NEFARIOUS: B723 SERIES BOOK THREE, page 33
“Your girl has good taste,” Blue muses in my ear and over the bass of the music. I’d tell her she’s not my chick, but that’s not going to sway Blue to shut the hell up, so I stay quiet. “Why are we here again? If you’re here to fuck in the bathroom, I don’t necessarily have to stand by for that unless you need someone to cheer you on.”
I look over at her. “Ha, ha.”
Blue smirks and looks over the establishment. “If I stand with you too long, they’re going to see us together.”
“And they’ll underestimate you like everyone else does.”
And they do.
Even the boys on B723 sometimes.
Blue isn’t as tight-knitted as the rest of us. She stays quiet, fucks with everyone when the time seems right, and takes off. To where I don’t think anyone knows where she heads off to.
And honestly, I’ve never thought it my place to ask.
However, she’s always there when someone needs her, no questions asked. She’s as loyal as they come, and that’s why I trust her with my back.
“What’s the plan?” she asks me.
“Not really sure,” I deadpan, surveying the area for a woman with hair the color of copper and the lips of a damn paragon of virtue.
Though, she’s no fucking angel.
But that’s what makes her so damn interesting.
“Did you want her to know you were here?” Blue’s tone isn’t pushy or cocky, just curious. And I’m still trying to figure out why the hell I decided to even walk in here, knowing that I didn’t know which way I wanted this to go.
I could just watch her from afar like a fucking stalker.
Or I could go say what’s up and go have a drink with her.
She had a rough night, she called me out of anyone she knows, and that right there is what sparked this.
“I think you should.”
I shrug. “It’s probably not a good idea.”
“And since when do you have those?”
I don’t.
I’m always fucking up somewhere or someone.
“You’re not going to break down if you go see her,” Blue insists, tucking her arm into mine. “And we didn’t come all this way to stare.”
“When you’re right, you’re right.” I glance at her again. “Wanna meet her?”
Blue shakes her head with a tiny smile. “I’m afraid I’ll punch her in the face.”
I roll my eyes. “Now, you sound like Emmy.”
“God, don’t say that,” she jeers. “It’s just different when a girl messes with someone you care about. On your level type bullshit but, not really, since we do inhumane shit.”
“We’ll only stay an hour. You good with that?”
Blue nods. “Long enough for me to go break a heart or two and have a beer.” She leans over and kisses my cheek, which actually surprises the shit out of me. “Have fun. I’ll be around.”
She walks off in her leopard leggings and black shirt that drapes over her shoulders. Her red hair cascading and swaying as she strides, catching a few glances from men around.
God bless them.
She’s a fucking firecracker.
Taking off myself, my heart beats double time in anticipation as I walk down the small space along the bar and the throng of men and women.
Blonde, brunette, blonde, auburn hair, purple, and a few more seats down, copper.
With a male arm draped over her chair and leaned over the bar to look into her face.
I’m praying to God this dickhead is her brother.
Sliding in on the other side of her, she doesn’t see me yet because she’s twisted to listen to him while twirling her pink martini with her black straw.
I steal a glance at her attire, a white tee dips low in the front—like too low—and has some sort of mesh material that teasingly covers the rest of her chest. Her blue jeans are practically painted on her legs, and ‘ole boy over here probably has a perfect view of her tits from his angle.
“So, I told my broker that I wasn’t going to deal with that bullshit,” the guy says. “I mean, your brother had to talk me out of not going down to the office and giving him a piece of my mind.”
“Wow,” Amirah deadpans flatly, stabbing at the bottom of her glass with her straw—bored.
“I swear, I wish I never got into this business.” He lets his gaze linger down her front again like he’s not even doing it, and no one has eyes, and he continues his story. “I’m taking it over for my dad when he retires. So I might as well, you know? An empire handed down to me, and I didn’t even need to start it.”
“Amazing.”
Dumbass must sense she’s not really into his lack of ambition because he quickly changes the subject. “Laurent tells me you're going to school for fashion design?” She nods, taking a long drink of her martini. “So you’re going to, what, make the dress and model it off?”
“No, just design. I’m not graceful enough to model.”
He drags his eyes down her front again, not even noticing my staring his fucking ass down. “I mean, you could.”
“Trust me, I—“ Her hand shoots up in the air, waving down the female bartender who just happens to come over with a glass. “Hi, can you please get me a whiskey, double shot, light ice with a cherry?”
The bartender nods and pivots off, leaving me an opening that I can’t help but take advantage of.
“A little strong for someone who hasn’t eaten dinner, don’t you think, Rus?” Her neck snaps over to me, green eyes narrowed, then immediately soften as she recognizes me standing at her side.
“Mills.” She says my name like a fucking wave of relief and a prayer. Her smile is instantaneous, and I revel in that shit like a hog in a mud puddle.
“Hey, baby,” I recite, flicking my gaze to dumbass, now noticing that there are other people around. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”
“Not at all,” she replies, catching on to where I’m going and not wasting a bit of that college education. “I was just talking to Laurent’s friend, Dallas.”
“Like the city?”
Amirah gives me a smirk. “Sure is.”
