by Groom, Nikki
I pull Arianna into me, feeling her soft, warm skin against my hands as I run them up her back under the cotton shirt. Her arms wrap around my waist, and she splays her fingers across my lower back before gently squeezing.
I nuzzle my head into hers and she sighs.
“I’m sorry, Ari.”
She pulls back abruptly. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t know she was coming up here. You came to rescue me like a knight in shining armor.” She stops suddenly and frowns. “How did you know she was here?”
I look sheepish, and turn my head to look at the little black dome placed in the ceiling in the middle of the hallway.
“You had more CCTV installed? When? Why?” she asks.
“I’m not keeping tabs on you, I promise. I just … I needed to do what I could to make sure you were safe.” If I could install cameras everywhere I would. But I know I can’t do that. I’ve been encouraging her to be independent, learn how to be herself, but she can’t do that if I’m stifling her. But, damn if it’s hard for me to find a balance between protective and obsessive. It’s an underlying compulsion to make sure she’s safe when I can’t be with her.
“Den—”
“Wait,” I say, holding my index finger gently to her lips, “before you get all shouty, and insist that you are fine, and that you’ve managed well enough up until now with no one looking out for you … just hear me out, okay?”
She giggles. “I wasn’t going to say that, but okay …”
“Amy has been getting increasingly … difficult to work with. She was only ever supposed to be a silent investor, but I … I was stupid, and blurred the lines. She’s now crossed way over the lines, and now she’s hurt and angry.”
She moves her lips to speak, but I press against them to keep them closed.
“And … I know I’ve done everything I can to locate your ex, and I’m sure he’s not a problem anymore, but I want to be as safe as we can from crazy assed exes, okay? It makes sense to have one up here, anyway and I don’t really know why I didn’t do it before.”
I then lift my finger from her lips, so she can speak.
“Finished?” she asks, with a smirk.
“Yep.”
“Thank you,” she says and reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I can’t help but reach down and cup her ass cheeks with my hands. I pull her up closer to me, until she can’t tiptoe any higher.
“That was it?” I say against her lips. “That was all you wanted to say?”
“Yes,” she says simply, running her palm down my chest. “Thank you for looking after me. You’re right. I have looked after myself for as long as I can remember, and I don’t need you to look after me too, but I like that I want you to. Does that make sense?”
“Perfect sense.”
“Now, have you put any secret cameras anywhere else you want to tell me about?”
I chuckle. “No, nowhere else.”
“You haven’t snuck one in my bedroom, and hooked it up in your office?” She jokes.
“No, but that’s a damn good idea.”
She smiles at me, and drops down so her feet are flat on the ground.
“I have to go and sort this shit out.” I say reluctantly.
“Okay,” she whispers. I know she’s not happy about it, but neither am I. It’s the last thing I want to do. I’ve been putting off this conversation, because I know Amy won’t go quietly. There will be yelling, and she’ll probably try to throw something, or claw my eyes out. That’s why I want the security there. Not because I can’t defend myself, but where Amy is concerned, I need witnesses in case she pulls an underhanded tactic, which I wouldn’t put past her. Then I can’t be held responsible for my actions. She seems to bring out the worst in me, and while I would never intentionally hurt a woman, Amy pushes every damn button, and consequently, pushes my patience too. Watching her on the camera feed, saunter out of that elevator and across the hall to Arianna’s apartment, triggered a fury in me that hasn’t been there in a long time. Seeing her touch my girl, made the rage swirl in my stomach like a white heat. I couldn’t get up here fast enough. So, it’s better to have others in the room, if she kicks off.
“Let me carry you in,” I say, realizing that we are still standing in the doorway.
“I can walk, there’s nothing wrong with me.”
“I know. But I like carrying you. Just humor me, okay?”
“Okay.” She giggles.
She wraps her hands around my neck, and with a little jump, her legs are wrapped around my waist. I get to hold on to her butt, which I’m not displeased about, at all.
“I feel like a chimp,” she remarks, as I walk through the apartment with her.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’m all for unleashing the animal in you, Stunner. But I’m not thinking primates …”
“Oh?”
“No,” I say, placing her gently on her back, on the bed. “I think there’s a tigress in you, and I plan to find it …”
“Carry on talking like that, Mr. King, and I might just show you.”
I’m not sure if it’s the sultry tone in her voice, or the fact that she called me Mr. King, or that she’s coming out of her shell and discovering the sexy as sin woman that’s inside, which makes my dick twitch every time. But, fuck, the thought that Amy is in my office, is interrupting my thoughts. And I refuse to think of her while I’m with my girl. I’ve gotta get it sorted, then I’m taking the rest of the day off.
“Hold that thought, Stunner. Wait here, sketch, eat, whatever you like. I have to get this sorted.”
She sighs. “Okay, go, get it sorted. I’ll be right here when you’re done.” She stretches up, sliding her hands above her head, and into the mass of waves that fan around her. It pulls the shirt she’s wearing, a little higher up her body, which exposes her creamy skin and scant white lace underwear that I just want to pull off with my teeth.
