His kisses were strong, almost desperate, and so focused on me. Standing there naked, he put both hands on the sides of my head and kissed me like he did the first time we kissed—like he was making love to my mouth. I couldn’t wait to get this foreplay over with.
A minute later, he picked me up and sat me on the back of the couch, opened my legs, and slowly slid inside of me with gentle motions until he knew it was OK to let his passion run wild.
His arms were wrapped around my back and he continued to kiss my neck and face as we finally got what we needed. I know I left scratch marks down his back—I couldn’t help it. It was one of the most passionate hours we’ve spent together.
If this is what I get after sleeping away from him for one night, what will I get tomorrow, I wondered. Five months we’ve been together, and it keeps getting better.
When we were done we stayed on the back of the couch for a minute, catching our breath and hugging.
“Fuck, you are amazing,” he said.
I smiled with my face buried in his chest.
“If you find me amazing, it’s only because of you. I love you so incredibly much, and I just can’t get enough of you.”
He squeezed me tighter and kissed the top of my head.
“We better get some clothes on. I don’t want your parents walking in on me violating you like this,” he joked.
After we were cleaned up from our little impromptu romp, we returned to relax on the plush rug in front of the fireplace. We propped the large pillows back against the stone mantel and I resumed sipping on the glass of champagne I still hadn’t finished.
“Princess, I want you to know that this fight is going to end all the drama we’ve had since, well, since we got together. And then it will just be us living a normal life. But don’t expect too much to change from my side; I’m still so fucking obsessed with you. And I protect what I love, so I’ll still probably be more over bearing than you’d like. But let me remind you that I’m open to making myself a better man for you. You can always talk to me if I start to suffocate you, OK?” he asked.
I smiled, remembering that just a couple of months ago he wouldn’t let me leave the house without an armed bodyguard. We’ve come a long way.
“OK. And King? The feeling’s mutual—both in the obsession and the love. I fall more in love with you every day,” I admitted. “And it’s that obsession and love that makes my skin crawl when I read about you fighting over Layla.”
I wanted to hit the point home. I know he’s looking at all of this from his point-of-view, like it’s a meaningless part of the game.
“I know…shit. I can imagine how I’d feel in your position. Just hang on; it’s just a week away now. And keep in mind it’s all bullshit.”
He kissed me on my head and that was the last we spoke of it.
Chapter 7
The morning after Christmas was strange. I woke up alone at my parents’ house, but thoughts of King banging me on the back of the sofa made me smile instantly. I felt a rush of warmth flow through my body. Oh I wish he were laying next to me now.
The next thought on my mind was the flight I had to board in a few hours. I was pretty much packed—I took care of that before leaving King’s house two days ago. I brought my packed bags to my parents’ house—King is going to pick me up in a couple of hours.
And then I remembered it’s Tori and Viv’s birthday. I picked up my phone and sent them both a text wishing them a happy birthday and letting them know I’d send an email soon that’ll give them the location of where to meet us at the airport.
Because King had his first weigh-in for the fight tomorrow morning, we were heading to Vegas today, so I convinced Tori and Viv both to celebrate their birthdays in Vegas this year. They agreed, which works out perfectly. We’re all taking King’s jet—and by “all”, I mean all us girls, Dylan and his crew, King and his trainer, Claudia and her boyfriend Kevin, and a few extra friends. Needless to say, the second we boarded, the party started.
King and his trainer went into a separate area of the plane so they could discuss the fight; eventually they moved to the bedroom so they had privacy to go over a few videos of Giorgio fighting that his trainer brought with him. On the flip side, the rest of us were celebrating Tori and Viv’s birthday.
All of us, minus King, were officially taking Tori out tonight and Viv tomorrow, but since we were all together now we thought we’d use their birthdays as a reason to pop open some champagne and have cake. Emelia brought two dozen Georgetown Cupcakes plus two special ones made just for the sisters.
We cracked open the bar before the plane took off, so a couple of hours into the flight we were all feeling lively, even Tori—she had a few wine spritzers. Dylan made them weak, but the three glasses Tori had made her tipsy; her tolerance is low.
The inside of this plane was designed like a condo. There’s a section that’s similar to a living room, a bar and a kitchenette with a dining table, a second sitting area with a few large chairs with tables in between, and a bedroom suite in the back of the plane. Some of us were sitting at one of the tables, and out of the blue Dylan asked me if I heard that Miko broke up with Shannon.
“No, I haven’t talked to him in a while. But I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.
“He’s not. He dated her as consolation. Anyway, he’s meeting us in Vegas, so you can get the story from him,” he said.
“Consolation?” I asked before Viv’s voice took over all conversations.
“OK guys, I’m starting the movie,” Viv said, trying to shut us all up.
Claudia lowered the lights and we all quieted down to watch Tori’s all-time favorite movie: Hanna. Us girls have seen it dozens of times, of course, but we accommodated her wishes and watched the movie with everyone else. I moved from the table to one of the reclining chairs—no doubt a nap was in my future.
