A slow smile eased onto East’s face. “Did you miss us today?”
“Us?” Joi’s brows inched closer briefly until she felt East pressing her closer to him. His firmness now pressing into her stomach.
“Us,” he said lowly before he gently pressed his lips against hers and pulled her bottom one between his.
“No.”
East was amused by the lie. He knew better, but let her have it, reaching past her for his body wash. He needed to remove theday from him so he could move on to enjoying his night with Joi. No matter how fucked up the past twenty-four hours had been, she was the one thing he needed most. Unfortunately, the realization of what they both had been through the night before was the visual around her neck as a constant reminder.
After their shower, Joi sat on the side of East’s bed feeling insecure about the way his intense gaze landed on her. There was something on his mind she couldn’t quite figure out and it had Joi feeling uncomfortable.
East, on the other hand, leaned against his dresser, arms locked across his chest, placing emphasis on the muscles in both his arms, torso, and shoulders. His mind was dark which was exposed in the intensity of his eyes. Murderous thoughts consumed him as he took in the sight before him. The makeup Joi used to cover the dark marks around her neck was no longer there, so he could fully see the damage that had been done. It didn’t look as bad as the night before, but the bruises were still there and fueling his need to see her ex.
“What’s wrong?” Joi felt the tension around them. The mood had shifted and she was worried East was still angry with her about the night before. East chose not to respond verbally at the moment and instead made his way over to Joi, immediately releasing her towel from around her body when he was close enough. After widening her legs with his body, his hands cupped the sides of her face and he brought himself closer. Joi’s body shivered from the first kiss. It was delicate, but quickly transitioned when his body moved forward and hers moved back. East slowly lifted his eyes to hers and clenched his jaw briefly before he moved on and had her legs draped across his arms and his tongue teasing her clit.
“East…” Joi’s voice vibrated through the room in a lustful resonance. Her neediness motivated East’s actions. Taking full advantage of her body, he worked Joi through her first orgasmand only let up when her body calmed to a lazy state. She was ready for him, so East maneuvered his arms under Joi, bringing her to the edge of the bed. After spreading her legs wider to allow more access, he dipped his body enough to align with her slick opening and eased into her nice and slow. He smirked at the way her eyes shut tightly while her lips slightly parted. She needed a minute for her body to welcome him.
“You good?”
“Mmhmm.” Joi’s words flowed behind an exasperated huff before she slowly peeled her eyes open to take him in. The visual of his naked body hovering over her caused Joi’s insides to pulse, tingling around East who simply chuckled and began slow, precise thrusts that had them both on edge. It was still hard for East to accept that Joi had him at a disadvantage. She had a power over him he couldn’t shake nor did he really want to. The fact that she had him caught up in some bullshit less than twenty-four hours before, yet here he was, doing his best to make her feel all he had to offer, was a clear sign Joi held most of the cards right now. East had fallen victim to his emotions, disabling his will power to fight his need for her.
Shaking the thought of Joi’s undeniable hold on him, East leaned over her body and tangled their hips higher, driving his thickness into her as deep as he could. The soft moans she offered were validation that he was hitting her spot, so East pressed a kiss to the tip of her chin then the side of her face before he hopped to her neck.
“How did it go?”Patterson didn’t bother knocking before he entered the guest room Asako now occupied at his home. Itwas his house, so he didn’t feel the need. Her privacy wasn’t a concern of his, only that she accomplished what he needed.
Rolling her eyes at the sight of him, Asako gripped the robe that covered her body before answering. “It didn’t go. He has a girlfriend and she showed up. One he’s apparently faithful to because he didn’t entertain me at all.”
As Asako attempted to move past him, Patterson gripped her arm, firmly spinning her body to face him before he yanked her against his chest. “So you’re telling me I wasted my time.”
Asako’s thin eyes narrowed even more when she snatched away from Patterson. The movement caused her robe to open enough for him to get a glimpse of her naked body underneath. A slow smile pushed from his lips before his tongue moved across the bottom one, causing Asako’s skin to feel prickly from his demeanor. She quickly covered her curvy frame and tightened the belt for added protection.
