Remember Me

by Jo-Anna Walker

  The elevator door dinged, opening, and Keisha breathed a sigh of relief at the interruption. She pulled out of Garrith’s grasp, stepped through the doors, and leaned against the wall. Garrith pressed the button to the main floor and stood across from her, watching her.

  Keisha’s skin tingled under his intense heated stare. Her nipples peaked to hard points, begging for his touch. She crossed her arms under her chest, praying that he couldn’t tell how turned on she was just from his dark stare.

  Their gazes locked and a smug smile forming on his face. His eyes flicked down to her chest and back up.

  Keisha cleared her throat and reached for something in her clutch. Anything to get her mind off of the large, gorgeous man in the enclosed space with her. Even though he was being insanely difficult, she wanted him again. No, needed him. Like she needed air to breathe.

  A large hand wrapped around her neck, tilting her head to meet Garrith’s stare. His blue eyes were dark with hunger and desire. For her.

  Her throat went dry and licking her lips, she swallowed. He smirked and leaned down, brushing his soft, full lips along hers. Not a kiss. Just a smooth caress that sent shivers down her spine and liquid pooling in between her thighs at the soft contact.

  Peeking her tongue out, she licked his bottom lip. Garrith pulled away and ran his thumb over her mouth. Her breathing picked up.

  The corners of his lips turned up. Garrith leaned down to her ear, his hot breath scorching her skin. “You can deny it all you want, love. Even though you’re pissed at me,” he ran his mouth along the soft skin just under her ear, making her eyes flutter closed, “I know you want me. You’ll always want me, Keisha.”

  “Just because my body wants you doesn’t mean anything,” Keisha replied, clenching her fists at her side. She wouldn’t give in. She needed answers.

  Garrith chuckled. He knew she was lying. It was like he was in tune to her feelings. She couldn’t believe how well he knew her. “No? You telling me your heart doesn’t want me?”

  Keisha attempted to push out of his grasp but he only tightened his grip on her. “Garrith, please. I…”

  His lips brushed along her jawline to her chin. “From the first moment I met you, I couldn’t get you out of my head. You were ingrained in my skull and you loved it. You used to tease me. Call me a pussy for falling in love with you so quickly.”

  Keisha frowned. “I sounded like a bitch.”

  Garrith lifted his head and stared down at her. “No, you were just honest to a fault.”

  “Oh,” Keisha whispered.

  Garrith smiled, sadness and guilt flashing in his eyes. He cleared his throat and pulled away. Keisha’s heart jumped when the doors opened a moment later.

  They walked into the underground parking to Garrith’s large SUV, the doors unlocking as they approached it. Keisha slid into the vehicle and did up the seat belt when a sweet scent filled her nostrils. It smelled like flowers.

  “What are you doing?” Keisha asked as the flower caressed her naked skin.

  “I’m apologizing,” Garrith answered while running the rose down in between her breasts and lower.

  “Why?” Her mouth parted at the soft touch of the silky petals brushing over her skin.

  “Because I don’t tell you I love you enough.”

  Keisha’s stomach flipped at the memory. A sharp pain exploded between her eyes, making her gasp.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She turned to Garrith, noted his furrowed brows, and shook her head. “Roses.”

  He frowned, confused. “What are you talking about?”

  Keisha sighed, breathing through the pain in her head. “When I got in here, I smelled something. It was sweet and I remembered roses.”

  Garrith’s gaze bored into hers but he didn’t say anything. His jaw clenched as he turned on the big vehicle and pulled out of the parking space.

  “Garrith, roses was our thing, wasn’t it? It means something, right?”

  The muscles in his jaw tensed but he didn’t reply.

  “Garrith,” Keisha placed a hand on his arm. “Please talk to me.”

  When he didn’t reply right away, Keisha leaned against the seat and sighed, staring out the window. Tears burned her eyes, threatening to escape as she tried to remember more from the memory but got nothing. All of these little snippets into her life with Garrith were driving her insane. She needed to remember everything. It was a tease and when he wouldn’t confirm if she was actually remembering something or if her mind was just playing tricks on her, it hurt her. Broke her heart that he wouldn’t help her remember him.

  “I told you I loved you the first time by using a rose.”

  Keisha turned to him, surprised at the unexpected confession. Afraid he would stop talking, she didn’t reply and waited for him to go on.

  “We had been dating for a year and I made some corny way of telling you how I felt about you. You hated flowers. You said they died too quickly and that they were depressing.” Garrith looked at her and then back at the road. “That was after your mom and stepfather died.”

  Keisha nodded. She remembered that horrible day. Being pulled from class. Her and Brett sitting in the principal’s office. Getting told both of their parents had died because of some asshole drunk driver. A lump formed in her throat.

  “I told you that there was some form of magic or some shit that kept flowers alive. You played along and…yeah…I told you how I felt.” Garrith cleared his throat.

  Keisha frowned. He was embarrassed over how he told her that he loved her? She thought it was unique and romantic and she wouldn’t have changed it for anything. She just wished she could remember it. “How old were we?”

  “You were seventeen and I was nineteen,” he answered quietly, like he was remembering the past.

