TWENTY TWO
A mala and I walked down the sidewalk, feeling a little buzzed due to the alcohol in our systems. Kehlani was out of town for the weekend on a business trip, so the trio was incomplete.
I chuckled for no apparent reason, holding onto Amala's arm, which resulted in her laughing and swaying her hair from side to side. "We're not drinking anymore because both of us being drunk right now seems like a recipe for disaster," I said.
Amala frowned, her sad facial expression almost making me laugh again. "Kehlani was right about you. You are the logical one."
"If not me, then who?" The other club was approximately five to ten minutes away, depending on how fast we walked. Our heels clicked against the concrete sidewalk, the street buzzing with people walking to and fro.
Everybody seemed to be in a world of their own, laughter and chatter filling the air. The sound of a motorbike in the distance was loud and it gave me chills. I didn't have time to ride lately due to the amount of work I had.
The sound of the motorcycle became louder and louder until it came to a complete stop next to us. Amala and I looked in the direction of the vehicle, and immediately, she was on high alert.
In the midst of her pulling me away from whoever the person was and me admiring the bike, which happened to be a Yamaha YZF R1M, the person removed their helmet and the chills I felt only intensified.
"Ladies," Nicolas said, keeping an eye on me. Amala's grip loosened around my wrist and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"For the love of Christ, Nicolas," she scolded. I didn't hear what their conversation was about because I got lost in the moment. The last thing I ever expected was for him to be a biker, too.
Not that I was complaining. He looked sexy as fuck, seated on the pitch black motorcycle with black gloves to match his black attire. I'm beginning to think that was his favourite colour, if he even had one.
"May I join you?" The question snapped me back to reality, and I was about to protest because it was meant to be a girls’ night, but unfortunately he beat me to it. "I shouldn't even have asked, I'll just join you in any case."
He pushed his foot against the kickstand and climbed off. Everything this man did always looked so effortless, so smooth. He looked good in everything.
"We're having a girls’ night," I said, tugging on Amala's dress to indicate I needed her help. She caught on and nodded in agreement.
"Exactly, why don't you go bother Kayden or Ares?" The last word was bitter and it immediately sobered me up. I have no idea what Ares did to Amala, but it was clearly something drastic because she happened to be the sweetest woman ever.
"No," he said calmly, placing both hands in his jean pockets. "I'd prefer spending the evening with her." He pointed towards me, slowly walking closer.
I looked up at him, my head suddenly feeling heavy. "I don't think you know what a girls’ night implies, but it's quite literally in the name."
He chuckled, looking between Amala and I. She gave me a knowing look and I nibbled on the inside of my cheek. "Then I suppose I'll have to change the meaning, because I'm joining you whether you like it or not."
I rolled my eyes at him, hooking Amala's arm into my own and walking off without him, but I just knew he'd follow us. Every inch of my skin burned under his intense gaze, I could feel his stare piercing me.
"So you've captured Nicolas' attention," Amala whispered as we entered the club. We nodded at the bouncer, and surprisingly, he didn't stop to ask for our identification.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. The man is crazy." Denial. Delusion. At this point, I'd go with either before admitting the truth. Judging by the look on Amala's face, I could tell she didn't believe me.
"Yes, that explains why he's here right now, and I have a strong feeling that you didn't share your location with him. I suppose he really is crazy."
I looked behind me and saw Nicolas following us. He kept a safe distance, though, and scanned the environment before intently watching me again.
"How long have you worked with him?"
"Four years." My eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets. Now was the perfect opportunity to uncover more information about him without having to ask the direct source.
"So then you'd be able to confirm if this is normal behaviour he's displaying." Amala laughed, pulling me towards the VIP section. She scanned a card and the doors opened.
I hadn't been paying attention to the interior of the vicinity, but now that I was, I realised how lavish it looked. Normally clubs were one speck away from being a complete health hazard, but this one surpassed the low expectations I had. It had similarities to Sarepta, but exceeded that establishment.
"Nicolas is anything but normal." We laughed simultaneously. "No, I'm kidding. This is actually odd behaviour because he's always been extremely quiet, one sided, and reserved."
"Really?"
"Yes." She nodded. "But that doesn't mean he's been nice. The man has always been crude, saying whatever is on his mind, and he's got a short temper."
"That seems fitting for his personality." We couldn't continue our conversation because the man we spoke of strutted into the section we sat, squeezing in between the two of us.
"If you wanted me to move, you could've just said that," Amala teased. "No need to crush us in the process."
"I'd like you to move," he said nonchalantly. His stoic expression nearly made me laugh, but I maintained my straight face.
"Rude." She got up, straightening her dress. "But because you're a good friend, I'll grant your wish." Amala slowly walked away, swaying to the rhythm of the beat.
