by Aria Scott
Sitting at the table, next to Chase and the bimbo wiggling in his lap, my mind was screaming for me to run. My fight or flight instincts were kicking in hard. I couldn’t stand to listen to this bitch’s innuendos a second longer. Did Chase really expect me to sit here while Laurie practically humped him right on the sofa?
I sprang to my feet feeling the painful lump forming in my throat. Don’t you dare cry now, I admonished myself. I took off, weaving through the VIP section, vaguely hearing Chase call my name. There was no way I was going back to that scene. Holding back tears, I climbed over the velvet ropes into the jam-packed portion of the club valiantly searching for the restrooms.
Why had Chase picked me for this stupid charade when I was obviously not his type? I pushed through the crowd, not oblivious to the looks I was getting from the other women. It was the same look that almost every woman that had walked by our table had given me. I knew exactly what that look meant.
In less than a second, they had summed me up and wondered what the hell Chase was doing with me. Now that I was alone, I wasn’t even worth that one second glance before I was dismissed as unworthy. Apparently, I didn’t live up to their incredibly phony standards. My clothes didn’t have designer labels and didn’t cost more than a month’s salary waitressing. My boobs weren’t plastic enough, and I didn’t have a spray-on tan, fake eyelashes, fake fingernails or weaves in my overly bleached hair like Laurie.
I didn’t fit in here. I didn’t belong with Chase.
I stumbled toward the back of the gigantic club searching for the ladies room. When I finally found it, I was upset to see the giant line forming out the door. I moved down the narrow hall, following the line of girls waiting to use the bathroom, until I reached the door. It was propped open and packed full of girls washing their hands and primping in front of the mirrors. There would be no hiding away in there.
Past the door, further down the hall was a door marked ‘employees only’. But slightly past that door was a small dark alcove where a payphone hung on the wall. I squished my way past the waiting girls and sought refuge in the quiet alcove.
I didn’t even have ten seconds to breathe before I felt a hand on my shoulder.
Chase had tracked me down. “Jesus Christ, you moved quicker through that crowd than a running back.”
Didn’t he realize that I wanted to claw his eyes out right then and there? “Chase, I want to be alone.”
He leaned against the wall facing me, balancing mostly on his uninjured foot. “It’s cute when you get all jealous.”
“I’m not jealous, I’m pissed.”
He looked genuinely confused. “What? I thought we were having fun?”
I crossed my arms. “Oh, yes. Laurie’s just a ball of fun.”
He frowned. “Come on. Don’t be like this.”
His cluelessness made me even angrier. I practically spat at him, “If that’s how you act when you’re engaged, then consider us unengaged. I’m done.”
“What?” He looked shocked. “Aubrey, come on. I’m just not used to this yet. Give me a chance.”
The hurt look on his face took some of the wind out of my sails. “This isn’t going to work. None of your friends believe you would settle down for me. I’m not your type.”
He looked incredulous. “What are you talking about? You’re exactly my type.”
I shrugged, having trouble meeting his eye. “I don’t look like those other women. I don’t act like them.”
He sighed his frustration. “I don’t want you to be like the other women. I want you to be you.”
Why couldn’t he understand? “I don’t fit in here. Look at this … this dress I’m wearing. And these shoes!”
“What are you talking about? You look hot.” He pulled me into a hug, folding me into his body.
I felt myself losing ground. “I might as well be wearing a burlap sack.”
“Look at me.” Chase tipped my chin up so that I had to look him in the eyes. “Stop comparing yourself to anyone else. I don’t want to marry them. I want to marry you.”
My breath caught for a moment in my throat. “Fake marry, you mean.”
“Right.” His voice sounded raspy and his eyes were smoldering with heated lust. He was practically vibrating with a barely-controlled sexuality that left me feeling like I was drowning.
An electric current seemed to crackle between us. Seconds later, our lips were locked in a passionate kiss. My lips yielded to his as our tongues collided and wound around each other. My body was floating in a sea of heady sensations.
