“Tiani,” she purrs. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Reign decided to bring me at the last minute,” I say with a smile.
“Of course,” she says, her voice stiff. “Reign, it’s good to see you again.”
God he’s fucking her with his eyes. Why do I hate that? Like a pathetic little child, I press myself closer to him. He puts his arm around me, squeezing my hip in warning. Oh, no. If he wanted to bring me here to throw forward some pathetic little plan, then he will deal with it, and with me.
“Shall we go inside?” a tall, balding man says.
“Lead the way,” Reign says.
We wait until everyone goes inside, and then he leans down to me. “Stop it, Tia.”
“Stop ogling her ass like a goddamned pervert. And you invited me here to make it look like we’re fucking. If you don’t want to make her jealous what do you want to do?”
He gives me a withering glare. “Don’t be a bitch.”
“Bite me, Reign. If you don’t want me to do my job, I’ll leave. I didn’t want to come in the first place. If you think you can just get her back, why bring me?”
“Point made,” he growls. “Now act like a lady.”
I snort as he pulls me inside. We take a seat at the table and Slutena plants her perfect ass right beside him. He’s squashed in the middle of us. Well, this isn’t weird.
“Tiani,” another old man says, “what is it you do?”
“I work for Reign,” I reply, forcing a saccharine-sweet smile.
“And you’re his girlfriend also? That must be strange.”
No, old man, it isn’t. “Reign treats me with respect and we get along so well, so it’s not a problem.”
“Yet,” Slutena mutters.
“I’m able to keep it in my pants when it comes to his personal assistants,” I say to her, still smiling. “So there won’t be a problem. Perhaps you should try it.”
Reign squeezes my leg so hard I jump. Ouch. Bastard.
“Ignore her,” he says. “She’s having a bad day.”
She’s glaring at me, and I give it right back. One of the older men clears his throat. “Uh, well, shall we order before we go over the business plans?”
“Fine by me,” I grate out.
Reign turns to me, his eyes blazing. “Can we talk, outside, for a second?”
He stands and turns to the group. “Excuse me, gentleman. If the waitress comes by, we’ll both have the salmon.”
Then he pulls me away from the group.
“What if I don’t like salmon?” I say as he drags me towards the front door.
The moment we’re outside, he turns to me. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” I say, crossing my arms. “I just don’t like that woman.”
He leans in close. “I don’t fuckin’ pay you to like her, I pay you to do as I ask. So do it.”
Then he turns and storms back inside.
I won’t lie; my heart aches a little. He changes when he’s around her; he turns into a giant asshole—an asshole I don’t know. I straighten my shoulders, take a deep breath, and then walk back inside. He is right about one thing: he does pay me to do a job, so that’s what I’ll do.
Get it together, Tia.
“I’m so very sorry for my rude behavior, gentleman,” I say, addressing the group as I approach the table. “Please forgive me.”
They all stare at Reign, and then look to me.
“Not a problem at all, dear,” one says.
“I’m going to head to the bathroom, if you all don’t mind.”
I look down at Reign whose jaw is tight as he stares at his glass. With shaking fingers, I reach over and stroke the side of his jaw. He jerks and turns to me. Big risk I’m about to take, but if he really wants Slutena to believe we’re a couple, then he needs to make it look real. I lean down so close I can smell him. God, he smells good.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, and then I press my lips to his.
I’ve never kissed Reign. I’ve thought about it—believe me—but I’ve never had to do it. We’re always playing a breakup scene or a cheating scene. Never a happy-lover scene. His lips are soft, yet rugged and manly. I push myself closer, deepening the kiss. He lets me. I don’t complain.
By the time we pull back, I’m feeling short of breath and flustered. The moment I catch a look at his lusty, golden eyes, my heart skips a beat.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” I stammer, before turning and rushing off.
Not before I catch a glance at Slutena’s face, though. Her lips are tight, her eyes narrowed, her chin raised.
That kiss was a success.
