Chapter Twenty-Three
Trace
The rapidly falling night erased the lingering light as I reclined against my car, looking up to the brightly lit window in Cierra’s apartment. A few minutes before, I’d seen her pass by it, and I pictured her grabbing a cup of hot chocolate and settling on the couch. I smiled when I thought of her couch; it was an explosion of color and design and so unlike anything I had at my place. It reminded me of her: unconventional and vibrant.
I tipped my head back and stared at the faint stars in the dark, moonless sky. It’d been almost two weeks since we fucked in my office, and she’d been on my mind ever since. Even my buddies had noticed something was eating at me when we’d met up at Benny’s for a few beers the previous Saturday. Nick had said I was sulking over a woman, and Drew, Jeff, and JP had laughed, ribbing me about needing to get laid. They didn’t know the half of it. Nothing felt the same to me without Cierra around.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and crossed the street. Glancing around for any sign of the black Lexus had become my habit. I hadn’t seen it again, and I began to wonder if Cierra had been right about being paranoid about it. Pausing at the glass doors for a second, I opened them and stepped into the vestibule, rang the buzzer next to her apartment number, and leaned back on my boot heels.
“Yes?” Her voice crackled over the intercom.
“Hey. How are you?”
A long pause. Too long. I didn’t think she was going to respond, so I turned to leave.
“Okay. You?”
“Not so good.”
“How come?”
I shifted from one foot to another. I wasn’t the best in talking about my feelings to start with, but saying stuff to a damn box wasn’t cutting it. “Can I come up? I don’t want to have a conversation with a fucking intercom box.”
Her giggles warmed me. “Sure. I’ll buzz you in.”
When she did, I practically jogged up to her place.
She opened the door and popped her head out, watching me as I came down the hall. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she looked stunning. She stood back and I went inside, the yellow walls, bright retro colors and patterns, and bookcases full of books making me smile. The room was comfortable and inviting, and it spoke mountains about Cierra’s personality. I thought of my condo where everything was sleek, shiny, and devoid of color and clutter. What the hell did it say about me? Cold and reserved? It wouldn’t be too far off.
“Do you want a glass of wine or a beer?” She shuffled to the kitchen, which opened up to the living room. Her living space was smaller than my master bedroom, but she seemed happy in such cramped quarters.
“Beer is good. What’ve you been up to?”
Taking out a brown bottle from the fridge, she looked over her shoulder. “Work.”
“No partying?” I smiled as she handed me the beer and sat on the overstuffed chair next to the couch.
“Not really. I have too many accounts. What about you?”
“The same. Work can be pretty consuming.” I took a long pull and thumbed the bottom of the bottle.
Looking down, she crossed her arms and twirled a long strand of hair around her finger.
“Are you nervous?” I asked.
Looking up, she shook her head. “No. Why? Should I be?”
I chuckled. “You shouldn’t be. I only asked because I’ve noticed when you’re nervous or embarrassed, you wrap strands of hair around your fingers. You’re doing it now.”
Immediately she dropped her hand to her lap. “I’m not nervous. Why are you here?”
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop in to see how you’re doing.” I took another pull.
“You could’ve just taken the stairs down two flights at work and found out.”
“True… but this way isn’t so businesslike.”
“How is it we haven’t run into each other at work? Have you been avoiding me?”
“I could ask you the same question.” I captured her gaze.
“I don’t like playing games, Trace. Why are you really here? I mean, if you think you can just come over and get laid or something after not talking to me for two weeks, then you’re fucked in the head.”
“I don’t play games, and I didn’t come over here for that. In the nearly two weeks that I stayed away from you, I realized something.” I took the last gulp of my beer.
Her eyes narrowed and her arms pressed tighter against her chest. “What?”
“I missed you like hell.” Her eyes widened and her arms relaxed a bit. “Yeah. You’ve been a permanent resident in my mind for quite a while. I want to spend time with you.”
“What about your grandfather and the no-dating policy at work?”
“Fuck it. I feel something for you that I never have for a woman, and I’m pretty sure you’re feeling it too. If we throw in the towel now, we’ll never know if what we had was real or just lust. I suspect it’s more than that.”
“Do you really mean it? I don’t want you telling me this to charm your way into my pants. Men can be that way, and I’ve had my share of jerks.”
