Break Me (Shattered)

by Jo-Anna Walker

  “No,” we said at the same time, making us laugh even harder.

  Brett sighed. “Come on.”

  He pulled both of us into his office and shut the door.

  We walked to one of the couches in the middle of the small room and plopped down with me practically sitting on Keisha’s lap. She pushed me off her, and I giggled.

  Keisha curled in the corner of the couch and lay down, resting her head on the arm of the seat.

  “I think she’s gonna pass out.”

  “Yeah, probably.” Brett placed a blanket on her and went to the minibar. Bringing us both back a beer, he sat on the couch across from me.

  I took a swig of my beer, placed it on the table in front of me, and removed my heels. Rubbing my feet, I sighed, not realizing how much the shoes hurt until they came off the feet.

  “Here, let me.”

  I stopped midrub and saw Brett standing before me. I watched him as he sat on the table directly in front of me. “Lean back.”

  I did as he said and leaned back against the couch, placing my feet in his lap.

  He grabbed one of my feet, straightening my leg, and I jumped as his thumbs pushed into the arch of my foot.

  I tried not to giggle as he unintentionally tickled me.

  “Stop squirming.” His laughter lit up his eyes, and I joined him with my giggles.

  “But it tickles.”

  He pressed harder and the ticklishness went away. “Does that still tickle?”

  “No,” I said.

  Oh God, that feels good.

  His fingers pressed and moved over my foot, removing the aching tingles from my heels.

  My eyes closed and I reveled in the feel of his thumb pressing into the arch of my foot. Delicious shivers shot up my leg to my groin.

  Sebastian.

  My eyes shot open. Sebastian should be giving me a foot massage, not Brett. What was I thinking? I removed my foot from his grasp. “Thank you.”

  “You didn’t let me do the other one,” Brett said, reaching for my other foot.

  I sat up. I didn’t feel comfortable having him touch me. It was only a foot massage, but it felt more intimate than what I had wanted. “It’s fine.”

  “It’s because of Sebastian, isn’t it?”

  I nodded.

  “You guys aren’t even together,” he grumbled.

  I glared at him. “Thank you for that reminder, Brett. Either way, it still doesn’t feel right.” His jaw clenched and unclenched, and even though I was drunk, I knew something was up. “What?”

  He scrubbed a hand down his face as if he was bracing himself for my reaction—or he was just doing it to bide time. Maybe he didn’t really care how I would react. “If you’re going to be friends with my sister, you need to stay the fuck away from Sebastian.”

  My eyes widened. “Excuse me? I think Keisha should be the one to decide who she hangs out with or not.”

  “I don’t want her hurt. If something happened to her…I…” He paused.

  I smiled sympathetically. “Brett, nothing is going to happen to her.”

  “You don’t fucking know that!”

  “Okay, seriously?” Shock tore through me at how he was acting. I would never deliberately hurt Keisha. She was like the sister I never had. We’d become fast friends, and I would do anything for her.

  Keisha stirred and Brett lowered his voice. “I know Sebastian and Jose. You need to stay away from them. If you don’t, I can’t allow you to see Keisha anymore.”

  Anger burned in my belly, and I rose to my feet. “Keisha’s right. You are an overprotective asshole.”

  “Tori, I’m just trying to look out for her. She’s the only family I have left.” He scrubbed his face and leaned his elbows on his knees.

  “Trust me, if anything happened to her, I’d go after him myself.”

  Brett frowned, like he was hesitating to say what he really wanted. “It’s not just Jose I’m referring to.”

  “Leave Sebastian out of this.” I grabbed my clutch and headed to the door. “I should go home.”

  “Tori.” He rose from his seat and walked toward me. “Just be careful. Please.”

  I turned to him and crossed my arms over my chest.

  He pulled me into an embrace. “I know Keisha likes you, and I’m happy that she finally found a new friend but…”

  “Nothing will happen to her,” I reiterated.

  He sighed. “I wish you weren’t so fucking naïve.”

