by Gemma Weir
Shaking my head, I push my wayward thoughts away as I pull up outside my sister’s new apartment. Parking my car at the curb, I make my way upto the front door and press the buzzer. A few seconds later Daisy answers. “Yeah?”
“It’s Nikki,” I say cautiously.
“Come on up,” he says, and the door beeps and the lock clicks open.
I quickly climb the stairs, and Daisy is just opening the door as I turn the corner into their hall. Unlike yesterday, the smile he flashes me is genuine and when he pushes the door wide I offer him a bright smile in return, as I step past him and into their apartment. Dove is taking her new mugs and plates out of the dishwasher. “Nikki,” she cries, abandoning her job and bouncing toward me.
“Good morning,” I say, pulling my sister in for a tight hug. Cedric bounces along at her feet and releasing her, I bend down to scoop up the puppy. “Good morning, Cedric. Were you a good puppy for your new mommy and daddy?”
“He was an angel,” my sister says, reaching forward to stroke her furbaby. “What time are we meeting the realtor again?”
“10am. I thought we could walk. It’s only a couple streets over.”
“That’s fine, I’ll bring Cedric; that shouldn’t be too far for him. She checks her wristwatch. Okay, it’s 9:30 am. Shall we go grab coffees on the way?”
“God, yes,” I say, my voice an appreciative moan.
“What’s the matter, Duchess, did something keep you up late last night?” Blade says, a scowl etched across his face, his voice low and harsh.
Closing my eyes for a second, I steel myself to turn and face him. What is it about him that either makes me steaming mad or so turned on I don’t know what to do with myself? I look over my shoulder and find him standing in the bedroom doorway, his hands braced on the doorjamb above him. His t-shirt is lifted slightly, exposing a slither of toned stomach and even more colorful tattoos. I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. “What are you doing here?” I ask a little too quickly. My voice betrays me, and I can hear the arousal that consumed me the moment my eyes locked on his delicious abs.
Blade smirks. “Dove asked me to come along to look at the house with you guys.”
I glance back at my sister, my eyes wide in a ‘why would you invite him?’ glare. Completely oblivious to my silent question, she smiles happily back at me. Gritting my teeth, I will myself to stay calm and unaffected by him. “Well, that’s just great. The more the merrier,” I say acerbically.
Blade’s heavy arm settles across my shoulders and a tingle of awareness prickles under my skin. “Oh, Duchess, isn’t this great? Pretty soon we’ll all be like one big happy family,” he says, his tone condescending.
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” I say under my breath. Desperate to distance myself from the heat of his touch, I try to shrug his arm from my shoulders.
Chuckling low, he curls his hand over my shoulder preventing me from moving. “What was that, Duchess?” Blade asks, drawing me closer into his body.
“Nothing,” I say quickly.
“Really? Sounded more like you saying you don’t want to be part of our little family. Now that surprises me ‘cause you looked real happy all cozied up to Park last night. You pair looked real close already.”
His tone has me twisting to look up into his face and I swear I see an edge of anger in his eyes. Is he pissed that one of his bikers knows me and isn’t suspicious of me? Or is it something more? If he didn’t so obviously hate me, I’d say it was a spark of jealousy, but the thought is just too ridiculous to consider.
“Ready?” Dove says excitedly, breaking the intense standoff between me and Blade.
I hold his gaze for a moment longer, then force myself to look away and toward my sister. “Yes, let’s go.” I say, with a brightness I don’t feel. Wiggling free from Blade’s grip, I quickly follow my sister out of the door. The walk to the house is short, and even after grabbing hot vanilla lattes we still arrive earlier than Trish. I scan my eyes over the house and excitement starts to bubble in my stomach. It’s a modest house. The white shutter-board is peeling and obviously in need of a coat of paint, the front garden is a little overgrown, and the garage to the side of house looks like it needs a new roof. But even in its slightly neglected state, the house feels warm and inviting. Opening the gate, I walk up the path to the front door and run my hand over the gargoyle shaped brass knocker.
