by Diana Nixon
“So, what’s her name?” she asked, ordering a shot of tequila for herself.
The Wolf had been our favorite bar for years. Its owner, Kam Karley was one of my permanent customers.
“What makes you think it has anything to do with a girl?”
“Because, the last time you had the same vinegar face you were trying to deal with the aftermath of a breakup with Kassie.”
“Yeah, well, the story kind of repeated, and it sucks.”
“What are you talking about? You haven’t seen each other for how long… two years?”
“She was badly injured in the café explosion. Heard about it?”
“Oh, shit. Poor thing. How is she, now?”
“Better, though I can’t say the same about myself.”
“I’ve already figured out that much. I thought you were with Mandy, now.”
“Marcy, but no; she broke up with me, too.”
“Ouch. Do you ever remember that women were not created for sex, only?”
“It’s not about it. It’s just-”
“Oh, I see.” Jersey smiled leisurely with that all-knowing look that I always wanted to kill her for. “You still love Kas.”
I didn’t say anything in response. I emptied my glass of whiskey and ordered one more drink, a double this time.
“I don’t think drinking will help you, Cutie.”
“What do you suggest?”
“How about taking a vacation?”
“Are you kidding me? You know I can’t live without work.”
“That’s exactly why you need a vacation. Go somewhere you’ve never been before. New surroundings always help.”
I sighed. “Not in my case. Changes are killing me.”
“You are a glutton for punishment, Daniel. Work will finish you off sooner than the endless rows of chicks trying to tear your pants the hell off of you. Don’t let this never-ending battle with yourself fuck up your life. Unlike me, you have a whole eternity to live.”
I chuckled. “I didn’t know you were going to turn your toes up.”
“Not gonna happen, any time soon. But, still-” She patted my shoulder. “You are a young, damn good-looking bastard. Any girl would be happy to wake up in your bed.”
“Even you?”
“Shut up, Sonny. I’m too experienced for you.” Jersey smirked, smacking the back of my neck. “All I’m saying is that your Kassie isn’t the last girl on the planet. Look around, even in this pokey hole of a place, you’ll be able to find no less than ten chicks ready to leave this bar with you.”
“That’s the problem, Jer. I want only her.”
She shook her head, smiling slightly. “Then, what the hell are you doing here? Why don’t you go to her and say that aloud?”
“She already knows that.”
“And?”
“And, she still thinks that being with me is a disaster.”
“Does she know how hot and mind-blowing that disaster can be?”
I laughed quietly. “She doesn’t care about that.”
“Oh, if only I were not a bag of old bones. I would gladly take my chances with you.” Jersey kissed me on the cheek, and added quietly, “Maybe you haven’t made yourself clear about how much you want her pretty face to be the first thing you see in the morning.”
I rolled my eyes. I knew that if I tried to see her again, Kassie would slap me in the face and never talk to me again.
“I tried my best,” I said, rising to me feet.
“Then, you need to try better than your best.”
***
After a very encouraging conversation with Jersey, I changed my mind about giving up. It was too soon to let my dreams die. The only thing I didn’t know was that my plans would go to hell in a hand basket.
It was the day of the auction. I was a little nervous about the event. First, because it brought so many memories about Adrian to my head, and second, because I was going to see Kassie. To my surprise, she didn’t come alone, but in company of Matthew Robinson. My life obviously liked shooting me in the ass.
“What the hell is he doing here?” I didn’t even try to hide my anger. My fists clenched and my voice trailed off. Only the number of people around me stopped me from striking The Doctor in the face.
“Good to see you too, Daniel,” Kassie said, smiling at me. “As for your question, this auction is a public event and Matthew is my guest. Now, would you excuse us?” She took the jerk by the hand and led him to the seats.
“You should be happy for her,” Emily said, coming up to me.
“No, shit?”
“Don’t be rude, Bro. We both know that you two will never be together again.”
I stared at my sister in disbelief. “Who said that?”
“Your fate.”
“Well, too bad the bitch doesn’t know how persistent I am,” I snapped, heading for the seats that Kassie and I were supposed to take. Thank God, her guest was no longer near.
I stopped behind her and leaned closer to her ear, saying, “I bet your precious doctor doesn’t know about our kiss.”
“Jeez, Daniel, you scared me!”
“Great dress, by the way. It has always been my favorite,” I whispered. “Too bad you don’t remember the day we bought it. I hope no one heard the noise coming from the fitting-room. You were so impatient.”
Kassie’s cheeks flushed. “Stop it!”
“What? You want your memories back, don’t you?” I smirked, taking a seat next to her.
“Now you’re going to try my patience, right?”
“Oh, yes, Sunshine, and I will enjoy every second of it.”
“You are impossible,” she said, shaking her head.
My eyes travelled around the rest of the seats and stopped at Matthew. “He seems to be a little nervous to be so far away from you now. Couldn’t you find a better seat for him?”
Kassie’s gaze followed mine and she smiled pleasantly at her guest. “He didn’t want to sit in the first row.”
“Who would have thought that modesty was on the dick’s best qualities list?”
