by Pamela Ann
Shrills of laughter echoed the second Manu decided to get out of the pool and drag his girlfriend Carly with him. Kells went next, fully clothed, which was odd because she didn’t seem to mind. While Anton watched on, I didn’t see the creeper that threw me, but before I surfaced the water, River’s steel band of arms wrapped around my body from behind, pulling me against his hard, rigid body.
“River, what the hell!” I screeched as I pushed his shoulder, somewhat enraged. “I don’t have a change of clothes!” Quite honestly, I was more concerned about his hands on me.
“You just looked so lonely here all by your lonesome. I needed to remedy that.” He grinned, pulling me close and kissing the tip of my nose.
My world stopped for a brief moment before a loud thrashing and a string of chortled laughter came from Kells, making me twist my head around to watch her interact with Phoenix. They seemed to hit it off, making me frown with concern.
“Phoenix isn’t married, is he?” As much as I loved my friend, no one could deny that she had a knack for getting involved with the unavailable.
River’s face contorted before giving me a skeptical look. “What a weird question, but no, he’s not married. Well, not that I know of.”
“Good, good.” I let out a sigh of relief. I would hate for her to get hurt again.
“Okay … That’s good.” He beamed before cupping my cheek. “You look so beautiful. It hurts to look at you sometimes.”
If only that were true.
I laughed before rolling my eyes. “You mean, I look like a homeless wet rat.”
“Oh, Cara, sometimes it’s okay not to be so modest all the time,” he stated before reverting his eyes toward the rest of the folks lounging around the fire pit. “Come swim with us, Anton? Lauren? Rock!” River tried to coax his friends to join the drowned rats crew. They politely declined.
“You always like it wet, don’t you, River?” Mint, the gorgeous woman with the gloriously long, blonde tresses snickered before sipping on her drink. I detected jealousy in her tone. Typical and not at all surprising.
“Is something going on with you and that little missy over there?” I suspiciously eyed the man close to me.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I swear nothing’s going on. Well, not in my point of view, anyway.”
“Mind emphasizing that?” Why did I care? It wasn’t like I was going to be a part of his world. Besides, this was just one-time. Again, what did I care?
“Give me some credit, Cara. If I had anything going on with her, why would I bring her along knowing that you’ll be here as well? I wouldn’t dare insult you like that.”
“Because you don’t care about such things.” Since when did he become so sensitive to my feelings? He was a bastard for letting me quietly suffer while he trotted along with his female cohorts.
“On the contrary, I care a great fucking deal.”
Our eyes clashed; one filled with purpose, the other filled with uncertainty. His heavy-laden gaze was formidable.
“Whatever. I need a drink.” I quickly swam toward the edge of the pool before pulling myself out of the water and immediately heading toward Anton, who was conveniently sitting next to the drinks.
“Can you mix me something good?” All the ails in the world could be temporary relieved with alcohol. Though some were rolling joints, I wasn’t tempted to go that far. Yet.
“Sure, I got you, Sprinkles.” Anton poured whatever he fancied into the glass tumbler, ganja at his lips. He seemed to be enjoying the newfound company, an odd case for him since he didn’t like mingling with new people.
“Here,” he said gleefully, handing me the concocted drink.
“Thanks,” I mumbled before I took a sip and immediately coughed in protest. “This bitch is strong. Holy smokes, my throat is on fire! I think it just burned a hole in my stomach.” The hellish mixture was toxic but I didn’t mind it—not tonight. Not when I needed to ignore the fact that I was at war with myself, while River patiently watched, biding him time before going in for the kill. And God help me, he was going for the kill.
“You know how I like ’em, sweet cheeks!” Anton sassily winked with those heavily glazed eyes of his before taking a good puff on his neatly rolled joint. He was definitely getting baked and loving every second of it.
“You okay here, hon?” I mumbled before I downed half of the lethal beverage.
I noticed River strolling toward me, sporting a worried look on his roguishly handsome face.
