The Mr. Wrong Series

by Madden, A. M.

  Guilt began to settle as I finished dressing and then made my way to the door, but as soon as I saw that giant portrait of his beautiful ex, my guilt vanished… just like I did.

  During the elevator ride to the lobby, I couldn’t stop picturing details of his seductive foreplay. What I thought would be a wham bam turned into a major production. The man knew how to pleasure a woman, so much so, I stared at the illuminated numbers on the elevator wall and contemplated pressing his floor indicator to go back up. The loud ding announcing I hit the lobby became my wake-up call to hightail it out of his building before I did something stupid… or more stupid than sleeping with Dante.

  Thirty minutes later, I walked into my apartment and straight into my bedroom. It was so different from Dante’s. Where his was large and belonged in a showroom, mine was a bit more of what I’d call shabby chic.

  I plopped on my bed and hugged a throw pillow my grandmother made for me during her infatuation with needlepoint. The yellow pillow had robin’s egg blue lettering stating Be Happy.

  Huh. I was last night, and then I panicked.

  Was he awake yet? If he was, why didn’t he text me? I tossed the pillow aside and decided to take a shower before waking up the one person I knew could talk me off the ledge.

  Not soon after, a sleepy Vanessa was at my door. “This better be good. I left a hot naked man in my bed with a sticky note stuck to his chest. Kyle isn’t going to be very happy that I’m skipping our morning sex.”

  I rolled my eyes at my friend. “It is good. I mean, bad. Actually, it’s scary… with a hint of crazy.” Vanessa poured herself a cup of coffee and sat on my couch, watching me wear a path in front of it.

  “Cass, what the hell is going on with you?”

  My fingers twisted together before I forced them apart. Four steps in one direction, five steps in the other. Yes, I was counting my steps. Vanessa’s eyes followed my movements like I was a pocket watch attempting to hypnotize her. Stopping at my tenth pass, I flopped onto the chair, dropped my forehead into my hands, and let the confession fly. “I had sex with Dante last night.”

  Silence.

  After too long of a pause, she finally said, “Did you say you had sex with Dante?”

  Sitting upright, I nodded. “Yes, twice. Well, one night… two times. Ugh. V, I slept with Luca’s brother.”

  “You mean you had sex with a hot man. Who cares who he’s related to? Shit, Kyle could have been related to the pope and I still would have fucked him.”

  “You probably would burst into flames if you met the pope.”

  Vanessa shrugged. “Meh, it’d be worth it. That still doesn’t explain why I’m here and you’re not there.”

  “I panicked.”

  “Was his dick tiny? A grower-not-a-shower type? He did grow, right?”

  “Oh my God! No, he’s very well endowed.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Was it awful?”

  “No, it was the best.”

  “Then I’m confused.”

  “Me too, that’s why I left… I think.”

  I stood and Vanessa quipped, “I swear if you start pacing again, I’m going to tie you to that chair. Now sit down and tell me all about it.”

  “It started out very innocently. We went for a walk in the park, then he made me dinner at his apartment.”

  “So far, I’m not seeing a problem.”

  “I know, because there isn’t one. We sat on the couch and talked, and before I knew it he told me he wanted to kiss me, and damn what a kiss. I lost my mind. He forced my legs around his thighs, and V, it was unreal how he made my body spark to life with just his lips on mine. So what did I do? I asked him to take me to his bedroom. And before I knew it, I was blindfolded and on my way to having the best sex of my life.”

  “Hold the phone. Did you say the best sex of your life?”

  The fact she skipped over the blindfold part of the story wasn’t lost on me, but if she wasn’t going to dwell on it, neither was I. “Yes, the best.”

  “I still don’t understand why you’re here.”

  “I panicked,” I repeated. “For instance, he has a picture, and when I say picture I mean a mini-billboard, of his ex-girlfriend, Charlene Duplex or something, who’s a supermodel, plastered on his living-room wall.”

  “Wait, do you mean Charlene Dupree?” I tilted my head like a puppy waiting for an explanation. “Kyle and I looked at her for our spring ad campaign, but she was unavailable due to previous obligations in Europe.”

