Colt did not recognize me, but I was not surprised.
Even my own father would not recognize me.
“Have you made a decision?” My aunt asked, and I looked away from my monitor screen.
My eyes followed hers round my office, at the gift bags and boxes all over.
“They are really working hard to be picked.” She looked up, and pinned her hazel eyes on me.
“No.” I shook my head. “These are all from the second son.”
“What?” My aunt shouted. But just as quickly she regained her composure. “You are not going to choose him, are you?”
“It’s not the weekend yet.”
She frowned at me, “Watch yourself girl. You are no queen yet,” she said, her voice dropping several degrees.
I said nothing, knowing at times like these it was best to be quiet around my aunt.
She stared at me for several more seconds before she sighed.
“You will be the Queen of all this,” she waved her hand around my office, as soon as you give the family an heir, and a logical number of spares.”
I nodded quietly.
“But I do not want the younger son for you. I will not watch you relive your mother’s mistake!”
I stood up so quickly my chair crashed back, startling her.
She said nothing more, took her bag and left.
I walked to the window to stare out, breathing through my mouth to calm my nerves.
At that moment, I heard a quick knock and the door opened.
“Mr Fletcher is here to see you.”
“I do not see anyone without an appointment, Emma.” I said, “There are no exceptio,,” I trailed off as I turned around to see Colt walking past her.
"Sir, you cannot..." Emma started to say.
“That will be all girl,” he cut in, waving her off nonchalantly.
Emma looked at me, and I nodded.
“How can I help you, Mr Fletcher?” I took my seat as the door closed gently behind Emma.
“Coffee would do,” he said, staring directly at me.
He was shirtless again today, his tattoos visible under the open leather jacket, and my office lights bounced off his nipple ring.
My hand shook slightly as I picked up the desk phone.
Here, alone in my office with him, my resolve was not as strong as it should be.
“Emma. One cup of coffee please,” I said, and placed the phone back down.
“It’s impolite not to have ordered one for yourself.”
“I have no thirst.” I replied calmly, and his eyes burned into me as his fingers caressed his abs absentmindedly.
I quickly grabbed my mouse, pressing my knees together beneath the table.
I had gone one whole year without sex, a monumental achievement for a woman with my condition.
I was not about to lose that to this fool.
Emma opened the door at that minute, and I was tempted to ask her to stay and take notes for me or something.
She stole a glance at Colt as she set the tray down, but he did not look at her even once.
The man was still so arrogant. How had he not recognized Emma? Unlike me, the woman had not changed one bit.
“I’ll be clocking off in twenty-three minutes," I said, turning to my monitor when Emma left. “Do you have something to say?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, good. Let’s hear it.”
“You should marry me.”
My fingers froze on my keyboard. I would laugh if I was not so bloody enraged at his audacity.
Turning around, I decided to humor him. “Why should I?”
“Why shouldn’t you?”
“Is this how you convince your investors? I see why Quiver Corporation is struggling.”
“You…” He flew up from his seat, but I did not move, did not even flinch, just stared at him.
He stopped. “Do you know me?”
I stopped breathing, but managed to maintain my posture. Had he recognized me already?
“Did I ever do anything to you? Because I cannot understand why you are so damn rude to me, sending my gifts back every evening, and talking down on me when you burn for me.”
“What?” I gasped.
“You get so damn wet every time you see me.”
My jaw was hanging now, my eyes as round as donuts. “What did you just say to me?” I said, standing up slowly.
“I mean no offense Olivia, but I can smell you, and it’s so fucking arousing.”
“Miss Auclair to you!” I finally screamed, pointing angrily at him.
“Don’t get excited lady, your bouncing tits are distracting.”
My hand flew up to cover my mouth, “You pervert.”
“No. I only have a habit of saying what other men would think in their head but pretend otherwise.”
“You really think I will pick you now?”
