Takedown: An Enemies to Lovers Dark Romance

by Lana Hartley

  I stop at a gas station and then I’m on my way. It feels good to be on the open road. I ignore the dusty smell from inside the car as I open the window and let in the fresh air from the outside. I laugh to myself as I sit back and see the vacationers and travelers, all of them going their own way. I don’t have to think about Ryan’s creepy behavior and fucking me over by paying me less, and most of all, I put all thoughts of Eric to the back of my mind.

  The cabin’s small, and it doesn’t take long for me to get there. Once I do, I run around like a little kid to see the same one bedroom, open space basic kitchen and living room. As a kid, it used to be heaven because I would spend as much time outside as possible, and I hardly noticed that the inside was so small. I’ve got a few snacks that’ll keep me going through the night as well as my favorite book, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. It’s a bit tattered in spite of all the care I’ve given it over the years.

  I’ve moved so much that I’ve forgotten it at times. But it feels like a little slice of heaven as I think about my night. I’ll go to town and get a bottle of wine. A couple of days in peace and tranquility is just what I need right now.

  I send a quick text to Dana from my iPhone to let her know where I am and then I turn my phone off. I have two days to myself, and I intend to spend every minute of it in peace. No phone calls from any of the creeps in my life, both Eric and Ryan.

  * * *

  It’s amazing how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself instead of worrying. I can’t believe that I’m already near my apartment, I’m a couple of blocks away. If I could afford it I would have stayed a little longer, but my bills are something that I can’t run from. As soon as I get in, I’ll text Dana again so that she knows I’m alive, and then I’ll hit the sack.

  That’s when I freeze at the sight of Eric standing outside my apartment waiting for me.

  Holy crap!

  As soon as I park, I don’t hesitate in telling him exactly what’s on my mind.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He smiles. “I came to see you. I know things haven’t been going smoothly for us lately, but there’s something that I really need to say.”

  I nod, and I notice there’s something behind his back. His arms are hidden, whereas when I saw him standing on the steps outside my block, I was sure that he had a box in his hand.

  “I know that you love to read and that this is your favorite book. I just came here to give it to you and let you know that it wasn’t you I was stalking. I’m spending a lot of money on that bookstore. I need to make sure that everything about it is in order. Ryan was slimy and I needed to know what the real story was. So, I hired a PI. He had information about you, too. I never asked him to do it. I would like to start again.”

  I want to interrupt him, but not only is he looking sexy as hell in his suit, every smooth line fitting him so perfectly, but he looks sad as if everything he’s saying could be from the heart. I think that maybe I was too hasty to jump to conclusions, not ready to trust someone. Sure, he screwed up, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t forgive him. Because I want to. But how does he know my favorite book? Is he just stalking me when he acts like he’s protecting me from creepy Ryan?

  I don’t know who or what to trust right now. So I don’t say anything.

  Eric takes a deep breath as he hands me the box and walks away. I take the box and automatically start to open it.

  I smile as I realize that he’s given me a copy of Sense and Sensibility. And not just any edition of Jane Austen, but one of the pirated copies that were sold in France in the 19th century. Holy crap! How did he manage that?

  I don’t even have a chance to ask Eric as I hear his car drive away behind me.

  It’s the same novel that I was reading on my trip. I want to know how he knew, was he following me yet again?

  I pick up the box and head to the car. I take out my phone to send Dana a message to tell her that I’ve arrived when I see a message from her.

  Dana: Eric was in here while you were away asking about your favorite book. I hope you don’t mind.

  I sigh as I realize that Dana must have told Eric. Maybe I was too harsh with him earlier. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially the man that I just happened to give my virginity, and he wants to make it up to me. And for now, I can’t think of any reason to not give him a second chance.

  Eric

  Elia’s here. She must have driven here after I left her apartment. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten here so fast.

  I know her car barely runs and I want to just buy her a new one...but, hey, I have learned how the expensive gifts are going to go over. The book doesn’t count. I took that from my private collection of rare French pirated manuscripts. I have a lot of money and that comes with weird hobbies.

