Reuben Chapter 2 #2
“Mikhail, you know I’ll do anything for you and Tajah. What did you have in mind? Do I need to assign someone to function as her bodyguard whenever she’s here? It’ll take some finagling, but I can make it happen,” I assured him, going through the list in my head of the staff who could do it.
“It was along those lines, but we already have someone in mind to stick with her.” He stopped.
“Who?” Why was he hesitating? Who the hell does he have in mind?
“You. I would think you would be perfect for this,” he said, stunning me. I sat there, trying to think of something to say, anything at all. Mikhail’s gaze bored into me.
“I-I-I don’t know if that would work, man. I’m working the floor, and I’m swamped. I could check up on her occasionally. I can also set up a schedule for the monitors and security personnel to rotate through covering her, and ask security on the cameras to pay more attention to her.”
As it came out, I knew that wasn’t what Mikhail or Tajah wanted. To be honest, it wasn’t what I wanted. I longed to be plastered to Cristiana’s side and, if anyone approached her, to run them off. With me at her side, no one would dare touch what was mine.
At the last part of that thought, I almost gasped out loud. What the hell was I thinking? Had the lack of sleep fucked up my brain?
“Let’s cut the crap, Reub. I want you to look me in the eyes and swear to me that you have zero interest in Cristiana Perez.
That if she hooks up with someone, even if it’s only to play, no sex involved, I won’t have you going off.
Tell me the idea of her playing or fucking someone else doesn’t make you want to howl and find her right this minute.
Or if you’re on the floor and someone is getting handsy with her, or not taking no for an answer, you won’t fuck them up before you kick them out. ”
Mikhail’s words hit me with the force of a hammer, one right after the other.
He sat back, scrutinizing me closely. I tried to remain impassive, but I couldn’t maintain my indifference.
My mouth twisted up in a snarl, and a low, growling sound slipped from my mouth.
A huge grin broke out on my best friend’s face.
His hand came down on his leg in a hard slap, then a chuckle came out of his mouth before he said anything.
“Goddamn, I knew it, and so did Taj. We felt it, Reuben. Even though you were working hard to disguise it, we felt the tension and heat in the air. Why deny it? Go for it.”
“Go for what? Sure, I find Cristiana attractive. I’d have to be blind, gay, or dead not to.
However, I haven’t been in the mood to play.
Maybe I should take a vacation like you did before you met Tajah.
Anyway, it’s not smart to start something with her, even casual playing.
And it’s not as if she’ll be anything more. ”
“You’re talking shit. The vacation idea isn’t a bad one, but I’d take her with you.
As for no interest in playing, the way I hear it, you’ve had zero sex with anyone and hardly played these past five months.
You’re tense and reserved, too. Why would it only be casual with her? I don’t get why it couldn’t be more.”
I got up and walked over to where the monitors were, showing the same camera feeds as the security office got. I stared at them, but I didn’t see anything. My doubts and emotions, which I hadn’t let out for months, bubbled up. The next thing I knew, I was vomiting them up.
“I’m no longer interested in playing with a bunch of women, not even casually.
That night, before that shit with Rhys went down, I played with Carli.
I wasn’t into it, but I made myself do it.
Mikhail, I couldn’t wait for it to end. I didn’t have sex or get off.
When it was over, I almost ran from her and then had to shower to get her scent off me.
Christ, I’ve never been like that. Then the thing with Rhys happens, and I’m turned the hell on by this stranger.
Sure, she’s gorgeous, but so are a lot of women.
Cristiana was doing absolutely nothing to come on to me.
The more I was around her, the worse it got.
She even messed up my sleep. Despite that, what’s to say she’s into the things I am?
And if she is, it doesn’t mean she’ll click with me.
If we did, falling into a permanent relationship is unlikely. ”
“You know what you sound like?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer before he continued.
“You sound like me a year and a half ago. You remember. When I went away for six weeks, then came back to be knocked over by Tajah. I was feeling the same way you are right now. The things that interested me for years no longer did. I wasn’t willing to risk it or waste time with casual shit.
