Broken and Beautiful

by Ryan, Kendall

  Spreading her thighs wider for me, my lips curve into a slight smirk as I get a look at her wet panties. “Fuck, Cami. I haven’t even touched you and you’re already wet for me. You really think I wouldn’t give you multiple orgasms a day?”

  She yanks her dress down and closes her legs. “I hate your mouth,” she grumbles.

  “You won’t for long.”

  “You’re an asshole.” She pushes my chest hard enough to make me take a step back and give her room to jump down to her feet. “I’m out of here. I don’t have time for your games.”

  I stand back with a smirk, watching as she walks toward the living room as if she can’t wait to get away from me.

  “The place will be ready in three weeks. You’re going to need Eighteen hundred up front to move in. That’s first month’s rent and deposit.”

  She stops right before reaching the door and turns back around to face me. “Are you messing with me right now? Because I can’t take this being some big joke to you. Don’t get my hopes up and then let me down.”

  “I never let people down, Miss Reynolds. Once I give my word, I keep it. If I say the place is yours, then it is.” I flex my jaw as she looks me over, most likely trying to figure out if I’m being serious. “I’ll have a contract printed up by Monday. Come back with the first payment and it’s yours.”

  She swallows, before finally speaking. “How did you know my last name? You didn’t even look at my application.”

  “I’ve done my research. There’s not many teachers around here with the name Camille.” I run a hand through my sweaty hair and turn away, before I have a chance to do anything else stupid tonight. “Now, I have shit to do. You can let yourself out.”

  The moment I hear the door shut, I throw myself back into work, needing the distraction just as I do every fucking night.

  I could have any of my guys on this project, yet I choose to take care of all renovations myself, because it’s the only thing that keeps me going.

  The idea of being at home alone gives me the same sick feeling in my stomach that it’s been giving me for almost the last two years. So, I do my best to avoid it at all costs.

  Even if that means spending my nights working until every muscle in my body aches to the point I can no longer keep going.

  It’s late by the time I arrive home, so I’m surprised when I pull up to Kelly Moore sitting on my porch waiting for me.

  The moment I pull my helmet off, she stands and walks toward me, as if she can’t wait for me to get to her.

  “I’ve been sitting here for hours, Jensen. It’s been a rough night for me.” She places her hands on my chest and immediately moves in to kiss my neck, speaking against it. “I need you to fuck me.”

  “That’s not happening again.” I grab her arms and push her back a bit, allowing space for me to look down at her. “It’s been a long night and I can’t do this shit right now. Go the fuck home.”

  I move past her to get to my porch, but she grabs my arm and begins pulling me back. “He married her today. He went through with it and it’s only been seven months. I need this.” She sounds desperate now. “I can’t think about him any more tonight. I won’t, and you’re the only thing that will stop that from happening.”

  She moves around me and goes for my belt, unbuckling it as if she’s ready for me to take her right here in the open.

  “That’s shitty…” I grab her hands to stop her right before she has the chance to pull my cock out. “But this is not happening. I gave you what you needed months ago when he left you. It was a onetime deal.”

  Ignoring me, she goes right back to working my dick out of my jeans. I let her grope it for a few seconds while I work on sending a quick text to Austin to get his ass here.

  He lives right around the corner, so he’s the fastest option to get her off my dick and back home where she belongs.

  As soon as I toss my phone into the grass, I grab my dick and shove it back into my jeans before she gets too far. “Like I said, it’s time for you to go.”

  I pick her up and nod at Austin when he pulls up a few minutes later and steps out to open the backdoor of the car.

  “What are you doing?” She squeaks.

  “Getting you home.” I place her on the backseat and shut the door before she can try to get out. “Sleep it off and don’t show up at my house again.”

  “What the hell, Jensen! You’re such as asshole!”

  Austin laughs and shakes his head. “You’re lucky I live so close, because this is becoming a regular thing with you and women.”