  I pushed against him, releasing myself from his arms, and frowned. “I am not fucking naïve.”

  “Whatever, Tori. I’m not going to argue with you.”

  I rolled my eyes and opened the door.

  “I’m not letting you leave alone when you’re drunk,” he said, grabbing my arm.

  Glaring at him, I wobbled on my feet. “Fine. Are you going to walk me home then?”

  “Yes.” He pulled out a cell phone and called Kane, asking him to stay with Keisha while he stepped out.

  Kane showed up a couple of moments later, a bounce in his step that he got to take care of her.

  I giggled and then left Brett’s office, not bothering to wait for him. Who the hell did he think he was anyway? He had no right telling me not to hang out with his sister.

  “We can head out this way,” Brett said, coming up beside me. We turned down a long hall that had an Exit sign above it and stepped out in the early-morning air.

  My phone started ringing, and I quickly pulled it out of my clutch.

  Brett placed his hand on my lower back, guiding me to the sidewalk.

  “Hello?” No one responded as static came from the other end.

  “Hello?” I said again and looked up at Brett.

  “Who is it?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure… Hello?” Still no answer. I sighed and was about to hang up when deep breathing came over the line.

  “You better not fucking hang up on me.”

  I frowned. “Who the hell is this?”

  “Who do you think, cochina?”

  My blood ran cold. “Jose.”

  “Who the hell is it?” Brett asked.

  “Wow, you sure are quick.” Jose chuckled.

  “How did you get my number?” Goose pimples coated my skin and I quickened my pace.

  “That’s not important. What is important, though, is I need you to get Sebastian to meet with me.”

  “And you think I have control over him?”

  “Oh, no, cochina. You definitely don’t, but when I call him, he’ll refuse to see me, so I need you to convince him otherwise.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw my apartment building in the near distance. “And what if I don’t do that?”

  There was a pause on the other end. “Then I’ll just have to come to you. That’ll convince him enough.”

  I stopped in my tracks, my heart beating hard against my chest. “Please, as if…”

  “I don’t suggest stopping in this area. It’s not very safe. Tell Brett he better care of you. You never know what’s lurking in the dark.”

  My eyes widened as the phone went dead.

  Chapter 7

  After Jose hung up on me, I quickly walked the rest of the way home. I told Brett who had called and what Jose had said. Brett made sure I got home safely and then headed quickly back to the club to check on Keisha.

  Not knowing where Jose was but knowing that he could see us while we were walking down the street made my anxiety level soar to new levels I never experienced before. My lungs were burning, and I was panting from overexertion as I reached my apartment.

  I checked my cell phone before placing it on the hall table. I had no new messages.

  Thank God.

  My place was small, only having one very tiny bedroom, but it was home, and it was all I could afford as a student anyway.

  I walked to my couch and plopped down. Looking at the clock on my DVD player, I saw that it was only three thirty a.m.

  I heard a co
llar jingle as my cat, Rooster, approached me. Jumping up on the coffee table, his big, long body took up quite a bit of space when he lay down. Being the runt of the litter I got him from, he was smaller than most Maine coons, but he was still larger than an average house cat.

  “Good morning, Rooster.” I scratched his head and ran my fingers through his orange and white fur, starting his purr motor.

  I rose from the couch and headed to the kitchen to feed him. After, I turned and headed to my bedroom, stripping on the way. Grabbing a tank top out of my dresser drawer, I threw it on when a cold draft stopped me. I turned to my window and frowned. Shivers ran over my body, and I shook myself.

  There’s nothing to be scared of, Tori.

  I quickly ran to my window and slammed it shut, locking it in place. Turning to my bed, images of Sebastian flashed through my mind, and I sighed.

  It was going to be a long-ass night.

  ***

  Hot, wet kisses trailed from my ear to my neck and back up to my jaw. I moaned as a mouth covered mine, tongue diving between my lips. Our tongues dueled and danced, igniting my skin on fire.

