by S. Nelson
After she finished wrapping his wrist, she turned her fury-filled glare on me, walking toward me with such menace in her eyes, she instantly put me on alert. I’d definitely been on the receiving end of her anger before, more times than I could count, but this time was a little different. The kid sitting on her couch meant something to her, which put me in an even fouler mood.
The little spitfire stood her ground in front of me, her blonde hair falling in her eyes as she slapped my chest with her hands. Her sudden surprise attack made me jerk back a step, but only because I hadn’t expected her to react so fiercely.
“What is wrong with you?” she repeated. “Seriously, are you on drugs or something? Because that would sure explain why you’re acting so damn crazy lately.” She stood so close I could smell her perfume, and while I tried to maintain my stance, she disarmed me. Her scent wafted around me, making me think of pinning her on her back, and having her beg for my cock before ravaging her.
When I didn’t answer, she slapped my chest again, this time grabbing my leather cut and trying to shove me back toward the front door. Even though she was beyond angered, there was no way she was able to physically move me. The first time I was caught off guard, but now I was resolute in my stance. I towered over her by at least half a foot and had her by a good hundred pounds.
I didn’t answer her earlier question because I wasn’t gonna dignify it with a response. She knew damn well I wasn’t on anything. I guessed my behavior would have made sense if I was taking something, but it was all me. Ever since she’d come into my life up close and personal, I’d acted like a maniac. Moody and temperamental. More so than usual. Marek had called me on it, and now Addy was doing the same, although it wasn’t the first time she’d made mention of it.
“Who is he?” I barked, my jaw clenched so tight I thought I was gonna shatter my teeth. “Answer me,” I demanded when she remained close-lipped.
“No. I won’t answer you. It’s none of your damn business. We aren’t together, and you have no right to come here and start assaulting my guests.” She took a few deep breaths before continuing to tell me exactly what she thought. “You need to leave. Now,” she said, pointing toward her front door.
“No.” Short and simple. There was no way I was going anywhere, not until I found out who this guy was. As if sensing I was gonna erupt again, he rose from the couch and approached us, cradling his wrist in his hand, trying to keep the ice pack steady in order to do its required job.
“Addy, I can leave. I don’t want to cause any problems.” He looked pensive and a bit afraid of the scene unfolding in front of him.
Without turning in his direction, still locking her gaze on me, she said, “You’re not going anywhere, Robby.” Softening her tone, she urged him to take a seat. “Please sit back down. We’re going to eat dinner as planned. That’s not changing because my ass of a friend decided to bust in here and go all psycho.”
Okay, a few things raised a red flag with me. First, she admitted she was having dinner with this Robby character, which made me angry since it’d been a while since she’d agreed to have dinner with me. Second, she referred to me as her friend, which instantly set me off. We were so much more than that. Hell, I wanted to claim her as my woman, but she was still giving me the runaround about the dangers of my lifestyle. I couldn’t blame her for worrying, but I assured her the club was going legit, so the dangerous element which had followed us for as long as I’d been a member was diminished. I promised to protect her, assuring her I would never let anything bad happen to her, but still she had issues. I was sure I wasn’t making the best case for myself with the way I was acting, but I had no impulse control. It was on my list of things to address, but right now wasn’t the time.
Looking over Addy’s head, I locked eyes with her guest. “We’re much more than friends, Robby.” Clenching my fists, I tried my hardest not to stalk over to him and snatch him up from the sofa. “We fuck! All the time!” I shouted, making sure he heard me loud and clear.
A quick gasp pulled my attention back to the petite blonde woman simmering in front of me. “Oh, my God!” she cried. “Are you serious right now?” When I only glared at her, she finally revealed exactly who Robby was, I assumed hoping to calm me down enough to leave. Little did she know, I wasn’t going anywhere. “Robby is my neighbor, and my friend. That’s it, so the fact that you’re acting all crazy isn’t justified. Not one single damn bit. You owe us both an apology before you leave.”
“I’m not apologizing for anything,” I said stubbornly. “No way.”
