"You can have all the proof you want, darlin'." I sat back and spread my legs.
She grinned and let her gaze linger at my crotch. "So tempted." Her phone buzzed. She picked it up and read the screen. "But I have a date."
Damn it. "Finally showed up?"
"He's on his way. Got stuck in surgery."
"Impressive date."
"Yeah. I think he's going to be good to me." She stroked her necklace.
"I could be good to you." Where have I heard that before?
She laughed and shook her head. "You? Good?"
"Never mind." Damn it, she's right. I'm worthless. "I could be bad to you. I think you could use a little something nasty in your life, your bed, don't you, darlin'?"
She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "I think someone else needs your dangerous debauchery more than I do. Someone who thinks you're worth the trouble."
I sat back, pulling away from her innocent touch. "If I was worthy of her... of anyone, I wouldn't be here trying to get you into bed."
"You are. You just need to believe it."
"I don't take anything on faith. I need proof." I ordered another round, but Claire hadn't finished her drink. Believe I deserve Talia's love? No. That would never happen, and no one could ever prove it to me.
Claire glanced over her shoulder at the door, then back at me. "She stopped working at the office again."
I polished off my drink and picked up hers. "Yeah, I screwed up."
"She'll come back."
"Think so? I don't."
"As long as she believes you might have what she needs, she'll keep searching."
"Yeah well, right now she's searching in my best friend's pants."
Claire's nipples practically poked through her top. "Ohh.... That Will guy? God, he's a hottie. I'd do him."
"Thanks, just what I needed to hear."
"Sorry." She giggled and picked up her phone as the door swung open. "He's here." She kissed my cheek and whispered, "Don't give up hope."
"You'll need to define that for me. I don't know what it means."
"It means your proof is out there. Don't stop searching."
I raised my glass and watched her cute ass bounce under that flirty skirt as she walked out the door. I tried to picture Talia wearing a prim little dress, chasing after me like a smitten puppy. The couple at the other end of the bar glared at me as I burst out laughing, wiping tears from my eyes.
Damn, I needed that laugh. She'd never willingly go after me, so I swallowed my grand illusions along with the rest of that bottle. I was in no condition to drive home, so I settled into a corner booth and ordered a burger. My thoughts remained oddly clear, focused on one objective, one goal: luring Talia back to Denver and figuring out just what it would take to keep her with me.
The Open Door
What had I said about once and done? Not with this woman. Twice hadn't even been enough for Talia.
She'd called me Friday night as she got off the plane and asked if I could meet her. I couldn't get away from work, so I promised to see her on Saturday. She'd begged me to take her to our beach, but I made dinner at my place instead.
"Oh Will, you spoil me." She leaned over and inhaled the rich, nutty scent of mushrooms and sesame oil simmering on the stove.
"My pleasure." I popped the cork on the wine bottle and filled our glasses. Then I seated her and served grilled sirloin with roasted potatoes and the mountain of Portabella mushrooms she'd requested.
She speared a bite of everything and moaned. "Orgasmic. Why do you keep doing this to me?"
"What exactly am I doing to you?"
A smile touched her lips, tinged with guilt and maybe a little remorse. "Every time he hurts me... I come to you."
"I noticed that."
"I can't help it. You're my rock. My happy place. And I know you won't say no to me."
Damn woman has me pegged. "You haven't asked me anything yet."
"I will. Count on it."
"Yep." I dove into my steak. The thing was pretty damn good. Good enough to keep Talia quiet until we'd cleared our plates and drunk half the bottle of wine.
"Aren't you going to ask what he did to me?"
I pulled her down on the couch and put my arm around her shoulders. "I don't have to."
She curled up against my chest. "He gave me what I wanted."
"Oh, that's a bad idea."
"No kidding, you'd think he'd get that by now." She slid her hand down to my stomach, and trailed her fingers along my belt. "But it turned out what I wanted wasn't really what I wanted."
Good Lord. "No more wine for you."
"Oh come on." Her fingers wiggled under my waistband. "Just a little."
