Elani
I could’ve died the moment Ales walked in. I had never seen anyone look so damn handsome in a suit. He really did look like he stepped off the cover of a GQ magazine. He wore a black suit with an expensive looking, black dress shirt underneath with a skinny tie and dress shoes that looked like they cost more than this place alone. The moment he started walking toward me, as if he wanted to eat me, my heart didn’t stop pounding. Instead, it beat so damn loud the music in the bar was tuned out. I couldn’t hear anything else but my heartbeat, as it sped up the closer Ales got. Authority oozed off him as he made his way to me. Others moved out his way like he was a king in this place. Where the hell did this man come from, and why was I reacting like this to him?
Ales was one step away from the bar, and I moved back instinctively. I couldn’t handle being closer to him. Something was making me step back; it’s like my heart was afraid of something I couldn’t put my finger on. At the same time, I wanted to run to him as though he was the missing piece to my life. When I made zero attempts to go to him, he beckoned me to him. I screamed NO in my head, but my body automatically responded to him as if I was drawn to him. I refused to move and shook my head, no, but the moment his words travelled from his mouth to my ears, I was completely lost.
“Come to me, baby,” he said, his voice deep as if it was a serenade.
The moment I move toward him, I knew there was more to this than I was willing to admit. Why else would I simply give in to this man’s request, even if he was sexy as sin?
***
After I gave Ales more drinks and attitude, I thought he would get fed up and leave me be. My chest was burning up way past the simple ache, and I didn’t know what to do. It shouldn’t have, but the moment Ales stepped away to join his friend, Patro, my smile disappeared. It was as if his presence affected my mood, and I didn’t like it. I cleared my throat, trying to focus on my job instead of letting him affect my mood. I finally started getting back in my zone, when Jace came over, nudging me in the side.
“Guess he moved on quickly.” He smirked.
I looked in the direction he was looking. I gripped the glass in my hand so tight, if I had a bit more strength, I would’ve shattered it. I cleared my throat and shrugged.
“Good,” I said through gritted teeth.
I started wiping the counter down, trying not to look in the direction of Ales’ table, but my eyes betrayed me. I looked at him once again. A beautiful, blonde woman threw her head back as she laughed. She lightly caressed his bicep, and he smiled at her as though she deserved to be there. He was sitting back nonchalantly as if I wasn’t in the same room.
I growled so low I didn’t recognize my voice. Before I thought about my actions, I threw the towel on the bar and stomped over to the table where Ales was sitting. I saw red as I got closer. I could hear Patro telling the blonde and her friend a story about them two. I didn’t even acknowledge anyone else as I marched up in front of Ales’ chair. He had his chair moved back from the table facing the blonde instead of facing front to his friend. I stood in the middle of his open and relaxed, long legs staring down at him with my hands crossed.
Ales’ gaze slowly and efficiently traveled from my feet up my body, until he met my eyes. He cocked his eyebrow as if he was talking to me through his gestures, but I wasn’t understanding them. He smiled at me again, this time a boyish grin that made my panties so wet I shifted my weight to my other leg.
“Baby…” he called out to me.
My body reacted to the word. Yet, I refused to let him know the way he called me, ‘baby’ made my nipples hard. He raked a glance over my breasts as if he knew, and his grin grew. I blinked and realization came over me like a breath of fresh air. I acted before I thought about how it would all look. I rolled my eyes and turned to walk away. I didn’t even take two steps before he spoke.
“Are you jealous, love?” he asked me.
Was he taunting me?
I spun on my heel so fast to face him. Adrenaline shot up my body. An idea jumped into my head and I smirked. I could always get him back. I didn’t hesitate as I walked to him, stopping in between his legs. I leaned down a bit and gripped his tie in my hand. I pulled him to me and kissed him.
I should’ve thought this idea through. The moment our lips connected, I was once again lost in the mayhem of who Ales was. He was in shock for only a moment, then he snapped out of it and groaned. He gripped my waist as he lifted me off the floor, then I was straddling him. He snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his hard body. His heat transferred to me. I was feverish as my hold on his tie became tighter. Yet, he didn’t say a word about that. I could’ve stayed like that with him forever, forgetting everyone. But, someone cleared their throat a couple of times, and Ales stopped kissing me.
When he pulled away, my eyes glistened. I looked in his eyes and he in mine.
“Who are you?” I asked him.
His hand caressed my cheek.
“I’m your destiny, love.”
