“Hey, thanks for setting me up in here. This place is awesome. I’ve never seen a bathroom like the one in here.”
“That nice, huh?”
“Yeah.” I laugh. “I can’t wait to take a shower.”
His chest rumbles with laughter. “I can help you with that if you’d like.”
“Funny guy.”
“I try.”
“So, Prescott, where do we go from here?”
“I’ll show you a few properties tomorrow and you tell me what you think.”
I rub my forehead. “Um, I have to work from eleven until seven.”
“We can do it after.”
“Okay.”
He gets ready to walk away, then turns at the last minute. “Vivi, you think the worst of me. But we used to be friends—or sort of anyway. At least I thought we were.” Without another word, he leaves.
I suppose it makes sense that he did think we were friends. In some ways, I guess we were. Only I dreamed of more, which was a problem.
Now he wants more, too, but only in the way of fucking. I know if I give him what he wants, I’ll end up with a broken heart. And that’s the last thing I need right now.
The next morning, I stop at the bank to deposit the check and end up arriving at work a little early. Eric’s already there, prepping tables. He gives me a full-on smile and I shake my head, remembering the drink catastrophe from yesterday.
“Did you get cleaned up when you got home last night?” he asks.
“I was so sticky. I swear my bra was glued to my skin. Ugh.”
“You’re not the first person that’s happened to and you won’t be the last.”
“Well, I’d prefer not to go through that again. So I’m still shadowing you today, right?”
“Yep. Today and tomorrow. After that, you’re on your own.”
Our lunch crowd is thick, and things run smoothly until I screw up an order for a customer. The woman is a bitch about it, and while I do everything I know to make it right, she still insists on seeing the manager. We call him over and he does a song and dance, smoothing things over. Afterward, he pulls me aside and lets me have it.
“We can’t afford these types of errors. It’s a simple matter of entering the item into the computer.” His snappy retort surprises me because up to this point, he’s been so even-tempered.
“It’s not simple and the system is antiquated,” I say, which isn’t the wisest reply.
“Excuse me?” His head tips forward as he looks down his nose at me. I’ve done it this time.
“Honestly, this system is confusing and makes it difficult for the wait staff. There are much better software options out there.”
“Vivi, that’s not the point. The point is you are responsible for getting the correct order to your customers. Can you or can you not accomplish that?”
“Yes, but I thought I had.”
“You obviously hadn’t or she wouldn’t have made such a stink. I’m willing to let it go this time, since you’re in training, but the next time, it comes out of your paycheck. Understand?”
“Yes.” Jeez. After he leaves, Eric approaches.
“Sorry. We won’t let that happen again. I should be checking your orders.”
“It’s not your fault, Eric. The program here is awful. It should be categorized or at least alphabetized. But anyway, onward we go.”
We finish up the lunch crowd and during a lull Eric asks if I want to join him and a few others after work for some drinks.
“Aw, I wish. I have plans tonight to hunt down another place to live.”
“Oh? You in the market for a roommate?”
I lean my hip on the counter and say, “I may be. Why? Do you know of someone?”
“Yeah. Me. My roommate just moved to the west coast. So I’m frantic.” He places his hands in the prayer pose. “I’ve been asking God to send me an angel to help and look what happened.”
“Where do you live?”
“The East Village. It’s a very—and I mean very—small two-bedroom. If you don’t mind living in cramped quarters, I’m neat and like things organized. So if you’re a slob, speak up now. It would never work for me.”
“No, I’m not a slob at all. I like things orderly, too. How much is rent?”
He tells me and it’s a very fair price.
“I’d want to see it first. And my friend has offered me an exceptional deal, too, that I need to check out.”
“Your friend?”
Shrugging, I say, “Yeah. He has some rentals he’s willing to let me have at a steal.”
“Hmm. He must be some friend to have rentals as in plural.”
“You might say that.”
“Who’s this friend?”
“Just a guy.”
“Yeah,” he says with a knowing grin. “Just a guy.”
“He is. We went to high school together.”
“And you’re still dating him?”
“Eric, he’s a friend. We’re not dating.”
He holds his hands up. “Hey, just asking. So when do you think you’ll know? I have to tell my landlord something soon. He’s waiting on a lease renewal and is eager to get rid of my ass so he can hike up the rent.”
“Two days at the most. Is that okay?”
“That’ll work. When do you want to see the place?”
“How about tomorrow? Maybe before work? Then we can come in together.”
“Sounds great.” He finds a piece of paper to write down his address and hands it to me. “Okay, I’m stoked. I’ve wanted a girl for a roommate forever. By the way, you know I’m gay, right?”
“I didn’t, but thanks for clarifying,” I say with a little laugh.
“Does it matter to you?”
“Not at all. Why would it?”
“Just checking. I didn’t want it to be an issue later. So just for clarity, you wouldn’t mind if I had guys over or anything?”
“Nope, not a problem.”
He hugs me. “I see the beginnings of a great friendship here, Vivi. Even if we don’t move in together.”
“Yeah, same here. By the way, what do you do when you’re not working here?”
