by Tia Siren
When she finally did call me, asking me to let her in, I was livid.
I could tell straight away that she had been drinking. It most likely wasn’t in excess, but there were traces of it on her breath. She also stumbled slightly as she entered my apartment, just enough to indicate that she was a few drinks deep.
“Sorry, I’m a little late,” she said as she entered, leaning up and kissing me on the cheek.
I hesitated, wondering whether it was worth pointing out that an hour wasn’t a little. But I decided against it. She knew how late she was. She was clearly just trying to pass it off as not that big of a deal.
“Where were you?” I asked in a steely tone. I didn’t want to be, but I was furious with her. And not just because she was late, but because she was acting as if it were no big deal. As if leaving me waiting was the smallest atrocity in the world to commit.
“Drinks. With co-workers–oh. Is that for me?” She spotted the two glasses of champagne on the dining room table and strolled across the room to pick one up.
As angry as I was, she still looked insanely hot. She wore stiletto heels, most likely the ones from work. And she also wore the same black pencil skirt from work, although she paired it with a tucked in white blouse, rather than the corset. Her curves were on display, and I hated the fact that I wasn’t the only one who got to enjoy them that night.
“By co-workers, you mean Brody,” I said, my voice bitter. The moment she said she’d gone out for drinks, my mind went to Brody. The kid. I couldn’t help it, but I knew that he was there. And I knew that he would have spent the night flirting with her.
“Amongst other people,” she said in an offhand manner as she picked up her drink.
“So, it wasn’t just the two of you?” I asked, trying to control my temper. I had to remind myself that she was here, now. Even if she’d gone out for drinks, she had left them to be with me. But even still, I struggled to control myself.
“No. Not even for a minute.” If she was lying, she was doing a good job of hiding it. She took her drink in one mouthful, swallowing it with a smile on her face. Once it was done, she strutted across the room toward me, shaking her hips as she did. “So, what now?”
Reaching me, she stopped but a foot away. Biting her lip, she looked into my eyes. Despite my rage. Despite my anger. Despite how sure I was that I wasn’t getting the full story, there was only one thing on my mind. There was only one thing that I could think of doing in that moment.
Chapter 16
Kendra
He was mad at me. That was obvious. From the moment that I entered his apartment, I could sense it. It was like a cold breeze settling over the room. It seemed to pour from him and emanate from his words. But at the same time, I could still feel the heat. Even as he fumed, I could tell that he wanted me. I could feel his eyes on me as I turned my back to him. I could feel the effect I had on him.
It must have been the alcohol. I wasn’t drunk, but I was definitely tipsy. Usually, his animosity would have me begging for forgiveness, cowering to his whims. But in that moment, I felt incredibly powerful. I knew he wanted me, and I was going to make him work for it.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” I pouted, batting my eyelashes as I bit down on my lip. I was less than a foot away from him, just close enough that I could feel the kinetic energy coming off the two of us. “I guess I just lost track of time.”
What I told him was the truth. I was just having drinks with the people from work. I was having such a good time that I lost track of the time. And, if I was being perfectly honest, the bar we had chosen featured a very sexy waiter who wasn’t subtle in his flirting with me. I would have never done anything, of course, but it felt good to be wanted. That was probably a large reason for my feelings of self-confidence as I toyed with Grant.
“Lost track? I was here for an hour, waiting. Do you know what that means?” I could feel the rage teetering on the edge of his words. I knew exactly what was coming.
“No,” I lied. The whole time I held his stare. I loved looking into his eyes. They were so deep and mesmerizing. I could have gotten lost in them, had he let me.
“It means that you’re going to have to be punished.”
“Good.”
Without another word, I turned and made my way up the stairs toward the bedroom. I could tell that I had caught him off guard. It took him a few moments to follow me. But follow me, he did. Of course, he did.
I waited by his bedside, facing the stairs as he came up them. When he spotted me waiting, he smiled a triumphant smile, making straight for me as his hands reached for his belt.
“Actually,” I said, holding my hand up to stop him. “Rather than punish me. I think that I should just show you how sorry I am.”
“What do you mean?”
My only response was a knowing smile. At first, anyway. I had been bad to him in high school. I knew that. I had hurt him more than I had ever meant to. I wanted to make it up to him. I wanted to prove to him that I had changed. I wanted to say that I was sorry. So I did. Only not in so many words.
Walking up to him, I wrapped my hand around the back of his head, running my fingers through his hair before pulling his face into mine. Our lips touched, and I could feel the pent-up passion and lust erupt between the two of us.
As we kissed, I moved my hands to his shirt. He wore a plain white t-shirt. I ran my fingers to its base and lifted it over his head. As it came off, my hands instantly went to his body, stroking it with the tips of my fingers. God, his body was incredible. Never mind the six-pack. Never mind the barrel chest or boulder shoulders. It was the little things. It was the tuft of hair on his pecs. It was the scar running across his hips. It was the way his abdomen seemed to come to a triangle and point down toward his crotch.
