Chapter Seven
Emerson
“E mmy, you need to get laid.”
I almost choked on my drink at Clover’s sudden outburst, my brows practically reaching my hairline as I wondered whether to laugh or strangle her. I wasn’t stunned because she was wrong, it was just the unsmooth transition from listening to her share the latest explicit dream about her new boss to my sex life suddenly being laid bare on the table.
It had been three days since Arianna’s opening, and three days since I’d been trying—and failing—to think about anything but Orion.
“You should come with a warning” was my only response, my mouth closing around my straw again as I slurped the contents of my pineapple and rum.
She shot me a look. “How long has it been?”
A year, but who was counting?
I ignored her, guzzling the remaining contents of my drink before I saw her arm stretch out and she pulled the glass from under me. “Remember when I said you don’t play well with others?” I reminded her. “This is why. ”
Her castigating expression deepened. “Emmy, I say this because I love you.” She rested her hand on my arm, her face entirely unimpressed. “You’re turning into a nun. I’m weeks away from locating a convent for you.”
I bit my lip, holding back the laughter threatening to spill from the serious look on her face. She was looking at me the way someone would when they were about to tell you your childhood pet had died.
“I’ve been—” I waved my hands around, waiting for the word to miraculously appear on my tongue “—busy.” Yeah, that would do. “Now, give me back my drink.”
I reached for the glass but she pulled it behind her, holding it hostage. “It’s empty.”
It’s not .
“Look around, Emmy. You’re a sexy, twenty-five-year-old woman with a delicious pair of tits and a cracking ass in a bar filled with hot guys. Use the assets while you still have them.”
I tsked at her. Though, she wasn’t wrong. I was blessed with a set of double Ds and I wasn’t totally above using them to my advantage. “Maybe I like being celibate.”
“You don’t.” She was right, I didn’t.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in guys, it was more that I was convinced the love of my life was dried up somewhere on someone’s thigh.
“I don’t have the time to date right now, Clo.” My tone was final, hoping I killed whatever was left waiting on Clover’s tongue.
She knit her brows, looking at me like I’d said the most controversial thing she heard all year. “Who mentioned dating? I’m talking about one night of hot, dirty sex to dust off those cobwebs.”
I groaned, nearly stomping my feet like a child. I refrained, but it didn’t help that I was on my third drink and feeling slightly daring right now.
I had been experiencing quite a dry spell lately. If it went on much longer, I’d be a walking-talking version of the Sahara Desert. But men had a unique way of killing my mood the moment they opened their mouths.
I turned my head, ignoring the way the bass ejecting from the speakers echoed through my body. Strobe lights illuminated the bar, creating an illusion of shadows beyond the crowd. Laughter and whistling filled the air, along with the scent of cologne and body spray wafting off clothing, creating a thick musk in the already damp air.
There were plenty of attractive men scattered throughout the bar, most sipping whiskey on the rocks while chatting amongst themselves. Their eyes wandered around them, discreetly noticing the flock of women dancing under the lights as they cast their glances up and down the curvy figures. Like predators picking out that night’s prey.
The thought of being subject to the ogling made my skin crawl, but Clover was right, it was time to buff off the web weaved between my legs.
But first, liquid courage. “I’m gonna need another drink.”
For a while, Clover and I stayed close to each other as we danced. The groping hands on my waist were not yet accepted by my social anxiety, my inner self screaming at them to get away. But as the last drink bled into my veins, intoxicating my thoughts, I slowly started to lose myself in the rhythm of the music blaring through the speakers, my hips swaying to the beat.
This time, when hands slid around my waist and a firm chest pressed against my back, I welcomed the contact. I turned my head to the side, my ear pressing against the stranger’s chest, our bodies swaying in sync as I caught a whiff of his spicy cologne and his hot breath fanned against my ear.
Seconds later, the urge to cast my eyes upon the mystery man was only further encouraged by the wagging of Clover’s brows. Turning, I saw a tall, handsome man leaning over me.
Ashy brown hair, forest green eyes, and a playful smirk. “You’re gorgeous.” And a pretty, silky voice to go with it all. You’ll do just fine.
I grinned, a glint of mischief swirling in my eyes as I reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck, our bodies pressing against each other as we continued to move to the music. The alcohol paralyzed my social anxiety, rendering me more confident than usual.
“Your dress is pretty,” he whispered. “But it would look better on my bedroom floor.”
Original . I cocked a brow, considering whether to laugh at the cheesy line or go with it and see what he does next. “Really?” I decided to go with it, his words weren’t what I was interested in anyway.
His grin widened. “And you’d look better naked in my bed.”
My other brow joined its twin, and I pressed my lips together to stifle the laugh that threatened to spill. I heard the sound of Clover cackling at the side of me, unable to refrain, clearly eavesdropping and unashamed.
I licked my bottom lip, shooting Clover a narrow-eyed look, which only seemed to further amuse her, before brushing her off and returning my attention to the stranger pushing his crotch into me. I opened my mouth but something from the corner of my eye caught my attention, pulling my gaze to it like a misinformed moth to a scorning flame.
