Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
CLOVER
Mom
Good luck today, sweetheart. I love you.
Dad
Are you ready? You don’t want to be late.
Clover
Thanks Mom!!! Love you too.
Yes, Dad. I’m ready. Hanging out in a coffee shop close to my building.
Dad
Good. Don’t drink too much coffee. Wouldn’t want you to be too wired.
Clover
No such thing. Besides, I’m writing. This is a quiet spot to hang.
Mom
We’ll leave you be then. We don’t want to keep you from working.
Dad
Yes, focus on work. Let us know how it goes.
Clover
I will.
M y mom always makes me smile. Even amid the scandal from hell, she worked overtime to make me smile.
Loving text messages to let me know she cared.
Leaving notes on my favorite coffee mug during those months I was hiding out in my childhood home to avoid reporters and more cameras in my face.
Always telling me I was perfect exactly the way I was. No flaws.
Her words of encouragement and love are largely what got me through the scandal without losing all sense of self respect and dignity.
I know Dad loves me too and only wants what’s best for me, but his delivery is more authoritative instead of encouraging. He thinks he’s encouraging and supporting me. But it comes across as doubt and disappointment.
I get it and don’t blame him, but it’s been almost a year since those pictures hit social media. I’ve paid for it in more ways than I care to count. He can relax now.
I let both my parents down when I had an affair with a married man. And not just any married man. But a state senator with a very public profile.
In my defense, he told me he was getting divorced when I met him. Foolishly, I believed him. He knew exactly what to say to charm the pants right off me. Literally and in public.
If I look hard enough, I can still find photo evidence of my shame on the Internet. Thankfully, my dad used his power and connections to get most of them taken down. It cost him a fortune, and it lost me my Harvard education.
But I’ll survive.
As long as I stay out of the spotlight and focus on my studies.
Pushing my parents out of my thoughts, I open my laptop and get to work on my proposal. Transferring means I have to get approval for my proposal again from my new advisor. Based on what I’ve learned about Dr. Rosi, my research and writing interests align with his.
It’s been almost a year since I wrote my proposal, and I’ve made a few changes. Hopefully, Dr. Rosi will agree with those, and I can get started on writing my dissertation immediately.
“Clover!” The barista calls my name.
I slide up from the booth I claimed to grab my breakfast sandwich and coffee. My meeting isn’t for a few more hours, so I’m glad I got a booth near a power outlet. Hopefully, I can wrap up the changes I want to make to my proposal before the meeting.
When I turn around, I almost trip over my own feet when I see a tall, broad-shoulder man standing next to my booth. He’s formidable and glaring at me like I’ve done something wrong. Or maybe it’s because I’m in his way?
My gaze lingers down his body. He’s in a nicely tailored charcoal gray suit that hugs his frame like it was custom made. The dark gray shirt he’s wearing underneath his jacket blends in against the dark lapel. But it’s his tie that catches my eye. It’s mostly a vivid blue with paisley swirls of bright aqua and lavender throughout. It’s colorful and adds just the right about of life to his otherwise dark wardrobe.
“What are you doing here?” he asks. His voice is rough, with a harsh edge to it. I pull my eyes off his chest and meet his intense gaze. His glare is so powerful that I swear he’s boring a hole right through me.
He’s intimidating, but I don’t let that bother me. I’ve no clue why he’s upset by me being here, so I smile and walk back to my table, even though that means I’ll have to push past him.
“I’m sorry?” I stop when I reach him and hold my eyes on his. There’s something familiar about his brown eyes, but I can’t quite pinpoint what. “Do we know each other?”
He snorts. It’s a sound that doesn’t fit the seemingly powerful man standing before me.
“You could say that.” He steps closer to me and leans down so his lips are level with my ear. He’s so tall. He makes my five foot six inches look short. Then he whispers, “Little minx.”
I suck in a breath and snap my eyes to his.
“It’s you,” I whisper.
I see it now as our eyes are locked on each other. The reason he looks familiar. Those expressive whiskey brown eyes have visited me in my fantasies for days. This is the man I fucked at the nightclub last Thursday.
Panic replaces my confusion. I wasn’t supposed to see this man again. Ever. “You can’t be here.”
His brows furrow, deepening the harsh expression on his face. “Me? I frequent this coffee shop multiple times a week. I’ve never seen you here before. Are you following me?”
“What?” His question surprises me. “No! I’ve got much better things to do than to follow you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
I push past him and slide into the booth. My breakfast sandwich and coffee are probably getting cold, and I hate cold coffee. Give it to me black and steaming hot. No flavored or iced blends for me.
He doesn’t immediately walk away. I do my best to ignore him as he stares down at me. Now that I’m sitting, he seems even taller, more dominating and powerful than he looked when I was standing next to him.
I wake up my laptop and force myself to read the next paragraph of my proposal. Surely if I ignore him, he’ll go away.
