7
MICHAEL
I hadn’t heard from her in days. My body needed her near. The vixen knew just how to turn me into a whimpering puppy, but fuck did I want to be her Wolf when she was near.
I was nervous tonight. I hadn’t been around this many people in a while. My family was here, my Ma, my sisters were wandering around. They enjoyed being a part of my world, they were my rock, the people who had my back. Yet the one person I needed to be by my side, was nowhere in sight.
I stole a champagne glass from a passing waitress and made my way down the long corridors of the convention center. Book signings and readings were never my thing. I was never comfortable in these events, fans tended to get a little riled up and I wasn’t ever really good at public speaking. But my temptress had practically seduced me into agreeing to read an excerpt of my work.
“You need to get out there. It will be good for you, for your fans, to see your handsome face. They’ll melt when they listen to your voice.”
I smiled, remembering her wink and shy smile. She was a sweet little flirt. The past three months I’d been consumed by her. The more I wanted to ignore her, the more the pull was there. It was a mix of ups and downs with her, she ignited my blood so quick and I hers. I liked how hot tempered she was, it meant she had passion, she had conviction, and she wasn’t going to let me walk all over her.
The intensity between us had grown, and ever since that morning all we did now was argue. I was still heated from the last fight we had. She made my blood hot, yet I craved more, the fights taking off a bit of the edge. There was no denying it; she was tempting me in ways that involved loins tangling and sweaty bodies gyrating.
Fuck, the last argument pushed us both to say things we didn’t mean and we practically threw this whole shit show out the window.
FUCK!
“Why don’t you listen to me? I told you she was bad news. She’s going to have your name all over the tabloids within seconds!”
I narrowed my eyes on the pretty brunette in front of me and anger poured through me. “I’ve known her a lot longer than you think. I trust her!”
“She spreads rumors, Mike! I could only imagine what she’s going to say about you. Why don’t you understand I only want what’s best for you?”
“I think you’re just jealous as fuck! What? Another woman can’t have my attention?”
“Don’t be a jackass! I’m only looking out for your best interests.”
She looked down at her hands and the blush that encompassed her cheeks gave her away. We were discussing my previous Book Editor. I had asked her to accompany me to the book reading. I wanted to make sure she was also recognized for the work she had done. I thought I was doing a good deed, but my fiery Production Editor had not been happy in the least bit.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were bringing her back.”
“She was one of the best editors I had.”
She went to say something but kept her mouth closed. “You have no idea,” she shook her head.
“What is that supposed to mean? What are you not telling me?”
“She’ll fucking ruin you, and you’re just paving the way with bright red roses.”
“Tsk, tsk, Miss Montes. Curse words don’t suit you.”
She glared at me and all I could do was shrug. “I’m not getting in the middle of some petty catfight. Go ahead and claw each other’s eyes out, just keep me out of it.”
I slumped down in my desk chair and propped a leg on my knee. Leaning back I stared over at the beauty in my office. The logs in the fireplace crackled softly in the distance, and the light emanating from the mantle illuminated her in a warm glow. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glittered with anger.
I smirked as my eyes wandered down the front of her blue silk shirt which outlined the curves of her plush breasts. Her pencil skirt hugged her well-rounded curves and ended just above her knee, giving me a full view of toned sun-kissed calves. Fuck, she was delectable.
“I can’t do this,” she shook her head and when she bent over to grab her purse, I held back a groan. Her round ass was driving me insane.
“Where are you going?” I got up and stood in her way. There was no way she was leaving like this.
“I’m not going to argue about this. Nor do I feel the need to compete with anyone. If you don’t trust me there’s nothing I can do about that.”
“She’s been good to me.”
Her eyebrow raised and that fire in her sparked. “Has she? Well good for you, I suppose my job here is done then.”
She went to walk past me and I grabbed her elbow, halting her. She stared down at my hand and then up at me, her brown eyes all doe-eyed and pretty.
“You’re jealous?” I smirked.
“Ha! Please.” She took a step closer to me and shoved a finger into my chest. “I’m a professional. I don’t go around being jealous of an inexperienced Book Editor who spends her time traipsing around to see who else to spread her legs for.”
“She has never...”
She raised a hand, cutting me off. “I’m done!”
“No, we are not!” I roared, pulling her against me and wrapped my arm around her waist.
She gasped and her lips parted while her cheeks turned that lovely pink. “Let me go, Michael.”
It was the first time I’d held her this close. The first time her curves were fully pressed against me, the first time her hair tickled my cheek. I turned my head and breathed in the floral scent of her shampoo.
“Sugar,” I whispered.
Her breathing was labored as she stood very still in my arms. “Don’t call me that.”
“Why not, you know you love it.”
“What do you want, Michael?”
“Stop. Please, stop.”
“I’m not the one keeping me here.”
“Why can’t we just stop for a second? I just want to continue to work together as we’ve always done from the beginning.” We were so far from where we started, so far from the innocent touch and the shy laugh. This was pure raw emotion and it was sending us spiraling into a dark unknown that had us both holding our breaths in anticipation and unease.
“Because you just went behind my back and hired a person I have no respect for. Which in turn, makes me think you don’t trust me.”
I brushed a soft thread of hair behind the curve of her ear and ran a finger across her cheek, tilting her chin up so her eyes met mine.
“There’s only you.”
“What?”
“I trust only you.”
Her breath hitched and her grip tightened on my jacket. “Then trust me when I tell you she’s bad news.”
