Seth's Cravings: An Endless Series: Book 2 (4 page)

     Shit! I was still holding her arms. Releasing her I
fell to the side making sure to hold the condom in place as I slipped out of
her. “Damn, Melissa, are you okay?”

     She bent down and pulled the comforter over her. “Yes,
it was just a little rough and uncomfortable there toward the end. You know I
have a difficult time taking all of you.” She rolled on her side to face me and
patted my chest. “I still came so it wasn’t all bad.” She grinned crookedly,
but then her face puckered in confusion. “Why did you hold my arms over my head
like that? It was like you were trying to restrain me.”

     I tried to play it of with a shrug. “I’m not sure, I
just felt like doing it. Did you not like it?” Fuck! Say you liked it. It might
give me some justification as to why that orgasm had been so fucking good. I
could blame it on the restraining and not the play by play images that had been
going on inside my head.

     Melissa’s brow pinched. “Not so much really. It was a
little uncomfortable. I’m surprised I still climaxed, but than you never really
disappoint me there.” She grinned and patted my chest again.

     I turned away to drop the condom in the waste basket by
the bed, and so I wouldn’t have to look her in the face. “I’m going to hit the
bathroom real quick. I’ll be right back.” Shifting off the bed I strode naked
into the bathroom closing the door. Snatching up a washcloth I wet it and wiped
of the residual semen on my cock as I looked into the mirror.

     What the Fuck was wrong with me? I’d be lying if I said
I’d never had thoughts of another chick while fucking the one under me, but
that had just been too real. Everything had seemed so vivid. And that shit had
happened when I’d been doing girls I barely knew, not a girl that was my
girlfriend who I cared about. I could see doing something like that twenty
years down the road when the sex got old, but not after just a couple months.

     I had to get that chick out of my head.  

     Not only that I needed to reevaluate my relationship
with Melissa. I stilled cared for her, but she hadn’t liked anything I’d done
to her. I liked it rough, as well as retraining a woman. Maybe if I talked to
her she might come around to my way of thinking. She’d said it had been
uncomfortable, but there were ways to do these things where the other person
wasn’t put in too much discomfort.  

     I threw the washcloth into the dirty clothes hamper in
frustration. Everything about this was a fucking headache. Why did it have to
be so damn hard for everything to just fall into place?

Chapter Three

NADIA

     I walked into the party and looked around. It was Friday
night and three weeks into the new fall semester and the students of UVA were
partying like they’d been there for month’s already and needed to blow off
steam. Most of these children took partying more seriously than they did the
courses they shelled money out for…or rather the money their parent’s shelled
out. It seemed like such a waste.

     What was even more wasteful was how they threw it away
at the gaming tables. However, I couldn’t really complain too much about that
since it worked to my benefit. If they wanted to throw it away than I was more
than happy to be there grabbing it as it fell.  

     “Hey, you must be Nadezhda?”

     I turned to the voice addressing me; male, possibly
twenty—the same as me—around six feet, mud colored hair, pale blue eyes,
relatively attractive. Eh, they all looked the same to me.

     “Yes, how did you guess?” I simpered, hiding my
annoyance. I made sure to go heavy on my Russian accent. It always seemed to
impress the masses.

     The guy gave me an
I stivyj
(smarmy) smile that
made my hackles rise. “To look at you is to finally understand and believe what
everyone has been saying. The rumors going around said you were beautiful, but
I think that was an injustice to you.”

     I rolled my eyes inwardly. It was going to be one of
those nights. “Zank you, zat is so wery nice.”

     The guys’ eyes had been tracking my body crassly as we
talked. My curly strawberry blonde hair was down around my shoulders, my long
bangs swept to the side. I was wearing more make-up than I normally liked, but
not too much that I looked cheap, and had on two wispy tank tops, white and
peach, and skinny jeans. He seemed slightly disappointed in my sandals, but to
hell with him, I stopped this charade at wearing high heels.

