Hell (4 page)

At 6:45 a.m. on the dot, I pulled into the work site’s lot. Beside me sat a large cup of the latest sweet latte concoction the retail chain by my house provided and an everything bagel with cream cheese, just as I’d been told by her brother. She had better appreciate this shit.

The place was empty.

Eerie looking if you were not accustomed to these sites. As it stood, the building was massive. The foundation was already laid—steel, concrete, and all the exterior welding done. Walls had been mounted on the outside and interior flooring laid bare. You could smell the saw dust, grime, and the faint smell of just-poured concrete everywhere. I was home.

The hours were to be long and the schedule tight, but these were all the things I enjoyed. Give me a good challenge any day of the motherfucking week. Especially since it now included
her
.

And just like that, I was hard. Pulsing with a need, a craving so insane I began to pant and my hands shook. That small infuriating woman, attitude and all, had the ability to destroy me, and that was something I refused to let happen.

Fuck love and the bullshit preconceived notions it came with.

“I will not let her win. One day, I’ll make her bow down to me. Kiss the very tip of my cock while begging for attention.” That right there was my mantra. There could be no other way. It was a win or lose situation, and I refused to bend for her.

Turning off my truck, I grabbed the breakfast beside me, got out, and walked toward the already illuminated office. I doubted it would be Janelle that greeted me today. Too early. I’d fucked enough women in my time to know that most slept in, hated the early morning hours, and complained too much.

Why would she be any different?

That, and the fact that I’d parked my truck next to an all-black Hummer. Janelle was much too delicate for something of that size. She would struggle just to get in. Not that I’d complain about the view, but it was more of a man’s car.

“Morning,” I called out once inside the small portable office. A singular overhead light had been turned on, casting a sensual glow on the one person I was not ready to see. “Fuck me, Janelle. It’s too early for this shit.”

“About time you showed up?” Just like yesterday, she was bent over at the waist reading something off a desk, the curve of her ass hugged tightly by a pair of jeans. Too tight, they molded over her small frame and accentuated every dip and curve—every sinuous line that made my mouth water. “Take a seat.”

Without glancing my way, she pointed toward a smaller desk beside the one she was bent over. I was being dismissed and didn’t appreciate it one bit. Striding past her, I let my hand wander…run freely down her thigh.

“Shit.” Her hiss, and the paper in her hand that crumpled, let me know she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted me to believe. There was a shudder, a ripple of pleasure that coursed through me at her reaction. For as much as she put up the front of a hard-ass, she loved this.

I paused to the side of her, my front touching the left half of her body. It was her turn to shiver. A small gasp escaped her, and my smirk grew.

“Where?” My lips skimmed the shell of her ear, and she didn’t disappoint. The paper in her hand long forgotten, she turned to face me and I gulped. “Son of a bitch.”

Janelle stood before me, breathing harshly in her indecent jeans and an old flannel shirt. Tied at the waist, top three buttons undone, giving me a tempting view of her tits. Sexiest motherfucking work attire. I eyed her from head to toe, enjoying the way her breasts spilled out a little over the deep red satin bra she wore beneath her shirt. Then there were the holes on both knees of her jeans. These pants had seen hard days, and so had the fucking well-worn work boots on her tiny feet.

She was my teenage wet dream come to life.

“Eyes up here, Yoshi.” The demon spoke and my eyes snapped up. The view up top was worse in every way imaginable. No makeup—clean face full of false innocence. Hair piled high above her head in a simple pony tail. She was beautiful. “We don’t have all day.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I snarled suddenly, anger burning through me. Was she playing me? It was flawless the way in which she overtook my every thought. Setting her breakfast upon the empty desk, I turned to fully face her and pulled her in by her hips, rubbing my aching cock against her stomach while all she did was smile. “Did Tony put you up to this?”