At first I thought I was dreaming when I felt King’s warm, massive arms slide underneath me. When he picked me up and pulled me close to his chest, I could smell his cologne and blinked my eyes open long enough to determine it was not a dream. He carried me into the bedroom and laid me down on the bed—removing my favorite thigh-high Frye boots and then placing a comforter over me.
“Stay with me,” I mumbled.
“I can’t, Princess, I have to talk to Rick. Just go to sleep. I’m right outside if you need me,” he said, referring to his trainer.
But I felt the bed press down next to me, then his arm wrapped around me and his warmth enveloped me. I fell back to sleep in his arms, but woke up to Claudia sleeping next to me; King was nowhere in sight. I looked at my phone—it was seven in the evening, DC time; we’d surely be landing soon.
I was careful to not wake Claudia as I groggily got out of bed and freshened up before quietly leaving the suite. King and Rick were sitting in the first lounge area, right outside the bedroom door. I knew they were in the middle of a discussion, so I simply said hello and kissed King, then walked into the main area.
The flight attendant informed me that we were descending, so I woke up my friends who were still sleeping and then sat at the table on the side where Dylan and Kevin were playing chess.
The flight attendant brought out a tray of coffee and tea, as well as some snacks and water, so we all rejuvenated ourselves by the time we landed just a half hour later. Every one of us was ready to make the most out of our week in Vegas.
King and I left the plane last and got into one of the three Range Rovers that were waiting for us on the tarmac; Claudia and Kevin were already inside. An armed security guard drove each Range Rover. King already told me to expect an increase in security while we’re in Vegas. Deal or no deal, King wasn’t taking chances with Giorgio in the same city.
So we didn’t have to worry about transportation while we were here—the bodyguards would take care of that. I also found out that this security company deals with lots of celebrities, and part of their service is to work with the hotel’s concierge to book us the optimal
tables at restaurants and bars. The point of this is to ensure we have a good time in a way that’s easy for them to secure—they know this city like the back of their hands. When we wanted to go out, we just told security where we wanted to go and they would make the reservations for us.
The cars began driving and I stared out of the window, mesmerized by the extraordinary display of lights as we drove to the strip. I’ve been to Vegas before, but only with my parents—this will be my first trip to Vegas as an adult.
“So what’s the plan for today?” Claudia asked her brother.
“I’m going to the gym as soon as we check in to the hotel to meet up with Rick,” he said, and then he looked at me. “You should probably focus on Tori for the rest of the evening, and have some fun with your friends. But please check in often, OK?”
“OK. So, Kev, what are you boys going to be up to?” I asked Kevin. Tori already invited Claudia to join us girls.
“Ah, you were passed out in the suite when Tori made the announcement: she’s breaking from tradition this year, boys are invited to her birthday celebration, too.”
“What?” I feigned disappointment. “No way!”
“Way,” Claudia sang. “I guess she didn’t feel like parting with Dylan for the night, so they’re all coming. No strip clubs for us!”
We all laughed. I was glad to hear it. Even though King can’t hang out with us, since he’s not staying up late or drinking until the fight’s over, there’s really no reason to keep the guys away.
A couple of hours later, I was dressed to the nines and ready to hit the Vegas club scene. The concierge at the hotel reserved VIP tables for us in the two most popular clubs, and we were starting the night with dinner at Le Cirque.
The drivers picked us up at the Cosmopolitan hotel, where we all were staying, and dropped us off next door at the front of the Bellagio—a bit overboard, if you asked me. If we would have walked, we’d have probably arrived in half the time it took to drive.
We made our way into Bellagio and headed straight to the Le Cirque restaurant inside. I was surprised to see Miko waiting for us near the entrance; I’d forgotten that he was joining us, and was a little taken aback.
He looked amazing—enough to make me take a second glance. Miko’s a good-looking guy, but he looked extraordinarily hot tonight. He was wearing a tight polo with fitted jeans, and I could tell immediately that he’s been working out much more than normal. For the first time in many months, I remembered what I saw in him when we met.
“Wow, don’t you look buff,” I said while kissing his cheek hello.
“Yeah, I’ve been working out a little lately,” he said.
We were seated at a long bistro-style table with Tori at the head and me and Dylan flanking her sides. Miko sat next to me, and the rest grabbed seats around us. I didn’t care that Miko was next to me; I mean, we’ve been on good terms since we broke up. So why can’t we be friends?
During dinner we all toasted Tori with each new bottle of wine that we opened and everyone was in a festive mood. The restaurant was packed and the environment is hip enough, but still elegant. I’m sure our table was the loudest one in the place.
Miko fell back into old habits—he refilled my wine glass when it was empty, he picked up my napkin when I dropped it, and he asked me twice if I needed anything else. That didn’t bother me at all, until he whispered in my ear.
“I’ve missed you, Ava,” he said.
I looked at him without saying a word. I wasn’t sure what I should say, or why he was telling me this. He watched me expectantly; I smiled at him dismissively, then excused myself for the ladies’ room. Luckily Claudia joined me, leaving no room for Miko to get me alone.
I wasn’t sure what Miko was up to, but he’s sending me signals that are a bit more than just friendly. He knows I have a boyfriend, and I’m sure he knows that King and I are tight—the two share a close friend, after all.
