The door shut behind me, alerting Rez to my presence. His chair slowly spun around to face me, his eyes darted back and forth, his face swelling red with fury when he realized Celeste wasn't with me.
"You're a fucking sorry excuse for a man, Angelo. Where the fuck is she?" he bellowed.
"Celeste is with Ari." I eked out the words, taking a step back from his reach.
"Ari? How in the hell did she get into the hands of a low-level piece of shit like Ari?"
I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. I just looked past him, at the picture hanging on the wall, wishing I was somewhere else. Anywhere else.
My silence made his dark brown eyes bulge out from his head, the vein in his neck seemed as though it could burst from underneath his skin at any moment.
Standing up from his chair, he walked around the wooden desk and leaned against it. "So she's with Ari? You had one job! One fucking job."
"I know boss, but by the time we tracked the Maserati's GPS…"
"Shut the fuck up with the excuses!"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry is not the word I would use, you piece of shit," he said, pushing himself off the desk, jamming his finger into my forehead and knocking my head back.
"I can get her, boss. I can get Ari's number and find where he's hiding her."
His fury almost made it impossible to speak, he quietly asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, boss, don't you worry, boss."
"Worry? Do you think I'm some delicate fucking flower?" he bellowed.
"No, no, no, boss." My eyes locked onto his hand, awaiting the impending beating.
He straightened out his navy blue tie and flattened out his matching fitted suit to compose himself.
Running his fingers through his finely cut hair, he said, "I want the bitch's head on a stick."
"Yes, sir." I nodded.
Rez made his way back to his chair and sat down. Shuffling some papers around his desk, he pulled a small photo out from underneath a stack. He smiled as he ran his fingers over the old tattered photo.
"Who's that, boss?" I asked, trying to make small talk.
He glared up at me. "It's fuckin' Celeste, you idiot. Who the fuck were we just talking about?"
"Forgive me, boss," I said, lowering my head.
Rez looked back down at the picture. "How dare she burn our bed, and embarrass me by leaving. I want her fuckin' dead." He shot up from his chair. "Dead!"
"Yes, boss. I'll kill her myself."
"Such a terrible turn of events. She was my favorite. I fuckin' love that woman. I treated that bitch so well."
"You treated her so good, boss."
Staring at the picture, his eyes began to shine with tears. "As a matter-of-fact, bring her back alive," he ordered.
"You want me to take some of the guys, boss?"
He casually stuffed the picture into his inside breast pocket. "Are you still fuckin' here?" He banged his hand on the desk. "Get the fuck outta here!"
"Yes, boss." I turned and wrapped my fingers around the knob.
"Angelo," he called out to me.
I glanced over my shoulder. "Yeah, boss?"
"Don't take anyone with you. That Celeste can spin a nice little tale. She'll have some poor son-of-a-bitch ready to start a war over a little tight pussy. I don't need a war right now. Not with Detective Morrison breathing down my neck."
I chuckled.
His face went red. "Did I give you fuckin' permission to laugh?"
"No, boss. Of course not," I stuttered.
"I didn't ask for your opinion, either. Get the fuck outta here!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Once again, I turned to leave, when I heard him say, "Wait, wait, wait."
"But boss, you told me to leave," I replied, still holding on to the doorknob.
"Don't you think I know what I just said?"
"Of course, boss," I replied.
"I'm Rez Torello, and I can change my muthafuckin' mind if I want to."
"Of course you can, boss," I agreed, trying to soothe the beast.
"I wanna call Ari first. You know—give him a chance to return my property."
"Of course, boss," I agreed, letting go of the door.
"Give me his number."
MY PROPERTY
ARI
I stood outside his door, wiping the blood streaming from the corner of my mouth.
That bitch hit me—over some cunt.
My phone began to vibrate in my pocket. "This better not be that mutha'…"
I paused when I saw that a private number was calling me. I clicked on the green icon, and said, "Hello?"
"Ari, please?"
"This is Ari."
"This is Rez Torello. Do you know me?"
"Yes. Yes. I…"
Rez interjected. "You have something of mine."
"No. I..."
"I don't wanna hear excuses. I want my property, and I want it now."
"I don't have her."
"So you know my property is a 'her'? I thought you didn't have her?"
"I don't."
"I don't believe your lying ass. I wanna see your face when you say that to me. Come to my office. Do you know where…" he was about to ask when I interrupted.
"Yes, I know."
That was a mistake, as interrupting only served to rile him. "Don't you ever fuckin' interrupt me again!" he yelled.
"Of course, Mr. Torello, sir."
"Twenty minutes," he said as the phone clicked off.
I looked down at my phone and then turned back to Hunter's door. I lifted my hand, ready to knock and tell him about the phone call when the pain in my jaw returned. I rubbed on the spot where he had just punched me, contemplating my next decision.
Fuck that piece of shit. He made his choice.
I turned and walked back to my car. "I'm not dying for those two bitches," I said under my breath as I jumped in the car, and peeled out of his driveway.
HUNTER
I looked out the window, watching as Ari drove away in the old '87, leaving tire marks on the pavement.
