The light in her eyes died a little, and I wanted to hate myself for hurting her, but I couldn't. She needed to remember that we were just friends, fuck-buddies, business partners. There was no white-picket fence at the end of our crime spree where she and I would exchange rings and end up growing old together. No future I could see had that ending in it.
I didn't love her like that.
"I don't know. I hate living over there with him, Nate. It's not my place, you know?" She gripped my ass, massaging hard like I liked it.
Electricity shot across my lower stomach and I stifled a groan. It had been too long.
"I'm gonna let you go, but only so you can sink to your knees." I leaned in and brushed my nose against hers, playing the bastard I was. "Be a good girl and drink deeply, yeah?"
"Asshole," she whispered and lifted up, pressing her soft lips to mine. "I hate you sometimes."
"I know you do. Knees." I spun us before releasing her and pressing my back to the wall.
She dropped to her knees, her tight miniskirt riding up her thighs as she frantically tore at the button on the front of my jeans. I swatted her hands away and worked my jeans over my hips. A groan left me as she moved up and ran her cheek by my length.
"Awww... really? Shit," Mikey groaned and turned his back to us, walking back into the kitchen.
"Not now, man." I slid my hand into Ashley's thick blond hair and used my grasp to bring her in closer as she gripped my cock and leaned in to suck it deep into her mouth. Pleasure danced across my exposed skin and left my knees weak. I needed to find a few bitches to spend my nights with until our latest scheme was over and my whore was back where she belonged - in my bed.
Her fingers dragged down the top of my thighs lovingly as her face contorted and she gagged.
"Such a big dick, Ash. You're such a good little slut." I pulled her closer and deep-throated her as she moaned low and guttural.
I rolled my hips, massaging her throat in short, hard thrusts. She took it like a champ, but she always did.
"I hate you guys," Mikey mumbled from the kitchen.
I glanced over to find him leaning against the door frame, a thick hamburger in one hand and a tent in his pants. He took a deep bite of the burger as I turned my attention back to Ash. Mikey had seen more than his share of my intimate moments thanks to being my best friend. He was good with them unless they were with Ashley. He couldn’t stand her.
She moved back and reached up to stroke my sloppy wet cock. "Stop driving so hard into me. It's been awhile. I'm not used to-"
"Talking too much." I pulled her back toward me and worked my dick in and out of the tight O she provided for me. The sting of her nails against my skin felt good - too fucking good. I wasn't going to make it much longer, but I didn't really need to. I wasn't trying to impress anyone.
I jerked her back as my balls tightened. "Open wide."
She nodded and tilted her head back as I moved up closer and pumped the swollen flesh of my cock. The orgasm slammed into me full force, and I gave myself over to it as a string of grunts announced the arrival of a much-needed release.
"Fuck me." Mikey turned and walked back into the kitchen as I pumped all the come I had into the pretty girl's mouth.
She moved back to rest on her knees, glossy-eyed and mouth swollen and pink around the edges. "You know I love you."
"Yeah, I do." I tucked my dick back in my pants. "Get up and let's eat."
I walked to the kitchen, not offering her a hand. She was a viper, and me being anything but stiff and unyielding around her was long over. She was the devil I knew, and love didn't mean shit to her. It was a word she casually threw around, as did everyone else I knew. Love was for pussies and romance novels.
"Move," I grumbled to Mikey as he stood in the doorway, his burger dripping ketchup on the plate below as he held it suspended with his thick fingers.
"You're a dickhead. You didn't even help her up."
"She can get up on her own. She's gotten quite used to that position, haven’t you, Ash?" I picked up my beer from the counter where I set it down and drank deeply from it. I turned to find her gone.
"Don't get me wrong," he snorted, "I hate that cunt, but why are you so rough on her?"
"And I hate the word cunt. Stop being one and find another word." I finished the beer and tossed the bottle into the trashcan.
"Whatever. Answer my damn question."
"Why do you care if I'm hard on Ash? You don't like her on a good day."
"True, but it just seems disgusting. I don't know." He shrugged and took another bite of his burger as I made mine.
"She's in love with me, whatever the fuck that means. She needs to get over it."
"Because you're not in love with her?"
"No. I'm not. Nor will I ever be." I turned my face to the right to see her standing there, the expression on her face one that I'd not soon forget.
Devastation.
"Fuck you too, Nate. I'm done with this shit. You can go sleep with some random shrimp dick and have him show you all over town as his new toy. I hate you." She turned and stormed back toward the bedroom.
"No, you don't, and I don't like seafood, remember?" I took a big bite of my burger and leaned against the counter.
"You need to fix that. This latest guy has more money than God, and it's all hers if you can pull this shit off." Mikey moved up to stand in front of me.
"Stop acting like you know something. You don't." I popped him in the chest. "I'll make it up to her when I finish my lunch. Fuck off."
"Make it up how? You just crushed her dreams you cunt." He chuckled and I popped him again, this time in the nuts. He bent over, dropping his plate to the ground and groaned. "I'm going to get you back for that."
"No, you're not." I pushed at his forehead before walking out of the kitchen. "I'm going to do what she wants me to do, Mikey." I pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it in the hall somewhere.
