Teased (The VIP Room, #1) (13 page)

Vida began to feel stupid. “I didn’t
think.”

“
That’s for damn sure. This whole
situation you’ve put yourself in is one big fucking
mess.”

“
I may have made a mistake with Henry,
but the rest I have done what I had
—
” Vida tried to defend herself.

“
No, Vida, what you should have done
is what I told you to do long ago, and that was walk away,” Colton
interrupted.

Vida began to get angry herself. “I wasn’t
about to walk away from a degree that has been hard to earn. Plus,
I will also be paying for it the rest of my life. I wasn’t going to
leave Sawyer behind, either; we made a pact. She worked a full time
job then waitressed at night to pay the bills so I could finish
school. We’ve saved and pinched every dime so that we would have
enough cash to be able to go where we wanted. I am not fucking
leaving without her!”

“
I have news flash for you, Sawyer
isn’t fucking here. She’s not here for you to leave behind. You’re
both going to be lucky if you don’t end up buried next to your
friend.”

Vida sucked in her breath at his cruel
words.

“
You asshole. Don’t you tell me what
to do. The only thing you’re attached to is your damn dick. You
don’t know what loyalty is; you fuck around on your wife. Not only
do you fuck around on her, but you can’t even fuck one woman, you
fuck anything that moves and breaths in your direction.” She had no
qualms about showing her disgust.

“
I haven’t fucked you,” Colton
taunted.

“
No, you haven’t, because you are
smart enough to know I don’t want your skanky ass,” Vida snapped
back.

All the fear and loathing she had been
holding inside for the last month was released into the harsh words
she spewed towards Colton. She should have been thanking him for
saving her from Digger, who had hit her and was obviously going to
rape her before disposing of her. However, Colton’s words about
Sawyer and Callie had brought out the fight in her, which she
couldn’t get back under control.

“
Is that so?” Colton questioned, his
expression thunderous.

“
Yes!” Vida spat back at
him.

“
Go get a shower. There’s Ibuprofen in
the medicine cabinet; you’re going to be sore later tonight. I’ll
fix us something to eat.” Taking a deep breath, Colton managed to
do what she hadn’t been able to do. Reign in his temper.

Their argument ended so suddenly it took
Vida several seconds to realize that Colton was no longer
participating.

“
I’m sorry, Colton. I didn’t mean to
fly off the handle. You were right; I shouldn’t have gotten in the
car. I didn’t mean to snap your head off,” Vida
apologized.

“
It’s all right, Vida. Go get a
shower.” Colton didn’t look back at her as he pulled cans out of
the cabinet.

Vida felt terrible, yet went to take her
shower. Taking clean clothes, she went into the bathroom. Turning
the water on hot, she hoped it would take the soreness out of her
body.

When she came out of the bathroom, she
smelled hamburgers frying. Her stomach growled as she came to a
stop in the kitchen. The waitress from the waffle house was back
and she was standing at the stove frying the hamburgers. Colton was
leaning casually against the counter. Talking to her, his face was
relaxed and friendly with the woman fixing their dinner.

Vida felt a jab in her stomach. Refusing to
admit she was jealous, she walked further into the room.

“
Have a seat. Dinner will be ready in
a minute.” His friendly disposition changed when he saw her come
into the room.

Vida sat down at the table, reluctantly
feeling uncomfortable. Colton had never had a woman in the
apartment outside of the bedroom.

He sat a plate down in front of her with the
hamburger and a salad that she was sure Tammy was responsible for
as well.

“
Water?” he asked.

“
Yes, thank you.” Colton sat the drink
down in front of her. Going back and forth, he sat a couple of
bottles of beer down for Tammy and himself before sitting down on
the other side of the table. Vida watched as he opened both bottles
of beer and then handed one to the other woman.

She felt like a third wheel.

Tammy’s gasp drew Vida’s attention to find
the woman staring at her in horror. “What happened to you?” she
questioned, looking accusingly at Colton.