“Dramatic much?” The devilish smile turned into a victorious grin while she crossed her arms against her chest. There was almost no space between us now, and the petulant act of crossing her arms made everything worse. So much fucking worse. Her breasts were pushed up, and my eyes followed their every move as she inhaled and exhaled. “I’m here to work, pretty boy…not fuck my employee.”

“You might be my boss, Janelle, but I swear to God—”

“Is that my breakfast behind you?” she interrupted, eyeing the bag and to-go cup with hunger, ignoring my unfinished threat as if it meant nothing. My hands squeezed her once more and pulled back. The moment was gone and I needed the fucking distance. “Because I’m starved…didn’t eat last night. Whiskey Dicks was too packed yesterday, and I didn’t stay long enough to order.”

Motherfuck. Did she see me?

“You were there?” My voice had gone soft, almost afraid of what her answer would be.

“Yup,” she sang and made a move to grab the coffee. Inhaling its sweet scent, Janelle smiled and took a sip. “Seems I missed you by ten minutes…lucky you.”

HELL

Janelle left me to my own devices that morning, wanting me to acclimate myself to all the plans—layouts—of this massive structure. I traveled from floor to floor inspecting, making notes of everything that still needed to be accomplished before the first round of interior inspections were called.

The crew was nice. Somewhat welcoming, except for a few that eyed me with contempt. They could all kiss my ass. This was even more prominent as the Walkers called for a mandatory meeting at lunchtime.

“I’m guessing you all know why I called for this meeting?” Janelle began the minute she walked into the temporary lunch room on the ground floor. There were a few grumbles of
“yes,”
while most remained silent. “Apart from my welders who have held us back a bit…” she gave a pointed glare toward the same men who’d given me a dirty look “…we have a new foreman.”

“That’s not fucking fair, Ms. Walker!” an older male around his mid-forties yelled, and my girl became incensed. “I’ve more than proven myself to you and your brother, and then you go and hire him,” he spat while glaring at me. “Pretty boy probably doesn’t know the difference between a Flathead and Phillips screwdriver—between fasteners or drywall screws.”

His face was serious, had the whole “don’t fuck with me” look going on. I shook my head, barely holding in the laugh that wanted to escape. That entire façade bothered me.

Maybe it wasn’t an act, but I’d met quite a few men who looked like him and were pussies. Were all talk. Hid behind the tough-guy bullshit to impress and stay out of trouble.

I didn’t agree with that way of thinking.

A real man didn’t hide behind fakeness; didn’t matter if he was a biker, fighter, accountant…a motherfucking teacher. Real men stood up and protected. Fucked you up and asked questions later.

He was neither, and the way he crumbled under her commanding presence told me as much.

Her tiny fists balled up at her sides and her eyes narrowed. “Are you done, Armando? Would you like to tell me how I should be running my fucking company next?”

Hearing her curse, the way her lips curved while the expletive left her lips game me a semi. It was naughty coming from her. Delicious in a way nothing had ever been before. I cursed like a trucker—most men in this profession did—but coming from her it was erotic.

“Janelle, I’m—”

“Let me stop you right there. I am your boss, not your friend, and if you wish to keep your job, you will address me as such. Two, while you are a good ‘
employee,’
supervisor material you are not. You’re late,” she hissed through clenched teeth while ticking off her reasons for not giving dumbass the job. “Irresponsible, unreliable, always sick, cranky, and frankly…none of these men respect you. Want me to continue?”

There were a few muffled laughs around me, and I found that interesting. Moreover, I needed to focus on something other than her, to calm the fuck down before I did something she wasn’t ready for. For me to win her over—the prized pussy between her thighs—I had to attack slowly. Work her up. Get Janelle to demand my attention. My touch.

“No, ma’am,” Armando said, voice low and embarrassed. Fucker should be for upsetting my girl. That thought right there I needed to get control of; I wanted her pussy and nothing more.

“Good—”

“Can I say a few things, Janelle?” I interrupted before she continued unleashing her fury on him. The man wasn’t worth it, in my opinion.

