CHAPTER 6
Ben
Laila won’t even look at me, not that I blame her considering what she doesn’t know. Giving her some time and space, I set up for our weekend in the east wing apartment near Titus and Jolie’s main bedroom. Titus requires his weekend security to stay Friday night through Monday morning, leaving no lulls in his support. The apartment is outfitted completely but has only been used by men thus far. I can’t imagine how the studio apartment is going to sit with Laila. I begin rearranging furniture to give her some privacy, or at least some distance from me. I am in no mood to be judged any more than she is in the mood to be around me.
The door opens to the apartment. I expect to see Laila, but Jolie enters the room. “Want some company?” she says, shutting the door behind her.
“Your husband is just in the next room.”
“It makes it all the more fun, doesn’t it? The danger, the …”
“The nothing! I told you before I don’t want to start up with you again.” She slides up on me, touching me as she did earlier in the night. I hold up my hands, huffing until she gets the point. “We’re not doing this, Jolie. We’re over. We’ve been over since you married Titus. I just didn’t realize it until six month ago, unfortunately.”
“Seriously? Are you still upset over that?”
“Not upset about it. I just finally realized who you are. And who I’m not.”
“I told you, Ben, I had to be nice to the man because Titus made me. I had to help my husband, otherwise, you know what he can do.”
“You helped yourself, like you always do. Titus wouldn’t have you sleep with his attorney. That’s going down the ladder, not up. You only did it to get help with the prenup. I assume that’s how you got Titus to marry you in the first place. Get the attorney to agree that it’s in his best interest to marry the woman that knows too much. All you care about is money and power.”
Jolie takes hold of my face. “No. I care about you. I care about us. That’s why I am doing all this, so we can have a better life together one day.”
I push her hands away with a laugh. “We had a good life. You threw it away. I’m done being your pawn in this stupid game you play.” She rubs her hand down my pants, into my hair, and begins making noises to entice me to get hard. “Stop it. Laila already thinks we were fucking earlier. I can’t imagine what she will think walking in on us now.”
“Who the fuck is Laila?” she asks as if she has never seen the woman. I walk away from her and go back to what I was doing. “No. I want to know. Is this a new girlfriend?”
“Seriously, Jolie, you are the most self-centered person I have ever met. You were there. You watched her win in that arena and get the new security job, and you want to stand there and act like you have no clue who she is?”
“Her? I know her. I don’t understand why you would care what she thinks?” I hold her off one more time. “Are you actually interested in ponytail girl in the stiff, boring suit?”
“She’s in security, not a runway show. And no, I’m not interested in her.”
“Really? I know you better than you think I do, Ben,” Jolie says as Laila walks in the door.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize someone was in here. I’ll come back later.” Laila turns to leave, but Jolie races to stop her.
“No, please, come in. I was just telling Ben I have been wanting a chance to meet you. A chance to get to know you better.” Jolie puts out her hand to shake Laila’s, all the while examining every part of her. I don’t know if Laila realizes it or not, but I do, and I have a feeling I am going to have to put a stop to it before it goes too far. “So, Laila, isn’t it?” Laila nods, cautiously stepping around Jolie. “Well, I am so excited to have another woman in the house. All this testosterone becomes too much sometimes.” Jolie walks up to Laila and strokes her cheek with the back of her hand. “Sometimes it’s nice to feel a woman. You know, Titus is open to watching me with another woman, if you’re interested?”
“Fuck, Jolie!” I yell at her.
Jolie laughs, backing away from Laila. “Oh Ben, you’re so uptight. I wouldn’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do, unless, of course, you do? I would bet Ben would like to watch us too.” I try not to look at the demon while Laila stares her down. I know she could kill Jolie in a second, and Jolie is daring her to try. She’s looking for a way to get under Laila’s skin. She loves to do that. She loves to play with people. I let her play with my head too long. “Wait. I remember you. You were one of the foster kids me and my parents donated toys to.” Jolie gasps. “Yes, you were this dirty child who had no parents. No one really wanted you, so they sent you there, to that horrible place. I had to shower several times after I left there. No offense, but it was awful. Ben, you should have seen it.” She keeps going while I search for a way to stop her without encouraging her or embarrassing Laila. She knew all along who Laila was, that’s why she attacked me tonight to stake her claim before Laila could even think about it. “You know what would be fun? For us to go shopping together. Yeah, it could be like old times. I shop and buy bags and bags and then give you what I don’t want. Like a charity game.”
