by Jani Kay
Doubling over to stretch my calves, I touched my toes. Blood raced to my head and made me dizzy. I sucked in a breath and straightened up again. “Jake. I’ve made it abundantly clear that I don’t date, if that’s what you had in mind. Or if you wanted to invite me to another interview, please schedule that with Hailey like you did before. She runs my schedule.”
“Look, I just wanted to tell you that I know about your past, Montana, and I know what you’re up to now. If I were you, I’d accept my invitation gracefully,” he hissed.
All the blood in my body drained to my feet and a shiver ran through me. What the hell did he know about my life other than what was public information? I’d been so careful to cover my tracks. Or was he just bluffing?
Jake snorted. “Got your attention now?”
I closed my eyes again and rubbed at my temples. “What do you want from me, Jake?” God, I felt so damn tired and it wasn’t just from the exercise.
“Dinner out tonight for starters. I won’t take no for an answer, sweetheart.” Something in his voice told me he meant it, and I didn’t really have an option.
I was supposed to see Levi later that night. He wouldn’t be happy if I cancelled, yet I had to see Jake if I wanted to or not.
“I guess I have to eat anyway. Text the address and I’ll meet you there at seven thirty. I can’t stay longer than an hour though.”
“Montana—”
“Take it or leave it, Jake. I don’t have time for playing games.”
He laughed out loud. “That’s what I love about you. You don’t take shit from anyone, do you?”
“Better believe it,” I said and hung up.
What the hell was Jake’s business with me? He had his pick of bimbos who threw themselves at him. We weren’t suited in any way and nothing he said or did could ever change that.
So why me? I just couldn’t fathom it.
Or did Jake know something more—something I didn’t want anyone knowing, let alone him.
Chapter 17 — Levi
Rereading the text message from Montana for the third time, I suppressed my disappointment and frowned.
I have to cancel tonight. Sorry it’s late notice, but I can’t help it. Will explain when I see you again.
What the hell was going on? Montana never cancelled unless it was an emergency or she had to go out of town, and usually she’d let me know days before so we could reschedule.
I punched in my reply: Can I see you at lunchtime instead? You can feast on The Monster.
I even put a smiley face and waited for her answer.
For five minutes I sat in a semi-daze, worrying about what her reason was, before my phone buzzed. I quickly scanned the text but it wasn’t from her. Damn.
Another agonizing eleven minutes passed before she replied. I let out a long, slow breath. Fuck, I’d become addicted to seeing her and I wanted more, not less.
Was just in shower.
I smiled at the winky icon.
Hmmm. Wish I was there to soap up your body.
Her reply was instant.
So do I. Lunch, huh? What do you have in mind?
She’d never said yes to lunch before, and my cock stiffened at the prospect of seeing her soon.
Eating you out, babe. I’m starving.
Her reply was a face with large, round eyes to which I sent the little guy with his tongue hanging out. What did we do before texting and those icons were available?
I grinned at her next message.
Where? When?
I could practically hear her smacking her lips together.
My car. 12.30 P.M. Pick you up?
My heartbeat quickened a few paces as I waited, holding my breath.
You sure about this? It’s risky.
My cock hardened even more, and I had to adjust it in my pants.
Live on the edge, babe. You’ve got me so hard now. The Monster needs your mouth.
It took three seconds for her to reply. This was fun.
Really? On a scale of one to ten?
If only she could see me now, my dick pressing against my pants. The Monster wanted to come out and play.
8 and rising. Can we make it 12 P.M?
The image of her mouth around my cock made me sweat. It was going to be an agonizing morning until I saw her.
Hahaha. No, I have a meeting with Beckham at 11.30.
My cock deflated from eight to five. I frowned as I typed my reply.
Fucker. Why does he get to see you any time he wants?
I shouldn’t have said that, but I couldn’t help myself. Yeah, I was possessive when it came to Montana, and I didn’t like the way he was around her. It was clear as daylight Beckham Drake wanted what was mine.
See you at 12.30 in the parking garage. She’d added a small yellow face kissing air.
My mood changed from stormy to bright in a matter of seconds. How did Montana do that?
OK. Can’t wait to see you.
*****
At 12.15 P.M. I was already waiting at the farthest end of the underground garage. I’d messaged Montana to tell her where to find me and as soon as she got into the Bentley, we’d drive off to find somewhere more secluded. It would be the first time we’d fucked outside the loft and adrenaline pumped fast and furiously through my veins.
Five minutes later, I sat up with a wide grin. Montana was coming toward the car, and she was ten minutes early. I guess she wants it as much as I do. The Monster let me know how excited he was by throbbing a few times.
I leaned over to open the car door for her from the inside. I couldn’t risk my face seen on the security cameras that were littering the parking garage.
“Hi,” I said, as she scooted into the front seat and closed the door.
“Hey,” she said, smiling back at me. Her hands were trembling slightly, so I placed mine over hers and stared into her eyes.
“I’m happy to see you. Thanks for coming earlier.” I didn’t kiss her because although the windows were tinted dark, I was never sure with today’s technology how much the cameras could pick up.