“Woman, I think it’s time to fill your stomach with something more nutritious,” River interrupted before taking my drink and dragging me away from everyone. He took me back indoors, planting me in one of the white stools in the kitchen. Then he headed toward the fridge and took out ingredients to make a BLT.
“I’m not hungry,” I bemoaned.
There was always something exceptionally erotic when a man dominated in the kitchen. And curiosity won out. River intrigued me still
“Maybe not, but indulge me, anyway,” he insisted as he placed a griddle on the stovetop.
“Why are you being this way? It’s insane.” It was his way of showing that he cared, but I just wanted to reassure myself. Again, why did I bother?
“I just want to take care of you. What’s not to understand?”
“You’re unreal.” Him treating me this way brought it home how much things had changed between us.
He shrugged, unruffled. “Say what you like; I’m feeding you either way. If you wanna make this hard, that’s all on you.”
I hotly huffed, “Fine, whatever. I’d do anything to just shut you up.”
“That’s my girl.” He cheekily winked at me before popping a sliced tomato in his mouth.
I wasn’t his girl, but I didn’t voice that out loud because he would have some raving argument about it. Therefore, I simply became his lone audience, watching the chef place strips of bacon on the skillet, toasting bread, slicing veggies, before slathering a hefty amount of mayo and a dot of mustard on the bread. He made one for each of us.
Mumbling my thanks, I took a knife and halved the sandwich, knowing fully well that I probably wouldn’t be able to finish it entirely, not when he was sitting next to me. The man made me nervous, and eating while anxious wasn’t particularly enticing to me.
After taking my first bite, I was actually pleased. “This is good.” When was the last time I had BLT? It used to be my favorite.
“You always loved it.”
Sigh, any more references about the past? He seemed to have a long list of them. Was tonight about excavating skeletons? The thought made me want to vomit.
“Tummy full. Now let’s get you warm, ey? I’ll put your clothes in the dryer.”
“Okay, I think that’ll be nice.” I wasn’t cold or anything, but having my clothes stick to me wasn’t appealing.
“I’ll take you upstairs to shower, and you can change into one of my shirts for a little bit.”
Why did that sound so sensual in my ears? Something was wrong with me.
“Yeah, that sounds fine,” I tried to mumble back, ignoring my ever-present nerves.
Leading the way, he strolled toward the glass stairs. He then led me toward what I presumed was his bedroom.
He had a Japanese style bedframe. All white with a hint of navy blue. It was quite a room. and for reasons I didn’t want to acknowledge, my heart stampeded against my chest.
Downright anxious, I tried to avoid his passionate gaze while I was dripping wet in the middle of his bedroom. Distracted, he strode into the bathroom before stepping out, donning only his Calvin’s on. Blazing hot, a walking epitome of muscled flawlessness and with a chiseled face that would make the gods weep. He was indisputably the most beautiful human specimen I had ever seen. Perfection personified.
While I trembled and quaked, River barely glanced at me as he proceeded toward the coffee table where my purse was located before pulling my phone out. I viewed him with trepidation as he then strode pur
posely toward me, handing me the phone. Color me confused.
“What are you doing?”
“Call him,” He calmly stated, unblinking, unwavering. He just stood there, patiently waiting, watching the wheels turn in my head.
My throat constricted as I timidly peered at him. “Call who?”
“Parker.”
Chapter Eleven
The ball dropped. It crashed. Deafening. Piercing.
Call Parker … That suggestion didn’t bode well with me.
“And why would I do that?” Did I miss the memo? Was I his puppet now?
“Guessing by the way you’re looking at me, Cara, it’s probably for the best that you do.”
Smug now, was he? Well, he could think again.
“I’m not going to have sex with you, River,” I said shakily. Just stating that very fact made me shudder from head to foot.
“I know,” he stated. “But as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
He exuded confidence, and it irritated the living daylights out of me. River could be right, but Parker would know that I hung out with River, and that would definitely enrage him. It was best to settle this now before it blew up in my face.
