by Ryan Michele
I knew I couldn’t. We were at a party at one of his friend’s houses. No way would I let anyone see me like this.
I got control of myself as he pushed in and out of me, the pain not leaving. If anything, it became more intense. I kept my eyes closed, hoping the pain would subside.
“God, you’re so fucking good. Most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
Tears welled up, both from the hurt and from his words.
“This feels so damn right. So damn perfect.”
Unfortunately, I wanted it to be over so the pain would stop. Either Cade didn’t notice I hurt, or he didn’t care. I hoped for the first, but I wouldn’t stop him. No, I had wanted this for too long.
After several more drags in and out of my body, Cade stopped while I continued to fight back the tears. His face fell into the curve of my neck between my ear and shoulder. He glided his nose across the sensitive skin as his breath came down hot, tingling all over. I could feel his breaths deepen as if he were breathing me in. He gave me a soft kiss there before he rose, his eyes on mine.
“You okay?” His concern relieved me, but I didn’t want to sound like a naive idiot.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I lied, just wanting him to get off me so I could go to the bathroom. Surely, there was more to this sex thing than just this. Right?
I didn’t get a chance to find out with Cade, because after that one night, after he held me for hours, whispering stupid shit I never should have fallen for, he left. He hadn’t left school or life. No, he left me. I was a ghost to him. Not even in existence. He looked right through me. I turned out to be nothing.
The burn from the moment hit me hard. Some things in life you didn’t get over. They shaped you into the person you were today. That was one of those moments for me. The moment I swore I would never let any man get in my head again. Including now.
Head in the game, Trix.
“Listen Ca—I mean, Spook. I just need Nanette. Then I’m out of your hair.” I moved to the side of the room as he went to the front of his desk, leaning his ass on it and crossing his arms and ankles. An air of confidence beamed off of him. I had to admit, the appeal wasn’t lost on me. He was hot, the dangerous, live-on-the-wild-side kind of hot. His legs were so damn long, his muscles flexed under the worn jeans. I felt the heat in my body rise.
His eyes bore into me with a wicked promise gleaming inside of them. His promises meant nothing to me, though. They were only words where he was concerned.
“This Nanette, you say she works for you?”
“Yeah, at Sirens. She dances and is a waitress.”
His brow quirked, and a slow, easy smile came across his lips. “You own Sirens?”
He said the words like he didn’t believe me, and it caused my hackles to rear up.
“Yes, I’ve owned it for five years.”
I built Sirens from the ground up, working my ever-loving ass off to make it a success. My father taught me a lot about business, and I took all of that knowledge and turned it into something I loved. I proved to myself that I could do it. Sirens was mine through and through, and it was also the only reason I’d put myself through the aggravation of seeing Cade again.
“Well, isn’t that something?”
My temper rose at his condescending tone. “What the fuck does that mean?”
He held up his hands, palms out. “Put in the claws, wildcat.”
I would do no such thing while he talked about my business. I refused to take any shit from anyone about it.
“It just surprises me,” he finished.
I crossed my arms over my chest, mimicking Cade. His eyes flickered to my now exposed cleavage, and another smile creeped on his lips. I rolled with it, tapping my foot in angry bitch pose.
“And why would that be?” I snapped.
While he stroked the whiskers on his face, my mind instantly wondered what they felt like. Were they rough or soft? Would they leave a burn in their wake?
I stopped tapping my foot as I got lost in the thought.
“Back in the day, you were so innocent, so mild mannered.”
Oh, hell no.
All thoughts of his beard flew out the window. “We are not talking about the past, Cade. I want Nanette, and then I’m gone.”
He lowered his voice. “Trixie, I’ve been in that pussy of yours. Let’s not pretend I haven’t.”
I rolled my eyes and looked up to the ceiling, hoping for patience. When it didn’t come, I aimed my glare at him. “You were in it once. One time. Don’t mistake that for knowing anything about me now.” Then I felt the urge to be a bit catty. “You better remember that taste, because that shit won’t ever happen again.”
