by S. M. Soto
“Tell me how it feels then.”
My bravado falters when he hooks his finger inside me. I gasp, my hand flying up to his bicep for support. I dig my nails into his skin, trying to find an anchor through the pleasure. “G-good.”
Baz chuckles. The sound is dark and eerie. It prompts my pussy to clench around him. “Oh, c’mon, Mackenzie, you can do better than that. You wrote a whole damn piece about me using much more than that. Tell. Me.”
“You’re a bastard,” I choke out through the pleasure and the pain his words evoke in my chest. He slides a second finger inside me, and I can no longer think straight.
He dips his head near my ear. “What does that make you then?”
My chest tightens. Despite the pleasure, I shove him away from me, and I whirl on him, my chest heaving with the force of my anger. And there he stands, looking as handsome and as calm as ever.
I hate him. Truly.
“Get out.”
We glare at one another, and he cracks, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. My brows pull together when he brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks my juices off them. My mouth drops open, and my body spasms. It’s the oddest sensation, like a silent orgasm rolling through my body just at the sight of him tasting me.
He turns on his heel, laughing under his breath as he goes. Once I’m sure he’s gone, I slam the door and rest my back against it, chest heaving.
What the fuck was that?
Mia is in the middle of discussing important messages when Mackenzie pads into the kitchen. Her blond hair tumbles around her shoulders, and she still has on that goddamn ridiculous shirt from last night. Yet, she’s never looked more beautiful.
I tune out Mia, my gaze glued to Mackenzie. I think about last night and the way she felt on my fingers, the way she tasted. Fuck, I miss her. I miss her body. Not being able to kiss her last night was absolute torture, but I meant what I said. I’ll keep my word until she is begging for it. Then and only then will I lose myself in her.
Her eyes are half-mast from sleep and her bee-stung lips are parted, just begging to be kissed. As if sensing my gaze, her eyes widen, and she darts her gaze toward us. She freezes when she catches me watching her. She works a swallow, and a pink flush creeps up her neck, probably as she thinks of last night. Then, as if just now realizing we’re not alone, she looks at Mia.
The two women stare at each other, and I feel the shift in the air. I don’t know when Mia stopped explaining, but she must’ve realized at some point that I wasn’t listening. Mackenzie shifts on her feet, suddenly uncomfortable with her choice of attire. Mia’s lips thin, and I realize keeping her around might be an issue if she keeps this up.
“As I was saying…” She clears her throat, drawing my attention back to her. “I’ve adjusted the calendar to accommodate your Bali visit. As well as your Brazil trip. The academy has requested you RSVP for the Moth Ball event as well as the UNICEF Snowflake Ball. Do you still want me to send in your reservations for both?”
“Yes. Be sure you add Mackenzie as my plus one.”
Mia’s eyes shoot to mine, and something flares in their depths, but I don’t care to gauge what it could possibly be. She sniffs haughtily and shifts on the chaise across from me and nods. “I’ll get right on that,” she says, voice tight. “Also, the chief of police has been calling. What would you like me to tell him?”
I risk a glance at Mackenzie, who is standing there frozen, the color drained from her face. “I’ll give them a call.”
With Mia now all but forgotten, I get up, closing in on Mackenzie. She tries to back up, but I don’t let her. Sliding a hand around her waist, I draw her body flush against mine. She gasps, surprise written all over her face. Her features are soft with fatigue. Her brain hasn’t had the chance to tell her facial muscles to show anger instead of interest. Feeling Mia’s gaze on us, I lean in, my mouth hovering over Mackenzie’s, and her eyes widen.
“I’ll explain soon.” Instead of pressing my lips to hers like I want to, I divert the trajectory to her forehead instead. She lets out a soft squeak. I can’t help the smile that brings to my face. I’m going to enjoy breaking her down piece by piece until she gives in to me.
“I need to make a call. Please hold the rest of my calls for today until further notice.”