“Right there. Stay right there, like that.” I tear myself away with a groan because I know that if I don’t, this thing with Amy won’t get sorted today and my mind will be partly occupied knowing that I have to deal with it all another time. “You’re not making it easy for me, Stunner,” I say, adjusting myself through my jeans.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll make it better when you come back.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Yeah.” She laughs. “It’s a promise.”
I descend in the elevator, and walk with purpose across the foyer, but when I reach the hallway that leads to my office, my legs seem to slow as I get closer. I stop outside the heavy wood door, and take a deep breath before pushing it open.
There are two members of my security team standing on either side of the door, and they nod their acknowledgment of my presence as I enter. Then my attention turns to Amy. The smug bitch is sitting in my chair, with her long legs propped up on my desk. I can taste my dislike for her, and momentarily I wonder when we crossed the line. Has it been a long time coming or am I only just starting to realize what I’ve been putting up with? The thought makes me equally sad and frustrated.
“Let’s get this over and done with, shall we?” I ask, crossing the room and pushing her legs so they drop from the desk. She doesn’t seem to take any notice of me, she just sits up straighter and laughs.
“Denham King,” she drawls “What is this display for? There’s no other women to impress with your display of dominance. Just me, and I already know how dominant you like to be.”
She stands to her full height, right in front of me. Her body doesn’t touch mine, but she’s so damn close. There was a time, when her body, her smell, would drive me crazy. Now I’m repulsed. She found me at my weakest point, and used it to her full advantage. She doesn’t actually know the real me.
“You know very little about me, Amy. I’m not going to spend any more time with you than I have to. This isn’t about reminiscing. What’s it going to take to buy you out?”
“You can’t.”
“I can. And I will. It was a short term investment, and it’s no longer needed.”
“Well, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that, King. You can’t buy me out.”
I rub my temples through sheer frustration. This is not a fun game she’s playing.
“Oh, King. You really have taken your eye off the ball, haven’t you?” She laughs and rakes one of her talons down my chest, stopping when she gets to my abs. It’s a move that would have once had me bending her over my desk, and taking her hard and fast. But now, it disgusts me. She disgusts me. What kind of a state must I have been in over the last three years, to have thought she was any good for me?
Grief. That’s what’s had me deluded. I’ve done anything and everything to avoid thinking about my father. I’ve pushed forward so hard, so blinded to stop the grief from swallowing me whole. I’ve tried every distraction to avoid acknowledging the pain that comes with losing someone so close to you. That someone was my hero. And I needed to be the strong one. I had to step up and look after my family, because who else was going to do it? Who else would have kept this place running? So now I’ve done that, and will continue to do that. But Arianna has shown me that I need to let someone take care of me too. That it’s okay to feel, because if you don’t, it’s an empty existence.
When Amy’s hand wanders from my stomach down to my crotch, I’m snapped out of my thoughts, and my patience with her finally gives way. I grab her wrist hard and turn her fast, pushing her so she’s bent at the waist, and face down over my desk with her arm restrained behind her back.
“You know I love it when you’re rough,” she manages to say through strained breaths.
“Don’t fucking touch what’s not yours. Got it?” I growl in warning. “How much to get you out of my life, and off my books?” I push her hand up her back just a little so she feels the strain. I’m not taking any pleasure in this whatsoever, and I’m holding so damn tight on the reigns of my temper.
“I told you. You can’t buy me out,” she says through gritted teeth, realizing that I’m not playing some sick kind of sexual game. I tighten my grip on her wrist, and push it harder into her back, but she yelps, which makes me release her instantly. It wasn’t my intention to hurt her, fuck, she gets off on being hurt, but I would never want to be the one to cause her actual pain that wasn’t pleasurable. I turn and slam my hand flat against the filing cabinet behind me, which makes her jump.
Fucking woman. I can’t believe she pushed me that far. I feel like an asshole. If Arianna had seen what I just did, she would run away and not look back. I’ve never felt like this toward a woman. It’s Amy. She brings out the worst in me, pushes all the buttons that make me want to smash the fucking place up around her. Not once has she made me feel warm, or happy. Not once has she listened when I thought I needed to talk. Then I think of Arianna. My grounding. The girl whose smile melts my heart and it makes me realize what I’ve been missing out on all these years. So it’s time to move on. For everyone’s sake. Before we destroy each other.
“Right,” I say, blowing out a deep breath, and taking a seat in my desk chair hoping that having the hard wood between us will help us negotiate. “It can’t go on like this, Amy. You and I know, that whatever you and I had, is over … it’s not healthy and it’s not fun anymore …” I watch for her reaction as she straightens out her skirt and smoothes her hands through her hair, but there isn’t one. She’s her usual cold self, unaffected by my reaction to her, and the sneer she wears so well, is placed back on her face. “So, I’m going to make you an offer, and you are going to take it, understood?” I say, my voice determined so she knows there’s no negotiations here.
“King. I think it’s you that has misunderstood me. You can’t buy me out.” She walks forward with controlled movements and leans over, placing both palms flat on my desk in front of me. “I already sold my share.”
