Sugar Love

by Callie Bardot

  “I don’t pay much attention to that bullshit.” She waved her hand. “But I saw something about it, yeah.”

  The corners of her mouth quirked upward.

  Zander placed his palm against the wall, right next to Stephanie’s head. If Effie could move on so easily, so could he.

  She didn’t back away. Instead, she rested her hip against the wall, a mere foot away from his.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Effie. And, suddenly, time came to an abrupt stop.

  Chapter 45

  Zander

  At the sight of Effie—his Effie—striding across the Rock Logick floor next to Puppy-boy, Zander’s blood boiled. Animal instinct scrambled his brain cells into focused intensity.

  Puppy-boy had his arm draped around Effie’s shoulders. An unruly mop of dirty-blond curls bobbed upon his head.

  Effie smiled and chatted with him until her gaze locked with Zander’s.

  He stood next to Stephanie, close enough to kiss.

  Effie glanced at Stephanie’s back, then straight into Zander’s eyes.

  Good. She can see that I’m moving on, too. Zander felt kind of juvenile having thoughts like this as the last six months of tortured longing for her exploded into his brain.

  The corners of her eyes creased, and her eyebrows drew up, giving her an expression of a wounded deer. She stepped away from Puppy-boy and strode toward Zander, as steady as if she had a homing device tuned to his signal.

  “What are you doing here?” she said, coming to a stop, fire in her beautiful eyes.

  “I came to watch the competition.”

  Instant electric tension sizzled between them.

  He wanted to plunder her lips, explore her shapely curves, lay claim to her pussy, right here, right now.

  Stephanie stood trapped between Zander and Effie. She wriggled out from between them and stood next to Puppy-boy. “Good job, today,” she said to Effie. “Third place. Wow. I came in fifteenth.” She chuckled.

  Effie side-eyed Stephanie then resumed her tangled gaze with Zander. “Thanks. You slipped, is all. It happens.”

  “Who’s your little friend?” Zander asked, never taking his eyes from Effie’s beautiful face.

  Effie blinked, the spell between them snapped. “Oh. This is Jacko.”

  Even his name sounded like one for a pet. Zander lifted his chin to the guy, barely acknowledging him.

  Jacko stood looking like he’d just been punched in the face. “You’re the…you’re the God of the Wall. Oh, man, I’ve watched all your moves on the Climbing Channel website. I watch them over and over. I’d ask you for your autograph, but that would just be awkward.” His freckled face reddened.

  Zander gave him his full attention.

  Jacko reared back, slightly.

  “Are you with Effie?” Zander said, flatly.

  “With, as in her boyfriend? Gosh, no,” Jacko said, the red in his cheeks deepening. “Not that I wouldn’t want to be. I mean, we’re friends. That’s all. Good friends. We met in Paris.”

  “Paris?” Zander’s eyebrows lifted.

  “Long story,” Effie said, with a wave of her hand. “Who’s your friend? I guess you’ve moved on.”

  Her chin quivered slightly when she spoke.

  “You disappeared. No trace.” Zander longed to touch her creamy skin.

  “I…” She cast her gaze at the floor. “I adhered to the terms of the contract. I thought it’s what you wanted.” Her eyes met his, challenging and focused. “And, you’re a billionaire. You could have found me.” A slight whimper crept into her voice.

  Zander shook his head.

  “Trisha used to stalk me. She’d lay in wait for me, like a predator. It felt so slimy to try to find you if you didn’t want to be found…” He shuddered. “I couldn’t do that to you.”

  “And, this…” Stephanie swept her hand between them. “This is awkward. I’m going to go. Nice to meet you, God of the Wall.”

  “You, too, Stephanie.” Zander forced a smile, then focused on Effie.

  Stephanie huffed out a sigh and sauntered away.

  Jacko continued to stand next to Effie.

  Effie turned to him. “Please, go. We’ve got to catch up.”

  A look of utter disappointment crossed Jacko’s face.

  “All right…,” he said, then hope sparked in his eyes. “See you tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, sure. Maybe. I don’t know. I’ll call you,” Effie said, lifting her hand to her ear.