  I don’t hesitate in telling the doorman to let her in, and now I don’t know how to play it. I don’t want to be my normal cocky self and drive her away. But I have this abiding urge for Elia to accept me. And I am that cocky asshole, aren’t I?

  “Elia, you didn’t have to come all the way down here.”

  Her eyes are wide open as she looks at my bare chest. I didn’t take my shirt off for her benefit. It just worked out that way. As soon as I came in, I thought I’d hit the gym to get rid of the testosterone that’s flowing through my body. And it happens every time she’s around.

  “Did you like the book?” I ask. That manuscript was one of the cooler parts of my collection, and it cost more than I think Elia has made in her entire life. I am glad that she seems to not be sweating that price tag right now and can enjoy that I really wanted to do something special for her.

  “Are you kidding me? I love it.”

  I smile and the air around us seems a little lighter. I try to think of something to break the rest of the ice.

  “More than the phone?” I tease, and it brings a smile to her face.

  “A lot more than the phone,” she admits. Then she bites her lip and asks, “Can I come in?”

  Shoot, I didn’t even think about that. We’re both standing at the door of my penthouse, and I haven’t officially invited her in.

  “Of course, Elia.”

  I need a fucking drink, which isn’t a problem seeing as I’m not going to be exercising right now. Being around her is making me restless, and I just want to touch her, kiss her, but I can’t come on too strong and push her away just when she’s come back to me.

  “We need to talk,” she says as she follows me inside.

  “Yes, but I need a drink first. What’s your poison?”

  “What are you having?”

  She’s trying to take in her surroundings, avoiding my gaze and checking out my sparse, ultra-modern apartment. And she’s looking for Rose.

  “Beer. Ice-cold beer. And Rose is with my mother, visiting for a while. My mother is grateful to have a grandchild.” Though she wants me to get married. It occurs to me that I think my mother would really like Elia.

  Elia smiles. “I’ll have the same.”

  “So, you’re a beer drinker. I didn’t think you would be a beer drinker.”

  She winks. “There’s a lot of things I’d do that would surprise you.”

  “Like what?”

  I raise an eyebrow as I pass her the bottle.

  “I don’t know, maybe I’ll run the next marathon.”

  I laugh as I watch her taking a swig of beer and decide what to do next. I walk up to the breakfast table, and she follows suit. I can tell that there’s something else on her mind. She didn’t come all this way to thank me or to have a bottle of beer.

  “Why did you really come? You could’ve just sent me a text saying thank you.”

  “But would you have answered it? Like last time, you never bothered to answer it, did you?”

  She has me there. I don’t even have a good excuse for the way I behaved then. I think I freaked out at how fast things were moving...for me. I started to feel way too much for a girl that I knew I was
going to disappoint, and I did disappoint her. That’s new to me since I usually fuck and forget. I can please a woman one night. It is the relationship part that had me acting like an ass because I didn’t know what to do.

  “We’d just met. I was showering you with gifts, and I may end up being your boss. I’ll be almost as big an asshole as Ryan if I dated you, I thought. I don’t know, like I said, I haven’t really done relationships before.”

  She shakes her head. “In what way? I consented to what happened that night. What Ryan did, well let’s just say if you weren’t there then who knows…”

  I lift up my beer, “Hey, let’s not spoil the taste of my beer by mentioning that pig anymore. Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot because there was a misunderstanding from the start. I’m trying to figure out this dating thing and the misunderstanding between us didn’t help”

  She pulls her beer bottle back and asks, “What do you mean?”“Well, for one, I’m not looking to buy the bookstore and tear it down. I want to make it lively. God, since I’ve been going there, no one steps through the door.”

  She points to me and says, “Maybe you’re coming in at the wrong time? Sometimes, it’s overcrowded with…”

  “What, ghosts?”

  She laughs, “How did you know that I was going to say that?”