“I can’t do that. She’s also been a good friend. Please don’t make me choose.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and when she reopened them, that fire sparked again. “You don’t have to. I’ve already done that for you. Choose her. I don’t need this bullshit anyway.”
She turned to leave and I chuckled, twirling her right back into me. My forehead pressed against hers, our breaths mingling.
“Why do you have to be so demanding?”
“Why do you have to be so frustrating?”
Our lips were brushing against one another, her breath ragged from her anger, those pretty breasts rising and falling against my chest. I wanted to finally press my lips to her sensual mouth, but if I did we’d be crossing a line. A line that I didn’t want to cross, one that needed to be engraved in our souls.
I took a step away before I broke all my inhibitions. “She’s coming with me whether you like it or not.”
“Well then, good luck with everything, Mr. Knight.” She reached her hand out for me to shake setting that boundary between us.
“Oh, you have a fiery temper,” I growled. I didn’t believe she would do it.
“I have no time for this, Mr. Knight. As I said, it’s been a pleasure working with you.”
I stared at her in partial shock, partial admiration. She wasn’t one to be swayed easily and I loved that about her. Grabbing her hand, I squeezed it tightly.
“Take care of yourself, Miss Montes.”
She nodded and tears glimmered in those deep brown eyes of hers. “Take care of yourself, Mr. Knight.”
SHE WALKED out on me that evening and I hadn’t stopped her. As the days flew by without seeing her I realized that I missed her. I missed her ideas and her giggles, her fiery temper, and her demanding ways. I missed the hell out of her. Somehow, somewhere deep inside, I knew she’d taken a piece of me with her.
I wandered down the corridors trying to avoid as many people as possible. I needed to get my mind out of the gutter, but since she left I hadn’t been able to write. My mind kept wandering to my fiery beauty and like a petulant child who's lost his toy, I wanted her back. I ached for her nearness, for her eyes, her breath, the scent of citruses that was slowly dissipating day by day from my office.
As I made my rounds, dodged a few people, said hello to a few others, I finally came to the edge of the dance floor and stopped dead in my tracks.
There she was, she hadn’t left me, and she looked absolutely divine tonight. I’d never seen her this way before. Her hair was swept up exposing her soft neckline, her dress draped across two voluptuous breasts, it dipped into her waistline and hugged her hips before flowing down to her feet. But what held me mesmerized was the red tint on her lips. A dark crimson that had me fisting my hands and fighting with my cock to gain some control.
My imagination went out of control with her as I pictured her sliding down my body in that black dress of hers. On her knees before me, stroking me, sucking me with those pretty red lips wrapped around me and those dark brown eyes solely on me.
“Goddamn it,” I gritted out as I turned to the bar.
This had to be some kind of fucking joke or a never-ending nightmare. That I couldn’t control myself around her, that as much as I let her go that night, I missed every fucking second without her. I wanted to talk to her about my work, run ideas by her, yet when I had turned to look for her, I was alone. I was always alone.
For the most part, there was no one to turn to, to talk to, but we were a solid community when you found the right people, and she was the right people. She was my right person.
“Darling, where did you disappear to?” A hand swept up my arm and I turned to find Reece Bartley leaning up against me. She was tall, thin, pale skin, short brown hair, she was pretty in her own way, but I always had my apprehensions with her. She was dangerous, and I wasn’t a stupid man.
“Reece,” I cautioned but she took no heed in my voice, or at least pretended the warning wasn’t there. Instead, she simply smiled up at me. Leaning forward her breasts nearly spilled out of her low décolletage as she tried to get the attention of the bartender. They were fake, not as soft and plush as my vixen’s behind us.
“A white wine, please.”
Go figure, play it safe. My eyes wandered to the beauty a few steps away from me and in her hand, she held a martini glass with her favorite, a Sweet Manhattan.
Seductress.
The thought kept fluttering in my brain as a new idea started to form, a new storyline, new characters. Taking out my pen and the leather notepad I kept tucked in my suit jacket, I started to jot down notes of sultry red lips and obsession.
“Is everything alright, baby?”
I cringed at Reece’s choice of words. I simply held up my hand stopping her from saying another word as I wrote it all down. I heard her sigh beside me, but I ignored her. I wasn’t sure why I had invited her, but when I did I hadn’t expected for her to cling onto me the entire night. I almost uninvited her after the argument I had with my temptress. But I lived to piss Adriana off, so I brought her anyway.
What I needed to be clear on with my former Book Editor was that this wasn’t a date. The last thing I wanted was for Adriana to misinterpret this whole thing and then she’d never return to me. I turned to address the situation when I realized Reece was no longer by my side.
Better for me, I thought. At least she wasn’t suffocating me. She had this tendency of doing so, which is why I was glad in the last few months I hadn’t had to work with her. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to her, but she was a handful. Always in my business, always wanting that fame and glory that was never going to be hers. Her greediness always getting her in trouble.
I took a long drag of the amber liquid, letting the burn flow down my throat. I needed to feel something other than this emptiness I’d been feeling since she left. I turned and spotted her with Reece on the other side of the dance floor. Adriana looked a bit agitated and I wondered what little lies Reece was filling her head with.
Setting down the empty glass, I ordered another drink. I turned and fixed my eyes on her. Her chocolate orbs eventually met mine and when I winked, that blush I loved so much shown on those pretty cheeks of hers. There was no way she was getting away from me tonight.
Whoever said she had the right to walk away and leave me like that? And besides, she had a contract to fulfill and my book wasn’t fucking finished yet.