I Saw You (21 page)

No sooner had
I ended the call with Gabriel when a text popped up on the screen.

Open the gate, Cheetos. I’m here to go over your schedule for the next two weeks. ~ Ash

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” I muttered while running an agitated hand down my face. There was no time for this bullshit, not when my Slim thought…

No.

I wouldn’t allow it.

Walking over to the panel by my bedroom door, I pressed the gate button and walked downstairs. Had the door open and was leaning against its casing before her car pulled up to the front and she exited.

Her smile was wide and her eyes excited. They fell the moment she got a good look at me, yet I didn’t miss the way her eyes roamed my naked chest. How her eyes drank in each colorful swirl of ink that decorated my upper body and arms. Still didn’t understand how I missed the signs all these years.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, stopping just a few steps away from me in a tiny pair of shorts and a midriff-baring top. While we were comfortable in each other’s presence, this wasn’t the norm and definitely not for going over my schedule. This was an attempt at seduction.

Something I had no fucking time for.

“Book me a ticket—first plane out to Miami.” Turning around, I walked back inside while she stayed put. “Make it fast. This time, I don’t have the luxury of waiting for you to catch up.”

The door behind me slammed closed. “Why are you heading to Miami?” Each word was spoken slowly, with a tinge of venom that was undeniable. Ashley stood close; close enough that I could hear the agitated breaths she was taking in.

“None of your business, Ash. All I need from you is to book the tickets while I pack. I’ll be gone four days max.” I had one foot on the first step when she pulled me back, her fingers digging into my forearm. Nails embedding themselves into my flesh. “The fuck,” I grunted, planting my feet in order to not tumble back and hurt her. Once I regained my footing, I looked back over my shoulder at her with a glare. “Remove your hand.”

While a small part of me still felt the guilt of seeing her cry, her attitude at the moment made it hard to care. Or put too much consideration when it came to her feelings. What happened to understanding where I stood and just being a friend? Meeting me halfway when I’d already risked my relationship to be there for her.

“Answer me, dammit.”  Her own angry eyes met mine. “We have an event happening in five days, Chester. Five. There’s going to be media coverage of the charity event—interviews—a photo shoot with
the
world’s most prominent rock magazine. You can’t just get up and go because that who—”

“I’d be very careful how you finish that sentence; my patience is running very thin at the moment.” Ashley opened her mouth to speak, but I held a hand up. “What, where, or toward whom I’m headed is none of your concern. Once again, you’ve forgotten that you aren’t my girl. Best friend and assistant, nothing more. Get it through your thick skull, and shit will run smoother. Now, help me by doing your job, or get out. I know my schedule and don’t need a reminder.”

Removing her hand from my arm, I continued on my way up. Didn’t bother to look back when she muttered a few low curses or when the door behind her slammed shut. Arianna and the boys were right. It was time for me to rip the Band-Aid off.

Her infatuation would not cost me my Slim.

I Saw You...

Parked behind her club, I sat down and waited. Tried so hard to calm the raging, motherfucking beast that roamed within the darkest recesses—banged against the cages of my mind, begging to be let out. To let him reclaim the one female he’d taken as his.

Her car sat alone.

The second spot closest to the door in the early afternoon hours.

No one knew I was here, not even Gabriel. Never confirmed my arrival.

Hi. You’ve reached Arianna Garcia, I’m either attending another call or can’t come to the phone at the moment. Please leave me your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.

Beep…

Hanging up, I tossed the phone on the seat beside me. It wasn’t necessary for what I was about to do. I was here for one thing and one thing only; to reclaim my girl. Drill into her that she no longer had free will when it came to her love life. There was no other option but me.

No one.

Stepping out of the rental, I closed the door with a soft thud and walked across the lot. Didn’t stop until I made it to Lujuria’s back door and paused; she was so fucking close. Could almost feel her goddamned presence—her smell all around me.

