This Man

He sighs, shaking his head in a demonstration to his exasperation, before reaching down to pull me up. His eyes widen further when he gets the full frontal impact of the taboo dress. I start giggling again. It’ll probably need a trip to the dry cleaners now, after I’ve rolled around on the dirty bar floor.

I calm myself down. ‘Are you mad at me?’ I look up at him in my tipsy state, batting my eyelashes as I grip the front of his grey suit. Has he not been home at all today?

‘Crazy mad, Ava.’ he says threateningly, grabbing my elbow and leading me out of the bar. I spot the bouncer who stitched me up and narrow my eyes on him when I’m guided past. He claps hands with Jesse, giving me a disapproving head shake.

Oh, f**k off!

We find Sam helping Kate into the front seat of his Porsche, holding the top of her head as he lowers her in. She’s still giggling. It sets me off again.

‘Samuel, tonight is your lucky night!’ she sings as Sam shuts her in. I might me tipsy, but I know there’ll be no action in Kate’s bedroom tonight.

Jesse and Sam exchange goodbyes, Jesse keeping a firm grip of my elbow.

‘See ya, chick.’ Sam pecks my cheek, flashing me a quick private grin. I acknowledge it with my own, while concentrating hard on not laughing and pissing off my unreasonable man any more than necessary.

I’m lead to Jesse’s car, placed in the front seat, gently but firmly, and all in complete silence. He looks really mad, but I’m drunk and defiant, so I don’t care.

He reaches across me for my seatbelt, and I insolently bat him away. ‘I can put a seat belt on.’ I grumble moodily. I get landed with a don’t-push-me-look so, probably quite wisely, I place my hands in my lap, letting him lean across me to secure the belt. I steal an inhale of his scent. ‘You smell delicious.’ I inform him quietly.

He pulls back, his face still straight, his eyes still simmering with displeasure. But he doesn’t say a word. He’s giving me the silent treatment. How mature! He slams my door and slides in behind the wheel, pulling into the traffic haphazardly and with no consideration for other road users.

‘Kate’s house is that way.’ I point out, as he roars off in the wrong direction.

‘And?’ Is the terse one word answer I get spat at me.

Oh, for the love of God. ‘And… it’s where I live.’ I state firmly. He’s not completely trampling my night. Kate and I have some of our best discussions over a post alcohol cup of tea.

‘You’re staying at mine.’ He doesn’t even look at me.

‘No, that wasn’t part of the deal.’ I remind him. ‘I have until eight in the morning before you distract me again.’

‘I’ve changed the deal.’

‘You can’t change the deal!’

He slowly turns his face to mine. ‘You did.’

I recoil, giving him my most disgusted look, but I can’t think of anything to say. He’s right, I did break the rules of the deal, but that’s only because his conditions are so f**king unreasonable! I sit back in the soft, quilted leather and give up. It’s only eight-ish hours until eight o’clock anyway.

We pull up at Lusso and I groan. The only time Clive ever sees me is when I’m drunk or being carried in from exhaustion. I open the door and take cautious steps, lifting myself to a standing position. Jesse is watching me closely. No doubt, waiting for me to stumble so he can scoop me up and give Clive the impression that I’m blotto again.

Well, he’ll be disappointed. I shut the door softly and start walking towards the foyer. I must not stagger, I must not stagger. I reach the foyer, still in a vertical position, and give Clive a polite nod as I pass, but he doesn’t say a word. He nods back at me, and then flicks his eyes to Jesse. I know when he puts his head back down, without so much as a greeting, that he must have clocked Jesse’s fierce face. I huff to myself, enter the elevator and wait courteously for Jesse to step inside.

‘You need to get this code changed.’ I mutter, punching in the developer code. He only has to notify security and they’ll see to it immediately.

He doesn’t say a word. Oh, he’s really working the silent treatment well. I look up, finding him staring at me, studying me closely, completely expressionless. I’m certain that he’s about to pounce and give me some sort of Jesse style f**k. Would he be f**king sense into me, or would it be a reminder f**k? Oh, it’ll probably be an apology f**k! My tipsy brain relishes the thought, but then the elevator doors open and he steps out before me, leaving me to follow behind. I’m shocked. I would have put my life on the certainty of being jumped. Oh well, we’re not in his apartment yet.

He opens the door and strolls in, without so much as looking at me. I’m left to shut the door behind me and follow him into the kitchen, where I find him grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. He takes a few swigs before thrusting it at me.

I don’t bother pushing it away. Last Saturday and the memory of my aching head when I came around is enough of a motive to accept his offering. I drink the water under his watchful eye, placing the empty bottle on the worktop when I’m finished.

‘Turn around.’ he orders.

Oh, here we go! A million fireworks light up inside me as I follow through on his command, turning away from him, my libido screaming, my skin is prickling. The feeling of his warm hands skating over my shoulders has me clenching my jaw and drawing steadying breaths. He grasps the zip of my dress and slowly pulls it down, making a point of sliding his hands down my sides as he drags it down my body, kneeling as he goes. My ankle is tapped and I step out of the pooling material, turning back to look down at him knelt before me.