Текст книги "This Man"

Автор книги: Jodi Ellen Malpas

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Текущая страница: 26 (всего у книги 32 страниц)

Making my way up to the flat, I hiss at the stabbing pains travelling down my legs with every step I take. I go straight to the bathroom to run the bath, pouring in half the bottle of muscle relaxing bath soak. Then I take myself to the kitchen to take care of special requirement number two; I pour myself and Kate a glass of wine. I gasp my appreciation as I take my first sip.

 Five minutes later, I’m flinging every garment in my underwear drawer over my shoulder in a panic. ‘KATE!’ I know I put them in here, so where the hell are they? If this is Sam’s idea of a joke, I’ll wring his fucking neck!

Kate breezes into my room. ‘I’ve turned your bath off. What’s up?’

‘My pills,’

‘What about them?’

‘They’re gone,’ I turn an accusing eye on her. ‘I can’t believe you let Sam in here.’

Her eyes widen. ‘I didn’t let him in. And anyway, your pills weren’t in there. I would have seen them.’

I let out a frustrated yell and proceed to turn the rest of my drawers inside out and upside down. I know I put them in here. ‘Shit!’

‘Chill out, you can get some more. Are Tom and Victoria coming?’

I scoop up the contents of my underwear drawer and stuff it back in. ‘I already did that. And no, they both have dates.’

‘Your organisation skills are shocking.’ she moans tiredly. She’s right, they are, but I manage fine at work. It’s the personal side of my life that suffers. ‘Oh, is it Victoria and Drew’s date tonight?’ Kate looks at me with wide, blue eyes.

‘Yes!’ I meet her wide eyes with my own.

‘It’ll never work. Hurry up in that bath, I need a shower.’

I grab my wine and head for the bathroom.

 The water is glorious, and I wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner. I shave everywhere, and then reluctantly pull myself out before downing my wine and brushing my teeth.

An hour later, I’ve blow dried and curled my hair, creamed up and got half a face of make-up on. My door opens and Kate’s head pops around. ‘How long?’ she asks. Her fire red hair is in rollers and she looks at about the same stage of readiness as me.

‘Half hour,’ I confirm, opening my underwear drawer.

‘Cool.’ She shuts the door.

It opens again.

‘What?’ I ask, without looking up from finding suitable underwear.

Within two seconds flat, I’m grabbed, my towel is yanked from my body and I’m on my back atop the bed with a hulking male looming over me.

WHOA! I’m completely disorientated and still clinging onto a pair of knickers that I was deliberating over. I don’t even have a chance to focus in on his face. His lips smash against mine, starting to work my mouth greedily. What the hell? There’s no chance to fight him off or ask what he’s doing here. He flips me onto my hands and knees, his fingers slide over my entrance – no doubt to check my readiness – before he undoes his flies and slams into me on a garbled yell.

I cry out, getting a hand clamped over my mouth for my trouble.

‘Quiet.’ he grates, through merciless pounds.

Fucking hell! I’m completely helpless as he thrusts in and out with complete determination and purpose. The depth he’s hitting soon has my vision blurry, my head spinning with desperation and pleasure. His hand leaves my mouth, returning to my hips, pulling me back against each of his hard advances.

‘Jesse!’ I yell desperately. He’s merciless.

‘I said, quiet!’ he barks.

As my pleasure builds and builds, I find myself pushing back against him. He groans on each thrust, powering forward at a mind blasting rate, colliding with my womb and sending me into a haze of shocked euphoria. I try to grab a pillow, but my disorientation has me grappling at nothing but sheets. I can’t find the strength to lift my head and use my eyes. I’m completely helpless.

I feel his grip on me tighten, the tense and swell of him pounding into me is stretching me beyond comprehension. This is a possessive fuck. That’s what this is. Not that I’m bothered. I might be helpless and at his mercy, but I’m still going to have a mind-bending orgasm.

His thrusts speed up and with one last pump and deep slow grind, I splitter straight down the middle, and I’m charged with a mind-blowing orgasm that has me burying my face in the mattress to stifle my scream of release. His horse cry echoes around the room as he joins me in my crazy bliss, collapsing on top of me, panting loud in my ear. He’s jerking and shuddering inside and all around me.