"You're not talking about wine." Finally something made sense.
"Talking is overrated." She nibbled my neck.
I sighed and let her flick my ear with her tongue. What's the harm? She'd fuck me, run back to Alex and fuck him, come crying to me. I'm her happy place? Not likely.
She undid my belt and slid my zipper down. I kissed her while she stroked my cock. Damn thing had gotten hard the moment she'd knocked on my door.
I could have asked her why she'd come to me tonight, but I wouldn't get a straight answer... didn't need one. Besides, we couldn't exactly have a meaningful conversation with her mouth full of my dick. I grabbed her hair and pulled her up. "babe, come here."
"Mmm...." She kissed me and straddled my lap, rubbing her damp panties against my erection as her skirt slid up her thighs. She sucked on my lower lip as I eased her back.
"We gotta talk." I moaned as she grabbed my cock. "What do you want?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She somehow managed to slide my cock under her panties and along her wet slit.
"Oh hell yes." I groaned and forgot words... saying them... got lost in the honeyed temptation of Talia's hot pussy.
She breathed hot on my lips. "I want you to make me forget all about him."
I slid my hands under her shirt and fondled her breasts. "No problem."
"If only for tonight."
Big problem. I dumped her on the couch and stood up.
"What the hell?"
I zipped up my pants and buckled my belt, tightening it an extra notch so neither one of us could get it off easily. "This has to end."
"Us?"
"You and me, you and him. You can't keep running back and forth between us."
Her lip quivered and she tugged her skirt to her knees. "I'm not. I came here to—"
"Don't lie to me. I can see what you're doing, playing us against each other. It's not going to work. I told Alex he needs to treat you right. Obviously he hasn't figured out how."
"Will you tell him again?" She slid to the edge of her seat and tugged on my pants. "Come back to Denver with me... please?"
And bring you back to Chicago permanently. I pried her fingers off my leg and stepped back. "No. I've done all I can." Almost. She needed one more push in the right direction. "You need to let go of me."
She pressed her hand to her mouth and sobbed. "I can't...."
"Me or him. Can't have both." Me, me, me!
"I can't... I can't choose." Tears trickled down her cheeks, searing right through my aching heart as they dripped onto her blouse.
Damn it, stop hurting her! I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her I'd love her for the rest of my life. But I couldn't make her happy. That was all I'd ever wanted for her. "Then I'll choose for you. Go back to Alex. We're done."
"What?"
Damn stubborn woman! She wouldn't let go of me so I had to drive her away. "I've had enough of this bullshit. You're on your own."
"Don't you care about me?"
I love you. But if I told her that, she'd use it against me. I shook my head. "I don't give a shit... you and Alex deserve each other. Leave me out of your twisted sex games."
"You're the one who started it! You and Alex... you fucked with me...."
"Get over it! Bury the past and move on... li
ke I did."
"So you're over me? Just like that. 'Goodbye, Talia. Thanks for the pussy.'"
I'll never be over her. "Goodbye, Talia." I walked over to the door and yanked it open.
Her eyes blazed. She grabbed her purse and I ducked as it hit the door behind my head. "You asshole! I gave you everything! My love, my trust... even my ass. But you don't care."
I clutched that familiar, battered shield of stoic indifference over my screaming heart. "Don't come back. Please...."
She spotted the chink in my armor and exploited it. "Please?"
I stepped back against the open door.
"You didn't let me finish. I came here tonight to ask for your help. Only you and Alex understand me well enough to guide me. But if you don't want that, if you're not ready.... I'll go back to him."
I twisted the doorknob behind my back. Close it! Don't let her go! But I looked at the floor and nodded.
She stroked her fingers along my jaw and lifted my chin, forcing me to look into her eyes. "You'll be here when I get back."
"Yeah."
"You never say no to me, and I can't deny you anything."
"Pretty fucked up."
"But it works for us." She kissed me, her lips bound to mine, sealing an unspoken promise. We understood each other.