  “Tell me about it.” I cross my arms and back up, watching as he jumps into his car and drives off.

  “Shit,” I grunt, running my hands through my hair. I stand here for a few moments staring out into the darkness, before I call it a night and head to bed.

  I lie here, naked, my chest aching and my mind stuck in the past as I down half a bottle of whiskey, before passing out.

  Cami

  My nerves are shot, my hands shaky and unsteady as I reach to pull my hair into a ponytail. I’ve been working on my breathing since I woke up early this morning, but my anxiety over seeing Douglas soon is getting the best of me.

  The idea of seeing him, or Susan for that matter, has the walls feeling like they’re closing in on me. Regardless of which way I turn, I can’t escape, and it’s crushing me.

  I managed to avoid his calls and texts the entire weekend with the help of Veronica and Peter, but the moment I get to the school, ignoring him will be close to impossible.

  The school is only so big. We’re bound to bump into each other at one time or another today, whether it be in the hallway, lunch room, or after school, and truthfully, I’m not sure what my reaction will be.

  The tears haven’t hit yet this morning, and that scares the crap out of me. I stayed up most of the night worried I’ll have a mental breakdown in front of him and everyone at school, making a fool of myself.

  The last thing I need is for all of our colleagues to look at me with pity in their eyes while they tell me that everything will be okay. I don’t want or need their judgment, and I for sure don’t want to talk about the situation with anyone other than Veronica.

  I turn around when I hear a tap on the bedroom door. “Morning, babe.” Veronica offers me a smile and a glazed donut. “Stay strong today. Remember, Douglas is a loser and you can do so much better. Just keep reminding yourself that and you should be good. He’s not even that good looking anyway. He’s mediocre at best, babe. You’re much more attractive than him and Susan put together.”

  “Thanks.” I grab the donut from her and nervously shove it into my mouth, taking a huge bite and chewing. “I haven’t been this nervous in a long time. What if I see his face and breakdown like an idiot?”

  She shakes her head. “You won’t. You just need to think about something else. Anything else.”

  I let out a small breath as I reach for my purse. “Like what?”

  “Like Jensen.”

  I stiffen at the mention of his name, because Veronica has no idea what happened Saturday night when I went next door to turn in my application. At least, I don’t think she does. “Why would you say that?”

  She laughs as if it should be obvious. “You’ve been talking about my landlord more than you’ve been talking about Douglas lately. It’s obvious he’s been on your mind this entire weekend, but hey, no judgment here. Maybe that’s a good thing for you. Sometimes a distraction is the best thing to keep you from repeating mistakes.”

  “Nothing I’ve said about him has been good, Veronica. It’s not like that. He gets under my skin more than anyone ever has, and not in a good way. I may even hate him more than I hate Douglas right now, and that’s saying something.”

  “That’s okay. Use that anger to fuel you throughout the day. Between Douglas being a lying, cheating douche and the cocky asshole Jensen, you should be nice and pissed off all day. No tears. Not a single one.”

  “You’re ri
ght.” I straighten and look in the mirror again, being sure I look somewhat presentable before leaving the house. “My weekend was hell because of the two of them. I’m not sad, I’m angry, and when I see Douglas he’s going to know just how pissed I am.”

  “Right, babe. Just don’t forget where you’ll be. There will be children present. Maybe you shouldn’t show him how angry you are. It might be best to just stand up straight and ignore him. Pretend he doesn’t exist. Men hate that.”

  “Good advice. I’ve got to go. I’m running late.”

  She smiles but doesn’t say anything as I walk past her and make my way out the front door.

  “I can do this,” I say, opening my car door and shoving the last bite of donut into my mouth.

  “You sure you don’t need my help?”

  Jensen’s deep voice scares the crap out of me, causing me to jump and cuss under my breath.

  I haven’t seen or talked to Jensen since Saturday night, but he’s been randomly creeping into the back of my mind, driving me insane.