As we continued to kiss, my hands found his belt. I unbuckled that and dropped his pants down around his ankles. His hands went to my blouse, and I grabbed them, putting them back down by his side. Tonight was going to be about him. Tonight was my apology.
With some effort, I pulled my lips from his, and as I did, I pushed him onto the bed so he fell backward.
“Stay there,” I commanded. He didn’t argue. He could see there was no point. Instead, he enjoyed the show as I undid my blouse and took off my bra, exposing my swollen breasts. Even without touching me, he had managed to make my nipples so hard. I then undid my pencil skirt, dropping it to my feet. My black panties slid to my knees and then to the floor, so all I had on were my stilettos. But they were staying on.
He crawled backward, up the bed, and I climbed onto it, following him. But I didn’t go the whole way up. I stopped as my head reached his stomach. Soft kisses, one by one, trailed themselves down his belly and toward his crotch. I could see his hard length, begging to be released from its cage. So, I obliged.
His huge cock sprung forth, sticking up in the air as if it saluted me. It was even bigger than I remembered, nearly the length of my head. It seemed to quiver as it waited for me. I wrapped my hand around it, squeezing it at the base. Grant let out a long groan as I did, so I squeezed again.
Then, without making him wait, I moved up and took him in my mouth. All of him. I had never been able to before, but somehow, I swallowed all of him in one go. His hard cock slid down my throat, and saliva dripped from my mouth. I pulled my mouth from it, only to swallow again. And as I did this, my hands worked his balls, cupping and squeezing them. Each time I did, he let out another groan. It was music to me. It was him telling me that he accepted my apology. That I was his, and he was mine.
But I wasn’t done yet.
After a few more minutes of sucking and licking his gigantic cock, I got to my knees and climbed on top. There, in his room, on his bed, I straddled him. I used my hand to guide his cock inside of me. It pressed up against my lips at first as I struggled to take the whole thing. But as I spread my legs, easing my way down, my soaking wet pussy finally accepted it.
I took in a deep breath, my knees s
haking as every inch of him worked its way inside of me. Only when I had all of him in me, all the way to the base, did I start to work him. Back and forth, I ground over him. My ass bounced up and down, and I bent forward, shoving my breasts in his face. Up and down. Back and forth. He slapped my ass and sucked my tits.
Up and down.
Back and forth.
He wrapped his hands around my backside, guiding me. He threw his head back, moaning each time I moved. I squeezed my lips together, sucking him into me. As I did, I felt it coming. In both of us. As the fire began to spread throughout my body, his legs shook. His entire body shivered, as if he were cold, although there was no way that was the case. His breathing quickened, and his hard cock pulsated inside of me.
My own body began to shake, too, and that sensation worked its way through my own body. Grant groaned and thrust harder. He moved to his own rhythm, all the while, grinding me as hard as he could.
And then, in perfect harmony, the two of us came at the same time. I threw my head back and screamed. He did the same. I basked in the feeling of him exploding inside of me, as his warm seed filled me up. I delighted in how in sync the two of us were throughout the entire experience. I was sure he heard my apology, loud and clear.
It was only after I was done, and after I had managed to clean myself, that I lay down beside him, snuggling myself into his arms. And for that moment, everything seemed perfect. The two of us were in love. I was sure of it. We had overcome our differences and moved past our history. Nothing was going to come between us. Or so I thought.
“So, you can tell me now,” Grant began in a casual manner. “It was just you and Brody tonight, wasn’t it?”
“What?” I asked, sure I hadn’t heard him correctly. I hadn’t been paying full attention, so when he spoke, I only half heard. And from what I heard, I hoped was mistaken.
“Your drinks tonight? Was it just you and Brody? There was no one else. It’s okay. You can tell me.”
I sat up straight and turned to face him. He didn’t look mad, which was a relief, but I could sense his rage was on the precipice. If I said one wrong thing, I was sure to send him hurtling over the edge.
“Like I said. It was drinks with co-workers.”
“Okay,” he said, seeming to agree. He nodded his head to himself as he sat up, too. “So, I guess I didn’t see Selena tonight at Hot Damn? I suppose I imagined that?” His voice had risen, but only slightly.
“What? Yes, she was with us, but she left early.” It was the truth. There was no need to lie. Or so I thought.
“Liar!” he suddenly exploded. “I know it was just you and Brody. I know the reason that you were late was because you were with him, loving the way he looks at you. Talks to you. Loving how much he wants to fuck you.”
“What. No! That’s not—”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying,” I screamed back, climbing from the bed. I held the bed sheet over my body as I stood over him. “Even after Selena left, there were others there. I was never alone with him. Not for one second.”
His nostrils flared as he looked me up and down. But as he did, I was relieved to see that he was calming down. And for a moment there, I thought that maybe he was going to believe me. But, despite the fact that his anger had faded, his conviction had not.
“I don’t believe you. I don’t. And I don’t know if I can ever believe you.”
And there it was. That wound that I thought I had managed to close up was still there. Despite all I had done and all I had said, he still harbored resentment for what I had done so many years ago. No matter what, he was never going to trust me.
“So, what now?”