“Floor’s yours, Joshua.” She nodded and took a step back, all the while crooking her slim digit at me in invitation. Devilish woman.

Walking toward the front, I took my place beside her and squeezed her hand before addressing the others in the room. “Look, I’m a man of very few words and don’t plan to stand here all afternoon explaining myself, telling you all the reasons why I’m more than competent to hold this position. Quite frankly, that’s none of your business.”

“Joshua—” Janelle tried to interrupt, to diffuse the potential explosion that could occur, but I wasn’t having that.

Holding my hand up, I shook my head at her and turned back to face the slack-jawed staff. “My qualifications and years of experience were discussed with the owners…the ones who sign your paychecks. If they find me the right fit, then that’s that.” Next to me, she smiled and Kevin nodded. He’d been quiet since entering the room, but I knew I had his support. “The only thing I’ll explain once is that I am here to work. Get dirty, and finish this and every job site alongside you. Respect me, and I’ll do the same in return. Don’t piss me off.”

A sudden clap of hands pulled my attention from Armando and his three friends. That last message had been for them. On my right toward the far right stood a young kid with a smile on his face. His hands hadn’t stopped clapping and I raised a brow in question.

“You okay, kid?”

“Yup,” he replied with a smile. This fucker reminded me of the troublemakers back home. “Just happy to finally have someone on this site, other than boss chick and man, that knows their shit. No more dealing with those that feel entitled, but are nothing more than assholes. Welcome to Walker’s.”

At his declaration, the room erupted in laughter, and one by one the crew came to shake my hand and welcome me aboard. It felt good to have their approval, but even as they swarmed around me asking questions, my eyes kept straying toward an amused Janelle.

“Nice,”
she mouthed before walking away with a still serious Kevin following behind her. They disappeared inside their office, and I was itching to follow. I’d yet to receive my daily task sheet, and I was curious to see just how evil she could be.

The prospect of being her personal slave was fast becoming too enticing to ignore.

By the time lunchtime had run out, it was past one in the afternoon and the bosses were leaving for the day. Out they walked, Kevin with his phone in hand and her, she was looking my way. Honey-colored eyes bored into me, watching—calculating her next strike.

This woman was like a venomous snake. Lethal and precise.

She’d changed her clothing, and what was walking my way now was painful. Janelle wore a black, tight, curve-hugging skirt that fell to her knees with a simple white blouse on top. The material was sheer and had ruffles. Motherfucking ruffles that trailed down the middle of her chest, accentuating her spectacular tits.

I didn’t bother looking at her feet for fear of my reaction and her safety. Brother be dammed.

Automatically, my cock swelled inside my jeans and twitched in time with each step she took. Fuck, I wanted her in the worst of ways.

My hand itched to reach down and palm my swollen girth to alleviate a bit of the pressure and some my pain, but I couldn’t. Not with her brother beside her, a small scowl on his face while tapping away on his phone.

“We have a meeting across town,” Kevin spoke then, effectively pulling my attention away from temptation. He never once looked away from the screen. “It’s for a very coveted project, and I want first dibs in presenting a bid.”

“How big of a project?” I asked.

“I’d say about two years give or take. The city has huge plans for a new arena, and I want in.”

Nodding, I turned back to face a quiet Janelle. After all, she was in charge of delegating my tasks for the day. “So what are my duties for the rest of the day, Miss Walker?” It was her command I was looking forward to. As soon as the words left my lips, a sexy smirk took over her face. Those full lips pouting just the tiniest of bits. Gorgeous. “Command me, beautiful.”

“She can’t.” My eyes left hers and snapped toward Kevin’s. His eyes were friendly, yet held a small bit of anger in them. Somehow I knew that what happened yesterday was going to bite me in the ass. How could it not? She was his sister. “Because you’re coming with us.”

“Huh?” was my eloquent reply. Coming with us?

