7. Kian

7

KIAN

S he stills the second my command hits her, and I watch as her entire body tenses up.

She remains frozen in place as she debates her options.

There's an easy one and then there's a whole heap of others.

Why is it that I already know which one she's going to choose?

Her foot lifts from the sidewalk a beat before she continues forward.

"So predictable," I mutter loudly enough to ensure she hears.

Her shoulders tighten with anger, but she doesn't bite.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised that you were fired really, when your go-to seems to be walking away from anything good in your life."

I know I've got her before she even spins—there's something in the way she holds herself, readying herself for battle.

"Good? You think you come anywhere close to being something good in my life? The best thing I ever did that night was walk away from you. I've no interest in anything you have to offer, Mr. Callahan, employment—" Her eyes drop down my body. "Or otherwise," she sneers.

"Take your fancy-ass car and go and find some bimbo who'll happily blow smoke up your ass to boost your ego."

"Babe," I taunt, tilting my head to the side like a puppy. "Didn't you know? My ego doesn't need any kind of boosting."

"Ugh," she cries, throwing her hands up in despair. "You're an insufferable jerk."

She stomps forward, throwing every bit of sass she possesses into it. And fuck if the way her hips sway back and forth doesn't hit me straight in the dick.

I bet she'd be fire in bed right now…

I surge forward, fully prepared to keep the promise I made to my sister-in-law in the moments before my drunk brother screwed her brains out.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Lorelei screams as I wrap my hands around her waist and effortlessly lift her from the ground.

Predictably, she begins kicking out. But she's drunk and erratic and misses me every time.

"You're a pain in my ass," I growl, marching her back toward the car she forced me to jump out the back of.

"Put me down," she demands as Lewis watches us with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Feel free to take over anytime," I bark at him as we approach the open back door.

"But you're doing such a wonderful job. I'd hate to take that away from you."

I snarl at him, making him laugh before attempting to wrangle Lorelei into the car.

I've never done it, but I can only assume that getting her into the car is akin to wrestling with an octopus. Fuck knows how she manages it when she's three sheets to the wind, but every time I try to push her inside, an arm or leg shoots out to stop me.

"Will you just do as you're fucking told for once?"

"Bite me."

As she spits those words, her ass brushes against my crotch, and I suck in a sharp breath.

"Be careful what you ask for," I muse darkly in her ear. "I'm more than happy to bite…anywhere you want."

"Get fucked. I don't want you anywhere near me."

"Then can I suggest you stop rubbing your ass against my dick sometime soon?"

She goes deathly still, her arms falling to her sides, allowing me to finally deposit her in the back of the car.

"We're taking Lorelei home, Lewis," I instruct once we're all safely inside.

Lorelei sits in the corner, as far away from me as she can physically get with her arms crossed under her breasts and a defiant tilt to her chin.

We move back onto the right side of the road in silence while she continues to fume beside me.

"So…do you think Grizzy watches them fuck?"

Silence follows my question.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" Lorelei shouts.

I shrug, fighting to keep the accomplished smile off my face. "Just wondering."

"Jesus," she mutters, keeping her eyes focused out the window.

"If I were a cat, I'd totally watch."

She shakes her head and mutters something I don't quite catch under her breath.

"Oh, come on, you totally would too."

Her top lip peels back in disgust. "It would be like watching your parents fuck. It's wrong. And gross."

"If you say so."

"Have you ever watched your parents at it?"

"Fuck no," I bark.

"Then you understand my point. Griz is Tate's baby. Tate is Griz's mom. Ergo…"

"You know, Martin was impressed with you earlier," I confess, feeling weirdly compelled to say something nice for a bizarre reason I can't figure out.

"That's good. Maybe he can write me a decent reference, seeing as I'm shit out of other options," she sulks.

"I don't think you'll have an issue finding a new job," I say as my cell buzzes in my pocket.

"I beg to differ," she snaps as I glance at my cell.

A groan rumbles in my throat as I stare at a name I'd happily never see again.

"What's wrong? Your favorite fuck bunny suffering with a case of crabs?"

I roll my eyes. "If only I was so lucky," I mutter.

"Aw, trouble in manwhore paradise?" Lorelei mocks, making Lewis laugh, although he attempts to cover it with a cough.

"Nothing you need to worry about," I say, pushing my cell back into my pocket without opening the message.

"Oh, trust me, I am not worried about anything you do. Haven't I already made that clear?"

"I get mixed messages. Every time you walk away, I can't help but wonder if you're summoning me to follow."

"Rest assured, I am not."

"Just trying to make me jealous with that ass of yours then, huh?"

"I-I'm n-not—" She swallows, cutting herself off, and I mentally give myself a high five for making her lose her train of thought. "Don't look at my ass, Mr. Callahan."

"Hard to look at anything else when you're so intent on running away from me."

Her lips part to bark another cutting retort, but Lewis beats her to it.

"Here you go, Miss Lori. Home sweet home."

Sitting forward, she smiles before sweetly thanking Lewis for delivering her home safely.

In contrast, she doesn't so much as glance in my direction as he opens the door for her and helps her out.

Fire burns through me as I watch her place her delicate hand in his.

Before I've had a chance to think about my actions, I'm shooting toward the door and climbing out behind her.

