Chasing Love: A Billionaire Love Triangle (Dark Love Series Book 1)

by Kat T. Masen

  “Are you okay?” Julian questions, worried. “You sound out of breath.”

  “I’m fine, just had to run for my phone. I’ll call you tomorrow. There’s something here I need to sort out.”

  “No worries. Till tomorrow, gorgeous. I love you.”

  What the fuck do I say?

  “Me, too.”

  I end the call as fast as humanly possible before letting out the loudest moan, relief washing over me from holding it in. Lex withdraws himself out of me, leaving me to whimper.

  We aren’t done.

  No one came.

  “Did you just tell him you loved him?” he spits, nostrils flaring with rage consuming him.

  “How dare you make me answer that call, Lex!” I lift my hand to slap him across the face, but he quickly grabs it, his grip overpowering mine.

  “Tomorrow night you’ll be busy fucking me. You belong to me, Charlotte. Don’t mess with me anymore. You won’t like the punishment.”

  “Fuck. You!”

  “Since you had no problem keeping quiet over the phone, you’ll have no problem keeping quiet now.”

  He flips me around, pushing my chest onto my desk. Forcefully, he uses his legs to spread mine as far apart as they’ll go. His cock slides back inside, and leaning over, he covers my mouth with his hand while pounding into me.

  My desk is shaking, the papers flying everywhere. The screams are muffled in his hand, my body ready to combust from the intensity of his animalistic demand to own every part of me.

  Quickly, he turns me back around, my hands gripping the edge of the desk.

  Tilting his face, inches in front of my mine, he commands me with his eyes. “You’re such a little bitch trying to make me jealous. No one else will fuck you like this. Come for me. Now.”

  I bite into his hand, exploding all over him, the rush consuming every inch of my body and finishing with a blissful warmth. His thrusts are desperate as he lets go of my mouth, pounding me hard one more time before his body shakes, exploding inside of me.

  Our breaths, shallow and uneven, command the room with its noise. Slowly, he pulls himself out of me, collapsing on my body.

  What the hell am I doing?

  I continue to lay still, trying to catch my breath.

  Realization of our indiscretion comes crashing like a tsunami, the guilt following its footsteps afraid of not being felt. My chest begins to tighten, and consciously, I begin to button my blouse while he rests beside me breaking the silence between us.

  “Lex, I meant what I said.”

  He drags his body back on top of mine removing my hands from my blouse, undoing what I had done up, and finishes undressing me. His eyes immediately wander to the tattoo of the phoenix just above my pubic bone. Searching my eyes, he looks for an explanation, but it’s one I’m not ready to give.

  “And I meant what I said, Charlotte.”

  Trailing kisses down my body, he orders me to sit up on the desk, my legs spread. He lowers himself onto my pussy, tasting it slowly, circling his tongue around my clit. I’m caught by surprise, my body craving to convulse again as he sucks harder. Taking two fingers, he slides them inside of me, fucking me carelessly. My arousal, mixed with his own, is dripping around his fingers, only adding to the pure lust of this moment.

  I need to taste him again, pushing his head away I demand he sit on my desk.

  Taking a moment to admire how sexy he looks chained to my desk by the power I hold over him, I wrap my hand around his shaft, sliding my mouth up and down, tasting him whole.

  “I am not finished with you,” he sputters, momentarily beyond words.

  “I’m not finished with you.” I stand, climbing on top of him. Instead of fucking him, I turn around, positioning myself to sixty-nine. His body tenses, his groans intensifying.

  “Oh fuck, baby, bring that pussy here.”

  My moans intensify, his face buried between my legs while my mouth wraps around his cock. With every sordid lick, I take him in deeper, both of us competing against each other in this sick and twisted game we are playing.

  “Lex, I can’t… take it anymore, I’m going to…” My body begins shaking. Frantically, I grab his cock, sucking it hard while I ride the orgasmic wave to another climatic finish.

  Catching my breath with him buried in my mouth, the familiar taste hits the back of my throat, and succumbing to my own fantasies, I savor every last drop.