“Huh. You’re a long way from home then, aren’t you, partner?” Dallas isn’t amused by my tease, which proves he’s not a total idiot. He just might not be well-equipped in flirting or taking a hint when a woman is clearly bored with his conversation.
“I’m from New York,” he counters like it matters. “Born and raised.”
I twist up my face. “I don’t get it.”
Amirah hits my thigh subtly with her hand, and I grab it before she can return it to her lap. Bringing it up so that Dallas can see it, I make sure to lace my fingers with hers to make my point extremely clear.
To get the fuck out of here before I embarrass his ass with anything else that comes out of my mouth.
“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Amirah,” Dallas practically complains like he was owed that detail of her personal life. “You’re brother didn’t tell me—“
“Well, I hope she wouldn’t because the things I do to her…” I purposely let my sentence trail off. “Would give him reason to beat my ass.”
His nostrils flare, and I look down at Amirah peering up at me with admiration in her eyes.
It looks like I saved her ass again.
“Wanna dance with me?” I ask her before leaning in loud enough for him to also hear, “Or I can find us a booth in one of the corners.”
“A dance is good,” she says, sliding off the stool on my side, so she doesn’t brush up against Dallas.
“It was nice meeting you,” she tells him politely before I pull her away and through the flock of bar-goers.
We’re at the edge of the dance floor when Amirah pulls on my hand that is still intertwined with hers. Turning around, I find her laughing over the now, louder music.
“I wasn’t serious about the dance,” she yells, then points to her right. “Can we go sit down somewhere?”
“You want a booth?” My lips curl when she gives me a warning look. “Alright, Rus, you owe me.”
Squeezing through more people, I find us an empty table with two high-raised chairs and a few empty abandoned beer bottles. Amirah takes her seat, but then I remember the whiskey that she ordered.
I point back to the bar. “I’m going to go grab that drink—“ She shakes her head and pats her palm on top of the table.
“Come sit.” Rounding the table, I pull out the seat next to her and do as she asks, our knees almost touching in the process. “So…what brings you to Maryland.”
She raises both her brows, a sly grin illuminating her face as if I’m going to give her some bullshit answer. But, instead, I give her the truth.
“You.”
Her eyes go round before they narrow suspiciously. “Why?”
I shake my head at her ignorance or innocence. I’m not sure which it is, but one is there. “Just in case you needed me, Rus. Simple as that.”
Recognition dawns on her face, and she observes me like she’s never seen me before. As if everything between us never happened.
That would make two of us.
My brain just wants to hit the delete button.
“Well…” She leans back in her chair. “At least let me buy you a drink.”
My mouth twitches. “Another thank you?”
“Yep.”
“I like the first version better.” Amirah’s cheeks flush, pretty and pink, and it does nothing to make my cocky smirk chill. Then she surprises the hell out of me and slowly slides off her chair. Taking the one and a half steps to position herself between my legs.
“My version or yours?” she prods, her long lashes softly brushing along her cheekbones. With her standing in front of me, we’re perfectly aligned in her heels and eyes. I love how vibrant her greens are and how they glimmer with normalcy. I like how she’s off guard with my being here.
“I’ll let you choose, Rus.” She holds my gaze for a second longer before leaning in.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” I whisper back before my breath catches when her mouth softly meshes into mine. Her full lips take my bottom, and she pulls, taunting me to make the decision for her.
There’s gonna be a fat chance in hell before I give her the easy way out. If Amirah Van Doren wants me unchained and loose in the world, she’s going to have to show me.
She comes in for another sweet kiss that shakes me to my core when the tip of her tongue sweeps across the seam of my lips. It’s then that one of my hands finds her hip and pulls her closer.
When Pretty Fly For a White Guy by The Offspring comes on, it’s the dumbest shit to make out to. Except I’d pick her with any band, any lyric, and any place.
Her palms lands on my shoulders as one of us coaxes the other’s mouth wider. I’m lost and fucking thinking about that dark booth. How I want to run my hands up her ribs and cup the dip of her back right where my fingers get dangerously closer to touching her ass.
Amirah’s fingers press deeper into my muscles when a deep clearing of someone’s throat gets us both to slow down and glance over.
“Oh, shit.” That from Amirah as she steps back, getting me to drop my hand and glare at the intrusion with medium brown hair, a square jaw, and matching green eyes.
Aw, shit is right.
I think I just met Laurent.
“Been looking for you everywhere,” stranger, maybe her brother, dude says. “Dallas said you walked off with a boyfriend.” His emerald irises quickly take me in. “But I know you. You’re Rhett Mills.”
His large hand extends, and Amirah’s words come out to ring loudly in my ears.
My brother tried to get you out of the basement.
I return his gesture, and Laurent shakes my hand firmly but friendly as we lock eyes after he just found me eating face with his sister.
“And you’re the only sibling she seems to like,” I return.
Laurent smiles. “Not hard to do.” He nods at Amirah. “And the same goes for me with her. I’m sure you understand that.”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
“Alright,” Amirah chimes in with a nervous chuckle. “Enough of that weird guy stuff.” She looks at me. “I could use that drink now. Come with me?”