“Didn’t know I was offering,” he said as a comeback, pissing me off. He’d always been good at comebacks. Damn him.
I let out an exhausted breath and released my arms to let them hang at my sides. “Can I just get Nanette so this shit can be done, and I’ll be gone?” None of this was getting me anywhere, and I had already been here much longer than I cared to be.
He uncrossed his ankles and rose to his full height. His demeanor was a strong, all-encompassing aphrodisiac. Shit.
He licked his bottom lip again then ran his hand over his beard. It shouldn’t have been seductive, but it was, so very much. I really needed to get the hell out of here. “One thing you need to know, Trixie.”
I ground my teeth at the name yet kept my mouth shut. My body may have been pulsing for him, but I refused to give him any more.
“You want something from me, something from my club, you pay for it.”
“How much?” I asked, figuring by the time this was all over, I’d only get about four thousand back of the six plus Nanette owed me.
I kicked myself in the ass for giving in. All of this was my own damned fault, but at least I could take it out of Nanette’s ass by putting her on a pole.
“See, that’s the thing. There are three ways you can pay.” Great, now I had choices.
I raised my brow for him to continue.
“Cash, blood, or pussy.”
“Well, blood and pussy are off the table, so again, how much?”
He snickered. “Same smartass mouth I remembered.”
My blood boiled. He remembered? You’ve got to be shitting me. He didn’t even remember my name on the phone. I didn’t need to hear any of his memories from then, because he clouded and tainted all of mine.
“Ca …” I shook my head. “Spook, seriously, I need to get to the club. You want a cut of the money? How much?” Unease crept in hard and fast. Bad idea. I should just leave and be done with it. Forget the six grand and forget Cade. Forget all this bullshit. Two things stopped me, though. One, no one stole from me; and two, my personal assistant Jett’s words rang through my head: “It’ll set a precedence with the other girls, and they’ll think they can walk all over you.”
Fuck, I couldn’t let it go. I needed to call Nanette out on her shit. Dammit. I hated when my back felt up against a wall.
“Too bad your cash isn’t good here. So that leaves you with two options: blood or pussy.” He grinned that sexy half-grin of his that made my panties damp. Fuck, it had gotten better over the years. He’d damn near perfected it. “Since I don’t want your blood, I’ll take your pussy.”
“I’m not fucking you.” Confidence wailed in my voice. Not happening. The only way he’d get between my legs was if he used the jaws of life. Been there, done that, and burned the fucking T-shirt.
He moved so quickly he came at me in a flash. I pressed my back to the door, his body so close his chest brushed my nipples through my shirt, sending tingles of warmth throughout my body. He placed his hands on the door at either side of my head, boxing me in. I tried not to panic as I evened out my breathing.
“Trixie,” he whispered, the scent of cigarettes coming off his breath, and I inhaled deeply.
I looked directly into his eyes, resting my head on the door and giving myself a slight bit of distance. Just as I suspected, his eyes
pulled me in, the warmth and lust rolling around them in a swirl. I tightened my hands into fists as they itched to reach up and touch him. I fought the urge with everything I had.
“Thought you were hot fifteen years ago.” My stomach curled at his declaration. “Now, baby, you’re off the fucking charts.”
I tried to move farther away, but he wouldn’t allow me. So, I retorted, “Thanks, but that doesn’t get me my cash back.”
He pressed his hips against me, his steel erection hard, long, and thick against my stomach. My pussy quivered. The whore wanted him badly. The arousal kept gaining and gaining on me even when I tried to make it stop.
“I fucking want you,” he practically growled.
I hated to admit it, but I wanted him, too. However, I had too much respect for myself.
“That’s nice, but get over yourself.”
“I’m gonna be over you, under you, and in you,” he vowed, easing down to my lips.
I tilted to the side as his lips touched my cheek. Not going to lie, the small touch, along with his sexy as hell words sent fire racing through my veins. I wouldn’t show it to him, though. Hell no. Regardless, his words—holy hell, I’d never had a guy talk to me like that, and judging from the slickness between my legs, my body liked it a whole hell of a lot.
