The Arrangement: The Seduction (Kindle Worlds Novella) (7 page)

My classes are almost over. Finals are coming up in two weeks, and graduation looms like a big, shiny beacon. It won’t mean the complete end of my attachment to my parents, but if I can find a job, I’ll be closer than not to self-sufficient.

I’ve been sending out resumes and applying for apprentice-type jobs in decent Manhattan restaurants. It’s a stretch to think I’ll get one that way. One of my professors knows my goals and promised to talk to some people he knows in the industry and see if they can find me a training position. I hope a connection comes through by graduation. I can work a day job for pay and learn at night. The Tavern hasn’t been helping. I haven’t worked anything except the bar in months, despite Tank’s brother’s initial promise of kitchen training.

In my most daring dreams, I want to own a specialty breakfast shop where I can cook my own recipes that I’ve been working on and perfecting since I turned sixteen. I have an entire handwritten book of ideas, and I know exactly what I would want the place to look like and what I would want to serve. It would be any breakfast lover’s dream. I’ve even gone so far as to share my hopes and dreams with Zach, and he hasn’t laughed at me. Instead, he encourages me to believe.

For now, I’m serving drinks though, and I start going through my night. But I’m taken off guard when I find Sean sitting at the bar at The Tavern, staring at me through hooded eyes. All six feet of him dwarf most other men. I used to take one look at his dark hair, blue eyes, and muscular body and melt. Now I prefer one blond, built man who has consumed my every thought. Still, Sean’s here to see me, and I signal to Callie to take over for me.

Curious and confused, because Sean has no time for anyone or anything, I walk toward him. “What are you doing here?”

He scowls, as if annoyed that he’s here at all. I suppress a grin and don’t tell him I appreciate him coming out to see me. It’ll just make him uncomfortable.

“So?” I ask.

His gaze rakes over my outfit, and his frown deepens. “I want to meet this guy you’ve been gushing about.”

My cheeks burn with heat. “I don’t gush.”

“I beg to differ. I call you this morning to make sure there haven’t been any more incidents at work, and all you can talk about is this Zach guy. Does he have a last name?”

“Anders,” I say and look toward Zach’s usual seat. The seat he’s had since we’ve been together.

The chair is empty. Now I’m the one frowning.

“Anders.” Sean narrows his gaze.

“What?” I snap, not liking the look on his face.

He shakes his head. “Nothing. At least not yet. Don’t get over-involved with him. I’ll have him checked out.”

“You’ll do no such thing!” I yell.

Suddenly there’s a big hulking presence beside me. My boss, not my … boyfriend? What is Zach to me anyway? We’ve never defined or labeled it. Suddenly I want to.

“Problem?” Tank asks.

I shake my head. “Just a family issue,” I say, glaring at Sean. “I can handle it.”

“Five minutes and back to work.” Tank strides back behind the bar, but he points two fingers, gesturing between his eyes and me and Sean. He’s watching out for me.

I find it odd that suddenly Zach’s nowhere to be found.

“Introduce me to this guy who never leaves you alone.” Sean folds his arms across his chest. The muscles in his forearms bulge … not even a quiver from me.

I glance around quickly. “He had to leave tonight. Emergency,” I say.

Again, he narrows those cold eyes. Good thing I know I’m exempt from the chilliness there. “I don’t like it. And I’ll be in touch.”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, big brother.”

He smiles. It’s quick and brief but I catch it.

“Don’t do anything crazy. No digging into his background. This one’s different.” I’m sure of it.

“Everyone’s got secrets, Chloe. I’m just going to make sure his can’t hurt you.”

I shiver at his words. Unnecessary words. Words that don’t apply to Zach.

Except it’s not like him to disappear without telling me. So … where has he gone?

I ask him as soon as he returns to his seat, not long after Sean’s gone home.

“Got a call from South Oaks.” His eyes are cold, and I shiver.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, worried about his sister.

“Yeah. Fucking perfect. Think I can get a drink?”

I blink and spin away, pissed that he thinks he can talk to me that way for no good reason, and for the next twenty minutes, I proceed to ignore him.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Tank or Callie ignores him, so someone serves him a drink. He broods while I work, and I have no idea what’s come over him, but my feelings are hurt, and I’m upset.

Even if I have to spend money on a taxi, I’m going home alone. Except when my shift ends and I head out front hoping to avoid him, he catches up to me. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Home. Alone.” Of course, it’s late, and the patrons are gone, so no taxis are driving by, just cars, which means I’m stuck with him.

I step onto the side of the road for a better look, and he yanks me back. “You’re going to get hit. Come on. I’m sorry.”

“Really? Again?”

To his credit, he looks away.

“Listen,” I say, more gently this time. “I understand that you have personal issues. I have them too. But you can’t take them out on me.”

He swallows hard, and it’s obvious he can barely meet my gaze. “I’ll work on it.”

I suppose that’s the best he can do. “Good. I’m tired. Can you take me home now?”

He nods. We’re almost at my dorm, a place I won’t have to see in another few weeks, when he looks over at me. “I think we just had our first fight.” He pulls up in front and puts the car into park.