“Why do you hate him, anyway?” Finally, Kassie’s attention focused on me.
“Because he’s after something that belongs to me,” I replied without hesitation.
Kassie laughed quietly in response. “You give yourself too much credit, Daniel. I don’t belong to anyone.”
“You do; you just need more time to remember that.”
“Why don’t you go to hell?”
“Only if we go there together,” I smiled, caressing Kassie’s arm with my fingertips.
“Ladies and gentlemen, attention please!” The auction was about to begin, and I had to leave the rest of my little game for later. “Let’s welcome Ms. Kassie Benson and Mr. Daniel Farrell, the organizers of this charity auction, who kindly agreed to give the sale’s proceeds to one of Brooklyn’s orphanages.”
Kassie and I rose to the sound of applause. As if unintentionally, I put one arm around her waist, shortening the distance between us to a minimum. Matthew’s expression darkened at my move.
“You are going to pay for this,” Kassie said, still smiling at the guests.
“Can’t wait,” I replied, tightening the embrace.
Kassie was given the floor and I couldn’t help but admit that her choice of an outfit was perfect for the occasion. I didn’t lie about the dress, I remembered it, very clearly.
It was made of black silk that flowed down to her feet in a cascade of soft lines, glistening in the light. There was a ribbon on one shoulder that I remembered loosening to kiss the newly exposed part of her skin. My lower body shrank at the thought. Damn it…
I crossed my arms and looked back at Kassie. Her eyes met mine and for a splitting moment, neither of us could look away. Then she blinked, and continued her speech. I missed it, thinking instead about the things that couldn’t be found at any auction. I wanted them back; all of them, starting from her luscious lips to the most sensitive parts of her bo
dy that I couldn’t imagine being touched by anyone but me.
After the auction was over, I found my sister and asked her to give Kassie a small present: the very bracelet she received from Adrian. It was his last gift to her, and I knew she never wanted to sell it, as well as I knew she would never take it from me.
“You are playing with fire, Daniel,” Emily said, watching Kassie and Matthew leaving the hall. “Do you still hope that after her memories are back she will want to be with you?”
“I can’t be sure about anything, Sis. But we all know that fortune favors the daring.”
“You put too much at stake, Dan. Don’t let it become the biggest mistake of your life.”
“I won’t,” I said, knowing that Emily wished me nothing but happiness. “This time, I won’t lose.”
“Amen.” She smiled and kissed me on the cheek.
Chapter 14
I don’t know what pushed me to see Kassie that night. Somehow, the image of her wearing that damn dress didn’t want to let me go. I loosened my tie and took it off, dropping it in the passenger seat. I hated my tux, though taking if off too wasn’t an option. I sure as hell didn’t want to catch cold.
Instinctively, my palm reached for the chain on my neck. It was Kassie’s gift, even though she didn’t remember it. The words written on the square medallion were the following: Wherever you are, my heart will find you.
I read the inscription and sighed, throwing my head back against the seat. If only she knew how much I needed her now.
That was the last thought to cross my mind before I started the engine and headed for her house. I didn’t know what to say, or what to expect from her. But I surely didn’t expect to see him, kissing her at the stairs.
My grip on the wheel tightened. Regaining my composure was never my strongest quality. I stormed out of the car, intending to do my best in showing the fucking bastard where his place was.
“Sorry for interrupting,” I said in a cold voice, hoping my murderous stare would add everything that I didn’t want to say aloud.
“Daniel?” Kassie took a step back and looked uneasily at me. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” I replied, drilling Matthew with my eyes. His only reaction to the situation was a slight smile that I badly wanted to beat off his smartass face. If he thought he could break my patience so easily, he was so wrong about me. “You may go now, Dr. Robinson,” I said, moving closer to Kassie. “She and I have a few things to discuss.”
“No, we don’t!”
“Yes, we do!” I opened the doors and motioned for her go inside.
“Sweet dreams,” I turned to smile at my opponent. He set his face like a flint. Serves you right.
“Who do you think you are?” Kassie shouted, dropping her purse and keys on a small table in her living room.
“I thought you were going to thank me for saving you from your unfortunate date,” I said, heading for the bar. I needed a drink, and after what I had to witness a few minutes ago, I was sure one drink wouldn’t be enough to make the stupid image leave my mind.
“Why do you keep stalking me, Daniel?”
“Good question,” I muttered, looking out of the window. I liked the view opening to the night city. It was so calming.
“We can’t do this anymore. The fact that we used to date doesn’t give you a right to make decisions for me!”
“Really?” I turned around and saw Kassie’s furious look. For a second, I was mesmerized by its intensity. All I wanted now was to draw her lips to mine and kiss her doubts away.
“You never told me why you hate Matthew so much. What’s your problem, Daniel?”
“You. You are my problem Kassie. When I saw the two of you kissing, I reacted. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands, and I would gladly do that if you let me.”
“You are out of your mind, do you know that? You said you initiated our breakup, so what do you want now?”
“The answer to that question is the same as to the previous one: I. Want. You.”