The kiss was explosive. It left me dizzy and clinging to him with desperation. Butterflies danced and collided in my stomach as a knot of throbbing need assaulted my pussy. Our contact seemed to set off sparks of energy that buzzed through me and erupted into sharp pangs of desire. Everything around us faded away as I was dragged completely under.
I didn't remember where I was until Chase slid his lips from mine. Dazed, I untangled my hands from the death lock I had on his body and took a step back from him on embarrassingly wobbly legs. Fire flamed my cheeks as I saw several girls on the restroom line giving me dirty looks.
I had let my guard down, and if he hadn’t stopped the kiss, who knows how far I would have gone. He was an expert at obtaining exactly what he wanted from women without giving up anything in return. He was a player. I couldn’t afford to develop any kind of feelings for him and end up hurt. I had to remind myself: the only thing I wanted from Chase Wilder was his money.
Chapter 11
Chase
I put my hands on Aubrey’s shoulders. Pushed her back. Looked at those freckles across her nose, at her green eyes with that shadow of hurt in them. Focused on her bruised-looking lips that begged for another kiss. My cock was hard. Raging hard. I wanted--no, needed--to fuck her right there, on the spot. At the same time, I also wanted to kick myself for not realizing that someone like Aubrey wouldn’t be comfortable at Club Nikita--or any place like it.
Her life in Grove, Oklahoma had been innocent. Sheltered compared to what went on down here in South Beach. She spent her days waitressing and taking care of dogs; but here, boozy orgies were the order of the day. No doubt she’d be shocked to hear what Laurie was most known for: pouring champagne in her pussy and asking you to lap it up. Or that Shontelle liked to wear bunny-tail butt plugs as she rode you straight to Nirvana.
Laurie and Shontelle, they weren’t sluts. They had high-powered jobs and millions in the bank. But their privileged lives here, and the freedom that their money had brought them, had given them exotic tastes. I figured the plain stuff no longer did anything for them.
It just bored them.
This, however, was something Aubrey would never understand. And I didn’t want her to. In fact, I’d kill the first fucker who dared to touch her...other than me, of course.
I grabbed her hand. Her palm was so small in mine, and I felt her trembling.
“It’s okay, darlin’,” I purred, deliberately using the endearment that I’d tried once before. “I’m a jerk for bringing you here without warning you.”
I waited for her to tell me not to call her darling. Instead, her lower lip quivered. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t feel right, with you,” she said and, despite her observation, I counted it as progress that she hadn’t complained about my sweet talk.
I tightened my grasp on her hand. “How about we get out of here, and go for a walk on the beach? It’s beautiful at night.”
She looked at someone over her shoulder, then pulled her hand from mine and angrily swiped at her tears. I spun around to see who she was looking at, and saw Laurie strolling our way, her breasts nearly bouncing out of her lycra dress.
“You sure your girlfriend’s going to let us leave without her?” Aubrey snarled.
“I don’t give a shit about Laurie,” I murmured, just as the blonde reached us.
Laurie stopped in front of me, and checked me out boldly, her gaze resting on my crotch for several
moments before returning to my face. I still had a hard-on. I hoped she didn’t think it was for her. “What’s up?”
“You heading to Velvet later on?” she asked slyly, her gaze never straying even once toward Aubrey. It was like Aubrey didn’t exist. I didn’t like it.
I smiled. Velvet was a swinger’s club down towards Cocoa Beach, where all of the hottest adult stars hung out. “Not interested.”
Laurie’s eyes narrowed. “You sure? You were interested about a month ago.”
“I’m giving Aubrey a tour of the beach,” I said meaningfully.
She gave me a tight smile. “Cake by the ocean?”
I shrugged and began maneuvering Aubrey toward the door.
“Does your hillbilly fiancée even know what that means?” Laurie asked loudly, as we walked away.
