Committed

by Penelope Sky

  The blonde who’d approached me kept drinking out of my glass even though she had her own red wine. “How do you drink that?” She stuck out her tongue and made a face, acting like a child. She was a little young for my taste, probably in her early twenties. For me, it felt like thirty-five was fast approaching.

  When the girls got bored of Rhett and Tony, they excused themselves and moved on to something else. Maybe they had been interested in me, but the blonde beat them to it.

  Rhett looked across the bar to find new tail. “Those girls weren’t that hot anyway.”

  Yes, they were.

  Tony agreed with him. “What about that brunette over there?”

  “Where?” Rhett asked, looking at the front of the room where the barstools were and the bartender stood making drinks.

  “She’s wearing the backless dress,” Tony explained. “Brown, curled hair and stripper heels.”

  When Rhett spotted her, he whistled. “Damn.”

  “But there’s only one of her,” Tony argued.

  Rhett shook his hand. “Then may the best man win.” Just as he was about to get out of his seat, he stilled and sat back down. “Shit. Some other guy’s already there.”

  “A few guys have been there,” Tony said. “She has like six glasses sitting in front of her, and most of them are full.”

  Initially, I hadn’t cared about the hot woman across the bar. All women were hot. Blondes, brunettes, redheads, whatever. It took a lot to impress me, so they all seemed the same to me. But I’d never heard of a woman getting that many drinks, so I turned to get a glance.

  Fuck me.

  It was Sofia.

  I could recognize that long dark hair anywhere. I’d fisted the strands so many times that I’d completely memorized the texture of her hair, the way it slid through my fingertips when I held her close to me. Even if she just got a trim at the salon, I noticed it. I noticed the way her hair framed her face and trailed to her shoulders.

  The rest of her features were even more distinguishable, like her tanned skin, her chiseled back, the sky-high heels that made her ass look dangerously perky. She had her lips painted red the way I liked, and the smoky effect around her eyes was another thing I enjoyed. She certainly didn’t look like she’d just had a baby. That dress was tight and flattering, and her sexy chest was distracting to any straight man with eyes.

  Did she know I was there?

  Was this just a coincidence?

  It had to be, because there was no way she could’ve figured out my whereabouts. I never told Ash or Damien, so unless she was following me, there was just no way. I stared at her with a mixture of shock and annoyance.

  Seeing the handsome man talking to her just annoyed me more.

  Then she laughed, throwing her head back and gripping her stomach because whatever the fuck that guy said was so hilarious. Her hand rested on his wrist on the surface of the bar, seeming innocent but also purposeful. All the guys before him had struck out based on the untouched Long Island iced tea, vodka cranberry, glasses of red wine, and a screwdriver.

  The drink she was actually consuming…was a scotch.

  That pissed me off more.

  “Damn.” Rhett genuinely looked devastated he never got his chance with Sofia, even though he knew nothing about her, hadn’t ever even listened to her voice.

  Damien’s words came into my head. She won’t be on the market for long…

  I grabbed my glass and took a deep drink, feeling unbridled rage coming from nowhere. I was up the stairs and tucked into the back of the bar, so she probably had no idea I was there. She really was out on the town, picking up handsome strangers to erase my memory.

  I didn’t give a shit.

  At least, I didn’t want to give a shit…

  Forty-five minutes later, she’d been hit on by three other guys and had so many drinks that, if she drank them all, she would be in the hospital for alcohol poisoning. To make it worse, the guys hitting on her weren’t ugly weirdos. They were handsome men who could have anyone they wanted…but they thought she was worth their time.

  The blonde was grabbing my thigh under the table, doing her best to get my attention. She pouted her lips and whined like a child. “Why are you in such a bad mood?”

  “I’m not,” I said defensively.

  “Well, you haven’t paid attention to me all night.”

  “Then why are you still sitting here?” I snapped.

