20. Ares
Twenty
Ares
Iwatched her from across the room, as I leaned against the bar countertop, both elbows situated on top of the cool surface.
She seemed more relaxed than usual, more careless, more free. That’s how I knew she was clearly intoxicated.
My jaw ticked, my jeans suddenly feeling tighter.
Amala swayed her hips sensually, those pitch-black tendrils, cascading down her bare back. I looked away for a few seconds.
After she stopped by my house a week ago, I hadn’t heard from or seen her since.
That’s why I didn’t hesitate to locate her when her friends said she’d been missing in action—only to find her in this overcrowded club wearing the most revealing dress I’d ever seen.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds, tossing my head back.
I don’t know what pounded harder.
My heart, the beat of the song floating through the speakers, or the throbbing sensation in my arm where I’d been shot a week ago.
I released a heavy sigh, slowly opening my eyes. This time Amala wasn’t alone. Somebody was practically dry humping her in the middle of the dance floor.
She pushed her ass against him and that’s when I lost all sense of control.
It was like the undercover mission all over again. My eye twitched and my trigger finger itched.
I pushed myself forward, slowly stalking towards them.
My eyes never left her form, and when I was close enough I tapped the man on the shoulder.
In terms of height and muscle, I easily overshadowed him.
He turned around, eyeing me with a raised eyebrow.
He released his hands from Amala’s waist. That’s when she turned around as well, visibly paling when our eyes connected.
“Move.” One word, dripping with malice. The man furrowed his eyebrows.
“You talking to me man?” He asked loudly, over the music playing. I moved my head from side to side, at a slow pace, and then looked at him once more.
“Does it look like I’m talking to anyone else?” I asked calmly.
“You her boyfriend or something because she told me she’s single?” He grinned at me.
The smug look on his face tipped me over the edge.
I grabbed him by the shoulder, applying pressure to the muscle, and pulled him closer to me.
He winced in pain and when he was close enough I pulled my gun out of my waistband and pressed it against his torso.
“Ares.”
I finally heard Amala’s voice, she sounded slightly panicked.
I didn’t look at her though, I kept my gaze on the brazen man next to me with a gun pressed to his abdomen.
His eyes widened and he shook like a leaf. “Boyfriend or not, I told you to move. Didn’t I?” He nodded frantically.
“I’m sorry man. I—”
I cut him off. “Unless you feel like getting shot tonight, I suggest you shut the fuck up and walk away.”
I removed my hand from his shoulder and tucked my gun back into the waistband of my pants.
I’ve never seen a man tremble like that and then proceed to walk away at that speed.
On the field, I dealt with men who were too arrogant for their own good, even in the face of death.
Now my focus was solely on Amala. “Let’s go,”
I said sternly but when she didn’t move and just looked at me with those dark, brown eyes I could feel my blood pressure increasing.
“What are you even doing here?”
She slurred, her legs wobbly as she stepped closer to me. “You had absolutely no right to do that. You’re not my fucking keeper.”
“I don’t care.” I deadpanned. “We’re leaving.”
“No.” Stubborn little thing. “I came here to dance, so that’s what I intend to do.”
She swayed from side to side, clearly drunk as fuck.
When she tried walking away from me I grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward me.
The back of her body collided with the front of mine and I wrapped my hand around her throat.
“Seeing that you want to dance so badly, start moving.” I squeezed her pulse points, feeling her inhale sharply.
“What is wrong with you?” She fought against me but I wrapped my arm around her waist.
I lowered my head next to her ear. “Remember the way you moved against him.” She stiffened, grabbing hold of my arms. “Dance on me just like that. Do it, or I’ll find him and shoot him in the fucking head.”
I didn’t know what possessed me at this point but I couldn’t control myself.
A slow, sensual song played through the speakers and Amala moved her hips to the rhythm of the beat. Her ass pressed firmly against my dick.
My cock had been hard since I laid my eyes on her, now the feeling only intensified.
I could feel the arousal leaking from my tip. I matched her movements, grinding against her.
“Ares.” She gasped. I knew she was drunk because this version of her was too compliant, too submissive. “I can’t breathe.”
“Why not? Do you need some fresh air?” I pressed myself firmly against her, our bodies nearly melting into one gigantic puddle.
“Yes.” She whispered.
“Too bad. Keep dancing.” I caressed every inch of her skin, sliding my fingertips up and down her bare arms.