It feels like an eternity passes before he finally heads to the counter to place his order. Though it was probably only a few seconds. I allow my eyes to wander in his direction. He’s standing with his back to me. One hand is in his pocket while the other is holding his phone in front of him. He’s reading something.
Sighing, I let my eyes linger down his body. He looks just as good from behind. With his hand in his pocket, I can see how nice his ass looks in his slacks. Tight, round, and very bitable.
“Stop it.” I scold myself and take a sip of my coffee. I sigh in relief when it’s still hot.
It’s best that I ignore that he’s here. It’s not like we can repeat what happened. I can’t afford to get myself mixed up with a man—any man—but especially one that looks like he’s a man of authority.
Knowing my luck, he’s someone important.
I’ve no clue what Mr. Grumpy Sex God does for a living, but he’s dressed well. Not exactly the designer labels my parents spend a fortune on, but still of exceptional quality. He looks important, and that’s enough reason to forget I ever saw him here.
Just as I regain my focus on work, a shadow casts over my table. I don’t have to look up to know it’s him.
“Did you need something, sir?”
My question drags a low growl out of him, and I suck my bottom lip between my teeth to fight back a smile. I like the way he growls. Especially when he’s buried deep …
Nope. Stop it. Not going down that memory lane today.
He slides into the booth next to me. Not opposite me where the bench is empty. Nope. He had to sit so close I can feel his body heat.
I slam my laptop close and snap my eyes at him. “What are you doing?”
“Joining you,” he says like it’s the most normal response in the world.
“Why?”
He shrugs. “Why not?”
The furrow in his brow deepens the longer I stare at him. Did he look this grumpy at the nightclub? I remember his looks being sexier, more alluring. Then again, it was dark in that corner we hid in.
The silence between us is uncomfortable, but I don’t know what to say. This is an unfamiliar experience for me. While I’ve had my fair share of sexual escapades, one-night stands are uncommon for me. Running into the man I fucked in a nightclub whose name I never got is a first.
My stomach picks this moment to let out a loud growl. While I feel my cheeks turning red, my mystery man smiles. Dammit, it changes everything about his appearance.
His formidable, broody look is sexy, but the smile softens him. It makes him approachable and boyishly handsome.
I sit back in the booth and take a bite of my sandwich. If he wants to sit next to me and watch me eat, so be it. It’s not like he hasn’t already been up my skirt. Can’t get more personal than that.
“My name is Donnie. What’s yours?”
I shake my head. “Nope. No names. I prefer to stay anonymous.”
He chuckles. “But I already told you my name.”
I shrug. “That’s a you problem.”
He raises a brow. “Are you always so sassy?”
This time I chuckle. “Sometimes, yes.”
“Okay.” He nods and looks around the shop like he’s assessing the other patrons. “You new around here?” he asks before he takes a sip of his coffee.
I shake my head. “Born and raised in the city.”
His frown returns. “I’ve never seen you here before.”
My smile grows until it covers my entire face. “It’s a pretty big city.”
“True.” He narrows his eyes as he watches me eat. There’s something in his gaze that causes my insides to flutter and my core to clench. I like the way he looks at me. Like I’m this breakfast sandwich and he’s starving.
“How about you? Are you new around here?”
“Not anymore.” He leans forward and his elbow rubs against my arm. It sends a rush of heat through me as my body replays our one-night stand. “It’s been several years since I moved to the city.”
“Where did you grow up?”
“No where,” he says like it’s the most natural response.
I chuckle. “What does that mean?”
“It means I didn’t grow up in one place. My parents liked to travel, so that’s what we did. Never stayed in the same place for more than a month for the first nineteen years of my life.”
“Oh, wow, that’s …” I’m not really sure what to say. I’ve never met someone who moved around like that.
“Weird?” he says for me.
I shake my head. “No, not weird. Just … Different. My parents live in the same home that my grandparents and great-grandparents owned.”
“No clue what that’s like. My childhood home was an RV.”
“That’s definitely different.” I say before I take a drink of my coffee. “Where are they now?”
“Europe. My dad is Greek, and they decided to spend some time in Greece now that they’re retired.”
“That sounds very … freeing.”
His lips turn up in a faint smile. “But not as freeing as the other night.”
I meet his intense gaze and there’s something mischievous about the way he’s now looking at me. The spark that drew us together last Thursday is still there and drawing us closer.
“I don’t think anything is as freeing as what we did.” I admit.
“You surprised me.” His intense stare makes me nervous, and I fidget with the paper wrapper around my breakfast sandwich. “It’s not easy to find a woman who enjoys what I enjoy.”
I chuckle. “Public sex with strangers?”
“It doesn’t have to be a stranger, but yes.” He pauses and takes a drink of his coffee. There’s more he wants to say, but he’s hesitating.
I lean closer and my chest presses against his arm. I’d really like to feel those arms around me again, pinning me up against a wall.
“What?” I probe. “No need to hold back.”
He nods, still holding his intense whiskey brown eyes on me. “You let me watch.”