~*~*~*~
I giggle, my cheeks flushed with the alcohol swimming through my body. Business lunches aren’t so bad after all. After we ate and everyone loosened up, the drinks started. Now it’s well into the early evening and we’re all under the weather. Turns out old dudes are funny and can really let their hair down. Well, they would, if they had hair.
“Another,” I say to Reign, sliding up beside him at the bar.
“Thinkin’ you’ve had to much,” he says, staring down at me.
“I’m thinkin’ not.”
“Tiani,” he warns.
“Reign.” I smile.
He orders me a vodka and orange, and hesitantly hands it over to me. God he looks good, tie all loosened, sleeves rolled up. Yum.
“Are you finished eye-fucking me?”
I lift my gaze to his. “I never denied you were an attractive man, Reign Braxton. I’m allowed to look. Mrs. Mufflepuff still knows what’s good for her.”
“What the fuck did you just call your pussy?”
Mmmm, pussy on Reign’s lips sounds great.
“Mrs. Mufflepuff. I read it on the Internet.” I shrug. “It suited her.”
“Her?”
I scoff and smack his arm. “My lady parts . . .”
“You name your lady parts?”
He looks confused.
“Don’t you name your, errr . . .” I stare down at his pants.
“My cock?” he offers.
Whoa, there go my cheeks.
“Uh, yeah,” I mumble, dragging my eyes away.
“Uh, no,” he responds, smirking.
“Well, you’re missing out. Allow me—”
“Don’t even think about it,” he warns.
He stands and with a pout, I follow him back to the booth. I watch as he looks around for Slutena. Typical. His eyes stop across the room and his back goes rigid. She’s on the dance floor, grinding against a tall, attractive man. And when I say grinding, I mean grinding. There are hips rubbing, necks being kissed, and hands grazing breasts. Totally X-rated.
“She’s doing it on purpose,” I say to Reign, putting my hand on his arm.
He’s so stiff. I turn him to face me, and his jaw continually tics as if he’s about to lose his shit any second.
“Calm down, big guy. If she suspects it’s getting to you, she wins. Do you trust me?”
“What?” he bites out.
“I said, do you trust me?”
He nods with a sharp jerk of his head.
“Come on then.”
“Where are we going?” he asks.
“To dance,” I say.
He shakes his head and puts his hands up. “No way, I’ve seen you dance.”
I put my hands on my hips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He leans in close. “It means you can’t. That spastic little jiggle you do is completely unflattering.”
“Are you talking about my excited dance, because that and my sexy dance are two very different things!”
He raises his brows.
“Stop being a prude, come on.”
I take his hand and lead him out onto the dance floor. I turn him to face me and take his hands, placing them on my hips. He looks down at me, confused. Not bothering to explain, I step closer and begin rubbing my hips against his, sliding my arms up and ar
ound his neck. His eyes flash and he quickly catches on, rolling his hips with mine.
Oh, boy.
Orgasm alert.
I close my eyes, drowning in the music and Reign as we move, our bodies sliding against each other, our heavy breaths joining. The song heats up, and I can see Slutena out of the corner of my eye, watching us, her face tight. God, I feel like a fifteen-year-old doing this right now; what happened to just talking it out? With a shake of my head, I tilt my face up and look at Reign.
“Kiss me.”
“What?” he asks.
“She’s watching. You want to make it burn, then kiss me.”
He hesitates, but soon his lips are descending towards mine. Talk about stop breathing. I try to concentrate on starting to breathe again as our lips lock for the second time today. Oh. Wow. This time Reign doesn’t hold back. His hands pull my body closer to his, then he parts his lips and slips his tongue into my mouth. Oh, shit. I think my knees are going to buckle.
I hold onto his arms, curling my fingers into his suit as I kiss him back. Fireworks explode as he kisses me harder, deeper, until we’re both fondling each other without a care in the world. His hands are massaging my ass, and I can feel his cock stiffening through his pants. Wow. Oh. Yes. By the time we pull apart, we’re both panting and giving each other looks that scream “Let’s go fuck.”