“Then there is nothing more for us to say to each other.” I didn’t like her tone. It was different from our other fights. She gave off an air of indifference, as if she were dismissing me, not only right then but in the future as well. I was man enough to admit it scared me. I would never voice such a thing, of course, but it made me stop and collect myself.
Swallowing my anger, I blew out a frustrated breath and took a step back.
“Fine,” I bit out. “I’m sorry I barged in here and reacted the way I did.” My words tasted sour on my tongue, and if it weren’t for the woman pushing me, I would have never admitted such a thing.
“That’s it?” she asked, her tone starting to rise again.
Glancing over at Robby, I said, “Sorry you hurt your wrist.” There, that was all I was gonna say. If that wasn’t good enough, then oh well.
Robby rose from the couch and approached us, tentative at first until I silently gave off the vibe that I wouldn’t attack him again. But when he put his hand on her shoulder, I felt myself tense up once more.
“Adelaide, I’m gonna go home. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He moved toward the door, but before he completely disappeared she spoke up.
“I’m sorry. I’ll refrigerate your dinner.”
“Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you two enjoy it. Sounds like you have a lot to hash out.” Funny thing was, he wasn’t being sarcastic, and for a quick second, I didn’t wanna kill him.
He opened the door and walked into the hallway, and I watched to see which apartment he disappeared into. To my dismay, he lived right next to her. Shaking my head in disgust, I slammed the front door shut and turned my attention back to Addy, but she’d already walked across her place and busied herself wrapping up the food. I continued to stand near the entryway, and when she didn’t say anything for the next minute, I took it upon myself to get comfortable. When I reached the couch, I leaned back, my eyes following her as she continued to distract herself in the kitchen. She was cleaning up, taking her time so she didn’t have to deal with me. But that was fine, because I loved to watch her.
Her long hair flowed down her back, soft waves enthralling me, enticing me to run my fingers through the strands before gripping tight and anchoring her exactly where I wanted her. Even though there was a good chance she wouldn’t give in to me tonight, I could still fantasize. Her dark jeans shaped every single curve, especially when she bent over to pick up something off the floor, her shirt riding up in the back to expose a bit of skin. Once she was upright again, she stretched her arms to reach the cabinet above the fridge, her ass pushing outward while she wrangled a container. I wasn’t sure whether or not she was oblivious to the fact I was leering at her, but she never gave me any indication she was aware I was even in the same vicinity.
She was giving me the silent treatment, but again, I was okay with it.
Like I said, I was content with just watching her.
Adelaide
I knew his eyes were on me the entire time I busied myself with tidying up the kitchen. I’d lost my appetite the second he’d barreled into my apartment. Intuition should have told me he was going to show up at my place, and the fact I invited Robby over for dinner, the same dinner I’d declined the night before, was a stupid move.
But I shouldn’t have had to worry about such things, fearing Stone’s reaction if he happened to come by. I was beyond horrified for my neighbor. He was all of twenty
years old and clearly not a match for the likes of the crazy VP of the KC MC.
“Are you almost done?” Stone asked, his tone portraying a calm which indicated he’d never even been upset in the first place. Out of everything, that was what irritated me the most. His voice gave everything away. How telling it was of the man himself. He felt justified, and once he’d exerted himself and the altercation was over, he went back to his normal self.
I swore running hot and cold, mostly hot, was in his genetic makeup.
I chose not to respond, my own anger still boiling close to the surface. Having no other way to show him his actions were downright unacceptable, I kept my mouth closed. Using my words did nothing but seem to irritate him further, making him spew his nonsense over and over again until he made me dizzy with aggravation.
Another minute passed and still I kept busy, scrubbing the counter for the third time. I was so lost in my own head I hadn’t even noticed that he’d risen from the couch and walked the few feet to get to the kitchen. I startled when his arm wrapped around my waist, the scouring pad and spray bottle of cleaner I was using dropping to the floor. Before I could say anything he pulled me in to him, my back resting against the solid, well-defined muscles of his chest, his heat instantly enveloping me.
