The Mess You Left Behind: An Enemies-to-Lover Romance

by V. T. Do

  “No.”

  He laughed then. I glared at the ice in front of me. “Yes, you can. We’ll go just a little faster, yeah?”

  “No.”

  He skated in front of me, then backward. Now that was impressive. “You know you want to.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “Sure, you do. Because I know you like the challenge.”

  “You really think so?” I commented dryly.

  His grin was infuriating. “Yes, I do. Don’t be such a scaredy-cat.”

  The group of seven-year-olds were back, and they snickered when they heard Wyatt’s taunt.

  “I am not,” I said, sounding way too petulant. When he didn’t say anything, I let out a sigh loud enough for him to hear. “Fine.”

  I went a little faster. Wyatt slowed down enough for me to catch up. And then I was really skating on my own. Not as skilled as those around me, but I was doing it on my own. I laughed when Wyatt made me go a little faster still, and laughed even harder when he did a rendition of the chicken dance on ice.

  “You’re a dork,” I said when he skated back to me.

  “I can be your dork,” he answered seriously. I clutched his arms to keep from falling when I laughed again. Wyatt shot a wink my way.

  We skated until we were back to where we had started, and I had to admit, it was fun. I was beginning to get the hang of it. I might even take Joey sometime to show off my newly acquired skills. When I told Wyatt that, he grinned at me, his eyes sparkling with an unnamed emotion.

  He held out his hand then. “Think you can keep up?”

  I eyed him suspiciously. “I know I can’t. How fast were you thinking of going?”

  “Nothing you can’t handle.”

  I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand in his. Wyatt skated backward again, only this time he was pulling me along. I wished I had worn gloves. My hands were freezing, but so were Wyatt’s.

  He didn’t say anything when he pulled me close so that my body was flush against his. He winced slightly when I moved my hands up to cup his neck. I liked the way his skin was flushed from the cold air. I liked the sparkle in his eyes even more.

  “Did you have fun learning how to skate?”

  “Yes,” I answered honestly. I had fun. So much fun, I didn’t even realized the sun had gone down and the air had turned almost frigid. I moved back, putting space between us. He was fogging up my mind.

  Just then, two boys who couldn’t be much older than thirteen started racing each other. They passed me on their way by, and the one closest to me bumped my shoulder with his. I lost my balance. Wyatt raced toward me. My eyes widened, and Wyatt got to me just in time for me to tackle him down to the ice.

  He did what he said he would—he cushioned my fall. I barely felt anything, unlike Wyatt, who grunted in pain. “Oh my God. I am so sorry.”

  “Emery, stop moving.” I was struggling to get up when he said it. I stopped my movements, keeping my eyes on Wyatt’s face. His eyes were closed. When he opened them, I jumped a little. Wyatt tightened his arms around my waist.

  “We should get up,” I said.

  His lips curved upward in amusement. “Why are you whispering?”

  I cleared my throat. “I don’t know. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. What about you? Are you hurt?”

  I shook my head. “No, thanks to you.”

  “Didn’t I tell you I would catch you?”

  I smiled then. “You did. You’re an idiot. Now you probably have a giant bruise on your ass.”

  “Totally worth it.”

  I looked away from him then. Wyatt moved one hand up to cup the back of my head, then waited patiently for me to look at him.

  “Take a chance on me,” he said. “I can’t promise not to hurt you. But I’ll always do everything I can to make it up to you.”

  I shook my head, my eyes getting misty. “You scare me, Wyatt.”

  “Why, baby?”

  “Because no one has ever made me feel the way you do.”

  He moved his hand to my cheek. I didn’t mind that it was cold. “You like how I make you feel. Give me a chance.”

  “To do what?”

  “To prove to you that I’m worth the risk.”

  “Are you?”

  He nodded, so sure, so confident. “I am.”

  I kissed him then. It took him barely a second to respond, but when he did, he took control and made me lose my mind. He placed his thumb on my chin and pressed down until I opened my mouth for him, then he deepened the kiss. I heard a low moan and was surprised to realized it had come from me.

  I could never get over how soft his lips were. Or how he tasted. My own personal aphrodisiac. I tightened my hands around the collar of his coat.

  “Get a room,” someone yelled out. “There are children here.”

  It was the last sentence that struck me. I pulled away, my cheeks turning red, and I knew I looked mortified. Wyatt looked smug. And satisfied. “Come home with me tonight.”

  He didn’t ask. He demanded that I come home with him. Demanded that I give in and give him a chance. I did something then. Something I hoped I wouldn’t come to regret.

  I stopped fighting.

  “I will if you get us out of here quickly.”

  I scrambled off his hard body, sitting down on the ice, trying to find my composure. Wyatt stood up and reached down to help me up. I buried my face in his chest, still too embarrassed to look around. I would let him worry about getting us out of there.

  He shook with laughter and did what I asked. We put on our shoes in record time and raced across the parking lot to my car. Wyatt told me he was driving because he could get us back to his place faster. I didn’t argue with him. I got into my car and waited for him to start it.

  Then we were off. I didn’t think I could come back here ever again without feeling like my face would burst into flames.

