I SHOULD HAVE SAID NO.
I should’ve just blown Ellie off then apologized for it the next time I saw her. Blaming it on a business issue that needed my immediate attention. But I didn’t. Because right now I’m standing at the bar in the middle of a trendy downtown restaurant waiting for Ellie the way a dog would wait for a bone.
I’ll give it to Mark. He knows where to throw a party. You had to walk through a pawn shop to get into the place. The first floor is a lounge. The second is where dinner is served. The diners can look down over the railing at the patrons mingling on the white leather couches shrouded in florescent light. Like a legal peep show.
Only in fucking Manhattan.
I’ve already said hello to Mark and some other employees of his. I was introduced to some of his other clients as well. Very kissy kissy, shaky shaky business shit. It goes with the territory. Now I’m sucking down bourbon like a drain in a distillery, regretting that I’m here. I regret even more that I told Ellie she has nice tits. Good going. Then, just to add fuel to the fire, I told her I was an ass man. If she only knew how true that was. It’s exactly why I shouldn’t be here. Ellie is too sweet. Too playful. I would never want to take those traits away from her. She reminds me of a frisky kitten tangled in a strand of yarn. She has no idea how tangled she’ll be if she gets involved with me.
I slug some more bourbon. If she’s not here by the time I finish this drink, I’m out. I suck down the last drops of alcohol in the glass and get ready to jet.
That’s when I spot her. I stop dead in my tracks as she walks toward me. She’s wearing a scrap of material I think she’s trying to pass off as a dress. It’s all skintight, long-sleeved, and super short.
“Hi.” She greets me with a bright smile. “Are you leaving?”
I jingle the keys in my hand. I should say yes. I should bolt out of this room and never look back. But instead I say, “I was beginning to think you stood me up.”
“Never. I’m a woman. We’re always fashionably late.” She bats her eyelashes flirtatiously.
Not if you were my woman.
“Buy you a drink?” I ask as I greedily ingest every sexy inch of her in that skintight dress.
“Yes please, a vodka and tonic with lemon.”
“Lemon?” I curl my lip.
“Yes.” She giggles.
“Most people drink it with a lime.”
Ellie shrugs. “I’m not most people.”
You certainly are not.
I order our drinks just as Mark appears from the masses. “There she is. My magic glitter in high heels.” He holds out his arms like she’s a Broadway diva who just gave the performance of her life.
He’s definitely a little trashed. It’s only when Ellie turns to kiss Mark hello do I notice the back of her dress; a huge oval cut-out is exposing her bare skin. Holy shit. It’s provocative as hell, and I nearly choke.
“So glad you could make it, Kayne.” He shakes my hand and tells me again—for the third time. “Take care of my little Ellie here. She’s leaving us soon, and I won’t be able to find my ass without her.”
“Aww,” Ellie coos. “That is the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Hold on to your knickers, kid. If you’re even wearing any under that dress. It barely covers your bottom,” he muses.
And I love it.
Mark pauses, looking between us with his bloodshot eyes. “What was I saying?”
“Goodbye,” I chime in.
He lifts his glass to cheer us and goes on his merry way. I shake my head as he gets lost in the crowd. He is a character. Brilliant, but still a character.
“When do you start school?” I ask Ellie as the bartender serves us our drinks.
“September. I finally made my decision.”
“And where are you going?”
“Hawaii. I mailed the deposit check on my way here.” She’s practically glowing.
“Definitely the school I would have picked,” I say, excited for her, yet at the same time I suddenly feel sad. I shake off the odd sentiment. Maybe the bourbon is going to my head. I raise my glass. “To rainbows, surfing, and getting lei’d.”
Ellie laughs freely, clinking my glass. “To getting lei’d.” Our eyes linger long after we take a sip of our drinks. I feel the heated stare radiate through the whole room.
“Do you want to sit?” I finally ask her.
“Sure.” She bites on her little red straw enticingly. Don’t look at me like that Ellie. I want to tell her. I want to warn her. It will only get you into trouble. Who am I kidding? Just by me being here, she’s in trouble.
It’s putting us both in trouble.