“You not talking to me now, sweetheart?” he whispered in my ear, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck springing to attention. He tightened his hold while continuing to tease me. Knowing damn well the effect he had when he touched me, he used it to his advantage, doing his best to throw me off guard, trying to make me forget about his little tirade moments prior. I berated myself for even contemplating giving in, but I couldn’t help it; the call of his body to mine was overpowering sometimes.
Thinking hard about what to say to try and make him see the error of his ways was quite the challenge indeed. Stone wanted to be my man, exclusively. The thought of me with anyone else tore him up inside. He’d confessed as much. And the thought of him touching another woman drove me insane, but there was too much at stake not to address the issue of his temper.
I was happy with the occasional sex-fest—or so I tried to convince myself, at least—but he wanted more and kept pushing. Every time he saw me, which was more and more recently.
Sucking gently on my earlobe, his tongue flicked out and caressed the sensitive spot underneath, sending shooting tingles throughout my tensed body. He didn’t play fair, and his faint chuckle proved so.
“No, you barbarian.” I’d meant for it to be an insult, but he just laughed. Of course, he would find my name for him amusing, mainly because he probably prided himself on such things. To be compared to an uncivilized, savage type of being was a compliment to Stone. If I called him a caveman, he might drag me by my hair and show me just how caveman he could be.
“You don’t have to talk to me. That’s fine,” he said before kissing my neck, his tongue sneaking out and adding to the teasing. “I just wanna hear you moan, then scream my name when I make you come,” he growled, nipping the sensitive skin between his teeth before kissing it again to soothe the quick bite of pain.
I knew right then, that if I spread my legs for him, he would never learn. Never take me seriously. Never change his ways, and if we were to continue with whatever this was between us, I needed him to put a leash on that overactive temper of his, especially when it was directed toward people who didn’t deserve it.
Aka any guy who talked to me.
Although my body screamed for me to forget everything my brain told me, I withdrew from his hold, which was hard to do because he was gripping on to me for dear life. Slapping at his hand, I finally wriggled away, putting some much-needed distance between us. He saw the look in my eyes, one of lust mixed with stubbornness, and for a brief moment, he grinned.
That was until the stubbornness overshadowed the lust. Then he knew he was in for it.
It was a rare occasion when I rejected Stone’s advances, mainly because the man certainly knew what he was doing once he got his hands on me. And his tongue . . . His tongue was lethal. Along with other body parts, of course. But if I had any hope of the man tempering himself whenever he felt threatened, I needed to dismiss him and send him on his way.
Straightening my posture, I stood firm, although I was a quivering mess on the inside. Hopefully, he couldn’t tell. I stared him in the eyes and rambled on. “If you think for one second I’m gonna sleep with you after you barged into my apartment with both guns blazing, attacked my innocent, defenseless kid of a neighbor, and then mockingly apologized for your actions, you need to have your head examined.” I pursed my lips and shook my head for added effect. I had no idea why, but it seemed to amuse him more than me telling him I wasn’t speaking to him.
Leaning his hip against the counter, he folded his arms over his chest, his muscles popping up and flexing underneath the long white shirt he wore which fit him like a glove. I’m not gonna lie—I looked. I loved every inch of Stone’s physique. But I averted my eyes before he caught me ogling him. Or so I thought.
“Stop being so damn hard-headed. Fuck that kid,” he spat when he saw my demeanor wasn’t changing. Pointing his finger in my direction, he was the one who started babbling. “Don’t tell me you don’t know ‘Robby,’” he said his name in air quotes, “wants to fuck you.”
“Not sure why you’re putting his name in quotes, dumbass. That’s his name.” I couldn’t stop the sarcasm before it bubbled forth from my lips. He clenched his jaw and continued on his little tirade.
“He wants you. Anyone with eyes can see it.” When I still hadn’t responded, he continued on. “Trust me. As a guy, I know this shit.”