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Bliss

  Wyatt

  I raced home like the hounds of hell were chasing us.

  Emery found the whole thing amusing, but I could see how eager she was for me to get there as well. It was in the way she squirmed in her seat and in the enlarged pupils of her eyes, making the green of her irises turn almost dark.

  I watched her at the red light, and she smiled over at me. “You’re spending the whole night in my arms,” I told her. “And when you wake up in the morning, you’re staying for breakfast.”

  I needed to make sure she understood what I was saying. I didn’t want to wake up tomorrow morning to find that she had snuck away in the middle of the night.

  “Okay.”

  “Good.”

  “Then this time, you have to let me take care of you. You can’t go off to the bathroom when it’s my turn, like last time,” she said.

  Her meaning was very clear. I almost missed the light turning green. My hands tightened around the steering wheel, and the heat blasting in the car was turning out to be uncomfortably hot. I moved the vent away so that it was aimed at the door instead.

  “Have you ever done that before?” I asked, already guessing the answer. But I needed to hear her say it.

  “No. But I’m a quick leaner.”

  “God, Emery. Let’s not talk about that while I’m driving. We might have an accident.” Her laughter was music to my ears.

  I drove into the underground parking garage, then got out. Emery got out at the same time, and we met at the hood of her car. I grabbed her hand and walked over to the elevator. The ride up was excruciating. I had never known torture quite like it.

  Emery didn’t seem to be doing any better, considering she had glued herself to my side, her hands touching me in any place they could reach. Not that I was complaining.

  I let out a small groan when her hands moved down my abs, so close to the one place I wanted her. I stopped her movements by placing my hands on top of hers.

  “Not yet, sweets. You keep touching me like that, and this will be over before you know
it.”

  “Hurry, Wyatt. I need you so bad. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that night.”

  I watched the numbers as the elevator climbed, bringing us closer and closer to my apartment. “Have you touched yourself since?” I asked. My cock tightened in my pants at the thought, and I swore if I didn’t get them off and get inside her soon, I’d explode.

  “Every night,” she whispered.

  I leaned down and kissed her hard. “God, baby. You’re killing me.”

  The elevator doors opened, and I pulled her to my front door. I kissed her in front of my door, unable to wait for a taste of her, as I fumbled a few times with my keys. She laughed when I almost dropped them, which quickly turned into a gasp when I bit her bottom lip. When I finally got her inside, I slammed the door shut and locked it. She was mine for the night with no interruptions. I turned on the hallway light. Emery placed her backpack on the floor by the door as I unbuttoned her coat.

  I pulled the white T-shirt she wore underneath over her head while she rid me of my coat. We kept pulling at each other’s clothing until we both stood in the foyer, naked. Emery took in the sight of me.

  I couldn’t get enough of her. I pulled her in close until her skin touched my own, and I loved the way her hard nipples felt pressed against my skin.

  “I’m going to drive you crazy,” I promised her, letting my hands move down. I cupped her pussy, finding her wet with need for me. She tensed as I rubbed the sensitive flesh. She was so goddamn aroused, the palm of my hand became slick in no time.

  “Wyatt. Take me to bed.”

  Sweeter words had never been spoken. I picked her up and practically ran to my bed. I threw her on it, and she squeaked with laughter while I turned on the light.

  Moving back to the bed, I lay down on top of her. She giggled when I kissed her neck loudly, though that quickly turned into a quiet moan when I moved my hands down to her tits, playing with their softness. She let out a deep sigh when I pinched her nipples. I sat up so I could see her.

  “Wyatt.”

  “I know. I got you.” I moved my hands down between her legs. “I love how wet you get for me.”

  “Please,” she begged, though she didn’t clarify what it was she was asking for. I plunged two fingers inside of her, enjoying the way the slick, warm skin surrounded me. I couldn’t wait to get my dick inside of her.

  “Do you want it rough and fast?” I asked. “Or slow and gentle?”

  “God, the first one. Please.”

  “Your wish is my command,” I said. And then I fucked her. Fucked her with my fingers, until she grabbed the sheets and thrashed about on the bed. I held her down with one hand on her belly and kept going until I drove her crazy, just like I promised.

  She was trembling, so I leaned over her and sucked on the skin between her neck and shoulder, leaving my mark, making sure she understood just who she belonged to.

  Her nails scratched my back, leaving her own mark.

  When I rubbed my thumb across her clit, her back arched, and shouting my name, she came on my fingers. I gentled my touch then, trying to prolong her orgasm for as long as possible.

  All the while, I watched her face, loving the uninhibited way she let go. Like she trusted me to take care of her. The thought made me want to stand up and pound on my chest like a caveman.

  Emery opened her eyes, the emerald green making an appearance. I could get lost in her eyes forever. “We’re not done,” I said. I moved to the nightstand and grabbed a condom, tearing the foil with my teeth. Her eyes stayed on mine, a world of fascination in them.

  After I rolled on the condom, I moved between her spread knees. Then I thrust into her, our cries of pleasure mingling with the squeaking of the bed as I moved.

  She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, clinging to me as I tried to bring us both to the height of pleasure. “How close are you?” I gritted.