She walked out, but I left the door open, standing there as she drove away. She'd go back to Denver, back to Alex. And I'd wait for her with my heart exposed.
Proceed with Caution
"She's here. Pay up." Claire held her palm out to Alex, rubbing her thumb greedily across her fingertips as I walked into his office.
He shushed her and turned around, jerking his tie as if it was strangling him.
I let my laptop case slide off my shoulder to the floor and glared at each of them—the twitchy attorney first and then his snickering assistant. "You bet on whether or not I'd show up?"
Claire pointed at Alex. "His idea."
"What are you doing to me?" he hissed at her as he fiddled with his collar. Then he turned to me. "She conned me into it."
"As if." She looked at me and rolled her eyes in his direction. She knew as well as I did that the man was no innocent victim. "Where's my money?"
He tossed a bill on her desk. "Here. Now, go make yourself useful."
I caught a glimpse of Abe Lincoln as she stuffed the cash in her drawer. "Five bucks? That's all I'm worth?"
"I would've bet a hundred, but she wanted to go cheap."
The pretending-to-be-busy assistant shook her head. "I need a raise."
Alex winked at her. "You need something worse."
Well... that's interesting.
Claire giggled and fingered her necklace. "No, I'd like that."
He sat on the edge of her desk and leered at her. "That's what I'm sayin'."
She swatted his thigh, too comfortable, too familiar. Did they sleep together?
"Alex!" The sharp tone of my voice snapped his attention back to me, and his devilish grin—the one he'd directed at his suddenly sexy assistant—faded fast.
"We need to talk." He said it at the same time I did.
Claire snorted back a laugh and grabbed a file. "I gotta get to the law library."
"I want that brief by noon." Alex called after her as she pulled the door shut. He beckoned me into his office and closed that door, too. "Ladies first."
"Oh, so now you're being a gentleman?"
He grabbed my wrist and yanked me into his body. "Would you rather play it rough, babe?"
So many options. Bend him over his desk and spank his impudent ass. Shove him into his chair and make him listen. Gag him with his tie. I pulled free and pushed him away. "You're taking a big risk putting me in charge of this conversation."
He sat on the edge of his desk and leaned back on his hands. "I'm not afraid."
Climb onto his lap and fuck him brainless. "Good." But I surrendered all those rebellious thoughts and caught him completely off-guard. "I'm sorry."
He opened his mouth then closed it, scratched his head. "For...?"
I stepped back, clamping my fingers together to keep from twisting my hair. "For running back to Will—"
"Did you fuck him?"
"Does it matter?"
"No."
I unclenched my fists. "For accusing you of not caring about me."
He seemed to be grasping for words again, and I let him flail just a bit longer.
"I know you... you have a heart somewhere under all that bad boy arrogance."
He grinned.
After so many years of watching him work a witness, I'd learned how to lead him into a confession. But setting a trap for him required offering my heart as bait. "And I know I occupy a tiny part of it."
"All of it." He closed the distance between us with two steps and swept me into his arms. "Woman, you drive me fucking insane, do you know that?"
I caught my breath and clung to his shirt. "I love it."
"Yeah, you do. You're the only thing—the only person—who can make me want to...." His hand tightened on my throat and a furious tingle shot between my legs. "And keep me coming back for more."
"Always come back," I whispered on his lips, as much a promise to him as an acknowledgment of his declaration. Part of my heart would always belong to Will, but I could share it with both of them. Does this mean I love Alex? Do I dare?
He kissed me, keeping one hand firmly on my neck while the other dug into my ass, pulling me close and binding us together. Purple haze buzzed around my head as my breath came short, but I wouldn't ask him to stop.
I let go of his collar, but his hold kept me secure. He eased his grip to let me breathe, and brushed his lips where his touch still tingled on my skin.
My heart pounded and a sliver of fear worked its way into my spinning brain. "What did you want to talk about?"
He grunted. "You pretty much covered it." He laid me back across his desk, kissing my breasts through my blouse as I stretched out beneath him. I grabbed his ass and pulled his hips into mine, but my slim skirt wouldn't give, so he pushed it up and bent my knees around his thighs.