I share one last lingering look with Mackenzie before I turn. Grabbing my phone and suit jacket off the chaise, I head toward the door. I need to call the chief back from the privacy of my office. My steps falter when I hear the distant tone of Mackenzie and Mia’s voices.
“A little late to be crawling out of bed, don’t you think?” Mia comments, a little too snidely for my liking.
Mackenzie takes it in stride. I hear her laughter and can just picture her shaking her head at Mia with a cold gleam in her beautiful hazel eyes. “I was kept up very late last night. Blame your boss.”
I chuckle under my breath and let myself out of the penthouse.
Oh, Mackenzie. This game of jealousy is too fun.
Closing myself in my office, I call the chief. I lean back in the leather winged back chair, smirking when I hear the gruff, older man’s voice erupt over the line.
“Mr. Pierce. Glad you could finally spare me a moment of your time.”
“It’s King.”
“Last I checked, your legal name is Pierce. Until you legally get that changed, that’s what I’m calling you, Mr. Pierce.”
I grit my teeth. Fucking bastard.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” I ask dryly.
“We understand that Ms. Wright is now under your care. We need her statement. She broke into someone’s home and attempted murder. She cannot hide behind this farce of a mental health issue and definitely not behind you forever.”
“No one is pressing charges. You have what you need, and we can all go our separate ways. She’s been through enough.”
“She’s dangerous.”
I shrug. “I can handle her.”
He lets out an aggravated sigh. “I’d hate to pay you both a visit, Mr. Pierce. She needs to come into the station. There are things that need to be dealt with.”
“You’re not going to come near her,” I say calmly, riling him up.
“Do you know who you’re speaking to?”
“I do. You have so much promise, Officer. Don’t throw it away over this. I’m serious. I don’t take kindly to people trying to take things that belong to me.”
I hang up, tossing my cell onto the desk, and get straight to the emails Mia flagged as most important. The UNICEF Snowflake Ball is in two weeks. That means I have two weeks to change the public’s opinion on Mackenzie.
This is going to be fun.
When I walk back into the penthouse, Mia is gone, and Mackenzie is dressed casually, sitting at the kitchen bar with a bagel and a bowl of fruit. She pauses mid-chew when she senses my presence. Blowing out a heavy sigh, she turns to face me, adopting a bored expression.
“So much for enjoying my meal in peace.”
I smirk. “C’mon. Get dressed. You’re coming with me today.”
Her brows rise. “Where?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just make yourself look presentable.”
She looks down at herself. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
Nothing. Not a damn thing. That’s the problem. I shouldn’t be enjoying our time together as much as I am. I’m supposed to be making life hell for her, and instead, I’m playing with her pussy and solving her problems while she stays in my penthouse for free.
“If you have to ask, that’s a fucking problem.”
Her face falls, and she looks down at herself. I berate myself internally but give nothing away. She hardens her exterior and nods. “Whatever you say, asshole.”
My cock hardens as I watch her stomp away, her curvy ass swaying in those damn jeans. Once she’s out of sight, I adjust my package, blowing out a breath of frustration. Blue balls is a son of a bitch.
To save us both time, I
grab her an outfit from the closet in my room, since she still has clothes here. I throw the door open to the guest room without knocking. She whirls around, her face pressed with anger.
“What the hell do you want now?” she asks incredulously.
I brush past her, tossing the clothes onto her bed. “Saving us both time. Wear this so we can go.”
Mackenzie crosses her arms over her chest. “Who do you think you are? You don’t own me. I can choose my own clothes, thank you very much.”
“I do own you, Dirty Girl. Every part of you, whether you like it or not.”
She sneers at me. “You think signing a piece a paper means anything to me? You do not own me,” she growls, swinging her arm out at me in her rage. I catch her fist before she can make contact and yank her toward me, pulling her body flush with mine. She fights my hold, but simultaneously, as if she doesn’t realize it, her body settles into mine like she wants to be there, as much as I want her there.
