by Pamela Ann
“It’s hard not to have fun when everything I see is perfection,” I quietly remarked before gently sipping my glass of red wine.
“Thank you. I find you exquisite, as well, but with that dress you have on … I’m left with no words to describe it,” he stated as a matter of fact and in the calmest manner, as if he was discussing the weather.
His infallible sense of control in everything he did was impressive. His words carried a remarkable impact that never failed to render me clueless as to how to respond to him without appearing inexperienced or dense. I never failed to wonder how he did it.
Dancing in this sexual beat with him was something I knew I shouldn’t be even involved in, and yet, time and time again, Cruz would reel me in, probably just to get a high from seeing me squirm or to test if he still had the same impact on me as he had the first time we met. If that was the case, then he would be disappointed.
“Where’s Ivy, Cruz? It would be nice to have someone who’s closer to my age and someone whose mind isn’t overrun by their libido.”
“She isn’t here,” he said, stepping closer behind me, inches away from my ear.
I waited for him to say something, anything, but the damn man let me bask in his magnetizing presence, the palpable sexual tension, and the undeniable connection we had together. It was intoxicating to be this close to him yet not able to fully savor what was right before us. It was sinful to be attracted to someone this way. Regardless, I was, even if my entire being protested against it.
Before I could tell him off, the damn tease of a man blew softly against my sensitized ear, making it harder to think, let alone concentrate on what to say next. Fuck.
“When my libido is overrun, Serena, there will be no way in hell you will be able to run away from me,” he rasped out, breathing me in. “What I am now is a man in control, so don’t wish that side of me to come out and play with you, because trust me, once you’ve had me between your legs, you won’t be able to easily dismiss me like you have as of late.”
My skin prickled as his words sunk in, making me think a thousand things and, yet, not really think at all. The words “between your legs” and “play with you” rung too loudly in my ears. I knew this was some cat and mouse chase, but I was having none of it, even if it killed me to keep pushing him away. I knew I had to because cheating was something I didn’t condone. Nothing had changed.
“Listen to me and listen to me good. I’m going to do everything in my power to sever this odd connection with you. I’m done playing this sick sexual trip—”
“To what extent? Even to the point of fucking my brother?” he hissed in my ear before I felt his hand on the side of my hip, holding me, as if he didn’t want me to run away. I wouldn’t have gone as far as that to prove a point, but if that was what he believed, if that was what it would take for him to stop entertaining the idea of me, of us in any shape or form, then I supposed it was harmless to let him believe it.
Taking a short breath, I braced myself to the inevitable. “If that’s what it takes to show you how serious I am, then so be it.”
“That would be a mistake and you know it!” He growled as his grip tightened. “I’m warning you, Serena; the moment you do that, the moment you let him touch you, I …” he trailed off, breathing heavily against me.
I waited for him to continue, but I was left to wonder. Just as quickly as he had approached me, he vanished.
Still reeling after he left, I wasn’t sure how long I stood there with a crazed, confused look on my face until Archer finally found me.
“Dance with me.” He beamed as he made this cute curtsy before holding out his hand.
Contemplating, I stared at the wine glass before quickly deciding to down the entire thing and take his offer. Cruz was difficult to deal with, but Archer was so easy. He knew how to have fun and live in the moment, while Cruz was … everything his brother wasn’t. And since I had already vowed to sever ties with Cruz by letting him to believe I would sleep with his brother, it was best if I tried to look the part. Of course, I wasn’t planning to really do the deed, only carry on with the flirting banter that Archer was known for.
All I knew was that, as long as I was stuck next to him, I was fine. He was hopefully my one hundred percent foolproof Cruz Elliot repellant, so I had to do what I had to do, which for the time being meant having a blast, dancing in his arms.
“I know it’s not my place to ask, but I’m curious …” he started, smiling as our eyes connected while we danced to the soft ballad of jazz being played in the background. “What in God’s given name did you do to my brother?”
I froze, unblinking as we stared at each other. My heart sped up as I thought at a billion miles per minute of how to respond to him without giving too much away.
“What do you mean?” I replied, hoping he would shine more on his blatant curiosity.
“He doesn’t want me near you. In fact, he commanded me not to seek you out.” He raised his brow, amusement playing on his face, though with evident inquisitiveness. “What he does in his life is none of my business, but he’s engaged to be married, and if he wants to frolic with other women, then I’d rather that woman not be you, Serena.”
My cheeks were beet red, but I fully knew what he was trying to convey here.
“Thank you. And I completely and wholeheartedly agree with you. I’m not like that at all. I swear—”
“I never let on that I thought you were, but if there’s a possibility that I could assist you, I’m at your service.”
Shit. Here it was, the proverbial window to emotional and mental freedom.
“God, how I want to ravish your lips …”
Ravish? Jesus Christ, Cruz was somewhere in the vicinity. I couldn’t particularly pinpoint him around the crowd, but I strongly felt his presence.
