Until You're Mine

by Langston, K.

“Hotel? I thought you were stayin’ with me?” I whined.

  “Well, that was before I knew Cami was comin’. And trust me when I say, you really don’t wanna hear her…”

  I threw my hands up. “Enough. I get it. Gah, I don’t need visual. Who’s Cami,”

  “Come on and I’ll introduce you. When we’re done with this torture, I’m gonna need a drink. Think you can help me out with that?” Alex winked before he threw his arm around my shoulder.

  “I think I know a place.” With my arm wrapped around his waist, we walked inside of our childhood home.

  My father stood from his chair by the fire place, the eternal look of contempt etched across his face. “Princess,” he greeted as we walked into the living room.

  I hated when he called me that. It was the only affection he showed me, and you could hardly call it affectionate the way his disappointed tongue wrapped around each syllable. I was far from the princess he once bounced upon his knee.

  A beautiful blonde, who I assumed was Cami, stood from the sofa. “You must be Katy. So nice to finally meet you,” She pulled me in for a hug. I looked up to watch my brother shrug, gifting me with his goofy smile. Who was this chick?

  “Nice to meet you too, Cami.”

  “Dinner’s ready,” My mother announced and we all made our way into the formal dining room, or as my brother and I liked to call it, the torture chamber.

  Growing up, all family discussions took place here. Most of the talking and preaching was done by my father of course, who ruled with an iron fist at the head of the table. We took our seats and waited for my father to bless the food, and then for my mother to serve his plate first before we prepared our own. Funny, even as adults, no matter how hard we fought against it...there were just certain things you did without consciously thinking. Family dinners had become one of them.

  “So Alexander, what’s this new job you spoke about?” I shoved a bite of food in my mouth to keep from smiling.

  Sweet, Alex is on the chopping block first.

  Alex cleared his throat. “Well, I wanted to wait and tell you all in person,” Alex wiped his mouth, looking back and forth from our parents to me. “I’m moving to Paris.”

  My jaw hit my lap. My mother’s fork hit the plate. My father’s fist slammed the table.

  Bravely, Alex continued. “Cami’s my agent. I’ve already signed the contract. I leave in four weeks.”

  “Four weeks?” I breathed.

  Paris?

  “Alex, honey are you sure this is what you want to do with your life? Modeling is just so…vain?”

  “I’m positive. My degree is in Art. What the hell am I supposed do with that? Baseball was my life, and now that’s gone. All I have going for me are my good looks and my charming personality, and Cami says I can make a fortune from both.”

  “Son, vanity will not deliver salvation. There is far more to life than money and good looks.”

  “Not much more,” Alex mumbled around his fork.

  My brother had received a full paid scholarship to UCLA playing baseball right out of high school. He was an amazing pitcher, was even favored to be first draft for the majors. But he never made it. During the national championship game of his senior year, Alex threw out his arm. Doctors told him he would never throw another fast ball again. It messed with his head for a while. He was in a pretty dark place before he was discovered by an agent in a local night club. From there, his modeling career took off.

  My father had made it clear he was not a fan. “Your mother and I raised you both better than this. I did not raise my son to make a living off his face, and I did not raise my daughter to be promiscuous and make a living serving alcohol to sinners eager to drown their sins instead of repenting them.” My father’s harsh voice echoed throughout the quiet room. “You are both a disgrace.”

  “Honey, please,” My mother pleaded, for once.

  “No Elaine, if you’re not serving the Lord, than who are you serving?” He tossed his napkin onto his full plate of food, shoving from the table, my meek mother hot on his heels.

  Even though I’d accepted long ago that I would never be the daughter my father wanted me to be, it didn’t stop the pain from coming when he would point out why I wasn’t.

  “Well that went exactly the way I planned.” Alex was a lot better than me when it came to ignoring our father’s belittling. Or was he just better at hiding it?

  “Paris?” I was still unable to wrap my head around the fact that my brother was moving to another country, let alone France.