He steps back. “I haven’t told you? I’m in the process of building my interior design business.”
“That’s great. I’ve always wanted to learn a bit about that. I’m digging this roommate situation more and more.”
“Oooh. Maybe I can find more ways to entice you then … like I have all kinds of connections with my buyer’s card. I can take you places you’ve never been before.”
“Really? Like where?” Now, I’m intrigued.
“For starters, the D&D Building.”
“What’s that?”
His hands fly to his face and he acts as though he’s having a heart attack. “My God, Vivi. You just killed me.” His expression is so comical; it beats anything I’ve ever seen. I crack up.
Then he leans in close and says, “Can I share something with you?”
“Sure.”
“Imagine this. A building, eighteen stories tall, filled with every gorgeous piece of lingerie you can imagine, and I’m talking La Perla, darling. Add to that, the hottest men you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Then layer it with oodles and oodles of sex toys and I mean the fancy brands. Lelos or whatever the hell they’re called. That’s the D&D building for me. It’s eighteen floors of designer heaven. Nothing but fabrics, carpets, flooring, furniture, design concepts, you name it.” When he finishes, I think he may climax. He fans himself for a minute. “Whew, too much fantasizing for me.”
“It sounds amazing.”
“I’ll take you one day and you’ll see for yourself.”
One of the other waiters calls out to us. “The crowd is thickening. Better get a move on, you two, or you’ll be in the weeds.”
“Come on, Viv. Let’s go.” He grabs my hand and I realize he just gave me a new nickname. I smile. Eric is fun and exactly what I need in my life.
We work our a
sses off until the next shift arrives to take our places. I’m happy to call it a day and head home.
As we walk out the door, Eric asks, “You headed back to Brooklyn?”
“No. I’m actually staying in SoHo tonight.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” I give an awkward shrug. “My friend.”
“So you’re at your friend’s tonight?”
“Not exactly.”
Eric stares and waits for an answer.
“I’m at The James.” I’m hoping he’ll let it pass. He doesn’t.
“Say what?”
“I’m in a hotel for the next few days. It’s kind of a long story.”
His mouth curves into a conspiratorial grin. “I imagine it is. This friend seems like someone you need to hang on to if he’s putting you up in The James, girl.” Then he taps my elbow.
“It’s not like that.”
“Well, whatever it is, I’d try to sweeten the pot, if you know what I mean.”
“Stop. It’s not going in that direction. It’s … complicated.”
“Oh, I sense a juicy story somewhere in there.”
“For God’s sake, don’t tell me you’re a gossip.”
His mouth falls open as he takes a step back. “Me? A gossip? Never. I was only thinking that if this person, an old high school friend, put you up in such a classy place, then you must mean more than you think to him. So I thought … oh, forget it. It’s not my business, is it?”
“Nope. But I appreciate it a lot.” I pat his arm so he knows I’m not angry. “Come on. Let’s go home. We can take the train together.”
“Good idea.”
We link arms and are headed toward the subway entrance when I hear my name.
“Vivi.”
Standing next to his car is Prescott.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t know you’d be here,” I say.
“I came to pick you up so we could check out the apartments like we planned.”
“Is that your friend?” Eric asks. He sounds as though he might faint.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Whoa. No wonder you’re staying at The James. He probably could’ve bought the place for you.”
“Vivi? Are you coming?” Prescott calls.
“Yeah, hang on,” I answer. Turning back to Eric, I say, “I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll text you when I’m on the way.”
“Sure thing, but I have a feeling I just lost my potential roommate. I can’t compete with that, but I’d happily trade places with you if you’d like.” Eric saunters off then, laughing. I have to chuckle. He’s crushing on Prescott.
I turn toward the object of Eric’s lust and notice his tightened expression. His narrowed gaze following Eric tells me all I need to know. If only he knew.
“Who’s your friend?” His tone is cool.
“He’s the one who’s training me at work.”
“I didn’t know someone with a degree from MIT would need much training to be a waitress.”
“That’s not fair. Everyone needs to be trained in a new work environment. How did you even know where I worked? I never told you.”
“I have my sources.”
“Stop spying on me. It’s creepy, Prescott.”
He doesn’t bother to comment but only says, “Get in,” as he holds the door open.
With his shitty attitude, I’m not sure I want to anymore. “I don’t think so.”
“We have a deal, Vivi.”
“Yeah, we did. But I found a roommate, so I no longer need a place to live.”
“What the hell do you mean you found a roommate?” His voice booms.
“I’m not sure how much plainer I can be.”
He runs a hand through his too sexy hair. “Who is it?”
“Why is that important?”
“Just answer the fucking question.”
“Lower your voice and it’s none of your business.”
“Yesterday, you were living in a fucking nightmare of a place in Brooklyn and last night you agreed to our deal. I set you up in The James. Today you went to work, and now you suddenly have a roommate? I want to know who it is. Is this person trustworthy or will they steal you blind?”
The idea of that has me laughing. “Seriously? Have you bothered to notice my stuff? Who in the hell would want to steal it?”