Chapter 17
Three weeks later
Grant
It had been three weeks since I had seen or spoken a single word to Kendra. Three long weeks. Every time I thought about calling her or even going to the store, I stopped myself. Every time I thought about how much I wanted her, I had to remind myself of what that meant.
What it meant was pain and misery.
That night, when she laid me on my back and subjected me to one of the most intense sexual experiences of my life, was nothing short of magical. It should have been the beginning of something beautiful and romantic. It should have been the first in what was sure to be many amazing experiences. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought of her heaving breasts in my mouth or her wet pussy wrapped around my cock. And every time I did, I had to ask myself if I had made the right decision.
But I was sure that I had. I just couldn’t trust her. It was as simple as that. I knew that she was lying about Brody. I just knew it. And the worst part was that she wouldn’t admit it. Why didn’t she just say that the two of them had drinks? Instead, she chose to lie, and I was forced to ask myself why she lied. There must have been something going on.
It was too painful to think about. It was high school all over again. She used me, got what she wanted, and then left me for another man. Well, I wasn’t going to let that happen again.
But after three weeks, the time had come for me to see her again. I couldn’t avoid her forever. I had made a habit of only going to or calling the store on days I knew that she wasn’t working. And that was fine. But this time I needed to see her specifically. This time I had a job that only she could do.
--
The store was busy when I entered it. In fact, it had been non-stop since it opened. Every week it seemed to get busier. On top of that, customer reviews were stellar, and Jack had even begun making plans for his own club as a tie-in to Luscious. Not that I needed the money, but the income from this store alone was enough to keep me in the green.
The first thing I saw when I entered was Brody. God damn, that kid made my blood boil. Even if it wasn’t for Kendra, there was just something about him that made me mad. Nobody else seemed to notice it, and that bothered me, too. As I watched him, he laughed and joked with a customer. His personal reviews and numbers were excellent. I harbored a deep-seated desire to fire him, but I couldn’t until he made a mistake. It was just a matter of time.
“What are you doing here?” It was Kendra. I hadn’t even seen her coming.
She looked good. Like, more than good. Sure, she wore the same outfit that she always did, but it had been so long since I had seen it that I was caught off guard. Which I didn’t like.
“It’s my store. I didn’t know I needed permission to be here.” I lashed out in an attempt to regain my footing. It clearly worked. She put her hands on her hips and let out a deep sigh.
“Look, if you’re just here to annoy me or abuse me, can you be quick about it? The place is slammed, and I really can’t be held up talking to the likes of you.”
Her defensive stance and prickly demeanor indicated that something was wrong. She looked frazzled and worn out, and her skin tone looked a little washed out. Maybe not talking to each other had bothered her as much as it bothered me. For some sick reason, that made me happy. Not that she was in pain, but that I wasn’t the only one suffering.
“Watch it,” I warned. As much as I enjoyed it when she tried to act tough, there was a time and a place.
“Or what? I’ve got a store to run, so if you don’t mind.” In a huff, she turned around and stormed off the floor and into the store room. I hadn’t noticed at first, but a few of the customers nearest us had been watching. Clearly, we were a little louder than I had realized.
I followed her, biting my tongue and trying to keep my cool. I ignored the way the customers, and even Brody and Selena, stared.
Kendra was in the very back of the storeroom, pretending to pack boxes. Spotting her, I charged right up to her, grabbed the box she packed, and pulled it away. “If you want to be mad at me, fine. But keep it off the floor and out of my business. Understand?”
“Me? You’re the one that came here looking for a fight.” She yelled back. “And if you want to fire me, go ahead. Just don’t think you can dangle this job over my head like s
ome sort of carrot. I’d rather be on the street than your pet bunny.”
“Don’t tempt me,” I warned. Normally, I never would consider firing her, but with the rage filling me, I might have done it out of spite.
“Well,” she began, biting her tongue as she looked around the storeroom. Anywhere but at me really. I got the sense that she had gone a little too far with her threat and had no desire to be fired. “Well, if you didn’t come here to fire me, then what did you come here for?”
I found her sudden backpedaling alluring. It was sick, and I knew it, but that was how I felt. What I hated the most about that night we had sex and she lied to me was how weak it made me feel. When it was all said and done, that was the main problem. I felt like I had zero power in the relationship, and she had all of it. Seeing her now, near begging me to not fire her, was a turn on.
“I came here with a work proposition for you. But, seeing as you had your heart set on being fired, I guess I could offer it to Selena instead?” I turned to go, delighting in the way that she suddenly caught my arm to stop me.
“No, wait! What is it you were going to ask? I am the manager after all. It should be me who hears it first.”
I smiled, making sure that she took note of it. “It’s a business trip. This Friday, I have to go to a product launch. It’s out of town, and I need someone to come along with me to help sell the items. I figured that someone with your specific skill set would be perfect.” I let my eyes work their way up and down her body, ensuring that she knew exactly what I was talking about.
“Out of town?”
“You would be paid for it, of course. Consider it a business trip.”
“And you’re asking me because—”