"Too many clothes." I pulled his shirt from his pants while he undid my buttons and pushed my bra down, clamping a nipple between his teeth. "Oh! Do that again. Ow!" Sweet pain tickled my senses.
He soothed my throbbing tit with sweeping licks. "Mmm...." He sat back and was tugging at my panties, pulling them all the way to my ankles, when his desk phone rang. "Fuck!" He grabbed the receiver. "What?"
I lay perfectly still, holding my breath and hoping the caller would go away.
"Yeah. Be right there."
Damn it!
"Joan wants to meet with us."
But as I reached for my panties, he yanked them off and dove between my thighs, licking my slit from top to bottom.
"Oh God!"
He stood and stuffed his shirt into his pants. "That'll hold me for a while."
"Yeah you. I'm the one left dripping. Hey, give me those."
He was sneaking my panties in his pocket. "Nope. I want you naked under that tight little skirt."
"You are evil."
"Some things never change, darlin'." He helped me up and we re-dressed each other. "Are you here to stay?"
Until my job is done. "Yes, but if you piss me off again, you'll have to tie me up to keep me from running home."
His wicked black eyes glittered. Damn it! Stop giving him ideas. "All four limbs, naked and spread."
"Ooo yes! Will did that to me once...." One glimpse at his arched eyebrow cut me off. "Never mind."
"Dinner at my place tonight."
"You're not cooking, are you? That'll send me screaming from the room."
He swatted my ass as we walked toward the door, but I slapped my palm on the solid oak as he tried to pull it open.
I spun around. "One more thing. Did you sleep with Claire?"
A devious grin twisted his lips, revealing mischievous intentions, but his eyes betrayed him. "Some things
never chan—"
I grabbed his tie and twisted it around my fist. "Proceed. With. Caution."
"No, I didn't." He used my grip to pin me against the door, grinding his erection into my fluttering abs.
"Good." I ducked his kiss and turned, brushing my butt against him as I opened the door.
He growled. "Woman...."
My God, I love that! I love him. From the corner of my eye, I saw him raise his hands, and my panty-deprived pussy dripped as I imagined his fingers curling. I am so fucked.
***
"What an amazing view!" I stepped out onto Alex's patio, breathing in the fresh air as my gaze followed the cobalt blue sky to the snow-capped mountains on the horizon. Horsetail clouds burned a brilliant orange in the setting sun, and a cooling breeze rippled down the slopes and across the open plain to stir my hair.
"Yep." Alex moved behind me, slipping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. "As soon as I saw that, I had to buy this place." He nibbled my neck. "Feels like home."
Home. For him. But my home was in Chicago. My job, my life. Everything. Will.
I shook that thought out of my head and settled back into Alex's chest. His arms tightened snug around me and his breath caressed my skin. Feels like home.
"Did you enjoy dinner?"
I turned and kissed him. "Yes! How did you find that place?"
"I got lost on the way home one night shortly after I moved here. Stopped for directions and ended up eating a three-course meal. I've been bringing back her mushroom Alfredo ever since."
"Mushrooms as big as my fist!"
"I knew you'd love it." He slid his hand into my hair and his tongue into my mouth, tasting and sampling like a delicious entrée... or a tempting dessert. "I picked up something else you'll like."
"Oh?"
"Come with me."
A curious tingle compelled me to obey.
He led me to his bedroom. Located on the west side of the house, it shared the same mountain view as the patio. The deepening sunset kept me distracted while he searched his briefcase.
"Talia."
I turned away from the French doors and surveyed the room. The last slivers of sun filtered in through gauzy curtains, lighting warm oak furniture. Alex stood next to his bed, a king-sized cloud suspended on four stout wooden posts, crowned with a scrolled metal headboard. My heart skipped when I noticed a bright yellow rope dangling from his hand.
Their Twisted Love (The Twisted Mosaic - Book 2) Page 13