That really was shock and awe. I’m completely depleted and grabbing at valuable air to give my lungs some relief. They’ve really been through the mill today.

‘Please, tell me that it’s you.’ I pant, closing my eyes, soaking up the warmth of his body through his suit. He hasn’t even taken his jacket off.

‘It’s me.’ he breathes, moving my hair from my back and skimming my bare skin with his tongue.

I sigh happily, letting him nibble and lick me all over.

‘Don’t be having another shower.’ he orders between tongue strokes.

‘Why?’ I frown into the sheets. I won’t be, anyway – I haven’t got time.

He withdraws, flipping me over and pinning my wrists on either side of my head. He gazes down at me, his styled hair of this morning now in disarray, but he looks no worse for it. ‘Because, I want me all over you when you’re out.’ He drops his lips to mine.

Ah, he’s trampled me. I was bang on the money. I should have known. Crazy man.

He takes a whole other tactic with my mouth, swirling his tongue, humming into me and nibbling my lips. It’s a world away from the ferocious attack I’ve just sustained.

‘Do men have an instinct for recently fucked women?’ I ask around his lips.

‘Mouth,’ He pulls his face back, giving me a really disapproving look. ‘You’ve had a drink.’

Oh, shit! ‘No.’ I blurt guiltily.

He looks at my wrists when he feels the tense of my natural reflex, then back at me with an arched brow. ‘No more.’ he demands softly, giving me another lavish kiss. ‘I was hoping to find you in cream lace.’ he hums through our joined mouths.

I’m really glad I wasn’t. It would be in pieces on the floor by now, and I really like it. I might be buying me some more of those, perhaps in different colours. He releases one of my wrists, trailing his finger down my side, over my sensitive hips and to the juncture of my thighs.

‘You would have ruined it.’ I gasp when he plunges two fingers into me. I’ve not even recovered from my last mind numbing climax, and I’m set to go on another. This man is seriously talented.

‘Probably,’ he confirms as he circles me deeply, pushing his fingers as far as he can get them.

‘Hmmm.’ I sigh in total satisfaction, tensing my legs underneath him.

‘Don’t be wearing anything ridiculous either.’

I throw my hand out to grab his shoulder and pull him down to my mouth, but he won’t budge. He’s looking at me expectantly and I realise…he’s waiting for a confirmation that I understand his commands.

‘I won’t!’ I cry desperately when he hits me with a delicious sweep of his thumb over my clitoris.

‘Are you going to come, Ava?’

‘Yes!’ I yell at his face. Any moment now, I’m going to have an en-core to my previous release, and it’s going to be equally as satisfying and earth shattering. ‘Please!’

He moves in closer, his lips as close to mine as they can be without touching. ‘Hmmm, that feel good, baby?’ He pushes in deep and high, brushing my front wall.

‘Oh God!’ I cry. ‘Jesse, please.’ I lift my head to try and capture his lips, but he pulls back.

‘You want me?’

I’m starting to burn, my legs tensing as he strokes between my swelling lips. ‘Yes.’

‘Do you want to please me, Ava?’

‘Yes. Jesse, please!’ I cry.

I’m completely stunned when he withdraws his fingers and rises from the bed.

What? No!

I’m on the cusp of falling over the edge, and just like that, my pending orgasm has disappeared, leaving me feeling like an unexploded bomb. ‘What are you doing?’ I ask in my stunned state.

‘You want me to finish the job?’ He cocks his head, tucking himself into his trousers.

‘Yes!’

His eyes lock with mine. ‘Don’t go out.’

‘No!’

He shrugs. ‘My work here is done.’ He kisses the air, staring at me through his hooded, green pools, before he turns and walks out.

I’m flat on my back, naked, feeling like I’ve been marked, and I’m desperate for release. I can’t believe he’s just done that. I know what that was. That was a failed sense fuck followed up by a failed finger tease. It’s a complete manipulation tactic.

‘I’ll sort myself out then!’ I shout as the door slams behind him. I won’t. It would be nowhere near as satisfying if I do it myself.

I huff, taking my naked body over to my underwear drawer to find my most racy set. Pink lace should do it. I slip it on and retrieve the posh boutique bag, smiling as I unfold the tissue paper that’s protecting the five hundred pound, ultimate taboo dress. She who laughs last, Mr Ward! 