  Rhett and Tony had drifted off when they’d paired off with other women they found that night. I would’ve gone home and taken the blonde with me, but I chose to stick around and watch Sofia drain every wallet in that place. There was no reason for me to stay, no reason for me to care, but I couldn’t bring myself to go.

  Sofia would eventually walk out of there…and she wouldn’t be alone.

  The blonde eventually threw in the towel and smacked me on the arm. “Forget it.” She grabbed her clutch then stormed off.

  I didn’t bother to watch her go. My eyes were on the woman who used to be my wife, the woman I’d once loved and lost. She’d left me at my darkest hour, and the betrayal had never gone away. I gave up on us because it seemed like we had no chance. I didn’t feel the way I used to.

  But I fucking hated this.

  It was getting late, so I knew this night would conclude soon. She and the guy stopped ordering drinks and just continued to talk. She never dismissed him, and it didn’t seem like she was going to. Maybe this was the guy she liked. Maybe this was the guy she wanted to take home.

  The guy she wanted to fuck.

  I downed the rest of my scotch to get rid of the bile.

  I couldn’t explain what I felt. I was pissed she was there. I was pissed she was flirting with guy after guy. I was pissed she hadn’t shooed this one away. That anger was rising in ferocity, and now I wondered if she was hooking up with Damien on the side while sampling what else the city had to offer.

  I was out of my seat before I realized what was happening. My feet carried me forward without my thinking twice about it. I had no plan for when I arrived at my destination. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, but that didn’t stop me from doing it.

  My heart beat faster as I came close. One hand tightened into a fist because I wanted to break that guy’s nose even though he’d done nothing wrong. I wanted to grab her by the wrist and yank her out of there even though she could do whatever she wanted.

  I could hear her voice as I came closer, hear her laugh at something he said. The guy had a deep voice and chiseled arms, looking like a man pretty enough to be with her. They seemed like a good match, her beauty and his muscles.

  What the fuck was I doing?

  Before I could second-guess my decision, it was too late.

  Sofia turned and looked at me, and after the initial surprise on her face, her features slackened into an expression of confusion. “Hades? What are you doing here?” She glanced at her date like she was immediately uncomfortable by my unexpected visit. Her eyes glanced back and forth like this was the most intense moment of her life.

  I couldn’t bottle my rage for a second longer. It was illogical and irrational, fucking stupid. But whatever, it was happening. “Leave.” I stared at the guy sitting beside her and promised him a painful death if he didn’t excuse himself.

  The guy glanced at Sofia for explanation.

  “Don’t look at her. Look at me.” I stepped into his line of sight so he couldn’t see Sofia. “Leave.”

  “Hades.” Sofia smacked her hand into my back. “What the hell are you doing? I like him. He’s not bothering me.”

  I opened my jacket and pulled out a small knife. “You don’t speak our language? Or do you just speak stupid?”

  The guy raised his hands in the air then hopped off the stool. He was gone in a couple seconds, making the right choice.

  I slipped the knife back into my jacket and turned around to look at Sofia. I had no idea how I was going to excuse that tantrum. This conversation would
not end well. I’d probably get slapped, maybe kicked in the groin. Sofia had never done that before, but I’d never deserved it before.

  She looked pissed. Her eyes were wide with danger, and her hands were up with skepticism. “What the hell was that? Who do you think you are? I’m talking to a cute guy, and you think—”

  “Shut up.”

  Her mouth hung open because she couldn’t believe my audacity. She grabbed her clutch off the table then slid off the stool to get to her feet. With impressive speed, she pulled her hand back and slapped me hard across the face.

  I knew it was coming, so I didn’t bother blocking it.

  “You have a lot of nerve, asshole.” She turned around and stormed off.

  I watched her sexy body move in those impressive heels as my hand went to my cheek to feel the heat that flushed my skin. People automatically moved out of her way, and she still turned heads everywhere she went, despite her violent outburst.