Hazel-gray eyes clashed with mine, stripping me of my inhibitions and fogging my mind. The rest of the crowd melted away, leaving me locked in place with no self-perseveration, recognition crashing over me like a tidal wave. His presence emitted the same dark aura as always, making me feel like I was trapped in a room breathing in black smoke, and surrendering to its deathly toxins was the only way out.
He was watching me like I was the only one here. Like I was the only one he could see. His eyes raked down my body, devouring the sight laid out before him, my skin scorching in every place they touched. Being the object of his attention would have butterflies swarming in the pit of the stomach for any other woman, but for me it was like dozens of wasps trying to sting their way free, burning through my insides.
He was wearing the same dark, murderous expression I’d grown accustomed to. His jaw tightened with lips drawn into a firm line, his eyes piercing straight into my soul. It took everything in me to remember to breathe. Breathe through the chaos he stirred inside me.
Then, like startling ice sliding down my back, I was forced out of the trance he sealed me in; manicured hands slid up his Yves Saint Laurent suit jacket. A blonde straddled his hips, her legs on either side of him on the plush, crescent-shaped booth.
She brought her lips to his ear, no doubt whispering the filthy words a man like Orion liked to hear. But his eyes remained fixed on me, refusing to acknowledge her. I arched my brow, ignoring the niggly feeling in the pit of my stomach, before reluctantly pulling my gaze away and focusing on my mystery stranger.
He wasn’t as attractive as Orion, that much was clear. No one was as attractive as Orion; the man was in a league of his own. But riding alongside his devilishly good looks was his asshole of a personality. Or lack thereof . Besides, the handsome stranger wasn’t my brother’s best friend, and so far, he didn’t seem to have any murderous tendencies.
The bar was low at this point.
“What’s your name?” I fluttered my lashes at the stranger, whose arms were wrapped firmly around my waist.
His eyes softened. “Damien.”
“Emmy,” I smiled, using all my willpower to ignore the face of the man whose eyes were burning a hole into the side of my head.
Don’t turn around. Do not turn around.
“Pretty name for a pretty girl,” he cooed, tightening his hold on me and pulling me closer. A whiff of spearmint and gin invaded my senses, his breath fanning against my cheek.
His gaze traveled down to my lips before returning to my eyes, the corner of his mouth tugging playfully. My tongue darted out and swiped my bottom lip, and his eyes followed the movement.
We were barely an inch apart, and I knew he was going to kiss me in the next few moments. I welcomed the thought as my hands trailed down to the collar of his shirt and gripped the material tightly.
He inched closer, our lips all but touching, when I felt the warmth of his body slip away from mine, leaving nothing but coldness in its place. I frowned, shifting my gaze, my hands still raised as though they were gripping his collar, only to see Orion towering over Damien with a deadly look on his face. “That’s enough of that .”
His strong hand had a firm grip on Damien’s shoulder, his fingers digging into the material of Damien’s shirt, and I was certain that when he’d take his shirt off later, he’d see indentation marks from when Orion’s fingers had been.
Well, crap.
Damien wore a confused but cautious look on his face, his neck straining to look up at Orion, though the latter’s eyes were fixed on me. Even when considering committing a crime, Orion had this air around him that dripped sex appeal. Everything about the man was sexual, even without the intent. The way his strong, deft fingers dug into Damien’s collarbone; the way his arms flexed beneath his shirt when he tensed; the way his eyes flared with a dangerous, scorching heat when he looked at me. It was all I could do to ignore the unwelcome feelings he invoked.
Then, the situation registered in my mind like a punch to the gut, and the desire dissipated into pure, uncontrollable anger. What the hell did he think he was doing?
“Are you out of your mind?” I snapped, glaring back at those raging, sunburst eyes with such disbelief I wondered how he hadn’t burned into a pile of ashes on the ground.
“I could ask you the same,” he said icily, the sharpness of his gaze freezing the warmth in my blood. “You’ve known this guy for five minutes and you’re already letting him grind his crotch into you? Classy.”
The words stung more than I cared to admit, and his voice suddenly drowned out the background noise, forcing their way to the forefront of my mind with a sledgehammer.
You are always a slut for a little attention.
Fear pooled at the base of my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck stood, and my pulse beat double time. My blood ran cold, goosebumps danced along my skin, and it took all my strength to stop my bottom lip from trembling. My palms started to clam up, and the invisible rope around my neck startedto tighten.
I can’t breathe, I—
Stop it. You’re okay.
Orion isn’t him. You’re fine.
He’d never hurt you. You’re safe.
You aren’t in danger.
You. Aren’t. In. Danger.
Despite my fight or flight mode settling, another bolt of fury sizzled through me. “So what? I’m a grown woman, perfectly capable of making my own decisions. If I want to go home with Damien, then I will.”