  Once again, we lay silently trying to come up for much-needed air. My arms are like jelly, but I manage to climb off of him, collapsing on the desk beside him as I stare at the ceiling trying to calm the adrenaline running through me.

  “When did you get the tattoo?” he questions with a low voice.

  “Back in college.”

  “What is it?”

  “A phoenix.”

  He pulls my body up, handing me my clothes. I’m feeling self-conscious, quick to bring my blouse to my chest. Beside me, he begins removing his shirt.

  “Why are you taking your shirt off now?”

  Watching him expose his chest, my jaw unwillingly drops at the sight of his tattoo, inked above his perfectly sculpted abs. Without thinking, I reach out, running my fingertips along it. The design is some sort of tribal tattoo, but when I look closely, the shadow is of a lion. It runs down the side of his torso and along his ribcage.

  “Lions are a sign of power,” I mumble to myself, mesmerized by the amount of detail.

  “Yes, they are, and the phoenix?”

  I don’t want to discuss it, not now, not here when I’m so vulnerable.

  “It’s late,” I tell him. “We need to go.”

  He doesn’t push me for answers, instead helping me tidy my desk as I shut down the computer. With my purse in hand, I pick up my phone and see the text message on the screen.

  Batman: Remember Batman has all these fancy tricks up his sleeve if you need a pick me up.

  Lex glances my way, watching me read the message, though this time, ignoring it. My phone begins to buzz in my hand.

  Adriana. Shit, I forgot!

  I place her on speakerphone, so Lex doesn’t question me. “Adriana.”

  “Charlie, I’m in your lobby! The doorman said he could let me up, but I thought I’d call you first.”

  “I’m sorry, Adriana, I got caught up in something. Tell Jean he can let you in my apartment. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  “Okay, sweet, see ya soon.”

  Lex grins, bowing his head.

  “Why are you smiling like that?” I ask, unable to hide my smile.

  Seeing him smile makes my heart flutter stupidly. That arrogant prick is so fucking beautiful.

  “You know Adriana is going to ask you a million questions, right? She’ll want nine years’ worth of information in the space of an hour.”

  “I know. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her.”

  We enter the elevator. I lean over, attempting to push the ground floor button. My hand is rudely pushed away. Lex slams his finger on the stop button.

  “Time to make this a reality,” he growls, pushing my skirt up, taking me from behind.

  Round three, here we go.

  ***

  “I’m here, I’m here…”

  I bolt through my front door, praying I don’t have anything running down my leg. This is all kinds of awkward, and Lex coming inside me was an afterthought. The bastard didn’t even have the nerve to ask me if I was on the Pill. Asshole.

  “Hiya!” she beams, throwing her arms around me tightly.

  I excuse myself, quickly, changing in my room to my sweats and a tank top. When I come back out, Adriana is reading a book from my coffee table.

  “Anyways.” She puts the book down, facing me as I sit on the couch beside her. “Your place is amazeballs. What’s the name of your interior decorator?”

  “Um, me… and have you been talking to Eric because I swear, Adriana, the two of you were separated at birth.”

  “Oh-em-gee, he’
s totally awesome, right? I can’t believe you did this yourself. You never liked designing or fashion before.”

  “Things change, people grow. The designing part I started to enjoy when I lived with my grandmother. She had a taste for random knick-knacks, but somehow, she made it work.” I smile at the memory, welcoming the conversation. “On the weekends we’d go to flea markets looking for one-of-a-kind pieces. As for fashion, part of it was because of Nikki. We shared a room in college, and every time I’d have a date, she’d lend me her outfits. I kind of got a taste for it.”

  “Will you please tell me more about your grandmother?”

  “She was an amazing woman—” I hesitate, unsure how long I can go on without breaking down. “I only met her a few times when I was young because she and my mom didn’t really get along. When things in Carmel got too difficult, my dad spoke to her, and she welcomed me with open arms. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without spending those last five months with her. She was such a compassionate woman, so much wisdom. She held onto me when I needed hope and gave me the strength to see the future.”

