Best Served Cold

by Sandy Lynn

  “Don’t you work there?”

  “No. I am my own boss. Occasionally I will do several people there favors, but I get very well compensated for my time.”

  “Oh...” Stacy chewed on her lip. “How did you get into this?”

  “I was born with it. Do you really want to spend your entire session discussing me? Because honestly, that would be quite a waste of a favor, and my favors do not come cheap.”

  “I just thought...you seemed so nice...”

  “You are a breath of fresh air. Ms. Pope needs that.”

  “Ms. Pope?”

  “That is not something we will discuss. Now, I will respond to your comment, then we shall begin, understand?” She waited for Stacy to nod. “I am not nice. At best I am neutral. I can be nice. I can be a nightmare. But what I choose to be is left completely up to me, and how I feel others believe to be treated. That answer will have to do for you, because now we will begin, or you can leave. Now, what would you like to know?”

  “Um, I guess I would like....can you give me any insight on myself, I guess? I’m really confused.”

  “About who you are?”

  “Yes. There have been so many changes in my life...I guess if you can help me understand a little of what’s going on, I would really appreciate that. And it doesn’t seem fair of me to ask you about other people, and honestly, you will probably just tell me that you can’t answer those questions anyway, so yes, I would like any insight you can give me about myself.”

  Renee nodded and produced a deck of cards. She instantly began shuffling them as Stacy watched. She didn’t look as old as she had in the waiting room, and she wondered if it was a trick of the lighting or just part of the persona she developed while she was working.

  Cards were laid out in a manner she didn’t understand, and despite the expressions that crossed Renee’s face, Stacy didn’t ask questions.

  “You have experienced loss. Whether you believe it or not, you are grieving for it. You feel rejected. So much so that you do not see the new love, new opportunity that is waiting at your door. You are too deep in your fear and insecurity.” Renee’s gaze shifted from the cards to her, and she paused. “Good, you will wait until the reading is done for questions.”

  “This new lover is strong, though. His feelings...he won’t be denied. He will not force himself on you, but he does fight for what he wants. And he wants you.”

  Stacy blushed as she remembered their encounter in the conference room. He pushed her, farther than anyone else ever had. But she had no doubt Demetri would have stopped if she’d told him to. Just as she had no doubt that he was the lover Renee referred to.

  “Two cards fell for this position. It is what holds you back. You feel you are being seduced, and wonder if this is what you want. Should you listen to your mind or simply enjoy the new and wonderful things that are happening to you? But the second card speaks to your fear on becoming drunk on the feelings and sensations. On losing yourself in them. That is good. It is always good to be cautious when dealing with new things, but there is also being too cautious. You are slowly allowing yourself to become more confident though. You are learning to listen to yourself, to trust yourself. This is very good.” She pointed to the next card.

  “But still you worry. You worry that your knight simply desires to sweep you off your feet. That you are simply his next adventure.” She leaned forward. “You aren’t, you know. But I can understand why you might feel that way.”

  Stacy opened her mouth, then closed it. Renee said there would be time to ask questions afterwards.

  “In the past you have always had to be the understanding one. The one who rearranged your schedule, your needs, your desires. Always the one who helped other people. Be careful of this crutch. Because it could affect your future. Are you going to be the subservient girl who allows your lover to do anything he wants to you, no matter how it makes you feel? Or will you turn into the woman watching him as he does that, saddened by the fact that the desire for you is gone? This is your potential future, especially if you allow yourself to continue doing what is safe. Sometimes in life you have to take chances. Risk getting lost, or hurt.

  “Which is part of your fear, because this man is moving fast. Things are going much faster than you ever expected. You wonder if things continue moving this fast, will they burn out? Will he say goodbye, rushing off to the next adventure, and if he does, will he even bother to say goodbye first?

  “Your friends feel your fear and pain. They want you to have a man who will worship you. One they know will treat you right and cater to your needs, but you are holding on, you refuse to relax your guard. It’s as though you feel like if you don’t hold on to it tight, with an iron grip, you will fall. You have the stars, you have the chance for all your dreams to come true, but there is still a sense of longing. As though you don’t believe in your luck, that it’s really happening.

  “The final outcome is that you have your King. You may sit at your lover’s feet, but it’s because you want to be there. It’s not in the derogatory manner of before. You can tell that because no matter what is going on, he can’t keep his hands off of you. His face may be an implacable mask, but sometimes you will both need to wear a mask. You can tell no matter what is going on, you are his world because it’s as though he can’t help himself, he has to be there with you. Almost as though he has to reassure himself that you are real.

  “These cards are extra, but they really help give insight. There is punishment coming. But are you the one being punished, or the one looking on? Is it what you want and can you live with yourself? But there is also a lot of passion. This one reinforces the outcome. You will not be able to get enough of your lover, the passion between the two of you will be tangible, it isn’t something that you can hide—neither of you. Nor should you!” Renee looked up at her. “Now is the time to ask questions. Though I must say before you begin, I think it is wonderful that Demetri has found you as well. Though I can understand where he may come across as overwhelming at times.”