"What's going to happen?" she asked, her eyes beginning to shine with tears. "I'm sorry I brought this to your door."
She nibbled at her thumb as I looked out the window again, then walked over to her.
"Hey, I don't want you to worry," I said, rubbing her arms.
"I'm not worried for me. I'm worried for you."
"Why's that?"
"I've been ready to die for a long time. In fact, I've wanted to die for a long time. This life ain't nothing but a flash on the radar, and my flash is starting to lose its luster."
I spun her around. "Don't talk like that," I said, wrapping my arms around her tightly.
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" she asked, laying her head against my chest.
"Just by being you."
She wrapped her arms around my neck, as my eyes pored over her face; her smooth skin, seemingly untouched by the world, was the shade of the white sand just outside the house. Shifting a wisp of hair away from her face, I gazed upon a pair of lips so inviting that I struggled to resist the urge to kiss them.
In all my travels, I had never seen such magnificence wrapped in such a small frame; probably why Torello had laid claim to her. The world was a funny place. Can't always have what we want, even if it was pressed right up against me.
CELESTE
I ran my fingers through his hair, biting my bottom lip, excited about the sheer passion billowing around us. Almost forgetting about the bedlam that had ensued before I found my way to him, I pushed myself up on my toes to reach his height, and kiss him on the cheek.
He rested his hands on my waist as he leaned in to plant his lips on my welcoming neck. His five o'clock shadow bristled against my ear, tickling every nerve ending as he gently slid each side of my dress off my shoulders, letting the light material fall to the floor in a small heap around my ankles, exposing my naked body to the light of day.
I clutched the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and over his head, revealing his hard, olive-toned, physique. I pressed my bare chest against his shirtless body, shifting my hair off to one side, instinctively tilting my head in the same direction to once again invite him to graze his lips over my exposed and vulnerable neck.
When he touched me in the secret ways I always fantasized about when I read my books; he made me feel like no one else existed. I could have fallen in love with this man. Right here. Right now. But I wouldn't—or at least I shouldn't. Bringing him into my world was only going to put him in danger, and how selfish was I to do that to another human being?
Tracing his hand down the length of my back, around my waist, and finally stopping between my thighs, he caressed my moist bundle of anticipation, relieving me of any inhibitions I clung to. I stood helplessly next to the door, my body throbbing in pleasure, waiting; waiting for his next move. I wasn't used to this sort of soft foreplay. The kind of foreplay that tantalized me, as opposed to the usual, quick, roughness, which was more for Rez's pleasure than mine. But not Hunter—definitely not Hunter with me.
How do I respond to his softness?
"Hunter. We should talk about…" my words trailed off as my body took over, feeling the familiar heat wave of climax.
I readied myself for him to stop playing with me the split second before the pleasure came, but he didn't stop, and a feeling I hadn't felt in years was finally able to overtake me. I closed my eyes as the relief washed over every nerve ending, quivering as he continued to touch me. Exhaling a sweet sigh of relief, I opened my eyes and looked into his. He pulled his hand away, kissing my cheek softly, before walking toward the bedroom, glancing over his shoulder to wink at me.
I wanted him in me, and I was going to take what I knew we both wanted…just in case we didn't make it out of this alive. I heard the water from the shower flip on as I made it to the bedroom, the steam already wafting into the bedroom through the small gap between the door and the floorboards by the time I walked into the room. Even though sex was how I had survived the last few years of my life, I was so anxious; it felt as if it were my first time.
"Just do it," I muttered under my breath, getting up the courage to set my anxiety aside.
I pressed my body against the door, took a deep breath, and exhaled every inhibition I had away. The steam was so thick; I couldn't see him from the door, so I made my way to the glass door of the oversized white subway-tiled shower, where the water fell from the jets in the ceiling as if to mimic the rain. The whole scene was an oasis in the midst of the chaotic storm that was my life. I slid the door open, letting out the steam which surrounded me with a blanket of warmth. The steam cleared a bit, allowing me to see the water cascading off of Hunter's broad shoulders and down his back. I reached out my hand, laying it on his shoulder, startling him.
He glanced over his shoulder. "What took you so long?"
"Hesitation."
"You never have to hesitate with me, baby girl."
The way he called me "baby girl" sparked a visceral reaction within me, and I could no longer resist my flesh. "I want to feel you in me," I whispered.
He didn't quibble with words, making quick work of grabbing the back of my neck, pulling me quickly toward his wet skin, thrusting his tongue passionately into my mouth.
Oh, God, this man.
I pulled away. "Do you want me?" I whispered as he kissed my neck.
"Do you need to ask?" he asked, clenching a fistful of my hair.
"I wanna hear you say it."
Skillfully he caressed my soft breasts as he sunk his other hand toward the throbbing bundle of nerves between my legs, sliding in one finger, then two. Drunk with pleasure, I cradled my breasts, moaning loudly.
"I'm gonna fuck the hell outta you, baby girl. Is that what you wanna hear?" he exhaled as he continued to ravage me.
