by Lacey Silks
I saw his face brighten. “It doesn’t change the fact that he’s not good for you.”
“You don’t even know him. How can you judge?”
“You’re right. I don’t know him, but I know you, and I can see that you’re not happy. If he meant more to you, you should have been ecstatic.”
But Sid didn’t know that Infinity was behind my misery.
“If it was me, if I was the guy interested in you, I wouldn’t be letting you out of my arms for a moment. You’re a gorgeous girl, Zoey and you deserve a man who can treat you with respect, cherish you, and spoil you rotten. And I’m speaking from a man’s point of view here, not your mother’s husband.”
Wow! Was he making a move on me?
“Ahm, Sid…”
“Take it from a man who knows what’s standing in front of him.”
Me? Shit!
“I know it sounds wrong for me to say this, but you have to believe me, Zoey. You’re capable of finding a loving man who will kiss the ground you walk on. Okay. That’s it for my lecture. I’m beginning to sound like a fucking old guy.” He pulled his fingers through his hair in that sexy way only hot guys knew. I bet there was a club for teaching that, and both Sid and Ace definitely had a lifetime membership there.
“Sooo, you’re not making a move on me, right?”
“No! Of course not. Jesus, Zoey! I’m a married guy. Why would you ever think… shit! I knew I would find a way to screw today up.”
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s mine. It’s just still difficult for me to believe that you’re my mother’s husband. I mean, you’re only a few years older than me.”
“I know. But she’s got the heart of an angel.”
Aww! “Have you always liked older women?”
He laughed. “Your mother was my first in all the ways I can count.”
“You were a virgin?”
“Yup. Late to the popping-cherry club, but better late than never.”
“How did that happen? I mean, you’re very cute for a guy, you know.”
“Well, sitting behind your desk, locked up day and night while developing apps, isn’t exactly a recipe for hot dates.”
“Wow! I would have never thought. So, how did Mom pick you up?”
“Maybe I picked her up.” He had a coy smile on his face.
“Yeah, right. That woman drank pheromones for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If there ever was a definition for a cougar, her picture would be next to it.”
“A cougar I tamed,” he said with pride.
“A cougar you could get off my back about finding a job?”
“Maybe… but only if you come work out with me more often. Your mother would have less to worry about.”
“Deal.” We shook hands. For that short moment, I’d forgotten about my contractual obligations. But if Ace was right, if this in fact was time to destroy Infinity, maybe making future plans wasn’t so bad after all.
“You know, all the stretching is fine, but if I don’t get you in good enough shape for her to… well, for position number fifteen, then I’ll never hear the end of it. You’re pretty fit, though; I don’t understand why she thinks you can’t do it.”
“Okay, do what you must, just don’t turn me into a pretzel.”
I laughed. “No pretzels, I promise. Lie down on the mat and please don’t touch this disgusting floor.”
In all honesty, we should have done this at home. Why had Sid insisted on coming to my filthy studio? He listened to my instructions as I guided his arms over his head and feet closer to his fine ass (which I didn’t mention to him, of course), preparing him to lift his body into a bridge. He did so with ease, arching his back and inadvertently stretching his hard thighs, narrow hips, defined abs, and wide shoulders. Wow! I’d never seen a man do such a perfect bridge before. My gaze was drawn down to the generous bulge at rest.
“So, how exactly is this a sexual position?”
I might as well show him, so he could surprise Mom. There were so many things wrong with that image, I didn’t even want to count them.
Just get it over with, Zoey.
“Well, she’s supposed to be on top, like this” – I stepped closer, over his legs, until I was straddling him while standing above. I felt him twitch right at my apex when we touched – “riding you.”
“I can feel the blood rushing to my head. Is she crazy?”
And all I could feel was the blood rushing to his groin. Sid finally let go of the bridge, flopping to the floor. I extended my hand and helped him up.
“How was she not able to practice this at home with you? You did great!” I said, trying to forget the fact that Sid had been getting hard when I was over him.