I battle with the zip again, sort out my half-finished make-up and present myself to the mirror. I’m very pleased with myself. The cream, silk taboo dress looks damn good, my skin sun kissed, my eyes dark and smoky and my hair a mass of chocolate waves. I slip my feet into my cream Carvella stilettos and spritz myself with Calvin Klein’s Eternity.

 ‘Fucking hell!’ Kate screeches. I turn to face her, finding her looking up and down my tight, silk clad body. ‘He’ll go mad!’

I scoff. ‘The Lord of the Manor can fuck right off!’

Kate laughs. ‘Oh, you are feeling brave. I love it!’ She walks in, looking her usual stunning self, in a vivid green dress and navy heels. ‘What did he do to deserve this?’

‘He left me pre-orgasm after failing to fuck some sense into me.’ I toss it out there casually. I can’t believe I just admitted that.

Kate falls onto the bed in a helpless heap of laughter. I can’t help but laugh with her. I suppose it is quite funny. ‘God love him,’ she splutters through her hysteria. ‘I’m glad I’m not the only one enjoying the best sex I’ve ever had.’ She wipes the laughter tears from under her eyes.

I’m not at all surprised to hear that – not at all. Sam isn’t walking around her apartment, semi-naked and with that dirty grin on his face, because she’s making him lots of cakes.

‘He has me in knots.’ I shake my head, returning to the mirror to apply my nude lipstick.

‘Have we figured out how old he is yet?’ Kate picks up my bronzer brush to give her pale cheeks an extra dusting.

‘No idea. It’s a no go subject, just like the scar on his stomach.’

She pinches her cheeks. ‘Does it matter? And what scar?’

‘No, it doesn’t. And the scar is quite a nasty affair from here to here.’ I run my finger from the middle of my lower stomach to my hip bone.

She looks at me in the reflection of the mirror. ‘You’re in love with him.’

‘Crazily,’ I admit.

Chapter 32

 

We bowl past the bouncers of Baroque in fits of giggles. We’re not in the least bit drunk, but the laughter is just rolling tonight.

‘What are you having?’ Kate asks as a waiter approaches us at the bar.

‘Wine,’ I answer, smiling to myself. That was easy.

Kate gets served and we make our way through the Friday night crowd to find the last available table at the back of the bar. I gingerly lift myself onto the bar stool, keeping a good grip of the hem on my dress. It really is taboo.

‘So, tell me. Sam?’ I ask off-the-cuff. I know there’s more to this than sex. I think both of them have met their match. I don’t know Sam, but I know Kate very well, and for her to be dedicating so much time to a man, he must be pretty special. All I know about Sam is that he has a cheeky grin and he likes to run around half naked. She hasn’t spent so much time with a man since my brother. I smile at his impending arrival. I can’t wait to see him, but I won’t be talking about Dan tonight – not with Kate.

She shrugs. ‘Fun,’

‘Come on!’ I exclaim. ‘I’ve divulged far too much information on Jesse. Give me something!’

She sips her wine, placing it back down on the table casually. ‘Ava, he’s not the sort of man you settle down with. I’ll take the fun while it lasts, but I won’t be getting attached.’

I inwardly hiss as Kate reminds me of Sarah’s words about building dreams. ‘How do you know?’ I ask, trying to reign in my drifting thoughts.

‘I just do.’ she says on a half laugh.

I’m a bit disappointed, if I’m honest. She’s lively, amazingly laid back and completely uninhibited – all of the things that Sam seems to be. Well, from what I’ve seen – which is quite a lot. What’s the issue?

‘I like him.’ I admit. He might be an exhibitionist and a complete pest, but he’s very endearing with it.

‘Well, I like Jesse.’

I laugh. Yes she would like him. He brought her a van. But then I recoil. ‘You don’t like him like that do you?’ Oh God, I’d never thought that Kate might be attracted to him. Well, everyone’s attracted to him. I’ve been to the receiving end of numerous sneers from admiring women, but I never thought, not for a moment, that Kate might look at him like that.

‘No!’ She looks at me all offended. ‘I like how much he clearly loves you.’

‘What? He doesn’t love me, Kate. He loves to fuck me.’ I take a long glug of wine to dull the affect that Kate’s statement’s had on me. Or is it the affect of my alternative statement? Clearly loves me, or clearly loves to control me?