I wanted to protest, yet a calm feeling came over me, and the aching went away. My chest wasn’t in pain anymore from the moment those words left his mouth.
***
A couple of hours later, I still regretted what I had done. I had convinced Ales I would join him and his friend, after my shift was over. I don’t know why I reacted like that, instead of letting it go and just letting him focus on someone else other than me. As I worked, I tried to analyze why I cared that he let another girl touch him. It wasn’t even that big of a deal. But, to me, I felt some sort of possessiveness over him.
At the end of my shift, I looked Ales’ way, and he was watching me. I shouldn’t have told him what time I got off. Before I left the bar, I took it upon myself to take two more tequila shots back to back. I should’ve slowed down, since I had been drinking with the customers when they bought me drinks, but I needed the butterflies in my stomach to be dormant. I shut my eyes and let the liquid heat my body up some more. I inhaled and exhaled. It was time for me to face the sexiest obstacle in my twenty-seven years of living.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought was my first thought when I finally got up to them. The blonde decided to act as if she didn’t see me, so I started to walk away to get an extra chair. As soon as I turned around, Ales’ long arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. My body didn’t even fight it this time as I sat back. I felt his big chest on my back and his breath on the nape of my neck. I was tipsy on the verge of being drunk, but my body was super aware of every little thing he did. I felt him before I heard him.
He leaned in and whispered in my ear. I shuddered the moment his voice traveled past my ear canal and made its way down to my heart, tugging on it. I shut my eyes, blaming it on the alcohol. This wasn’t me. I’d never felt like this for anyone before. Why would it start all of a sudden?
Ales’ voice broke into my thoughts. “Do you want the truth?” he asked me, his lips tempting and close to the skin under my ear.
“What truth?” I asked him without turning to face him.
“Why you feel so safe in my arms? Why, when I pulled you onto my lap, you relaxed?”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks as I looked down at my body. I was leaning back, positioned in comfort on his lap as if I’d done it a million times. My body seemed to know this body, and, when his large hand gripped my thigh, I shut my eyes.
Damn, that felt good.
“What the hell?” I whispered.
His touch was making me feverish, and he knew it.
“What’s wrong? Tell me, so I can fix it.” His voice dropped an octave, and I cursed. How did he do it?
“Stop.” I gritted my teeth.
Why did I feel such an intense feeling coming over me? What was going on with me?
He flicked his tongue over my ear, causing my body to break out into goosebumps. “Let me help you, love.”
“No!” I hadn’t realized how loud that was until I opened my eyes and the people around the table were looking at me, including Stacey, who sat next to Patro.
I stood up, out of Ales’ hold. I was dumbfounded for a second thinking I had to put up a fight for him to let go of me. I avoided everyone’s eyes as I walked off.
What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I reacting like this to a stranger? I didn’t understand this.
As I reached for the bathroom, a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. I was about to protest, but then I exhaled, realizing it was Jace. He looked worried.
“What’s wrong?” he asked me. His voice and his question didn’t have the same effect on me like Ales’.
“Nothing. I’m fine. I just need a moment and then I’m heading home.”
“You sure?” he asked me again.
I nodded and suddenly Jace pulled me into his arms, hugging me. A couple of weeks ago, I would’ve probably liked it, but now, I felt nothing. I didn’t want to be in his arms. My body didn’t want his warmth and didn’t crave it either. Before I could wiggle out of his tight hold, Jace was yanked back from me.
“What the hell?” My eyes widened.
Ales had Jace against the wall, and I was frozen into place. Ales didn’t seem crazy. But, there he was picking Jace up by the throat, slamming him into the wall, again, as if he were a rag doll.
“Get off him!” I finally screamed, after I snapped out of temporary paralysis.
Ales ignored me and stared at Jace. “Don’t touch her! You hear me?” he growled so unhuman like it instilled fear in me.
I whimpered.
That little sound caused Ales to turn and look my way. His anger seemed to turn to me, and I took a step back. He noticed, then blinked a couple times. He looked back at Jace who was grunting and trying to get Ales off him.
Ales moved in close to Jace’s face. With his icy demeanor in full effect, he spoke, “Elani is mine. She is mine and will always be mine.”
I gasped. Those words…Those words did something to me. They did something to my brain. Before I could stop myself, a name left my lips.
“Achilles…” I called out to Ales, and his head whipped toward me so fast. I was surprised he didn’t experience whiplash.
“What did you call me?” he asked, but before I could respond, my world suddenly went black.