Dirty Flirty Enemy

by Rayne, Piper

  Instead of taking a seat at the breakfast bar, I wrap my arms around his stomach, kissing his back. “Thank you. Now all I need is a foot rub and you’ll be my prince.”

  The pan slips from his hand. Shit. As soon as the word prince slipped out, I knew he’d misinterpret my words into thinking I mean happily ever after. Unlatching myself from him, I round the counter and head back to the safe zone of the stool.

  He puts down some forks for us and pours two glasses of wine. Then he pulls a file folder off the other counter and slaps it down beside my dish. “I was hoping you could help me. It’s a garden unit, and it’s getting stale on the market.”

  “You’re asking me for advice?” A part of me feels honored that he’d consult me.

  “You were a broker once upon a time, and even though you won’t tell me why you got out of the game, I’ve heard enough to know that you were successful.”

  He opens the folder and goes over the property with me, the good and the bad features, and we brainstorm the options of what he could do—the demographics of who would love it, some fresh marketing ideas that might get it some attention and whether or not the price needs to be adjusted—all while we eat the stir fry he prepared. The entire thing feels way too similar to a relationship, and I fear we’re veering off the course we thought this was headed, his obvious uneasiness when I made the prince joke serving as a giant red flag.

  * * *

  “I love yoga pants.” Carm yanks them down my legs as I’m brushing my teeth. “Especially since you never wear panties with them.”

  I bend over and spit out my toothpaste and he slaps my ass. Hard. I scream, my head almost crashing into the mirror. After I rinse, I cock my eyebrow. “Been waiting all night for that?”

  He shrugs, but his big grin says yes, yes, I have.

  Stepping out of my yoga pants, I strip off my T-shirt and strut by him. He’s still in his slacks, although he’s undone his belt, button, and zipper so the fabric hangs open on either side. His shirt is unbuttoned too, revealing his mouthwatering chest. Sometimes I wonder how I caught his eye and kept his attention this entire time.

  “I have a question.” He throws his shirt in a ball in his closet where I assume his maid picks up his dry cleaning for him. One of my suits was hanging in a nice plastic bag last week and it made me feel as though I should tip the poor woman.

  “What could that be?” I set the alarm on my phone and place it on what has lately been my side of the bed.

  “You’re on birth control, right?”

  I put my hand up in the air. “Say no more.”

  “Well, we’re totally monogamous. I’m clean.” He winds around the bed and comes up behind me. His smooth chest presses to my back and his hands slide forward, each taking one of my breasts. “When do we get to not use a condom?”

  I giggle and my head falls back as his lips zero in on my most potent erogenous zone—where my shoulder and neck meet. “That’s risky. You do know that the pill is only ninety-nine percent effective, right?”

  I turn in his arms and help him with his pants until they puddle on the floor. His erection bulges in his navy briefs.

  “Better than condoms.” His hands glide around my backside, playing with my ass cheeks.

  “Not more effective than condoms and the pill.”

  “You know I like to live dangerously.” He chuckles.

  I hook my fingers into the elastic waistband of his boxer briefs and pull them over his thick length and down his legs. He gently shifts me until I’m on the bed and he’s over me.

  “Why do I have a feeling you’re already sold I’m going to say yes?”

  He chuckles into my skin. “I could trace the freckles on your body with my tongue.” He starts doing so as if I’m a map he needs to memorize.

  He’s already had me memorized for weeks.

  His thigh nudges my legs wider, and he nestles between them. “Have you ever?” he whispers before kissing my eyelids, the tip of my nose, my chin.

  “No.”

  Then he kisses my mouth. “Let me be your first?”

  He’s asking so nicely, and of course I want nothing between us. It’s not even pregnancy that scares me. It’s the fact we’re getting closer every day. This breaks another barrier that says we’re a lot more than what we’re not labeling ourselves as.

  His lips travel down the valley of my breasts and he nudges my legs farther open, each hand fondling a breast and running his thumb over a nipple.