“You don’t think I own you?” I whisper in her ear, trailing the tips of my fingers down the column of her neck, circling her throat and collarbone. She shivers in my arms and bucks, trying to fight my hold, but not once does she say to stop. Not once does she tell me to let her go. Her breathing escalates at my proximity, and I get off on it. On being this close to her and having her in my arms like this. Gripping both of her arms in one hand behind her back, I use it to my advantage to keep her from fighting me.
I skim my fingertips down the center of her body, pausing when I get to the waistband of those jeans. I toy with the slight gap between her stomach and the material. She doesn’t realize it, but her body leans into my touch, silently begging for more, while her gorgeous face is twisted with anger, slurring every curse word at me she can think of. “Your body doesn’t lie as well as you do, baby.”
I pop the button of her jeans and slide her zipper down, slipping my hand inside. Her eyes slam shut, and she moans as I massage my fingers over her folds through the material of her panties. She’s soaked. I can feel the moisture dampening my fingers through the thin scrap of material covering her pussy.
“My body isn’t all of me. It’ll react the same way to anyone’s touch,” she grits out huskily. The thought of someone else touching her, someone else’s fingers dipping into her wet heat, has me clenching my teeth.
“That right?” I tug her panties to the side and slide a finger inside her, enjoying the feel of her pussy as her walls clamp around me, sucking at my finger. She makes a mewling sound in the back of her throat that sounds a lot like pleasure and frustration melded together in beautiful harmony.
“That’s right. Anyone can do this to me, and it would have the same effect,” she pants out.
I crook my finger, rubbing at her wall, enjoying the way she jerks in my arms, moaning loudly. “This body is mine. This pussy is mine. You’re mine, Mackenzie, whether you like it or not.”
“You can have all of that, but you’ll never have my heart,” she spits. With my grip still secured around her wrists, I slide my fingers out of her, and before she can grasp what’s happening, I have her flat on her back on the bed. She gasps, her eyes widening, as I yank her jeans down her legs.
Crawling back up her body, I settle between her legs and slide two fingers inside her, pumping them in and out, enjoying the way her juices smack around us. I curl both fingers, rubbing them against that spot that drives her crazy. Mackenzie tosses her head back, eyes slammed shut, mouth forming that perfect little O.
“What was that you were saying? More lies?”
“Y-you idiot. My pussy isn’t my heart-t.”
“Oh, believe me, I know the difference. You heart is ice, and this pussy, well, this pussy is heaven.”
She tenses beneath me, and like a bucket of cold water being thrown on me, she shoves on my chest.
“Get off me.”
I do so immediately. Her chest is heaving, eyes glazed over by pleasure and emotion. Her chin wobbles as she stares at me. “I’ll do it. I’ll wear the stupid fucking clothes. Just get out.”
Guilt slams into me. “Mackenzie.” I sigh.
“I hate you so much,” she whispers. “Do you understand me yet? I can’t stand you.”
With her wetness still coating my fingers, I lean back into her space and rub her juices across her bottom lip, forcing her mouth open. Her tongue juts out, a fire of hate brewing in her eyes, as she licks her juices off my fingers. “I know you do. That’s what makes this so fun, Dirty Girl.”
I try not to have an attitude when I get into his car, but I’m upset. His words hurt. I feel like his little puppet, him pulling the strings whenever he damn well pleases. All I’d like to do is slap him across his handsome face.
I’m also stewing over the conversation I had earlier with his assistant, Mia. She’s a bitch. Plain and simple. We went back and forth for a solid ten minutes this morning, taking jabs at one another. It was petty as hell, but it felt good to let my anger out on someone else. She seemed to enjoy the sparring, too, obviously dealing with some anger issues of her own.
I felt myself getting worked up when she commented on me staying in the guest room. She stated that maybe I didn’t mean all that much to Baz if he cast me out of his bed so easily. I was pissed, so upset that she thought she knew anything about our relationship. Her comment had me so riled up that I lied. I lied through my teeth, telling her Baz’s bed was exactly where I was sleeping, and no matter what happened between us, I was the one he wanted there. I told her all the ways he brought me to orgasm in those sheets last night. It was a lie, sure, but that just proves she doesn’t know a damn thing about what’s going on between us.