“Oh, stop it. Robby’s barely twenty. He’s still a kid. And so what if he has a little crush on me? He doesn’t act on it. I’ve told him, not in so many words, that I’m just interested in being friends. So it’s no big deal.” I huffed when I saw his eyes widen, trying desperately to figure out what I’d said to warrant such a reaction. I replayed the words in my brain until it hit me.
I’d just admitted I knew he had a crush on me.
Stupid, Adelaide. Just stupid. Know your damn audience.
Pushing off the counter, he stalked toward me, and since I was in the corner of the small kitchen, I had nowhere to escape. Gripping my arms, he pulled me close, his warm breath cascading over my face. “You know he wants to fuck you? And you invite him over for dinner?” Shaking me gently to show me how serious he was, he added, “What’s that about, Addy? Huh? Tell me. My big dick not enough for you? My tongue’s no longer wanted on that pussy of yours? Huh?” I was in shock that he went there, but I shouldn’t have been. This was typical Stone. I knew it was his insecurities coming to the forefront, but I didn’t dare bring up such a thing while he was pissed off. Again.
When I remained close-lipped, he glared at me, biting his lower lip until he figured out his next move. I was at a loss for words, and nothing I said would’ve assuaged his ego or paranoia right then anyway, so I chose to say nothing.
After a few countless seconds, he gripped my hand in his, pulling me behind him toward the front of my apartment. Flinging open the door, we walked into the hallway, and before I could protest, his large fist pounded on Robby’s door.
“What are you doing?” I asked, struggling to dislodge my hand from his, but his grip only intensified. “Let go, Stone!” I hollered, hoping to pull his attention away from whatever he was thinking of doing.
Before another word left my mouth, Robby opened his door. He had a peephole handy, so why the hell did he open up? Was he a glutton for punishment? His eyes fell on me before he looked at the infuriated man standing to my left, and I prayed his actions wouldn’t be punished. There was nothing short of clubbing Stone over the head that would make him not do whatever he was about to.
“You wanna fuck my woman?” Stone yelled, moving closer to Robby.
The look on my young neighbor’s face made my heart sink. I knew he held an innocent crush for me, and the fact S
tone embarrassed him about it really rattled me. I would have cried from humiliation right then but I didn’t want Robby to feel as if he had to defend me in some small way. Because if that happened, I had no doubt Stone would attack him.
“Well . . . do you?” Stone hollered again.
“N-no. We’re j-just friends. I swear,” Robby stammered, his eyes wide while short pants of breath left his mouth.
“If I so much as see you around Addy again, I’ll make you disappear. You hear me?” he snarled. Robby made the mistake of looking at me, an innocence in his eyes which made me want to give him a big hug. Stone lost it. Poking his finger harshly into Robby’s chest with his free hand, he shouted, “Don’t fuckin’ look at her.” When my neighbor’s eyes snapped back to meet Stone’s, the crazy man standing next to me growled, “Do you hear me?”
“Yes.” Robby said nothing else before quickly closing his door.
Running his hand through his hair, Stone turned toward me and dragged me back inside my apartment. He didn’t fight me when I struggled to break free from his hold that time.
I was beyond livid, irate to the nth degree. My body was flush with rage, my chest quaking to take in breath after breath. I was so angry I didn’t even know what to say.
“I know you’re pissed. I can see it written all over your face. But it had to be done. I can’t stand that he lives right next door to you,” he confessed. “I don’t like it one bit.” He ran both hands over his face in aggravation before lowering his arms to his sides, staring at me and waiting for me to speak.
“GET OUT!” I roared. I stepped away when he drew near. “Don’t you dare touch me, you ass!” I couldn’t stop my voice from going nuclear. “How dare you embarrass me like that. Robby is no threat to you, yet you acted like a complete psychopath.” Sucking in more air, I used it to help calm me. It barely worked. “You need to leave, Stone. I mean it. I don’t even want to look at your face right now.”
“Addy . . .” His voice dropped a level. “I’m just trying to protect you. You don’t know the world like I do.”