  “How did you....never mind. Everyone seems to know it’s him. I guess it really is a small community.” Stacy looked at Renee again with a small smile on her face and slapped her forehead. “And, well, duh, you’re psychic.”

  “Do you have any questions?”

  “I don’t think so. I mean, it all really makes sense to me. I guess I really am just scared to let go sometimes. But sometimes it feels like if I do let go, all I’m going to do is spiral and fall and never be able to stand back up. And punishment does seem to be the one thing that looms over what could be my fairytale...well, if not my ending, at least my Prince Charming. Even if it is just for now...” She left that statement open, hoping Renee might fill her in on a few more details.

  “I’m a little quicker than that. And that answer you can only get from two people, and neither of them are me. Honey, if you want a happy ending, especially with Demetri, it’s up to you and him to figure out how to do that.” She pulled her giant crystal ball a little closer. “But...”Renee looked deep into it. “I see a man, but his image is flickering. He’s one person, but not the person you thought. I see a string of women hanging on him. The last one is trying to hold him tighter. This one has her own agenda, and she isn’t letting him slip away until she’s gotten everything she wants.”

  “Wow, you really see all that in there?”

  “Not really, but it does help me focus. The crystal lets me pay more attention to my inner eye,” Renee chuckled. “But that one is just between us.”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  She laughed again. “Honey, you are going to be fine. The only person holding you back is you. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith.”

  “What if there’s no net?”

  “Then trust yourself to be able to fly. You have friends, you have family now. And they will never let you down. They may not always do exactly what you want, but they will never truly abandon you. I can see a lot of possibilities in
your life. You are going to do great things if you just allow yourself to stop being so scared all the time.” Renee stood up.

  “Will I ever see you again? I mean, since you’re a free agent of sorts...”

  “You will see me again. And I can add to your blessings. Ms. Pope doesn’t have to worry about the second half of our agreement.”

  “How can I get in touch with...”

  “Just let her know. If the time is right, you will see me again. But not before.”

  Stacy walked out, absolutely stunned with all the information she’d been given.

  “How did it go? Was it that bad, or that good?” Tina asked. But before Stacy could answer, Tina’s phone rang. “Yes, ma’am. Okay. I’ll be there.” She hung up. “Do you mind if I drop you off at home? I have been requested to come help with one of the um, services.”

  “Okay.”

  * * * * * *

  Several days had passed since she saw the psychic, and she didn’t feel any closer to a decision. She did, however, have to deal with grumpy elves who had manhandled her, a succubus who tried to corner her in the hallway, and cleaning up one of the conference rooms when a negotiation session went really bad.

  Chewing on her lip, she didn’t really see anything she passed as she made her way to the elevator. She could barely remember how she got home. It was as though she’d had one blow after another. She’d only been allowed to go home because Tina came in to take over before she tried to punch Marix in the face. Again.

  Her phone began to chime. She didn’t want to answer it, but she knew she had to. What if Tina needed her to come back?

  “Hello?”

  “Do we really have to go through lawyers? Honestly, you can’t imagine what I had to do just to get in touch with my wife!”

  “I’m not your wife. I haven’t been for a very long time.”

  “Yeah, I still have paperwork that says differently. And I am not going to sign this until we have had a talk.”

  “I thought you said you would sign them.” A moment of panic washed through her.

  “Maybe I changed my mind. Maybe I thought about this and I like the new you. You seem different. Maybe I want to start fresh.”

  “You like that I have a better job, and probably want to know what it can do for you. So cut the crap. What do you really want?”

  There was a giggle in the background. “You know what, let me think about it for a few more days. I will call you back on this number. So make sure you answer.” He hung up without even saying goodbye.

  Stacy was pissed. She punched the small button and waited for the elevator to arrive. A small growl escaped her when she saw Demetri standing inside as the doors opened.

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Bad day?”

  Stacy had reached her limit. No, she’d been pushed past it. She needed to do something, and she was either going to punch him or fuck him. Shoving him back into the corner of the elevator, she grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked him down to her. When their lips touched, there was nothing gentle about the kiss. She bit down on his lower lip, then thrust her tongue into his mouth.

  She continued kissing him forcefully until she felt arousal battling the desire to lash out at something...anything. Her frustration with allowing herself to get comfortable, her ex’s unspoken threat to draw out their divorce, and pure carnal desire battled inside of her.

  “Fuck me, or get the fuck away from me,” she demanded, still unsure if she wanted to hold on to him or run away as fast as she could.

  Again, Demetri’s eyebrow lifted. He leaned into her and she assumed he pressed a button, because the elevator started to move. He lowered his head to her, but she refused to allow him to take control of this situation.

  “No.” She pulled away and started ripping at his shirt. She didn’t care if she put a hole in it or if the buttons scattered. He needed to be out of it, and now. She needed her brain to cut off so that she could just enjoy being with him.

  He didn’t say anything, he just allowed her to do whatever she wished. With another growl, she ripped the shirt apart and pulled it down over his shoulders. It fell to the floor of the elevator when the doors opened.