  “Come with me.”

  Was he serious?

  “I already have an apartment and everything. The company has paid for it all. You could get a job at one of those French cafés or some shit.”

  “I can’t speak French.”

  “Who gives a shit? Anything is better than rotting away here.” He moved to sit next to me. Leaning in, he rested one arm on the table. His clear blue eyes pleaded with mine.

  “I can’t believe you’re moving to Paris. I’ve wanted to go there as long as I can remember, and you’re moving there.”

  “I know.” Being older, Alex had always poked fun at me for my little girl dreams and now he wanted to make one of them come true. “Chances like this don’t come along often. Don’t let them clip your wings.”

  I can’t even process what he’s saying right now, for an opportunity like this to literally land in my lap was…unbelievable.

  Especially since yesterday had been the turning point for Archer and I. Or was it? Could I throw away the chance of a lifetime for the man I love?

  With my heart in my throat, I stood from the table. “How ‘bout that drink?”

  “Now you’re talking,”

  He who is not courageous enough

  to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.

  ~Muhammad Ali

  “See, the way this works is, when you’re out there on that floor, you’re on my time. You clock in…you turn that pussy magnet the fuck off.” My head had been throbbing all day and this stubborn motherfucker wasn’t making it any better.

  “Look, I can’t help it if bitches wanna hang all over me while I keep shit in check. Oprah calls it multi-taskin’.” Arrogant son of bitch needed his ass kicked. Maybe that would take him down a notch or two. I just didn’t have it in me right now.

  I rubbed my temples and lowered my voice. “First of all, I don’t even wanna know how you fuckin’ know that. Second, you should know better than anyone you can’t focus on dick with pussy in your face. Why the hell do you think I fired Holden and hired you?”

  Folding his massive arms across his chest, he cocked is head. “Uh, Holden said he quit. Yeah, actually, he told me the owner was a complete dick and possibly needed some pussy himself.”

  Yep, this was all Holden’s fucking fault. It was his mission in life to obtain permanent pussy status. Being the good man he is, he found me some replacement muscle before he up and quit on me. And while Cannon Jacobs was one motherfucker customers did not cross or fuck with, he’d been a pain in my ass since the moment I hired him.

  But today, I was close to firing his ass. “I better not find you dry humpin’ anyone or anything on my goddamn time again. Got it?”

  His nostrils flared and he gritted his teeth. “Got it,”

  I swear, if I could wrap my fingers around that thick ass neck of his, I would. “Get the fuck outta here.” Closing my eyes, I massaged my temples again.

  Why was I so on edge?

  “Another round with Cannon I see.” Jerking my head up, I found Katherine closing the door, locking it. “When will you ever learn?”

  The way she stood there smiling at me knocked the wind from my lungs. I took in her long tan legs and the short cream lace mini skirt she had on.

  Damn what this woman did to me.

  I found the air to summon a response. “Learn what exactly?”

  “You should know by now, you get more bees with honey,” Her smooth voice trickled
down my spine like the sticky sweetness she spoke of.

  My dick swelled tighter as I leaned back in my chair. “What’re you doing here?”

  “I needed to see you.”

  When she made confessions like that, it did crazy shit to my heart. Made it flutter like a goddamn butterfly.

  She shrugged out of her jacket, tossing it onto the leather couch, and then she began to slowly unbutton her top as she walked toward me. “And just what do you think you’re doin’?”

  “What does it look like?” Spinning my chair to face her, she raked her intent brown eyes up and down my body, fixing on the mountain of need growing in my pants, and then slowly moving back up to land on my lips. Her cheeks were stained pink with desire as she wrapped her tiny hands around the base of my neck, perfectly positioning herself to sit on top of my lap. That delicious tongue licked the seam of her sweet red lips and my cock leapt at the sight.

  Rock.

  Fucking.

  Solid.