His jaws clamp together so hard his teeth click. The tic on his cheek picks up speed, telling me exactly how much I’ve pissed him off.
“The truth is, I’ve been looking for a roommate to share bills and the cost of rent, but I haven’t met anyone until now. My new job led me to that person.”
“Oh, and who might that be?”
“Eric. The guy who just left.”
His hand suddenly snakes out and clasps my wrist, pulling me into the steel wall of his chest. “Like hell. He’s the last person you’ll be living with, if I have anything to say about it.”
His mouth crashes onto mine, cutting off any chance of a reply, along with all coherent thoughts in my head. I’ll say this for him. Prescott Beckham is one sinfully sexy kisser, but not in the way I imagined. The kiss is savage, vicious, and yet sensual. While it lacks tenderness, it’s filled with everything a kiss should be—lust, passion, and fire. Every nerve in my body hums, sending my pulse racing. I know one thing. If I’m not careful, my heart will most certainly be in this game, whether I want it to or not.
Chapter 12
Prescott
Vivi live with another man? Over my dead body.
I’ll just have to show her a thing or two about who’s the boss in this little thing that’s going on between us. And fuck whatever plans I had on being nice. When she went behind my back and arranged to move in with someone else, she just sealed her own fate.
However, there’s one tiny problem. Make that a big problem.
Vivi and her sexy as fuck mouth.
One taste, one lousy little taste, and now I want all of her. When our mouths connect the chemistry erupts. I used to think that was some kind of cosmic bullshit, but there’s this invisible line between us, this flow where she’s reaching into my soul that I can’t explain. If I thought the first time I kissed her set me off, I was badly mistaken. This time all bets are off. Now I know I was right. Vivi will be mine and nothing will stop me.
I place my hands on either side of her head and tilt it just so, allowing me full access. Then I take her mouth exactly like I want to. I dominate her until she moans and her fingers dig into my arms. But even then, I don’t stop. I want her lips bruised and swollen, so that when she sees her little friend, he’ll know. He’ll know exactly who owns her. Me, not him.
One hand slides down to her ass and cups it as I kiss her. I squeeze that soft round globe of flesh until she squirms against me. It doesn’t take long before she straddles my thigh and grinds herself against it. People move about us on the sidewalk. I hear a stray laugh as they go by, but I don’t give a damn. The world could destruct, go up in flames around us, and I wouldn’t blink an eye. We’re two sexually charged people caught up in the moment. The hand on her ass pushes her into me, harder, eliciting a groan from deep within her. Damn, do I want this woman. My dick is hard, harder than I can remember it being in a long time.
I sink my teeth into her lower lip, not hard enough to break the skin, yet enough to let her know I’m in control. She whimpers, but I quickly soothe it with my tongue. Then I do it again. Her hands slide up to my neck and pull me closer. I’ve won.
When I detach myself from her, I’m satisfied by her look of confusion. I nudge her into the car and have the driver take us to the first apartment on the list.
Her heavy breathing gives me great pleasure. Leaning toward her, I ask, “How wet are you?”
“What?”
“Do you want me to repeat the question?”
“No, I heard you. I don’t care to answer.”
“My guess is you’re soaked between those thighs of yours.”
Her intake of air is exactly what I
was going for.
“I bet if I were to slip my hand down your pants I’d—”
“That’s quite enough.”
“I disagree, Vivi. We haven’t even begun. The way you responded to my kiss told me a lot more than you think.”
She crosses her arms and stares directly ahead of her. “Why do you have to be such an ass?”
“I’m not. I’m merely being honest, which is more than you are.”
She frowns, then tugs at the bottom of her jacket. For a moment I think she’s going to come back at me with a sassy reply, but she doesn’t. Her rigid posture indicates her annoyance with me. That’s okay. I’ll get her to relax soon enough—when her legs are spread and my tongue is lapping her pussy, making her scream out an orgasm.
“Stop it,” she says.
“What did I do now?”
“You’re sitting there, acting so smug and arrogant.”
A hoarse laugh echoes through the car. “I am not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Fine. I’ll sit here and act super serious. How’s this?” I try to look solemn. I’m damn sure I fail because I just want to laugh.
“You think you’re funny, don’t you?”
“Not at all.” She’s fuming and the fact that she loved every second of my kiss makes it even better. “Better stop frowning or it might stick forever.”
We arrive at our first stop and I open the door. Then I hold out my hand for her.
“Now he suddenly develops manners,” she mumbles.
The building is a high-rise on the Lower East Side and the doorman waves us through. After an elevator ride to the tenth floor, I lead her to the vacant apartment. It’s a nice one-bedroom that would suit her needs well … and mine, too.
She does a walk-through and announces it’s lovely.
“I thought you’d like it. It’s also a great location.”
She murmurs her agreement, but that’s it.
So we move on to the next, where her reaction is much the same. We get into the car and drive to the last rental. When we arrive, she takes note of where we are.
“Don’t you live here?”
“I do. Come.”
“I thought we were looking at places for me,” she says.
Chasing Vivi Page 10