  He nodded and shuffled off.

  Once they no longer had an audience—other than the hundreds of spectators milling about—Zander’s desire for Effie grew exponentially. “Can we go somewhere private?”

  “The men’s competition starts in thirty minutes. I’d like to watch. Are you competing?” Something like hope flared in her gorgeous green eyes.

  He shook his head. “Hell, no. That’s part of my past.”

  “Zander,” Effie began.

  He cut her off before she crossed through the gate of sympathy. “I’d like to check out the men’s competition, too. Can we sit in my car for a few minutes before it starts?”

  “I’d like that,” she said, caressing his arm.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “It was hell not knowing what happened to you.”

  Effie sighed. “I wanted to reach out. But, there was that contract. I hated that contract.” Her expression turned wistful. “And, I’m better than I was. My wounds healed well enough. But, my mental state was a train wreck for a while. I had PTSD so went to therapy for a while. I…” She squinted, as if gauging whether she should speak. Finally, she said, “I missed you like crazy.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Yeah?”

  “Yes,” she said, simply, biting her lip.

  “I missed you, too,” he said.

  Effie rolled her lips between her teeth, hiding a smile.

  “And, yeah, I had a therapist help me, out, too. I was pretty fucked up for a while. In a way…well…Trisha messed me up pretty badly. I wasn’t ready for you. I immersed myself in healing.” It felt good to regard with a clear, unflinching gaze, not looking over his shoulder like a maniac.

  “Oh, dear.” Effie glanced at him with her guileless gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It was necessary,” Zander said. “I had to find out why I got with Trisha in the first place and why I got hooked into her sickness. I’ve made some needed changes. Like not trying to drown myself in liquor.”

  Effie nodded. “That’s good, Zander. I can tell you’ve changed. The haunted look is gone from your eyes. You look…healthy.” She paused, casting her gaze at the floor. “So, um…are you seeing anyone?”

  “No,” he said. “You? Besides Puppy-boy?”

  “Jacko?” She chuckled. “He’s only a friend. And, I, uh…I never got over you.”

  He closed his eyes for a second, not daring to consider what her confession meant.

  When he opened them, she said, “Can we head to your car? I’d really like to be alone with you for a moment.”

  An iceberg of unmet feelings cracked inside his soul making room for possibility. He placed his hand behind her back and guided her out of the climbing gym into the overcast weather.

  “Bryant’s competing today. I saw his name on the roster.”

  “Is he?” Zander said, striding along the sidewalk, happier than he’d been in months. “I didn’t know that.”

  “What, no disgust hearing his name?” Effie smiled, stepping closer.

  “We made our peace,” Zander said, smirking.

  Her eyebrows rose.

  He strode to the passenger side of his Lexus and opened the door for her. He couldn’t help but check out her legs and cleavage as she slid into the car. His cock stirred beneath his jeans.

  She sucked in a breath as she caught where his attention rested and then the evidence of his arousal.

  He closed the door and sauntered to his side of the car, savoring the light rain spattering his face
and arms.

  “How did you make peace?” she said, once he sat behind the wheel.

  “He quit TrishBitch, of course.” He scoffed. “Her being arrested helped.” He gazed intently into Effie’s eyes. “I’m so, so, so sorry she came after you.” He caressed the side of her face with his high-tech finger, imagining he could feel her skin. “It completely wrecked me to know she did that and to not be able to find you again. You must have been terrified.”

  “God, yes,” Effie said, wincing. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. But, you must know how that feels. I read every article I could find on you. I read about what really happened.”

  “Did you?” Zander said. All the wondering and hoping and raging and frustration of the last six months fell away as she spoke. “She’s on house arrest awaiting sentencing. I’ve had to testify a lot. My lawyers feel we have a rock-solid case.”

  “I can’t help but feel relieved,” Effie said, sighing.

  “Same here. Justice is finally being served.” He ran his hand along her strong thigh, itching for more. “And,” he said, chuckling, “as for Bryant, I bought him out.”

  Effie’s response sputtered from her lips. “You, what?”