  Grinding her hips, she forced deep breaths from the both of us with every assault. Sweet mocha melted into hot chocolate before her head fell back with a moan of pleasure. I’d never had a woman come at me like this. I always made the first move. I was always the one calling the shots. But since the moment she walked into the room, I couldn’t move. I could barely fucking breathe. Something had shifted. Something had changed. Was she trying to claim me? Fuck that, I wasn’t hers to claim.

  My hands held the sides of her neck steady as I pulled her lips to mine, assaulting her mouth with the heated passion she used to grind against my dick. Standing her up, I twisted her in place and fixed her hands to brace my desk. She wanted to play…

  Oh, we could fucking play.

  Moving her hair aside, I dropped several kisses along her neck.

  “You want something…you need to ask for it. You’re not allowed to take.”

  “I need you.” The hunger in her voice and the way her body pleaded for air, for me, was powerful. Opening the drawer, I grabbed a condom.

  Her eyes widened over her shoulder. “You keep condoms in your office?”

  “You wanna talk or fuck?” I asked pulling my dick between my zipper and then rolling on the condom.

  “Fuck,” Stifling my grin, I pressed my hand to her back, lowering her back down.

  “That’s what I thought. Grip the front and hold on.” I demanded as I shoved her tiny skirt up and pulled her panties down. She stepped out, positioned her legs wider and looked over her shoulder at me once more. “I don’t want you wearin’ these around me,” I shoved the black lace thong into my pocket. “They’re a waste of fuckin’ time,”

  “Yes sir,” Her breathy reply sent my mind swimming and my heart racing.

  I rubbed her clit, spreading her wetness all around before I centered myself and widened my stance. Looking down between us, I watched as I slipped into her hot pussy, the welcoming muscles clenched around the head of my cock sending my mind into a fucking frenzy. Inch by agonizing inch, I buried myself balls deep before dragging back and out, and thrusting into her again.

  Ah fuck.

  My self-control was fraying, thread by thread, exposing the parts I never wanted her to see, parts of me that I’d never even seen. The desperate need to fuck these feelings away had become more vital than ever.

  My hands glided across her smooth belly before cupping both of her breasts. Pulling her back to my front, I found the shell of her ear. “If I do something you don’t like, say stop. Got it?” Licking her lips, she nodded. I shoved her bra over her tits and gave both nipples a hard pinch before my palm found the base of her throat.

  I dipped my hips, setting a deadly pace of sweet fucking bliss while her nails dug into the sides of my thighs, urging me on.

  “Scream goddamn it, I need to hear you scream.” I growled against her ear and her body bowed away from mine. I held her steady. The howl against my palm had black spots dotting my vision as I came with her. Eyes wide open, I continued to thrust in and out, drawing out every drop of pleasure until my weak and sated body begged for me to stop.

  Breathe.

  Focus.

  Our labored breaths filled the silence as I pulled out and got rid of the condom. Katherine turned around to face me, smoothing down her skirt and repositioning her bra before her eyes locked with mine. I looked away, shielding my stupid heart and protecting my exposed soul. Delicate hands cupped my face, pulling me down close. Just a breath away, but I was drowning in her sweet scent and those magnetic eyes that saw every fucking thing. “You can run, but you can’t hide, Archer Brooks.” Her soft voice vibrated against my skin, distributing tiny sparks of life. I was fucking lost, sucked into the darkness only to find light. Gripping her wrists firmly, I removed her hands from my face. I knew what she wanted. I wasn’t stupid and I certainly wasn’t blind. “I don’t wanna fix you. I just wanna know you.” What the hell did she see when she looked at me that way?

  “You done?” Her lip trembled and damn if I didn’t want to kiss it.

  Tossing a long curtain of hair behind her shoulder, she jutted out her chin. “For now,”

  Shoving at my chest she walked past me, twisting the shard of guilt deeper into my stomach. My limp dick twitched with leftover need. Fuck, she was driving me mad.

  She snatched her jacket from the couch then reached for the door. “Katherine,”

  “What?” she snapped over her shoulder.