“I knew you’d be here already, so I cut the meeting short.”
Her breaths were shallow and fast. I gave her hand a squeeze and started the engine. “Relax. We’ll be outta here soon enough,” I said, drawing small circles on her skin with my thumb.
I merged into the heavy traffic, still holding her hand.
“God, Levi, this is dangerous. We shouldn’t be—”
“Hush, baby.” I stopped at a red traffic light and looked into her wide eyes while my hand trailed up her thigh and under her tight skirt. “Tell me you don’t want this as much as I do and I’ll take you back right away.”
She swallowed hard and shook her head. “No. I want this.” Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed. She was glowing and so fucking beautiful I had a hard time concentrating on anything else but my need for her.
“Good girl.” Fuck, if only she knew how much her straightforward honesty turned me wild. My thumb pressed against her damp panties.
“Take these off,” I commanded.
“Now?”
“Yeah. Now.”
I pulled away when the light turned green, all too aware of her shimmying out of her panties. I held out my hand.
“What?” she asked, her voice husky and somewhat breathless.
“Your panties, of course.”
She didn’t argue and placed the white lacy scrap of fabric into my palm. Fuck if these could really be called underwear, and yet I bet they cost a fortune.
I held them to my nose and took a deep, deep sniff. It hit me straight in the fucking groin. The aroma of her desire had soaked the panties and I couldn’t wait to get my mouth on the source of that delicious juiciness.
“Unbutton your shirt.”
“Why?”
“I want to see the matching bra, sweetheart. That’s why.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks were bright red. I reached out and squeezed a soft titty in my hand. Her
nipple hardened instantly against my palm.
“Jesus. You’re so fucking hot, baby. I could come just looking at you.”
She laughed. It was low and throaty and made my cock jerk.
We drove into the basement of a large building I owned just three blocks from her office. I’d get hold of the security footage later and ensure we weren’t visible on it.
“Take off your skirt.”
She raised an eyebrow for a few seconds, checking if I was serious. Of course I was.
She let out a soft groan as she maneuvered her body out of the fabric. The thought of her naked ass on my leather seat nearly made me lose my shit. I wanted the scent from her pussy all over my face and car.
“Get in the back seat and spread those legs. I’m going to go to town on your pussy first.”
I let out a groan as she climbed into the back, her ass in my face. I tugged at my tie as if it were strangling me, undid the top three buttons of my dress shirt, and followed her into the back.
She lay back, her legs spread wide, one heeled foot on the backrest, the other on my shoulder. I stared down at her gorgeous cunt, shiny from her arousal.
“My pussy,” I breathed, as I dove between her legs and tasted her. “So fucking sweet.”
Montana bucked her hips and lifted her back off the seat, her fingers twisting in my hair as she moaned out loud. “So good, oh God, so good.”
I smiled against her skin as I pushed two fingers inside and then three, fucking her slowly while I sucked her clit.
“Don’t stop,” she murmured, the back of her shoe’s heel pressing down harder on my shoulder. It was all I could do not to strip down and ride her with my cock. Instead, I gave her what she wanted, adjusting the speed according to the intensity of her whimpering moans.
She came in my mouth and I drank her down, thirsty for more. I’d never get enough of Montana or her sweet pussy.
If this was my addiction, if this was what I needed to live, I was so screwed. What if she fell for another man and left me standing with my dick in my hand?
I pushed the thoughts away, kissing her neck and the tops of her breasts where they spilled out of her bra. Half-dressed she was sexy as fuck and I wanted inside her.
Reaching down, I pulled down my zipper and grabbed hold of my stiff, hot cock.
“God yes, I want The Monster deep. Fuck me hard, Levi.
She was still wearing her heels. Grunting like a Neanderthal man, I placed both her feet onto my shoulders before I shoved my dick into my girl’s pussy. Jesus. She was warm and wet and tight. I wasn’t going to last long. “I’m going to fuck you so hard it will make the Bentley rock, baby.”
“Hmmm, yes please.”
That was it for me. This woman was so perfect, so beautiful, so fucking sexy I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I love you, Montana.”
Fuck. It just slipped out.
Idiot. The first time you tell her it has to be in the back of a car? Classy. Real classy, dude.
She stilled under me.
“Wh . . . what did you say?”
Now it was out, I didn’t want to take it back because I meant it.
“You heard me, baby. I fucking love you.”
Her eyes were wide and her mouth formed an O.
If I didn’t still have her pinned down with my dick, I swore she’d get up and run.
Fuck. Why couldn’t I just keep my big mouth shut? Now I’d ruined everything because I’d fallen for her. The word love was never supposed to slip off my tongue. Any other four letter words were fine—just not the L word.
Chapter 18 — Montana
Danger signals went off in my brain. The one man on the planet I’d never expected to hear the words from had just told me he loved me.
Loved me.
Loved. Me.
“Levi,” I breathed, unable to say anything else.
“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t the time or the place, but I couldn’t help it. The words just burst out; I couldn’t control them.”