“Just so we’re clear, I’m not doing this for you.” Taking the phone from his hand, I dialed Parker’s number.
It only took one ring before I heard a loud growl, a clear indicator that the man wasn’t at all pleased. I didn’t blame him.
“Hey, it’s me—”
“Girlfriend of the hour! Good of you to call. You have videos all over Instagram with a bunch of guys and River Ellis exiting a bar. I don’t fucking know what the devil’s going on, but end whatever it is, or I’m going to fucking leave you, Cara!” he screamed into the phone, making me inwardly flinch.
“Nothing’s going on.” Yet.
He growled again. “I don’t give a fuck to be honest. All I know is you’re mine! You’re fucking mine, and I don’t appreciate you spending time with other guys. Shit happens, and I don’t want my authority to be challenged. Do you hear me, Cara? Don’t fucking embarrass me, damn you!”
His authority challenged? What the fuck was he on? This guy was borderline delusional.
“You know what? I’ve dragged this for far too long, and I didn’t want to do this until I saw you next, but I can’t wait. I’m done. It’s over, Parker.”
“It can never be over! It’s not over until I say it is!” He went ballistic, growling as he screamed expletives. Each word made me flinch from his violent rage.
Fuck, this man was beyond nasty. How the hell did I not see it? Seeing how unhinged he was, I didn’t dare trust him not to hurt me. He would probably strangle me or something.
“In case you didn’t hear me properly, let me say it again. It’s over, Parker.”
“How dare you?” he bellowed, clearly beside himself. “How fucking dare you? Do you think you’re that hot? You’re nothing but some z-list actress who’s willing to sleep with River Ellis to get more publicity. Do you know how many chicks are after me? You’re going to fucking regret this, Cara. You can’t get anyone better than me!”
Yeah, I highly doubt that.
“Bye, Parker.” I ended the call, appalled from the whiplash of his madness. I had never encountered anyone like that. Even in the height of anger, I was never that vile and horrid toward River. I understood where he was coming from, I did, but he was being so unreasonable. What the hell!
Still reeling from that entire ordeal, I gripped the phone as I stared at it, wondering why I liked to be in a state of denial just so I could hide from the plain truth.
“That bad, huh?” River spoke behind me.
I had forgotten where I was for a second.
Letting out a melancholy sigh, I winced before spinning around to face River. “That’s putting it mildly.”
River thoughtfully scrutinized my face before brushing a soft stroke along my cheek. “If it’s any consolation, you’re better off without him.”
“Yeah, I knew you’d say some lame shit like that.” It was inevitable that he would jump in and take control of the situation. That was typical River. He did the same thing when he found out my first kiss didn’t turn out to be with him.
“You know me so well.” He chuckled, warming my heart a little when I spotted the once-adored dimple on his cheek before he pulled me close and kissed my forehead. “Let’s get you inside the shower. I don’t want you to catch a cold in your wet clothes.”
When he said I needed a shower, I didn’t expect him to join me. “I can shower without your help, River,” I said. “I didn’t pin you as a stalker, you know.”
“Trust me a little, okay? There’s no need to be nervous, Cara,” he whispered as he slowly stripped me of my clothes. “I’ve seen you naked a million times.”
Trust him? Why wasn’t I fighting back? Where was the deep-seated scorn in my heart? For two years, I never wavered, but right this moment, I was stripped of all the hate and animosity, becoming the woman I was before the man I had once agreed to marry hurt me.
I was paralyzed as he took off my clothes. He didn’t utter a word, but I saw his throat bob like he was as nervous as I was. Apart from that small indicator, he resorted back to being mercurial as took care of me.
If I was going bonkers before, I was wrong, because the second River took off his Calvin’s, his eyes trained on mine, pulling me in, mesmerizing me, I felt unhinged. His honed chest, sculpted abdomen, and the beautifully protruding proud cock me salivate like a dog in heat.
