That’s it. It must be that ‘lust drunk’ thing my friend from school is always talking about. Right? I mean it’s like a toxic drink or something. Except, it didn’t wear off when he was not in front of me. “Are you going to get in the car, baby girl?” Looking up, I take a second to take in the lines of his face and the darkness in his eyes. Something about him seems so haunted, yet so..alert and aware. He is devastatingly gorgeous and sexy. He is this dark, brooding, muscular stranger that has somehow tangled me up so much, I am making potential stupid decisions.
“Yes. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize, Nova. I would be concerned if you didn’t hesitate. Listen, I know you don’t know me, baby.” he says in his whiskey smoked voice as he crowds me on the side of the car. My stomach begins twisting in knots, not from fear but from…something that is building inside of me besides pure unadulterated lust. “The fact that you don’t know me, though true, is irrelevant, baby girl. I have you in my sights now, baby, there is nowhere to go from here but under me.” his whispers in my ear before taking my mouth, once again proving I really have no choice.
I don’t bother fighting it, I want it too bad. The taste of peppermint and citrus from his mouth is quickly becoming my new favorite flavor. “Christ, you taste like innocence and rainbows. Too bad it won’t last.” the last thing he growls before patting me on my ass and opening the car door. Shoot. Was that supposed to make throbby? “Now get in.”
I am split in two right now. One part of me is screaming that I should get out of the car. Calling myself stupid and naive for going with this stranger I don’t know. My mind is telling me that something is amiss. The problem is, the other side of me, my body mainly, is vibrating, tingling and anticipating. I am in a battle with myself and it feels invigorating. As his car roars to life and he pulls out of the parking lot, I find I am curious to see what songs are on his playlist. You can tell a lot about a person from what they listen to. “What are you debating?” he asks me as we sit at a stop sign.
“Whether or not I am going to regret this.” the truth feels better than fiction.
“It will be my goal to never have that happen.” God I hope he is right.
The ride is quiet, but not in a weird way. No, it is an anticipatory quiet. It is thick and laced with desire. So thick I can taste it as I inhale. “I can smell you.” he growls under his breath. I put my legs closer together to stop the pulsing his words have caused. “Fuck. You are going to be the greediest little virgin aren’t you baby?” Hell. I need him to stop talking to me so I can get through this without whining or making a fool of myself.
I take a deep breath when we pull up to my parent’s house and he gets out of the car. All the oxygen returns to the space when he isn’t near me. He opens the door, but something is different. From exiting the car on his side to walking over to the passenger side, something has…changed, I think. He seems tense. “It’s alright if you have changed your mind. I really should get my work done and…” he stops my protests by sucking my lips into his. His expert control rattles me, my mind swirling with thoughts of how often he does this. Almost like a mind reader, he stops his exploration of my mouth and whispers in my ear.
“Nothing about what is going to happen has changed, baby. This is a foregone conclusion. I was just thinking about work and I shouldn’t have been. Forgive me?”
‘Nothing to forgive.” I say biting my swollen lip, not looking at him. I can’t seem to think when my eyes are on him.
“Good. Now, let’s go get your stuff so I can take you home with me.” The way he emphasizes the word home makes me shake for a moment, the word finite and unmovable. I am still wondering why I am not scared yet?
Chapter Five
Loeb
I know her father is not home since my guys have him boarding a 747 belonging to Ulach Zakharov, the Prime Minister. Even knowing this I am still on alert as I walk into her home with her. It could also be because I have to try to pretend to not know where anything is, when the truth is more complex. I have been inside of this mansion multiple times over the last few months. During the day I come here to retrieve information from his laptop whenever we get a hint that he has been in contact with someone from ‘The Branch’. I also remove the USB from the video camera I set up in the corner of his office. I know what you must be thinking. How does he not know there is a camera in his house? Well, it's amazing how tiny these things are nowadays.