"What's that? Die?" He snorted, his voice growing dim as I headed toward the sound of her throwing shit around my bedroom.
"No, fuck her like she likes to be fucked. Violently."
2
Jenna
Boring. The theme for my life, summed up in one small word.
I reached for the door to the library and jerked back as someone flew toward me, almost knocking me over.
"Sorry!" A rail-thin girl with stringy blond hair and glasses lifted her head and waved as she jogged off.
"Right. Sure. No problem." I opened the door and breathed in deeply. The scent of old books left me feeling right at home. My father's study smelled the same, but there was a touch of a cigar in the mix as well.
"Hey. You all right? You look a little flustered." My childhood best friend, Grace Adams, walked across the large foyer at the NYC downtown library. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her clothes looked like something my mother would wear to a legal hearing.
"And you look like my grandmother in that shirt." I snorted and followed behind her.
"You didn't answer my question." She glanced over her shoulder, her dark eyes narrowed.
"I'm fine. Someone almost plowed me over when I came in." I shrugged and stopped at the check-in counter as she walked around with a stack of books in her hands. "Why do you insist on wearing clothes from the 1930's? You're the hottest woman in this place."
"I'm the only woman in this place." She turned up her nose at me and set the books down.
She was one of the most beautiful women I'd seen walking around the streets of New York, and yet she was single. Alone. Lonely as hell. We both were.
"That's not true. Nelly is a woman." I glanced over my shoulder as the older woman walked across the foyer, her eyes narrowed on me.
"No one has verified that she's truly female."
"Yeah, well," I turned back to face my best friend, "don't expect anyone to. That's just nasty."
Grace shuddered. "Let's talk about something else."
"Like?" I l
eaned against the counter and jerked back as Nelly cleared her throat and stopped beside me. Her voice was tight as if anxiety was her go-to emotion at all times.
"You know we're not allowed to have visitors on the clock." Nelly glanced over at me. "Morning, Miss Webb."
"Nelly." I nodded and stepped back from the counter. "I'll be in the porn section. Come find me when you get a chance."
Grace's laugh followed me as I walked toward the reference section. I sat down at one of the small tables and pulled out my phone, letting the silence become my serenity. Nothing was more peaceful than the heart of the library. It bled antiquity. I loved it.
"Hey, Thomas is having a get together at Kadia this weekend. I want to go, but you know I can't go without you."
I glanced over my shoulder to find Grace pretending as if she were looking for something in a book. Her whisper was a little too loud and gleaned some attention from the folks around us, but that was Grace. The opposite of her name altogether.
"I hate that place," I mumbled and flipped through the missed calls from my brother earlier that morning. He was the last person I wanted to talk to. I was hoping for a good day. That meant not having a conversation with my older, and intensely pompous brother, Darek. He was an asshole on a good day.
"No you don't." She moved closer and knelt beside me. "It's going to be fun. Come with me. We might actually find someone worth our time."
"In the middle of a club known for sex and drugs? What kind of guy are you looking for?" I lifted my eyebrow and glanced down at her.
The long black skirt she wore pooled around her. 1930's. All the way.
"A bad boy." She pursed her lips and gave me sad eyes. "Please? I really want to live a little before we're out of school."
"College is the end of living, hm?" I tucked my phone in my pocket as it buzzed. My brother again. No doubt.
"You know what I mean." She reached up and gripped my forearm softly. "Please? For me."
"For you, or for Thomas?" I cupped my hand on top of hers. She knew I wouldn't deny her anything ever.
"Both of us?" She stood up. "I can't help that my brother is in love with you."
"Yes, you can. He needs to stop trying and focus on someone that's going to be right for him, Grace. I'm not that girl."
"I'd love for you to change your mind." She pulled her hand from mine and stepped back, clearing her throat. "We could be sisters."
"We're best friends." I stood up as my phone buzzed again. "Ugh. Fucking Darek." I pulled my phone back out and checked to make sure it was him. "I've gotta get this."
"Tell me that you'll go with me this weekend. Don't make me go by myself."
I sighed. "All right, but we're getting you a new outfit, and I get to choose it."
"What's wrong with this one?" She brushed her hand down the cream-colored button down that rested at the base of her throat.
"You look like you're trying to hide something in all those clothes." I tugged at the front of her shirt, knowing good and damn well that she had on a G-string and lace bra that showed most of her perfect breasts through the translucent fabric. She was built to bring men to their knees, and yet her conservativeness would never let that shine through.
"The right guy will get a chance to see everything when I find him."
"Let's hope you're still young and perky when that happens."
"He won't care about things like that." She shrugged. The smug look on her face was too cute.
"When you find prince charming, do me a favor." I picked up my bag and pulled the strap over my shoulder.
"Anything for you."
"Ask if he has a brother?" I snorted and walked toward the door. I'd gotten in a couple of hours of bliss without someone ruining it. It was almost a record. Unfortunately, having to call Darek back meant it was over.
"So you're coming with me this weekend?" She whispered loudly and got requests to hush.
"If you let me dress you." I turned and walked backward, smiling like the bad girl I wasn't.
