Breathless Promises (Alluring Promises Series Book 3) (32 page)

The corner of his mouth turned up just slightly as his eyes grazed over my body. Quickly, he looked back at his phone and completely opposite of what his expression was, asked, “Seriously? A sweatshirt?”

It’s as if he has to antagonize me or he’s not complete. “Does it make you feel any better that I’m only wearing a bra under it?” He straightened up and slipped his phone into his back pocket.

Clark cracked a smile before answering nonchalantly, “I guess. Sort of.” I walked over to the end table and picked up my purse. Swinging it over my shoulder, one of our phones rang out. I started to pull mine from my purse, when I watched him retrieve his phone from his back pocket. Rolling his eyes, I knew it was his. And who was calling. 

“What’s up?”…“No, just heading to the movies.”…”With my roommate.”…“Yes, Aub.”…“No, it’s not a date. Just like it’s never a date when we go.”…“
Goodbye
, Tina.” He stressed “goodbye” with huge annoyance in his voice as he hung up. I raised my brow prompting him to say something, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to as he started toward the door.

Seeing a movie with Clark was actually fun. He was excited like a little kid and laughed like one too. Carefree. Without regard to who was around him or what they would think. I found myself watching Clark more than the movie. It wasn’t a bad movie, it actually was pretty good, but my eyes kept wandering to watch his animated face. It wasn’t to the point where he was embarrassing or anything like that. He just simply enjoyed himself, which actually made me enjoy it more too.
Note to self. Watch more movies with Clark.

Our walk back home was…romantic. I know, that’s so weird to say, but it was. He draped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. We talked about the movie and laughed about our favorite parts. It was like we were a couple. Or maybe that’s just what he does. Makes you feel like you’re the only one when you’re with him.

The moment we walked in our door, it all changed. Well, really it was when his phone rang. I was pretty sure it had to do with him taking me to the movies and Tina not being happy with that.

Hanging up my jacket in my bedroom closet, I overheard him on the phone. Well, sort of. It was more like half sentences, “No’s, “That’s not true” and “No! I’m not sleeping with her.” There were many of those in different variations. I went ahead and shut my door for some privacy. I wasn’t sure if it was more for him or for me though.

The following day at work, all I could think about was how much fun Clark and I had at the movies. I sat there staring out my window daydreaming about…him. I went over the chain of events the past couple nights. Last night I had listened to his conversation with Tina on the phone through my door. Okay, so I admit that was wrong, but I could tell they either broke up or were going to break up and I just wanted to know. Oddly enough, I was actually a little happy about that. Then I felt guilty about wanting them to break up and wondered why that would make me happy.

Wanting Clark and Tina to break up was not rational, but wanting to be his next girlfriend wasn’t either. Yet, those were the exact thoughts I was having. And those thoughts turned into strange fantasies of dates we would have. Thoughts of being his girlfriend filled me with some odd excitement. I was even writing out pros and cons of being Clark’s girlfriend. Of course, there were more cons than pros, but little hearts drawn in the pros side were making it an even list. Teenager-ish? Yeah, I knew it was but I couldn’t help myself.

The words “Clark” at the top of my page made my heart pound. Or maybe that was heartburn from the pasta I indulged in at lunch. Oddly enough, it reminded me of the lasagna at that small restaurant Clark took me to. I’d thought about asking him to go to dinner with me tonight, but then Vanessa had texted me asking me to go out with her. Putting my feelings for Clark aside again, I agreed to her choice for dinner.

Getting nothing done the rest of the afternoon, I went home and changed. By the time I slipped into my yoga pants and off-shoulder top, I heard the front door open and close.

As I walked into the kitchen for some water, Clark came strolling out of his bedroom and sat on the couch. Staring out the window, the sullen look on his face made me wonder if my hopes that I had thought about all day long had come true. My heart sped up just thinking that they’d broken up. It was what I wanted, but seeing him melancholy made me regret everything I’d dreamed about all day long.

I stood in front of the couch and asked, “Did you and Tina have a fight?” I pretty much knew the answer to that, but I couldn’t let him know.

He didn’t answer me right away so I added, “If you want to talk, I’m here for you.” I was sincere and I meant it, even though this seems to be such a regular occurrence.

When he still didn’t come, I took the hint that he wanted to be left alone about and turned to walk out of the kitchen.

“She went back to him.” After a slight pause, he added, “Again.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I told him with sincerity, even though I wasn’t too surprised.

“Well, I knew it was coming again. I guess you did too, huh?”

I couldn’t help but give him a sad smile. “It seems to happen a lot with you two. So no, I’m not really surprised.” He nodded his head again. Then he stopped and his eyes ran up and down my body. A shiver ran through me following the same pattern his eyes just swept over. It wasn’t leering or needy, but I could tell what he was thinking. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but be turned on by his eyes roaming over me.

Then it dawned on me.

The next stage after the staring-into-space-phase is to start sleeping with any woman near him.

I didn’t move fast enough.

Before I knew what was happening, he had jumped up off the couch. His hand wrapped around my arm and spun me back to him causing all the air to leave my chest. The warmth of his lips near mine made my pulse quicken even more as he held me close. Memories of our rooftop kiss and the way his body felt against mine exploded in my mind. I inhaled deeply and wondered if he put some sort of weird pheromones in his cologne that turned me on so quickly. My lips parted, dying for a taste of him again. By the way his brown eyes sparked, he noticed. The corner of his lip curled up, satisfied knowing he could make me feel this way.

The apartment was deathly quiet and I knew he had to have heard me swallow hard. Or hear the pounding of my heart. Or feel the quickness of my chest as it rose and fell in anticipation. After all, I had just spent my entire afternoon daydreaming about this very scenario.

