by Colet Abedi
“Man, Ian,” Trevor says with a low drawl, “sometimes I wonder if you’re still even alive in there.”
****
Trevor’s annoying assessment of my life keeps me brooding the entire flight to Los Angeles. Now that I’ve almost reached the end game, where the final act of revenge I’ve sought is almost in my hands, what next? My hate for Jon Harrington has driven me for years. At times it’s even trumped my work obligations. So once I have the final piece of my revenge, what then?
Will it be as sweet as I think? Everything I wanted?
I try to shake my thoughts. I can’t go down that rabbit hole just because of Trevor, or because of my one interaction with Kerri. What I’ll do afterward doesn’t matter.
So what does matter? The logical part of my brain knows Trevor is right.
Where am I going with my life? How much longer do I really want to live like this? It is lonely and, at times, though I’d never admit it to a soul, empty.
The idea of taking a year off and traveling the world has merit, but it sounds almost depressing. What the fuck am I going to do by myself? I have plenty of friends in different countries, but still…I don’t want to be that guy at the bar.
Maybe I do need to seriously think about settling down with a woman. Having a kid or two.
Of course it won’t be what Trevor has or even wants for me. It’s not going to be some great love story. That shit is one in a million, and I won’t kid myself into thinking anything else. Real life doesn’t work out like that too often.
Maybe I can find a suitable woman I can have an understanding with. I know many colleagues who have silent agreements with their partners. It seems to work out just fine for them. Maybe that kind of situation could work for me too.
It’s actually the only way I can see myself ever settling down with someone, ever getting married.
“We’ve arrived, Mr. Sutherland.”
Dave, my driver, pulls up to the club’s private entrance and I hop out of the car. I’m ushered in by security. I make my way to my room, pour myself a heavy drink, and stare out the large window. As usual, the club is packed.
It never fails to surprise me.
I made this investment purely for my own amusement. I thought it could be an interesting pastime. It happened to work into my plan for revenge against Harrington, but that was never why I purchased this place.
There’s a well-known club up north, in Silicon Valley, I went to and was impressed by. I liked how discreet and exclusive it was, how it catered to every kind of fetish. One of the owners, Damian Montgomery, came to me and asked if I’d like to be one of the investors in a similar club in Los Angeles.
It was a no-brainer for me. At the time, I was bored with traditional investments, and I wanted to do something outside my wheelhouse. This was it. I told him I would be part of the club if I could be the only investor. Damian could run the day to day, and I would be the silent partner. He went for it, and it’s been a highly lucrative and enjoyable investment for me. It’s also served as almost a second home. I like to hide out here.
I settle back onto my black leather chair and scan the club cameras for Kerri. I don’t expect to see her.
So when I spot her walking through the club, dressed in a short, black leather skirt and a barely there crop top, my body reacts as if I’ve been punched in the gut.
She looks fucking stunning, and I’m reeling.
The only word to describe how I feel is satisfaction. Though to say I’m merely satisfied would be the understatement of the century. I’m more than that; I’m fucking pleased. I feel as if I’ve been waiting for her to come back into my life forever, and I was starting to think she wouldn’t.
I hold my glass of whiskey and lean back in my chair, awaiting the princess. I know she’s coming to me—just as I know she’s wearing the lingerie I sent. I can’t wait to see her in it. I follow her every move on the cameras.
As expected, Kerri makes her way to my lair. Her stride is confident, and she looks completely sure about what she’s doing. I’m glad. I want her willing. And ready.
I can’t stop my smile. I’ve been waiting for this moment forever.
Once Kerri reaches the door, I hit the button to unlock it and watch as she confidently pushes the handle and makes her way inside, as though she knows I’m waiting for her.
And I have been.
I’ll give her that.
She’s a smart girl.
She walks in the room. The noise in the club completely fades away, and all I see or hear is Kerri. She’s everywhere. The moment between us is thick with tension.
The lights in the room cast mysterious shadows everywhere you look, but Kerri’s eyes still manage to lock with mine. She makes her way toward me until she’s standing directly across from my chair.
We stare at one another.
The energy between us is electric. Palpable.
As a man, I’ve had whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I’ve had enough women to last a lifetime. I’ve been in every type of situation one can imagine—and even the ones they can’t. And if I’m honest, I’ve never felt anything like this.
This moment.
Whatever is moving between us is like some wild dance.
This has never happened to me before. And I hate that it’s with her.
Why does it have to be with her?
It’s time I acknowledge the princess. “You came back.”
She raises her chin and gives me a rueful smile. “You said I would.”
“I did.”
“So here I am.” Her voice is like a caress.
My body reacts to the sound, and I’m hard in a second. I want her. Badly. “Here you are, little mouse.”
“I’m no mouse.” Now her voice is strong, confident.
“No, you’re a princess.” I’m amused now. I know it took a lot for her to come back. She’s proud and has a strong will, so I wonder how she’s going to play this out.
Kerri smiles, giving me an unapologetic shrug. “Sometimes, maybe.”