"Jenna. Jeez." Grace's cheeks colored pink, and I couldn't help but enjoy myself as I turned and walked out of the library. She would find the right guy eventually, but I was going to have to play a part in the hunt. It's not like anyone in their right mind would be after her, no matter how pretty her face was. She resembled George Washington's wife with her clothing choices. That had to change.
I dialed my brother's number and found a stone bench to drop down onto. He picked up on the second ring, sounding particularly pissy.
"Jenna?"
"Nope. It's Mother Nature. When is the last time you watered your grass, asshat?" I squinted as the noonday sun sat high in the sky. It was beautiful that time of year in New York and yet it was hard to enjoy with my brother's voice in my ear. I couldn't remember a time from my childhood where we actually got along, where we liked each other.
"Why do I have to call you ten times to get you to pick up the damn phone? Are you so busy that-"
"Did you need something, Darek? I'm about to walk into work, so if you could make this quick, that would be awesome." I pressed my hand to my forehead and tried to breathe through my nose in long, deep breaths.
Silence. He was pissed. Nothing new.
"We're having dinner at Mom’s tonight to celebrate Denise's birthday. I expect you to be there. With a gift."
I shouldn't have chuckled, but I did. "You expect me to be there? With a bag of gifts? Who died and made you king?"
"Non-negotiable."
"I don't like your newest toy, Darek. Have Kayla dress up as me and play the part." I ran my fingers down my face as my mood sunk further down. My twin sister, Kayla, was lost to the desire for wealth, much like my brother. I was the only one with a head on my shoulders and any amount of class.
"I really don't care what you like or don't like, and this woman has been my wife for over a year, Jenna. She's not a toy. I'd rather you keep your vulgarities to yourself and have some respect."
"Nope. No can do, sir." I stood up and stretched my free hand toward the sky. "Anything else?"
"Be there or I'll be more than happy to pull the plug on your stupid-ass job at the coffee shop."
"You wouldn't do that." I shook my head as white-hot anger raced through me. The job at De Luca's was my first step in gaining my freedom from my oppressive family. Wealth could suffocate my brother and sister, but not me. Never me. I would be my own woman and make my own money if it killed me to do it.
"Yes, I would. Be at Mom and Dad's tonight by six. Period."
"Fuck you."
"We're siblings. That's just gross, and watch your mouth." He scoffed. "See you tonight and don't forget Denise's present. She likes diamonds."
He hung up before I could respond. "Bastard."
I tucked my phone into my bag and jogged across the street to the coffee shop. It was a haven, a home away from home, mine. It was mine. And it wasn't because someone in my family got me the job or opened the company so I could play barista. I did it all on my own.
Diamonds? Are you fucking kidding me?
The whore my brother had married didn't care a thing about him. She was after his money or, rather, my mother's money. Probably both.
Being the heiress to a large cosmetic conglomerate in Europe, my mother was the fourth richest person in the world. Her wealth thereby made us all wealthy, or so my siblings believed.
"Jenna. You're early." Sam turned from the pastry counter and wiped his hands on his white apron. "You okay?" His brow drew in tight.
"Yeah, just dealing with family." I gave him what I hoped was a cute smirk. As the manager of De Luca, he set our schedules and seemed to have them memorized.
"Oh man. That can be the pits at times. I got one brother I love to death, and another I wish I could feed to a meat grinder." He chuckled.
"Ouch. That's a little much, but in all honesty, I'm wishing both of mine would take a long walk off a short pier." I walked around the counter and stored my purse. "I'll clock in at my re
gular time. I just wanted to be here. That okay?"
"Of course it is, kiddo, but go ahead and clock in now." He squeezed my shoulder as he walked toward the back. "I'm going to work on a few special orders now that you're here. Hold down the fort for us?"
"You know it." I pulled my apron on and tightened it around my waist. I had the rest of the afternoon to enjoy being around complete strangers and a few co-workers that I loved. Then I would head off to a night of pretending to care for the people I should have loved most.
"Jenna Webb?" The woman in front of me wasn't familiar at all.
I glanced down at my name tag like a moron and back up at her. Just my first name was on the badge. "Yes. What can I get started for you today?"
"No, like, the Jenna Webb?"
I smirked. "I'm sure there are more than one of us in a city this big, ma'am. Would you like to try our new toffee mocha latte? It's great for the holidays."
"No." She smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "I interviewed Daniella Webb the other day for the New York Times."
"Oh, the cosmetic heiress?" I pressed my hands to the counter in front of me. "She's a distant relative, but nothing more."
"Really? You look almost exactly like-"
"Her daughter, Kayla? Distant cousins." I picked up a cup and smiled. "What kind of coffee are you up for today?"
She waved and shook her head, dismissing something. I prayed it was the conversation. My sister was a fraternal twin. We looked enough alike to know we were family, but not identical. Thank God. The less resemblance, the better.
"I'll try the new mocha-whatever. Sorry about being invasive. Reporter." She shrugged and dug into her purse as I started to work on the coffee.
Dig all you like. You're not going to find anything. And if you did... I would deny it to my grave.
3
Nate
Captain Hotness: A Single Father Bad Boy Novel Page 60