Sara

 

I was so busy at work the next day I didn’t really have an opportunity to dwell on thoughts of seeing Alek on Saturday. I was beyond excited but nervous, as well. My body’s reaction to him was so powerful I could only wonder if we would end up in bed together. My first time. Normally, I would have been anxious, but the thought of Alek being the man who would claim my innocence set off an instinctive need to surrender to him.

He was the only man I’d let inside my guarded bubble.

He was the only one who had ever made me feel safe.

After the initial rush had calmed down later in the afternoon, I grabbed my phone to check and see if I had any texts or voicemails from him. A girl could dream, right? As I opened it up, it rang. I answered immediately.

“Hey, girl. What are you up to tonight?” Alexa asked.

Trying to hide my disappointment it wasn’t Alek, I answered nonchalantly. “I didn’t have any plans. Why? What were you thinking? Movie night?”

“No, I was thinking more like going out for a drink. Since we both have work early tomorrow, we won’t stay out late. I promise.” When I didn’t answer right away, she pleaded with me. “Pretty please with sugar on top? I’ve been stressing badly at work and I need some liquid relief.”

Deciding to put my friend out of her misery, I agreed. “Okay. As long as we’re not out too late, I’m good with a quick drink. I’ll ask Matt and see if he’s free, yeah?”

“Yeah, of course. Sounds good. I’ll see you at home later.”

~~~~

We all decided to go to a well-known, local watering hole. It was a pretty big place but it wasn’t overly crowded, which was probably due to the fact it was a week night.

Once we had our drinks in hand, we found a private place to sit so we could just chill and hang out.

“So, what’s going on at work, Lex? Are the women there driving you crazy again?” I knew she had some issues with some of her co-workers but normally she didn’t let it get to her, choosing to ignore them and go on about her business instead.

“No, this time it isn’t about the women.” She gazed out toward the crowd, not really looking at anyone in particular but instead, staring out into thin air. I bumped her shoulder with my own, nudging her to tell us what the problem was at work. “It’s the new boss,” she finally confessed.

She had mentioned to me once before the marketing firm she worked for was recently bought out.  Now, apparently, she didn’t like who was in charge.

“What’s wrong with the boss?” Matt chimed into the conversation.

“Well, for starters, he’s unbelievably hot,” Alexa grunted.

“Why is that a problem?” Matt and I amusingly said at the same time, which only made us laugh harder, gaining a faint smirk from Alexa.

“It’s a problem because I can’t fully concentrate on my job when he’s loitering around next to me. I feel inadequate when he asks me a question and I have to have him repeat himself. Then there are times where I swear he’s considering firing my distracted ass. All of it has made for a very stressful situation over the past few weeks.”

She took a long drink after spilling all her information.

Matt wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “You have to figure out ways to steer clear of him then. Do you sit close to him? If you do, can you request to move your office somewhere else?”

“His office is at the far end of our floor, so asking to move would kind of seem ridiculous. And it’s not like I see him all day long, but when I do, I can’t control my wandering thoughts.” Slumping forward a little, she continued with, “I just have to suck it up and get over it. Somehow.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, Lex. Plus, it’s not the worst problem to have at work. A hot boss? We can all only dream.” I tried to make her see there were worse things which could happen in the workplace. Having someone nice to look at wasn’t really one of them.

“I have a hot boss,” Matt commented, which made us all laugh.

“Yes, you do, my friend,” I replied, flicking my hair over my shoulder.

As I turned my head while goofing off, I caught a glimpse of Alek standing near the bar. I wonder what he’s doing here. It was weird to find someone like him in such a casual place. The shock of actually seeing him took a few seconds to wear off.

As I contemplated walking over there and saying hello, I saw a blonde woman shimmy up next to him, running her hands all over him as if they were a couple.

My heart sank.