  “Okay,” I say before he gets to my belly button.

  “Really?” He’s back up face-to-face with me.

  “Yeah.”

  He waits a second, looking at me. “I know you want to get kinky, but you cool with some plain old grinding tonight? It’s going to be hard enough to be inside of you without anything.”

  I run my fingers through his hair. “I’m more than okay with that.”

  As his mouth devours mine and the tip of his cock teases my opening, I push away all the crap about what we are. Why am I trying so hard to shove us into a category? By doing that, I’m ruining what’s transpiring organically between us. Because maybe this is headed somewhere?

  Once my head is out of the equation, all I can do is feel him. His touch, his lips, his muscles. The way he moves… the way we move together. Yeah, we’ve been together lots of times over the weeks. We know what one another enjoys, what makes us gasp, but this is different.

  Our starved kisses turn long and soft, filled with emotion. His fingers graze my skin rather than grab, but he steals my breath anyway. I find myself waiting, trying to anticipate his next move, but he’s different tonight. I’m completely lost with him in this bed. I never want it to end, yet I’m eager for it to begin, so I wind my legs around his thighs. He slowly pushes into me and withdraws.

  “Carm,” I sigh because this feels like… more.

  “Bella. My gorgeous Bella.” His fingers play with my hair, his lips and tongue exploring my skin. “This feels unreal. You’re unreal.”

  He pumps in and out of me in slow, steady strokes, basking in this newfound feeling.

  “More. I need more.” I beg him to thrust into me as hard and unwavering as usual. It feels like too much yet not enough right now.

  He knows what will get me off and he’s always willing to accommodate, but tonight, he doesn’t listen to my words. His knuckles track down my ribs, my shivers chasing them, begging him to never stop.

  The weight of his body is my shelter, my safe haven.

  We find a rhythm that works for both of us, and the sounds of his soft moans and whispered compliments have me bearing down on my orgasm. Somewhere between his “I’ll never have enough of you” and my “don’t ever stop,” I tip over the edge of the cliff. The fall is long and exhilarating, and near the end, it’s like someone pulled the parachute and I float back to earth.

  He stills inside me and comes, filling me in a way no man ever has before. “God, I love fu…” His words trail off, which I’m thankful for. We both know we didn’t just fuck.

  After cleaning up, we find our way under the covers and Carm turns off the lights, snuggling in next to me. “Sweet dreams, baby.” He kisses the back of my neck.

  Goose bumps take over my body as I lie awake while he drifts off to sleep, and I try not to overanalyze what just happened.

  The next morning, I wake up to an empty bed. When I grab my phone and turn off the alarm, my hand hits a box instead.

  I sit up and wipe my eyes, reaching for the small box. Inside, I find the emerald earrings I tried in the Hamptons that day. I pick up the note and sigh as I read his masculine print.

  I know. I know. I know. Don’t hate me but these were made for you. ~ Carm.

  P.S. Hurry into the office. You’re late.

  Pet names, no condom, a gift. Could I really be lucky enough to tame Carmelo Mancini?

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Carm

  Ten o’clock in the morning, I step out of my car in front of The Cob
bler restaurant. After straightening my tie, I open the door and smile at the same hostess who eye-fucked me a couple months ago, before I started sleeping with Bella. Back when she was only someone to get out of my system and not someone I can’t get my fill of, both in and out of the bedroom.

  We’ve done carriage rides through Central Park. We’ve gone to the zoo. Now that Evie and Mae seem to hang out with the Brits every weekend and Dom’s gone more than there, we’ve practically been double dating with Annie and Enzo every damn weekend. I’ve somehow become domesticated without signing up for it. Oddly enough, it doesn’t bother me like I thought it would.

  My phone rings, and when I pull it from my pocket, I see that it’s Bella, so I hold my finger up to the hostess and accept the call, tucking myself into a corner.

  “Want to know what I’m wearing?” I play with her.

  “I saw you get dressed after your shower this morning,” she says.