“I didn’t waste your time. I did what you asked me to do. Look at my fucking head. I had to let him shave my hair in order to have a conversation with him.”
Patterson grinned and shrugged. “It’s a good look for you but it was a waste of fucking time if you didn’t make any progress. Men are easy. If you offer up a good time, there’s no reason they won’t fall for it.” Patterson crossed the room, grabbing her firmly by the back of her neck. His strength outmatched hers and he squeezed so tightly that she immediately froze while he yanked her robe open, moving his free hand across her soft skin.
“You promised,” she hissed with angry eyes pinned on him.
Patterson only nodded as he enjoyed the feel of her body under his rough hand. “I’m a man of my word. Most of the time.” His dark, sinister smile met her fearful expression. “I’m not going to fuck you. I just wanted to remind you what resources you have available to get what I need from East.”
With his hand still locked around the back of her neck, Patterson gripped Asako firmly at the waist, bringing her against his body, moving his face to the side of hers. “Use what you have, sweetheart. Apparently it’s all you’re good for. You will do it or you will end up the last place you want to be, in jail, or worse, at the mercy of the man who would fuck you then put a bullet in your head. I need that gotdamn money and I need it fast.”
Just as quickly as he had a hold on her, Patterson pushed her away. He didn’t say another word and left the room, slamming the door behind him. He paused and bent over, slightly feeling the soreness from the steeled fist that made contact with his ribs as a physical warning that he was running out of time. After sucking in a deep breath, Patterson stood upright again, raking his hand over his hair and down his face several times to get a grip on his nerves.
He was in deep with a bunch of people who had just threatened his life hours ago. The sixty grand he once owed had now doubled and the clock was ticking on how quickly he needed to hand it over. In all the years he had been struggling with his gambling issues, he managed to keep things afloat,until now.
“I’m gonna end up with a bullet in my gotdamn head,” he muttered lowly to himself before turning on his heels en route to his bedroom. Once inside, Patterson lifted the cheap bottle of bourbon that sat next to his bed, plopping down at the same time he untwisted the top and turned it up. The harsh burn he felt in his throat didn’t outweigh his need for an escape, so he allowed it to flow a little more before he slammed it down on his nightstand and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Patterson was playing with fire. He had damn near exhausted all possibilities of any real money to cover his debts. What little he was bringing in from the corner boys, Patterson gambled away, hoping to get that one big break, but his greed always landed him deeper in debt. When he won, he bet it all, feelinglucky, then losing big. Now he was royally fucked with no other resources. He needed Asako to come through with East so he could pay his debt before he lost his life.
Asako sat on her bed down the hall taking in the dark room she occupied. It wasn’t horrible and was actually kind of cozy, but the pending expectations that surrounded her current situation made it feel like a tomb of death. She was stuck, she couldn’t run or Patterson would make her family pay the price for her sins. She couldn’t tell anyone or he would make her regret every bad decision she had made in her life. And then there was East. She could already tell things with him weren’t going to be easy, but she had to find a way to make it work. He was her way out and her life was more important than him losing a little money. Money she was positive he could recover in the blink of an eye. Asako needed to get close to him, she just couldn’t figure out how to make that happen. Maybe Patterson was right, maybe she had approached things all wrong. Shaking her head in desperation, Asako wiped the one tear that managed to escape before she stood and walked over to her bedroom door, locking it then removing her robe and tossing it on the foot of the bed. After dressing in a pair of leggings and an oversized T-shirt, she climbed in bed, pulled the covers over her body, and dialed her mother.
“I was worried. It’s been a week.”
“I know, I’m sorry but I’ve been really busy. These classes are taking up all my time, and when I’m not studying, I’m working.” Asako cringed at the lie she told her parents to cover her absence from their life while she was under Patterson’s rule. They had been pushing her to go back to school for a while now, so when she told them she had enrolled in online classes, they were so excited that they overlooked her absence from their lives.
“But you’re okay, right? You sound sad.”
“I promise, I’m okay. I just want this so badly. I’ve let you guys down so much?—"
“Are you sure you’re okay? You sound upset. I’m worried, sweetheart. When you left last time you?—"