I knew we weren’t exclusive. Hell, we weren’t even dating, but the sight of him with someone else was too much.

Trying to convince myself to play it cool, I looked away from the offensive sight and turned back toward my friends. Don’t think about him. Don’t you dare think about him. But I did. I did think about him. How could I not? He’d consumed my every thought recently. And there he was, across the bar, with some beautiful…bitch. Yeah, I know. I’m being catty, but as long as I don’t voice it, it’s okay. My secret is safe with me.

My thoughts were interrupted when Matt nudged me. “Isn’t that Alek over there, Sara?” He leaned closer to get a better look. “Who’s the woman with him?” he asked, continuing to stare.

“Yeah, it’s him, and I don’t know who she is.” I tried to appear unaffected, but inside I was a wreck. “If you guys will excuse me, I need another drink. I’ll be right back.” I was sure they could see I was upset.

Sneaking through the crowd so he wouldn’t see me, I found a place on the opposite side of the bar. Luckily, I was able to get served upon arrival, nursing my drink while I thought about what I should do. Should I say hi? Should I make him introduce me to his friend? Should I ignore him? Damn it! I had no idea. My heart beat fast as I tried to decipher which emotion was actually plaguing me.

Anger?

Heartache?

Jealousy?

A mixture of all three?

I wasn’t in my seat two minutes when I heard his voice behind me. Because my mind was all over the place, I never even thought to keep an eye out for whether or not he actually saw me.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough to drink, Sara?” he asked as he reached across me and tried to push my drink away. His scent enveloped me, making me think all sorts of crazy thoughts. Squaring my shoulders, my body went rigid as I slowly turned around in my seat. I couldn’t let on to the effect he had on me. I was too upset.

I guess I’m settling on the emotion of anger.

“I can take care of myself, Mr. Devera. Thank you very much. But if you insist on feigning interest over someone, why don’t you do it with your date?” I huffed, pointing toward the woman who was all too happy rubbing against him. 

“Who exactly are you referring to?” He knows exactly who I mean.

“The woman who has been hanging all over you. The one who obviously thinks you’re an item,” I snarled, anger sneaking out on the tip of every word.

I turned back around and reached for my drink, but he was much quicker than I was. He abruptly grabbed it and handed it off to the bartender before I could utter my objection.

“Alek, what the hell? You can’t possibly think you can stand there and dictate how much I’m allowed to drink. You have absolutely no right and you know it.” He had such nerve, toying with me, pretending to be interested in me, even inviting me to dinner at his house. Then showing up with some other woman.

I knew us running into one another was a coincidence, but still.

“I have every right since I seem to be the only one who is constantly looking out for your well-being.”

“Oh, okay,” I scoffed. “Yeah, I’m really in an unsafe place right now, surrounded by all these people. Not to mention my friends are with me. Get over yourself.”

I motioned for the bartender, waiting for him to make his way over. I wasn’t going to let him get away with treating me like I was some stupid female who couldn’t handle her liquor. Admittedly, sometimes I became a bit tipsy, but if I wasn’t driving, what did it matter? I didn’t drink much to begin with, so I didn’t see the harm in letting loose every once in a while. I can’t even believe he’s making me justify wanting a drink, to myself nonetheless.

“Like I said, go control your date’s every move…not mine.”

“She is not my date!” he barked. I’d obviously wormed my way under his skin. Good. It was the least I could do given the shitty circumstance.

He calmed down right away, running his fingers up and down my arm. “I only have eyes for you, Sara. Don’t you know that by now?”

“Go sell that crap to someone who will believe you, Alek.” My statement made him wince.

I shrugged my arm away from his touch, burning a hole right through the back of the bartender. I’d never wanted a drink more than I did at that exact moment. I needed it to calm my rising nerves, but I also wanted it simply to aggravate Alek.

Finally, the bartender made his way back over but before I could give him my order, Alek told him to cut me off, informing him I wasn’t allowed any more to drink. The bartender simply nodded. “Sure thing, Mr. Devera. Whatever you say.”

