“What the—” Eyes widening at his audacity, I choked out a disbelieving laugh. Wait. When was I curious about how he fucked? Annoyance poisoned my thoughts, my nails bit into my palms. “You’re an arrogant asshole.”
He quirked a dark brow, somehow managing to look displeased and sexy all at once. “I’d caution you to watch your mouth, sweetheart, I have a cock and it’s far more effective than a ball gag.”
I stiffened, sucking in a startled breath. “Oh, my God—” Once again words defeated me.
That bottom lip curved in the slightest of smiles. “Then again considering what you asked me that night, I’m inclined to think you might beg me for a demonstration.” Sparkling sapphires poured molten heat into my body, intense and unrelenting, goading me to question him.
Fuck you. What the hell had I asked him? A sudden image of him fucking me against a wall flashed through my muddled brain.Shit.I didn’t fuck him, did I? I would’ve remembered. Wouldn’t I? Maybe I was just overwhelmed. “Overwhelmed doesn’t make you wet,” I muttered under my breath, conscious of my suddenly rapid breathing and slick panties. Masking my confusion with outrage, I swiveled away to face the window, Trent’s soft chuckle bouncing off my back.
Zayne where the flip are you?
Why would Tia think it necessary to divulge my personal life to Trent? While he didn’t seem like the stalker type, for some inexplicable reason he made me uncomfortable. Not in an immoral manner though. If anything, he made me all too aware of myself. Unconsciously, I fingered my hair to ensure its neatness. Pretending I wasn’t attracted to him was hopeless. He had to be aware of my reaction to him. It was uncanny how he not only aroused my anger but the unusual heat coursing through my body. As a chef of a reasonably well-known restaurant, I’d been in the presence of plenty of strange men before and I’d become adept at steering my thoughts away from anything sexual, but none had elicited the reactions this man did.
Trent
RIKA’S TELLTALE RESPONSESto my appearance sent a jolt straight to my cock. Not only was my body having an unusual reaction to her sass, but she was just as affected by me as I was by her. Despite my teasing, I watched her through wistful eyes. The urge to reach out, take her in my arms and remind her how much I loved her, grew with every breath. I let my gaze roam over her as the breeze from the air-conditioning unit above, riffled playfully through her long hair. I longed to run my fingers through the silky soft strands like she was doing right now.
I wondered if the kiss or me turning her down had prompted her irritation. Then again, her responses indicated she couldn’t recall that night. If that was the case, I hadn’t given her any other reason to warrant such coldness. Had I? Perhaps it was her way of dealing with strangers. The fact that she saw me as one meant I hadn’t piqued her interest yet. The thought that this would be how we would behave around each other made me miserable. Still, I’d seen the flicker of her eyes over my body like she was curious. Maybe she battled an internal struggle to get to know me or not—a long shot but optimism went a heck of a long way further than nothing. Perhaps I had to scale my manipulation attempts up a notch, go in blunt as fuck and hope like hell it worked.
Raking a hand through my hair, I took a seat on the leather couch flanking the wall parallel to the window. I reached for a magazine and pretended to be interested in an article but from my peripheral vision, I studied rigid form. Apart from the lighter shade of her dark hair, she hadn’t changed. Same long curls dancing just above her shapely rear, smooth caramel skin, and perfect curves I ached to touch. The tight white jeans and turquoise t-shirt gave her the innocence of a teenager, nothing to hint at a twenty-eight-year-old mother of two.
On the verge of attempting conversation, the door opened. Dr. Landers and Zayne entered. Schooling my features into a polite mask, I stood.
“Dr. Landers, meet Trent Shaw, a friend of mine,” Zayne introduced me.
The doctor proffered a hand as Rika crossed the room to Zayne’s side. “Mr. Shaw, pleased to make your acquaintance. Caught your recent interview on the news, must say I’m impressed.” I nodded my thanks. He referred to my win as Top Business Man of the Year that I’d been interviewed for, a week ago.
“You knew he was coming?” Rika’s heated whisper at my rear, caught my ear as I followed the doctor to his couch.
“I’m sorry, baby. Tia mentioned he might be able to help.”
Even though Zayne’s endearment pricked my heart, I was impressed with his ability to lie with such conviction. With his help, I’d met Dr. Landers earlier that morning and explained the situation. He’d also played his part perfectly.
“Ashrika?”
I frowned at the doctor before realizing that was Rika’s full name. While surprised by how close it sounded to Krisha’s name, I liked it.