     “As much as people have been saying how gorgeous you
are they’ve been equally impressed with your skill at cards. I have to say that
I’m eager to find out if the hype is true.” He gave me another one of those
icky smiles. I scarcely contained my shiver of revulsion.

     “Let us go find out zan, shall we.” I smiled through my
distaste. I was so sick of this. I’d been doing this college scene all summer
and it was irritating as hell. Sucking up to these patronizing, snooty,
sex-on-the-brain
mu’daks
(assholes) was shredding my last nerve.

     He waved me forward then put his hand on my back
guiding me through the throngs of people that were there merely to party, get
drunk, and find a sex partner for the night. It took everything in me to not
reach back for the guys hand and break it.

     This was a new venue and this game had been thrown at
me unexpectedly. A last minute cancelation from a guy that normally attended
had gotten me an in. In the last few months I’d made quite a reputation for
myself and a great number of people had my number, and I theirs. They called me
if they wanted or needed another player, or if they wanted to just check out
what all my ‘hype’ was about.

     I strolled into the game room to find three guys
already there, drinking and talking. Except for the guy behind me I’d played
with the rest of them at least once.

     A tall lanky blonde, Paul, was a simple player with
easy tells.

     The prettiest of the group, Landon, had been trailing
me from game to game for the last few weeks trying to prove he was the better
player. I’d played with him five times and he hadn’t as yet proven his
optimistic presumption which was working for me because I considered him a big
cash cow. He seemed more interested in me as a player than as a female which I respected,
so he could keep it coming for as long as he kept losing.

    Now the big one, Seth, I hadn’t seen in a couple weeks.
He’d been real quiet but intense the times I had sat a table with him. He
wasn’t pretty like Landon, his features were too hard and rugged for that, but
he was still very attractive in a rough way with his dark brown hair and cobalt
eyes. In fact, his ruggedness was more appealing than any prettiness the other
guys boasted.

     I’d had an atypical reaction to him the two times I’d
been in the same room as him, but I’d chalked it down to his large presence and
quiet demeanor. He was interesting and I’d appreciated his cool and serene
countenance in the middle of the constant idiotic jibber-jabber that seemed a
general rule for these people. 

     A hush went through the room when I entered.
Interesting
.
They didn’t appear to know that I was the sixth player. Seth’s expression
darkened and his head jerked to Landon who responded by raising his hands and
shaking his head.

     I had gotten the feeling that Seth had a problem with
me but I didn’t realize it was to such a degree. I knew it wasn’t just because
I was better at cards and took his money…no, he’d had a problem with me before
we’d even played and I wasn’t sure why. I’d been slightly bothered by it but I’d
made myself let it go because it wasn’t relevant, and I had more important
things to worry about.  

    It was a novel experience…the dislike…because normally
being the only female in an island of men made me fascinating to all of them.
They wanted to play against me and prove I wasn’t an anomaly; a good female
poker player. Being attractive and foreign only added to the mystique putting
me at the top of their must have list.

     Unfortunately, the must have list didn’t include only
cards. They thought they could get in my pants as well. That wasn’t ever going
to happen though.

     “Hello, boys.” I gave a small wave as I took the empty
seat next to Seth…just to bug him, because it bugged me that he had a problem
with me. I was just trying to make a living here and save up some money. That
was way better than what they did; throwing perfectly good money away by
playing a stupid game.

     Yes, this sounded hypocritical coming from someone who
also played the game, but I had a good reason for playing, and I only played
when I knew I would win; if not a large amount than at least a little. If I
wasn’t winning I rolled. 

     I turned and gave Seth an ‘I know how you feel about me
but I don’t care’ smile. “Hello, Sez…” I made sure to look him in the eye just
so it could sink in.

     His eyes widened as if he was surprised I remembered
his name. I had a really good memory though, that’s why I was so good at cards.
Also, names held power and that was important around these types of people.

     Moving my gaze away slowly from his to Landon I curved my
mouth in a more benign smile. “…Hello, Landon. How are you? What’s it been…four
days?” I let my lips quirk slightly so he’d know I was playing with him.