Before I can get Jolie to shut up and out the door, Laila opens her mouth. “I don’t need charity, never have. I was only there so the rich people could feel like they have done something with their boring, simple lives. I didn’t realize one of those simpletons was you.” Laila laughs. “I actually think I do remember you, but you were an awkward, goofy looking brunette with bad skin, no boobs at all, and a scary overbite. But hey, at least your skin cleared up on its own. As far as the rest of your issues, well, it’s amazing what doctors can do these days, isn’t it?”
“Isn’t it?” Jolie fumes. “Well, at least you looked good enough to earn some money for your foster parents. What was it? A few Johns a day? That pussy must fit a semi-truck by now.”
“Oh, yeah I’m the whore. I’m not the one whose husband pays other people to have sex with her because he doesn’t want to.” Laila challenges without fear. She’s figured out the game. Jolie loves a challenge, and getting rid of Laila now would be too easy and no fun at all.
“I had sex with my husband tonight, actually.”
“Really, how many has that been today?” Laila cuts back, glancing my way.
“Are you two done? Because I know I am. Jolie, Titus is surely looking for you by now.”
“I am sure he is. I better go prepare for a long night. Titus can go again and again. It takes a real woman to keep up with a man like that. I’ll make sure we get to work together soon, Laila.” Jolie studies every movement Laila makes, wanting to get at her, but Laila’s giving her no opportunity.
“I can’t wait.” Laila stares at her so pointedly that I can almost see the slice into Jolie’s throat.
“Bye,” I demand at Jolie, making sure she finds her way out the door. “I am so ready for this night to be over.”
I watch Laila wander over to the beds and look around as if she doesn’t know where to go. “Do we have to both sleep in here?”
“Yes, but we can move them so you have more privacy. I was trying to do that before Jolie came in. Give me a second.” I go into the next room and take a folding screen to bring in and place between the beds, trying to enclose her bed as much as possible. “There, it’s like your own room. It’s a small room but at least your own.” Laila chooses the opposite bed I had planned for and moves it farther away. “Okay, I guess I have my own small room then.”
“I don’t like to feel closed in. I would prefer for you to sleep somewhere you can’t hear me?” she says, not looking at me.
“Why? Do you snore?”
“No. I—I sometimes talk though.”
“Well, if I hear any secrets, I promise not to tell anyone.” Unsatisfied with the arrangements, she continues to stare at me. “That’s still not good enough?”
“I can sleep in the bathroom.” She grabs a pillow and begins pulling off a blanket from the bed.
“You’re not sleeping in the bathroom. If it’s that big of a deal to you, I will get Luca’s earplugs. He keeps them around here somewhere for when we have to bunk up with Gus. He snores like a dying bear, and it’s awful.”
“Can you not go sleep with your girlfriend and I take this room? Or did you get all you needed earlier?”
“You know what? Feel free to judge me without knowing anything about the situation. And for your information, I didn’t fuck her tonight. I was assigned to guard her. She led me back there on purpose and attacked me.” Laila rolls her eyes, turning her back to me. “I don’t care what you believe.” I go back to finishing the food I was making, prepare her a plate, and hand it to her. “You should eat. You never know when you will get another chance. Titus is on a rampage. He may want to take off at any time.” She mumbles a thank you and goes back to ignoring me.
It’s fun not talking and pretending the other one doesn’t exist. I give up trying with Laila and crash into my bed behind the screen. Getting comfortable, I catch sight of her through the dividers and quickly hide behind a pillow and put my earplugs in before I get yelled at.
My dreams come in hard as I recall the night.
“Jolie where are you going? We need to get back before Titus freaks out.”
“His friends just arrived. He won’t even notice we are gone. Come on, Handsome. I need to adjust my strap.”
“No, we are going back now.”
“You know you have to follow me. What if something happens to me on your watch? That could be very bad for you.” She pouts, knowing she could set me up easily in this club. There are plenty of idiots here willing to do whatever she asks. I go with her and hope she gets bored with her game if I ignore her. Jolie fidgets with her dress and slides her panties off to put in my hand. “Come on, Ben. Aren’t you done with this whole, I-want-more-from-a-relationship thing?”
“No, I’m not. Put your panties back on because I’m not fucking you.”
“I think you are.” She slides up on me, pushing her hand down my pants, having me undone and out before I can say another word. The only way I can get her off is to back up and let her trip over her own heel. “Damn, Ben. I don’t understand what’s wrong with you!” She stands, smacking my chest. “What do you want me to do? I can’t exactly divorce Titus. And you won’t kill him, so how else do you plan for us to be together?”
“Oh! I see. You think I want to be with you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mislead you. No, Jolie, I have no interest in you at all anymore. Not even a little bit.”