He shifted back, the sexy, panty dropping grin back in place.
I looked him square in the eye and said, “You couldn’t handle me, Cade.” Sparks exploded in his eyes at the use of his name. “I’m all grown up now. Your sly smile, magnetic eyes, and words aren’t gonna get me to spread my legs for you. You had your shot and blew it. That’s on you.”
The grin grew full-out, almost as if I were throwing down a challenge, and he liked it. Absolutely not my intention.
“I get what I want, Trixie.”
“It’s Trix, and as much as I want my money, this”—I pointed between the two of us in the small space I had—“ain’t happening.”
Cade pressed me harder to the door, his entire masculine body against mine, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I could feel the definition of his chest on my breasts, his thick thighs against mine, straining and rock solid. I gulped, holding on to my bravado with all my might. I could do this. I would do this.
He brought his hands to the sides of my face, and in a flash, his lips came down on mine hard, wet, and insistent. I put my hands on his rock of a chest to push him away, but he didn’t budge, even with my hefty shove. Instead, his lips devoured me. This wasn’t a kiss. No, it was more like a brutal, all-consuming, and rough assassination of my lips, and I gave every bit of it back to him.
My tense body began to soften as Cade’s magical mouth moved, and his tongue flicked across mine. The taste of tobacco blossomed on my tongue, and instead of pushing him away, I caught myself clutching his shirt, instead.
Snap out of it! I broke the kiss unexpectedly, ducked down under his arm hastily, and backed away from Cade to the other side of the room.
“Get back here,” he demanded.
I shook my head and swiped my hand across my swollen lips, the smell and taste of him warping my senses.
“I’m not doing this. I’m not some fucking whore you can have just because I need something from you. No offense, but I’ll forget about the damn money and deal with the bitches at work. What I will not do is fuck you.”
I’d find another way to get Nanette. I already had Ike get his guys on the case. I trusted Ike with the job because my father gave me the skills to know how to make judgment calls on people. Another reason why the circle of people around me stayed so small. The only thing he’d learned so far, was Nanette’s father had passed away and the bank was close to taking the house.
Cade’s eyes flared. I didn’t know if it was from anger, annoyance, or both. Regardless, I didn’t want to stick around to find out.
“I’m leaving,” I told him as he stood near the door, his hands in fists at his sides. “Move out of my way,” I ordered.
He didn’t budge. Asshole.
“Come by tomorrow.”
The randomness of the sentence caught me momentarily off guard.
“What?”
He crossed his arms over his massive chest, the tattoos bulging from his muscled flesh, sending another shot of lust through my system. Why the hell did that one move seem so damn hot to me?
“We’re having a party tomorrow. Your girl shows up, you can take her.”
I raised my brow, placing my hand on my hip, not believing him for a second. “Just like that?” I asked, snapping my finger on the last word.
He chuckled. “We’ll go with that.”
I knew he wasn’t going to. If I came back, he’d do anything and everything in his power to get me in his bed. I didn’t want to test my willpower when it came to him. Any other man, not a problem. But not with Cade. I wouldn’t tempt it.
“Let me out.” I refused to reply since he wouldn’t like the one I’d give him.
He pointed at me with a look that said I had better listen. “Your ass better be here tomorrow at eight. If it’s not, I’m coming to find you. And, baby, I won’t be happy.”
I jutted my hip out, my hand on it. “And I was put on this planet to make sure that you’re happy?” I laughed, but it was in no way humorous. “No, Cade. Now move out of the goddamned way,” I ordered.
He opened the door behind him and stepped to the side. I surged toward it, needing to get the hell out of his space and get some fresh air.
He grasped my arm, halting me, and I turned toward him. “I mean it, Trixie. Your ass better be here tomorrow. That’s the only fucking reason I’m letting you go right now. Eight.”
He crushed me to him like I weighed nothing, smashing his lips to mine and taking me with vigor, sucking the air from my lungs. The hot, deep, and quick lick of his lips as he pulled away, followed by his sexy growl, had me feeling like I was floating.
