4. CARLOS
CARLOS
I love it here at the docks. It's my kingdom. I love the smell of the sea air and fumes from the boats, the sounds of the harbor, the beauty of the lights of the city in the background which reflect onto the water's surface.
Simon and Jules arrived five minutes ago, but I’ve been hanging back.
Purposefully, of course. I want to annoy Simon as much as I can, and with his lack of patience and inability to be anything but bitchy, I will take any chance to get a rise out of him.
Anything that will get him to notice me and keep his eyes on me.
It’s also a power move to show who has control here. I may work with the Kozlovs, but this is my turf. My rules.
I walk over to my office, where Lucas greets me by the door.
“You stay out here, I’ll shout if any issues,” I say as he frowns at me. Any meeting or handover, and Lucas is always next to me, prepared for any event.
“Are you sure?”
“He’s harmless.”
Lucas rolls his eyes, shaking his head.
“Is it wise to get involved with one of the brothers’ guards? A little close to home, don’t you think?”
“I’m only playing. Don’t worry, he won’t do anything,” I say as I walk past Lucas and open the office door and step inside, only to be hit by the tension radiating off Simon, who is sitting in one of the chairs facing away from me.
If I didn’t know it was him, I would think someone had placed a mannequin in here with how rigid he is sitting. Good to know I have an effect on him.
I walk around the desk and slowly sit in my chair opposite the beautiful scowling man in front of me.
“Nice of you to finally show up,” he says, and I can’t help but smile at his outburst.
“I like to make an entrance.”
“Congratulations, mission accomplished. Shame it wasn’t on time.”
“I turned up exactly when I meant to. You need to relax and stop being so serious.”
“Am I here for the exchange or for you to dissect my personality?”
“Can’t it be both? It would be nice to get to know my colleague,” I say as I lean back in my chair. He’s so pissed off. Not annoyed enough to take his attention away from my white open shirt that exposes my chest. So obvious.
“No it can’t. Can you just sign the papers so I can leave? Jules has handed over the money to your guy while we were waiting for your grand entrance. I just need you to sign this,” he says, pointing at the papers in the middle of my desk.
I look down and slowly read through the documents, aware that every second pushes Simon to levels of irritance I’ve never seen before. I really do have an effect on him.
“How long have you been working for the Kozlovs?” I ask as I skim the pages. Very, very slowly.
“Are you always this talkative? Why the fuck do you wanna know?”
“So defensive. I’m just interested.”
“Since I was eighteen,” he mumbles.
“How many years ago was that?”
“Eleven.”
“Siblings?”
“No.”
“Parents?”
“No.”
“Gay?”
“Fuck you.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. Simon doesn’t find it that funny though, based on the enlarged nostril flare. I’d love to pin him down, watch him come undone. Become a tame little kitten.
I finally sign off the paperwork which he quickly grabs, before standing to leave, but I can’t let him go yet, so I stand and move around the desk until I’m standing in front of him. We match in height, six foot, which I like. Perfect eye contact.
“Now answer me this, why do you dislike me so much?”
“I’ve already told you. You’re arrogant and think you can have whatever you want.”
“You got that all from our brief meetings?”
“I know how to read people.”
“So it's not because you were scared I’d out you?”
“You’re really fucking pushing it, dickface.”
I move closer to him and he takes a small step back toward the door behind him. Caging him in like the cub he is.
“But what if I wanna push it? Hmm?” I say and force him back until his back hits the door.
His face pales and I’m not sure if he’s stopped breathing or gone into shock.
I run my index finger down the side of his face, prepared for him to bite my finger off or punch me, but he doesn’t.
This guy is full of surprises and so unpredictable. It's invigorating.
“Get your fucking hands off me, before I hurt you,” he says. Ahh, there he is. Sassy boy. But I don’t remove my finger, instead I move it toward his pink, plump lips that are calling out to me.
“I do love some rough play. You wanna play, little lion?”
Before I can register his movement, a burning pain hits my cheek with sharp force and radiates into my jaw. The little fucker slapped me. God, I wanna groan at how turned on I am right now.
“Keep the fuck away from me,” he warns as he pushes me away from him, and I can’t help the laughter that comes from me. A full, hard belly laugh that I haven’t experienced in years.
“You’re too precious. That was hot.”
“You’re a fucking psycho.”
Taking him off guard, I fly toward him and grab him by the throat and pin him to the wall.
“I’ll let you have that hit for free. But next time, I’ll fight back and it will only guarantee one thing. You. Bent over for me.”
He wrestles for a moment before managing to push me away. We’re both breathing heavy, panting. The only sound in the room is our breath and it's deafening. So fucking hot.
“You try that shit on me, and a knife will be in your throat.”
“Hmm stop talking dirty to me and get the hell outta here before I claim that little ass of yours.”
With a caveman-like grunt he storms out of the office and slams the door behind him.
He loved it too. I could tell by his cock standing to attention like an obedient soldier.