  “I bought out ArcTix One. Bought it right out from under him.” Zander laughed, strumming the leather-covered steering wheel with his fingers. “He got richer, I got the lion’s share of the market. It was a win-win.”

  “Jeez, Zander.” Effie tugged the hair tie from her ponytail and let her hair cascade along her shoulders. “That hardly sounds like peace. More like war to me.”

  He eyed her, remembering how silky her hair felt sweeping his torso and cock.

  “It was a sweet, sweet deal during a particularly low point in my life. We’ve been…” He thought a minute. “We’ve been cordial. I think he felt sorry for me for losing you and nearly losing EXcape and for all the shit with Trisha. He had no idea how sick she is.” He side-eyed her, then stared out the window through the droplets of water clinging to the glass.

  She winced, crinkling her nose, looking like she might cry. “I’m so sorry. I was…It was…It was awful. Losing you. Losing everything. Being ambushed by Trisha. People who didn’t know me, don’t know you, judging me, judging us, calling me horrible names.” She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she said “And, mercy, I couldn’t last at my parents. That’s where I was after the shooting. My mom and dad whisked me home, wanting to keep me ‘safe.’ They canceled my mobile phone account. That’s when I knew I had to pursue my independence. I didn’t fit under their roof any longer. I couldn’t play by their rules. In the time you and I were together, I grew a lot. You changed me, Zander, in ways I’m still finding out about.”

  “You changed me, too…for the better.”

  “Good,” she said. She paused for a second. “So, I moved in with Haley and Arnold. They fell in love. Funny, huh?” She chuckled, then, shook her head. “Sugar babies. The circumstances of our meeting were…” she brought her palm to his leg. “Complicated. You have to admit that. I hated that contract. I had no power in that dynamic. I was…” Her eyes narrowed. “I was purchased.”

  “You were never purchased, Effie. Only…” The word “loved” lodged in his throat. He stroked her cheek. “Tell me about Paris.”

  “I, um…” Her gaze slid away from him. “I got a job at a medical laboratory in Seattle and saved every dime I could get. I used the money to travel to Europe by myself.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “That’s bold. You could have used the money I gave you. I never cashed that check.”

  “I noticed every time I got my bank statement.” Her lips curved in a smile. “But, it didn’t feel right to use it. I felt like I had to pay my own way to Europe.”

  Her face lit up. “That was a wow trip. It was scary, daunting, exciting, wonderful. I had to get out of the States. For three weeks, I traveled through the UK, France, and Germany. I didn’t get to Italy or Ireland, though, but those are on my To Do list.”

  “Duly noted,” he said, wondering what it would be like to explore Europe together.

  “Mom nearly stroked out when I told her what I was doing. I got in her face and told her it was my life, and I could do as I please. You’ve made me bossy,” she said, smiling sweetly.

  Damn, I want to kiss her.

  His tongue darted along his upper lip.

  “And, God was I lonely at times,” she said. “When I met Jacko, he was a lifesaver.” She fingered the stick shift, rubbing her palm over the crown.

  His cock pushed against his jeans. A desperate need to claim her, to mark her as his, overwhelmed him. “So, did you date him?”

  “Jacko? God, no. I, um…” She swallowed and turned away. “I let him kiss me once.” Her fingers floated up to touch her lips.

  Zander’s hands coiled around the steering wheel. “Did you?”

  She cast her gaze through her long eyelashes.

  “It wasn’t Jacko’s lips I wanted. It was yours,” she murmured.

  “I was alone in my penthouse. Pining for you.” Zander said, his voice cracking. “I died when you left me. I’ve never been that heartbroken.”

  “I didn’t want it to end that way,” she said, softly, reaching out to stroke his thigh.

  “And, I didn’t want it to end.”

  Effie’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes glistened with tears. “Do you mean that?”

  “Yes,” he said, swiveling so he could capture her face between his hands.

  The rain began to fall in earnest, cloaking them from the world.

  He swallowed hard, ready, at last, to spill his feelings. “More than anything. That last night in the restaurant, I wanted to tell you I love you. I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend, for real, no contract.”