I turned around so quickly, I smashed right into him. Damn, can’t he give me any room? “You’re such an arrogant ass,” I mumbled through clenched teeth. “What gives you the right to cut me off? I’ve only had two drinks so far tonight. That’s far from being at the point where you should be concerned, not that you should even be concerned about what I’m doing.” Admittedly, I was allowing my emotions to take over, reacting more dramatically than I would have with anyone else.

It’s all his fault, really.

The bastard actually smiled at me. Ugh, I had to get away from him before I really snapped out and lost it. I wasn’t a violent person, not by any means, but I was struggling with not throat-punching him right then. I tried to wriggle free of my seat, but he blocked my escape.

“Move,” I said, a little too calmly. I was trying to rein it in, no matter how hard it was. I put my hands on his chest, trying to make him back up, but he didn’t move. Not one step. He laughed at my feeble attempt, stepping even closer than he was before.

“I’m not going anywhere and neither are you, Sara. Not without me, at least.” As he was about to reach for me, the woman who had been rubbing against him earlier saddled up to him, seized his hand and attempted to pull him close.

At first glance, she was a very attractive woman, her long, blonde hair trickling down her back in large waves. Her model-type figure instantly made me self-conscious, her pouty lips the final blow to my self-esteem. But the more I looked at her, the more I could tell she was someone who was only concerned about herself. Fakeness crept from every pore in her perfect body.

“Who do we have here?” she asked with reserved contempt, checking me out from head to toe. She tried to pull off sweet but failed miserably.

“Apparently no one,” I retorted. As Alek turned his head to look at her, I knocked him off-balance enough to take a step back. It was all the room I needed to escape. And escape I did. Quickly. I ran through the place looking for Alexa and Matt. I knew they were there somewhere, but it was hard to peer through the sea of people.

“Sara!” Alek yelled behind me, his voice too close for comfort. I broke out in a run, dodging in and out of the other patrons, still searching for a glimpse of my friends. Oh, where are they?

Finally, I saw Matt standing in the far corner, talking to a very handsome guy. They were standing a little too close, but not enough for anyone to think they were anything except good buddies. But since I knew his secret, I saw what was obvious to me.

I hastily made my way over to them. “Matt, are you leaving anytime soon?” I was out of breath but I didn’t want to alarm him, trying my best to calm down as quickly as possible.

“Yeah, I was about to head out in a few minutes. Why? What’s wrong? You look like someone’s been chasing you.” He hit the nail on the head and he doesn’t even know it.

“No, I was just flustered because I couldn’t find you guys.” I broke eye contact with him and scanned the area near us. “Where’s Alexa?”

“She’s somewhere out on the dance floor. You know her; a good song is all it takes.” He reached for my hand and pulled me into him, suddenly glancing from me to the guy standing on his other side.

I nudged him. Hard. “Introduce me to your friend.”

“Oh, sorry. Sara, this is Marcus. Marcus, this is my dear friend, Sara.”

“Very nice to meet you, Marcus.” He was very attractive, not as handsome as Matt, but pretty darn close. His ashy-blond hair complemented his light brown eyes. He actually reminded me of the boy next door but with some sex appeal.

We were engaged in light conversation when I felt someone tug on my arm. Glancing over, I saw Alek standing behind me, crowding my personal space.

“Can I have a word, please?” he asked, trying to appear calm, but I saw the cracks in his appearance. I could see right through his façade and it made me smile…on the inside, of course. I was happy to see I’d had a profound effect on the infuriating man.

“No. I don’t have anything to say to you, so you may as well leave.” I stood firm, my resolve unshakable. Okay, it was shakable, but I tried very hard to pull off the opposite effect.

Completely ignoring me, he grabbed my hand and tried to tug me away from Matt—who, by the way, was in the crosshairs of Alek’s dangerous scowl. They clearly didn’t care for one another. Matt didn’t trust Alek, for reasons unknown to me. And Alek wasn’t fully convinced Matt didn’t want to sleep with me. The thought alone was absurd. He had no romantic feelings for me at all, but there was no getting that through Alek’s thick skull.