  “Close. Oh, God. Just keep moving like that.”

  I did as she asked, fusing our mouths together in a hard kiss. She opened her mouth, and I deepened the kiss. I had never really given much thought to kissing, but kissing Emery was quickly becoming my second favorite thing to do, right next to fucking her.

  She tightened around me as she got close, and I pulled away so I could play with her clit. With a shout, she came. Her orgasm quickly triggered my own, and I fell right along with her.

  Afterward, I buried my face in her neck, licking away the drops of sweat on her skin, before kissing her there.

  “Am I too heavy?” I asked.

  “No, you’re perfect.”

  “So are you.”

  I smiled, pulling out of her. Emery’s leg twitched. “Sorry. Still a little sensitive,” she said, her skin flushed. It was alluring to see that the flush ran all the way down to her perfect tits.

  “It’s okay.” I quickly disposed of the condom, then got back into bed, hugging her close. She turned to face me, her eyes on my chest as her fingers moved over the little hair I had there.

  “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” she asked shyly.

  I rested my chin on top of her head. “I’ve been called a lot of things. ‘Beautiful’ isn’t one of them.”

  “You are though.”

  “I like the way you look too, baby.”

  I felt her smile against my skin. “Where does this leave us?”

  “This means you belong to me and I to you. It means we are exclusive with one another.” I pulled back so I could see her face. “I’m a very possessive man, Emery. You might as well know that about me now. I don’t want to share you. I won’t. Understand?”

  “Good. I don’t want to share you either.”

  “As for the rest, that’s entirely up to you. I want to be with you. But I need you to want to be with me too.”

  “I do,” she answered.

  “Okay. That means you can’t run again.”

  I searched her eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but then she just nodded. “Yeah.”

  I smiled, satisfied. Then she pushed me onto my back, and climbed on top of me. “I seem to recall you telling me I get a turn.”

  My dick had been semihard, but quickly stood at attention at her words. She smiled coyly at me, as she focused on where she was gripping me. “You have to tell me what to do. I don’t want to do it wrong.”

  “Emery, I don’t think you can do it wrong, no matter what. But I’ll tell you what I like.”

  She bent forward and placed a wet kiss on my pecs, going down, down, down, lingering in some places longer than others. She straddled my left thigh, and I could feel how wet she was. It was almost my undoing. And then she proved just how good she was at making me lose control, with a look, a flick, a lick, and everything else in between.

  It was bliss.

  Pure bliss.

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Family Troubles

  Emery

  Deciding to stop fighting my feelings for Wyatt was easier than I thought.

  It was also freeing.

  I slept like a baby in his arms the whole night, and even though it was a weekday, Wyatt decided he could go in late to work. “There are some perks to being the boss, you know,” he told me when we were having breakfast in his rather large kitchen at the equally impressive kitchen island.

  I liked the way the colors in his apartment blended in together. Masculine enough, with understated elegance.

  “Do you ever get used to this?” I asked, as he slid a plate with the breakfast omelet he’d made in front of me. I dug in, almost moaning out loud. Wyatt was a good cook. That was very pleasing news to me, considering I couldn’t even boil water without burning the stove. True story.

  “To what?” Wyatt asked, taking the seat next to mine with his own plate.

  “The wealth.” I wondered if having money was something you had to get used to, or if there was such a thing as having too much.

  “I guess so. I’ve been working so hard
all my life, I’ve never really had time to enjoy it. It’s nice to be able of take care of my family, though.”

  “Your aunt?” I asked, remembering that he’d mentioned she was the one who raised him. That brought a soft smile to his face. He obviously loved her. The picture of the woman I had sent to myself from his phone weeks before came to mind. Why was I so interested in her? Maybe because she felt familiar somehow, only I didn’t know why.

  “And my grandma.”

  “You have a grandma?” I asked, surprised.

  He shot me an amusing look. “Yeah. That’s how it works.”

  “I know that. You just never mentioned her before.”

  “There’s not much to tell. She’s a bitter woman who’s gotten even more bitter with age. I don’t talk to her much. My dad was born from her first marriage. He was already ten when my mom had my Aunt Erin out of wedlock.”

  “So she’s your half aunt.”

  A shuttered look came over his eyes then. I wanted to ask him why he looked so guarded all of the sudden. “Yeah.”

  “Where do they live?” I asked. Hopefully that wouldn’t be a sensitive topic.

  “Chicago.”

  “Is that where you grew up?” I asked.

  He nodded. “But I was born in New York. My grandma used to live here. She worked as a maid for a business mogul. And she lived on his property for about seventeen years before she moved.”

  “That long? She must have loved working for that family. Were they nice to her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The guarded look was back, and I didn’t know why the subject of his family made him so uncomfortable. I shifted in my seat. We weren’t at that point in our relationship for me to pry about these things. So I let it go.

  He leaned over and kissed my temple. I looked up and smiled at him. “Finish your breakfast, baby.”

  “Okay.” I let out a sigh. I didn’t think I was one of those girls who would love pet names, but I liked the ones he used with me.

  We ate breakfast, and the conversation was less tense. And Wyatt made me laugh. I thought it was a pretty good way to start the day.