  I stop abruptly, knowing I can’t go on. Can I pour my heart out to Adriana and tell her my grandmother was there, holding my hand on the darkest day of my life? My heart tightens as I close my eyes, reliving the memory.

  “She was sick, but she never told anyone. The day she passed away was when I found out.” The room falls quiet, my vision clouding as the emotions come to the surface. “Adriana, will you tell me what happened when you found out?”

  Adriana shuffles on my couch, tucking her legs beneath her knees.

  “I noticed Lex acting weird, but I had no idea about the baby. Samantha called us over one night, and she announced the pregnancy. Lex was furious. He didn’t want this to happen. My parents, of course, saw it as a blessing.” She clears her throat, but I sense she’s trying to be cautious with her words. “The next day we went over to see if Lex had calmed down. Samantha was home by herself, and she was visibly upset. She’d been crying, and as my mom consoled her, she told her that Lex was having an affair. When she said your name we were all in shock. My father was livid. He was ready to kill Lex. I was numb. You were my best friend and I felt betrayed by you.”

  “Adriana, it was never my intention. I loved him so much…”

  She raises her eyes to meet mine. “I thought about that. I thought maybe what you and Lex had was like Elijah and me, but Samantha kept telling me that you used me to get closer to Lex, and that all along you had your eye on him. I don’t know why I believed her. The biggest regret I have isn’t following my instincts. Instead, I gave up on our friendship.”

  I let out a huge sigh, my shoulders wearing down. “You know what? It’s done, and now we move on.”

  “Yes, I know. It’s like fate played a part.” Moving close to me, she rests her head on my shoulder just like old times. “Now, will you be my maid of honor?”

  I turn to face her, the excitement hard to contain. “Of course, Adriana.”

  We hug tightly again, and I think to ask the most important question. “Who’s designing the dress?”

  She rambles on about the designers involved, and my heart fills with joy. I can’t believe Elijah has waited so long to propose, but I guess, like many of us, life just gets in the way.

  “We planned our wedding three years ago, but right before the big day, Elijah became sick. We found out he had cancer. Thankfully, with plenty of chemo, he was able to walk away cancer-free and has had a clean bill of health for three years.”

  “I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to imagine how difficult that must’ve been for you.”

  “It was, but luckily, I had my family to support us. Lex exhausted himself finding the best cancer centers in the world. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him,” she tells me, falling silent for a few moments. “You know, he will be the best man at the wedding?”

  I expected that to be the case. It isn’t about us, it’s Adriana and Elijah’s special day.

  “It’s cool, Adriana. I’m sure we can both be in the same room as each other.”

  My mind flashes to my office. Yes, we can be in the same room as each other but maybe not with our clothes on.

  “Charlie, look, you don’t need to answer… but were you with him tonight? I won’t ask anything else because he’s my brother, and that would be TMI.”

  I laugh, how awkward. I thought our sharing days were long gone. My phone vibrates, distracting me from responding to her.

  Lex: My sister left you alone yet?

  I think of a response but, instead, laugh to myself. My body is utterly exhausted, and even stringing together a sentence is difficult.

  “Something funny?”

  I show her the text, her eyes rolling until she joins me, laughing. “Charlie, have you thought about this? Aren’t you still engaged to Julian?”

  Well, if that isn’t a slap in the face.

  With Lex around, I’ve suddenly taken leave of my senses.

  The guilt begins to seep in, all from the mention of his name.

  “Adriana, it’s… I mean, Julian is a great guy. He worships the ground I walk on. But—”

  “But he’s not Lex.”

  No, he isn’t Lex. He’s a sweet, humble, compassionate, caring man. He treats me with respect, always sincere with his intentions. He makes me smile, never argues with me. Meanwhile, Lex has become this cold, arrogant son of a bitch who treats me like I’m his possession. Instead of making me smile, he angers me to the core.