“Umm …” I licked my lips. “Kiss me … That’s all I ever need.” For now.
He lifted my chin so our eyes met. “That’s all I needed to hear,” he murmured, grinning mischievously before his lips softly met mine.
It wasn’t overly consuming like the one I had shared with Cruz; however, it was sweet and teasing, exactly like the man, himself. I knew Archer wanted me, but I also knew he had a lot of women on his speed dial. I wasn’t delusional enough to believe this could blossom into something. We were, after all, young, so I planned to just live in the moment and enjoy it as much as I could.
Although I knew what was at risk, I also knew I had to be a little reckless to make this nightmare go away, and to be honest, I never expected to like kissing Archer so much. Maybe asking for his help wasn’t a bad idea after all.
Chapter 80
A
re you sure you want to retire to your room?” Archer bemoaned, not hiding the fact that he didn’t want to cut the night short. We had just finished going through a few plates of decadent chocolates, fruits, cheeses, and tarts.
Hiding my smile, I made a half attempt of an eye roll before shaking my head at him. “I’m sure.”
Archer, though nice and playful, was too touchy-feely for my liking. It wouldn’t have been so bothersome had I not encountered Cruz and that peculiar conversation. As much as I enjoyed Archer’s company, I knew I needed some alone time to ponder, go to sleep, and wake up the next morning with it in the back of my mind. Before I could reflect, I had to part with Archer first … if he would let me go.
“Could we possibly continue this upstairs, then? I don’t want to part with you, not just yet,” He pressed.
His eagerness to get to the next level with me had a polarizing effect, which wasn’t doing him any good. He had an idea what was going on between Cruz and I, and a part of me wished he could be a little more understanding.
Popping a blackberry into my mouth, I made a placid smile. “Don’t you have some place to get to? A party or whatever else it is you do at this time of night?”
“I do …” He trailed off before he reached for my outstretched hand that was languidly sitting on
the table, mindlessly stroking it with his thumb, hoping to evoke some sort of emotions from me. Then he leaned over towards my ear and whispered, “But I’m giving you the chance to persuade me not to.”
“Goodness, well, lucky me.”
He was being provocative, and I didn’t know what to do or say other than laugh it off.
“A no really means no with me, Archer.”
“All right, all right.” He nodded before holding up his hands in surrender. “But the moment you change that pretty head of yours …”
“It won’t,” I promised. I knew myself too well. Had I wanted to be with him, there wouldn’t be anything to stop me, but that wasn’t the case, so there was no need to make him wait or lead him on. The night had been fun—we both had admitted earlier on—but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue this charade. After all, I had a lot going on just from trying to persuade myself that Cruz Elliot wasn’t the man for me to pine and obsessive about.
“How easily you break my heart, Serena. I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” He feigned hurt, clutching his chest as if he truly was in pain.
I had to hand it to him; he truly was entertaining to be around.
“You’re usually not back until Monday, so I’ll see you then.” Anyone in the house knew he went in and out, and on weekends, he was usually MIA and wouldn’t be back until later Monday afternoon. It only took one look at him to know how hard he partied over the weekend. He was the infamous wild child, and he lived it to its entireness.
“I do, don’t I?” he mused before daringly adding, “But you never know … Something tells me I might be coming home more often soon enough.”
“Ha. Don’t count on it, mister.” Getting up from my seat, I declined when he offered to walk me to my room. Instead, he settled for kissing the back of my hand, playing up the lothario gentleman he was.
“Pleasant, erotic dreams, Serena,” he said before sending me one of those teasing grins of his.
Oh, boy. This guy was pure trouble. The word was written all over him. God help the women who fell into his trap. They would probably never recover. Thank goodness I wasn’t … Well, had Cruz not been in the picture, I could have easily been persuaded by his amazing good looks and personable persona. What woman wouldn’t?
“Yeah, right. Goodnight, Archer. Be safe, yeah?” I bid him farewell before hurriedly striding towards the stairs so I could curl up in my bed and sleep this pang of sadness that had settled in and given me severe chest pains for most of the night.
It was already past eleven at night, and Margery had retired for the night an hour and a half ago. Thinking about her made me smile. She had done well tonight. She was in her element, socializing and mingling amongst friends.
Taking the steps, I basically sprinted so I could get onto the landing and take my shoes off. My soles were aching, my body was abuzz with alcohol, and my mind persistently raced like a damn broken video player, particularly focusing on the man who had eyes that seemingly melted me inside and out.
Sighing, I strode down the hall that led to my bedroom with half-closed lids.
Upon opening the bedroom door, I was about to throw my shoes onto the couch when I realized I wasn’t alone.
“Cruz! What in the world are you doing in my bedroom? I thought you had left. What the fuck!” I screeched with my eyes popping out of my sockets while the deafening sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears.
He remained still as he stood before the window with his back to me, staring at the darkness of the night.
Why wasn’t he acknowledging me? I silently worried.