Aubrey stumbled. Moments later, I had her out the door and hurrying down a sandy path that wound its way through canopied beds and seating areas. I held onto her tightly as we passed little groups of people talking, drinking, kissing and, in a few cases, having sex. By the time we passed the rope barrier that blocked off Club Nikita from the beach, she was breathing heavily.
I reached down and pulled off her high heels, admiring her thin ankles and long legs as I did so. She didn’t fight me over it, but rather just stood there. Still, as soon as I had my shoes off, she hurried to the edge of surf. I followed her and grabbed her hand once again. She gazed out over the water, and I looked at her.
The moon was high and full, and created a shimmering path that led out across the ocean to a shadowy horizon. In its light, I could see tracks of wetness running down her cheeks. Suddenly I felt bad for her. Really bad. I put my arm around her shoulders and drew her near, aware the entire time that she was resisting me. I didn’t care. I could feel the warmth of her soft curves against me, and smell the sweet honeysuckle scent of her hair. That was enough. For now.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
“I know what that means, you know,” she sniffled. “Cake by the ocean. It means having sex on the beach.”
I hid a smile, but otherwise said nothing. We started walking again, with me still holding her hand.
“You need to get something straight,” she continued. “We’re not having cake by the ocean, in the bedroom, in the bathroom, or anywhere else. We have a business deal, remember?”
I heard the fire in her voice and swung her arm companionably as we rambled along. The clean smell of the ocean filled my lungs and suddenly, I was very, very glad to be away from Club Nikita. “Let’s take a break from all of this piss and vinegar, and just enjoy the beach. What do you say?”
“I don’t trust you.” Stubbornness made her voice stiff.
“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do,” I promised, as the warm surf licked at our feet and swirled around our ankles. “We’ve had a hard few weeks. It sure would be nice to just enjoy each other’s company for a while.”
“I suppose so,” she replied, and even though she didn’t sound very sure about it, she became silent.
For a while, we just walked beneath the moonlight, with the ocean roaring to our left and the lights of South Beach twinkling on the right. Above us, stars twinkled like diamonds on black velvet, adding their magic to an evening that had finally gotten onto the right path. I felt very calm inside-- fulfilled, even, in a way I couldn’t even describe to myself.
After a time, I started talking. I wanted her to know about me. I wanted her to know the part of me that only the townsfolk in Grove knew, the simple man who had planned to work as an auto mechanic, before that first college recruiter came and told me I had a future as a pro. Maybe I even wanted to rewrite history a little, and become--for a few crazy moments--the kind of man that I felt sure a woman like Aubrey would want.
I told some pretty wild tales, all of them G-rated of course; and she eventually gave in and laughed. Then, haltingly, she told me a little about herself. Just the surface stuff, but personal details nevertheless. I found out that her parents had divorced, and that the rescue shelter had been a dream of hers from the time she’d been a little girl. A couple of times, we fell silent, just to admire the beach around us, and neither of us rushed to fill that gap. Even in our quietness we were in harmony.
So it was no surprise to me that she didn’t resist, when we reached the end of the beach, and I wrapped my arms around her and drew her close. She didn’t melt against me either, but I was okay with that. For several seconds, I rested my chin on the top of her head and just breathed her in.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I finally said.
“Oh,” she murmured, and I sensed her relax. Suddenly she was pressed against me from head to toe. Her breasts flattened against my chest, and her nipples were hard, sexy little nubs beneath her dress. Her legs felt warm against mine and I thought about how easy it would be for me to spread them with one of my thighs and get her off by rubbing my thigh against her pussy. My cock immediately sprang into action.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” she said in a small voice. “On this beach. With you.”
I put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up, so she was looking at me. Her eyes were pools of green lit with silvery moonlight, and her lips were parted with anticipation. She was so beautiful at that moment that my throat ached. “I can’t wait until we’re married.”
“It’s a business deal, remember,” she murmured.
“Yeah, I know.” Entranced, I lowered my head toward hers. I could only imagine how sweet her lips were going to taste.
“I’m only doing this for the money,” she whispered, just as my mouth touched hers.
