be true." I waved him off dismissively. "Have a good night, Keith. Please pass my sympathies along to your date. It sounds like she's the one who's in for a disappointment."

  I walked away without a backward glance, leaving him to tend his bruised ego.

  A SHORT TIME later the two of us were riding in silence back to her apartment, the limo's plush interior providing little comfort. When I'd joined Ali at the bar, she'd said nothing just sipped her drink for a few minutes before draining it and giving me a pointed look, as if to say 'take me the hell home'.

  I couldn't be sure if she was angry with me, or still seething from the run-in with her ex. Either way, I wanted to fix things between us before parting company for the night. If she thought I overstepped, I wanted her to tell me, take it all out on me if that's what she needed. Sitting there in the seat across from mine, she looked like she was about to explode, and not in a fun way.

  She'd been staring out the heavily tinted windows for several minutes, her clutch held tightly in her hands. The slight furrow of her brow and tensing of her jaw was more alluring than it should have been. I decided I'd wasted enough time letting her work the shit out in her head. It was time for her to talk to me. Hopefully, she wouldn't bite my head off.

  I cleared my throat, careful not to be too loud. She stiffened but didn't turn. Frustrated, I started talking anyway. "I know the night wasn't exactly perfect, but I'm still honored to have been your date. You're probably angry at me for what I did earlier and I'd like to tell you I'm sorry... but I'm not." That got her attention. She looked over at me with narrowed eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. It wasn't easy continuing my thought with her cleavage pushed up like that. Shit. Focus. I lifted my eyes to hers, realizing she had seen my inadvertent inspection. "I'm not going to apologize for taking him down a notch, he desperately needed it. Hell, he needs much more than that but I toned it down out of respect for the venue."

  She nodded almost imperceptibly but still looked angry. "I appreciate that you didn't mop the floor with him. Shame I didn't have as much restraint." She shook her head. "I knew I'd end up letting my temper get the better of me. Dammit."

  "Wait, so you're not mad at me?"

  "Pfft... you weren't the one who couldn't keep their hands to themselves."

  I was so relieved that I almost laughed. I smiled at her and shook my head. "She had that coming. She slammed into you because she thought you could be intimidated. When she realized she failed, she backed down. Typical bully MO. I thought it was hilarious." She quirked a brow at me, looking slightly amused. I threw my hands up, looking sheepish. "Hey, I can't help it. All guys are hard-wired to enjoy girl fights. It's in our DNA."

  She laughed for the first time since leaving the Gala. It was music to my ears, but it didn't last long. She looked at me for a moment, a new worry in her eyes. She shifted in her seat and dropped her gaze before saying, "I'm sorry you had to hear all the horrible things Keith and I said to each other. Between that and my temper, I can't imagine what you must think of me now."

  There was sadness in the way she said the last sentence, as if something important between us had been tarnished by the events of the evening. I hated that look. I hated that the bastard who put it there wasn't worthy of her.

  More than anything, I hated that he had made her believe she was broken.

  I slid forward in my seat, resting on the very edge, and reached for her hand. She unfurled her arms, taking her time as she watched me in confusion. When she placed her right hand in mi
ne, I squeezed it reassuringly. "You want to know what I think of you?" She tried to turn away, but I reached up with my free hand and slid my fingers along her chin, turning her back to face me.

  It hurt my heart when she flinched involuntarily at the unexpected touch. Keith had done that to her, the son of a bitch.

  I pretended I didn't notice her reaction, keeping my hand there and lightly stroking her jawline with the backs of my curled fingers. "I think you're amazing. I think you're strong. I think you're intelligent and hard-working and loyal and beautiful." My gaze flicked to her lips before refocusing on her eyes. "Like I told you before, those people don't know you. Not even him." Her eyes clouded at the reference to her ex. "I think he's the one that knows you the least, Ali. If, in all the time you were together, he didn't see what I saw the first time we met, he's even dumber than he looks." A tear rolled down her cheek, and I whisked it away with my thumb. "You're the warmest person I know."