‘Ava, again, you’re the master of denial.’

‘How old do you think he is?’ I ask.

Kate shrugs. ‘Mid-thirties, I’m going for a quick fag.’ She slips down from the stool, retrieving her cigarettes from her bag. ‘Wait here, we don’t want to lose the table.’

She makes her way to the smoking area, leaving me pondering my diabolical situation. I’m in love with the trampling, unreasonable control freak. I knew I should have stayed away from him. I can’t help but think that I could have easily rebuffed, denied and walked away from any other man. Jesse is another story entirely, though. I’m addicted to him, and I’m not sure it’s healthy.

‘Ava?’

I’m dragged from my brief thoughts by a very familiar voice. It’s also a most unwelcome voice. I swivel on my tight, silk clad butt.

‘Hi, Matt.’ I sound way more pleased to see him than I actually am.

‘Shit, Ava. You look great.’ He runs his smutty eyes up and down my body, making me feel highly uncomfortable and conspicuous. How does he make my skin crawl now? I loved him for four years. Or did I? What I felt for Matt seems to have paled into insignificance compared to how I’m feeling about a certain Mr Control Freak of an age that I still don’t know.

‘Thanks, how are you?’ I ask politely, taking in his shirt and black jeans. I hate those jeans, and the shirt looks cheap and nasty.

‘Really good, thanks. What have you been up to?’

Fucking. Lots of amazing fucking! ‘Not a lot. Working heaps, looking for a new place.’ I’m lying, of course. I’ve not even visited a letting agent. Matt doesn’t pick up on my hair being coiled around my finger. He never did pick up on my hair twiddling habit – a sign, maybe?

‘Is the job going well?’ He rests his elbows on the edge of the table, getting way too close to my personal space. My back straightens, pulling me away, and I pray for Kate’s quick return. He’ll soon scarper if Kate makes an appearance.

‘Yes, really good, thanks?’ I reply, while deliberating on asking him the same question. After he called and told me about the redundancies being made at his work place, I suppose I should, but I don’t want to get too tied up in conversation.

He smiles brightly – it’s false. ‘Great. Listen, I just wanted to apologise again. I was out of line. I wouldn’t blame you if you told me to fuck off.’

Fuck off! ‘It’s fine, Matt. Don’t worry about it.’

‘Cool.’

I inwardly vomit when James walks over to join us, looking at me with the contempt I feel for him. He can go and take a leap! I smile sweetly, repositioning myself on the stool with caution. This dress is ridiculous, and while I felt perfectly comfortable up until Matt found me, I now feel over exposed and vulnerable under the scrutinising glares of my ex and his friend.

‘James.’ I nod in acknowledgment to his presence.

‘Ava.’ he retorts. His cold tone doesn’t escape my notice. He must have told Matt about his encounter with me and a tall, blonde, aggressive type, so why is Matt being so pleasant?

‘Can I buy you a drink for old times’ sake?’ Matt offers.

‘No, honestly, I’m good.’ I hold up my half full glass of wine. For old times’ sake? What? Like a celebration of how much of a knob he was? Please!

I don’t see her, but I know she’s near. The sudden ice that emanates from Matt’s body is potent. James is no better. He and Kate didn’t exactly see eye to eye either.

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ she shouts as she approaches.

My shoulders tense. ‘Kate, we’re fine.’ I placate my fiery, red headed friend.

‘I was just leaving.’ Matt hisses.

‘Fuck off then!’

He returns his eyes to me. ‘It was nice to see you, Ava.’

‘You too, Matt.’ I smile. What would be the point in being hostile? The bloke’s sorry – I think. Oh, whatever. He’s out of my life, and I can’t be doing with the drama. I laugh to myself. My life is one big dramatization at the moment.

Matt and James leave me in peace, until Kate lets loose. ‘What are you doing talking to that snake?’ she blurts across the table, as she lifts herself onto her stool.

‘He was just saying hello. He was being polite.’ My bored tone will probably irritate her more. She’s a firecracker!

‘I couldn’t give a shit!’