I stared up at him, still not believing what had just happened. He pulled out of me slowly, a sheepish grin on his handsome face.
Oh, Levi. Why did you have to ruin it all?
My heart ached, as if he’d just taken a sword and speared it through the center of my being.
“You promised. Fuck buddies only. No emotions. No strings attached.” I sat upright and did up the buttons of my shirt with trembling fingers. In an instant, everything had changed.
“Baby, surely you’ve known for a while how I feel about you. We have a connection you can’t deny. I just said out loud what’s been there for some time.” The alarm on his face squeezed my heart until I thought I’d pass out.
A million thoughts raced through my mind. I grabbed my skirt from the front seat and slipped it on to cover my nakedness. It took all my concentration just to get dressed.
“Please take me back to my office.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“Montana—”
I didn’t know how to deal with this revelation. I didn’t know what to think, never mind what to say to him. My safe little world had just come crashing down.
“Now, Levi, please. And no more talking.” I fixed my hair and wiped over my lips. There wasn’t a trace of lipstick left after the way he’d kissed me. I was a fucking mess and it wasn’t just my appearance. My pounding heart beat in my throat and my throbbing temples sent waves of pain through my head.
Shock flickered over Levi’s face for a split second before he got it together and zipped himself up, all without saying a word.
Levi got in the front and started the engine. I stayed in the back, rubbing my temples and staring out of the window with unseeing eyes because they were brimming with the tears I fought back.
I made a snap decision. I had to end our arrangement. It was time to rip up the agreement and go solo again. Nothing good could come of this.
Oh God, how am I going to survive? Life without Levi, without my fuck buddy, was going to kill me.
He pulled up outside the office building, too rattled to care if anyone saw us.
Leaning forward so that I was closer to him, I spoke softly. “It’s over Levi. Our arrangement is finished. I’m sorry.”
I jerked the door open and stepped out onto the busy sidewalk, clutching my purse under my arm as if my life depended on it, and squinting my eyes against the bright light. I quickly shoved my sunglasses onto my face and stepped into the road in front of a taxi, waving it down.
Thank God it stopped before it hit me.
The driver wound his window down. “Are you crazy, lady?” he yelled.
“Take me home. Please just take me home,” I begged, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Oh . . . okay,” was all the cabby managed to say. Tears undid most men, and this one was no different.
Once I’d slid into the back seat and told him my address, I let it rip. I sobbed as if someone had just died. Why did all good things have to end? Why had Levi spoken about love? It was the one word—one word—he was never supposed to say.
Love.
“You okay, lady?” The cabbie looked at me in the rear-view mirror.
“No. No, I’m not okay. The best thing that’s ever happened to me has just ended.”
“Oh,” he said, a sad look on his face.
Chapter 19 — Montana
Once safely inside my apartment, I drew the bedroom curtains and stripped down my clothes only to realize that Levi still had my panties in his pocket.
Oh well, he could keep them as something to remember me by. No way in hell was I asking for them back. Besides, I’d never be able to wear them again without thinking back to that pivotal moment.
The moment he broke his promise.
The moment I never saw coming.
The moment he said the word to end it all.
Pulling back the covers, I settled onto the cool sheets. I hadn’t taken an afternoon nap since I was a kid unless I was sick,
and even then it had only been half a dozen times. But that day I really needed the extra sleep. Months and years of sleep deficiency had finally caught up to me.
More than that, I wanted to drown the voices in my head. Sleep would take me away from the pain twisting my heart. Because that moment when he’d told me was so much more. It was the moment I’d realized I loved him too.
How could I be angry at Levi when my own heart had let me down?
I had broken my promise to him, but also the promise to myself and my mother.
I’ll never be a fool to fall in love. I promise, Mamma.
And now I’d broken my word and shattered my world.
My body sank into the matrass, heavy and exhausted, on the brink of burn-out. My mind closed down and I drifted into a deep, deep sleep.
Nirvana.
*****
Hours later, the constant ringing of my phone penetrated through the haze and pulled me from the peace I’d found in oblivion. I cracked one eye open and saw Jake Monroe’s name on the screen.
I let it go straight to voicemail.
Seconds later, a text buzzed through with the address of the restaurant. Damn. My hopes that he wanted to cancel went up in smoke.
It was six fifty-five, and I had another half hour until I had to face him. Was this going to be the day my whole life came crashing down?
I dragged myself to the shower and stood under the stream of warm water, letting it wash my weariness away. I needed to be sharp when I faced off with Jake; I daren’t let my guard slip for one second.
Aware that I was in danger of running late, as soon as I stepped out of the shower, I grabbed my phone to check the time again. It was only then I noticed the seven messages, all from Levi over the course of the afternoon while I’d been asleep.
1.23 P.M: I’m sorry I fucked up.
1.35 P.M: Please forgive me.
2.18 P.M: Can I take my words back?
3.30 P.M: It’s only words. If you want, I’ll never say them again.
4.05 P.M: It changes nothing between us.
4.11 P.M: Please tell me you’re okay?