Running an agitated hand through his hair, he eyed me. “I need you there for input. It’s a huge job, one you will be running by yourself while we wrap up other projects we have almost ready for punch out around the city.”

“Do we have a problem, Kevin?” It had to be asked. Pussyfooting around was not my forte, and getting this shit cleared up was better for all parties involved.

Pursing his lips, he nodded. “Nothing we won’t be discussing soon.”

“About last night?”

“Look, Joshua, I like you…I do, but I won’t have you fucking around on my sister.”
The fuck?
While I like—lust—over her sweet ass, we weren’t in a relationship.

“Let me stop you right there,” I hissed out, glaring him down. “What happens between her and I, is just that. Her and I. We just met, and we aren’t dating. If and when that happens, rules and expectations will be put on the table. Don’t start shit and interfere.”

“So you didn’t fuck her?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. Not fucking interested. Especially since your sister is all I can—”

“I’m standing right here, assholes,” my girl spat, and we both stood there looking chastised. “And he’s right, Kev. Back off.”

“Fine,” he grumbled while shoulder-checking me before walking over and laying a kiss on her forehead. Bastard. “Just looking out for you both…I like the kid.”

Is he kidding me with this shit?

Turning back to face me, he smiled smugly. “We’d come back to this project five months into production and stay until it’s finished. Can you commit to finishing in the time frame the owners agree to?”

“You’re an ass.” This time it was Janelle that spoke, but instead of looking at me, she stared at Kevin. “Get your things and meet me there. I have one quick stop before heading over. You and lover boy can ride together.”

Just peachy.

Without waiting on my acquiescence she turned and walked away, not sparing us another glance. Damn her for leaving me slack-jawed as I watched her sway over to her car and get in. Leaving me almost panting when she turned and smiled at me, my eyes glued to her car as she revved the engine and peeled out.

How is that even possible in a Hummer?

A sudden burst of pain at the back of my head pulled me away from her retreating vehicle and toward the man responsible for the sting.

“What the fuck now?”

“Nothing, just felt it was deserved because of last night.” Again, the man was an ass.

HELL

“You’re a dick,” Kevin greeted the moment I sat down inside his all-white Mercedes Benz. The car was nice, but not him. Too clean—too girly, if I was being honest. It was the complete opposite of what I thought he would be driving, another enigma. Just like his sister.

“I have one, yes.” My smartass reply was met by an angry huff beside me. Annoyance dripped from his every pore, and it made the small confines of his car feel stifling. “What’s the problem? Quit being a pussy and speak your mind.”

I knew what his problem was. It was my behavior the night before, but I failed to see how that was any concern to him. People that meddled annoyed me.

Brother or not, my dick—my problem.

The resounding thwack of his palm connecting with the dashboard pulled me from my thoughts. Once. Twice. He hit the leather, making it slightly bow under the force of his blows.

“Irritating, self-centered…fuck!” His foot pressed down on the accelerator, as we zoomed in and out of traffic. Cars blurred, and for his sake I prayed there were no cops around. Dumbass.

“You break it, and don’t come looking for me. Not. My. Problem. Get a hold of yourself,” I barked out as he almost hit the car in front of us, swerving at the last possible second to avoid a collision. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” My barely contained ire caught his attention as we entered the heart of Orlando: its downtown.

The off-ramp was packed; cars lined up well into the right side of the I4 all looking to get off. He turned to look at me then while we waited and gave me the very same look Janelle had this morning. As if they didn’t understand me.

“Again, Kevin. What?” I ran an agitated hand down my face and began tapping my finger against the passenger side panel, mimicking the rhythm of the song playing on the radio. Still he watched, and it unnerved me.

I was nothing more than a simple man; one looking for a change of scenery and a decent pussy to bury my troubles in. Nothing more. Complications I didn’t do.

Kevin’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me. Fuck their job; I was done. He had two minutes to get his shit together or I would get out of the car, right here in the middle of the expressway. But then he opened his mouth to speak, and nothing. Opening and closing it multiple times. Not a sound escaped.