I stood up and walked over to her, cupped her chin, tipped her head back, and kissed her soft, enticing lips gently. A small whimper from her was like a lightning bolt to my cock. Then I smothered her lips and delved my tongue into her warm mouth. She tasted like chocolate and I thrust deeper, fueled by the sexy noises she made.
“Are you still mad at me?” The words brushed against her lips.
“Yeah, but you’re a great kisser,” she murmured and looped her arm around my neck, pulling me closer.
We kissed for a long time. I missed holding her, kissing her, and making love to her. I missed our conversations, listening to music together, and just being with her.
After a long time, she pulled away and cocked her head. Her face was flushed and her lips were red, slightly swollen, and glossy from my kisses. She’s gorgeous.
“I think we need to go slow. That may sound silly, but that’s what I want.”
I smiled. “I can do slow. Wait… how slow?”
She threw her head back and laughed, and I swept my lips over her collarbone, kissing the vibrating hollow at the base of her throat. I wasn’t sure what slow meant. I’d never gone slow with a woman in my life; I usually bagged a chick within twenty-four hours of meeting her—forty-eight tops. But Cierra was different, and if going slow was what she wanted and it made her happy, I was all for it.
“I don’t know. Let’s just take it one day at a time.”
We kissed some more, and then I told her I had to go to the bathroom. I had to take a break because, based on the way I was feeling and the way my dick was punching to get out, taking it slow wasn’t going to happen.
When I came back out, the smell of garlic, onions, and olive oil hit me in the gut. Cierra stood by the stove, stirring something in a pot. I wrapped my arms around her small waist, looking over her shoulder at tomato sauce bubbling away.
“It smells delicious.” I nuzzled her neck. “And so do you.”
She sank into me and craned her neck so her mouth met mine. “I hope you can stay for dinner.”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Do you have any red wine? I can get a bottle or two.” KLJ Liquor was a neighborhood store down the hill and around the corner from her building. I’d been there many times before. It still blew my mind how many places I frequented that Cierra did too. It amazed me that we hadn’t run into each other before that night at Beta.
“That’d be great. I bought some amazing sausage at Nico’s Market. He makes his own, and the recipe was his great-great grandfather’s. Have you ever been there?”
“Yeah. It’s my go-to when I need an Italian sub fix. Did you get the spicy or mild?”
“Both. I like to mix them.”
I smacked her cute ass and left to buy the wine.
When her apartment building came into view, I saw the Lexus parked on the side and quickly crossed the street. The guy in the car was staring at the glass doors, and before I was close enough, he got out of the car and went inside the vestibule. I went a few feet past the building until I was out of sight from the guy standing there looking at the buzzers, then crossed the street and came back down. The man’s foot held the door open a crack, and when I heard Cierra’s voice over the intercom, I lost it.
Without thinking, I pulled open the door and the guy looked at me. “Why the fuck are you stalking Cierra?” I gripped his forearm.
“Trace, is that you? Who’re you talking to?”
The guy jerked out of my grasp and shoved me against the wall. I lost my footing and the two bottles of expensive Italian wine crashed to the ground. He stepped out on the sidewalk and rushed to his car.
“Fuck!” I yelled.
“Tell me what’s going on, Trace.” Worry laced Cierra’s voice, but I didn’t have time to explain anything. I sprinted after the jerk and just as he got in his car, I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out. He fell with a thud on the asphalt.
“You sonofabitch!” When he came up, he swung at me and I ducked. Then he nailed me with a hard one to the side of my face.
From the corner of my eye, I saw his other arm coming at me. I jerked back, avoiding one flying fist, but then another one clipped me. Hard.
Drop to the ground. Roll clear. Stand. Not expecting it, I rolled a bit and came up quick, lunging for his midsection. He grunted when I jabbed at his rib cage.
Then I lashed out, aiming for the bastard’s gut, and punched him over and over.
The blows fell hard from both of us, our grunts and curses sharing one voice. Sweat mixed with blood trickled down my face. I licked my lips, which tasted like salty copper.
Dimly aware of the front door opening, I pulled my arm back and slammed my fist into the asshole’s mouth with all my strength.
“You fucking bastard!” he yelled as his hand went to his lips. Red stained his fingers.
A woman screamed. I looked over and saw Cierra wide-eyed, breathing hard.