His eyes grew glacial. “Like hell, you will.” His voice sliced through the air like a lash on my back, cutting my skin raw with mere force and brutality.
We stared at one another, gazes locked, bodies frigid. We were two grenades in the middle of an impending disaster, our pins slowly slipping from the lever, threatening to cause mass destruction with the one wrong move that would ignite the cap.
“This asshole act… is it all the time or do you just show off when I’m around?”
But my frustration only seemed to amuse him, the corner of his lip curling up ever-so-slightly, completely contradictory to the anger blaring in his eyes. “I think it’s time for you to leave, Tesoro .”
His smooth voice slid into my ears and made its way through every nerve in my body. But then his words settled on my skin, and I was reminded that the sultry voice belonged to who was now standing before me, rudely demanding things for no other reason than to exercise his authority. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, my lips parted in shock at the audacity.
This asshole!
“And I think you should put a condom over your head.” I narrowed my eyes. “If you’re going to act like a dick, you might as well dress like one.”
“And you are?” Clover asked, finally turning her attention away from the Lewis Hamilton lookalike who’d been whispering in her ear.
Orion acknowledged her with a brief glance before taunting me with a daring expression. “Pissed,” his answer was short and sweet, the exact opposite of him.
Her brows pinched together, her eyes filtering back to me as she flashed me a brief do I need to kick his ass look. I shook my head, cringing as Damien released a strangled groan. “Wait, isn’t he the guy from the opening?” Clover’s expression widened as the dots connected in her mind.
“Listen, man, I didn’t know she had a boyfriend,” Damien flailed, the confident man from a few moments ago dissipating like the love lost between Orion and me. Just when I thought Orion and I might be able to form some kind of civil relationship, he pulled a stunt like this.
“I don’t,” I gritted through my teeth. “Let him go, Orion.”
“Are you going home?”
Home? “No.”
He clicked his tongue. “Then Pretty Boy is staying with me.” His voice wasn’t aggressive, but it was assertive enough for me to know he wasn’t bluffing. It was a statement that had left little room for argument.
Jackass.
He was infuriating . His feral eyes watched me, anticipating my next move, determining whether I underestimated him. I didn’t , I just didn’t know what the hell his problem was, or what my problem was, because certain feelings were stirring in me that had no business stirring right now.
“Quit the brotherly act, Orion. I already have one.” I only said it because I had a feeling it would piss him off. It did. “And even he doesn’t get to dictate what I do in my free time.”
His jaw ticked. “Home, Emerson.”
“Ask me nicely,” I retorted.
His gaze shifted into something that resembled amusement, mixed with darkness. He stepped into me, lowering his head to whisper in my right ear. His voice was gravel, his tone darker than usual. “If you don’t get your ass home, Emmy, Pretty Boy won’t be the only one screaming please .”
My god…
Liquid warmth pooled in my stomach, and every inch of my body became a nerve ending, electrified with the sudden arousal he pulled out of me. He hadn’t even touched me, yet my legs were trembling. My nipples hardened under my dress into diamond points, and all I could think of was how much I wanted to devour him .
I released a shaky breath. “Isn’t there a blonde looking for you somewhere?”
A wintry smile touched his lips. “Jealous?”
Oh, I hate him. “Hardly.”
I felt the color drain from my face as Damien winced under Orion’s tight hold. Poor guy was going to have a bruise tomorrow. Maybe worse.
Clover nudged my shoulder. “Let’s just go.”
I’m inclined to refuse, but I knew if I did it would only encourage whatever deranged plan Orion had in store for Damien. And looking at the castigating expression on his face, deranged seems like the appropriate word.
“The choice is yours, Tesoro . Go home, or…” He cast a side glance at Damien, a silent promise to follow through on the threat that was coming. But even when acting insane, the Italian endearment provoked something in me it most certainly shouldn’t. “You can watch your new friend cry out for mercy as I cut off the hands that he touched you with.”
“ Jesus , Orion!” I hissed. I should not be finding that even remotely attractive. “What the hell is your problem?” And what the hell is mine?
Orion’s expression remained impassive, and I had the most intense urge to see if it would remain that way if I slapped him across the face. “Your brother asked me to look out for you, and I take my responsibilities very seriously. That includes not letting you catch an STD from this lanky stronzo. ” He motioned his head towards the bar exit. “I won’t be repeating myself again, Emerson.”
Damien looked close to passing out. From the grip on his shoulder or the impending threat looming over his head, I wasn’t sure.
“Fine!” I exclaimed, noticing the insane glint in his darkening eyes.
I let out a breath when he released Damien, who wasted no time in scurrying away from the unhinged asshole. Not that I blamed him, I wouldn’t stick around either.
With a final pointed glare, I grabbed Clover by the arm and led us out of the bar, only turning when I heard him call me one last time.
“Oh, and Emerson?” I paused and turned, instantly wishing I didn’t when I noticed the smug grin on his lips. “I’ll know if you don’t go straight home.”
I didn’t doubt it.