“I like your dress.” I lean into her, glancing down at her barely covered ass. She smells sweet. Like cotton candy. “Did you wear it to get someone’s attention?”
“Yes.”
“Whose?”
“Yours.” She looks straight into my eyes.
“You’ve got it,” I murmur in her ear. “Undividedly.”
Aww, shit. If I’m going to hell, I might as well have some fun getting there. Presently in the form of a playful little kitten named Ellie. I take her hand and lead her to the darkest, most hidden corner of the room. We sit on one of the white leather couches, and she snuggles into me as the catchy tune of Sing by Ed Sheeran resonates around us. It’s the perfect match for the trendy atmosphere and flirtatious vibe.
Trouble. So much trouble.
Ellie and I talk about this and that. Nothing of utter importance. I can’t remember the last time I had a mundane conversation. She tells me how much she hates spiders because one crawled into her shirt when she was child and scared her half to death. I tell her how I hate cinnamon but can chew an entire pack of Big Red gum.
By our second drink, my hand is on her knee. By the third, it’s on her thigh and we’re both having trouble denying the uninhibited attraction kindling between us.
“Kayne?” Ellie sighs as I stroke my thumb right under the hem of her scarcely there dress.
I lean into her, my face an inch away from hers. “Ellie. Do you really want this with me?” I give her one chance for an out. If she consents, I’m taking her back to my penthouse and fucking her till morning.
“Yes.” Her voice doesn’t waver. Then she spreads her legs a little wider and allows my hand to move farther up her thigh, a whisper away from the sweet spot I have been fantasizing about for over a year.
“There’s something you should know about me.” I brush my lips against hers.
“What’s that?” She returns the affection by sliding her tongue into my mouth. Little lioness.
I like to dominate. I want submission. I’ll tie you up and have my way with you until you beg me to stop.
“Kayne?” She breathes my name, and I nearly combust.
“Ellie, I—”
“Amigo?” I’m interrupted by a thick Spanish accent. I glare up at the man standing in front of us, and Ellie shifts uncomfortably away from me. I could decapitate Javier. The homegrown Mexican scumbag—and my house guest for the next I don’t know how long—has just ruined a defining moment. I stand menacingly and shake his hand.
“I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow,” I say as politely as possible.
“I caught an early flight.” He slaps my shoulder. “Too excited to see you.”
Ellie watches our exchange. I can’t tell if she notices anything is off or not.
“Ellie?” I hold out my hand for her to stand up. “Would you mind getting some water?” I pull out a fifty. She nods with a small smile, acknowledging both of us. She takes the money then slips silently away.
When Ellie is out of earshot, I snap at Javier. “What the fuck are you doing showing your face here?”
“Your driver said you were out for the evening. Sounded like fun.” He smiles at me with that wicked grin that I want to wipe right off his face.
“I don’t think it’s wise to be seen in public together.” I speak through clenched teeth.
Javier shrugs. “It’s dark in here.”
I huff.
“The girl, is she one of yours?” He ogles in the direction of the bar, where Ellie is standing with her back to us, ass on display.
“Not exactly.”
“Available then?” He raises his eyebrows.
“For what?” I sneer.
“Something to occupy my time with while I’m here. She looks entertaining.” His eyes sparkle with something sinister, something that spurs a disturbing memory to flash before me.
It feels like someone just tied a noose around my neck.
“I have plenty of girls to keep your time occupied,” I inform him directly.
“Yes, but I want that girl. In my room. Tied to my bed, tonight.”
Why? So you can rape her repeatedly and beat her within an inch of her life? Like hell.
“I’m afraid that can’t happen,” I respond coolly, while my blood simmers in my veins.
“And why is that?”
I make a drastic decision.
“Because I’ve already claimed her. She’s mine.”
I just fucking hung myself.
“I DIDN’T REALIZE YOU WERE in the business of acquiring slaves.”
My heart rate spikes. “I wasn’t, but spending time with you has given me a new perspective.”
Javier’s mouth twists. “Glad to be an influence. Too bad you found her first.”
“Yeah, well, you know what they say. Finders keepers and all.”