  Curling a leg under her, she placed a hand on Garrith’s arm. “Thank you.”

  “For what, love?” His voice was thick with emotion and it broke Keisha’s heart.

  She grabbed his hand and linked their fingers together, running a thumb over the smooth tanned skin. Taking a deep breath, she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Thank you for telling me that.”

  His body tensed but he didn’t reply. He was slowly opening up to her about their past and she was grateful for that, but was it enough?

  Chapter 8

  Garrith’s heart thumped at the familiarity of Keisha leaning against him as he drove them to Sebastian and Tori’s place. Almost at their destination, Garrith swallowed hard as disappointment settled in his belly. He wanted Keisha all to himself. He wanted to tell her everything about their past, but telling her the sordid details all at once would probably backfire on both of them.

  He ran a hand up and down her arm before cupping her chin. He kissed her forehead and sighed.

  Being there in the vehicle with her, making a road trip that they used to do all of the time, felt normal but it wasn’t, was it? Nothing would ever be normal again.

  “Garrith?” Keisha looked up at him, her bright green eyes sad.

  “Yeah?” he croaked.

  She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm and then his fingers. Shivers ran down his back at the light feathery touch.

  “I…” She took a deep breath and chewed her bottom lip. It was her signature move when she was nervous or upset and it was sexy as hell.

  “Spit it out, love,” Garrith said, turning back to the road. He could feel her glare at him for being told what to do, even though he knew that she loved it. He bit back a smile and waited.

  She huffed. “You may not want to talk to me about our past yet but I will find out everything with or without you.”

  Garrith’s stomach sunk at her words. She thought so, did she? “You can’t find out everything by yourself, Keisha.”

  “And why not?”

  Garrith smiled at her defiance. He loved that about her. Never putting up with his shit. “Because you need me to give you the answers that you’re looking for.”

 
; “Well then fucking talk to me!” she cried.

  Something inside Garrith snapped. He would probably regret this moment later. Turning into the parking lot of a vacant building, Garrith slammed on the brakes and shut off the vehicle.

  “Garrith?” Keisha’s small voice carried over to him.

  Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against the door. Her beautiful green eyes dilated, going wide at his abrupt movement. Her pink tongue licked her bottom lip.

  Garrith’s heart thumped a mile a minute as his gaze traveled down her body. Her dress had ridden up her thighs, revealing tanned legs that he itched to have wrapped around him. He cupped the back of her neck and leaned down, his mouth mere inches from hers. He stared into her eyes, letting out a breath and watched her lips part. The control it took to not dive into her at that very moment made his body vibrate.

  “Since finding out that you don’t remember me, I’ve been on edge. I don’t know how to act around you.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked quietly.

  “Kitten, I’ve always been in control. From the very beginning. You wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  She tilted her chin, her moist lips begging to be kissed by him, but he didn’t. He needed to get this out.

  “You loved it when I dominated you. Took control of our sex life.” Garrith brushed his lips lightly over hers. “Until you remember me completely, a part of me will always hold back.”

  “Why?” Keisha cupped his cheek, running her thumb over his mouth. “I need you to give me all of you, Garrith. Not a piece, not half. All of you.”

  Garrith shook his head. “I can’t.”

  “Why the hell not? I can’t remember you if you won’t help me.”

  He watched as tears rolled down her cheeks and leaning down, he kissed them away. The salty wetness coated his lips. “Keisha.”

  “No.” She pushed him but he wouldn’t budge. “I know I loved you. Maybe I still do. I don’t know and that’s not my fucking fault. It’s not my fault that I got shot by that shady cop. It’s not my fault that I don’t remember you. None of this is my fault.”

  “I know that!”

  Keisha shoved him again but he only gripped her tighter.

  “Do you? Do you know that, Garrith? Cause I don’t think you do. I can see it in your eyes.”

  Garrith clenched his jaw. Keisha was the only one who got away with talking to him that way and even then, he had to control himself not to bend her over his knee and spank that fine, luscious ass of hers.

  “You blame me for not remembering you,” Keisha continued.

  “I do not,” he growled.

  Her eyebrows narrowed. “No? You’re a fucking liar.”

  He gripped her neck, pulling her head back. “Watch it, Keisha.”

  A small breath left her lips. “Yeah? Or else what? If you don’t want to be with me Garrith…if me not remembering you is too much for you, then why don’t you let me go?”

  God, he loved the feistiness in her. Whenever she was mad at him, the makeup sex was hot, intense and delicious.

  “I can’t let you go,” he bit out.

  “Why not? You obviously don’t want to be with me. You’ve made that quite clear in not talking to me about our past. What did I do? Did I hurt you? Was I not kinky enough for you?” Keisha grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer.

  Garrith smiled inwardly. Her cheeks were flushed with color and her eyes were bright with lust. She was turned on. Now, this could be interesting. Even though it was broad daylight, the windows of his SUV were tinted. No one would see them if he decided to dive under her dress and bury himself deep inside her.

  “Who said that I don’t want to be with you and no, you did not hurt me.”