I feel my cheeks warm, and I pick up my coffee like that’s going to be enough to hide my blushing face. It’s not because a faint smile lifts his lips.
“That embarrasses you?” he asks.
I shrug. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s because it was a reckless thing to do.”
“I was about to ask you to do it again?”
“Again?” I look around the coffee shop. It’s picked up since I arrived. Over half the tables are full and there’s a long line of customers waiting to order. “You don’t mean now?”
“What’s wrong with now?” He doesn’t even bother to look around, making it clear he doesn’t care how many people are here.
“Um …” I search for a good reason other than someone will see us. Clearly, that didn’t matter to me Thursday night. But this place feels riskier. “Why don’t we exchange numbers, and we can meet up again?”
He shakes his head. “I’m not interested in dating anyone.”
“Neither am I. But I’d be up for a repeat. Not to boost your ego or anything, but you were good. I want more.”
He raises a brow. “I’ll give you more.”
“When?” I ask, still not sure about our location, even though I really don’t want to wait until later.
“Right now.” His voice is demanding, making it feel like delaying is not an option. It’s sexy and makes my pussy ache. Even though I shouldn’t, I want to do this with him again.
“Okay. Tell me where we’re going.” The words just flow out of me without giving it much thought. This isn’t a smart thing to do, but I want this man again. My body is aching to feel his eyes boring into me as I cum.
“Let’s start here.” He doesn’t miss a beat in his reply. He’s ready now.
“Here?” I look around again as a battle between panic and excitement wage inside me. This is too close to work and home. This is a place I’ll frequent often in between classes to get work done. I can’t get caught here. If anyone recognizes me, my life is over.
He leans close enough that his lips brush my ear. “I thought this is what you liked?”
“I do. It’s just—” He gently places his finger on my lips.
“Then touch yourself for me,” he whispers. “And let me watch.”
My eyes fall shut and I suck in a sharp breath. My heart is pounding and excitement rushes straight to my core. When I look down, I see his legs are crossed in a way that would make it hard for anyone to see what I’m doing.
Sliding my hand down my thigh, I pull one side of my skirt up. A low rumble vibrates from his chest as my hand disappears beneath the fabric.
“Yes, just like that.” He shifts his body, so he’s turned in my direction. I immediately miss the warmth of his upper body pressed against my arm. I want to ask him to shift back, but I know this position hides me better.
“Where is your hand now?” he asks.
I lift my eyes to his and meet his intense gaze. There’s a fire in his eyes that I couldn’t see in the darkness of the club. This look makes me want to do whatever he asks of me.
I pull my bottom lip between my teeth. His eyes narrow, making me smile. “Over my panties.”
“Slide one finger underneath.” His voice is low and commanding. “Are you wet?”
I do as he says. My core clenches as soon as my finger slides over my entrance. “Yes.”
He leans in like he’s about to share a secret, and whispers into my ear, “Slowly slide your finger inside that tight, sweet pussy. As far as you can get it.”
I do as he says. I don’t stop until the palm of my hand is pressed against my clit. Then I rotate my hand to rub it. I squeeze my eyes closed and bite down on my lip to stop myself from moaning.
“Open those pretty brown eyes and keep them on mine. If you close them again, I’ll punish you.”
A light chuckle escapes. “And just how would you do that?”
“Close your eyes and find out.” The authority in his tone makes my clit throb. I pull my finger out and rub my wetness over my clit until it’s slick and sensitive. If he keeps talking to me like this, I’ll cum in no time.
“Yes, sir.” I smile and he growls.
His fierce stare is so hot and has me squirming in my seat. I spread my legs wider apart so I can reach deeper inside me. With one finger inside me, I massage my clit with my thumb. It’s not the best angle, but it creates enough friction that it’s enough to make me cum.
“Use two fingers.” He commands.
“Oh God,” I moan. My head falls back on the booth and my eyes fall closed.
He reaches out and presses his hand over mine, effectively making it impossible for me to continue stroking myself.
“What?” I lift my head, and my eyes fly open. “Why did you do that?”
He shakes his head and tsks. “I said don’t close your eyes.”
My eyes widen as I recall what he said. I look down at his hand between my legs. His grip on my hand is strong. “This is how you’ll punish me? You won’t let me cum?”
He nods. “Don’t do it again.”
He lets go of me, and I immediately rub my clit. Despite being stopped, I’m closer than ever to a release.
A rare smile replaces his frown. “You’re close, little minx.”
It’s not a question. He can see my excitement all over my face. And if he can see it, so can anyone else that looks at me. That fact sends me into a pleasure spiral and I cum instantly. It hits me so fast and hard that I yelp loud enough that I probably drew attention from nearby patrons.
“Shh,” he says as he leans closer. “Quiet or I’ll punish you again.”
“Please don’t,” I breathe while I increase the rate at which I massage my clit. I don’t want to cut this orgasm short by letting myself get distracted by my surroundings.
So I hold my eyes on his and ride this out like we’re the only two people in the room.