“Five minutes. Please, Sara,” he implored, which I found surprising coming from a man with his type of power and wealth. I couldn’t imagine him even asking for the attention of the opposite sex, let alone trying to convince them to be alone with him.

When he didn’t let go, Matt felt as if he should step in on my behalf. “She said no, Alek, so why don’t you get lost?”

Oh, no!

“Well, Matt, this is none of your business. This is between me and Sara. I’m warning you. Don’t interfere.” He was quite literally glaring at Matt, tempting him to make a move.

“You’re warning me? Who the fuck do you think you are?” Matt yelled as he advanced toward him. With my eyes practically bugging out of my head, I sucked in a quick breath, glanced from one man to the other, and put myself smack dab in the middle of them.

“Who am I? I’m the guy who’s gonna kick your fucking ass if you don’t mind your own goddamn business.” He was practically spitting at Matt, so I knew I had to act quickly. I put my hands up and gripped his upper arms to try and get him to back up. Holy shit! He was even more defined than I remembered; he would surely hurt Matt if it escalated any further.

Although Matt was fit, muscular and could hold his own, I was sure he was no match for Alek. The man was not only taller than Matt, but he was physically bigger and would surely put a hurtin’ on him. I didn’t want any of that to happen. While I’d appreciated Matt sticking up for me, I didn’t want him to be put in the position of defending me.

“Alek, come on. You wanted five minutes? I’ll give you five minutes, but you have to move. Now!” I practically shouted in his face. His icy stare slowly shifted from Matt to me, his face gradually changing when his eyes connected with mine.

As we were walking away, I heard Matt yell after us. “This isn’t over, Devera!” I knew Alek heard him because he sucked in a breath and made to turn around, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the front door.

He nearly crushed my fingers, letting up some when I smacked him on the arm. “Is it your intention to break my hand?”

“Sorry. I just love the feeling of touching you. I get a little overexcited, I guess,” he confessed, smiling at me. You would never know he’d almost been involved in a fist fight a minute ago. The man was the master at switching moods when it suited him, which could be somewhat dangerous, depending on the situation.

I let go of his hand when we reached the sidewalk and saw his face fall, although he recovered quickly.

“You would be wise to tell Matt to back off in the future, or next time there won’t be any warning.”

“Matt was only trying to protect me. You of all people should understand that. You should be grateful I have a friend who cares enough about me to stick up for me, especially against a crazy man such as yourself.” I tried to get him to see how ridiculous he was being, but I probably wouldn’t convince him.

“I will admit nothing. And I’m still not convinced he doesn’t have an ulterior motive, Sara.”

“Alek.” I sighed. “I’m not going over it again. I told you before. Matt is gay. Please, let it go already,” I huffed. The look on his face was truly priceless. I’m sure he’s not used to having people dismiss him. Ever.

“We’ll see.” His eyes flicked all around, taking note of our surroundings before shifting his penetrative stare in my direction.

“So, what’s so important you had to cause a scene? What did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, kind of already knowing what he wanted to discuss.

“I wanted to make sure you knew I didn’t come here with Jacinda. I know what it must look like, but I swear there’s nothing between us. I’m only interested in you, Sara. Please, trust me.”

Trust you? Well, maybe don’t let another woman grope you.

“Did you ever sleep with her?” Oh, my God, I can’t believe I just asked him that. He’d probably tell me no, though.

Without missing a beat, he answered. “Yes, but it was a long time ago.” Okay, I didn’t see that one coming, but at least he’s being honest. Although, I then had a picture in my head of the two of them rolling around naked, and it started to make me see red.

Which led me to my next awful thought. Why was he pursing me when he could just as easily hook up with her? Anyone could see how much she wanted him.