"Was that really necessary?" I questioned, placing one leg over the other. Nicolas' gaze dropped to my exposed skin, a frown gracing his face.
"Yes. Amala's already used to my personality, so don't worry about it. The real question is, what the hell are you wearing?" he asked lowly.
"A dress."
"A really short dress. I'm sure the men in this place loved the show when you entered the building," he scoffed.
"Are you trying to control what I wear, Nicolas?" I raised an eyebrow.
"No, but I want you to know that whatever happens to the men that gawk at you, will be on your conscience."
"Excuse me?" I asked as he leaned back, resting against the seat and readjusting his hips. I kept my eyes locked on his, not wanting to falter by falling into his obvious trap.
"You heard me." I rolled my eyes at him, placing my hand on his thigh and using it as leverage to help myself up. His body stiffened and he eyed me. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"To get a drink and to dance. That's what I came here to do, after all." He tugged on the hem of my dress, just enough to prevent me from leaving.
"Yeah, I don't think so. Sit down." I moved forward, instantly releasing his grip on my dress. I could hear him grunting and it only added to my determination to piss him off.
"You're welcome to join me if you want." I fixed my hair while walking, moving a stray curl out of my eye. In the distance, I spotted Amala and immediately made my way towards her.
"Save me." I replicated her dance move, making her laugh.
"Once Nicolas sets his sights on you, nobody can save you." That should've been my final warning sign, but I ignored it. To lighten the mood, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and directed me toward the bar. "Let's get you a drink," she laughed, "to calm the nerves."
The drink would definitely ease the tension in my body, but now the problem at hand was a random man who approached me while I waited for my drink. Amala had just left to use the restroom when this whole ordeal occurred.
I didn't need to look at Nicolas to know he'd been observing us. Watching. Scanning.
"Can I buy you a drink?" The man asked, but I politely declined, shaking my head from side to side.
"No, thank you." I smiled, but he didn't take no for an answer.
"You're here alone," he stated matter of factly, even though his observation was dead wrong, "yet you're still declining my offer." He spoke in a condescending tone, stepping closer to me. "That's why so many women spend their lives single."
Aside from the audacity this man displayed, every signal in my brain urged me to remove myself from the bar and return to the VIP section.
"Or maybe they're just not interested in persistent losers like you who don't know how to take no for an answer." I pushed past the man, heading back to Nicolas.
I had just set foot into the secluded area when I felt a warm hand wrap around my throat. Nicolas yanked me closer and the breath abruptly left my lungs.
"Why do I get the feeling that you're purposely trying to piss me off?" I blinked rapidly, holding onto his forearm for both balance and strength. God knew I needed it.
"What?" My mouth and throat suddenly felt dry and every hair on my body prickled, standing upright. His stare was intense and it felt like he looked directly into my soul.
"So easily distracted." He pulled me towards the couch and sat down, tugging me along with him. I fell into his lap, gasping at the sudden but quick movements.
"I wasn't distracted."
My ass was pressed firmly against his crotch and he leaned forward, softly kissing my shoulder, causing me to arch against him. "Then what did I say?"
I was losing control, my train of thought practically spiralling at this point. Slick heat pooled between my thighs and I breathed heavily. Nicolas bit the flesh on my shoulder, making me whimper.
"I can't remember." At least I was honest. He chuckled softly, his rough voice sending a chill down my spine. He placed his hands on my thighs, trailing his fingertips upward.
"Then why did you lie to me and say you weren't distracted? I really hate liars," he whispered.
"You could never hate me, though," I said as his hands inched closer and closer to my underwear, his movements sliding my dress up in the process, completely exposing me.
An alarm went off in my head and I realised the position I was in. Amala could return at any moment, the people passing by could also possibly see what we're doing, and here I was, seated on Nicolas' lap, the lights in the VIP section of the club extremely low.
“You’re right,” he murmured softly, his breath fanning my ear. “I could never hate you.” He sucked on my shoulder, making my body tremble. “You’ve got me wrapped around your fucking finger.”
His left hand was inside of my lace thong, rubbing circles against my clit before he slipped a finger inside of me. I gasped at the intrusion, moaning softly.
He gripped my jaw with his right hand, forcing me to make eye contact with the guy that flirted with me earlier. "Look at him," he murmured in my ear. "Show him who the fuck you belong to."
I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling embarrassed when the guy eyed me. The man was clearly none the wiser of what was currently taking place.
Though when he realised that I was seated in another man's lap, he quickly looked away. Nicolas pumped his finger in and out rapidly, releasing my face from his hold and using his free hand to spread my thighs even wider apart.