“Wow,” I say. “Who knew you could kiss like that?”
He licks his bottom lip. Shit, my panties just got wet.
“Back at ya.”
“I think it worked.”
He glances at Slutena, who has stormed off the dance floor.
“Now is your chance, Fabio.”
I let him go and step back, turning and pushing through the crowd. A hand grips my wrist before I get far, then I’m swung around and back into Reign’s arms. He leans down and he kisses me again, hard and fast, a scorching kiss that has my knees going weak.
“Thank you,” he murmurs when he pulls back.
I shrug, fighting back my feelings for this man. “Anytime.”
Then I leave the club, knowing that tonight will be the night he takes her home.
And I hate it.
CHAPTER TEN
I don’t go home right away; I’m too buzzed. Instead, I go to a bar down the road, figuring I need something to take my mind off the fact that Reign is probably balls-deep in that woman by now. I don’t get three steps towards the entrance when my phone rings. Reign. I guess he’s not balls-deep. Good to know.
“I only left half an hour ago,” I say, answering.
“Where are you?”
Oh, Reign is angry. His voice is like acid.
“What happened?”
“Where. Are. You.”
“Shit, Reign, I’m at a bar down the road. Are you okay?”
“Which one?”
I look up and tell him the name, to which he snaps, “Be there in a minute.” Then he hangs up.
Well, that was fun.
I lean against a pole and wait for him to arrive. Ten minutes later he does. He looks wild, furious actually.
“What happened to you?” I ask, pushing off the pole and walking closer.
“Do you want to fuck?” he bites out.
My eyes widen. “Ahh . . .”
“Answer me, Tiani. Do you want my cock deep inside you tonight?”
Oh, Jesus. Talk about sudden.
“Are you high, Reign?”
He growls. “I’m not fuckin’ high.”
“Then why the hell are you propositioning me with sex? If you want to get laid, we can go in and . . .”
“I’m sick of mindless, meaningless fucks. I’m sick of sluts who play me. I’m sick of women who can’t take hints. I’m sick of bein’ this man. Sick of it all.”
I sigh. “What’d she do?”
“None of your business,” he barks.
“Fuck me,” I yell. “Calm down already. I didn’t do anything to you. Sheesh.”
I turn and walk towards an alley that connects two clubs. Reign follows me. I’m only halfway down when he takes my hand and stops me.
“I asked you a question, Tiani.”
I turn to him. I can only just see him in the dark alley. “You’re drunk, Reign. I can smell you.”
“That’s beside the point. Do you want to fuck?”
“Why the hell would you offer to fuck me? I thought my job was to get you laid, not to be the one you lay . . . so to speak.”
He backs me up against a brick wall, his palm flattening out against it.
“I want to fuck you because you rubbed your ass along my dick in that club, because I’m pissed off, and because I don’t want some meaningless pussy tonight.”
“It will ruin everything we’ve created. This friendship . . .”
“Don’t pretend it’s not on your mind,” he growls, leaning in closer. “I won’t ask again. Do you want to fuck or not?”
Every fiber inside me is screaming to say yes and let him slam his cock inside my desperate heat. But that won’t be good for me, or him. Reign isn’t in the right place at the moment, and the last thing I want to be is a desperate fuck because he can’t get the woman he wants.
“No,” I manage, my voice strained.
His eyes widen and he looks shocked. Yes, that’s right Reign Braxton. You got rejected.
He shoves off the wall and turns, striding away quickly.
“Reign!” I yell, chasing after him, my body still thrumming.
“Don’t fuckin’ bother,” he barks, charging towards a taxi.
Sheesh. Someone really is angry tonight.
“Stop.”
I take his arm and he swings around, his eyes blazing with anger. “Let me go.”
“You can’t be angry at me for saying no,” I squeak. “There is a reason for it, and if you stopped storming off, I might be able to tell you what that reason is.”