  I recognized the mouth on mine. It felt familiar, but I couldn’t quite place where I’d felt these lips before. Was I dreaming? I must have been. There was no way he would show up like this unannounced…or maybe he would.

  My dream lover released my mouth and a hand grabbed my jaw, holding it tightly in place. He then slammed his lips back down on mine as he kissed me more forcefully. My lips tingled at the rough impact, but I sighed deeply at the pleasure coursing through my body.

  The mouth sucked and pulled at my bottom lip before covering mine again.

  I reached up and ran my hands through the hair at the nape of my lover, and pulled him harder against me, releasing a deep growl from him.

  The hand moved from my jaw to my bare breast. A thumb ran over my nipple, and the peak instantly hardened under his touch. He squeezed the bud between his fingers, igniting a sharp pain that shot straight to my clit, and I cried out against his mouth.

  Releasing me, he asked, “Do you like that, little one?”

  Sebastian.

  I was dreaming about Sebastian. Well, this was new. My brain was foggy as I tried to make him out, but my eyes couldn’t focus, so I reveled in the touch of his hands on my body.

  I moaned in response, and he squeezed my nipple again, almost making me come undone against his hand.

  He chuckled lightly. Moving his hand from my nipple, his fingers roamed down my ribs, over my stomach, and stopped just before reaching the place I wanted him most.

  “Please.” I breathed. “Touch me.”

  His hand reached over my mound, finger caressing between my wet folds, lightly stroking my clit. I arched and cried out. His mouth came back down on mine as two fingers entered my…

  ***

  I bolted upright in bed as my alarm went off. Grabbing my phone, I quickly turned it off and lay back down, chest pumping.

  Wow. Now he has me dreaming of him?

  Grumbling to myself, I blamed Sebastian for the very naughty and hot dream. Oh, wouldn’t he love it if he found out that I was dreaming of him too?

  Taking a couple of deep breaths, I tried to form coherent thoughts, even though my brain was still fuzzy from my very unsatisfying dream.

  I was a little bothered that I had dreamt of Sebastian, but right now I ached so badly with need that I couldn’t concentrate.

  My loins tingled and my nipples hardened just thinking about my dream. Why couldn’t I have slept just a little bit longer? If I’d had his number, at that point my body would have overruled any conscious thought I had and I’d call him. I needed him so badly that I shook from lack of release.

  I closed my eyes as the images from my dream flowed through my mind. I ran my hands under my shirt and up to my full breasts. I squeezed my nipple between my fingers like Sebastian did in my dream, causing me to cry out.

  My other hand ran over my stomach and grazed the top of my panties. I kept my eyes closed as I imagined Sebastian touching me himself.

  Releasing my breast, I took off my panties and placed my hands on my bent knees. I took a couple of deep breaths as I lay there for a moment.

  Why didn’t he give me his number? Sighing in frustration, I closed my eyes again and slowly ran one hand down my thigh. I gasped as I lightly caressed my slick center, running my finger up over my clit and back down again. I inserted a finger and moaned.

  Running it back up to my clit, I flicked it gently but firmly, imagining it was Sebastian making me feel this way.

  Tingles started from my toes and travelled up my body as I felt the ecstasy building.

  I flicked my clit harder and faster as an orgasm exploded from my middle, making me scream Sebastian’s name.

  ***

  After my very unsatisfying self-induced orgasm, I hoped that Sebastian would call me and call me soon.

  I rummaged through my clothes, deciding that I needed to go shopping eventually. While I was searching for an outfit to wear to go job hunting, my cell rang. I threw my clothes down, accidently hitting Rooster, and ran to my phone. “Sorry, baby.”

  I picked it up and didn’t recognize the number on the call display. I swiped my finger across the touch screen and placed it up to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Tori?”

  “Yes, this is she.”

  “Oh, good. I’m so sorry for calling you this early.”

  I looked at my clock. It read 8:28 a.m. I shrugged. “Oh, it’s not too early at all. How can I help you?”