Amala had been on the dance floor for the past couple of minutes and I prayed she didn't return anytime soon. I tossed my head back, gripping the arms of the chair tightly.
"Nicolas, what if someone sees us?" I groaned, trying not to grind on his finger.
"Even better, I want them to see you coming all over my hand like the filthy fucking girl you are." He added another finger, then another, not giving me a chance to adjust.
My pussy clenched around his fingers as he moved them in and out of me while breathing into my neck. He whispered dirty words against my skin, nibbling on it in between the provocative comments.
I grabbed a hold of his arms once more, my nails slicing through his skin. He hissed softly, biting down on the sensitive spot in my neck. "Do you want to know a secret, Gabriella?"
"Tell me," I moaned, giving into temptation and grinding on his hand.
"Every night before I fall asleep," he whispered, "I fuck my fist with you on my mind." I whimpered in response, leaning my head backward against his shoulder for support. "There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about you and not a single night where I don't envision this tight pussy squeezing my cock."
This was it, I was going to orgasm in a club full of people where my friend could return at any minute and see the sight unfold. "Oh my God." I grabbed his wrists, grinding on his fingers harder.
"There we go," he whispered. "This is what I want to see. I want to see you coming undone for me, mikrí petaloúda . I need it. I need to see you lose all of your inhibitions just for me."
"This is wrong," I gasped. My legs trembled and my breathing became heavier.
"Doesn't feel wrong to me. Seems like you enjoy knowing someone could catch you getting finger fucked in a club." I shook my head, closed my eyes, and furrowed my eyebrows.
"No, please no." Yes. All I wanted was to let go, but something held me back. Perhaps it was a sense of morality. Perhaps it was fear.
"Yes," he said sternly, using his free hand to choke me out. Nicolas spoke directly into my ear and that was my downfall. "You'll come on my fingers, won't you?" The sounds leaving my lips were unrecognisable. "Drench them, sweetheart."
I climaxed right then and there, the loud music drowning out my sounds of pleasure. "Just like that." He bit my earlobe. My body shook uncontrollably and he squeezed my pulse points with more pressure. "I wish it were my cock instead."
"Nicolas," I moaned his name softly. That's all I could say, all I could remember. My grip on him was relentless as wave after wave of ecstasy pulsed through me.
"Who do you belong to?" This man was going to ruin me, I could tell. No, scratch that. He already ruined me. "Let me hear that beautiful voice and tell me who you belong to, Gabriella."
"To you," I said breathlessly as he slowly withdrew his fingers. My orgasm seeped out of me and onto my lace thong, leaving me in an uncomfortable position. "I belong to you."
"That's right," he murmured, quickly manoeuvring me off his lap and pushing me backward until I was sprawled out on the leather couch. "Only mine. Remember that the next time another man gets close to you, because I promise you, I won't hesitate to kill him."
He hovered over me, moving his face closer to mine until his lips brushed my own. "The fact that you work for the Federal Bureau is concerning," I muttered .
"If you think that's concerning, you don't want to know the lengths I'd go to for you. I'd do anything you asked me to without thinking twice, even if it compromised me."
"You're lying." Nobody ever felt that strongly about me, certainly not a man, so it simply couldn't be true.
"I'm many things, but a liar is not one of them. I'll do anything for you."
"Why? Why do you feel that way, Nicolas? We haven’t even know each other that long."
"Time knows no bounds. You want to know why? I told you before that I'm obsessed with you, I can't stop thinking about you. You invade my dreams, but I know you're trying to keep me at arm’s length. Let me in, Gabriella."
My lips parted and I closed my eyes for a few seconds. I definitely felt something for this man, I just didn't know what the terminology was. It was more than attraction, more than just lust.
"It's difficult for me to let people in, but I'm trying. I'm trying for you."
"That's all I want to hear." Nicolas kissed me feverishly, completely taking my breath away. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. It was a mixture of tongue and peck kisses. "Jesus, you're intoxicating," he spoke against my skin, kissing my cheek.
"You're beyond that for me, you're like a drug. I can't think straight when you're around me and it scares the living hell out of me," I admitted, which meant one thing. I was making progress when it came to discussing my emotions.
"I suppose we'll have to fix that, then. What are you doing after this?" he asked me, moving his face closer to mine.
"I'm heading home, why do you ask?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow .
"Can I come over?" he asked softly, the question almost sounded sweet. How could I possibly say no?
"Will it involve sex?"
He laughed, shaking his head. "Not everything involves sex, even though that is one of my favourite activities to do with you."
"Yes, you can come over, but on one condition." I grabbed a hold of his shoulders, watching him raise an eyebrow and give me an amused look.
"You have to do facials with me."