  “Well, that’s great.” I sounded like a jealous lunatic.

  “You yourself said she was his ex-girlfriend. I’m still not understanding.”

  “That’s not the point. Do you hear my phone ringing or him knocking on my door?” Vanessa shook her head. “Exactly, I probably did him a favor by disappearing and avoiding the awkward morning dismissal.”

  Bang, bang, bang.

  In unison, our heads whipped toward my door. “Kyle?” I asked in a squeaky whisper.

  “Cassandra, it’s Dante. Open the door.”

  I looked at Vanessa, who mouthed my full name. Waving my arms like an air traffic controller, I urged Vanessa to keep quiet. Naturally, my dear sweet friend ignored my plea and shouted, “Coming,” right before she opened the door. “Good morning, Mr. Kinky.”

  “Mr. Kinky… I see Cassandra is one to kiss and tell.” My temperature surpassed the normal 98.6 degrees while the two continued to banter about me as if I wasn’t there.

  “No, not everything, but the blindfold was a nice touch.” Vanessa slung her purse strap over her shoulder. “I better leave before Kyle is the next to show up, and then this’ll really be a party.”

  “Thank you, V,” I said sarcastically. “You’ve been quite a big help.”

  “My pleasure.” She flipped her hand in the air. “Bye, kids. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  When I turned, Dante crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked. “Mr. Kinky? I’m flattered, and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of kink.”

  Surface? Did he mean my surface? Mortification set in. Damn Vanessa and her nicknames. I nonchalantly played it off, but all the while I was sure my face blazed with embarrassment. “Vanessa likes to give men nicknames.”

  “How did I get blessed with Mr. Kinky? Divulging secrets?”

  “Me? No. Um… it was probably the nipple piercing.”

  “Or the blindfold.” That mischievous smirk reappeared. “I was serious about scratching the surface. That was just a hint of what can come. You have no idea of the things I’m capable of.” He winked, and I stared at his lips. “All you have to do is say the word, Cassandra, and I’ll bring you to heights you never imagined.”

  Holy shit. Needing to move on from this conversation, I asked, “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “No, I would like some answers.”

  “I need coffee.” He trailed behind me as I made my way to my kitchen.

  “Tell me why you left in the middle of the night.”

  “Technically, it was the morning.”

  He raked his hand over his more than five o’clock shadow. “Semantics. Talk to me, Cassandra.”

  “I got scared, I guess.” My feeble excuse didn’t even make sense to me. “Maybe scared isn’t the right word. I panicked.”

  “Why?”

  “For one reason, you’re Luca’s brother.”

  “You knew that before we had sex. Next?”

  I blew a long puff of air through my lips. “Isn’t that enough?”

  “Like I said, that’s not new news. There’s something more that you’re not saying… did I do something wrong?”

  “Wrong?” This man standing in front of me was just the opposite. So much about him was right, yet a nagging feeling caused me to bolt that morning. “Dante, I meant it when I said it was amazing. But it all happened so fast. I’ve never had sex on the first date… if it was even considered a date, which makes this worse.”

  “Technic
ally, it was our second date.”

  “Whatever. Maybe you’re used to casual sex, but I’m not. Hell, it’s been over a year since I’ve been with a man.”

  “So you prefer women?”

  “What? No. I meant a human man… you know, one that isn’t battery operated.” God, could this be more humiliating? Dante’s brown eyes darkened as he held my gaze.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not understanding the problem. Luckily, I am all man, and I don’t require batteries.” Shit, all man was an understatement. “Let’s sit and talk about it.” He gestured toward my sofa, and remembering what happened on his, I chose to sit at my kitchen table instead.

  “Look, last night was incredible, and I don’t want you to think otherwise. But until I figure out what all of this is, we need to keep it to ourselves.”

  “You mean, I should keep it to myself. You don’t think Vanessa isn’t going to tell Kyle, who in turn will tell Luca? Believe me, before you know it, they’ll all know. That is, unless you swore her to secrecy.”