He leans in close just as a cab pulls up. “Fuck you.”
Then he turns and jumps in, leaving me there.
“Yeah,” I yell at the back of the taxi. “Well fuck you too, buddy.”
~*~*~*~
Asshole.
Mega asshole.
I repeat this mantra the entire way home.
Goddamned moody men—and they say women are hard to live with. At least we don’t say we love a woman, and then hire another woman to make her jealous as well as getting us laid while we wait. So fucking complicated. I pull out my phone when I’m safely in a cab, and I text Reign.
T: When you’re finished having a tantrum, call me. I want to know you’re home.
He doesn’t answer, and I can’t help the worry that swells in my chest. Don’t go to him, Tiani. Let him go. He’s being a prick, and he needs to by himself and wallow in his own self-pity.
Fuck it.
“Can you take me to a different address?” I ask the driver.
I rattle off Reign’s address and he turns, heading in that direction. The entire way there I curse inwardly. Bad decision, Tiani. Bad, bad decision. Turn around, take your ass home and leave him to sulk.
I don’t.
When we arrive I pay the driver and jump out, walking quickly up to Reign’s front door. I dig through my purse and find my key before unlocking the door. I half expect to find Reign with some bimbo bent over his kitchen counter. Instead, I see him sitting on the floor, bottle of whiskey in his hand, head hanging.
Well, shit.
“What the fuck do you want, Tiani?”
“How did you know it was me?” I ask, walking over and stopping in front of him.
“You’re the only one stupid enough to keep coming back when I tell you to fuck off.”
“That’s because I’m your friend and not an asshole like you,” I say, kneeling in front of him. I tug at his whiskey. “Give me some.”
He looks up at me, and he looks tired. He shoves the bottle my way and I drop down beside him, taking a deep swig. God, it burns in the best kind of way.
?
??Are you done abusing me?” I ask.
He huffs. “I wasn’t abusing you.”
“No?” I ask, taking another drink. “Could have fooled me.”
“I had a bad night.”
“Not my problem, Reign. You’re the one chasing the un-chasable.”
“You know nothing about Selena and I,” he grinds out.
“No, you’re right. I don’t. You refuse to tell me, so how am I supposed to understand?”
“I don’t expect you to understand,” he mutters. “It’s not what I hired you for.”
“Jesus, Reign.” I sigh. “Drop the fucking bullshit and just speak to me like a human being.”
We’re silent a moment.
“Seven years of my life, Tia. Seven fucking years I gave to her. I loved her; I love her. I gave a piece of myself to her that I can’t get back. Part of me wants to let go, to hurt her, but the other part is still so fucking in love with her it hurts.”
I stare at the bottle in my hands.
“Sometimes letting go is the only way to heal.”
“And what if she’s the one and I let her go, only to spend forever alone?”
“Do you truly believe that?”
He looks at me, and I can see in his eyes he does.
“I do.”
What can I say to that? It won’t matter how I put it; in his mind it’s right. I take another sip of the whiskey.
“Well then,” I mutter. “You’re royally fucked.”
He snorts a laugh and turns to me. “I’m sorry about tonight, babe.”
Babe. My heart warms a little.
I wave my hand. “No problemo.”
“I tried to fuck you.”
I smile. “It wasn’t so bad. You could be far worse. I only gagged a little.”
I can feel his eyes burning into the side of my head. “If Selena wasn’t in the picture, would you have done it?”
Ah the old would you?
It doesn’t matter what I would have done. Selena is in the picture. There is no other option, so imaging is a waste of time and headspace. I shove to my feet and reach my hand out. Reign takes it and I help him up.
“Get some sleep, Reign.”
He drops down onto the couch and stares at me as I head to the front door.
“You didn’t answer my question?”
I peer over at him just as my fingers curl around the door handle. “What ifs don’t really matter right now. Selena is in the picture, and that isn’t going to change. But for your benefit . . . yes, Reign . . . I would have done it if she wasn’t in the picture. Do you want to know why?”