  I bite my bottom lip, remembering how I took her against the tiled shower wall. What a great way to start the day. “I’ll be back at the office in about an hour. Meet me in my office and—”

  “No, listen, I have an idea about that property we were discussing the other night. The garden condo you’re struggling to sell?” There’s excitement in her tone.

  Another thing I love about Bella is that she loves real estate as much as I do. Which doesn’t explain why she went FSBO, and she’s still close-lipped about it. I’m wondering if she’ll ever trust me enough to open up.

  “Great. I’ll stop by on my way in.”

  “Perfect. Where are you anyway? Did you sell another Bond Street unit? Because I’m only two behind now. I’m on your heels, Mr. Mancini, are you shaking?”

  She’s teasing, but instead of the warmth that usually spreads through me, I feel dread. If she knew who I was meeting with right now, she’d be upset.

  “Just meeting with a client. Wants the best deal in New York.” The lie slides off my tongue too easily, but until I find out why he called me, I don’t want her to worry.

  “Hurry back. I kind of miss—” She stops abruptly.

  I’ve noticed her doing that more over the last couple weeks since we had the bonfire. She and Evie are still hardly talking. Whatever went down while we were grabbing wood has lingered way too long. Bella’s holding herself back from saying anything people do in normal relationships. Maybe it’s about time we classify this thing.

  “I will and… I miss you too.”

  “You do?” I hear her smile over the phone, and I can’t help but smile knowing that those three honest words unglued her a little.

  “Yeah. Always when I’m not with you.” The hostess taps me on the shoulder and points toward Greg Throttle, who’s seated at a table. “Listen, I gotta go, but I’ll be back in about an hour or so.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  “Bye.”

  I thank the hostess and walk toward Greg, knowing things are about to change. There’s only one reason he’d be calling this meeting, and it’s going to mean once again that Bella Scott will end up on the wrong side of this deal.

  “Carm.” He stands and puts out his hand.

  I shake his hand. “Mr. Throttle.”

  “Thank you for coming, and it’s Greg.”

  Yep, my suspicions were right.

  “Sit.” He ushers me to sit in the chair across from him.

  A waitress comes over and pours me a cup of coffee. I thank her.

  “Breakfast?” Greg asks, adding sugar to his coffee.

  “No, I’m good. Coffee is perfect.”

  He slurps his coffee and places it back down. “You know I’m a straight-shooter, so I’ll get to the point—you have the deal. Bond Street is yours.”

  Instead of the elation I thought I’d feel, my stomach rolls over and I feel as though I might vomit. “But it’s only been six weeks. There are six weeks left, and I still have to sell one more unit.”

  Truth is, I don’t even have anyone interested in the last unit. Justin has been on the phone with everyone we know and nothing. I told Greg I’d do it in two months but was worried I’d fall short. The fact that Bella is hot on my trail scared me, but I always thought I had it in the bag and wondered what things would be like between us when I won. Maybe that’s why I was okay with leaving that one property hanging until push came to shove.

  “Between you and me, I did it as a favor to Linda. I’m not a FSBO kind of guy. I like my properties to be exclusively shown with an upscale brokerage with a great reputation, and I like the kind of elaborate ideas you pull off. But you know how it is.” He winks. “It made her happy, and when Linda’s happy, I’m happy.” He winks again and I feel as if he’s caked in slime right now.

  He played Bella. She never really stood a chance.

  “Are you and Linda still…?”

  He shrugs.

  I’ve been the man behind that shrug, so why is my hand curling into a fist in my lap? I shouldn’t care what he does to Linda. Except if Linda hurts, Bella will hurt, and that means what exactly?

  “I’m sure you understand. She refuses to move up here even with her daughter in the city. I’ve been going back and forth, but Florida is ridiculously hot and humid.” The disgusted expression on his face makes me think it’s not only the weather. “How are you guys enjoying the house?”

  The abrupt subject change takes me a second to respond. “It’s a great place. Thanks again for the discount.”