  “It’s been a long day.” I yawn, then continuing, “And Lex is, well, he’s complicated.”

  “You’re telling me?” Adriana hoots. With her purse draped over her shoulder, she leans in to hug me one more time. “I better head off, but you and me… we’re back on.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I smile.

  As I climb into bed, my muscles tighten after the intensity of what had happened earlier. You’d think I was done, yet here I am, drenched between my legs, the images playing in my mind vividly. His cock eagerly waiting near my mouth.

  Me: Yes, I am all alone now.

  I want to write more. Tell him to get over here now and fuck my brains into next week right here in my bed.

  Lex: Me too.

  A quick but meaningful response. Bastard. Letting out a long-winded sigh, I text back quickly.

  Me: You’re not alone, you have your hand. Pink wrote a whole song about it.

  Lex: As much as that song brings pleasure to people, I’d rather you bring pleasure to me, right now.

  Fuck, I’m screwed. I read the message a dozen times, and every time I read it, my hands automatically make their way down to my pants, rubbing slightly to ease the pain. I quickly type a message, then continue to explore.

  Me: Greedy, always wanting more.

  Lex: Charlotte, with you… never enough.

  His last text sends me over the edge, and I come on the spot. Granted, it’s nowhere near as good as when I’m with him, but I’ve already been fucked twice today.

  Exhausted, I drift off to sleep within minutes.

  ***

  “Well, hello, there, Miss Mason. You look awfully happy this morning,” Eric comments with one of his eyebrows raised.

  “It’s going to be a busy day. You know I thrive on a full schedule.”

  “Uh-huh, full schedule.” He turns to Emma, whispering, “More like a full load of man juice in her waterhole.”

  “Hey, I heard that,” I yell, walking toward my office.

  As I open the door, like a crime scene before me, the memories of last night come flooding back. I try to settle in, strapped for time since today has back-to-back client meetings.

  “Charlie… earth to Charlie!” Eric is sitting across from me, planner out with his pen in his mouth, watching me with a curious gaze.

  “Sorry, Eric, let’s start.”

  “Should we start by discussing why it smells like raw, animalistic sex in your office?�
��

  “You watch too much porn.”

  “No… although I do believe I now have an unhealthy obsession with Andrew McCarthy.”

  “Um, what? How is that even possible? You were born in like, what…” I count my fingers trying to figure out what year he was born.

  “A true gentleman does not reveal his age. Anyway, they played the movie Pretty in Pink last night, and let me tell you, I don’t know at what point they ever thought that dress was prom-worthy. I have dish towels that look better than that.”

  “The fact that you’re a Pretty in Pink virgin should’ve been raised a long time ago. It’s like the movie of all movies. Not seeing it is like not knowing Madonna sings ‘Material Girl,’ and I’d like to also point out your dish towels are purchased from the same place the Queen buys them from, thanks to your mother.”

  “Fine, so shoot me. Less about tea towels and back to your bang-bang on the desk.”

  “Sorry, E, subject closed. We have a brief to work on.”

  “You’re such a party pooper, Charlie.”

  “Yeah, preach it to the world with your hundred-dollar royal dish towels.”

  We briefed for an hour before Eric left my office. The first few appointments were nothing out of the ordinary until I heard a knock on my door. “Come in.”

  “Charlie, there’s someone for here for you.” Eric glances at me nervously.

  Oh fuck, please don’t tell me it’s Lex. There’s no way I can resist him, and I’m not comfortable fucking him in broad daylight with the whole office present.

  “Who is it?”

  “Mrs. Benson.”

  “I don’t know who that is, but fine, let her in.”

  He leaves the room, returning with her a few moments later.

  “Hello, Charlie.”

  “Samantha?”

  In my head, all I hear is the imperial march from Star Wars, and she’s Darth Vader. The realization of her inside my office is surreal. A week ago, I hadn’t seen Lex for nine years. Not only have I fucked him, now I’m standing here in my office with his ex-wife, the woman whose life I broke by my immature indiscretion.