  I didn’t, but it changes the tension that we’ve had whenever we’re in the same room. She’s wearing a crop top with leggings, and the only thing I want to do is strip her down.

  “Well, I want to make it the store that it can be and not…”

  Before I can even finish talking she purrs, “All this talking has made me thirsty, and it’s not for more beer. I don’t want to talk about the store right now.”

  She presses her lips against mine as she straddles me, and I know that we’re in for a long night because now that she’s got me started, they’ll be no stopping me.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask as I pull her back.

  She laughs, “You asked me that last week. I want you again...more now that I know how good it can be.”

  “True, but so much has happened since then.” I could kick myself for delaying what I desperately want...but I don’t want to hurt Elia any more than I have.

  She shakes her head “I still want you, and I can tell,” she points to my cock that’s rubbing against her clothed pussy, “that you want me just as much as I want you.”

  She’s right about that, and without any hesitation I take her to the couch to claim her as mine.

  Elia

  I pull off my yoga pants as fast as I can. I need out of this top too. I tear it off my body and watch Eric’s eyes taking in my breasts. Sitting on the couch in his living room, I have to stare at Eric in pure amazement. This man is a sight. He is gorgeous, and I just don’t have it in me to be angry with him right now. In fact, all I can think about is sleeping with him again.

  What he was telling me about the store was important, but seeing Eric without his shirt on has me pretty distracted. He has protected me and the store; how could I hold his actions against him now?

  Not to mention that I just can’t keep my hands to myself right now.

  I run my hands up and down his chest, caressing his eight-pack rock hard abs. I bring my mouth to his cheek, planting a quick kiss before I flick my tongue across his earlobe, then make my way to tease his nipples with my tongue.

  I push Eric back to lay flat on his couch as I work my way down his stomach. Taking my time as I undo his belt buckle, I stare into his eyes.

  Eric starts panting, quick shallow breaths as I slide his pants down to the floor. His huge cock is pressing against the fabric of his boxers, begging to be released. I take my time teasing his cock slowly, eventually sliding his boxers off. I wrap my hands around his thick shaft. I love the power I feel jerking and stroking his cock to life, feeling it getting harder in my hands, tracing the length of his shaft with my fingertips. I keep my eyes locked on Eric as he leans forward when he feels my breath on his head. I flash him a seductive grin as I move my mouth down to cover his broad head. My mouth takes his shaft deep into my throat, and my fingers move down to caress his balls. I massage them and shuffle them back and forth between my fingers, getting a feel for him. I want to touch and please every inch of him. I want to give him incredible pleasure like he gave me our first night.

  Through my own ragged, lust-laced breaths, I hear Eric's groans, loud and primal filling the air that surrounds us, making my clit start to flutter as his moans echo in my ear.

  I work my tongue all around his shaft twisting and turning it, not sure what will feel good to him but knowing that I want to explore every inch of him. Eric's hand finds its way to fist a handful of my hair, taking control of my mouth bobbing up and down on his cock. The way he takes control is sexy as hell to me. I speed up to match the way he’s tugging on my hair. The moan that I let roll around in my throat makes its way to escape my mouth. Eric takes my open mouth as an opportunity to thrust his hips and drive his cock further down my throat.

  The power behind his thrust makes me grip the arm of the couch to keep steady, but I’m aroused at the sensation of his raw power shared with me. I’ve heard about blowjobs, but giving one is so different. It’s much more erotic than I thought it would be, but when I started touching Eric’s body, I knew that I wanted to taste it too.

  Matching the rhythm of his hips with my mouth, Eric's massive head gets slick deep in my throat. The wave that is rolling in me I keep at bay, clenching my thighs together. I want his load, my mouth craves it. It’s such a horny thought that I’ve never had before, but I’m like obsessed with having every sensual delight that Eric can offer.

  I keep my pace as I feel that hot, sweet jet of cum erupt in my throat. God, it feels good filling up my mouth completely, no matter how fast I try to swallow him. I take a big gulp and look up at Eric as he loosens his grip on my hair.