  She wrapped her hands around his. “Zander, I…”

  “Wait. Let me speak. I’ve loved you from the moment I met you. You’re the most beautiful girl in the world. I don’t want to let you go. I won’t let you go. Not without a fight.”

  “I don’t want to lose you,” she said, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Not again.”

  Unable to wait any longer, he kissed her…deeply, thoroughly, passionately. He poured every feeling he’d kept from her—from himself—into the kiss.

  She responded, moaning into his mouth.

  He released her, his heart flooded with happiness.

  The flash of red lights and the whoop-whoop of a siren caught their attention. A bright red Bellingham medic rig, blurry through the rain-spattered windows, pulled up outside the door of Rock Logick.

  “Shit, this can’t be good,” Zander said, reaching for the door handle.

  “No, it can’t,” Effie said.

  Uniformed medics emerged from the vehicle, retrieved their life support bags from the back of the rig, and strode purposefully toward the building.

  Zander and Effie followed them into the building.

  The crowd parted, letting the medics through.

  A cluster of people gathered around someone.

  “Let us through, please,” Medic One said, in a clear, commanding voice.

  Zander grabbed Effie’s hand and weaved through the crowd.

  When the crowd parted, his gaze landed on the man on the floor. “Shit, it’s Bryant.”

  Bryant, laying on his back, his face contorted in agony, met his gaze. His eyes lit up. “King?”

  “Hold up a sec,” he said to Medic One, who’d crouched next to him. “Get over here, Zander.”

  Zander’s eyebrows rose, but he complied, stepping toward Bryant.

  An angry, red bulge had formed in Bryant’s leg, above the ankle.

  Medic Two, busy getting supplies from his bag, looked up at Zander then back to Bryant. “He a friend of yours?”

  “Sort of. I need to talk to him before you whisk me away or whatever you’re planning to do.” Bryant let out a groan.

  “We need to get some more information and check you over. Where does it hu
rt, sir?” Medic Two asked.

  “My fucking leg, where do you think?” He hissed.

  “Do you have any pain in your head, neck, and spine?” Medic One asked.

  “No,” Bryant said, a sharp edge to his voice.

  Medic Two palpated his skull, his neck, his torso. “Any pain here, here or here?”

  “No, no, and some. My right ribs hurt.”

  “Can you tell us what happened?” Medic One said. He’d set up a small, sturdy computer on the floor and entered data onto a screen. He looked up and waved over the ambulance drivers who stood near the entrance with their gurney.

  “I fell.” He turned toward Zander. “Get over here so I can ask you something.”

  Zander crouched at his other side, keeping out of the way of the medics.

  Effie stood back.

  Bryant looked pale and sweaty. “I know you’ve been training. Logan told me. You’ve got to take my place today, Zander. I’ve got a lot of money riding on this competition.”

  Zander scoffed. “No fucking way.”

  “Come on,” Bryant said. “I gave you my company.”

  “So, that’s the story we’re going with?” Zander sneered. “I bought it while you weren’t looking.”

  Medic Two’s hands moved down Bryant’s body. He gently palpated Bryant’s abdomen and rocked his hips. “Any pain here?”

  “No, it’s my fucking leg,” Bryant snarled. He turned to Zander. “Are you going to climb for me or not?”

  “Competition rules don’t usually allow a substitute,” Zander said, his heart racing at the thought of climbing in a competition. He lifted his gaze to Effie.

  “Do it,” she mouthed.

  “Who do you think organized this competition? I own Rock Logick,” Bryant said, a haughty smile pushing through his pain.

  Zander’s jaw slackened. “How did I not know that?”

  “I only recently bought it. Just do it. I’ll owe you.” He winced as the medic palpated his leg.

  That statement sparked Zander’s interest. But, still, he hesitated. “Fuck. I don’t know.” He looked at Effie again.

  She nodded, grinning.

  “Why do you want me to do this?” Zander said to Bryant.

  Medic One retrieved a splint from his medical kit. He began affixing it to Bryant’s leg.