“Fuck.” Marc whispered under his breath, but we all heard him.
“Look, Angie. It’s not like it meant anything. But, I’ve got needs and you aren’t filling them. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to marry you.”
Come on, baby. Don’t take that shit from him.
Angel didn’t say anything, just took another sip of her tea.
“Let’s just forget about this whole thing, honey. We can apologize to all the guests tomorrow and tell them you were sick or something.”
Fuck that.
Angel took another swallow from her mug, finishing it off and set the cup on a side table with a crack.
“Call me honey one more time.” Sweetness and light were not the tones dripping from her words.
“Now, Angie, honey. Don’t be like that. It’s not very attractive.”
Angel picked up a small vase, that I happened to know was a 15th century Ming and threw it at his head.
Too bad he ducked.
“Grayson. Will you please show Marc out?”
“With pleasure.”
Marc stood up, practically falling over himself to get out of my way. “Keep your boytoy away from me.”
“We can do this the hard way or the really fucking painful way, asshole. Your choice.” I grabbed Marc by the collar and hauled him toward the front door.
“You throw me out and you’ll never find anyone else, Angie.”
So, he was choosing the painful way. “Shut the fuck up.”
Angel grabbed her mug and got up from her chair, following us to the door. “I think I’ll be just fine without you.”
Yeah, she would.
“Nobody would fuck a fatty like you if it weren’t for your money, Angie. Kick me out and you’ll have to start paying for sex.”
Smug rat-bastard. Time to start feeling that pain. I literally picked Marc up by the collar and threw him out the front door.
He skidded into the gravel drive and I was damn disappointed he hadn’t landed on his pretty boy face.
“You’re a fat-whore-rich-bitch and,” Marc brushed the bits of gravel off his precious suit and stabbed at Angel some more. “Might as well have your manservant here to take you for a ride. Though I doubt his salary is enough to try and squeeze his way between those thunder thighs.”
I was going to kill him. I knew how to hide a body. “I’m going to give you a three-second head start. Just for fun. You’d better start running, rich boy.”
I would have laughed at Sparky’s scared shitless expression, except I didn’t get a chance. Angel threw that mug at his face. Unfortunately, it bounced off his thick skull and shattered on the ground next to him.
“Goodbye, Marc.”
She grabbed my arm and dragged me back into the house. I got in one last threat, shooting a finger gun at his head, before she slammed the door.
“Thanks.” She pressed one hand to the door and looked up at me.
There was still a lot of hurt and anger in those pretty brown eyes. I’d wait while she healed.
Then I’d show her how a woman should be treated.
Fuck. Was I really thinking that?
Yeah. I was.
She’d what I’d wanted for three long damn years.
No promises. No forevers. But, I would protect her, and help her to see she was worth it.
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“Good. Now, let’s get drunk.”
Whoa. Okay, then. That I could do. “You’re the boss.”
Instead of heading into the kitchen, Angel went back into the great room and pulled a bottle out of the cushions of the chair she’d been waiting for Marc in.
Uh-oh. “You started without me?”
She popped the lid off the bottle of the tequila and took a swig, not even making a face. Then she held it out to me.
I took the bottle, with zero intentions of giving it back. “Your tea wasn’t herbal, was it?”
“Nope. Unless you count agave and worms.”
Shit. Was this how she’d stayed so calm when Marc was being a huge dickhead?
“How much have you had?”
“Enough.”
“I agree. Let’s get you to bed.”
“Yours or mine?”
Ah, hell.
Chapter Four
It’s About the Sex
It was one of the hardest fucking things I did, saying no to her.
Had it been any other day, and had she been sober, I would have had her on my lap moaning my name with my hand between her legs in an instant.
Instead I was the asshole who decided to tell her I wouldn’t be her rebound.
Yeah. Those fucking words came out of my mouth.
Jesus.
I spent the next two days on the receiving end of the silent treatment. Day one wasn’t so bad, because Angel had been nursing both a broken heart and a hangover.
Day two had been filled with more smashing of glassware. Mostly gifts from the engagement party.
I was glad to see her get her mad on, work some of it out of her system. It was the evening of the second day that just about killed me.
That’s when the tears came.
Great big sobbing ones that she tried her best to hide from me. God, how I wanted to comfort her. I’d even take her to bed if it would make her stop crying. Even for a little while.
It wasn’t the smart choice, for either of us. But, I’d do it.
If she hadn’t locked me out of her room.
This morning, she’d come to breakfast puffy-eyed, but with a new determination I hadn’t seen in her since she’d started seeing Marc in the first place.
“We’re going out tonight.”
“We are?” I didn’t like the sound of this.
“Yes. We are going to celebrate my freedom and you’re going to help me.”
“Hmm. What did you have in mind?” If it would make her feel better, we’d hit every exclusive club in town.
“You’ll see. First, I need to hit the spa to get rid of my puffy eyes and do a little shopping.”
Twelve hours later and we were sitting in the limo outside of a dive bar. We were going to sit there until she got some sense.