  Like a deer in headlights I stared at him and kicked myself for not insisting Vanessa not tell a soul. As quick as I could, I sent her a text. I let out a sigh of relief when she sent me an emoji with a zipper across its mouth. “She’s not going to say a word.”

  “That should make you happy.” Although he smiled, his words were laced with a hint of annoyance.

  Little did he know that I would love to tell all my friends I had the best sex of my life. That he made me feel alive, reckless, and more turned on than I had ever been.

  Dante didn’t waver. He kept his eyes pinned to mine, and I felt the need to say, “I just need time to figure this out. This could be very awkward for all of us.”

  Dante stood and started toward me, causing me to stand as well. “You’re overthinking this. It was just sex, Cassandra. People do it all the time. And it’s no one else’s business unless you make it theirs. There’s no need for it to be awkward.”

  Just sex? Fine, maybe it wasn’t derived from an epic love story, or years in the making, but to me it felt more than just sex. My heart thumped against my ribs, and to be sure it wasn’t going to jump out and land right on my sleeve, I countered with, “Right, just sex. So why are you here again?”

  “For one, you were gone when I woke up. Two, you might think last night was a one-time thing, and so you can put your pretty mind to rest, just sex or not, I woke up craving you.”

  No one had ever said that to me before. Rather than be irked by his aloof demeanor, I was once again turned on. He assessed me as I processed what he said. By no means was he blind to my attraction. The sexual tension radiated between us in waves. He craved me? Well, I craved every inch of him filling me, his fingers touching me, and his mouth possessing mine.

  Once again, I was entranced by him. And just when I thought he would reach out and touch me, to satisfy the pulse between my legs, the heat that swarmed through my veins, he turned and strode toward the door. It was clear I needed to be the one to say something.

  “Dante?” He turned to look at me. “Thank you for last night. I really did have a great time.”

  “I did too. And Cassandra,” he said with an all-knowing smile, “I can’t wait to do it again.” Before my brain could signal my mouth to argue that we couldn’t do it again, he walked out.

  Chapter 11

  Dante

  Tonight, Luca was home from his family vacation. To think my little brother had an instant family warmed my heart. He was always the most levelheaded and down-to-earth sibling, whereas Gianna and I liked to fly by the seat of our pants. Sadly, my sister wasn’t here to witness our brother’s joy. But soon enough, I was sure Luca would return to Italy to introduce Sabrina to our family. There wasn’t a doubt they’d love her, and her son as well.

  My cab pulled up to Dispatch. Once I slid my card through the reader, I got out and took a deep breath of the city’s nighttime air. New York wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. Yes, it was congested and noisy, but that was what made it interesting. Everywhere I looked, I saw a picture. Whether it be a group of guys wearing their favorite team’s logo on their chests or women dressed to the nines, each had a story to tell.

  I yanked the door open and immediately felt a sense of community. In the middle of a metropolis, the bar owners had managed to create a comfortable atmosphere with booths, tables, and a long wooden bar. It didn’t smell of stale beer or roasted peanuts, the floor wasn’t sticky, and the music wasn’t blaring. Instead, it was welcoming. If I hadn’t just gazed up at the skyscrapers before walking in, I wouldn’t think I was in New York but rather a small town in the suburbs.

  The crowd’s chatter filled the room as I wove my way through it looking for Luca. I found myself wondering if Cassie was there. When Luca sent me a text and told me he’d be at Dispatch with his friends, of course she popped into my head. Knowing she worried about what he would think of us weighed heavily on my mind. The thing was, when it came to Cassie, any and all reactions were reflexes. Maybe it was the way we met that set the tone; I wasn’t sure. But I knew she turned me on like no other woman ever had.

  I finally found them toward the back of the bar. Cassie, Sabrina, Luca, and Brae were on one side of the table, and Vanessa, Kyle, and Jude sat opposite them. Of course, Jude was directly across from Brae, leaving an empty spot between him and Kyle. Vanessa spotted me and put her hand in the air. A playful glint sparkled in her eyes. The woman was definitely trouble, but in a good way. I liked her immediately.