I was intensely and immediately affected by Tajah.
My attempts to ignore it failed miserably, as you know.
You’re ready to settle down with one woman for the rest of your life, and to have those rug rats your parents have been nagging you about for years. ”
I hung my head and rubbed my hands over my face.
Was what he said the truth? Was I just at the point that I had to settle down, and Cristiana was the woman I desired to do it with?
He was right. No one here was even remotely impacting me the way she was.
After just one meeting, I had intrusive thoughts constantly.
I was trying to think of how to answer Mikhail.
As I did, something popped up in my head.
“You said she said something when she interviewed and then again when you were orienting her, that worried you. What was it?”
“Nice deflection, but I’ll allow it. Do it, and make sure to come up with an appropriate answer, because I’ll return to the original topic.
When Cristiana applied, I interviewed her.
She asked several questions about the process for ensuring patrons’ safety and preventing anyone from being followed or harassed by other members.
She wanted to know if we’d had any who became obsessed, which was the word she used.
The tone she used when speaking to me revealed a woman struggling to overcome something that had shaken her.
It wasn’t idle curiosity. It came up a second time when she was wandering the club.
And Saturday night, when she was here, the vibe was worse.
Are you telling me you won’t even attempt to see if there can be something between you? ”
I remained silent. I was still at a loss for words.
Mikhail seemed content to sit there drinking his whiskey and studying me.
I felt as if his gaze stripped me bare, down to my bones.
Mikhail knew me like no other person. His words swirled in my head.
The idea that someone had done something to cause her to question her safety made me want to find the person and fuck them up.
It was several minutes before I answered him, and I didn’t evade his previous questions and remarks about Cristiana and me.
“If someone hurt or scared her, I’ll find out who it was and ensure it never happens again.
As for her evoking a lot of interest from others here at Lustz, you’re fucking right.
There’s no way Rhys will be the only one.
If she’s scared due to her past experiences, and now add Rhys to the mix, she may be too afraid to return or won’t be able to relax here.
We can’t have that. Assigning her a guard whenever she’s here is smart. ” I stopped there.
“I agree with everything you just said. What about the guard? Will you do it? I know you’ll be busy, but you can be primary for her and then have others take over if you have to handle things. I believe she’ll feel much better with you at her side.” Mikhail smirked.
“Don’t you and Taj start playing matchmaker just yet. Like I said, there’s no guarantee Cristiana is into the things I like. Or that she would want to do them with me,” I warned.
“Reuben, almost every woman in this place, regardless of whether they’re into the same things you are, wants to be with you.
And I’m telling you, the attraction wasn’t one-sided, even if you both fought to hide it.
Let me ask you this, and I want you to be completely honest. If she is interested in you and her kinks align with yours, would you consider exploring a relationship with her, not just for a while?
As in marriage and the whole family deal? ”
“Mikhail, to be honest, it’s what I hope for.
I’ve been thinking lately about how I’m over forty now, and I have no one in my life.
My parents and siblings always ask if I’ve met someone, and when I’m getting married and having kids.
How the fuck can’t I, for God’s sake, think about it, but it’s more than them nagging me.
Secretly, I might not talk about it, but I want what you, Hoss, and Carver have,” I confessed. It felt good to say it to someone else.
“Maybe Cristiana is the one you can have that with, but don’t just accept someone to get a wife.
You need to be sure they’re the one. Though for me, I knew almost immediately Tajah was the one for me, even if I nearly fucked it up by kicking her out of Lustz.
Cristiana is affecting you like no other, right? ”
“God, yes, she is,” I groaned.
Mikhail smiled. “Then that’s a good sign. Don’t stand back and wait too long, or someone else will swoop in to claim her.”
The thought of it made me snarl. Mikhail laughed.
From there, we drifted into discussing other topics.
We spent an hour in his office before I was called away to attend to an issue.
I felt much better afterward, and I knew I had a lot to think about and to plan.
The first thing was to test the waters with Cristiana.