  I’m one step behind in this conversation, and I need to pull myself up. Stop worrying about Bella and her mom. Take what’s mine. I’ve worked all these years for an opportunity like this. Any broker would give their right nut to work for a mogul like Greg Throttle.

  “Happy to do it. Glad you two were able to work it out as easily as you did.” His eggs Benedict arrives, and the waitress slides the plate in front of him. He picks up his silverware and I watch the yolk ooze out of the over easy egg. “So what do you say?” I wince at the sound of his teeth scraping along the fork prongs. “You accept, right?”

  I nod, sipping my coffee, my mind a world away from this conversation when it should really be the only thing I’m concerned about. “Of course I accept. Thank you for the opportunity. Are you going to have us finish selling the floors we were assigned first?”

  At least if I sell that last unit, Bella doesn’t have to know that she was the underdog buried in the backyard before the competition was even over. Six weeks ago, I’d have been thrilled by this revelation. Now, not so much.

  “Nah. I’ll call Bella after this. Honestly, Helena said she’s doing most of the selling. That the clients come in and she has to show them the place.”

  “Well, that’s FSBO. But I know for a fact that Bella’s showed the building more than once when Helena didn’t respond.”

  His fork pauses halfway to his mouth. “You and Bella are… close?”

  I understand his implication. But it’s none of his business and I’m not going to talk to him about us. “She called me once to find out if I knew where Helena was since I was on the property a lot.”

  He nods, eats a bite of breakfast, and wipes his mouth with his napkin before sliding it back onto his lap. “I don’t want this to be messy, so I hope it goes smoothly. I almost reconsidered after Linda told me what happened.”

  I tilt my head, and he studies me.

  “Oh, you don’t know. I guess that confirms you’re not close.” He laughs, shaking his coffee cup. Coffee splashes onto the table, staining the white tablecloth.

  What is he talking about?

  “Then again, I thought all you brokers traveled in the same gossip circles. That you’d have heard why she got out of the business.”

  “You know rumors. You never know whether to believe them or not.” I pretend I’m in the know so maybe he’ll throw something my way. A puzzle piece I can fit into place.

  I told her about Kami. That took a lot. Is there something big she’s hiding from me because… I realize we haven’t lab
eled what we are. She owes me nothing. She’s not my girlfriend, no matter how much it feels like she is.

  “True, but in this case, it’s true. Sad really. Linda said she was doing really well and now she’s scraping by. That’s why I threw her the chance at the development. Even Linda thought it would make her change her mind and go back to what she used to do.”

  I lean forward, ready to be direct, but his cell phone rings on the corner of the table. He puts his finger up, and I lean back in my seat. He’s talking to someone about a business deal, so I pull out my phone and hammer out a text message.

  Me: I need to talk.

  Three dots appear within seconds.

  Enzo: Come down to my office.

  Me: I don’t want Annie involved.

  The three dots appear and disappear. Please don’t be a codependent douche right now.

  Enzo: Meet me at the Trading Post. Dom?

  Me: No. Just us.

  Enzo: I’ll be there in a half hour.

  After I place my phone down, I second-guess myself and pick it back up. I need Dom’s opinion too.

  Me: I have a problem. Meet me and Enzo at the Trading Post in a half hour.

  Dom: It’s ten-thirty in the morning. If I’m making it to the Hamptons this weekend, then I have to work.

  Me: It’s an hour and since when do I ask for much?

  I can almost see him sighing at my request.

  Dom: Fine.

  I tuck my phone away as Greg hangs up.

  “Sorry about that. Okay, well, I’m going to call Bella and settle that. Linda said she’d follow up with her later this afternoon to make sure she’s okay.” He pulls out some bills, sets them on the table, and slides out his chair.

  I stand as well. “Well, I appreciate the opportunity. I won’t let you down.” I put out my hand and he shakes it.

  “I think we’re going to make each other very rich, Carm. Well, I’ll just get richer than I already am.” He winks and walks away from the table.