She rattled the door handle and tried to unlock it.
“Damn it, Grayson. Let me out of the car.”
I turned my head to glare at her. “Angel, listen to the words coming out of my mouth. This is a stupid idea. There are better ways to get revenge. I could just kill Marc, for example.”
“That’s a sweet offer,” she said trying to keep the enthusiasm for the idea out of my voice.
Did she realize I could do it? That I would. For her.
“I know what I’m doing, and you agreed to help me. No backing out now.”
I raised one eyebrow by about two degrees. I had a great fucking poker face, and she knew it. “I agreed to help you have some fun celebrating your freedom from that dickhead.”
“Right, and I can’t think of a better way than to do all the things Marc never wanted to and, better yet, with a random rebound guy.”
Christ, she was going to kill me. How the fuck was I supposed to watch her getting it on with another guy?
Yeah, rebound sex, or revenge sex was a good cure for a broken heart, but I needed to find another way for her to fix hers without the random hook-up.
She flicked the switch to unlock the door. I instantly flipped it back down. This my lecture wasn’t over yet.
“Your father is going to kill me.”
She glared at me for that comment. Her father and his need to hire a bodyguard was always a sore point, and it had been a cheap shot to try and get her mind off of her plan.
Then, I was the stupid one and brought it back up. But, I needed to know. “If this is about the sex, a one-night stand isn’t—”
She held up a hand to silence me. “It’s not about the sex.”
Oh, really?
“Fine. It’s a little bit about the sex.”
Hell. I couldn’t. I shouldn’t. But, if she
wanted this, at least I could be in control.
“Let me take you somewhere else a little more suited to your needs.” I hadn’t meant for my voice to drop. I didn’t want her to think I was being overprotective. I was, but it was better if she thought she had the power in this relationship at the moment.
Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine and I watched and waited while her mind made the connection.
She had no idea of my darker tastes, my kinks, but she wasn’t stupid either. A little naïve maybe, but one night under my control and we’d take care of that.
She waved me off.
“Let’s just go in.”
I stared at her, waiting for her to change her mind. She knew exactly what I was suggesting. The question was whether she wanted it.
She wasn’t ready.
I could convince her she was. Maybe a dive bar like this, my element, not hers would help change her mind. Because where I wanted to take her was a whole lot darker.
I flipped the lock and she let go of the breath.
We got out and she smoothed her clothes again, then headed for the big metal door.
“Don’t get into any trouble in the twelve seconds I leave you alone.” I leaned against the door and smiled at her. God, she was pretty. I’d have to be on my toes tonight to keep all the yahoos in a place like this away from her.
“I can take care of myself.” She strutted across the parking lot to the front door and walked in.
“I’d like very much to see you do exactly that, love.” I counted to ten before I followed.
She sat down at the bar and a waitress looked her up and down. Yeah. Angel was way to shiny and bright to be in a place like this.
She didn’t get a drink and it only took me a second to flag the woman down and order one for her. I gave her and extra hundred bucks to deliver it right away. She did and pointed to me when Angel looked around to see who’d bought it for her.
I sauntered up to the table and set my own drink down, letting every man in the place know she was mine. “You’re supposed to drop the whiskey into the beer, Angel.”
“Oh, well, you know, cosmos are more my style.” She looked anywhere but at me and smiled in a friendly go-away kind of way.
“This isn’t a pink drink kind of place.”
It was adorable how she was trying to get rid of me and at the same time, angling her body toward mine. I leaned against her part of the bar and took a sip of her beer further staking my claim on her.
Between her teeth she asked, “What are you doing over here, anyway?”
She honestly didn’t know. Didn’t get it.
Why would she. Our relationship was usually professional, but I’d say we’d become friends.
Time to be more.
“I’m hitting on you.” I lowered my voice, and it came out as a husky invitation that makes a girl’s panties wet for me.
“You’re going to scare off the other guys.”
“Who?” I glanced right and left.
“Him.” She motioned to the bar. A couple of swivel stools down sat potential one-night stand candidate number one, beer gut and a wife beater.
No way. She couldn’t drink enough watery beer to want to do that guy.
Moving on to bachelor-not number two, desperation in a business suit. “Or him.”
He was probably here cheating on his wife. She didn’t want him.
She tilted her head toward the bartender. I shook his head this time. That guy actually had potential. Not bad looking, not a drunk, and he’d already made eyes at her. Time to leave. “Let’s get out of here and do something fun to celebrate your freedom.”
“I am going to have fun. Sex is fun.”
The way she said it left no doubt in my mind she had no idea that it could be a helluva a lot of fun. Fucking Sparky.
“So, this is about the sex.”
A beautiful blush spread across her cheeks. I’d like to see where else I could spread that flush too.
She watched the bartender, and avoided looking me in the eye, preparing for her lie. “No.”
Uh-huh. I leaned in close and whispered so softly in her ear, letting my breath heat her skin first. “You’re a horrible liar.”