I hold my gaze with Laurent. “Only if your brother is done speaking with you. I want to show respect where respect is earned. For trying to get me out of my predicament.”
He bows his head. “It was the least I could do. Tell your buddy, whoever hit me, they have a nice right hand.”
Bishop.
My lips curl. “I will. I’ll see him later.”
Laurent raises his brows in amusement. “Well, then—“ He glances at Amirah. “—let me know when you leave. I’m assuming you’re not going back to the house?”
Amirah makes a face, clearly not happy with her answer. “I don’t want to leave until I know Dad is alright. So I’m going to stay here tonight and drive back to New York tomorrow.”
Laurent frowns. “I don’t want you there alone.”
“I’ll be fine.” She waves a dismissive hand in the air. “I’ve done it a million times before.”
Now I don’t like her answer.
I wonder how many times she’s slept with one eye open, waiting for one of your unstable sisters to do something. If she slept with her bedroom door locked.
“We’ll get her a hotel,” I offer because she’s not going back to that house. I don’t care if her Dad is at home. I’m not putting her safety at risk. “Then, if she wants, she can see your father tomorrow in the morning.”
Amirah shakes her head. “That’s not necessary. I don’t want to waste money on—“
“I got it,” her brother insists, pulling out his wallet from his jean pocket, but I hold out a hand to stop him.
“Keep your card,” I convey. “I’ll handle it.”
Amirah begins to protest again. “I appreciate it. However, it’s not worth—“
“You owe me.” She peers up at me with a bit of irritation in her eyes, but she doesn’t continue to fight her brother or me about it.
Now I just have to battle with myself to keep my hands off her when she comes back to my hotel room with me.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Amirah frets, taking only two steps in my hotel room before halting in place. She couldn’t hide that she was extremely uncomfortable if she tried. And I may have upgraded my room at the bar because the full-sized bed left no room to not have my hands on her.
“I offered it, didn’t I?” I say, closing the door behind me. “See, you spent no money.”
“But—“
“Rus.” I close the space between us and look down at her, coaxing her in the gentlest way I can for her to just shut up again it. “I’d rather you be here than sleeping with the devil. Devils if we’re being technical.”
“Aren’t you a troublemaker yourself?”
I gesture to the room and roll my eyes. “Two queen-sized beds. I promise to be on my best behavior. I’ll even let you have the remote and pick which bed you’d like to sleep on.”
Amirah gives me a weak grin. “Okay.”
Pivoting, I break the trance her green eyes seem to make and walk to the terrace to get some air. I smoke my blunt, breathe in a few deep inhales and exhales, and find Amirah already under the covers of one of the beds.
The TV is on, and she pretends as if she’s enthralled by the cooking show.
Just like I make-believe a beautiful woman that I wanted to do more than make out with and shouldn’t is only within feet of me.
Within an hour, she turns off the bedside light next to her and wishes me goodnight. The TV is still on, probably to provide her some comfort noise that she’s with me in this hotel room.
Or maybe she’s a TV-on sleeper, I have no idea.
But the moment I’m drifting off myself through my subtle high and about to disappear into nothingness, I feel the mattress dip and a warm body lie next to mine.
My eyes flutter open to find Amirah staring at me like a little creep, on top of my covers and with just her bra on.
I dare not allow my gaze to dip any further than her shoulders.
“What are you doing?” I grumble through exhaustion, letting my eyes close again because it’s really for the best.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she whispers back like we’re at a planned sleepover and if we speak too loud her parents are going to come bitch at us.
“Then turn the TV off, Rus.” I feel her roll over, and that’s when my eyelids snap open to find her naked torso. Which alludes that she was going to bed in her bra and panties and decided she was safe jumping in bed with me.
I don’t know if I should be insulted or pleased that she feels relaxed with me.
Meanwhile, I’m not.
I already pushed the bar a little further than I should've earlier, and I don’t want to send mixed signals. I have to go back to life at B723 when this is all over, and she has no idea who I really am. What I do for a living, and even then, I don’t trust her enough to tell her that.
Not all of it anyway.
I feel Amirah position herself back the way she was, and guilt sweeps through me because she doesn’t have any covers and barely anything on.
“Why don’t you go grab your comforter, Rus,” I urge. “You’re going to get cold.”
And I need you to cover the hell up.
She does and snuggles up in it up to her neck. I know this because my damn eyes haven’t shut since seeing what she’s wearing.
“You’re being a weirdo,” she mutters with her eyes still closed.
“Says the girl who invited herself in my bed that I found staring first.”
She smiles. “You like my kind of weird. It’s entertaining.”
“I like your thank you’s better.” Amirah bites down on her lower lip, seductive and oh so fucking hot. “Stop it, Rus.”
Her eyes open innocently. “Stop what?”
“Woman—“ I narrow my eyes at her, seeing some of her face because I didn’t bother to close the blinds to our room all the way. ”—you’re pushing it with me.”
“How so?” I roll on my back and cock my head to the side and away from her towards the wall “I’m not sure what’s happening…but I kinda like you.”