“That makes two of us then, doesn’t it?”
As soon as the words were uttered, I had to fight an internal battle. I wanted to kill her. I wanted to kill Baz. I didn’t want to imagine him fucking her. Not in his bed. Not anywhere. I couldn’t help but imagine when it happened.
Was it the night of the gala? Did she drop to her knees in his limo and swallow every drop of his cum like I did? That thought, that image, made my heart squeeze painfully.
I hate Baz. That is just facts, but I don’t want anyone else to have him either.
It is unfair. But I’ve come to realize I’m a selfish woman. And I don’t give a single fuck.
I didn’t have a comeback for her after that, so I just ignored her. She huffed, then left, giving me a chance to finally breathe a sigh of relief. I was still feeling the lingering pain and anger from that conversation, and when Baz came into the kitchen while I was eating breakfast, it reminded me why I was angry in the first place.
I wish I could say I was strong enough not to enjoy his touch, not to want his touch on me, but I needed it. That was why I pushed him away. Because I hated how weak I was when it came to him. I thought about Mia and the countless other women he might’ve been with while we were apart, and it made me sick.
It’s making me sick now just thinking about it.
In the car, I sneak a glance at Baz, taking in the strong set of his shoulders and his severely handsome face. I wish I would’ve made better rules. I hate the idea of him sleeping with me while sleeping with so many others. I hate the idea of him sleeping with anyone at all. I want his groans for myself. His growls of pleasure while he’s rolling his hips, sliding his cock in and out of me. I want to be the only woman who knows what that’s like.
My core clenches, and I shift on the seat, forcing myself to look out of the window. “Where are we going?”
“Another outing. Gotta keep up appearances, baby.” He shoots me a mirth-filled wink, and I want to reach over and slap it off his face.
“You disgust me. I hope you know that.”
He laughs. “The feeling is entirely mutual.”
Ice daggers pierce my heart.
“This is stupid. The press is going to see right through this little act. We do not look like a couple smitten with each other. Not to mention, you have enough girlfriends around the tr
i-state area that can likely attest to your infidelities.”
“I think we both know you’re a good liar. I’m sure you can fool the world the same way you fooled me.”
A searing ache shoots through my chest. I harden myself up for his next blows. Each word out of his mouth lately is a shot to the heart, a lash to my flesh. It’s an irreparable wound on my skin. A scar left uncared for.
“As for the women, what is it you want me to admit to, Mackenzie? Fucking other women, is that what you want to hear?”
“If we’re going to pretend, I need to know what I’m up against. Or rather, who I’m up against. If you’ve been out fucking half the world, I think it’s only fair I know. Especially if you put that thing anywhere near me.”
“That thing?” He laughs. It’s a booming sound that wraps around us in the car. “Say it, Mackenzie. Just say it.”
“Fine. Who have you fucked? How many women?”
He grows serious, pausing to watch me, gauging my reaction. I try to keep the pain out of my eyes, but it’s no use. He can see it. I know he can. When he doesn’t answer, I grow impatient.
“Those two women? Mia?”
“All of them,” he says gruffly. “I fucked them all, Mackenzie. I sat back and watched as they rode my cock like their entire life depended on it.”
My heart does something strange at his words. For a second, I really think I’m having a heart attack. There’s tightness, the feeling of not being able to breathe. A crushing weight on my sternum. I can quite literally feel my heart taking a beating in my chest. It is one thing to be angry at the prospect of him fucking other women, but hearing the truth, the vivid details? It hurts.
“Hurt your feelings?”
I roll my eyes, fighting back tears, not wanting him to see my pain. “I’ve already told you, but I’ll tell you again. You mean absolutely nothing to me. Go ahead and fuck every woman on this planet until your dick falls off. I don’t care.”
The conversation probably wasn’t the best choice in terms of setting the mood for the rest of our day, but it happened and there’s no going back. The rest of the car ride passes in a tense silence, and I find myself imagining all the ways I could murder Baz without getting caught.