She leaned back, resting her head against my chest and closed her eyes.
Blood rushed to my ears and to my dick, pumping at a vigorous pace. I felt lightheaded, completely intoxicated by this woman who drove me up the fucking wall.
I knew she could feel my erection because her cheeks were a deep shade of crimson and it wasn’t due to the temperature in this place. “Do you feel that?” I asked her.
“Feel what?” She asked breathlessly.
Shit.
Why did she have to sound so sexy? So delectable. So enticing.
“How hard I am for you.” She shook her head but didn’t stop winding her hips.
“You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Denial at its best. I chuckled in her ear.
“You’re the one that’s drunk,” I murmured, continuing to grind against her. “I’m as sober as a judge.”
I gathered her hair in my fist, moving it to one side, and let my lips hover above the skin on her neck. She shivered, releasing a soft breath.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m many things.” I broke my own rules and kissed her neck softly. “A liar, however, is not one of them.”
Another soft kiss had her knees buckling. “You smell so fucking good. Your body is soft, warm, tempting. Pity your personality doesn’t match.”
“Suck a dick, Ares.” I held her hips tightly, preventing any further movement.
“I don’t swing that way.” I bit her in the neck, making her back arch. I groaned softly, repeating the action. “I devour pussy though.”
“What are you doing right now, Valiente?”
She asked, closing her eyes tightly. My lips brushed against her cheek and I could sense she was close to losing her composure.
“Do you think that because I’m intoxicated, I won’t remember this tomorrow?”
“That’s just the thing. I know you’ll remember.” I whispered against her skin. I moved my hands to her thighs, slowly sliding them upward. “Tell me you don’t feel it too?”
“Feel what exactly?” She questioned, her nails digging into my forearms.
“That obvious attraction,” I muttered into her ear. “The lust. The heat fuelled by hatred.”
“Is that what you’re feeling?” She asked, completely ignoring my question.
“Yes.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Do you think I’d be hard as rock right now, if I didn’t mean that?” She shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows.
“This doesn’t make sense.” She sounded frustrated. It’s as if she’d rather be tortured right now than admit she felt the same way.
“Can I tell you a secret?” I murmured in her ear.
“Don’t think that this is an exchange of some sort. I’m not telling you any of my secrets.” She sighed when my fingers skimmed along the apex of her thighs.
“Soon, you’ll be spilling all of your secrets to me and I’ll be drinking every last drop like a parched man.” I bit her earlobe.
“I’ll tell you mine anyway. Since the day I met you, I haven’t fucked anyone.” Amala gasped softly. “No use trying to get with anybody else when all I could think about is you.”
“You said you weren’t a liar.” She tried to escape my hold, but her attempt was weak and futile.
“I’m not lying.”
I slid my finger underneath her lace thong but just kept it there, I didn’t move any further.
Judging by the warmth radiating from her core, I knew she was probably soaked.
“Nobody matches your fire. Nobody challenges me like you do.” I could’ve sworn I heard her whimper.
“Nobody turns me on and God knows, I’ve been thinking about ways to shut that mouth of yours for years now.”
Her body finally went limp in my arms, it’s like she gave in to whatever was happening right now. I easily held her up, listening to the sounds of her heavy breathing.
“Every time you made a sarcastic remark,” I started. “I’d envision, wrapping this luscious, long hair,”
I twirled a few strands around my index finger. “Around my fist and face fucking you until the mascara you always wear, trickled down your cheeks.”
“Shut up.” She wiggled against me. “I don’t feel good, Ares. Let me go.”
I didn’t know if she was telling the truth or using it as an excuse to escape.
Either way, I wasn’t letting her go. “Then I think it’s time you called it a night yeah?” I easily lifted her into my arms, making her yelp.
“Put me down!”
She writhed in my hold.
If the woman was sober right now I wouldn’t have stood a chance but tonight I had the upper hand for once.
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that,” I said, walking through the crowded club. Everybody swiftly making way.
“Your friends asked me to find you because you’ve been off the grid for the past few days. I never intended to leave this club without you.”
The tension between us felt palpable, nearly smothering me to death.
Everything leading up to this moment had brewed since the night we first danced together.
I didn’t know why this inexplicable, overprotective feeling possessed me but seeing her dancing with a stranger in her drunken state incinerated the last shred of logic I had.
