Chapter 12
Nairie
Being back at my parents’ house always brought a mixture of comfort and anxiety. I loved the happy childhood memories, but my mother only had one volume when speaking and that was loud. Baba always watched some sports game on television, yelling expletives that grated on my nerves.
I smoothed over my short, long-sleeved dress.
It was cute and sexy, giving me enough coverage while still showing off the girls and my legs.
Since I was going to hate the date anyway, I might as well feel good about myself.
I put my hair half up with tendrils falling around my face for a romantic look.
I hated expensive dinners at stuffy restaurants. The portions were always tiny, and I felt out of place.
A knock sounded on the front door, and I came out of my room. Mom was talking animatedly and ushering David into our modest living room, complete with lace doilies, plastic-covered couches, and ornate rugs for days.
David looked at me when I entered and had a knowing smile that irked me. It was arrogant, as if he thought I was lucky to be going on a date with him. I knew a lot of guys like him and couldn’t wait for this to be over.
Mom’s voice was filled with sugary sweetness. “David, it’s so nice to see you again.”
She pulled me closer, like offering me on a platter.
David dragged his gaze over my body in a slow perusal, and it made my skin crawl. “Hi, again. It’s nice to see you both. Is George home? I was going to give him a couple of cigars.”
Apparently, that’s all my dowry was worth, some stogies.
Mom preened. “Of course, let me get him.”
She screeched down the hall, and my shoulders tensed as I winced.
Baba shuffled in shortly and shook David’s hand, thanking him for the cigars. “You two have a nice time.”
We left my parents’ house, and David opened the door of his Mercedes for me. It still had that new car smell, and I clutched my purse, not wanting it to sully his precious carpeted floor.
But a gouge on the side had a strange feeling swirling in my gut. “How’d you get that scratch?”
David bristled. “Someone keyed it in the church parking lot.”
We drove in silence for a while until I couldn’t take it anymore and asked another question just to fill the void. “So, what kind of law do you practice?”
“Criminal.”
“Do you defend good guys or bad guys?”
David scoffed. “Does it matter?”
He made no effort to elaborate or ask me any personal questions, and I cursed internally.
We finally got to the restaurant, where a line of people waited to get in.
David ushered me inside, easily bypassing the crowd.
I hated feeling guided by him, like I was some accessory to his well-cultivated outfit.
We were seated at a table with hard acrylic chairs and odd-looking light fixtures.
Everyone there was either injected with plastic or hopped up on god knows what.
The glazed, bored look in their eyes gave me the creeps.
I looked down at the single-paged menu and sighed. Nothing looked appealing, so I couldn’t even enjoy the food.
David stood up to chat with a few people who had passed by our table.
He brought me up to his side to introduce me and looked satisfied with how well I seemed to fit in his arms. I stiffened and smiled at the people in front of me without providing any notable commentary.
Do I really want to be arm candy for this guy?
We finally ordered, and I sipped my martini while David texted on his phone.
Once he was done, he gave me an appraising look and leaned back in his chair like a king holding court. “How come I’ve never heard of you until now?”
“I don’t usually date.” I shrugged.
“So you’re shy,” David said condescendingly.
It really bothered me how many men seemed to think I was sweet and innocent.
I gritted my teeth. “No, I just never find anybody interesting.”
“Until me.” He laughed triumphantly, and I dug my nails into my palm.
He stared lasciviously at me from across the table. “I like your outfit. We look good together.”
I gulped down my martini. “That matters?”
“It’s a big part of who I date, but I do look for more in a partner.
I wouldn’t be a good lawyer if I didn’t do my research.
I already know you work for your parents, which means you’re a dutiful daughter and will take care of things at home.
And yes, the fact that you’re very attractive bodes well for my business.
I attend a lot of galas and host a lot of parties, so I need someone who looks good in a dress.
You’re quiet and well mannered, so I know you won’t make a fuss.
Also, since you don’t date, I know you’re not a slut. ”
Something within me snapped. I’ve never felt such unadulterated rage.
It consumed my entire body. Years of oppression and patronizing remarks from men in my life had all built up to this moment.