“Nikki, so nice to see you again,” Trish calls, heralding her arrival.
Pulled from my admiring trance, I spin to face her, plastering on a pleasant smile. “Trish, lovely to see you too,” I say, offering out my hand for her to shake.
“I see you brought some friends along with you,” Trish says, looking pointedly at my sister and the two huge tattooed bikers who are standing on the front lawn.
“I did. This my sister, her boyfriend, and one of their friends.”
Trish nods politely but doesn’t make any attempt to shake hands. I smile inwardly at her reticence about the two burly men. “Shall we go in?” I suggest.
Trish nods and then steps in front of me, keys ready in her hand. She unlocks the door and holds it open for us to enter. From my first step into the house, a wave of peace and tranquility washes over me. The inside is light and airy, and without taking another step I already know that I want to live here.
The realtor, familiar with my dislike of being shown a property, stands at the front door with a polite smile on her face. “Let me know if you have any questions.”
Clearing my expression, I nod, then move forward and start to explore my new home. The house is in woeful need of some TLC, but the bones of the building seem to be strong and everything else I can renovate to my taste. The garden is large and full of neglected, but obviously once beautiful, mature trees and plants. It’s perfect.
“Nikki, it’s gorgeous,” my sister cries.
Looking over my shoulder, I scan the faces of Daisy and Blade expectantly. “What do you think?”
Daisy nods his head to the side. “It needs work.”
“I agree, but it’s nothing major, more just updating.”
“It’s a great house,” Blade says, and I’m shocked at his praise. I’d assumed that he had tagged along to try to dissuade me from moving to Archer’s Creek, but for him to approve of the house surprises me.
“It is, isn’t it?” I say, my head tilted to the side, assessing his response.
“I can see you living here, Duchess,” he says, and I stare at him, thoroughly confused by his behavior.
“So, what are we thinking?” Trish says from behind us, her heels tip-tapping on the tile floor as she makes her way to our group.
“It needs a lot of work. How negotiable is the price?” I say, forcing myself to become business like and pushing down my need to buy this house.
“Between you and I, the owners are desperate to sell, or rent. They moved to Chicago on short notice and they need to sell this place so they can buy there. If you’re interested, I think we can get you a significant discount off the listing price.” Trish says smiling widely.
“Do it, but I want at least twenty thousand dollars off the asking price. Let the owners know I’ll buy cash if we can close in a week.”
Trish’s expression morphs into a wolfish grin, her teeth showing. “Yes, Ma’am.” Then pulling her cell from her purse she taps in a number, lifts it to her ear and walks away, already speaking to whoever she called.
Dove bounces over to me, Cedric hopping along behind her. “It’s so exciting; do you think you’ll get it?”
“Oh, I’ll get it,” I say with a confident chuckle. “If I have to, I’ll pay the full asking price, but if the owners are desperate, I’m sure the lure of a cash buyer and a quick sale will get me a great discount.”
“I just can’t believe this,” Dove cries happily. “You’re alive and you’re here, and now you’re moving in just a few streets from me.”
A crash of emotion hits me at her words and I pull her into my arms
and hug her tightly, kissing the top of head just like I did when she was a little kid and our father had scared her. “I know, Sissy. It’s all gonna be good from now on, I promise.”
It feels like we stay embraced forever but eventually Dove steps back, wipes a stray tear from her cheek and offers me a watery smile. “Only good things from here on out and you moving here is just the start.” Cedric yelps a puppy cry and Dove immediately crouches down to him. “Oh I think Cedric needs to go potty,” she says, with a teary giggle and rushes toward the front door, with Daisy following closely behind her.
Turning in a circle I take in the room that will soon be mine. I can imagine my things here. Can see me eating dinner on the patio while Jock runs around the backyard. I can imagine making this place my home, a proper home; not like the house I live in now, but a home with friends who visit and a family who lives close enough to drive me mad.