Colton had told her before not to break into
his conversations, so Vida kept her mouth shut. Colton didn’t seem
pleased with Tammy’s accusing look.

“
Vida made someone angry that she
shouldn’t have,” Colton informed Tammy.

Tammy didn’t look as if her suspicions had
been appeased. She cast looks back and forth between Colton and
Vida. Colton gave Tammy a reassuring smile. When Tammy wasn’t
looking, Vida smirked at him. He began to look angry, which only
fueled Tammy’s suspicions.

“
Stop it, Vida,” Colton warned
her.

Vida jumped in her seat and threw terrified
eyes toward Tammy, all while managing not to burst out in laughter.
The food tasted really good, despite watching Tammy flirt with
Colton. She thanked Tammy, determined to hide how irritated she was
becoming.

“
It was delicious. I wish I could cook
as well as you.”

Tammy preened with the compliment from
Vida.

“
Let’s go into the bedroom. Vida can
do the dishes.” Colton stood up, taking his plate and Tammy’s to
the sink.

Vida hastily stood, carrying her half-eaten
plate to the counter. Taking an empty to go box out of the cabinet
Vida put her half-eaten sandwich and leftover salad into it before
putting it in the refrigerator. Tammy stood with her mouth
open.

“
We can’t waste food.” This time Vida
wasn’t joking when she saw Tammy’s pitying look and Colton’s angry
one. The phrase coming out of Vida’s mouth had obviously been
droned into her by her quick response.

“
I’m sorry, Colton, but I need an
early night. I have to be at work early.” Tammy went to the couch,
picking up her purse.

“
Tammy, she can eat whatever she
wants. I don’t starve her,” Colton tried to explain.

Tammy looked at Vida’s thin build and loose
clothes.

“
Honey, you get tired of his crap, I
got an extra bedroom you can stay in until you get on your feet.”
Throwing Colton a look of disgust, she left in a whirl of perfume
and high heels.

Vida waited until the door was closed before
she broke down into laughter. She laughed so hard she had to hold
her sides. Seeing Colton’s smoldering gaze only set her off in
fresh peals of laughter.

“
I thought the black eye would do
it...” Vida had to pause to catch her breath “...not the food.
That’s just habit. I guess she couldn’t stand the thought of you
not feeding her.” Vida had to lean against the counter she was
laughing so hard.

“
Oh my God, your expression was
priceless. And the madder you got only convinced her more that you
were beating me.”

Vida was so busy laughing she didn’t notice
Colton setting the dirty dishes in the sink or crossing the room to
lock the door.

“
Vida?” Colton’s soft voice drew her
attention as he now leaned against the counter with his arms
crossed against his chest.

“
Yes?” Vida wiped the tears of mirth
away from her eyes.

“
Do you know why I invited Tammy
here?”

“
Because you wanted to get laid.” Vida
didn’t detect the danger she was in.

“
Yes, because it was either get a
woman here or fuck you. You have now taken that option out of my
hands.” Colton straightened, reaching for Vida. Sliding out of his
reach, she thought he was paying her back for ruining his
night.

“
Don’t take it so hard, Colton. Your
next lay is only a phone call away,” Vida taunted.

“
No, Vida. My next lay is six inches
away.” Colton strode forward. Belatedly realizing that he was
serious, she took off running for the door. The doorknob was in her
hand and she was pulling the door open when Colton’s hand above her
head slammed the door closed. Vida was held flat against the door
as Colton’s body pressed against her back and ass.

Vida stood still, realizing to late when she
felt Colton’s hardness against her backside just how serious he was
about his intentions.

“
What’s wrong, Vida. Got yourself in
trouble?” Colton whispered in her ear. His mouth nuzzled her neck,
sending chills down her back.

“
Let me go, Colton. I’ll call Tammy
and tell her I was just aggravating you.”

“
Too late. I didn’t want her anyway. I
want you. I was being nice keeping my hands off you. Since you
don’t want to play nice, I see no reason to continue fucking women
that aren’t you.”