My face wrinkles. ‘You sound like Jesse.’ Lord, I don’t need a challenging best friend to match my challenging man. She huffs a little before swigging her wine. I join her, finishing off my own glass. ‘I’ll get another,’ I take some money from my clutch. ‘Watch my bag.’ I make my way to bar to order another round of drinks and wait patiently for the barman to get my order.

‘All right, love.’

I roll my eyes and turn, finding a stocky, slimy, over confident type, giving me the look.

‘Hello.’ I say courteously, turning back to the bar as the barman places our wine in front of me. ‘Thanks.’ I hand him a twenty and take a swig, all the time feeling slimy man next to me dribbling into his pint. My skin starts to crawl. I mentally plead for the bar man to hurry with my change, and even consider the merits of abandoning my money in favour of retreat.

‘Fancy a dance?’

‘No, thank you.’ I smile, grab my change from the barman and make a hasty get away. He gives me a disgruntled look, but he doesn’t push his luck.

This is my third glass of wine. I really am being a rebel. Oh well. After Jesse’s performance at home, I’m on a private defiance mission to have the last say.

A few hours later, the bar crowd is thinning out and we’re probably on our third bottle of wine. We’re giggling like a pair of teenagers, and I’m getting pretty brave with my questioning.

‘Were you really tied to the bed?’ I ask cheekily. The grin that spreads across her face tells me I wasn’t having my leg pulled. I’m not even that shocked. It must be the affect of the alcohol, or it could be all the steamy sex I’ve been getting myself lately. ‘I knew it,’ I laugh. ‘You need to tell him to put some clothes on when he’s wandering around the flat. I don’t know where to look.’

‘Are you mad?’ Her eyes bug at me. ‘What a waste of a fine physic!’ Kate looks off into the distance, obviously recalling a mental image. Yes, it is pretty fine, but it doesn’t mean I want to look at it. I’ve got my own super fine physic to look at. Speaking of which, I’m drunk and I want to see him. I might call him. But then I remember…I’m not supposed to be drinking. Pah! I take another swig of wine.

‘What does he do, anyway?’ I ask. He drives a Porsche and never seems to be at work.

She shrugs. ‘Rich orphan.’

‘Orphan?’

‘Apparently,’ she begins thoughtfully, ‘his parents died in a car accident when he was nineteen. He has no siblings, no family, nothing. He lives off his inheritance and plays very hard.’ She smirks again.

God, Sam’s an orphan? I can’t imagine losing my parents at that age. Or any age, in fact. That must have been awful. And with no family to take him in? I suddenly see the cheeky chap in a very different light. You would never know something so dreadful had happened to him; he’s always smiling and joking.

‘How old is he?’ I ask.

‘Thirty,’ she answers, almost reluctantly, like she feels guilty for knowing the age of the man she’s screwing.

I let it pass. It’s not Kate’s fault that I’m clueless. ‘What do you make of Drew?’

Her eyebrows jump up. ‘He’s a bit straight and aloof, isn’t he?’

‘Yes!’ I exclaim. I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds him this way. ‘Not Victoria’s type at all.’

‘Give it two dates, maximum,’ Kate points her glass at me, sloshing a bit on the table. ‘She’ll bore him to death with a run by run account of her latest visit to the tanning salon.’

‘She’s getting more orange by the week.’ I laugh.

‘That’s not orange, my friend.’ Another splash of wine hits the table. ‘That’s mahogany. He’ll never be able to find her in the dark. And yes, she only does it in the dark.’

‘No!’

‘Oh, yes. Something about cellulite and bed head. It’s pretty painful. The last bloke she was seeing said she got up an hour before him so she could have a shower, sort her hair out and get a full face of make-up on before he woke up.’

‘That’s ridiculous!’

She nods. ‘Hey, has Jesse mentioned anything about a party at The Manor?’

‘Yes!’ I blurt, seriously considering telling her that I’ve been bribed into going. Oh, please say Sam’s asked Kate to go. That will make my night a lot more bearable. ‘Are you going?’

‘Damn right I am! I can’t wait to see the place.’ Her eyes dance with excitement. ‘I think a shopping trip is in order.’

‘Oh, I’ll probably make do with something I’ve got in my wardrobe.’ I shrug. I’ve just spent five hundred quid on this stupid, miniscule dress. I go to lean back on my stool, swiftly remembering there’s no back support, prompting me to I grab the edge of the table. My wine flies up in the air. ‘Shit!’ I cry, just managing to save myself from falling arse first to the floor.