I’d forgotten that Blade was still in the room until he speaks. “It’s a big house for just one person.”
“It’s only two bed,” I say, continuing to stare out of the French doors and not turning to face him.
“You still hoping Dove’s gonna be moving into that spare room?”
I scoff. “No. I think that ship has sailed. She’s in love, and I’m happy for her. She’s different now, more confident, and I think a lot of that is because of Daisy. I don’t mind living here alone, and she’s only just around the corner so we can still see a lot of each other.”
Warm breath hits my neck and I flinch. Startled, I go to step away, but his hand spreads across my stomach preventing me from moving. He speaks and his voice is low and gravelly. “Living in town you’ll see a lot more of Park.”
“I’m sure he’ll come visit,” I say, my voice shaky, affected by his nearness.
“I’ll bet he will. Woman like you, he won’t be able to stay away,” he growls against my ear.
Goosebumps rise on my skin and I desperately try not to shudder. Only his hand is touching me, but I can feel him everywhere, surrounding me. “He’s my friend. He came to see me in Chestnut Grove, I’m sure he’ll come visit me here too.”
“Friend?” Blade asks, his fingers spreading wider, causing tingles to pulse though my skin.
“Friend,” I reply, my voice breathy and surprisingly sensual.
“So he wouldn’t walk into this house and immediately think of all the surfaces he could fuck you on? He wouldn’t imagine taking you on the cool tile in the entrance hall, or bending you over the counters in the kitchen? He wouldn’t be dreaming about pushing you against these doors and eating your pussy while your tits were flat against the glass?”
I shudder as his words create an image that fills me with desire. His hard length pushes against my ass and I falter, wanting to arch back further against his cock, but knowing that I should be trying to escape his touch. “No,” I gasp, the word barely audible.
“Bullshit,” he whispers, his grip on me tightening while he grinds himself closer to me. His body is wrapped around mine, holding me in place, a prisoner to the sexual spell his words have cast. “You said you didn’t want anything to do with us; that you didn’t do bikers, and then there you were all cozied up on Park’s lap like you were planning to ride his dick all night long.”
His voice turns acid and the spell he’d weaved over me breaks. Wrenching myself from his grip, I spin to face him, my chest heaving with arousal and the fresh spike of anger his words have provoked. “Who the hell do you think you are? What I do and who I do it with, are none of your goddamn business, but if you’re so fucking interested in my life here’s the truth. Park is my friend. We met when I was going through a really shitty time, and he helped me. There has never been anything else between us and there never will be. You might think I’m playing games or have an ulterior motive, but I haven’t. He’s not suspicious of me because he knows me. You can take my word that I’m not here to cause shit, or if you need to, you can speak to him and then take his word, but either way you need to back the fuck off.”
Blade takes a step closer and his eyes heat devilishly, then he leans forward until his hot, minty breath hits my face. “Oh, Duchess, if only I could.”
His full, soft lips crash into mine and I lose my mind. Strong arms encircle my waist and he lifts me into the air, walking us until my back hits the cool glass of the closed French doors. My hands tangle into his hair and our tongues war, furiously trying to subdue the other. The kiss isn’t gentle or loving, it’s a fight for supremacy and as we paw at one another, his knee lifts to rub against my heated pussy. Groaning into his mouth, I pull at his hair as our mouths, lips, and tongues, battle for control. One of his hands pulls at the front of my shirt, pushing my bra below my nipple, while his practiced fingers pluck at the sensitive peak, squeezing tightly. Groaning in response to the pleasure his fingers are creating, I grind my pussy against his leg, searching for friction, something, anything, to cool the heated need within me.
“Nikki.”
Trish’s voice dissolves my lust-laden haze and I frantically rip my lips away from his and push at his chest. “Get off me,” I hiss. A tremble pulses through my body and I wonder how my legs are staying upright when all I want to do is launch myself back into his arms.
