Chapter 13
I can’t help but do a double take and completely freeze when I see Amaris stride right past me in a tight, white two-piece that only covers her arms and important parts with those long, tan legs on display.
I’ve only ever seen her in jeans.
“Where are you going?”
Her high ponytail whips around with her head. “Somewhere you’re not,” she mimics my words from the other night while continuing to walk.
There isn’t a touch of makeup on her face, aside from her glossy lips, and she still looks better than most of the women I see in the clubs.
When she hops in the car and I see Marco in the driver's seat, my blood boils instantly and pounds in my ears. As they pull away I don’t bother changing out of my clothes, going straight back to my bike. As I get closer, though, I decide against it, swapping my keys out for the Range Rover and leaving Ace inside the house.
They don’t notice me following them a few cars behind, but I groan internally when the realization of where they’re going hits me. When I dealt with Eli, I didn’t expect his replacement to swoop in and try the same fucking thing.
Is he trying to get her drunk so he can try something?
After a few minutes of them being inside, I walk in and slink into a dark booth with a perfect view of the room. It doesn’t take me long to spot my little fox in sheep’s clothing—hardly that, even–downing a shot of rum, or probably whiskey, with Marco.
As much as I hate to admit it, Amaris is mesmerizing out there. The music flows through her as she spins from partner to partner, even when she’s dancing by herself. The laser beams dance on her skin, making her glow even more.
She hasn’t danced with Marco, but they keep gravitating back to each other and whispering like old friends. Her smile is so bright and carefree. I want to see that smile up close and directed at me, not Marco.
Me : I need you back on the compound in twenty. I’ll send a car for Amaris.
Watching Marco reach for his phone, I wait for him to get upset or react. What I don’t expect is for his shoulders to shake with laughter. He exchanges a few words with Amaris and she gives him a hug before he leaves.
Do all of these idiots have a death wish?
“Hey, Kylo. Long time no see.” Amaris is about to take a shot of Reposado when a purr drags my line of vision to a familiar blonde. Stacy? Or Casey?
“You seem tense, why don’t I help you with that?” She bats her long, fake lashes at me and leans over enough to give me a clear view of her cleavage.
The only thing I feel when I look at her is annoyance.
“Not interested tonight, Casey.”
Her entire demeanor turns defensive. I’m pretty sure if she had a drink in her hand, she would throw it at me for the rejection alone. “My name is Cassie, you asshole.”
At least I was close.
When I find Amaris again, she’s making out with a girl. Fucking hell. I slightly regret not ordering a drink when I first got here. With a tight grip on the table to hold myself together, I wait and watch to see if she’ll push my buttons any further.
The song switches up and immediately she jumps up excitedly and looks for a dance partner, much like she’s done for every other song. My eyes almost bug out of my head when her new dance partner faces my direction and it’s none other than Dario fucking Cavani. He takes her hand and they begin moving together sensually and drunkenly.
I’ve had enough.
I’m on the dance floor in an instant, dragging her out. “Time to go, foxy.” Dario’s face beams with amusement when I shoot a glare at him.
“Come on, I was having fun.” Amaris slurs her words.
“You two were practically dry-humping on the dance floor, I’m sure you were.” My voice is clipped, dripping with sarcasm.
“It’s a dance called dembow . Try it, maybe you’ll learn something.”
We walk out of the building and I can’t help myself. “You kissed someone, too.”
“What’s it to you?” she quips.
“Why?”
“Why should I tell you? It’s not like you tell me things.”
The insinuation makes me stop walking and pull her aside with me. “What don’t I tell you?”
She crosses her arms, rolling her eyes. “Thank you for failing to mention that I’m staying with the freaking mafia. That would have been nice information to know.”
As long as that’s all she heard.
Relaxing a little at her words, we continue walking as I speak. “I thought I mentioned it to you when you first came, that’s my mistake. Now, the girl. Did you know her?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I just wanted a kiss and so did she. A woman is less likely to assault me over a little affection. Plus, she was so nice and pretty. I should have gotten her number.” She ends her sentence when we get to my car, pouting when I open the door for her, officially ending her wild night.
It’s kind of adorable. But then a different feeling swims through me.
There should be no reason for me to be jealous.
“Get in the car, Amaris. You’re wasted. Why would you mix your liquor?”
She rolls her eyes dramatically before getting in. “That’s the only way, babe,” she adds sarcastically when she sits.
The whole ride I’m tight-lipped and quiet, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles are white.
“If driving me around bothers you so much, then you should have just let Marco or someone else take me home.”
“You don’t know any of these people, something could have happened,” I snap.
Lie.
Nothing is going to happen to her unless it’s at my hands. But there was no way in hell she was leaving that club tonight with anyone other than me.
“Oh, sorry. Giving a fuck doesn’t really go with my outfit, Dad .”
That only pisses me off more, so I keep quiet for the rest of the ride. She talks to herself then turns up the radio and sings loudly.
By the time we arrive, I’m not any calmer than when we left. Amaris tries to walk quickly to her place, but I still follow closely behind her until we’re inside.
