Sophie pulls away from me before I can stop her, her eyes flicking back and forth between Lila and me. I can already see the conclusion Sophie is drawing, and it's completely wrong. First, she sees Lila storming out of my office. Then another woman interrupts us at the restaurant when I was trying to talk Sophie out of coming on this trip, and now here's Lila again, messing up yet another moment with my little ruby.
Why the hell does every woman in the city keep showing up and ruining every moment I get with the one woman I want?
I'm scowling at Lila. Before I get a chance to tell her to fuck off, Sophie shakes her head. "No, nothing at all. I was just leaving." Sophie turns on her heels and hurries off. Running from me. Again.
"Sophie!" I call out after her, but she's already gone.
I curse and turn to Lila, who's smirking at me, knowing damn well what she's done.
My fists clench with barely suppressed rage. I've never killed a woman before, but damn it, I'm tempted to now.
My fingers flex with the urge to wrap them around her neck and squeeze.
"What the fuck do you want, Lila?" I ask her, shaking with rage. This is the second time she's interrupted me with Sophie.
She takes a step toward me and runs her fingers along my chest in what she thinks is a seductive way. "You know what I want," she purrs up at me as she blinks her eyes, but it does nothing but anger me. I grab her hands roughly and fling them off me.
She takes a step back, her lip pursed out in a pout as she looks up at me with hurt in her eyes.
"I've told you before, Lila. I'm not interested. When are you going to get that through your bleach-blond head?"
She gasps, no doubt offended that I've called her out on her fake hair color, but I'm beyond caring if I've offended her or hurt her vanity. She's cost me time with my little ruby one too many times.
"Stop with the advances. That woman"—I point my finger in the direction Sophie ran off in—"she's my life. Now, get the hell out of my sight, and don't ever touch me again. And if you ever see me with her again, you go the other way. Don’t ever interrupt me when I'm with her again, or I swear to God you will regret it."
I'm livid, my voice coming out like flint.
Something must finally click within her because she actually has the good sense to look scared. I see the fear in her eyes as she backs away and nods, finally getting the message. "Yes, Mr. Black. I'm so sorry. I promise it won't happen again."
Her lip trembles, but I don't feel any inkling of remorse. She had it coming.
"Make sure it doesn't," I tell her coldly before I head off after Sophie, hoping to repair the damage that Lila has done once again.
five
Sophie
I feel the tears trickle down my cheeks and wipe furiously at them, angry at myself for crying over Axe.
I knew what he was. Warning bells have been going off in my head from the moment I met him.
You've also been fighting this undeniable pull to him too, another part of myself whispers, but I ignore it.
Every time I'm around him, a woman comes up to us. He's a player, plain and simple. All the signs were there, yet I let my guard down. I allowed myself to enjoy spending time with him. I was so close to telling him that yes I would be his when that woman showed up. The same one who'd stormed out of his office the day I first met him.
My heart still flutters when I remember the look in his eyes and the way he begged me to be his. He'd seemed so sincere.
How could he talk to me that way when he has so many other women in his life? But isn't that the thing about players? They know exactly what to say to get your heart beating and to get you to agree to anything.
What if he says that to all the women? My stomach twists at the thought, and I feel like I'm going to be sick. The way all these women act around him, he probably has.
My lips are still swollen and tingling from his kiss. I lift my hand up to them as I recall all the sensations that flooded through me when his lips touched mine.
I'd felt so tiny and safe in his big arms. And the way he kissed me...I might not have much experience with men, but I've never been kissed like that before.
It was like he wanted to devour me whole, and in that moment, I'd been more than willing to let him do it.
I scoff at myself and storm into the hotel room I've been sharing with my bestie. Vera is still out on the beach—probably flirting with all the guys back at the volleyball court. Maybe I should be more like her. She plays the field and flirts with everyone but doesn't allow herself to ever feel anything more than a passing fancy for any one man.