  It took me a few seconds to compose myself before I went after her. I had no justification for my behavior, no excuse that would vindicate me, but I went after her anyway. I caught up with her once we made it outside and onto the sidewalk. It was almost midnight, so it was pitch black. Her heels echoed against the concrete as she continued her speed to the car.

  “Sofia.” I walked behind her.

  Without turning around, she flipped me the bird and kept going.

  This time, I jogged to her and grabbed her by the wrist. “Sofia.”

  She spun out of the grasp like a pro and slapped me across the face again. “Fuck off, Hades.”

  This time, she hit me so hard I turned with the hit.

  “You said you didn’t want me. You said you didn’t love me. So you had no right to do what you did. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t break my heart and then block me from moving on. I never really thought you were an asshole until now.” She turned to leave.

  I grabbed her by the wrist again. “Let me talk.”

  She squirmed out of my touch again and tried to hit me.

  Now I was ready for it, so I squeezed her hard and restrained her.

  Her eyes burst with hatred when she realized how easily she was overpowered. “I don’t care what you have to say. I killed Maddox so I could be with you, and you acted like such an ass. I gave you a son, I risked my life for you. If you don’t want me, fine. But don’t stop me from being with other people.”

  I stared at her beautiful green eyes and loved how pretty she was when she was mad. Her eyes lit up like emerald fire, and her mouth was so sexy when it was pursed like that. Her entire body was tight with adrenaline, and her palm against my cheek was a turn-on too. “I don’t know why I did that…”

  “Then you shouldn’t have done it.” She pushed against my chest so she could be free. “You can play your games with your bimbos, but I’m better than that. I deserve more respect than that as the mother of your child. Don’t pull that stunt again.” After one final look of viciousness, she turned around to leave.

  I couldn’t think straight anymore. I couldn’t reason with my emotions. I couldn’t understand what I wanted. Now my thoughts were dead in my head, and instinct kicked in. I rushed her, and this time when I grabbed her, I pulled her hard against me and kissed her.

  Kissed her good.

  My hand moved into the hair I’d been admiring all night, and my lips burned when they were reunited with hers. My arm pulled her lower back close to me so I could feel every curve of her frame. My breath left my mouth and entered her lungs, and my heart started to beat once again.

  Instead of slapping me again, she kissed me back. Her arms circled my neck as she pulled my face down to hers. One moment she hated me, and the next, she desired me as much as I desired her. It was instant chemistry, instant fire. Passion ignited both of us, and now I couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t stop kissing her.

  I didn’t want that guy to have her because I wanted her all to myself.

  Since it was late on a weeknight, the sidewalk was empty of pedestrians. It was just the two of us, combined lips and tangled limbs in a patch of illumination beneath the streetlight. I could’ve gone home with someone else, and it would’ve been much simpler if I had, but I was wrapped around the person I wanted to be free of instead.

  My mind was long gone in the gutter, and I backed her up into the alleyway shrouded in shadow. It wasn’t romantic, especially with the dumpster and the pile of wooden crates that sat beside it, but it gave enough privacy that no one would ever see us.

  I cornered her against the wall and continued to kiss her, my hands on her hips. I could feel the changes in her body, the way her hips were slightly wider after passing my son. I could feel the curves of her thighs and stomach, feel the changes she embraced as she stepped into motherhood. Even if I were a bachelor who’d met her for the first time that evening, I would find her body to be incredibly sexy. I actually preferred the curves over the sharp angles that she used to have.

  Instead of coming to the realization that I had just acted like an asshole a minute ago and pushing me off, she slid her hands under my t-shirt and up my hard body until her fingertips pressed into my chest. She sucked my bottom lip before her tongue moved into my mouth, accompanied by her warm and sexy breath. She went from zero to sixty in a single instant, wanting me despite the shitty way I treated her.

  I’d stopped loving her, but this innate passion was permanent. Once our mouths were together and our tongues danced erotically, it felt so right. She was the epitome of good sex, the heat and intensity people searched for their whole lives and never found.