“And you’re wearing my gift.” My gaze lingers on her breasts.
“You seem to be the man with all the answers.” Kerri sounds breathless. “You seem to think you know me better than I know myself.”
“I thought I already proved I do.” I sound like a cocky bastard, but I can’t help it.
She looks away from me.
I continue with a challenge. “You’re here, aren’t you?”
I can tell she’s annoyed she lost this bet, that she wishes she’d never come back. I know she wishes it more than anything. But just as I’m drawn to her, she is to me. There’s something between us, something that surpasses how we’re tied together through a tragic past Kerri doesn’t even know about.
This thing between us is something else.
This energy.
We both feel it.
I put down my drink and rise from my chair. Kerri looks at me, her breath suddenly erratic. I can see her pulse flutter like a trapped bird. I can feel how unsure she is, how nervous.
I throw her just as much as she throws me.
And I’m pleased as hell.
“It’s time.” I smile in anticipation.
Chapter Six
Kerri
My mouth is completely dry.
I stare at the man who has tormented my dreams and thoughts for over a month, and I’m having a serious inability to breathe.
He’s better than I remember. Every part of him, he’s just even…hotter.
Like a perfect sculpture of male beauty.
His tall body towers over mine, making me feel petite and dainty, and I’m five foot eight. That doesn’t happen too often. But his body—his aura—makes me feel so…feminine.
He’s dressed in a fitted navy sweater and jeans. His black hair looks windswept, brushed away from his handsome face. His bright, gorgeous eyes have me entrapped, glowing like the finest of sapphires, and they’re burning…
For me.
; “It’s time for what?” I can barely get the words out, though I damn well know what it’s time for. Trouble wants to play cat and mouse.
So do I.
Every part of me.
He takes another step my way. Nothing exists but this moment between this man and me. Nothing exists outside this room. Or in the world. It’s just…
This.
Right now.
He’s a step away from me, and I have to lift my head to meet his gaze. I think I might die. This feeling he evokes in my blood, in my soul, I don’t understand it. I’ve never felt it before in my life, but somehow, I know it’s safe. It’s right.
Trouble would never hurt me.
I don’t know how I know that so vehemently, but I do. He’s not a bad man. He isn’t someone I have to hide from, pretend to be someone else with. With Trouble, I can be Kerri—the real Kerri, all of her. It’s the best feeling in the world, like I’ve been searching a lifetime for this feeling. For this man.
It’s something I know in my bones.
When he reaches out to cup my cheek and I move into the touch, it’s the most natural thing in the world. As though he’s done it a thousand times.
As though we’ve been here before.
As though I know him.
He lets out a soft breath when I react to his touch. I know he feels it too. It’s just too damn strong.
Contentment envelops my soul. My heart. My very essence.
Somewhere deep inside, I know I am no longer alone. This is more than a random encounter with a stranger. This is a connection between two souls that recognize one another.
“There’s something about you,” he whispers, and it sounds as if he’s agonized by the assertion, as if he doesn’t like how I make him feel.
Our eyes lock, and my knees almost give out beneath me. There’s so much in his gaze, so much emotion, and it’s not just desire and need. There’s anguish, something that goes deeper, and I recognize it because it’s like I’m staring in a mirror.
A part of Trouble is broken too, just like me.
Like twin flames dancing to the same song of sorrow.
As I stare into his eyes, I realize I can lose myself in their wild storm, go to a place where I’d never want to be found as long as he stays with me.
He leans toward me, his presence wrapping around me like a delicious warm blanket on a cold night, and every part of my body responds. My heart thumps so loudly I’m sure he can hear, my breath becoming more erratic than ever. I can’t help myself. My body is flooded with emotions I don’t recognize, and I’m in the eye of the storm.
He leans his forehead against mine in the most intimate of ways, as if we’ve been lovers for years. His hands cup my face, then tilt it upward so our lips are only a breath apart. Everything about him cocoons me like a delicious dream. His scent, his size, his beauty…it’s intoxicating.
He’s intoxicating.
Like an addiction.
“Why are you trembling?” His voice is husky with desire.
“I can’t explain,” I say, unsure about what I should reveal.
One of his hands runs through my hair and gently pulls my head back even more. His eyes pierce mine with a raw, almost savage look of ownership. They’re turbulent, as if he’s fighting something inside. I know he doesn’t appreciate the way I make him feel. It’s as foreign to him as it is to me. I know it.
“Don’t lie to me.” Trouble’s voice is rough. “I won’t allow it. Not now. Not ever.”
I meet his bright gaze.
“I want you to always be honest with me. About how you feel,” he says with a ferocious intensity that makes my body quake with desire, “with what you want. There can be no other way between us.” His finger rubs my bottom lip. “Do you understand?”
I can only manage to nod. Even though the sane part of Kerri rebels against his possessive words, the wild part—the side I didn’t know existed until now—loves everything he says.
“Good,” he whispers in satisfaction. “So tell me, why are you trembling?”