This douchebag managed to offend my entire existence in the span of one minute.
I’d never met someone so calculating in their observations.
Last date I’d go on with a lawyer, that’s for sure.
What the fuck am I doing here?
I got up and threw the rest of my martini in David’s face. “Clean yourself off. I don’t date slobs.”
I walked out of the restaurant without looking back and called an Uber to take me to Elspeth’s house.
I was seething and needed to cool down before going back home, or I might lash out at my parents too.
I wasn’t ready to pick a fight that’d been festering since puberty.
I had no idea what I was going to tell them once they found out I publicly humiliated David.
They would definitely hear from the grapevine, and I just needed a few hours to collect myself.
I was grateful for an empty house to come down from my rage. Elspeth and William were at the pub throwing a big event for the real estate office down the street.
I stomped up to my room and threw down my purse in a fit. I was so sick and tired of meeting everyone’s expectations, being treated like a child by my parents and the men they set me up with, but most of all, what William said after I confronted him the day after our hookup.
It was true, of course. I was a coward, but he’d never said anything so personal and mean like that to me before. Still seething, I threw my alarm clock across the room and screamed. It nearly missed William as he came through the doorway.
His eyes were wide with shock, and he held up a hand to calm me like I was a wild animal. I felt like it too and reveled in his caution.
I wasn’t, however, too angry to notice his posh outfit. William was wearing an all-black suit. His dress shirt was taut against his pecs, and his shoulders looked broader in the sleek blazer. His hand tattoos peaked out from his cuffs, and it made him look like a James Bond villain.
My insides fluttered despite my anger toward him.
“You okay?”
I was done being respectful and agreeable. “Fuck off.”
William’s eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
I knew I was being immature, but I hated men at the moment and their assumptions about me. “You heard me.”
William stiffened and looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Don’t talk to me like that, lass.”
I bristled at his harsh tone with the word “lass.” “I don’t need another man telling me what to do, William.”
I turned my back to him, but William grabbed my arm and pinned me against the wall next to my bed.
He placed his big hands on either side of my face, locking me in. William looked down at me with a face that would strike fear in most men. But I stared back at him with equal grit.
“I know you’re upset with how things were handled last weekend, and based on your attitude tonight, your date probably didn’t go well, but we can be civil,” he said through gritted teeth.
I seethed. “Don’t treat me like a child, William. You just don’t like that I’m standing up to you. Men don’t like a woman who can talk back, and I’m fucking sick of it.”
William’s eyes blazed. “That’s not true, and don’t curse at me, lass. I’m trying to—”
I pushed against his strong chest, but it was like trying to move a mountain. “I’ll curse at you if I want, you fucking prick!”
His nostrils flared and his body tensed. I waited for his retort. He was probably going to scold me again.
Instead, he crushed his mouth against mine, wrapped his arms around me like a vise, and pressed me against the wall as he explored my mouth.
William trailed hot, wet kisses along my neck, and I clasped the back of his head, pulling on his hair to get more leverage.
“A dirty mouth like that can get you in trouble.” His voice was guttural.
William grabbed my hand and rubbed it slowly along his hard length. I gasped in shock. “You feel what you do to me?”
I felt every detail through his slacks, and I shuddered with anticipation, my panties already wet with excitement.
He nipped my neck and soothed the bite with a stroke of his tongue. “Did you talk to your date that way?”
I sensed the jealousy in his accusation and loved it. “Yes.”
William grunted. “Good girl.”
Those words coming out of William’s mouth seemed to arouse me instead of sparking anger.
I liked being praised for doing bad things for once. “Did you key his car?”
William hummed in agreement. “I could have done more damage, but I thought you could handle the rest.”
I felt myself getting wetter at the thought of William acting out because of me. I wanted to take control of this moment. I wanted to one-up him this time.
Instinctively, I got down on my knees to unbuckle his belt. I never broke eye contact as William looked down at me with surprise and hunger.
I knew he was waiting for me to back down, but I was a new woman with no fear. I went after what I wanted, and I desperately wanted William’s dick in my mouth.