  “My game, my rules,” she told him, sucking his lower lip into her mouth, then biting it. “I want you naked before you get to my apartment, or you don’t come inside.”

  Stepping out of the elevator, she decided to lead by example. First one heel, then the other came off. Turning to look at Demetri, she saw he hadn’t moved, but there was something primal about his expression. As she stared into his eyes, she dropped her shoes.

  “I mean it.” Turning so she could walk backwards and not break eye contact, her hands went to the waist of her skirt. She didn’t need to watch what she was doing to get out of her clothes. She continued to walk backwards as she worked, pausing only to prevent herself from tripping as the skirt fell off her hips.

  Demetri blinked, and licked his lips.

  Her shirt followed the skirt, and still he hadn’t moved. She was down to her bra and thong. Unhooking the silky bra, she allowed that to fall to the floor as well.

  “Guess I was wrong, and you don’t want to play. Too bad.” Turning her back on him, she pulled her panties down before she continued to stride toward her apartment.

  She didn’t care about her clothes, or that all she had still on her body were her stockings. Nor did Stacy care if the hallways were monitored by video camera. Right now she didn’t care about anything except making sure he didn’t see her cry. She was disappointed deep inside that he hadn’t wanted to play her game.

  She separated the key to her apartment from the others—she couldn’t even remember how she managed to get them in her hand, but that didn’t matter at the moment—and inserted it into the lock.

  She looked back at Demetri. He still hadn’t moved, but he looked like he was struggling with his decision.

  “Well, since you don’t want to play, I guess I’m just going to have to go find someone who does,” she taunted him, twisting the key inside the lock. She had no desire to do that, had just said it to try to hurt him as much as she was hurting inside right now at his rejection.

  There was a growl behind her, and she could hear material ripping. The door was open but before she’d even had a chance to take a step inside she was shoved through it. Dememtri’s hard body was pressing against her. He grabbed her hands, pulling them behind her back to restrain them.

  “No,” she said, pulling free. Turning, she poked a finger into his chest. “I have had a very bad day. If you think you’re just going to grab my hands and kiss me until I melt against you, then leave. ‘Cause I want to be fucked hard. I’m pissed off, and I—”

  Growling, she decided actions spoke louder than words. Some small part of her brain still cared about privacy, because she managed to push the door closed with her foot. Again, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his head closer to hers. Their kiss was intense and hard. There was nothing sweet or tender about it. That wasn’t what she needed. She needed to work off these feelings milling inside of her head. She needed to find a way to turn her brain off, and was praying that this would help.

  Stacy pushed him against the door. She bent over, biting his chest and stomach before lowering herself to her knees until his hard cock was directly in front of her.

  Sticking her tongue out, she licked him from the base to the tip before sucking him into her mouth. Her teeth grazed against his flesh and her tongue pressed into his shaft as she sucked on him, his dick sliding against her lips.

  Demetri seemed to understand what she needed, because he wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled. She had two choices; she could allow him to pull her up his body or she could lose a patch of hair. She picked the former. His kiss matched hers in brutality and she could feel her body molding against him. With a speed that should’ve frightened her, she was the one pressed against the door and without delay, Demetri buried his cock deep inside her body.

  His fingers bi
t into her even as her nails dug deep into his flesh. He slammed into her body. Wrapping his hand in her hair, he yanked her head back. Her entire throat was exposed, her head back as far as it could go and still he tugged on her hair. His grip never eased as he pounded into her.

  With every thrust her body tensed more until finally, she dug her nails into his thigh, just under his ass. “Harder,” she whimpered.

  He obliged. He thrust into her savagely until a scream was ripped from her throat, her entire body shuddering from the intensity of her orgasm. For a second, her vision got fuzzy. She heard a growl as Demetri came inside of her, then collapsed against her. With him still buried deep within her body, Stacy allowed herself to succumb to the desire to sleep.

  Epilogue

  She woke up, uncertain of how they had gotten to the bed. But that didn’t matter. Lifting her upper body, she braced her weight on her elbow, gazing at Demetri while he slept. His arm was wrapped around her waist and there was a half-smile on his face. She wondered what he was dreaming about.

  As she laid there staring at him, she finally gave herself permission to feel everything that she’d tried to deny inside of her. Somehow this man had managed to weasel himself into her life, to twist and turn and get so tangled that there wasn’t a single part of her or her life that he wasn’t a part of.

  Slowly she untangled herself from him, trying desperately not to disturb him from his sleep. As she got up every muscle in her body protested. Muscles she didn’t even know she had ached from the pounding he had given her the previous night. Stacy walked around the bed to go to the closet and froze, a smile tilting her own lips when she saw the scabbed up welts on his back. She couldn’t even remember doing that, but there was no doubt in her mind that she was the one responsible for the marks.

  Forcing herself to tear her eyes away from him, she continued to her closet and picked out clothes. She would take Ms. Pope on her word, wearing something that was neither modest nor concealing. Today she wanted the world to see every mark that Demetri had left on her body—or as many as she could without getting arrested for indecency.