     He gave me the same smile back. That’s what I liked
about him, he may be a
mu’dak
, but he didn’t hide it and was actually entertaining
in his own way. “Nadezhda…yes, I believe you’re right. I wasn’t aware that you
were coming tonight.”  

     I shrugged casually, throwing another glance at Seth
who was watching us with narrowed eyes. “I wasn’t aware eizer until about sewen
hours ago. It is a pleasant surprise zough, no?” I made sure to lock eyes with
Seth. He had amazing dark blue eyes that could turn into a sort of a stormy
navy color, just like they did now as he stared at me. My heart stuttered a little.
 

     “No,” He grumbled an imitation of my accent. Breaking
eye contact with me he reached for the beer on the table in front of him.

     I couldn’t stop the burst of true laughter that erupted
from my throat. His gaze swiveled back to me the storm in them swirling. I’d
been about to say something witty to his one worded response but as the force
of his tempest reconnected with mine my mind blanked. I found myself blinking inanely
instead.

     “We’re waiting on one more player and than we can start.”

     I forcibly turned my head away from the pull of the
storm to the guy who’d led me into the room, and who was now sitting right next
to me. Great! And wasn’t I just inwardly dialoguing about idiotic jibber-jabber?
Of course we wouldn’t start the game until all the player’s were here.

     “Can I get you a drink, Nadezhda?” He asked with a
smile worse than the last one.

     I was beyond hating hearing my Christian name on these
durak
hooyeas
(stupid fools) lips. Hardly anyone of them said it correctly.

     “Zank you, but I hafe my own drink.” Reaching into my
purse I pulled out my half pint vodka bottle; ninety percent water, ten percent
vodka. It was just enough that other people could smell the alcohol. This way I
didn’t have to worry about someone slipping me something in a drink, and it
loosened the nerves at the table as they watched and hoped I was getting too
drunk to play a competent game.

     Uncapping the bottle I took a sip. After months of
drinking this concoction it no longer bothered me, but if I had a choice I
would rather have one or the other. I was the stereotypical Russian having
grown up on the taste of vodka. Russians used it as a medicinal drink. It
killed everything from the common cold virus to some cancers…or some believed.

     I wasn’t one of the some that believed that though.  

     “Can I get you a glass?” The guy offered instead.

     Holding in a sigh at his persistence I smiled. “I’m sorry;
I didn’t catch your name?”

     There was a snort next to me…Seth…while the guy looked
affronted and annoyed. I knew the individual throwing the party was named Dale
and since this guy had met me at the door, led me through the house, and seemed
to be in charge of the game rules, I’d already figured out who he was. I had
just wanted to pull his chain. Sometimes there was so little fun at these gatherings.
It also helped to look a little dimwitted.

     “My names Dale. This is my party.”

     I raised my hand and tapped my finger to my head in a
‘duh’ motion. “Yes, I knew a Dale was zrowing zee party, I just didn’t connect him
to you. I mean you could hafe been anyone who answered zee door at a party like
zis.” I explained rationally.    

     Dale was instantly appeased. “Good point.”

     “And yes, I would lof a glass.” I said with a smile to
get back into his good graces. Unfortunately, this guy was a game maker and I
needed him to invite me back.

     As Dale rose to get me a glass I noticed Seth eyeing me
critically while Landon seemed to have stepped away from the table. I smiled.
“What?”

     His dark brow rose sardonically. “I didn’t catch your
name.” He only mimicked the words this time, not the accent.

    I gave him an innocent look. “It’s true. He could have
been a mass murderer for all I knew.”

     “Smart of you to follow him then.” Leaning his large
frame back in the chair he watched me in disapproval…along with something else
I couldn’t quite identify. 

     “He could have been the ice cream man for all I knew.”
I promptly amended with a smirk.

     His lips tightened and I thought he might have been
trying to hold back a smile but as I’d never seen one on him yet I wasn’t sure.
“Ice cream men are even more dangerous than mass murder’s.” He grumbled.