I take a moment before answering, then I just go balls to the wall. “I’ve never felt this way before.”
“Tell me,” he commands. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’m fighting a storm inside,” I say quietly. “Like I have no control over my emotions or what I’m feeling. I’ve never experienced anything like it, and I don’t know what it means.”
“You do know what it means.” Trouble’s voice is powerful, his eyes alight with ownership. “But you’re not ready to face it.”
Maybe.
I don’t want to go there. Not just yet. It’s too much. Way too soon.
Our eyes lock, and his smolder with desire.
“Why did you come back?” he demands.
I stare at his beautiful, taut face, and a million different answers come to mind.
Because you’re beautiful. Because you make my body sing. Because you make me feel things I never have before. Because I finally feel like I’m alive.
I don’t realize I’ve said the words out loud until I see the look of surprise on Trouble’s face. A range of emotions play out before me: surprise, desire, and satisfaction.
He’s satisfied by my answer.
He likes it.
His possessive look makes my toes curl. Instead of being frightened by it or wanting to run in the opposite direction, I lean into him, tilting my face up toward his, offering the only thing I have to give.
Myself.
It takes one second.
One second for my life to change forever.
The moment his lips touch mine, I’m done. My body jolts from dead to alive, and everything inside tingles in excitement.
With one touch, Trouble owns me.
I know it as well as I know this man and I have a great destiny together. That there’s something about him, about what he makes me feel, about the energy that moves between us when we’re together. Even though I don’t have great experience with relationships, I know this is something special.
This is different.
Trouble’s lips are soft and sweet, caressing mine before they move to brush against my skin. The kiss starts soft like a light breeze, fluttering erotically, and then it changes into something primal and savage.
Like something born out of a lifetime of longing. His arms crush my body against his. His hands are cupping my ass, pulling me against his hard cock, so I’m plastered against his taut muscles. His tongue duels with mine, tasting me, consuming me…taking all that I have to offer. I give him everything.
My hands move through his thick hair as I pull him in for a deeper kiss. I want more of him. His hands move under my short skirt and grip my naked ass, making me acutely aware that only a thong separates me from fucking this guy’s brains out.
And God, I want to do that.
I want him inside me.
I’ve never wanted anyone inside me. But I want him.
Trouble.
I’m wet. I’m throbbing with desire, and I know Trouble is the only one who can fulfill the longing I have. I’ve lived with the emptiness since the night I was assaulted. I thought my desire—my need—had died. I thought he had taken that from me, but I was wrong. Here it is…the longing to be filled by something primal, a natural need as ancient as time.
No one else has evoked this emotion in me.
No one else has brought me to life like this.
Trouble groans in satisfaction as the kiss deepens, and I respond to the sound, to his desire for me, by pushing my body into his so he knows how much I want him. I am ready for whatever comes next.
I need this. I have to have it.
I push my hips into his, moaning in longing as I rub against his hard cock. The feeling is something foreign and wondrous.
“I want you,” I whisper against his mouth.
He continues to devour me, deepening the kiss even more if it were possible. One of his hands palms my breast over my top. My nipples harden against his tou
ch, and I think I’ll die if I don’t have some type of release.
I plead again. “Trouble.”
Instead of giving me what I want, he pulls away, ripping his mouth and body from mine as if he’s been burned. I feel robbed and step back toward him, but he holds up his hand, keeping me away.
His blue eyes are bright with desire, evidence of our passionate encounter. We’re both panting so loudly, it’s the only noise in the room.
“Not yet.” He shakes his head as if he’s fighting something, the words ripped from his soul. “You’re not ready.”
Not ready?
I want to scream. I’ve never been more ready in my life. Instead of fighting him verbally, I do the only thing I believe might work, the only way I might be able to reach him. I fight him physically.
I pull my crop top off over my head.
His mouth drops open, and the satisfaction that courses through my body is like nothing I’ve ever felt. I’m wearing his black see-through lace demi-bra—that I’m proud I fill out. That he knew I’d fill out. It’s a gorgeous piece of lingerie—it feels incredible against my skin—and I wore it for him. I can see the satisfaction in his gaze. The look of ownership. My body reacts and my breasts feel swollen and sensitive.
“Does it look like I’m not ready?” I ask.
“Kerri.” The sound is torn from somewhere deep inside him.
“I want you.” My voice is sure. “And I want you now.”
His eyes narrow as they sweep over my body. He’s fighting me. Maybe it’s part of his game. Maybe he wants to tease me over and over, make me come back here until I beg him to give me what I want.
But I don’t want to wait that long. I can’t wait that long. I need this.
For me.
So in one second, I decide I need to tell him the truth. My truth.
When he remains quiet, I begin.
“Trouble, what you don’t realize is that tonight isn’t about you. It’s about me.”
He watches me like a man in pain, his eyes moving over my body as though he wants to taste every piece of me. As though it’s taking everything he has to stay where he is.
“You see, I need your help,” I tell him as I walk to the bar and pour myself a drink to try to steady my nerves.