“Ben, I explained all of this to you, and I refuse to do it again. I love you,” she says, nearly choking on the words. I laugh, wondering how I ever cared about her at all. “I really do, Ben. We are meant to be together, and if you give me some time, I promise I will make it up to you.” I don’t bother responding. “You know you are going to give into me, you always have. You throw your little tantrums to get attention, and once I apologize and give you the pitiful face, we make up, and I get to ride that gorgeous cock of yours.” She grabs at me again.
“We need to go. We’ve been gone too long. Nathan or someone could come down here any second.”
“Good, because whether you have sex with me or not, I am going to make it look like we did, so you might as well make it worth your while.” I continue to fight off her hands and advances, waiting for her to get tired of her bullshit. “Oh Ben—ohhh …” I try to ignore her, but she goes crazy, ripping at my shirt and exposing herself as she moans and calls out to me.
“Jolie!” I yell, pushing her onto a sofa and cursing her enjoyment of the situation.
I hated that Laila was the one to catch us together. She’s right. It was stupid. I should have forced Nathan to have me switched with someone else and not allowed her to lure me away. I wanted so bad to stand up to her though, thinking somehow that it would finally get through to her. I can’t get the Jolie nightmare out of my head, until I walk toward something more alluring.
Curling into my bed with a sigh. “Ben?” I look up to Laila standing over me. “I can’t sleep. Can you help me?” She slides her shirt off, showing that sexy as hell bra I haven’t been able to get out of my head since I saw it.
“If I recall from the bill I got, there are matching panties to that bra,” I remind her, tracing my finger down her side and to the button on her pants.
“She smiles, undoing her pants and showing me one side of the matching panties that fit perfectly. “You mean these?” Smiling, I take hold of her perfect ass and rip her pants right off with my teeth. Making my body completely available to all of her needs, I slide off the underwear I bought. In an instant, I move her legs up around me, with a kiss, and a sensation that goes deep.
“Ben. Ben. Ben!” I sit up straight in bed, pissed off by the interruption.
“What?!” I yell at Luca who begins to laugh at me.
“What the hell? Put that thing up. I don’t want to see that.” I cover up, taking out the earplugs that kept me from hearing him walk up on me. “Ah, I was hoping it was my stealth abilities that kept you from hearing me.” I get out of bed, glancing over to see Laila already gone. “She’s in the team room eating breakfast.” Luca follows me around as I get myself together. I look back at him as he crosses his arms and waits for something.
“What?”
“You were dreaming about her again.”
“No I wasn’t.”
“Yes, you were. Wow, you really do like her. Ever since you met her you’ve been like—like …”
“Like nothing. We don’t get along. There’s nothing there. I’m attracted to her I guess, but that’s it. I’m over it.”
“Sure you are. Ben, you fell for her the moment you saw her. She showed up to that arena, and you looked into those beautiful doe eyes and fell hard. I never thought it possible, but I saw it the moment it happened.”
“You are out of your damn mind.”
“She challenged you.”
“Shut up, Luca.”
“You were angry, and she stood up to you. Face it, Ben, you’ve met the woman that will make you work for it. And the reward is too enticing for you to resist.”
“She was a crazy woman doing something stupid. It was exciting in a moment, nothing more.”
“Uh-huh, a crazy woman you gave your precious car to in order to help her get away.” I hold out my hands, not understanding his point. “Come on, Ben. She could have gotten away fine by us letting her out the door and running. No one was going to be able to catch her in time. Hell, who would have thought she didn’t have her own car stashed somewhere? Most people don’t show up to anything on foot. I mean, come on, she walked in there like she was checking off an errand she had to get done for the day.” I laugh, thinking about how bold she was about the whole thing. Luca waits until I turn around to get in my face smiling. “You gave her your car because if she ran, you might not have ever seen her again. She had to find you to give you your car back, and if she didn’t, you would have followed her on that locator you put on the car.”
“I did follow her actually. She broke into a gym, used their shower, and borrowed somebody’s clothes, before driving to a precinct parking lot and sleeping in it. I couldn’t believe it,” I admit. Luca stands up straight as if I just confessed to some crime. “Don’t look at me like that.” I move him out of my way. “I only wanted to make sure the car was okay.”
“Sure. So, how did it go last night?”
“It didn’t. She caught me alone with Jolie and hates me. She thought I was fucking her, thanks to Jolie. Now, she wants me to keep my drama out of her life. Can’t say I blame her for that.”
“I don’t know if I have expressed this enough to you, Ben, but I hate Jolie.”
“I think she and I both got the point when you called her a life sucking whore to her face.”
“I didn’t want to hurt her feelings by telling her how I really felt. Oh wait, I forgot. She doesn’t have any.”
“Enough, Luca. Go eat with the rest. I’m going to get a shower. Titus had a shit night last night. No telling what today is going to be like.” I leave him and try my best to forget my dreams.