“I’m sorry about, uh, this.” He looked down, and I felt my cheeks heat.
Please don’t mention your erection.
“It’s just hard… wait, wrong word. Difficult. It’s difficult when a beautiful woman straddles you. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, married, or a priest. Human nature is human nature.”
“You sound like you’ve been talking to Jules.”
“Yeah, that’s next on my to-do list.”
His eyes widened as if he’d said something wrong, and that’s when I realized that I had been set up by none other than my mother.
“Sid?”
“Yes?”
“Oh, come on! I didn’t think she’d get to you, of all people! Why?”
It was bad enough that my mother was on my back about getting a job for the past two years, and I couldn’t tell her that there was no point because I’d signed a contract to fuck strange men whenever the phone rang.
“Look, she’s worried about you. You’re seeing Ace, and according to your mother, not doing much to get a job or fix this place up. She just wanted me to spend some time with you to see if everything was okay.”
“Everything is fine! Just dandy. And you can tell Mom to go to hell if she’s going to butt in about Ace again.”
“You know I can’t say that.”
“Why did you make me show you that move?”
“I don’t know, Zoey. We were having a good time talking and stretching and I didn’t know how to stop it and you look so much like her and… Shit, I really fucked up, didn’t I? I’m sorry.”
His eyes mellowed, and I actually felt a little sorry for him. Knowing my mother, there was no way she’d stop pestering him until he gave into her pressuring anyway.
“No, it’s fine. It’s not your fault. You were just following your wife’s orders,” I said, somewhat proud of my dig at his submissive nature.
“I truly was worried about you too, Zoey. I’m very sorry I ruined the afternoon.” He stepped closer for an apologetic embrace.
“I appreciate your concern and your apology, but you didn’t ruin anything. It was fun. And I really enjoyed spending time with you.”
“Get your fucking hands off her,” a voice boomed through the room, and I jumped away from Sid as if I’d just been burned by fire.
It only took Ace three long steps to reach us and to shove Sid against the wall.
“Ace, stop it!”
“Is her mother not enough for you?” His nose was almost touching Sid’s.
“You’ve got it wrong, buddy.”
“Don’t fucking ‘buddy’ me!”
Ace threw a punch. The sound of a cracking bone echoed as Ace’s fist connected with Sid’s jaw.
“Stop it!” I screamed, but I may as well not have been in the room. Sid stood his ground, his arms at his sides. For a buff guy, the kind I pictured in a boxing ring, he definitely didn’t look like a fighter. And that was the first time I saw that geeky kid behind his eyes, who probably sat at the computer day and night, the way he’d told me, and who had never been in a fight.
Ace got ready to jab him again, but I jumped on his arm, stopping him mid-way. “Stop it, Ace! Nothing happened. We were just stretching.”
He burned me with his dark gaze and I stepped back. Was Mom right?
Was Ace too much like his father, a man whom I barely knew but had heard about, who could turn from a loving angel to a vengeful demon? I’d never seen so much hate in his eyes. But there was something else there as well. Disappointment mixed with pain and jealousy.
I saw Sid wipe his mouth with his arm. A streak of blood remained on his forearm.
“Just get out of here. Please?”
With his jaw set, he finally let go of Sid, and without another word, he walked toward the front door.
My heart crumbled.
“You don’t fucking deserve her!” Sid spat blood to the floor, clearing some of the dust.
But Ace didn’t turn around. He just left.
I looked around the place, hit by a sudden realization of what my life had become. An empty space with two men in my life, neither of whom could really understand what I’d been through, and definitely not aware of the trouble that was still coming my way.
Chapter 11
Ace
Every man had his demons, and mine was about to throw a party with an Infinity call girl. And it wasn’t Zoey. It had been three long days since I’d left her in that studio with Sid. She had not called me and I hadn’t had the nerve to dial her number either. The memory of seeing her straddling that asshole was still too fresh in my mind, and I was afraid I would blow up and say the wrong thing again. Was she guilty of flirting with her mother’s husband, or was it all in my head? He was her stepfather, for Christ’s sake! A sick fuck who probably had had enough of Clare’s old pussy and decided to get some from her daughter. The image sickened me.