  Kyle looked in my direction, as did Cassie, but then she whipped her head back toward the table so fast I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” I said as I approached them.

  Luca stood and gave me a hug, “Glad you could make it. You remember everyone, right?”

  “Yes, of course.” I let go of him and gave Sabrina a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome back. I hope you all had a great time.”

  Sabrina’s face brightened. “We did, thank you. It’s good seeing you again.”

  After I shook the guys’ hands and said hello to the women, I sat down. Cassie’s eyes met mine, and I immediately wanted to touch her. She squirmed a bit in her chair, making me grin, which caused her to slice her gaze away once again. Yes, it was good knowing she was just as affected as I was.

  A waitress came up to our table. Everyone else had a drink in front of them, so her attention was directed at me. “Can I get you something?”

  “I’ll have a Manhattan, please.” She sauntered away after checking on the rest of the group.

  “So how are you liking New York?” Brae asked with a huge smile.

  “Yes, Dante. Tell us,” Vanessa interjected. “Do anything exciting yet?”

  Everyone waited for my reply… everyone but Cassie. “It’s been great. Besides the contracts that brought me here, I’ve lined up some clients and have more shoots scheduled.”

  Kyle lifted his beer in appreciation. “Must be rough photographing beautiful people all day, and this city is filled with beauty.” Vanessa elbowed him in the ribs, but he placated her by smashing his lips against hers. When they were done with their public display of affection, he tossed his arm around her shoulders. “Do you have a line of them waiting for a piece of you yet?”

  “Seriously, Kyle?” Luca chuckled. “He just got here. Give the guy a break.”

  “Speaking of beautiful people… when we were in California, everyone looked like a model,” Sabrina said… and thank God changed the subject. “Luca took us to Rodeo Drive, and I immediately felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman—less the hooker part, of course.” The ladies laughed, but Sabrina shrugged. “It’s true, though. Every other person looked like they could step right into a fashion magazine.”

  As Sabrina filled us in on their trip to California, it reminded me of the time I’d spent there. I couldn’t help the feelings that began to resurface. Being a photographer, I was afforded the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and I also met s
everal famous people. The West Coast served its purpose to extend my client base and grow my brand, but it also was the place where I’d lived when my heart was broken.

  “You worked there for a while, didn’t you, Dante?” Kyle said with an easy tone that caused the muscles surrounding my spine to tense.

  “Yes, I did.” I looked at Sabrina. “You’re beautiful, so I’m sure you fit right in.”

  Luca kissed her chastely. “She was the prettiest one there.” Sabrina blushed at his compliment.

  Brae smiled at their exchange, then turned toward me. “Dante, tell us a little bit about you. We know you’re a photographer, but what do you photograph? I’ve always been envious of people who can take good pictures. I can’t even take a selfie without cutting half my head out of the picture.”

  Jude laughed at his wife. “She’s not kidding.”

  “High fashion, mostly.”

  Kyle chimed in, “That’s right, you won an award for shooting… um…” He turned to Vanessa. “What was her name? We were going to use her for a campaign.”

  When I glanced up, Luca had a pained look on his face, and Vanessa exchanged a look with Cassie. Right then I knew Cassie had told her about Charlene and the portrait that hung in my house.

  “Babe? Do you remember?” Kyle asked again.

  With a bit of reservation, Vanessa said, “Charlene Dupree.”

  Kyle slapped the table. “That’s it. Damn, she’s stunning. Wait… is that the model you were dating? When we wanted you to come to the city once, you couldn’t because you were on vacation with the love of your life. I remember Luca saying she was a model.”

  Jesus, Kyle, shut up.

  All eyes were on me, including Cassie’s. The indifferent expression on her face caused an uneasy feeling to spread in my chest, one I wasn’t familiar with. Keeping my gaze tethered to hers, I replied to Kyle. “Yes, that’s her. I wouldn’t call her the love of my life. She’s just someone I dated.”

  Brae sighed. “Do you still see her?”

  “No.” The word came out sharper than I intended. The last thing I wanted to do was take a walk down memory lane when it was filled with nothing but potholes.