He closed our distance in one move, and stood before me. “Why not? I am as intelligent as Dean, strong, but unlike him, I can fulfill those desires you are too embarrassed to tell your girlfriends.”
“Get out!” My whole body was trembling now. I was losing control.
I had forgotten just how good at dirty talking Colt was.
Breathing against my face, his eyes tracing my cleavage line, his tattoos. Good god, his fucking tattoos…
“Get out!” I screamed louder this time, taking two steps back. “If you show up again before the weekend, the Fletchers can kiss this marriage arrangement goodbye.”
He gave me a long look, turned and left.
As soon as he closed the door, I ran for it and turned the lock. Then I grabbed a pillow from the couch and screamed into it.
The idiot!
But venting was not enough. Colt had broken something inside me all over again.
My one-year abstinence streak? Useless now.
I ran to my desk and grabbed my smartphone, skimping for my therapist’s number with a blurry vision even as my knees shook.
“Ugghnn.” I threw my head back and pressed my knees together as I placed the phone against my ear.
My therapist’s kind voice greeted me, from her voice mail.
I threw my phone down on the desk, breathing heavily. I did not want to do this. I really did not.
I couldn't have come so far just to break this way.
I unbuttoned my shirt for ventilation, but my hand brushing over my chest aroused me more.
My nails dug into the desk as my other hand somehow found their way to my nipples.
“Fuck.” I bit back the moan.
My fingers picked up pace, twirling around my nipple to the image of Colt’s hungry eyes just now.
I moaned this time because somehow my fingers suddenly felt like Colt’s.
I was making too much noise at this point, so I hurried to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
There, I fell to my knees in front of the mirror. His memory was so vivid he could as well have been kneeling behind me.
The bed of my nails found my clit and journeyed up and down the arc.
“Ughnn,” I bit my lip to the sensation.
How had I stayed off all sexual activities for so long?
“Fuck you, Colt.” I cursed, a tear slipping out my eye.
I'd been doing so well.
I heard his voice behind me, telling me to go on and fuck him, so staring in the mirror I slipped my fingers in me.
My eyes scanned my curves as I rode what I imagined to be Colt’s fingers. I appreciated my impossibly tiny waist, the generous curve of my hips, and my naked breasts bouncing as I moved faster.
My moans rose higher and higher till I felt the familiar tremor in my abdomen and squirted all over my office bathroom floor.
The tears fell heavy from my eyes now.
But I wiped them off savagely and stood up.
This was much better than letting that idiot touch me ever again. Getting distracted by him now would cost me my life.
I moved away from his arms, “Can outsiders see through this window?”“A little,” Colt responded, and I frowned. His ex was definitely trouble. Why stare at us when she knew we could see her?“You’re not answering my questions, Livia.” Colt walked behind me as I headed to the couch.I keep forgetting he isn’t easily distracted. He had not mentioned this issue the whole day and I concluded he would never ask. “The blackmailer called me.” I took a seat on the large couch, crossing my legs. His eyes fell on my knees, journeying down my calves. And a small smile appeared on his face. I blinked, my eyes dropping to my legs. The warm lighting was making my anklet twinkle from this angle.“You wore it.”“I have never taken it off,” I said. “Even when you stormed out of my bedroom calling me a liar.” He sat next to me.I could not meet his eyes now, biting my lip in embarrassment. “I guess I was too mad to remember the anklet.”When my eyes finally met his, they looked a little amused. H
“Where is it parked, Henry?” Colt caught the key which the guard tossed midair.Henry glanced at me.I blushed red, and tried to pull my hand out of Colt’s, but he held on tighter.“I’ll grab it.” Henry jogged off in his black suit.Colt’s eyes met mine. I looked away. “Relax, Sonsy.” I felt his gaze on me. “Your husband is too busy to care about you now.”My bottom lip disappeared between my teeth. Ouch.I heard the engine rev before the motorbike appeared.“You’ll have to trust me, baby.” His hand gently squeezed mine. “No helmets today.”The motorbike stopped in front of us before I could respond and Henry dismounted.Still holding my hand, Colt swung his leg over the motorbike, and my body lurched forward.He gave me a nod, and I hopped on the motorbike, the whole time muttering how much I hated these devil-vehicles. The bike moved, and my body slammed into him. Instantly, my hands wrapped around his chest, even while I fretted over just how many people would see us today, and