“Stay where you are,” I said as I wiped the blood from my face with the back of my hand. I was too late. She dashed over to me.
“You’re hurt.” She reached out and touched my face that was already starting to swell. She glanced over at the guy, who spun around and tried to get into his car.
“No fucking way,” I said as I blocked his movement.
“Cory? What the hell?” Cierra said.
Cory? She knows this jerk?
“Cierra. I came by to see you and this lunatic jumped me.”
“You know him?” I couldn’t believe it. Then suspicions popped in my head like maybe she’d been dating him all along.
She nodded. Her gaze darted to the car and recognition glimmered in her eyes. “It’s you. You’ve been watching me. Why?”
He pushed me out of the way and opened the driver door. “I’m not having this conversation in front of this disturbed person. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He slid inside and slammed the door. We stood in the street watching him drive away until we couldn’t see the red taillights any longer.
She hooked an arm around my waist. “Let’s go upstairs. I’ll clean you up.”
Still in shock over the two of them knowing each other, I nodded and let her lead me back to her apartment.
As she dabbed antiseptic cream over my cuts, my mind raced a million miles a minute. Has she been fucking this Cory dude?
She kissed my forehead. “There, all cleaned up. But your face looks like a melon. What happened?”
“I approached him and he shoved me. You saw the end result. How do you know the jerk?”
“I met him at Tipsy Cow the night I bumped into you. He seemed nice enough, so we went out a few times. It was no big deal. I didn’t feel a connection to him the way I do to you. When we spent the weekend together, I knew I wouldn’t be going out with him again. I can’t believe he’s the one who’s been watching me. And it doesn’t make sense because that Saturday when I saw the car, he was out of town. I don’t get it.”
“How do you know he was out of town?”
“He told me. I’d asked him to go to the launch with me and he said he couldn’t because he had a business trip.”
“He lied.”
“Why?”
I shook my head. “Maybe he didn’t want to go to the launch.”
Her brows knitted together. “That doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t he just tell me he didn’t want to go?”
I snagged her around the waist and drew her close. “I don’t know. He’s a psycho. Did you sleep with him?” I had no right to ask the question, but the idea of him seeing her naked, running his hands over her body had eaten at me ever since I found out she dated him.
“No. You’re the only man I’ve wanted to be with in almost a year.” She kissed me gently and I winced. “Does it hurt?”
“Yeah, but that’s not going to stop me.” I kissed her back. “What’s the jerk’s last name?” I’d have Ivan look into his background. I wanted to make sure he stayed away from Cierra. I didn’t want anyone hurting her, and I’d make damn sure to protect her.
“Bracker. He told me he was from St. Louis. You know, I never told him where I lived, yet he was here tonight.”
I clenched my fist then winced. “He probably did some digging and found out where you lived. It’s not that hard. A few searches online is all it takes most of the time. Nothing’s private anymore. I’ll make sure he stays away from you.”
“Just watch yourself. Are you going to be able to eat?”
I nodded. “We don’t have any wine. The bottles broke when the fucker shoved me.”
“That’s okay.”
Cierra knew how to cook—the marinara sauce was killer. I helped clean up, and after an action film, I followed her into the bedroom. Going over to the window, I looked down on the quiet street, making sure the jerk hadn’t come back. I shrugged off all my clothes except my boxers and slid between the crisp sheets. She crawled over to me in her short pink nightie.
“Can we just snuggle?” she asked.
Snuggling wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. “Sure.” I tugged her close to me and tucked her under the crook of my arm. She rested her head on my chest and traced around my ink job.
“I love your tattoo. It’s so beautiful and interesting. Would you get any more?”
“Maybe someday. Your tat is sexy as hell. What about you? Would you get another one? I’d love for you to get one where only I can see it.” I lightly ran my fingers up and down her arm, loving the way her skin pebbled beneath my touch.
“I’ll have to think about that.”
We lay together talking for a long time. Her skin was softer than velvet, and her familiar scent filled me up. As her eyelids grew heavy, I bent down and kissed her hair. I held Cierra as she slept, the first time I’d been with a woman so intimately without fucking her brains out. It amazed me how much I enjoyed holding her and nothing else. Being with her was all that mattered.
Cierra had done what no woman had been able to: she wiggled into my heart.
And now that I had her, there was no way in hell I would ever let her go.
She was mine.