I shook my head to clear the fog. Cade smirked, the same one he had when we were kids, and it still made my belly flutter, but the man who had just kissed me was nothing like the boy I had known.
I turned and hightailed it out of there with absolutely no intention of ever stepping foot on this ground again. And I needed a damn shotgun to shoot every damn butterfly that entered my belly.
Rushing down the long hallway, I went into the first big room I entered earlier. Stiff and the two men who had been in Cade’s office sat at a table, each nursing a beer. Their attention immediately came to me.
“Where’s the fucking fire, mouse?” Stiff asked.
I stopped, turning toward him. “Do I look like a fucking mouse? Do I have four legs or a tail? No, I don’t. Don’t fucking call me that again.” I glared, and Stiff’s rumbled laughter filled the space.
Yes, he actually laughed.
“You’re feisty.” He didn’t know the half of it. “Spook not give you what you need?” He wiggled his eyebrows in suggestion. “I can help you out.”
Stiff was attractive—don’t get me wrong—but seriously?
“No. I have a vibrator at home that never lets me down. Y’all have a nice life.” I flipped my hand up in the air dismissively as I stomped out of the door. I needed to get to work.
“WHO’S THAT?” BEN asked from next to me, pointing to a girl bending down at her locker.
Her jeans hugged her ass, but the oversized shirt covered it when she rose. Her wavy, brown hair came just below her shoulders, the light reflecting off the waves, giving it a soft shine. Then she turned around, and her bright, wide green eyes connected with mine. She clutched her books to her chest, hiding herself from me.
In that moment, I felt something slam into my chest. It curled around and tightened its hold on me, gripping with everything it had. I couldn’t put a name on that something, though. I’d never felt it before, especially never from a look.
“What’s going on?” Jaden came up beside us, taking in what we were looking at. “Ah, Trix Lamasters, freshman.”
At his wor
ds, a girl came up to Trix, and she turned away from me. The smile she gave her friend knocked me on my ass. Beyond gorgeous. It lit up her face like nothing I’d ever seen. And not to be cocky, but I’d been around a lot of girls. None of them, not one, had the pull this girl did.
Trix didn’t look back as she walked off.
That moment started my infatuation with the girl. Obsession was more like it. That day also marked the beginning of the end, an end I forced because it had been best for her and best for my club.
In life, hard decisions sometimes have to be made, and pushing her away like I did was shitty of me. It was also one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life.
She hadn’t done a damn thing wrong, but it was best for me to ignore her and pretend she didn’t exist.
But damn, now little Trixie Lamasters was back.
I watched her tight, sexy-as-fuck, round ass swing down the hallway like a fire was chasing her. Her tits had practically burst from her shirt, and the outline of her curves made my fucking mouth water with the urge to lick every fucking inch. Not to mention, her green eyes could pull any sane man into their depths.
What got me the hardest though, was that she didn’t fucking back down. No, she stood toe to toe with me, throwing that hot as hell attitude my way. Who’d have ever thought she would come back into my life after fifteen years? Fuck, not me.
Now she was hotter and sexier than even my imagination could have conjured up in all these years.
I had played as if I didn’t recognize her name on the phone when as soon as I heard the name, I knew. I knew the eyes, the smile, the smell of strawberries that seemed to follow her wherever she went—her. I’d in fact, kept my eye on Trixie over the years, having others stay far in the background, watchful. I knew she owned Sirens—fuck everyone did. However, it sure was fun getting a rise out of her when she assumed she and her business weren’t even a blip on my radar.
Fuck, my dick turned to concrete after being pressed up to her heat. I adjusted it, but it brushed against my jeans, not helping a damn bit.
I moved down the hall, following her, and listened to Trixie have an exchange with Stiff. One thing was for certain: she was a fireball. Good thing the guys around here liked that spitfire attitude, or she’d find herself bent over a knee, getting her ass spanked. That actually sounded like a perfect idea.