  Christ, I just fucked her like an animal and I wanted her again.

  And again and again and…

  I offered her a hungry grin. “Please feel free to come again.”

  “Fuck you,” Flinging open the door, she stalked out, taking yet another piece of me with her.

  I read through several emails. Returned a few vendor calls, trying to focus on anything but her. Nothing worked. One hand massaged the tension mounting at the base of my neck while the other adjusted the hard on that would not let the fuck up.

  Why her?

  Why now?

  When I left Vegas, I swore- never again. Never again would I allow a woman, anyone for that matter, to get that close. What Megan took from me, I could never get back. I had accepted it long ago.

  Until her.

  She was standing near the end of the bar talking to Cannon. Tucking a strand of wayward silk behind her ear, she smiled back at him. What was so damn special about her? I knew she was different, but I had no idea she would have this kind of power over me.

  The bartender, Jesse, set three drinks in front of her. When Katherine leaned over to collect her order, Cannon’s hand shot out to grip her upper arm.

  The fuck?

  I didn’t stay to see what happened next. My feet couldn’t get me to his face fast enough.

  Red.

  That’s all I saw. Sweat beaded my forehead as I scanned every face. I found Cannon near the front and Katherine tucked in a booth with, who I would assume was, her brother. Her eyes met mine and that fuming heat racing through my blood slowed its rampant flow. I could feel the ache in my jaw as I approached the table.

  Katherine stood from her seat. Her knowing eyes furrowed at my obvious state. “Archer, this is my brother Alex and his agent Cami,”

  Alex stood from the booth, extending his hand. “Good to meet cha man, Katy’s told me a lot about you.” He shook my hand hard, the protective look in his eyes conveying that indeed, he knew everything.

  Coming through loud and clear buddy.

  “Katy was just telling us you owned a club in Vegas.

  I’ve been to most of them. Which one was yours?”

  “The Red Door,”

  “Really? That place is sick man. Best club on the strip.”

  “Thanks,” I said, silently wondering how the hell he could afford a table at my club.

  “Cami,” I greeted with a nod as she stirred her drink, gawking at me.

  The fuck is that chick’s deal?

  I looked down at Katherine. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”


  “Sure,” she said with a nervous smile.

  I gave Alex a final shake. “Good to meet you both, drinks are on me,”

  “Appreciate it man.” he said with a nod.

  Grabbing Katherine’s hand, I led her to the back of the bar, pulling her inside the private hall leading to my office. I backed her up to the wall. “I’m only gonna tell you this one fuckin’ time. When you’re with me, you’re mine. No one touches you,”

  Large brown eyes blinked up at me. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”

  “Cannon,”

  “He didn’t touch me.”

  “Yes the fuck he did. When you were standing at the bar ten minutes ago, he touched you,”

  “Archer, we’re just friends.” she said.

  “Friends don’t touch. I don’t touch my friends,”

  Her chocolate eyes softened as her tiny hands rubbed up and down my heaving chest. “So we’re not friends?” The smile curling her lips tempted me. “And I’m yours?”

  Leaning in closer, I gritted every damn word. “No, we are not fuckin’ friends and this,” I rubbed the bare mound beneath her skirt. “This is mine. I’ll be ready to go in an hour. I think you should come home with me tonight,” I slipped a finger inside her hot wet pussy, want and desire dominating every cell in my body.

  “A lot has happened and I…I need time to think,” she breathed against my mouth, rubbing her hands up and down my arms.

  I added another finger. “Think about what? The only thing I can think about is this.”

  “Archer,” Katherine removed my hand, her eyes pleading with mine. I took a step back.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,”

  One tiny kiss.

  That’s all she took, but you would have thought she robbed me fucking blind. My mind spun at the warmth and affection behind that tiny fucking kiss, the power that rested on those lips made my entire world spin. Watching her walk away, a silent thought sliced through my head.

  She fucking owns me.

  Change is the law of life.

  And those who look only to the

  past or present are certain to miss the future.