I froze. Money. Someone else had kissed me for my money. She’d cleaned out both my bank account and my heart.
Simone.
My heart thumped in my chest.
I gave Aubrey a quick peck, then pulled back. Abruptly I felt cold inside. I moved away, glanced back towards the lights of Ocean Drive.
“We should be getting back,” I said.
She hesitated. Then: “All right.”
I heard the confusion in her voice. I didn’t care. She’d done a damned good job of reminding me I’d better be a lot more careful around her, or she’d make off with my money and my heart, just like Simone.
The spell between us broken, we tromped through the sand, with me walking faster than I should, and Aubrey hurrying to keep up. Neither of us said anything and, when we reached the spot where we’d first entered the beach, we found our shoes and slipped them back on. Less than ten minutes later, we had finished a quick walk down Ocean Drive and were heading back up to my penthouse.
The silence continued between us, with both of us lost in thought, for pretty much the rest of the night. We watched TV, I had a glass of whiskey, and then we both got ready for bed by taking showers, brushing our teeth, and getting into pajamas. I tried not to smile when I saw she’d dressed for bed in a set of flowery long johns, and I turned the air conditioning down to make sure she didn’t overheat through the night. Normally I slept in the nude but, for Aubrey’s sake, I wore a pair of boxers and a wife beater, and soon we were laying in bed, a mountain of pillows between us.
I had Simone on my mind, so I had no interest in doing anything to upset the delicate balance between us. She huddled on her side, her back to me, and I realized that the sense of fulfillment I’d known on the beach had completely deserted me, replaced by anxiety that I couldn’t put a name to. At some point the dogs jumped into bed, with Molly curling up between my legs and Jax spooned up to Aubrey. Eventually I fell asleep and, in the middle of the night, I learned something new about my little ginger fiancée.
She snored.
The remainder of the week flew by for both of us. I divided my time between hammering out the terms of my pre-nuptial agreement with my agent, visiting my physical therapist, and heading over to the training facility up north for some gridiron practice--whatever my ankle could tolerate. Aubrey spent her time finalizing the detai
ls for the small wedding ceremony we would have here in Miami. Invitations had been sent out, the champagne purchased, the church reserved and foods planned.
We didn’t invite friends and family from back home, though. Instead, we told them we’d come to Grove for a smaller second ceremony, so they didn’t have to travel all the way to Miami. But the truth was, neither of us really thought the Grove ceremony would happen. This was just a lie to keep loved ones from coming all the way to Miami to witness a wedding that was doomed to failure. Yeah, I know, this was definitely negative thinking on our part, but it was realistic thinking, too.
Besides all of the wedding planning that neither of us really wanted to do, she explored the shops of South Beach and Cocoa Beach, and found the best places to hang out with Jax and Molly. Remembering the clusterfuck at Club Nikita, I gave her a credit card and told her to buy some clothes--the more expensive, the better.
She agreed to get started immediately, so she’d have something to wear to the engagement party we had coming up that Saturday in Miami. I hadn’t realized, though, that between all of this shopping and planning and practicing, we’d hardly have any time together. In fact, we only managed to have dinner together a few times. Other than that, I just saw her in my bedroom, before bed.
Of course, we had the Great Wall of China between us each night. I laid awake for hours, my cock hard and throbbing, and debated whether I should scale that wall and kiss her until she curled herself into me and opened up. The question was, could I fuck her and then let her go, once she ‘had my money,’ as she’d said?
I just didn’t know.
I was still thinking about that on Saturday night, the same night of our Miami engagement party. It would be our first time together as a couple in public, outside of our appearance at Club Nikita. I was particularly anxious for us to seem like a “real” couple, because the team owner would be there. And yet, over the last week, we seemed to have grown more distant than ever. The activities of the busy week--and our lack of any kind of intimacy whatsoever--had turned us into near-strangers. I worried that no one would believe Aubrey and I were really in love, and that the team owner might guess that the wedding was a stunt designed to guarantee me a contract for the next season.