“So, I just have to say that your ex-boyfriend has been quite attentive to you. Did you notice?” Claudia asked while we reapplied our lipstick.
“Yeah, I spotted that. I have no idea why; maybe if he were more attentive when we dated maybe we wouldn’t have broken up,” I joked.
“Yeah, right. You and King are a force not even nature could stop!”
She was right. I know that no matter what, King and I would be together right now. We have an attraction that is magnetic. And I don’t mean just sexually; we both literally need to be near each other as much as possible.
It’s so strong that before we even got to know each other I cried over him more than once and snuck away from my boyfriend in the middle of the night to see King—and that’s before I kissed King very publicly with Miko in the same club. How we got together was scandalous, but only because I fought so hard against it.
Talking to Claudia reminded me that I should check in with King. He’s trying to train and needs to focus on himself for the next few days; I promised to make that easier by staying out of his hair and sending him texts here and there so he doesn’t start to worry or wonder how I’m doing. This was going to be a tough fight for him. The last thing he needs is to have concerns about me on his mind.
I sent him a sweet text telling him that I love him and that all is going well. I didn’t have to tell him that we were at the restaurant; I know the security guards driving us tonight send him a text whenever we change locations.
Just as we returned to the table we were served another round of drinks and Dylan made a personal and formal toast for Tori’s birthday, then told us all to drink up so we could head to our next location. When I clinked my glass with Miko, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “and to a better year ahead.” It wasn’t what he said that bothered me, it was how he was looking at me—his eyes were lustful and he talked like we shared some secret.
“Miko, what’s going on with you?” I asked.
“Group picture time!” Tori yelled over the table. “I want one with just the girls before we all get sloppy drunk!”
I was glad that my conversation with Miko was interrupted. I don’t think I really want to address Miko’s intentions right now. After a few shots of the whole table, we girls gathered together and Dylan played photographer to ensure we got a proper “Tori’s girls” picture.
Shortly after that, we left for the first nightclub that was on our schedule. We piled back into the Range Rovers and I was a bit uncomfortable when Miko crawled into the back seat after me. Jude was on my other side and Magnus was in the front seat.
Luckily for me, Magnus felt the need to fill our car with loud rap music that had a lot of bass. So Miko and I didn’t have a chance to talk and I never got an answer about what was going on with him. The more I thought about it, the less I wanted to know.
It seems pretty clear to me that he’s having nostalgic feelings about our relationship since he and Shannon broke up. I don’t want to be the one to remind him that it wasn’t all that great, at least not for the last two thirds of it.
And I didn’t want to be the one to express to him how impossible it would be for him and I to get back together—I don’t have feelings for him anymore. Not to mention how impossible it would be for me to leave King. King holds my heart in his hands.
I know it’s childish, but in a meager attempt to prove I-don’t-know-what, I was sure to make my ring unavoidable to Miko. I kept my left hand on top of my purse that was on my lap. And while reapplying lipstick, I held the mirror somewhat in Miko’s direction so he would catch a sparkle or two. The ring means something, something that should make Miko back down.
I fear my antics missed his detection. He seemed much more focused on the lip-gloss I was slathering on than my boyfriend’s token of affection.
When we reached our location the driver pulled over and we started to get out. Miko stepped out of the back seat and turned with his hand out waiting to help me down from the SUV. I put my hand in his and when my first foot hit the ground, a guy walked closer to our
Range with his iPhone aimed at me, clearly taking pictures before the security guards guided him away.
I’ve no idea why, but then again, we’re in Vegas and people do weird things in Vegas sometimes. I wrote it off as an item in a bachelor party scavenger hunt. God knows this city is overflowing with bachelor and bachelorette parties.
The security guards led us into the club and up to the VIP; the hostess took us to our table, which was already set up with bottles and mixers, and tastefully decorated with a birthday theme. Since Tori was actually drinking tonight—more than one drink, that is—I asked her to come dance with me, even though I wasn’t a fan of the music playing. I wanted to make sure she didn’t get drunk and ruin her birthday night.
Tori and I joined a group of girls we didn’t know, but they looked like they were having a blast. It was, of course, a bachelorette party. But whatever, we had fun with them…until my night hit a bump. I saw Asli come storming onto the dance floor.
“What the fuck is this?” she said, showing me her phone.
On the screen was a picture of King, Layla, and Giorgio with an article about the made-up love triangle.
“It’s nothing, Asli. Just ignore it.”
“Nothing my ass. Why is King going along with this?”
“Technically, he’s not. He’s just letting them play up this fake story to build some hype for the fight. It’s no big deal.”
“Your man being part of a love triangle is not a big deal?”
“There is no love triangle, Asli. The marketers probably took some pictures, photo-shopped them together, and made up the story to drive interest. It’s par for the course.”
“Yeah? That sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. If you want me to get on King’s ass about this…”
“I don’t. We knew this was going to happen. I’m OK.”
“OK, fine. I’ll let it go, but I’m pissed as hell about this,” she said.
“I know, and thank you for that,” I said smiling sweetly at her. She begrudgingly smiled back and walked off the dance floor.
Guys Like You Page 9