“I guess this means that maybe we could continue what we started on the roof or even back at Mel and Flynn’s wedding.” He closed his eyes as he leaned in and my mind turned to mush. Just wanting that touch from him, that connection flooded me with need.

The moment our lips touched, I was done for. This man has the most full, soft lips I’ve ever had the pleasure of kissing. I melted into him savoring another moment from him. Pressed against mine, I responded immediately to him and opened my mouth allowing the warmth of his tongue full access to entwine with mine. One of his hands slid around my waist and his other around the back of my neck. The feel of his hands, the taste of his mouth, the strength and passion behind every movement sent my senses into overload. I was dizzy with lust, craving him more than I realized even during my afternoon fantasies.

Somewhere behind that desire to be with him was a hideous voice that kept warning me this wasn’t going to end well. Not the kiss.
That
would definitely end well—most likely with me in his bed. Hell, my whole body was craving that entire scene like a sex-starved maniac. I wanted whoever was behind that reasonable voice to shut up so I could savor every moment of Clark being mine. Mine to devour again like I did that night. Mine to elicit carnal desires from. Mine to act out any fantasy I’ve ever had with a man.

But he wasn’t mine. Even when he was broken up with Tina, deep down I knew the truth. He wouldn’t be a “mine” to anyone. Clark was in his rebound phase.

My heart already throbbed just as much as the craving between my legs. I pulled away and pushed away all my desires to take him to my bedroom. Or take him on the couch. Or let him take me on the floor. Fuck that, the coffee table would be fantastic, I was sure of it. “We can’t,” I choked out breathlessly.

He inched toward me with a sly grin that caused flashes of how I would please him through my mind. And how he could please me. In a last ditch attempt, I said, “I…you’re still in love with her.”

“I’m not in love with her. I’ve never been in love with
her
,” he told me as he stepped in and attempted to kiss me again. I inhaled deep and dodged to the side, backing away around the table, as if that was going to calm us both down.

“You
are
in love with her, you just don’t realize it.” I took a breath again before blurting out, “I deserve better than this.”

It was like cold water on a fire and I could almost see the steam roll off him. For some reason, that last statement got his attention and his whole body slumped. Every feature on his face looked pained as if I had just shot an arrow into his heart. Maybe it had bounced back because it felt like it was piercing my heart, too.

“You’re right. You do deserve better than me just trying to hook-up with you again.” He swept his hand through his thick hair. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, his eyes darting around the room.

I stared at him, stunned that he agreed with me. At the same time, my heart plunged because he’d agreed with me. I felt sick to my stomach as I watched him head straight for the door and leave the apartment.

The door didn’t slam, but the sound of it clicking closed affected me as if it had. I slumped onto the couch and had that odd pit in my stomach that I made a mistake, even though I knew it wasn’t true.

Although I was unsure of where Clark may have gone, I was pretty certain he had just moved on to his next phase of Tina Break-Up. The thought of him grabbing any woman in the bar caused that stupid jealousy pit again. The one I couldn’t figure out why it kept creeping up and hitting me like a punch to my gut.

I walked around the apartment aimlessly, trying to gather my thoughts about what had just happened. While I was proud of myself for turning down another one-night-stand that would lead to nowhere, I really wanted another night in Clark’s arms.

I sat back down on the couch and flipped through the channels. Thoughts of Clark hitting on women kept flashing through my mind and I changed the channels faster, trying to erase the whirling images from my head. I picked up my phone and thought about texting Vanessa to see if they were down at Allure, but then knew she’d invite me down there. And she’d know that I was alone in the apartment. I wondered how long I was allowed to be alone before someone came up to keep me company.

I stood up and walked into my bedroom and opened up my journal.

Dear Clark,

I know you’re down at Allure right now getting a girl for the night. Even though I turned you down, I’m sitting here kicking myself and for some weird reason, I’m jealous. So very jealous. You’re wrong for me in every sense of the word, but for some reason I still want to be with you.

I…

I stopped knowing nothing I wrote would make any sense. It couldn’t. He’d only want me for sex and I’d have my heart broken. He’s not good for me and I know this.

End of story.

After pacing the apartment several times, I decided to watch TV instead of hitting the gym.  If I went downstairs, I wasn’t sure that’s where my feet would take me, considering the bar was just down the hallway. As I placed my feet on the coffee table, I stared at my toes. I realized my pedicure hadn’t lasted as long as it should have. Giving my polish a touch up might lift my spirits too.

I plucked a matching nail polish from my basket and started to shake the bottle when a knock at the door stopped me mid-shake. I checked through the peephole, for some reason expecting Tina, and instead noticed a very young girl. I opened the door to a young brunette who looked extremely nervous. Her eyes were red and swollen and tears still glistened in them. I studied her face and I was pretty sure she had to be in her teens.

“Yes?” I asked, tilting my head to the side, still observing her. She was naturally beautiful and seemed to wear very little makeup, if any at all.

Peering into our apartment, she nervously asked, “Um, is Clark here?” My eyes dropped down to her hands, watching as she picked at her nail polish and shifted her weight in her Chucks from side to side. Her long-sleeve top was snug around her petite form, yet she was already more developed than some of the girls down at the club.

I wondered how Clark would know such a young girl in her teens. He wouldn’t dare have sex with someone so young, would he? I swallowed nervously as anger started to swell in me while my mind jumped to conclusions.

“And you are?” I asked, hoping for a reasonable explanation.

“You’re Aub. I mean…Aubrey, right?” She looked so sweet and innocent, but I couldn’t help but wonder how she knew my name. Had we met before and I didn’t remember?

“Yes, I’m Aubrey. And you are?” I asked again, trying not to sound so anxious to figure out this little mystery.

“Ohh! I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed. “I’m Ari. I mean Ariana. Clark’s niece.”