  “This is Melanie Atkinson…”

  “Oh. Hi!” I recognized the name from an application I filled out weeks ago. It was for an office assistant position with some big corporation. It wasn’t much, but it would help pay the bills while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life, and it would help me be able to afford to go back to school.

  “I was calling to offer you the position.”

  “Yes, please! I’ll take it!” Overjoyed, I danced around my bedroom while still holding the phone to my ear.

  Melanie laughed. “Wonderful. So the hours are Monday through Friday, nine a.mm to five p.m.”

  She proceeded to tell me that I would be starting a week from tomorrow. I would also have benefits, free taxi vouchers, too, if I had to stay late. Those weren’t needed since I lived close. Since I didn’t have a car, the job was in the perfect location.

  I hung up with Melanie and placed my phone back on my nightstand.

  Walking to the bathroom, I started taking off my shirt when my cell phone rang again. I picked up my phone, noticing an unknown number again. “Hello?”

  I waited for a response but heard nothing on the other end. “Hellooo?”

  Still getting no response from the other end, I hung up. “Whatever.”

  I threw my phone on my bed and walked to the bathroom. I lifted my top over my head and threw it on the floor.

  Turning on the light, I was about to start the shower when someone started banging on my apartment door. I jumped, quickly threw on my housecoat, and ran to my door. Goose pimples coated my skin as my heart thudded against my chest.

  I looked out my tiny peephole and saw no one. Taking a deep breath, I unlocked my door and opened it slowly, and of course, no one was there. Why would someone be there? That would only make sense since someone knocked on the door. I rolled my eyes at myself and closed the door, locking it and double-checking it this time.

  I think I’ve been watching too many scary movies.

  Chapter 8

  My phone rang as I shut off the shower. Grabbing my towel, I threw it around me and ran to my cell. I gasped as water dripped down my spine from my wet hair, sending cold shivers up my body. “Hello?”

  “Mmm…now that’s a nice sound to hear when you call someone.”

  My skin heated at the deep, smooth voice from the other end of the phone. He was calling me. Oh God. If only he would have called me an hour ago. He could
be in my bed or on my floor, or even against the wall would work, too. Any way with him probably worked. Shaking my head, I realized I didn’t respond to his greeting. “Hello, Sebastian.”

  “Hello, little one. So, did I catch you at a bad time?”

  It was perfect timing, actually, since I was standing there naked, talking to the man from my dreams. My cheeks heated at that memory. “No, I was just in the shower.”

  “Now that is a wonderful image.”

  I laughed, which more in turn sounded like a nervous giggle. God, this guy had me falling all over myself for him. I just needed him, once. That would get him out of my system. Wouldn’t it? Probably not.

  “Were you thinking of me?” he asked huskily. He was cocky, and even if I denied it, he would know I was lying. He knew I was attracted to him, or else I wouldn’t have given him my address and phone number.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, I cleared my throat. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I would actually. So were you?”

  I was going to deny it, but thought maybe he would enjoy it more if I was honest. “Yes, I was thinking if you, Sebastian.”

  Sebastian coughed. “Wow…I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

  Feeling quite proud of myself, I mentally cheered. “Did I throw you off your game?”

  “Yeah, I think you did.” I could picture him running a hand through his messy hair, his big bicep bulging under the strain of his shirt. I licked my lips at the mental image.

  Satisfied that I had knocked him down a peg or two, I simply said, “Good.”

  “Oh, little one. We sure are feisty, aren’t we?” Amusement coated his voice. “So was your shower lonely?”

  Holy shit. I shook myself and cleared my throat. “Nope. Not at all. Why would it be?”

  "Because I wasn't with you."

  My heart sped up. I knew that was the reason, but I just wanted to hear him say it. "Oh. I didn’t even notice."

  He laughed. "You're so full of shit."

  I smiled. He knew me well already. "Am I now?"

  "Yes you are, and I bet you dream of me, too."

  My breath caught. If only he knew. "Uh...even if that was true, why would I admit that? No need to stroke your ego more," I teased.