Holy cock. Was he always that enormous?
I swallowed hard while trying to unglue my eyes from the massive thick intruder. How did I imagine to survive this arousing ordeal? He was literally making things difficult for me to think, let alone breathe.
Shutting my eyes for a brief moment, I felt faint from the powerful tug of desire thrumming throughout my body. Desire so potent it was nothing but mental. It was like fighting the pull of two magnets attracting its counterpart.
“Let’s warm you up,” he murmured, holding my hand as he led me toward the marbled shower with the hot spray already running, gradually steaming the glass.
I didn’t need warming. One gaze at his thick, lengthy member was all I needed to remedy that problem.
I didn’t dare glance south again.
Clearly out of my element, I was too overwrought to properly function. So, when he gestured to shampoo my hair, I barely managed a nod to let him do as he pleased. He then soothingly lathered my body with soap, being careful not to touch my breasts and other sensitive areas. That was some sort of consolation. He probably understood the turmoil I was in, while he seemed composed, as if he had done this a million times.
He then proceeded to carefully wash my back, softly trailing the base of spine, tracing the soft curve of my back before reaching my bottom. He paused then before taking a sharp intake of air, while I anticipated his next action.
“Cara …” he rasped out before I felt his lips against the back of my neck, hovering. He inched closer against my back, and I shuddered when I felt his cock graze my butt cheeks.
There was no denying that I was sex-starved wherever he was concerned, but I wasn’t sure I wanted it. Thinking and acting were two different things.
“Please don’t,” I begged.
“I know.” His breathing went ragged before he slowly spun me around to face him. “I’m just testing to see if you want me as I want you. You’ve proven me wrong.”
Compounded with conflicting emotions, I kept my mouth shut. It was blatantly apparent that, though he tried to smile, there was sadness in his eyes. It was most likely from his dented ego from my somewhat rejection.
Keeping my mouth sealed was the only way I could keep myself together. I didn’t trust myself to reveal the turmoil I was experiencing, because I didn’t want him to use it against me.
Both freshly showered, I wore his shirt while he donned a new pair of black Calvin’s. I was tempted to ask for
a pair myself since I had nothing underneath the shirt, but words deserted me when the man switched on the fireplace across the room, lights off while playing Niia’s “Last Night in Los Feliz” in the background.
“How about that dance, petal?” he asked as he treaded toward me with his hand out and a pleasing look on his face.
I watched the flames dance on his face, highlighting his dark beauty. He was so beautiful it ached to look at him without having my heart pang with such longing it was unendurable at times.
Giving him my hand, I cautiously gazed at him. “You’ve become such the seducer, Romeo. Were you always like this?”
That remark earned me a soft cackle before he pulled me in a sweet embrace. “Only with you, my love … only with you.” He held me like I was the most precious thing—securely, gently—as we slowly swayed to the music.
My eyes closed as I rested my cheek against the side of his neck. I was transported back to the first time we had danced. Just like this. It was the same fated night I gave myself to him on his sixteenth birthday. The memory was bittersweet. It gnawed on me, leaving me vulnerable and unguarded.
“I’m never leaving you. I’m never giving you up, not for a second time. We’re entwined you and I. Maybe not as lovers, but as friends, as family. It’s not negotiable,” he uttered with such conviction that it almost brought me to tears.
We vowed that no matter what, we were family. A promise I had tried not to honor.
“I’m terrified …” Of him and what he could do to me. He knew my weaknesses, and I couldn’t trust him not to use them against me. If I couldn’t protect myself, who would?
“You’re not alone. I’m terrified, too, but I can’t go on living a life without you in it, Cara. The past two years were hell. I love you, and I know you’re not willing to be mine, so I’ll settle for the second best. I’ll take it. I don’t care if it’s killing me. Someday, you’ll understand that my love for you has no conditions.”
Hot, heavy tears rolled down my face, my resolve slowly dissolving. We had separately come so far, yet somehow fate brought me here, to him.