The smart thing to do would be to go to her apartment and confront her. Or better yet, to lock her up in that room and not let another man touch her. But then I’d be the fuck who imprisoned her. Wasn’t that what Infinity had done? Taking away her choices was the last thing I wanted. But I also didn’t want her with Sid.
I wanted her freed from Infinity. I removed her fucking tracker, and the moment she could, she went out with Sid instead of having her first official date with me. I should have just gone over to Clare’s house to screw her for revenge. She would have obliged without hesitation. I knew she still had a thing for me. If I came on hard enough, she’d throw away her panties the moment I flicked my tongue between my fingers.
But something stopped me, and I couldn’t help but feel a tug at my heart strings. If I’d gone over to Clare’s, I’d have hurt Zoey. I would have lost any remaining chance I had. And even if we weren’t meant to be, I didn’t want her in pain. No matter what, she didn’t deserve it. I’d rather be the one suffering.
What if she was telling me the truth and nothing had happened between them?
Feeling like the biggest asshole, I chugged another mouthful of whiskey, straight from the bottle. Tonight I wanted to let it all go. The recent surge of emotions was messing with my brain. Plus, I needed a strong release; otherwise my balls would explode. I had to forget about the job, Infinity, and Zoey for at least a few hours. Otherwise, I’d go nuts, and being distracted during one of the most important jobs of my life was not smart.
For the past six years as an undercover agent for Cross Enterprises, I’d screwed girls as a job, while fishing for information about Craig Harper. I was a worse fuck-up than any of them, because I at least had a choice. I could have stopped the late night calls to different women every night long before I ran into Zoey. Sometimes I wasn’t sure whether I slept with them for work or for pleasure. My calls to Infinity soon turned from being work-related to only a pretense. They’d arranged for me to fuck at my will. The guilt had been eating at me, and no matter how I tried to justify my job for Cross Enterprises, I had still used them. And tonight I’d done it again. I’d lied to myself that it was to find someone else to do Zoey’s job of infiltrating Infinity. But it wasn’t. No one could even be compared to her.
I looked toward the voluptuous girl standing a few feet away from me. She’d been there for at least fifteen minutes, watching me tilt the bottle to my lips. Did she even realize my internal struggles? Did she care? Why had I called her anyway? Yeah, to empty my sack.
Fuck!
And to have some sort of inner revenge on Zoey. She had driven me to this! She was the reason I was sitting here instead of being with her. What the hell was happening to me? Why did I care so much about what Zoey thought? And where was that constant pain in my chest coming from? Yes, she was a beautiful girl whom I was strongly attracted to, but she was also so much more. If nothing had happened with Sid, if there was a reasonable explanation that I’d chosen not to hear…
I’m such an asshole!
My gaze drifted to the girl again, who with every passing minute seemed to be getting more nervous. She probably didn’t want to be here. Hell, I was sure she didn’t. It was in her contract to fulfill the requests. Did I really want to save those girls? If so, then what was I doing here? It was mid-afternoon, and I was in a hotel room with a girl who probably hated my guts more than I did. When would this inner struggle end?
“What’s your name?” Feeling a slight buzz begin to take me away, I beckoned her with my finger.
“Portia.” She stepped closer.
Right, Portia. What’s next, Mercedes? I shook my head.
“Do you know why you’re here, Portia?”
“To fuck you hard.” She was trying to make her voice sound sexy and sultry, but all I heard was fear and apprehension.
“Good.”
She lowered her small purse to the table and removed her shirt. The move was so automated that it made me sick to my stomach. A minute later, she stood in front of me, bare and shaved just like I had requested. She crouched on her knees and reached for my belt. I grasped her wrist and she looked at me with her confused eyes.
Shit!