  She took a deep breath, blinking several times to clear away the tears. She squeezed my hand as she said, "Thank you. I know he's just an asshole, and I shouldn't let him get to me." Her voice fell to a whisper. "But he knows exactly where my weaknesses are, and he never lets me forget."

  I knew exactly what 'weakness' she was referring to, and I had a strong suspicion that they were both wrong. I'd seen it in her eyes, the heat of desire, the hunger. All she lacked was someone to bring it to its peak and then send her tumbling over the edge. Both Keith's demeanor and Ali's apt nickname for him were clear indications that he just wasn't equipped to handle the job. Instead of trying to learn what she craved, he convinced her she was broken.

  I started to speak but wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable by discussing his allegations openly, but I wanted desperately to argue with her, to tell her not to buy into his bullshit. I debated it in my mind for a moment, trying to figure out what to say to convince her and then wondering if she'd even want me to say anything.

  The decision was made for me a moment later when the driver announced that we had arrived at Ali's building.

  She smiled at me as she released my right hand and glanced at the hand that was still stroking her jawline. "I guess this is it. Thank you for escorting me and for standing up for me, even though you knew it might tick me off." She nuzzled my hand for a moment, sending a jolt of heat straight to my cock. Lifting her head and waiting for me to retract my hand, she brightened. "And most of all, thank you so much for what you did for Outreach Hospice. You have no idea how grateful I am."

  When she moved to exit the limo, I stopped her. "Wait a second." I climbed out and held the door open, offering my hand to help her slip out. She took my hand and stepped from the car, righting herself on the sidewalk and mumbling her thanks as if she thought I was just going to climb back in and drive away. There was no way I was doing any such thing. Instead, I nodded to the entrance. "Please allow me to see you to your door, Miss Walker."

  She looked momentarily perplexed by the request but smiled and nodded, threading a hand through my proffered arm and grasping my bicep.

  There was a different doorman this time, one that appeared to be more sober than the last, who smiled fondly at Ali, telling her he'd missed her the last few weeks. She pretended to scowl at the older gentleman and told him he was just missing the coffee and snacks she usually brought down for him. He chuckled but told her that the treats were only part of it as he held the door for us.

  I could tell she was still upset as we waited for the elevator. Her eyes were once again downcast, and there was a crease between her brows that I had come to recognize. She was still bothered by Keith's accusations and even more so because I had overheard them, which had to have been mortifying for her. Knowing I had very little time left, I tried to conjure the words necessary to fix the situation but continually came up blank.

  Nothing.

  Nada.

  We stood in silence as the elevator climbed to her floor. When the doors opened, I motioned for her to exit ahead of me. As I followed her to her door, I struggled for something to say. Anything. I glanced over that the other apartment, grasping for a source of conversation. "I imagine it's nice only having one neighbor. My last apartment, I had three and one of them liked to have his band over to practice at all hours. Drove me crazy." I hadn't thought about that crappy apartment in ages. I was desperate for something to say.

  She looked over at the closed door of 7A and nodded, reaching into her bag for her keys. "Yeah. They're pretty quiet. They're an older couple who don't get out much. Sometimes I go over to check on them and ask if I can pick up something for them at the market. She's always baking things and bringing them over. They're sweet." She mumbled 'aha' and pulled a small keyring from her purse.

  She turned to face me, poised to say her goodbyes, when her clutch slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor. It landed at her feet, it's shining metallic color matching her heels. She groaned in frustration and started to retrieve it, but I held out a hand to stop her, signaling that I'd get it.

  As I knelt down in front of her and reached for the bag, her breath caught. I glanced up and realized I was eye-level with the deep slit in her dress. The creamy flesh of her thigh peeked out from behind the silky gray curtain of her gown. Crouching there, I was so close I could smell the scent of whatever lotion she had used, one that made her skin shimmer in the light and beg to be touched. Whatever it was, it was making my mouth water.