“Yes.” He looks at me perversely, and I don’t like it one bit. His black eyes are hollow. Soulless. I know all too well what he’s capable of. “Better keep her close.”
Oh, I will.
I pull my keys out of my pocket and slap them into Javier’s hand. “Get out of here. My Maserati is parked in the lot on the corner. Hit Mansion on the GPS. It will direct you where to go.”
I watch as Ellie approaches. Completely innocent. Completely unaware her whole life is about to change. Tonight.
Javier lifts her hand and brings it to his mouth when she reaches us. “Señorita.”
He sounds so suave. So genuine. I want to punch his goddamn lights out for even touching her.
He doesn’t say a word to me when he leaves.
I look down regretfully at Ellie. I knew I put her in danger by being here. I just didn’t realize how much fucking danger.
“Are you ready to go?” I ask. My heart twists, but my arousal roars to life.
“Yes.” She’s so sure, so confident. She has no idea who she’s leaving with.
“Leave first. I’ll have my driver pick you up in the back alley. I think it will look better if we go separately.”
She nods, all blushed cheeks and starry eyes. I wonder if she’ll look at me that way in the morning. I watch grimly as Ellie walks away. Then I pull out my phone.
“Jett,” I snap at my driver, the house caretaker, and my best friend. “Why the fuck would you bring him here?”
“He whipped out a knife and demanded that I take him wherever you were. Bit mistrusting, don’t you think?”
“Coming in a day early unannounced? Nah.”
In the business we’re in, trust is a nonexistent commodity. “Why didn’t you let me know he was here before you picked him up?”
“I called and text, shithead.”
I pull the phone away from my ear and check it. It’s on silent. Stupid fuck. And sure enough there are several missed calls and texts. I groan in frustration.
“We have a situation,” I tell Jett as I hurry through the restaurant. “Meet me out front. I sent Javier back in the Maserati.”
“Oh, that was smart. I wonder what kind of trouble he can get into with that,” Jett patronizes.
“He better not get in any. It’s risky enough he’s on American soil.”
“True. So what’s the situation?”
“Ellie.”
“Ellie? The girl you’ve been obsessing over?”
“I haven’t been obsessing!” I snap.
“Mmmm hmmmm,” Jett responds. “She rejected you? Need some ice cream?”
“No, cocksucker. Javier. He wants her. I made an executive decision.”
“Oh no. Kayne, you and executive decisions are never good.” He sounds worried.
“Yeah, well, it was either that or let Javier get his sadistic hands on her. And like hell I was going to let that happen.” Another disturbing image flashes across my mind. I shudder. “You have any stuff stashed?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Jett pulls up just as I get outside. I hop in the limo. “Go around to the back alley. Where’s the stuff?”
“Under the ice bin,” he tells me, looking straight ahead. The back of his blond head is all I can see.
I pull out the ice bin, grab one of the little white pills, and dissolve it in a glass of champagne. Ellie is waiting just where I told her to. I wasn’t lying when I said I was going to hell.
She slides in when Jett opens the door. I pull her near me, not wasting a moment, and devour her mouth. I need to taste it just one time with her permission. One time, while she still wants me.
She’s gripping my shirt by the time I pull away.
“Where are we going?” she asks, a little breathless as I hand her the champagne.
“My place.” I clink our glasses, and she takes a sip. “Drink up,” I urge. We both finish our champagne in record time. I only poured a quarter of a glass.
Then I pull her onto my lap, straddling her legs over mine. The sexual chemistry circling the car is potent enough to put an elephant on its ass. Speaking of asses, I grab Ellie’s and force her against me. She moans as her hips collide with mine. My cock has been swollen since the moment I saw her in that fucking dress, with her long goldish brown hair and sultry green eyes.
“Have you ever fucked in the back of a limo, Ellie?”
She shakes her head.
“Would you let me fuck you right here if I wanted to?”
“Yes.” Her eyes are starting to get heavy.
“Right answer. Good girl. Next time though, it’s yes, Kayne.”
Hell. I am going straight to hell.
“I feel funny.” She starts to sway.
“Too much to drink.” I steady her as her eyes roll into the back of her head and her body goes limp.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
A moment later she’s gone.
Passed out against me.