I shouldn’t have been anywhere near her, other than in proximity at work but for some unknown reason I’d been in her presence more often than not.
The harsh words she spewed at me didn’t faze me anymore after I felt the gentle caress of her fingertips while she patched my wound.
“Why did you do this?” She huffed, climbing out of my car.
This time she didn’t slam the door, she left it wide open and walked towards the electronic gate. “I’m going home.”
I followed suit, hot on her heels. “You’re drunk, can’t find the keys to your apartment and humor me. Are you going to walk home?”
I asked sarcastically. “Please tell me what you plan to do once you get home. Will you stand outside of your door and wait for a miracle to happen?”
She spun around, glaring daggers at me. “I’m tipsy, not drunk. Vast difference.” She spat. “Not that it concerns you but the building security would’ve made a plan. They’ve always got spare keys.”
This woman frustrated me to no end. “Then they’ll make a plan tomorrow. Come inside, Amala.”
I instructed, raising an eyebrow when she started laughing.
“Inside of your house? No.”
“It’s freezing out here and you’re wearing that ..” I paused, slowly dragging my gaze from the tight dress to her face.
Her hair blew slightly, the cold gust of wind making her shiver.
“What?” She sneered. “Wearing what?”
I stepped closer, narrowing my eyes at her. “That skimpy fucking dress.”
She scoffed, turning toward the gate. “Open it. I’m leaving.” She demanded. “Fuck you and your misogynistic ideals.”
“You’re not leaving, not in the state you’re in and for the love of fuck—I’m not misogynistic. Your dress is skimpy.”
I muttered angrily. “Or would you rather I use another term to describe your outfit?”
“Just open the gate, Ares.”
“No,” I said with finality. “Come inside or I’ll carry you in.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Are you daring me?”
I asked, taking another step closer and that’s when I noticed her shivering. “You’re fucking freezing, why can’t you just stop being so stubborn for once in your life?” I snapped.
“Ares.” She moved backward as I stalked closer. “You—”
She couldn’t finish her sentence because I easily tossed her over my shoulder, holding her steady with my palm on her lower back. “Son of a bitch!”
I couldn’t concentrate on the punches she threw against my back or her poor attempt at trying to free herself because her ass and the back of her thighs were inches away from my face.
I walked to my front door with ease, grabbed the keys from my pants pocket, and unlocked it before stepping inside, then kicked the door shut with the back of my foot.
My hand itched to slap Amala’s ass but I refrained from doing so. “If I put you down, are you going to behave?”
She wiggled, still attempting to break free. “Behave? I’m not a fucking dog, Valiente.”
“No, you’re not but I’d be more than willing to put a collar on you and treat you like one.”
The crude comment worked in my favor because her movements immediately ceased.
This is when I set her down, holding her wrist tightly. “See, you do know how to behave.”
She glared at me, her body still swaying slightly. “I’ll take you home first thing in the morning. The guest bedroom is the last door to your left. Check if anything fits you and answer your phone, your friends are worried sick about you.”
I spun around, wanting to walk away when I felt something hit my back and then land on the floor with a thud.
I froze, slowly turning back to her. She threw me with her damn heel and had the other one in her hand, getting ready to aim it at me.
When she threw it, I easily caught it. Looking at her with narrowed eyes. “Amala,” I said calmly, holding her shoe in my hand.
“You can’t keep me here.” She took a step forward. “Just take me home or I’ll find a way out of here.”
This moment felt like a major setback.
We’d gotten to a good point in our partnership and now this incident was sending it all to shit.
“You can try,” I observed her movements.
“However, you won’t get very far.” She took another step toward me but I stood my ground.
“This is unethical.” She taunted. “I could report you.”
“Are you baiting me?” I mirrored her movement, stepping forward when she did.
Her chest moved up and down rapidly, a clear indication that her breathing was becoming erratic.
“You’re ridiculously easy to bait.” She said, looking at me with a defiant glint in her eyes.
“Yeah?” The heat between us felt undeniable in this moment and I was seconds away from carrying her to my bed.
“Yeah.” She mocked, taking another step closer. “Easy to upset. Easy to rile up.”
“Keep pushing me and I’ll show you what happens when you continuously rile me up.”
“Oh, I’m so frightened.”
The response was sarcastic but it was the words she uttered next that completely disintegrated my composure and control.
“You’re not going to do anything because you’re all talk, no action.”