Blade steps back, a smirk on his face. Reaching down, he adjusts his obviously hard cock in his jeans and I swallow thickly. My breathing is shallow, and I barely get chance to smooth my hair and pull my bra back into place before Trish re-enters the room.
“Nikki, I just spoke to the owners. They want a little time to think about the offer. I’ve told them it’ll be off the table at 5pm, and I suspect they’ll accept or come back with a counter-offer well before then. I’ll keep you apprised. Did you still want to view the other property we discussed?”
Glancing warily at Blade, I force my eyes away from him and focus on Trish. “Yes, I still want to see it.”
“I thought you would. It’ll be Eric who’ll show you the property. Are you still okay for 3pm?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Thank you.”
“Okay, perfect. Are you finished here, or do you need a little more time?”
I know she’s speaking about the house, but I purposely look at Blade. “No, I’m completely finished here.”
He scoffs quietly, running his tongue across his teeth, but I turn away from him and move to follow Trish from the room.
His tight grip on my arm stops me. “We’re nowhere near finished, Duchess,” he growls, his voice almost menacing.
Unable to speak, I rip my arm from his grip and hurry to leave the house, forcing my traitorous body not to react. Refusing to look back at Blade, I pass Trish and make my way to my sister and Daisy who are sat on the front lawn playing with the puppy.
“Are you coming back to the apartment?” Dove asks.
“Yeah, sure, but I can’t stay too long. I have to work, and I have a meeting this afternoon.”
Waving to Trish, I deliberately stay close to my sister as we make the short walk back to her and Daisy’s apartment. I’m vividly aware of Blade’s presence behind me, but I pointedly ignore him and instead try to concentrate on calming my overly stimulated body.
Despite my best efforts, by the time we get back to the apartment a pulse of awareness thrums between my legs. The new comfy couch had looked inviting, but the moment Blade dropped his ass on it, I knew I needed to stay as far away from him as possible. So now I’m sitting primly on a chair to the side of the room and wondering why I’m letting him affect me like this. He hasn’t spoken a single word to me since we left the house, but I can feel his eyes on me and my nipples have pebbled in anticipation. Rationally, I know he’s a dick and that I need to keep my distance, but if I shut off my brain for a moment my body is screaming “Yes, yes, yes.”
“Drink?” my sister offers, her head poking around the refrigerator door. I shake my head and continue to fidget, twisting my fingers in my lap in agitation. Glancing at Blade, I narrow my eyes at his lazy, relaxed po
sture, his legs stretched out in front of him. When he catches me looking at him, he smirks, his eyes twinkling mischievously. I scowl at him. I want to scream and rage at his annoying presence, but I can’t without explaining to my sister why he’s driving me crazy.
What is it about Blade that’s affecting me so much? I don’t think I’ve ever been this sexually attracted to a man before, and what I feel for Blade must only be simple lust. My body craves his, despite the fact that I’m really starting to fucking despise him.
I can feel his eyes on me, and it fills me with a hunger I know would be reflected back, If I could find the courage to lift my gaze to his. We all fall silent and the quiet becomes stifling. Unable to resist, I look up and I’m immediately swallowed by the potency that stares back at me. From the corner of my eye, I can see my sister and Daisy nestled together on the floor with the puppy. They’re completely oblivious to the standoff Blade and I are engaged in.
He licks his lips and slowly blinks. The movement makes me want to groan. On any other man, at any other time, the action would seem contrived, but right now with the sunlight glistening across his full lower lip, all I want to do is lean forward and taste him.
It’s too much. Heat effuses from my skin and a sob feels like it’s rising in my chest. It’s too much and I don’t know what to do or how to process this. My fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, and pressing my hands against my thighs, I push upright and look to my sister with what feels like a pained smile. “I really should get going. I didn’t work at all yesterday and my clients are gonna be pissed at me if I lose them money.”