OLIVIA There were two options left to me: hurl my fork at Norio’s sleazy eyes or leave.Since I was hardly in the mood for Colt’s silent judgments or emotional-regulation-Ted-Talk, I pushed myself off the table.All three men looked up at me immediately. “Excuse me,” I turned on my heel, and Dean got up to let me out. As I walked out, his eyes held questions and his hand brushed my hand, taking it in his. I looked down at my hand in his, jarred at the alien sight. Was he doing this for Colt’s benefit?“You okay?” His voice was low.“I need to use the restroom,” I yanked my hand away from him, very aware of Norio’s eyes on my body.My gaze swept from Dean to his lover, who sure enough had his eyes somewhere around my waist.I stormed off. “The idiots,” I muttered under my breath, squeezing my fist, wanting to give the man one good punch.Two women stepped out of the restroom then, and as we acknowledged each other, one of them looked behind me and blushed.I pushed the door open
I sat at a table across from Dean and Olivia in a sky lounge. Unlike the version of Olivia I always experienced, the one sitting beside Dean now was cool, detached and did not laugh at his jokes. And the few times their eyes met, hers were soulless. This, oddly, made me happy.My fingers drummed against the table while a bright-eyed waitress served us glasses of cocktail.“What do you plan to do with Anton?” I asked as soon as she left.Dean shrugged.“I might not kill him. Just teach him a lesson.” I spied Olivia's fingers trembling as they wrapped around her glass of cocktail. “I hate that anyone in this town would think they could challenge the Fletchers,” Dean said.“I would prefer to deal with my own mess.” My fingers continued drumming. “You are my brother.” He countered without a pause. “You are my responsibility."“Really?” my voice came out curled and Dean flinched. His eyes darted towards Olivia and when I glanced at her, I saw her eyes had come alive with interest, wa
My body acted on its own.My bike rode round the car and forward as if heading back for the entrance. Then turned horizontally, blocking off the road several inches away from the car.I jumped off the bike then, and just as I had suspected, the driver tried to drive through the bike, but the bike crashed to the ground and the car stalled, rolling back.I made a get-up and ran to the car.I did not bother telling the masked idiot to step out, I simply balled my glove-padded fist and began punching the window.He flinched back as shards of shattered glass flew everywhere, but my racing gear served as a protective shield for me.One more punch and the glass shattered completely.I reached in both hands, grabbed him by the collar and repeatedly bashed his head against the body of the car.He wrestled to get my hands off him, and when that failed he pressed a button that sprang the door open, hitting me smack in the face.I fell back, he grabbed for the steering wheel to perhaps drive arou
COLTThe arena was full, and my eyes once again traveled to the vacant spot on the stands. The spot where I had instructed the crew to seat Oliva whenever she arrived. But she wasn’t there.“Colt?” Delilah walked up to me, stretching out a bottle of water. “Thank you.” I took the dwarf bottle from her, and as I unscrewed the cap, she said, “You cannot race like this.I looked over the bottle at her. “Your class will be the redeeming one, or we’ll lose.“This is such a dumb outfit.” I took the bottle off my lips, flexing my arms in the nylon suit, hating the sound and crinkles.My eyes darted to the stand again.“Waiting for your lady’s favor? I saw both of you this morning.”I silently stretched the bottle to her, and she gave me a dirty look before she took it. I did not care if the president himself had seen us.“Hi baby.” I heard the unmistakable voice of Tara Cox behind me, and turned to see her strutting up in sunglasses and a provocative corset.“What are you doing here?”