Liar, liar, pants seriously on fire, and that fire lit up her skin down to her cleavage. Ah. That’s what I liked to see.
“I am not.”
I didn’t back off an inch. “If this isn’t about sex, why did your chest and neck flush?”
She swallowed hard. “It’s the alcohol. Plus, why are you looking at my chest anyway?”
“There isn’t a man in here who isn’t.” I raised my eyes back up to her. “And you’ve only had about a half a sip of that whiskey and even less of the beer, so good try.”
She grabbed the shot glass, downed the remainder, and slammed it on the table. “Fine. It’s about the sex.”
The tables around us went quiet and we got several knowing looks. I didn’t care. I’d gotten her to admit what she wanted.
What I could give her.
She lowered my voice for this go around. “So, what if it is? I’m entitled to spread my wings, or in this case my legs, if I want to. If I want a one-night stand and to have sheet-sweaty, shouting sex, I’m going to have it. I’m not engaged anymore. I can have dirty, dirty sexcapades with anyone I want.”
I nodded and my eyes flicked down to her chest and back up in a nice slow perusal. “Yes, you can. It’s about time, too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I chuckled. “Just that I doubt Sparky was very imaginative in the sack.”
“I have no response to that.”
Probably because the only correct comeback would have been duh.
I searched my eyes then smiled. It had been a long time since I’d pursued any woman. I didn’t want any other ones besides her. Time to take it up a notch. “What turns you on, Angel?”
A shiver floated across her skin. “I’m not talking about this with you.”
“If you really want to get your rocks off, this isn’t the place to do it.”
“You’ve got someplace better?” She sipped her beer and looked around the dank bar. Okay, so anyplace was probably better than here.
“Yes.”
The carriage house, or the back of the limo, or her room, or on one of my motorcycles. But, none of those were where I was going to suggest. They were intimate. She needed down and dirty.
I needed to give that to her.
“Where?”
“Ever heard of The Asylum?”
“The BDSM sex club?”
My innocent little Angel knew more than I thought.
“We can’t go there. It’s members only and I’ve heard it’s practically impossible to be considered unless you are sponsored by another member. Money can’t even buy its way in. It’s harder to get in than the country club.”
I listened, nodding, agreeing with her report. “I can get you in.”
She looked surprised. What did I expect. She’d let me into her life, but, I hadn’t let her into mine.
My world was dark and dangerous.
“How?”
“I’m a member.”
Sweet Angel almost fell off of her chair.
Perfect. I’d need her off balance, because I was about to take her into the lion’s den and hoped she both survived and didn’t hate me tomorrow.
Chapter Five
New Fucking Friends
“You’re real funny. The Asylum. I’m so sure. Like I would fit in there.” She slugged me in the arm.
Not the reaction I was looking for.
I didn’t move a millimeter. “I’m not kidding.”
“Sure. Right. Thanks for trying, but I’m telling you the only thing that will cheer me up is sending Marc dirty pictures of me in bed with another man.”
Fuck. I just got shut down. Now, she was back to her stupid revenge sex with a stranger plan.
God damn it.
I waited a beat, huffed out
a short breath, and frowned at her. “How exactly do you propose to take said pictures?”
“Uh, I guess it’ll have to be a selfie?”
“Have you thought any of this so called plan through? Like where do you plan to do the deed and how are you going to get rid of him when you’re done?”
This was not only a security nightmare, and her safety was my number one priority, but there was no way I was letting her go through with this.
“I don’t know. I don’t have to know. You think every woman who has ever had a one-night stand preplanned everything?”
Time to get all protective and do my fucking job. “You’re not taking some random guy back to the brownstone.”
“Okay, safety police, I’ll suggest we go to his place.”
“Because that won’t get you murdered or worse,” he growled.
I threw up my hands. “What do you want from me?”
A lot more than she wanted to give me. “For you to get your head out of your ass.”
I should have known better than to run my mouth like that at her. She had enough men in her life insulting her.
“Go away.”
Not a chance. “Why, because you know I’m right?”
“No, because I don’t care if you are. I’m doing this with or without your help.” She shoved at me and this time I let her think she could move me.
I knew that look. Normally, it was fun watching when she decided she was going to go after something she wanted.
Fuck a duck.
“Fine. But I will be right over there watching every move every man makes on you, and if for one minute I think you’re not safe, I’m hauling your ass out of here.”
I wasn’t going to let any man do more than buy her a drink and talk to her for about five minutes. Yeah, I was going to be that asshole.
I headed back toward my spot near the door where I could see the majority of the bar in one glance.
Angel stuck her tongue out at me.
“I saw that.”
“You did not.”
I pointed to the mirror behind the bar and kept walking. She did it again.
I forced a smile, then narrowed my eyes in the you-better-behave look. I used to be a lot better at that.
She looked around the bar again and indicated toward several dodgy looking dudes. I shook my head at each and every one.
Covet the Curves: a Romance Collections Anthology Page 26