How badly I wanted to walk across the room and demand answers as to why he was in my bedroom, invading my privacy, but I was too chicken-shit to do so. I knew this visit meant something. After what had happened downstairs, God knew what kind of backlash I would get after making out with his brother. Apologizing for it was out of the equation. He wouldn’t hear of it. Regardless, I did it in part to save us both, and I hoped I could convince him of that. Never in my life had I considered he would be waiting for me here, in my bedroom of all places.
“Say something,” I pleaded after minutes of nothingness.
He chose to remain silent, still with his hands in his pocket, seeming as if he was looking down into the world, plotting how to annihilate it.
I didn’t need to see his face to know how incensed he was. I could feel his anger rolling off him in waves, sending frightful shivers all over me. I supposed I had asked for this.
“Cruz, please say something.” I tried once more then took a few steps towards him, but I halted in the middle of the room. Call it guilt or whatever, but I couldn’t get close to him without fearing he would burn me in one way or another.
With his back still facing me, I heard him take a deep breath before uttering a command. “Whatever is going on with you and my brother, I demand you stop it immediately.” His words were delivered with precision, cutthroat and unforgiving, just like the very man himself, who to this very moment, remained an enigma to me.
His beautiful, silver eyes were just as mercurial as his mood. It was difficult to read him, let alone know what truly was going on with him or what he truly felt for me.
I understood his rage. Of course I did. However, I was my own woman with my own mind, my own heart, and my own decisions to make.
Lifting my chin in defiance, I counted a few times before responding to him. “At work, you’re my boss, but in my personal life, I’m in charge of it. Please don’t ever tell me what to do again.”
My hardheaded stance didn’t evoke any emotions from him, but when I finally decided it was time to hash this out, he then chose to show a little more of himself.
“You’re punishing me for pushing you away,” he accused in a soft, monotonous voice.
Why wasn’t he facing me still? Why couldn’t he look me in the eye and tell me this, instead? I wanted to see him. I craved to see those eyes that never failed to ensnare my common sense.
“No,” I vehemently denied, “that’s not true.”
“You did everything you could to get under my skin, and the moment you did, you scuttled away and latched on to the next man you encountered.” His hate-filled words echoed in the room and left holes in my once intact armor.
“That’s a vile thing to say.” I was seething with anger, with the need to explain my erratic actions, and all the other frustrations I hadn’t yet addressed. I was a mixture of it all, waiting to erupt and out for blood.
“Is it?” He finally looked away from the window and strolled towards me, his eyes as cold as ice. “You knew I was there, and yet you kissed him right in front of me even after I asked—begged—for you to halt your relationship with my brother. How do you manage jumping from one sibling to the other? You do it so seamlessly it’s astonishing. It deserves a round of applause.”
“I—I’m s—” His strong accusations left me stuttering before a loud knock came at the door.
We both froze, staring at each other in shock and panic.
“Serena?” Archer’s voice could be faintly heard from the other side of the door.
Hadn’t I said good-bye to him? I hadn’t agreed to him coming upstairs, so why was he there? I was wracking my brain for answers when I saw Cruz’s nostrils flare in unmitigated impatience.
“Serena, may I come in?” Archer kept pushing me further into hell.
“Give me one sec,” I shot back, buying time to figure out what to do next or how to get rid of one of them.
“Tell him to go,” Cruz grunted out, unbending.
My eyes grew bigger. “Shhh, he might hear you.” I glared at him as I weighed my next move.
Archer might barge in here if I didn’t let him in, and the last thing I needed to make this night any worse was for him to find his older brother in my bedroom. God, I could already see how this would seem, and I just couldn’t let that happen. Fuck my life.
In full panic mode, I considered the best possible solution on the table
as I looked straight into Cruz’s displeased face.
“Can you hide in the bathroom or maybe in the closet?”
He instantly turned red. “You want me to hide?” he whisper-hissed at me, looking like he was about to blow a fuse.
“Yes!” I hissed back, glaring at him.
If it were possible for steam to come out of his ears, it probably would have happened already. He was so pissed I almost felt sorry for him. Then again, since he had come here uninvited, he had to give in, or he and I would be bringing this conversation to an end, which by the looks of it, was the last thing he wanted to happen.
“Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath, but eventually left towards the bathroom without another word of complaint.
I didn’t release a breath until I heard the bathroom door click shut, ensuring he was safely inside. Then my gaze reverted to the door where Archer was waiting.
Brushing the sides of my hair, I told myself to calm down then opened the door.
“Hey,” I greeted with a strained smile as I held the door handle, not willing to invite him in as I had blatantly told him downstairs. If he was trying to get laid, he had best look elsewhere because that woman wasn’t me.
“I just wanted to see you again before I leave for the night.” Archer’s charms were in full swing.
“Have a lovely time. It’s nice of you to stop by, but goodnight.” I didn’t even give him a chance to respond before I smiled and gently shut the door on him.
It barely took a second before Cruz came rushing out of the bathroom, looking like a raging, manic bull out to hurt whomever he saw on sight.