“Oh, I see.” Kassie laughed sarcastically. “You want to sleep with me, right? To claim what used to belong to you, even though it’s no longer yours? You are one selfish pig, Daniel!”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“I bet.”
I inhaled deeply, trying to find the right words to say next.
“Kas, listen… I’m sorry.” My words hung in the air and neither of us moved or spoke. We were simply staring at each other, as if we were strangers. I could almost feel the cold radiating from Kassie’s eyes. I didn’t know what to do to make them look at me with the love I used to see there years ago.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, taking a step closer.
“What exactly are you apologizing for?”
“For everything.”
“And you think those words are enough to overshadow the amount of tears I cried because of you? One thing I know for sure, Daniel: no matter how much I can’t remember, it’s not the first time that I want to kill you.”
“Do it.”
“What?”
“Do it now, and I will never bother you, again.”
“Are you high again, or something?”
Kassie turned away from me, but before she would take another step, I caught her by the hand and pulled her close.
“Let me go.”
“Look at me, Kas.” I put my palm under her chin, making our eyes meet. “Is that what you really want? Do you want me to let you go? Do you want to be with someone you hardly know? With someone who will never respect you?”
“What makes you think that Matthew doesn’t respect me?”
“Because if he did, he would never use you to get on my nerves.”
“He’s not using me.” Kassie tried to break free of my grasp, but I put one arm around her waist and pulled her to my chest, feeling the wild beating of my heart that I always failed to control. The damn thing was a traitor.
“Yes, he is. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I recognized the look on his face. After you kissed him, he looked like a conqueror. Because you gave up so fast. I don’t even know what would happen if I hadn’t stopped you.”
“So, you think I’m an easy target? You think one kiss is enough to drag me into his bed?”
“No, I don’t think so. But I know men like Matthew.”
“Really? Because you are one of them, too? A gorgeous heart breaker, making girls swoon with a sexy wink?”
“Hmm.” I smiled, pleased to hear the words. “So you think I’m a gorgeous heart-breaker?”
“God, even now you look like a sly fox.”
“A madly in love sly fox,” I said, as my eyes slipped to her inviting lips.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said almost in a whisper.
“I can’t help myself,” I said, tightening the embrace. It was like walking on the edge: one move and you will sink into the fiery ocean, with no way back. “How I wish you remembered how good it was to be together.” I ran my palm up her arm and stopped at the ribbon that I was dying to undo. Then, I leaned forward and brushed her cheek with my lips, feeling her grip on my waist tightening. “Stop fighting yourself,” I said in a whisper. We never knew how to resist the attraction pulling us to each other.
Trailing small kisses down her neck, I took my time loosening the ribbon, as if I were unpacking a long-expected gift.
The scent of her skin was so intoxicating; I couldn’t help letting my lips work their way over her shoulder and collarbone.
“Daniel, wait,” Kassie said, as she put her palms on my chest. As if that ever stopped me. “We shouldn’t do this. This is not right.”
“Says who?” I asked, slowly unzipping her dress. My eyes never left hers. “We both want it, so why not to give in to the temptation?”
“How can I be sure that you won’t use me just to satisfy your hunger?”
“You’ve always been the only woman able to satisfy me. It will never
change.”
“Which doesn’t make me feel any better. If you think you will be allowed to come here whenever you want to play, I will disappoint you. Not going to happen.”
I smirked at her choice of words. “You always liked playing with me.”
She hesitated for a moment, and then she slowly wrapped her arms around my neck. She leaned forward, brushing my lips with her breath. “You still have a chance to leave,” she said; her fingers tangling in my hair.
My body hurt at the thought of leaving her. “Too late,” I whispered, covering her lips with mine.
Kassie and I had always been too impatient and quick-tempered. Most of our talks ended up in a fight, but this, this had always been our personal heaven. Nothing else mattered when our lips and bodies became one.
The moment our lips locked, I was overtaken by the familiar thrill shattering my body. Our tongues mingled, turning the kiss into an unspoken challenge. I loved the way she led it, and maybe I would let her do anything she wanted if it wasn’t for my own desires staying unsatisfied for too long.
She bit my lower lip slightly, making me moan into her mouth. “I promised a revenge for your bad behavior at the auction, remember?” she said, taking off my tux. The corners of her lips twisted in a damn sexy half smile.
“Remember what I said in response? Can’t wait.”
Our lips met again, and I realized that kissing was no longer enough. I swept her in my arms and carried her to the bedroom, anticipating whatever was coming next.
“I think we don’t need this anymore,” I said, removing the dress that covered her smooth skin. My palms slid down her perfect curves until there was nothing but two pieces of lacy lingerie and thigh-highs standing in my way. God help me, the view was simply breathtaking.
Kneeling, I caressed her hips and pulled her closer to place kisses across her panties, belly and waist. Her hold on my shoulders tightened; a soft groan escaping her throat - it was like beautiful music to my ears. I wanted to explore every inch of her, every small part of her body and skin that I missed so much.
I sat on the edge of her bed; she looked down at me saying, “I don’t want to forget this moment, ever.”