  She slowed down her kisses as if she was about to stop. Then she pulled away and looked at me, her lips slightly opened and her eyes on mine.

  I didn’t want her to end this. I didn’t want her to come to her senses and march off again.

  Her eyes flicked down to my lips for a moment before she looked at me again. Her hands moved down my tight stomach before her fingers began to loosen my belt. In a sexy whisper that only I could hear, she said, “Fuck me.”

  I liked dirty talk, but that was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard. I was living a fantasy I didn’t know I had. I was about to screw this beautiful woman in a dark alleyway, and despite dirt and danger, I didn’t give a damn.

  She undid my belt and popped my button open. She pushed my jeans and boxers over my hips so my cock could be free. Her eyes studied her movements before they flicked back to mine, her green eyes filled with undeniable desire.

  Jesus.

  I was paralyzed by the intensity, drowned by the flood of arousal. I couldn’t even move because my body couldn’t process what was happening. I was about to have the best sex of my life, and I knew it.

  My hands finally started to work again, and I pulled up her dress so her toned thighs were visible in the darkness. My fingers yanked her black panties over her hips and down her legs. They fell to her ankles, and she quickly kicked them away, where they would remain in the alleyway long after we were gone.

  Fucking hot.

  She grabbed the front of my shirt and tugged on the fabric so she could pull my lips to hers. It was her signature move that had always made me weak. Her leg hiked over my hip, and she grabbed my ass and pulled me as close as possible. She was blocked from view by the dumpster, and my large mass hid the rest of her if someone made the mistake of walking by.

  Our lips were entangled in a heated embrace as I gripped the back of her knee and kept her leg over my hip. I smothered her into the wall and ground my hard length against her aching clit.

  Quiet moans echoed in the alleyway, and I was so focused that someone could have robbed me and I wouldn’t have even noticed. Wouldn’t have even cared. I pulled on the left strap of her dress so it could slide down a bit. The fallen fabric eventually exposed one gorgeous tit, plump with milk she used to nourish my son. My palm gripped it tightly, and I squeezed as I continued to grind against her and kiss her at the same time.

  This was t
he last place I thought I would end up tonight, but I was glad I hadn’t ended up in bed with that blonde. Our kisses wouldn’t have been this hot, our touches wouldn’t have been so scorching, and our bodies wouldn’t writhe like this. Only one woman could make me pant like a dog, could make me plead like a beggar.

  I grabbed the base of my dick and pushed my tip inside.

  Wet.

  Tight.

  Perfect.

  I closed my eyes for a moment and moaned against her face because pussy never felt so good. I hadn’t been with her since she’d had Andrew, and I was surprised she was exactly the same as she was before. Her body bounced back with incredible resilience, and the body part that could give life could also give incredible pleasure.

  When she had every inch of me, she stilled and breathed deeply. Her hand was underneath my shirt and against my back, her nails clawing at my skin. Her fingertips stopped moving because she wanted to pause and enjoy the incredible feeling between her legs. She acted like it was the first time in a long time. She gave the sexiest sigh, so quiet that only I could hear it. It was stupid not to wear a condom with her when I had no idea where she’d been, but I refused to wear anything with her. She was different from the others. She was special to me.

  When she pulled on my lower back, I knew she was anxious for me to move. She yanked on me so I could slide deep inside her before I pulled out again. She determined the pace, slow and steady, with even strokes that made for a sexy cadence.

  I wanted to kiss her but couldn’t. All I could do was hold her close and look into those excited eyes. I was breathing too hard to kiss her at the same time. I was feeling too much to do two things at once. I picked up her knee a little higher and pushed her into the wall so I could take her at a deeper angle.

  So fucking good.

  A group of drunk guys passed on the sidewalk, yelling and laughing as they got kicked out of the bar, but it didn’t shatter our moment. We were oblivious to the world around us, just a man and a woman doing what they were meant to do.