Five hard knocks on the metal door. Loud, the sound reverberated through the parking area like a gunshots. Waited, and nothing. Not a sound from the other side, and I banged on it again. Harder this time and with the anger I felt toward her idiotic decision.

“Who the fuck?” I heard her voice from the other side, and at the sound my cock hardened. Pulsed in ire at her audacity to think and replace us.

Reaching down, I gave my dick a quick tug before the click of a lock was being turned. Just enough to take the edge off.

Slowly, she opened the door and gasped. “What the—”

Slim didn’t get to finish her sentence; my lips were on hers a second after our eyes met. I pushed her back inside with my body following close, lips still fused together while I kicked the door shut. It slammed, causing her to squeak in my arms, the bang of metal meeting wall echoing inside her empty club.

From my calculations, I had two hours before Gabriel and the rest of her staff showed up.

“Fuck, I missed your taste. That goddamned sweetness that brings me to my knees each time our lips touch.” Resting my forehead against hers, I nuzzled her nose with mine. Her back met the wall, with my hips pinning her in place. Feeling her. The warmth. With one touch she soothed the craziness that had begun to dominate. “Don’t ask me to give that up.”

“Why are you here?” Slim’s tone held a mixture of hope and irritation. Her tiny hands came up and grasped mine that were framing her face, caging her, and tried to pry them off. “I told you to lose my number. Nowhere in that sentence was there an open invitation to show up.”

“And I told you I wasn’t letting you go.” Bringing my mouth back to hers, I nipped her bottom lip before bringing it between my own. Soothing the sting with the tip of my tongue, I savored her sweet flavor before twining mine with hers. No matter how hard she claimed to want me gone, the way she clung to my shirt said otherwise. “I know I hurt you, Ari, and for that I’m sorry. But for you to think for one second that this…” I groaned against her mouth while my hands wandered up her back “…between us is a choice, you’re dead wrong. Together we make sense, baby.” Stopping at the nape of her neck, I fisted her honey-colored locks in my hands and tugged. “I’m not walking away.”

“Can’t do this with you, Chester. You shouldn’t have just shown up—I have a…” she trailed off at my angry glare. It seemed that the enraged look in my eyes clued her in. An indignant laugh bubbled out of her. “You know. How?”

“What should I know, Slim? Huh? Fill me the fuck in.” Gone was the gentle tone. Instead, I was filled with fury. Undignified at the mere thought of her with another man. That she’d go out with that pussy ex of hers to get back at me. Because I wasn’t blind to that fact; she knew it would sting.

“Leave.” Jutting her chin out, Arianna, stood defiant with a hand on my chest. Tried to push me back, but instead I ground my hardness against her. Let her feel me pulse through the confines of my jeans.

Releasing her hair, I brought my hand to her neck and squeezed. Added just a tiny bit of pressure. “No.”

“We aren’t together anymore.” It came out as a low whine, a sweet whimper against my lips.

“No?” Skimming my nose up the side of her face, I inhaled deep. Took the soft coconut smell of her lotion into my lungs and groaned. Even pissed at her, I wanted more.

“Is that all you can say? No?” Shivers ran up her spine, and the soft skin of her arms erupted in goosebumps. There was no using diplomacy with her. There was only one thing she’d understand at that moment, and it was the need we both shared. How her pussy clenched for me; I could feel the heat against my jeans.

“Where’s your office?” Gruff, my tone came out much harsher than I intended, and she shrunk away from me. That wouldn’t do. “Tell me, baby.” Voice softer, low. “Where?”

Without realizing my intentions, Ari pointed a single finger down a long corridor. “At the end. Why?”

One swift move and her legs were wrapped around my waist. Tight, they clung to me while her hips shifted the tiniest bit. I felt it, though. How her…
fuck.

In my rush to have her in my arms, I never noticed just what she was wearing. How little there was too said outfit. Miniscule and white. A dress that ended at what I assumed was her mid-thigh. Two thin straps held the top of her dress in place, the bodice tight and body hugging. Cute yet sexy.