What the actual fuck did she just say?
“Did you just say … you sold your share?” My low voice sounds dangerous even to my own ears, and I’m seriously starting to boil from the inside.
“You heard correctly, Mr. King. You fucked with me. I fucked with you,” she says nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders. “I hope you and your new partner will be very happy.”
She throws her head back and laughs, and I grip the arms of my chair so hard, I think my fingers are going to go through it.
“Who?” I grate out through clenched teeth.
She turns on her impossibly high heels, and struts to the door.
She stops and turns to me when she gets to the doorway, placing her hand on her cocked hip “Call me when you get bored of the little whore, you’re a fuck worth coming back for.”
“Amy, WHO?” I yell. She closes the door behind her, shutting out my question and I’m torn between calming myself down and going after her, which right now, is a very bad idea.
“Get out!” I yell at the two security guards still standing on either side of the door. “Get the fuck out, and make sure she leaves the fucking building,” I order harshly. They scurry after Amy, and once they’re gone the rage rips through me.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” I bellow, the sound bouncing off the walls. I swipe at the desk and everything flies off in all directions. Glasses smash, and paperwork is strewn around the room in a whirl of anger. I’ve worked myself into the ground over the last three years to keep this place afloat. I couldn’t have done it without Amy’s investment, and she knew she had me over a barrel. But to fucking sell her share on to someone else. Fuck. I don’t even know who now owns a share in The Kingdom. My pride and joy. She knows how much this place means to me. She knows what it means to my family and now, now that I’m not sleeping with her, she’s turned into the woman scorned and tried to hurt me in the way she knows will go straight to my heart.
IT WAS A COUPLE OF hours before Denham came back to the apartment. He seemed distracted, and was far quieter than usual. I put this down to having the talk with Amy, and even though I don’t know her well, from what I’ve seen, she’s enough to make anyone feel tired and deflated.
The rest of the weekend flew by fast. Too fast. Denham took time off work, again. He made lots of excuses to stay with me, but spent a lot of time making and receiving calls to try and keep things running as smooth as he could, without actually being in the office.
We lazed, we ate and we made out. We listened to music and cooked together, and it wasn’t long before he was back to his usual charming self, making me laugh and making me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.
It was great, but it also prolonged the fact that I’m going to have to be left alone at some point, and it wasn’t me delaying it. I needed to get back to normal, whatever that was going to be. I needed to get out of the apartment. And, I needed to breathe the fresh air, and start to make a life for myself. I had to show Denham that something terrible wasn’t going to happen to me every time he wasn’t around. But this was proving difficult, as so far the universe had other plans every time he tried to go to work and get on with things.
The only way I was going to convince him was to get assertive.
I wait until he gets out of bed and goes for a shower. I feel like a teenager trying to sneak out, and I know it’s not going to be easy to get dressed and ready for work in the time it takes for him to shower and shave, but I’m going to do my best.
I grab a navy tailored pant suit from the closet, and pair it with an oyster kami, and heels which match perfectly. They fit like they were made for me, and the heels hug my feet as though they were slippers. Whether I will still think the same by the end of the day, I don’t know. I sling the jacket over the back of the chaise to pick up on the way out.
I just about manage to finish applying minimal make up, and sit at the dresser to brush my hair, before Denham comes out of the bathroom with just a fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist.
Damn.
Now I’m rethinking my decision to go to work toda
y.
Now I’m thinking I’d like to be that towel … clinging to his defined muscles.
“Uh …what do you think you’re doing?” he asks, breaking my visual exploration.
“I’m … I’m just thinking how good you look in that towel.”
He chuckles, and tucks the corner of it in around his waist with his thumb. “I can see that.” He walks over to me and kisses my forehead. “I meant, what are you doing getting up, and dressed so fast? Somewhere to be?”
I stand, my heels making me much taller than usual, and almost at his eye level. “I’m going to work,” I say with clarity.
“No, you’re not.”
If I thought he was going to let it slide, I would have been wrong. “Yes, I am,” I reply.
“Please don’t argue with me, Arianna.”
“I’m not going to argue. I’m going to work. No argument.” I shrug, and continue to braid and pin my hair, so there are two neat braids that circle my head and keep my hair out of my face.
“What if—”
“What if, what? What if I pass out? What if Amy tries to scratch my eyes out with those ridiculously long talons of hers?”
“Arianna,” he warns at my smart comments.
“Look. When I left LA, I wanted to start afresh. I needed to start a new life where I could live.” His shoulders drop a little, and I feel bad that I’m going to make it hard for him to concentrate at work today. I know how hard it is to function when you are worried about something or someone, but we need to do this before I start to suffocate. “I love being here with you. The last few days have been perfect.” I snake my hands around his waist, stroking his damp skin, and tucking my fingers in the towel just above his ass. “But, we need to start living in the real world. I need to work. I want to work. You need to go to work and run your empire from the helm, not holed up below deck with me. Even if that is where I like you best.” I wink and kiss him on the cheek. “Okay?”
“Okay,” he whispers. “But, on one condition.”