It was exactly what I wanted to hear. Pulling his fingers out, he cupped my cheeks, gently kissing my forehead, as he slid his hand past my face and rested it on my hip. Slowly, he fell to his knees, the water still cascading off both of our naked bodies. His fingers separated my smooth lips; sliding his soft tongue over my clit in such a way that let me know it wasn't his first time pleasing a woman in this manner.
My body quivered, enraptured by his skillful tongue and roaming hands. Palming the back of his head with both hands, I pulled him closer, unable to formulate a coherent thought. Cradling my hips in his arms, he lifted me as he stood, slowly sliding me down onto his hard cock.
The first pass was so tight; you would have thought me a virgin, and a virgin I was not. Dare I say; he was much bigger than Rez? Much. Much. Bigger.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist as he rutted into me like an animal in heat. I had never been so turned on in my life, and my body let him know it, clenching my tight walls around his thick cock.
"Fuck, you're so wet," he said.
His words sent me spiraling. I clamped down even tighter, engulfing him in his entirety, as my breasts bounced against his cheeks; enticing him to have a taste.
Tracing my nipple with his tongue, he took the whole thing into his mouth, suckling on it, coaxing a moan to escape from deep in my throat.
I wanted to rip him apart with my teeth. He couldn't give me what I wanted fast enough, and I was growing impatient. Desperate even.
"Fuck me!" I demanded, raking my fingernails across his back, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
He growled as he spun around, pressing my back up against the cold white tiles as he thrust into me. My mind raced, as every nerve ending ached for his touch.
"Tell me you want me," I exhaled.
"How could I not want you?" he asked in between breaths.
HUNTER
The sight of her took my breath away. Hooking my arms under her thighs, I spread her legs apart, ravaging her the way God himself intended. My kisses trailed over her neck with all the tenderness I had ever shown a woman.
Could she be the one?
Such a thought had never crossed my mind, and even though it scared me a bit, I didn't let it detour me. Letting her feet touch the floor, I pulled myself out of her and spun her around, pressing my body to hers, pinning her breasts to the wall. Lining up my dick with her slick pussy, my left hand clutched onto the back of her neck, holding her in place. I slammed into her over and over, unable to get enough. She gasped at the intensity in which I forced myself into her tightness.
"Shhh…just take it," I whispered, kissing her neck.
Her body quivered as I mastered our rhythm. A deep exhale spilled from her gaped mouth, her body stiffened for a moment then relaxed as her pussy tightened around my dick.
"Yes!" she screamed.
Seeing her cum, made my dick rock hard. Securing her shoulders under my palms, I fucked her recklessly, spilling waves of hot cum into her. The world, Ari, and Torello, all melted away around us as I kissed the back of her neck.
I think I love her.
Never had I thought of uttering the word love to a woman, but I wanted to tell her. I wanted her to know. The feeling was a new one, but I welcomed it wholeheartedly. She was special; she was who I had longed for all my life but never knew. Slowly she turned around, wrapping her arms around my neck, pressing her lips to mine.
We stood there, letting the water run over us for a while longer, not wanting to leave the space we had created. I knew she felt the magic that was stirring inside me, and I wasn't the only one falling in love with a complete stranger. I closed my eyes, cupping my palms against her cheeks, sweeping my thumbs over her bottom lip.
My mind mapped out every feature as my hand advanced over her beating heart, which beat just as quickly as mine. At that moment, I considered myself content; having everything I needed standing right in front of me. The man I was yesterday would have never called her again, but the man I was right now—with her—was content to feel her heartbeat for today and every day after.
I was not
hing without her, and I didn't know if I would ever see her again. We lingered in the shower for a while; locked in each other's embrace, clinging to the last few hours we had before she would need to leave California.
I didn't want her to leave, but I also couldn't protect her twenty-four hours a day. I couldn't ask her to make that sacrifice for a man she had only known for a day.
Or could I?
ARI
Across town…
I drove up to the restaurant that served as the front for Torello's office. My stomach began to churn, realizing if I pissed him off I might not make it back to the car. I shook my head and rubbed my face vigorously, trying to spur a release of adrenaline to get up the courage to walk in.
Stepping out of the car, I took in one deep breath of the warm California air, and walked toward the front of the restaurant guarded by two large men, dressed in black pin-striped suits and gold ties.
As I tried to pass them, one guard held out his hand, pressing it against my chest to keep me from walking any further.
"What's your business here?" he asked.
"Torello. Mr. Torello called me to come in."
Angelo walked out and swiped the guard's hand away from my chest. "Ari," he said with a big smile on his face.
"Angelo, I didn't know you would be here," I said sheepishly.
"Where else would I be?" Angelo said, laying his arm across my shoulders, walking me into the restaurant.
"Is Torello mad?"
He nodded, sticking his lips out like a duck. "You could say that. Mad might not be the best word. I'm sure we could find other words…if we were smarter that is," he said, chuckling, slapping his hand against my shoulder.
I smiled, but only to appease him. What he was saying scared the hell out of me, and I wanted to run back to Hunter. We made it to the door in the very back, where Angelo knocked a few times.
Teach Me: A Bad Boy Professor Romance (The Me Series Book 1) Page 15