  “What is it then? What did I do?” Keisha asked, crossing her arms under her full chest.

  “You didn’t do anything. It was all me.”

  “Really? Could have fooled me. You act like you don’t want me to remember anything!” She hit it spot on. He didn’t want her to remember everything. The way she had hated him. Twice. He didn’t know if he could make her fall in love with him a third time.

  “I want you to remember me.”

  “But?”

  Garrith couldn’t believe how well she knew him. Even though she couldn’t remember him, it was like subconsciously she would never forget. She probably didn’t even realize that. He took a deep breath, letting it out on a whoosh.

  “Garrith, talk to me. For once. Stop being a…” Her voice trailed off and she swallowed.

  “A what, Keisha?” Garrith asked, his voice going cold. He needed time, but her pressing him and demanding answers was starting to piss him off. He knew he had no right to be angry with her but the fury tearing through his soul couldn’t be stopped.

  She shook her head. “Never mind.”

  He ran his fingers through the hair at the back of her nape, inching his other hand up her leg to her thigh. “Tell me.”

  She glared at him. “No.”

  He caressed her soft skin. His dick jumped. She wasn’t wearing any panties. He cleared his throat and ran his hand further up under dress. “I said tell me.”

  She pushed him. “And I said no.”

  His cock hardened, pressing against his zipper. He never realized how much he had loved it when she defied him until then.

  Moving his hand to her flat stomach, he grazed his fingers down to the crease between her thigh and pussy. Her breathing picked up at his soft touches.

  He licked her bottom lip, gently biting it, making her buck against him. He smirked. “You used to love defying me, kitten.”

  Keisha smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, and bent her leg. “I bet. You make me want to defy you.”

  Garrith’s cock twitched when she pushed her bare foot into his crotch. “Really? And why’s that?”

  She pressed into him harder and spread her legs. Garrith bit back a gasp at the painful impact of her foot against him. His dick threatened to burst as she rubbed over his jeans. He wouldn’t give in. He—

  “I want to defy you because it’s the only thing I remember about our relationship.”

  ***

  Keisha watched as Garrith’s eyes widened at her words. She couldn’t explain it but remembering that she used to defy him constantly dawned on her when she told him no.

  She used to tell him no all of the time but she never meant it. She enjoyed playing hard to get. Making him work for her. “I remember thinking you wanted me just for sex. I was insecure…or I think I was.”

  Garrith grabbed her foot and pushed it out of his lap. “While I was trying to get you to notice me, you had another guy that was interested in you. He was a dick.”

  “I remember him.” As soon as those words left her lips, Keisha regretted it. The look of pain and hatred in Garrith’s eyes took her breath away. He pulled out of her grasp and sat back.

  “Garrith, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think.”

  His head whipped around, his gaze dark with fury. “That’s your fucking problem, Keisha. You don’t think.”

  Keisha frowned. “Listen, I’m—”

  “No, you fucking listen to me. The fact that you remember everyone else and your asshole ex-boyfriend kills me. Alright? Is that what you wanted to hear? Does it make you feel good knowing that I can remember every touch, every kiss, and you can’t?” he yelled.

  His words shocked her. She hadn’t meant to hurt him by her admission. “Garrith, please, I—”

  “No. Go to your ex. Let him please you.”

  “I don’t want him. I want you.” And she did.

  Garrith grabbed her jaw and pushed her against the door, making her gasp. Gripping his wrists, she tried pulling him off of her but he wouldn’t budge.

  “Don’t you dare fucking lie to me! You may not remember me but at least give me the respect that I deserve and tell me the truth.” His voice was low as he gripped her tight.

  “I’m not lying. I do w
ant you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have let you make love to me.” Tears burned her eyes at the rough hold he had on her jaw. She had never seen this side of Garrith.

  “Love? Baby, it wasn’t making love.”

  “You love me so—”

  Leaning down, Garrith’s hot breath scorched her ear. “Making love is mutual on both sides. I fucked you. That’s it. Nothing more. Until you love me back, it’ll always just be pure raw fucking.”

  A lump formed in her throat at his words. She pushed him but he wouldn’t budge. “Let me go.”

  “No matter what happens, I’ll never be able to let you go,” he whispered.

  “If you love me as much as you say you do, then why are you being an asshole?”

  He smirked and covered her mouth with his; licking his way in between her lips, he shoved his tongue roughly against hers. Keisha’s body hummed as he took control of her mouth. In a smooth move, he pulled her onto his lap. She leaned back, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.

  Garrith ran his hands up her thighs under her dress, squeezing her flesh. His full lips were swollen from their rough kiss and his deep blue eyes were dark with lust for her. That’s it. Just lust. Nothing else. She knew he had loved her but wasn’t so sure anymore. Aside from the hard erection pressing against his pants, you wouldn’t even be able to tell that he was turned on. The control he had over his body would probably always amaze her.

  “Do you have any idea how bad I want to fuck you right now?”

  His question momentarily stunned her. She probably wouldn’t get over his dirty talk either. Telling her exactly what he wanted to do to her body. Before she lost her memory, she had a feeling that she wasn’t so shy when it came to sex.