“Well, she obviously wants you. So...uh, why don’t you leave me alone?” He managed to fluster me, making me trip over my own damn words.

Narrowing his eyes, he bit his lower lip and tried to come up with something to say in response to my little outburst.

“Are you jealous, Sara? Are you jealous of Jacinda?”     

What the hell? Is he mocking me?

“Of her? Really? Be jealous over someone who is so obviously fake? I don’t think so!” I exclaimed, and quite loudly, too. I knew I was being petty, but I didn’t care.

“You’re right. There’s no need to be jealous of Jacinda. No need at all.”

Stop saying her name!

“But she obviously wants you, Alek,” I repeated. “Try and deny it.”

“I’m fully aware she wants me. But I don’t want her. I want you. It’s as simple as that. I thought you knew this already.”

The words came out before I could stop them. “Why would you want me when you can have her?” Shit! I can’t believe I asked him another stupid question. Nothing like putting it out there how vulnerable and insecure I was.

When he didn’t respond, I forced myself to look up into his gorgeous face, the square of his jaw ticking as if annoyed. Would he all of a sudden realize I was right and he should be with her? Would he instantly become aware of how ridiculous it was to chase someone who fought him at every turn? I didn’t know, but I hoped not.

With every fiber of my delicate heart, I hoped not.

After what seemed like forever, he finally broke the silence. “Why would I want someone like her when I have someone like you? You’re the total package, Sara. Don’t you see that?”

I was stunned.

Truly stunned and a bit confused.

“You are beyond beautiful and have a body which makes me want to lose my mind every time I have the pleasure of looking at it, let alone touching it. You’re a strong woman who is not afraid to speak your mind, ever. And although you are the most obstinate, exasperating woman I have ever met, you make me feel things I’ve never felt before, not with anyone. So again, I ask you, why would I want someone like her, or anyone else for that matter, when I have someone like you?”

He was holding my chin up toward his face to make sure I could see the sincerity in his eyes.

Without letting another second pass, he pulled me into his embrace and proceeded to kiss me with a passion which should’ve only been reserved for private. But I gave in to him because I couldn’t hold back any longer, either. His arms snaked around my back and gripped my shirt, trying to pull me impossibly close. It wasn’t until I released a small moan into his mouth did he really unleash his possessiveness toward me. His tongue invaded my mouth, trying to claim every piece of me. His dominant ways were evident through his kiss and I found myself loving every minute of it.

We were sadly interrupted when Alexa and Matt came bustling outside looking for me. It was getting late, and I had a busy day ahead of me at the shop. Shuffling his feet near the entrance to the bar, Matt kept his eyes locked on Alek, glancing over at me every few seconds to make sure I was okay. Alexa, on the other hand, had an ear-splitting grin plastered on her face. When she caught my attention, she winked and made an O face. She actually made me laugh. She was so brazen, not caring what anyone thought, which made her actions funnier to me.

A few seconds of awkward silence followed. “Well, I guess I should be going now,” I said, taking a step back. A step he clearly didn’t like, but there wasn’t any more we were going to do that night. I had to go, and he knew it.

“Can I give you a ride home?” he asked as he invaded my personal space again.

“Thanks, but I came here with my friends and I should leave with them, as well.” His face fell. “But I’ll see you tomorrow night?” It was a question, not a statement. I knew he’d just declared his like for me, but I wanted to be sure he meant it and wasn’t only keeping me on the line as a back-up. Back-up for what, I had no idea. But then again, all of the thoughts which ran through my mind didn’t make a lick of sense.

He reached for my hand, his eyes quickly shifting to Matt before he leaned in and gave me another kiss. A passionate, lust-filled kiss.

He was marking me. Claiming me in front of the one guy he viewed as a threat.

I sure hope he isn’t thinking of throwing me over his shoulder and beating his chest like a caveman.

That would be taking it a little too far.