  A cheating ex is enough to worry about. I don’t need the guy who informed him of our imaginary sex life to be on my mind too. My future landlord that promises he can deliver multiple orgasms a day. And I almost let him!

  Not now…

  “Keep your cool.” I breathe to myself. “You can’t help it that men suck.”

  I breathe in through my nose and slowly exhale through my mouth, before turning to face his property.

  Jensen is leaning against his motorcycle, smoking a cigarette, his gaze trained on me. It’s a little cool this morning, so he’s wearing a leather jacket that makes him look a hundred times hotter than he already does.

  “I’m pretty sure,” I say stiffly. “I would say thanks for the offer, but I know you’re just being cocky again.”

  “You sure about that?” He pushes away from his bike and walks toward me, not stopping until we’re face to face. With his eyes on me, he flicks his cigarette across the yard. “Something tells me this Douglas guy wouldn’t like a guy like me hanging around you.”

  “You mean a cocky jerk who uses his body to get what he wants from women?”

  He steps in closer until our lips are almost brushing. I hate that it creates goose bumps across my skin. “Who says it’s me that uses my body? You don’t know anything about me, Cami.”

  I swallow and take a step back, needing some room to breathe. The intensity of his voice has me feeling more nervous than I was before I stepped outside. “Maybe that’s a good thing. I need to go. I’m going to be late.”

  Without speaking, he reaches for the car door and opens it for me to get in. Once I do, he closes the door and walks away.

  I watch him all the way through the yard and up the porch until he disappears inside, unable to look away.

  The last thing I expected was to see him before work, and now I’ll be thinking about his offer and what exactly he meant by needing his help.

  I don’t know why I let him affect me the way he does. I barely know him, yet everything he says and does frustrates me and leaves me thinking about him.

  By the time I pull up at the school my thoughts have switched back over to Douglas. The first thing I notice is his SUV, which happens to be parked far away from Susan’s Jeep this time.

  Yeah, because that’s going to make things better…

  If this idiot thinks avoiding Susan is going to help him, he’s out of his damn mind. The damage is already done, and there’s nothing in this world that will make me forgive him.

  Once I turn off the car, I sit here for a few minutes, taking slow, deep breaths. Slow, deep breaths.

  I leave the safe confinement of my car. Chances are, if I see him it’ll only be for a few seconds anyway, unless I stop and talk to him. We used to meet for lunch every day, but that won’t be happening anymore, so I might be good for a while.

  Standing up straight, I put on a confident smile and step into the building, greeting everyone I see just like it’s any normal day here.

  Just a normal day, Cami.

  As far as I can tell, no one is acting weird or giving me strange looks, so hopefully that means word hasn’t gotten around about the staff love triangle and how I was left brokenhearted by the douchiest teacher here.

  I’m relieved to make it past everyone and to my classroom without Douglas waiting at the door for me. Now, if I can just make it through the next nine hours.

  * * *

  Classes ended twenty minutes ago and still no sign of Douglas. A part of me is relieved he hasn’t shown his face, but there’s that part of me that knows the day isn’t exactly over yet.

  There’s still a hallway and parking lot walk I have to make before I can go back to my safe place, dodging everything I’ve been sick over all day.

  I wipe my sweaty palms down the front of my pants and exhale slowly, before stepping out into the hallway, cautiously looking around.

  My face heats, because for the second time in days I feel like a creeper, like when trying to spy on my future landlord the other night, as he called it.

  Ugh…

  I push the thought from my mind before I let it get the best of me. I don’t need that distraction. That was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, and he made sure to rub it in like the jerk he is.

  When I see the hall is empty, I hurriedly make my way toward the back of the building, wanting to get to my vehicle before Douglas comes looking for me. I know he’s going to want to talk at some point.

  Just when I thought I was going to complete my mission, I step outside and bump into the one person I wanted to get away from. It’s definitely a much softer cushion than running into Jensen, and I can’t help but to make note of that.