Vida tried to struggle free, however Colton
held her still while his lips continued to explore her neck. He
slightly lifted his weight off her and slid his hand across her
midriff, seeking and finding the bottom of her top. His firm hand
glided upwards across the flesh of her stomach, causing goose bumps
to rise on her flesh.

His hand slid underneath her flimsy bra to
find a nipple and begin twirling it between his fingertips. With
Vida’s hands against the door, she pushed back against him, but
Colton forestalled her, widening his stance and using his other
hand to grip her hip, pulling her ass back against his lengthening
cock.

“
You’re making me so hard that I could
come in my jeans.” Colton’s lips found her earlobe, gently biting
it at the same time pinching her hard nipple. His hand then slipped
from her breast, down her quivering stomach, his fingertips sliding
underneath the fabric of her sweat pants.

“
Stop, Colton!” Vida
protested.

Colton took a step backward, releasing her.
It took Vida several seconds to become aware he had released her.
Turning from the door, she saw that he was standing by the couch,
clenching and unclenching his hands.

“
I stopped this time, Vida. Next time
you play me like that, I won’t.”

“
I won’t. I’m not going to have sex
with you, Colton,” Vida told him bluntly.

“
Five more minutes and I would have
had you begging me.” Colton’s cynical voice had Vida’s temper
rising.

“
I would never beg you, Colton. You
take sex as seriously as chewing a piece of gum. You’re married,
and you’re an ass.” Vida raised her fingers counting off each one
of his faults.

“
You’re a pain in my ass. I am not
married. I told Tessa to get a divorce while I was in prison, she
didn’t. It will be final in a couple of weeks.” Vida waited
expectantly, but he made no excuses for being an ass.

“
I’ll move back into King’s,” Vida
decided out loud.

Colton looked at her as if her intelligence
was in question. “You move back in with King then Briggs will tell
Digger. Next time he takes you, he will get you out of town so fast
there won’t be time to get you back before you’re sold to
someone.”

Vida turned away, going to the closet to get
her blankets and sheets. Making up the couch, she ignored him.
Colton sighed and then left the room. Vida turned out the lights
before lying down on the couch. Her body was sore and it finally
hit her what Digger was going to do to her if Colton had not shown
up. Moving restlessly on the couch, she was unable to get
comfortable.

The nightmare came whenever she had an
emotional upset. She had a recurrence for several nights after
Sawyer’s disappearance, but it had eased off. It came back with a
vengeance now.

The dream began with flashes of her playing
with Sawyer and Callie, running down the halls and making everyone
crazy. Then, the day gradually changed over to night in her dreams
with the flames eating at her unconscious mind. She could still see
herself screaming and knocking on Callie’s door, the smoke pouring
out from underneath. Her mom ran frantically toward her, picking
her up and running down the hallway with her. Sawyer’s mother was
running in front of them, trying to escape the smoke filled
hallway, her terrified eyes staring back at Vida had her crying in
her sleep.

Vida felt cocooned in softness as her mother
held her, rocking her gently then lifting her and carrying her to
bed. She couldn’t stop crying for Callie and Sawyer’s grey eyes
tormented her until she gradually managed to doze off with her
mother gently stroking her hair.

Chapter 11

Vida tried to roll over and found herself
pinned with an arm around her waist as well as a hard male body
curved against her back. She stiffened, feeling a soft mattress
underneath her. Trying to slide out from underneath the arm, Vida
felt it tighten against her, pulling her backwards.

The arm turned her until she was lying on
her back, staring up at Colton.

“
Feeling better this morning?”
Colton’s thumb traced her black eye and bruised cheek.

“
Yes, uh... how did I end up in here?”
Vida asked, confused.

“
You sleep walked in here and begged
to sleep with me.” Colton’s straight face stared back at
her.

“
I did?” Vida’s mind desperately tried
to remember the night before. Colton’s laughter brought her back,
seeing him grinning down at her.