I join Kate in her helpless laughter, both our wine glasses swishing about as we titter and splutter like a pair of drunken teenagers, who’ve over indulged on cider. I need to stop drinking, right now. I’m on the cusp on falling over the edge of merriment and into the realms of slurring and staggering. With my unreasonable Lord due at eight in the morning, I need to ensure I’m hangover free.

‘I think we need to call it a night.’ I hint in my most diplomatic tone.

Kate nods her agreement around the rim of her wine glass. ‘Yep, I’m done.’ She slips off the stool and staggers towards me. Okay, it looks like Kate’s already slipped into staggering territory. ‘Oh, I love this track. Let’s dance!’ she screeches, pulling me towards the dance floor so she can perform her own little Moves like Jagger.

‘Kate, there’s no one on the dance floor!’ I complain. There’s almost no one in the bar either.

‘Who cares?’ she argues, stumbling towards the music, taking me with her. ‘We’ll go after thi…Oh!’  She clatters to the ground, dragging me down with her on a yelp. ‘Sorry!’ she laughs.

We both lay sprawled on our backs across the floor, giggling and looking up at the dim lights of the bar. I would be embarrassed…if I wasn’t so tipsy. What must we look like? Neither one of us makes any rushed attempt to scramble to our feet.

‘Do you think the bouncers will come and help us up?’ I splutter over my laughter.

Kate wipes a tear away. ‘I don’t know. Shall we yell?’ She reaches over for my arm to support herself as she heaves her body up to a sitting position. ‘Oh, shit.’ she curses, her tone altering considerably from mischievous to serious.

‘What?’ I push myself up to find out what we are oh shitting about, only to discover Jesse looming over us, arms folded across his chest, with an extremely irked look on his handsome face.

Oh shit, indeed. I clamp my lips together for fear of laughing and pissing him off further.

‘Oh no, that’s me grounded for a month.’ I titter in a low voice for only Kate to hear. She spits all over the place as she tries to suppress her laugh, and I lose the battle to restrain mine.

We both sit on the floor of the bar like a pair of drunken hyenas, whilst the colour in Jesse’s face gets redder by the second. Kate laughs harder when Sam rocks up next to Jesse, rolling his eyes. Why can’t my man give me an eye roll, instead of standing there looking like he’s going to self-combust? I’m not even that drunk. My current location is only courtesy of my delinquent best friend leading me astray.

A burly, skin head bouncer approaches. He looks evil. I nudge Kate with my elbow to signal our imminent ejection from the bar. ‘Kate, if they don’t allow us in for lunch anymore, then I’ll be really pissed.’ I love Baroque’s BLT sandwich.

‘You’re already pissed.’ she snorts, making another attempt to get up, using me as a prop.

‘Jesse, sort your woman out.’ The bouncer drawls, clasping Jesse’s hand in greeting.

‘Oh, don’t worry,’ He hits me with his most menacing glare. ‘She’ll be sorted out. Thanks for the call, Jay.’

What?

‘Come on, you pest.’ Sam jibes Kate, hoisting her up.

She throws her arms around his neck, giggling in his face. ‘Take me to bed, Samuel. You can tie me up again.’ She flops against him like a beanbag.

I watch as Sam restrains his laughter at Kate’s performance, but he’s not suppressing the chuckles because he’s mad with Kate. Oh no, he’s keeping a lid on it because of Jesse. He’s trampling on my night again. I wasn’t expecting to see him until eight in the morning, so he would never have known that I got myself a little pissed. And what’s all this business with the bouncer calling him?

I return my tipsy gaze to Mr Unreasonable, pulling my best hacked off face. His eyes are bulging. I follow his glare down at the ultimate taboo dress. Oh dear, I’ve contravened on two orders. I probably really will be grounded. I start giggling again.

‘Up, now.’ he snarls through a ticking jaw.

‘Oh, lighten up, you bore!’ I chide, more confidently than I’m feeling. I put my hand out to him for some help, knowing he won’t leave me to struggle.

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, fuck 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 fucking 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 fuck. Would he be fucking sense into me, or would it be a reminder fuck?  Oh, it’ll probably be an apology fuck! 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.