I couldn’t go through with it after all. I could never look into Zoey’s eyes again if I did. This might have seemed like a good idea last night, when I was dead drunk and dialed the forsaken number, but not today.
“There’s been a mistake,” I said.
“They said fuck hard. I want to, but I need you to undress, Sir.”
I pulled her off her knees and motioned her to sit on the bed.
“Portia, do you really want to be here?”
“Yes?”
I cocked my head to the side. “Please don’t lie. I know what you think I want to hear, but what I really want is for you to be honest with me.”
She considered my request for a bit longer, and then said, “Well, I’d rather be at home, tucking in my five-year-old.”
Shit! She had a kid. My thoughts went straight to my nephew; and the thought of his mother, if she were alive, kneeling naked in front of a stranger to be paid, turned my stomach.
“Get dressed.”
“Are you going to report me?” The panic in her eyes pierced my heart. How many other women were in this same situation tonight? How many of them were in this very hotel? And the sad part was that most of them wouldn’t get to walk out that door until they’d fulfilled their requests, and that made me even sicker.
“No, I’m not going to report you. I’ll tell them I got food poisoning.”
She looked at the bottle in my hand, my poison for tonight.
“Don’t worry. You’ll still get paid. Go home to your son.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget this.”
I watched her get dressed and leave the room. Just as I took another swig of my bottle, my phone buzzed… with Sid’s number.
“What do you want?”
“Stop fucking around with Zoey.”
“So that you can?” I felt my jaw tighten. There must have been enough pressure there to practically crack a tooth.
“I didn’t mean it literally, Ace. Look, you’re not my favorite guy in the book, but Zoey didn’t sound good on the phone when I called, and I’m worried.”
“Why are you worried? You got what you wanted – the younger Blakely girl.”
“If that’s what you think, then I was right. Y
ou don’t deserve her. But if you care about her at all, you’ll fix it.”
“So, what happened between you two?” I shut my eyes, waiting for the punch to my gut.
“Nothing, you jealous dumbass. Nothing! I was there at her mother’s request, trying to find out why Zoey’s become so distant and no longer seems to care about her dancing, her family, or friends. A couple of years ago, she would have moved the mountains and parted the sea to get that studio fixed up.”
“That studio’s hers?”
I hadn’t even realized that Zoey owned a studio, and felt like the biggest asshole who walked the earth. If Sid was telling me the truth, and if in fact, nothing had happened between the two of them, then I had a heck of a fire to put out. Hell, make that an inferno.
“Yes, it’s hers. And instead of concentrating on that, she’s choosing to hang out with you. No wonder Clare doesn’t like you.”
“Fuck!” I swore. “Why didn’t you say anything at the studio?”
“You mean after you broke my jaw? Maybe I wanted a scumbag like you to leave her alone.”
“And what changed your mind now?”
“She’s miserable, locked up in her room, and neither I nor her mother can get through to her.”
“Hey, you know, I’m sorry about the jaw. My temper sometimes gets the best of me, and when Zoey’s involved — let’s just say that I can’t think straight around her.”
“Fix this, or I will. And if I do, I will make sure that you will never see her again,” he threatened.
Cute.
“I’ll fix it. And Sid… thanks for the call.”
“You’re welcome.”
He hung up before I got a chance to, and I swore again. I had asked her to find freedom and encouraged her to go out of the apartment, and the moment she tried to live like a normal person, I fucked it up.
I’m such a fool.
I took a shower at the hotel room and then made some phone calls. If Zoey rejected me tonight, I’d never forgive myself. This would cost me a fortune, but I had millions of fortunes, so whatever it took to win her back, I had to try. I’d been miserable the past few days without her, with the whiskey bottle glued to my hand. She meant much more to me than a means to infiltrate Infinity. She was more than a friend to me, and I couldn’t place a tag on our relationship. I knew that if there was a need, I would give my life for her. She challenged me and made me feel alive. And now, it was possible that I’d fucked it all up.