Temptation.

Arianna was provocation incarnate. Alluring. Beautiful. Naughty with just a tiny hint of coyness that made me hard as fuck. Didn’t even want to begin thinking about the way others saw her.

How they ate her with their eyes.

“Who the hell are you wearing this for?”

“You need to calm down.” Wrong choice of words for her to use, yet like all the times before, she stared me down defiantly. “This isn’t some macho game you will win with me.”

My hand drifted up the back of her thigh and bunched the dress up higher, causing those legs to tighten around me. The higher I went, the more her breathing became labored. The harder she bit down on her bottom lip to contain the noises she didn’t want me to hear.

“Moan for me,” I snarled, tired of holding back for the sake of her comfort. Done. Either way, she was both mine and cared for. At my demand she bristled, something I’d come to expect, but once my hand met the soft dip where her thigh and ass met…

“Fuck,” she whimpered in my arms, her hands fisting my hair in a tight hold. A stinging sensation shot through me like a bolt of lightning hitting the ground with force.

I shook while holding her tighter. My entire being begged for more, and at my reaction, she pulled my head back. Slim licked a path from the base of my throat, stopping at my chin to nip the small dip there before reaching my lips. She hovered over them, exhaled a warmth breath that caressed my mouth.

“It’s a dangerous game the one you play, sweet girl. My bite won’t come as a warning.” Had to give her that much at least. Never said I wasn’t an asshole. That she had no choice was one thing and the other that I’d give her notice of my actions.

With both hands fisted in my locks, she held me in place, a serious look on her face. “I’m not scared of you.”

“Don’t want you to be.” My own hands fisted, took a tight, lace-covered cheek in each hand and squeezed. Hard, and with just enough force to leave her tanned flesh marked long after I was gone. Didn’t feel an ounce of guilt at that either.

One thing I knew about my Slim, she loved to be manhandled by me. She’d begged me more than once to mark her.

“Why are you here, Chester?” Gone was the rebellion; the more we touched, the more she calmed.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I grunted mid turn, making my way toward the back and her office. She opened her mouth, but before she could, I nipped then released her bottom lip. Shook my head while making my way past two doors and then paused in front of hers.

Same door she slammed in my face the night she and Ashley got into it. Hated the piece of shit structure, kicked it with more force than necessary. It banged against the wall, plaster fell, and a small cloud of white dust permeated the space.

Slim squeaked in my arms, her hands trying to push me off. Pissed me off.

This yo-yoing was getting on my last nerve.

How could she have me so tied up in knots? Happy one second and the next, furious at the place we found ourselves.

“Dammit, Cheesy,” she yelled out, tiny fists pounding on my back. “Quit breaking things. You’re going to fix…shit!” I had her feet on the floor and her body bent over her desk before she could take in her next breath. Ass high and wiggling, she tried to fight my hold. “Get off; I’m not sleeping with you when I have a date in a few hours.”

“You’re not going on that fucking
date
,” I spat, one hand pushing her dress up and over that sweet backside. My fingers ran up the outside edges of her white matching panties. So small, they barely contained her within them.

“Don’t want this.” Her words meant shit when she pushed against my hand. When her hips undulated beneath me until her heat on my palm seared me. Wetness coated my fingertips, and I bucked against her. Denim-covered cock rubbing against her ass.

Arianna didn’t fight me once.

Not when I nearly tore the zipper of her dress.

Not when I roughly pulled the fabric off her short frame and tossed it somewhere across the room. My answer came in the form of a single finger tracing the bottom curve of her ass to the edge of her slit. Two long passes, enough to soak my fingers in her essence. She wanted this as much as I did.

The stretching of seams met our ears next. One hand held her in place, while the other fisted the flimsy material, pulled it down her slick thighs and then off. Let her feel my desire for her in my movements. Just like that scrap of fabric now in my hands, she was at my mercy.