As if sensing that I’d reached my limit of understanding and patience, he spoke. “You two are so much alike. It’s fucking scary.” And that right there was not even on my radar of what I was expecting. It threw me for a loop. “She’s not looking for a relationship…quite the contrary, and it’s been that way for since Dad’s death. Since Calvin…” He trailed off at that, choosing instead to turn back around in his seat and ignore me during the few minutes it took me to gather my thoughts.

Something about the way he said his name rubbed me wrong. There had been history between the two of them; familiarity. Janelle had loved…fuck, my chest ached at that.

Why the fuck would he chose to share this?
I didn’t need to be made aware of her past.

“What did he do?” Each word that left my lips was drenched in fucking hate for this man. There was no way to mask the emotions threatening to take me under, especially jealousy. Kevin became aware right then that my indifference was an act, that I wanted her. His smile was all the confirmation I needed.

Kevin wanted a reaction and got one.

“You don’t care…said so yourself. Why the interest?” But I do care. Fuck me, I do.

This small, beautiful—fucking sinful demon of a woman had burrowed herself under my skin without giving me a fighting chance. I was screwed.

“Tell me,” I demanded.

“He wasn’t there when she needed him the most.” With a small sigh, he took his foot of the brake and moved with traffic. In all this, I hadn’t noticed that we’d gotten off the highway and were sitting at a light awaiting our turn. “Business came first. His, not hers. Even as we buried our father, he was on the phone finalizing a meeting for an upcoming merger. She had enough, and after the funeral broke it off. Canceled the wedding.”

Ring.

Engaged.

Belonged to another.

“Does she still have feelings for him?” My rage was like a blazing inferno choking me in its wake. Burned me. Fucking threatened to destroy my mental stability.

The thought of her loving…

I. Don’t. Care.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Kevin hummed beside me. Gone was the aggravation—what sat behind the wheel of this car was smug. Content with the mind fuck he’d just given me.

Goddamned asshole cornered me.

“Sorry, I don’t understand your bullshit.” Diversion was the only tactic I had left.

“I said,” he answered while putting on his turn signal, “keep telling yourself that, champ. It’ll hurt you more than me in the end.” The light turned green and he made the turn, right smack dab into the most horrendous traffic I’d ever witnessed. And it was only two o’clock in the afternoon.

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Denial, motherfucker, is more than just a river.”

“Fuck you.”

“My sister wouldn’t appreciate that, but thanks for the offer. For future reference, though, I suck tits, not dicks.” At that, I couldn’t help the snort that escaped. Dear Lord, I couldn’t breathe with how hard I was laughing. That shit right there was priceless.

“You’re an asshole, but thanks. I needed that.” He nodded, a small smile on his lips as he made an immediate right, then left. More than a few minutes passed while I gathered my bearings—I needed answers. Had to be levelheaded and keep an open mind. Calvin wasn’t in the picture anymore. “But seriously, Kevin…does she love him?”

While failing miserably at masking my internal freak-out with indifference, I waited for his answer. The more he took his sweet time, the quicker my agitation returned.

“Thought you didn’t give a shit.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Honesty.” Another right turn after driving two blocks down, and he pulled in to an underground parking structure. “Just be honest with yourself.”

“Goddammit, I do. In less than forty eight hours she’s made me care for her in some capacity.” Mostly my dick, but I couldn’t tell him that.

Kevin found a spot close to the elevator and parked. After turning off the car, he turned my way and appraised me, sighing to himself as he battled to find the right words to respond to my declaration.

“Thank you, I appreciate the truth.” Opening his door, he exited the car and walked toward the elevators. Following his lead, I did the same and once I reached him waved him on. I needed more than that to appease me.

“Answer me.”

“Hardheaded fuck,” he grumbled while pressing the up button. “And to answer your question…no, she doesn’t.”