  I turned my face toward the opening, knowing she could feel my breath on her exposed skin. When goosebumps formed a moment later, I knew I had her attention. It wasn't intentional, at least not at first, but there was no doubt that she was aroused. I heard her breathing turn shallow as I leaned closer and picked up the purse, making sure to exhale on the way down, skimming my breath down her entire thigh and calf. She shivered as I slowly stood, our bodies mere inches apart.

  I offered her the shiny bag and, when her fingers deliberately brushed over mine as she accepted it, it was my turn to shiver. Her eyes were hooded with obvious desire. Her erect nipples strained against the thin fabric of her gown.

  Frigid, my ass.

  As if sensing that I'd been thinking of Keith's accusation, her whole demeanor changed, her expression crestfallen. She shook herself and stepped over to unlock the door.

  When she had it open, she turned to tell me good night. The look on her face was almost more than I could bear. She looked ashamed and dejected as if she truly fucking believed she was broken. "I'm sorry, Clay. I really can't do this." She smiled sadly. "I don't want to humiliate myself any further, so I'll just say goodnight, and I'll see you on Monday. Okay?"

  She didn't wait for my answer, didn't look me in the eye, just closed the door with a soft click.

  The look on her face as she shut that door would haunt me forever. It was a good damn thing I didn't know where Keith lived. I'd have tracked him down and broken his worthless fucking neck. But that wouldn't fix this, no amount of payback would change her mind, convince her she wasn't broken.

  Revenge wouldn't help, but I knew damn well what would. I'd told Keith Ali had come for me twice tonight. Time to turn that lie into truth.

  I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

  I'd been steeling myself for damnation all along... time to jump into the flames.

  ALI OPENED THE door, her brows drawn together in confusion. "Clay? I thought..."

  I didn't give her time to finish. I stepped over the threshold and placed my hands on both sides her face, tilting her head back so she would look me in the eye. There were streaks of moisture on her cheeks, proof that she'd been crying. I wiped them away with my thumbs and held her there. My tone garnered no argument as I spoke. "Alison, you are not frigid." She tried to look away, a defense mechanism I'd come to recognize. I leaned down into her line of sight. "How can you not see that? Out there in the hallway just now, are you telling me you felt nothing? That you weren't turned on?" She met my eye, and a blush crept i
nto her cheeks. I nodded. "I thought so."

  She gasped when my mouth crashed into hers, my kiss firm but slow. She responded instantly, her lips parting and inviting me in. I took my time slowly exploring her mouth, nibbling her lower lip, grazing her tongue with mine in slow, soft strokes. She pressed herself closer, groaning into my mouth and I responded by pressing my body into hers as I kicked the door closed behind me.

  The sound of the door slamming caused her to jerk her head back, her lips swollen and pink as she studied me. Her gaze flicked to my mouth, and I knew she wanted more, but I wasn't going to kiss her again until I made my point. I left one hand cupping her face and lowered the other to her hip. When I brushed my fingers across her abdomen, her muscles fluttered involuntarily, making her shudder.

  I leaned in so close that I could feel the heat from her lips, but I didn't make contact. Her eyes had drifted shut in anticipation of my kiss. When I didn't follow through, she opened them slightly, and I waited for her to look at me fully before speaking. "What about now? Are you thinking about what it would be like? The two of us together? Because I am, and it wouldn't be the first time." I brought my hand up to caress her breast through her gown paying special attention to the hardened nipple, brushing my thumb back and forth. "How do you like it, Ali? Do you want my mouth here? Sucking and licking until you're ready to explode? Swirling my tongue around that tight nipple while you're pulling my hair and grinding yourself against me?"

  She threw her head back and moaned as I rolled the nub between my fingers, my mouth moving down her exposed neck. I took my time as I trailed my tongue over the sensitive flesh, stopping frequently to employ my lips, alternating suction and soft exhalations that caused her to shiver.