"I'll be two minutes," I explain to Lewis as I follow Lorelei to the front door of her building.

"You don't have a doorman or any kind of security," I say loudly as she approaches the elevators.

"Well done, Sherlock. Glad to see that private education of yours wasn't wasted."

She hesitates, looking between the staircase and the elevator, but she finally chooses the easy option.

The second the elevator doors open, she darts inside and pushes the button for her floor.

I don't move immediately, letting her think that I'm not going to follow, but then just before the doors close, I jump inside.

"What did I ever do to you?" she asks, glaring up at me as I encroach on her personal space. "Other than turn you down, of course," she adds smugly.

"Promised Tate I'd get you home safe. Just following through."

Her lips twitch with the beginnings of a smile.

"Do you do that a lot?"

"What?"

"Follow through?" This time, she's unable to contain her amusement at her own joke and snorts.

On anyone else, it would be completely unattractive and off-putting.

But on Lorelei…it's weirdly not.

"S-sorry. That was…" She waves her comment off and exits the elevator as it stops on her floor. "I would say thank you for delivering me home, but it wasn't enjoyable, and it was totally unnecessary, so…yeah. Have a nice life and enjoy your crabby booty call."

She angrily pushes the key in the lock and throws the door to her apartment open.

She immediately swings it closed again, proving her need to put an end to our time together, but before it slams in my face, I lift my hand and catch it.

"Lorelei?" I ask, loving the way she pauses the moment I say her name. Just like she did on the sidewalk earlier.

For such a fiercely independent woman, she sure likes following orders.

"What?" she snaps, risking a glance over her shoulder.

I hesitate for a moment, wondering why I thought it was a good idea to stop her retreat.

Curiosity, I guess.

"You were right."

She stands a little taller, shocked by my words.

"Really?"

"Yeah, your ex-boss is an asshole. Getting fired was probably the best thing that could happen to you."

"Could you call my landlord and maybe explain that to him? My credit card company too?"

One side of my mouth kicks up in a smirk. "Everything happens for a reason, Lorelei. As one door closes, another opens. You just have to be ready to embrace the challenges."

"Well, thanks for that nugget of life-changing advice. Now, if you're done, I've got a date with someone who is way more entertaining than you."

Spinning back around, she wraps her fingers around the door handle and attempts to push it closed.

"What?" she snaps.

"I think we both know that your vibrator can't do the things I can do."

"Goodnight, Mr. Callahan." This time when she attempts to close the door on me, I let her.

The second it's closed, she double-locks it as if she's worried about me forcing my way back inside.

With a smile playing on my lips, I back up toward the elevator.

"Until next time, Temptress," I muse.

I descend through the building with the scent of her perfume surrounding me, before rejoining Lewis outside.

"You look pleased with yourself," Lewis muses as I approach.

"Entertaining evening."

"You don't say," he mutters. "She's really something, huh?"

"Yeah," I agree, running the events of the day through my head as I climb into the back of the car.

Pulling my cell from my pocket, I stare at the screen. Any amusement I was feeling withers when I see a whole stream of messages since the first one she sent earlier.

Sasha: Too much work and no play makes Kian a very stressed boy.

I groan, letting my head fall back against the seat as Lewis drops into the driver's seat.

Another message pops up. It's as if she knows she's got my attention.

Sasha: I can come to you. I'm already dressed for the occasion.

"Of course you are," I mutter to myself.

"Home, sir?" Lewis asks, oblivious to my irritation.

I consider my options briefly, but really there is only one answer.

"Yes, please."

Putting my cell back to sleep, I close my eyes as we make our way through the city.

There would have been a time not so long ago—hell, maybe even as recently as a week or two ago—when I would have jumped at her offer.

Sasha is…a lot. In every single way. But I've always focused on the fun side. Sadly, though, that's also opened me up to her eager, slightly obsessive side.

I'm no stranger to stage-five clingers. My brothers and I have been dealing with them for years. But Sasha is…fuck. I drag my hand down my face. She's…up there with the worst of them.

I'm sure there were probably signs before I hooked up with her that first time. But they were easy to ignore. She's a model, and she's not just beautiful on camera. She's the kind of woman that every guy would give their left ball for a night with. And, lucky me, that night a few months ago, I was the one she decided to turn her charm on.

It was a great night. The problem came the next morning and the weeks that followed.

While I went into it thinking we were going to have a wild night and then go our separate ways—she's busy with her career, and hell knows I'm run ragged with mine—that hasn't been the case. Almost daily, she's in my messages, trying her hand at another chance.

I'm ashamed to confess to caving a time or two.

What? I'm a red-blooded male with needs. And she's…a fucking supermodel who can fold herself up like a pretzel. Would I even be considered a real man if I turned that down when it was offered up on a plate?

Fucking hell, Lorelei is right. I am an asshole.

As Lewis closes in on my building, the temptation to reply and accept her offer is strong. So strong that I actually open our message thread and have my thumb poised, but something about her profile photo stops me.

Something doesn't feel right.

So instead of losing myself inside a more-than-willing woman, I stalk through my apartment alone, strip down, and step into my shower.

But as I stand there with bubbles sluicing down my body, it isn't the image of a hot blonde supermodel that lingers in my mind. Instead, it's vivid memories of a feisty brunette I can't stop thinking about.