  His eyes flutter as he falls off the cliff of his orgasm. My panties get wetter just watching the look of pure pleasure on his perfect face. The view is so intense I think my pussy actually tightens some in response, desperate for him.

  I didn’t know that I could crave one man this much.

  With a line of his cum dripping down my chin and falling onto my breasts, I stand up, taking Eric’s hand and placing it in between my thighs. I like the feeling of his arousal dripping down my body, and his eyes follow the line as it slides lower. I want him to feel what he does to me, how excited I get at the anticipation of swallowing his cock. With his hand tight between my thighs, Eric cups my pussy and I moan at the sensation, needing so much more. Eric pushes my soaking wet panties to the side. His finger slides up and down my wet lips, taking his time before sliding his fingers deep into my pussy. I arch my back as he pulls me onto his lap. Spinning around, I wiggle my hips to the rhythm of his fingers. Throwing my head back, I let it rest on Eric's shoulder. I caress my breasts and twist and pull on my nipples; biting my lip I know that I’m getting closer to the edge of erotic bliss with every twist of his fingers. I pull back when his fingers retreat, moving so that I canrun my tongue across the underside of his shaft. I take his balls into my mouth and bat them around playfully. Making sure to get them all nice and moist, I take Eric’s fingers and slide them out of my wet pussy. Using just his fingertips, I smear my juice on the underside of his shaft. Looking at his balls I mark them too and trace the trail where I had just marked him with my soft, moist mouth.

  Bringing Eric’s fingers up to my mouth, I make sure he feels my tongue licking and tasting every finger all at once. I grind my wet pussy against his cock, slowly marking it with his fingers still in my mouth. I use my hands to take hold of his shaft and begin to slide it up and down my clit using his head to smack it lightly. I drive myself wild and watch his head get hard again. I push it inside my pussy, grinding on it nice and slow. Eric moves his hips underneath me, and I lift up to make him chase me.

  He thrusts his hips wildly, trying
to push his cock deeper. I finally give in to him and thrust myself down on his shaft, taking it deep all at once. The intense pleasure makes a moan escape my lips, which Eric uses as his cue to attack my pussy with an animalistic fury. Grabbing my hips, he bounces me up and down on his cock so damn fast I think I may actually forget my name this time.. God, he feels so fucking good inside me. I throw my head back and whip my hair covering his face with it as I try to keep up with his speed.

  I crave the way Eric plunges me down onto his cock and, using his chest to brace myself, I grind hard on his cock. My pussy tightens around his shaft keeping it in place, an unrelenting hold. I can hear the sucking of it as his cock tries to slide back and forth. I don't want to let it go; I want his cock to stay right where it is. My pussy can't help itself. I feel that warm sensation taking over me, a strong shiver courses through my body and sends me into orbit. My juices pour out of my pussy, covering Eric's cock and making it slick with my cum.

  Eric slides us to the edge of the couch and thrusts us into an upright position. We spin quickly and he takes hurried steps until I feel the cold wood of the top of his dining room table on my back. Eric lays me on the table, releasing my legs from around his waist. He takes a step back and raises my legs up above my head, and I feel the head of his cock pressing against my ass. He pulls me to the edge of the table to meet him.

  "I know you were a virgin, Elia, and it is fine if you don't want to, but I'd love to fuck your perfect ass."

  Wow! I don't know...that's like, the next level of fucking, isn't it? I giggle. "Umm, I don't know if I'd like it," I say. But there's a small burning in my belly that tells me it will feel good, and I actually want it. I sway my ass back and forth for a moment. "But maybe I will."

  "Push out against me and breathe, and, Elia, you'll see stars when I'm inside you." Eric's voice is quiet and sensual. There's a dark quality to it, and it thrills me.

  "Yes, do it!" I'm ready. I can't believe it, but I feel it. I want this. I want it so much that I'm already moaning thinking about it. Taking Eric's cock up my ass seems so taboo, forbidden, and so intimate. I know that I want it.