  But that knowledge isn’t enough to distract me from my getaway, so I push past him and keep walking.

  “Cami, wait,” he says, keeping up with me. “I’ve waited all day to talk to you. I thought after school would be the most appropriate time or I would’ve found you sooner.”

  “No. I will not wait, Douglas. Don’t follow me either. Let’s not cause a scene where there’s teachers everywhere. Back off.”

  “Stop. Cami. Will you just give me two seconds to apologize, and I need to know…” He comes up behind me and grabs my arm, stopping me. “Who was that guy that answered your phone?”

  “Seriously?” I yank my arm from his hold, angry that he has the audacity to question me when he’s been the one sneaking around with someone. “I don’t owe you an explanation. We’re no longer together. You made sure of that. Remember?”

  “I miss you, Cami. I really do, and I’ll do anything to prove it. Going three days without you was complete hell.” He takes a step closer, reaching out as if to touch me again, but I begin walking backward to get away.

  “Missing me doesn’t excuse you screwing another woman, so unfortunately, that’s not going to work for me. Go find Susan before you end up alone and miserable like you deserve.”

  “Dammit, Cami!” He rushes around to stand in front of me when I continue to walk away. “I’m not leaving here until you consider giving me another chance.”

  “That won’t be happening.” My heart skips a beat at the sound of Jensen’s voice coming from behind me.

  Please let my mind be playing tricks on me…

  Swallowing, I turn around, not quite prepared for the hotness I’m hit with. Jensen is standing there in a pair of formfitting jeans and a white t-shirt that clings perfectly to his sculpted chest. He changed since I saw him this morning, and he looks incredibly sexy cleaned up. The toothpick in his mouth has my eyes ascending his body, landing right on his perfect lips. They stay there for a few moments, before landing on his eyes.

  His icy blues look me over, taking me in from head to toe, before focusing on Douglas standing beside me, who is most likely just as surprised as I am.

  “Who the hell are you?” Douglas finally speaks. “Is this him, Cami? The guy from the phone?”

  Jensen pu
shes away from his motorcycle and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me against him. My heart speeds up as he leans in to whisper in my ear. “Should I tell him I’m the one who fucked you into that pillow? Or should I show him?”

  “What are you doing here?” I ask quietly, unsure if I want Douglas to know how annoyed I am with Jensen for coming here.

  “I’m meeting one of my tenants for a rent check.” He pulls me closer until I’m practically on top of him and brushes his lips over my neck to mess with Douglas. Despite it being for show, it sends chills over my body. “But he doesn’t need to know that.”

  “Is this him?” Douglas asks again, louder this time, to make sure we’re listening. “This is the guy you’re sleeping with?” He runs both of his hands through his hair, before turning away to calm down. “This is a mistake, Cami.” He quickly turns back around and moves in as if to grab my arm, but thinks twice when Jensen flexes his jaw. “I’ve heard about this guy and he’s nothing but trouble.”

  “How do you know?” I question. “You don’t even know his name.”

  “Not many guys look like that, Cami. Trust me, word gets around. Jensen Blake, owner of Blake Construction and Blake Rentals. Now tell me I’m wrong.”

  Jensen smirks, before grabbing the toothpick from his mouth and tossing it down. It looks like he’s about to say something, but stops the second Susan steps outside and heads toward us.

  From the ‘oh fuck’ look on his face, I’d guess he knows her from around town. It almost seems like he’s trying to avoid her from the way he quickly turns away.

  My heart skips a beat the moment her gaze moves from Douglas to me, and suddenly, I’m happy Jensen is here, because I can’t deal with whatever it was she was coming over here to say.

  She nervously looks me over, before moving her attention to Jensen beside me, his arm still wrapped securely around my waist. It doesn’t take a genius to see that she’s jealous of him touching me. It’s written all over her pretty little face.