“Why are you here? You already dragged me from the club, what else do you want?”
The attitude she gives me pushes a button and my hand snaps up to grab her throat.
My hand around her neck makes a pretty picture. I read the word HELL tattooed on my knuckles and that’s exactly where I want to send her.
“I decide when your heartbeat changes. I decide when you’re scared. I decide when you’re excited. I decide when you’re going to take your last breath.” I squeeze her throat once. “Got it?”
“But I hate you,” she says with a breathy voice, pupils blowing wide.
“I hate you, too. That doesn’t change the fact that you are mine .”
For a minute, all she does is stare at me with a mixture of anger and lust burning bright in her eyes. My eyes flick down to her plump, cherry lips for a fraction of a second. Then, she slaps me. Her eyes widen, and when she opens her mouth to speak, I use my grip on her throat to pull her to me and crash my lips onto hers.
Amaris tastes like sweetness and sin. A combination of rum and cinnamon. The kiss is messy, and rough, and heated as we fight each other for control. She grabs my jacket and when I think she’s going to push me off her, she pulls me closer, only pushing me away when she needs air.
“You reek of cigarettes.” Her nose twitches when she speaks.
This time it’s her that pulls me in for a kiss, catching me off guard. I slide my hand down to her ass and lift her, carrying her into her bedroom without breaking the kiss. She grinds down on my jeans over the unmistakable bulge and I hiss, tossing her on the bed.
Her face is flushed when she sits up and looks over at me in anticipation.
“Does your pussy need to be played with?”
She bites her lip and nods.
“Use your words.”
“Yes.”
“Take off your clothes, keep the heels on.” When she’s in nothing but those strappy heels, my eyes roam across every inch of her plush caramel body. “Sit against the headboard,” I rasp out. “Touch yourself for me.”
If I thought her face couldn’t get any rosier, she grows a darker shade of red. She spreads her legs wide, giving me a perfect view of her glistening, pink pussy.
“Did you need a lesson, querido ?” Her hands start to roam her body, lightly scratching and teasing her nipples as she taunts me. “Most men can’t admit that they don’t know how to pleasure a woman.”
My hands are in tight fists by my side. Watching her splayed out in front of me has my control ready to slip, but I remind myself that she’s also drunk. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but for some reason, this time around I have some sort of conscience. Slowly, I prowl closer and closer until I’m just a foot away from her. She snaps her legs closed as if it’s a reflex.
“That’s not what I said. I want you to show me how you make yourself come when you’re by yourself, sweetheart. Now. Spread your legs for me.” My voice comes out huskier than I intend.
Her pupils dilate, her lips part slightly, and one hand travels down to her core as she obeys me. I put my hand over hers and copy her rhythm, sliding up and down her folds until we slide one finger each inside her. We don’t break eye contact the entire time. When she bites back a whimper, my dick grows impossibly harder in my jeans.
“Don’t hold back, let me hear you,” I growl out at the same time I remove my finger.
She whines at the sudden loss but adds another finger of her own, then another. When I suck the finger that was just inside her, we both groan at the same time. Amaris’ other hand alternates between pinching and rubbing her clit and nipples. Her moans grow louder and I have a feeling she’s close.
“Kylo, I need you. Come here.” When I don’t move quick enough she cries, “Please?”
With her free hand, she shocks me by grabbing my hand and placing it on her neck, lightly squeezing and looking at me with half-lidded eyes. I squeeze harder and am overcome with the need to kiss her again. So I do. And that’s when she comes undone.
Taking a deep breath of air whilst riding out her high, I stroke her head then run out to the kitchen and grab a glass of water for her. When I come back into the room her heels are already off and she looks ready to pass out. She drinks the water and I lay down next to her.
Getting comfortable and facing me, her voice is softer than I have ever heard when she says, “I thought we hated each other?”
“We can go back to hating each other tomorrow.”
We lay in a comfortable silence for a while. I don’t get tired of gazing into her hypnotic pools of amber or tracing patterns on her shoulder. Her voice is still soft when she breaks the silence.
“I don’t know where I belong or who I really am. Nobody even noticed that I could be dead right now, except you.” She closes her eyes then whispers, “Happy birthday to me.”
It doesn’t take long for her breathing to get long and even. When I think she’s asleep, I whisper, “I think I’m starting to know who you really are and where you belong. Even in death, I could never forget you.”
I freeze after the silence kicks in. What am I doing? I don’t know what the hell is happening to me, but I do know I have to get out of here before I do or say any more stupid shit.
All I need is to get her out of my system one good time.
This girl is definitely a witch. First Ace, now me? Even Luciano and Dario were instantly drawn to her, though I know that they were equally trying to piss me off.
Inside my room, I strip out of my clothes and throw on a pair of gym shorts. Ace is staring at me from his bed when I throw myself onto mine.
“This is one of those times when I wish you could talk back to me. Amaris has us under her spell.”
He cocks his head to the side, then lays down and ignores me. Images of Amaris splayed out in front of me, under me, on top of me; they invade my mind until I manage to finally fall asleep.