“I think we did.” Despite my lingering annoyance with him, I grin. “Guess you’ll have to make it up to me,” I say, batting my eyes and sliding out of the car before he can make a move to kiss me.

Yes, I’m making him work for it.

Chapter Six

Zach

There’s no way out. Unless I want that bastard to forget what he did to my sister and live a guilt-free life, I have to go through with the plan.

I’ve stalled long enough. I didn’t even push Chloe for sex right away because I couldn’t bring myself to sleep with her, knowing what I planned. So I put it off. And when we finally did? Spontaneous and fucking incredible. I’ve never felt anything like her clasping me in her wet heat. Warm, welcoming, like fucking home.

But the plan always lingers. I could have videotaped her the first time, but even I’m not that much of a dick. I wanted her to have some decent memories, not betray her right away. Afterward, I put off installing cameras, but the joke’s on me. The more time we spend together, the more I like her.

The more I’m drawn to her.

The more I want to be the man who is protecting her for the right reasons.

And the more I want to be someone she can look at with love and trust in those baby blues. The last month with Chloe has been what I would want out of life if I had the luxury of choosing. Even living in my grandfather’s old house hasn’t been bad — because she’s been there with me so often.

But weekly visits with my sister remind me of what must be done. So I had a friend who owes me a favor install video cameras in my bedroom. Various angles. High-tech.

But I don’t know if I can go through with using her, with turning the video over to someone who will make sure it goes viral fast. Because in Chloe’s eyes, I see the man I want to be. The man I could have been
for
her if that bastard hadn’t destroyed my sister.

Of course, if he hadn’t, then I wouldn’t ever have met her, because nothing about
us
wasn’t planned. Except for my feelings. I think I love the girl. Which explains why last night, I almost called my friend and had him pull the cameras, which will turn on when we walk into the bedroom. Then Ferro showed up at the bar, and all the suppressed anger and hatred resurfaced.

So the cameras are in place. They’ll do their job.

Will I have the courage to do mine?

Chapter Seven

Flowers arrive at my dorm room the next morning. I open the card, read it, and grin. “Let me make it up to you.” A few minutes later, another deliveryman arrives, this one with a chocolate tree. Seriously. Mini chocolate bars in the shape of a tree. The man is seriously trying to apologize. I’ve already forgiven him. I’d mentally done it last night, but that didn’t mean I planned to make myself look easy.

I pick up my phone, about to text him when it buzzes in my hand. I glance down. “I need to see you.”

I hold the phone against my chest and sigh. Am I in over my head with this guy? I want to see him so badly. It’s like the one night apart is already ripping my heart out of my chest. How could I fall for him so hard, so fast? Granted, he’s stepped up the actual time frame by being with me. All. The. Time.

I blow out a deep breath. The phone buzzes again. “Now,” I read.

I text back: “Okay.”

“Waiting downstairs. Pack a bag.”

I shake my head, yet I do as he says, including textbooks so I can study. Soon I’m running down the dorm steps and out into the summer heat. Sure enough, his black truck is idling out front. My heart picks up speed as he meets me around the passenger side of the car and opens the door.

“We cool?” he asks before shutting my door.

I meet his gaze and see the apology in his eyes. “We’re cool.”

He blows out a long breath before leaning over and brushing a lingering kiss on my lips. Already I’m heating up for him, and I’m glad he made the extra effort to apologize. It tells me he understood how upset I was last night. It’s more than anyone’s ever done in acknowledgment of my feelings. He’s always so much more.

When he pulls up to his small house, I feel an overwhelming sense of belonging and home. Kinda scary given my earlier thoughts about how fast and intense this relationship is becoming.

Once inside, instead of settling in front of the television, he’s pacing by the big bay window overlooking the front lawn. “What’s wrong?”

He folds his arms across his chest, and my gaze is drawn to the muscles bulging from the edge of the sleeves. He doesn’t answer for so long I wonder if he will. “This thing between us. It’s more than I expected.”

Eerily, he’s reading my mind, paralleling my emotions and feelings. “Yeah. I was just thinking that myself.”

He tips his head to one side, studying me. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” he says.

The vulnerability in the admission surprises me, and I’m melting for his aching sweetness. I walk over and pull his arms down so I can clasp his hand. “I don’t know what I’m doing either, if that helps. I think we’re both feeling our way through new territory here.”

“I’m just … I’m not sure I can do this,” he mutters.

My stomach plummets hard. “Then why the flowers? The chocolates? The
I need to see you
?” What am I doing here? I wonder.

He spins around and pins me with that steely gaze filled with desire. “You make me crazy.” He stalks over and scoops me into his arms and heads toward the steps leading to the small bedroom upstairs.

“You can’t do this hot-cold thing,” I say, my fingers already in his hair. My breasts are heavy, and desire is filling me, making me ache.

“I won’t,” he says with certainty. “It’s over. Done. I’m yours.” He tosses me onto the bed and comes down over me.

He’s hungry. Starving for me, and he makes it clear by kissing me senseless. There’s nothing gentle about him, and I don’t care. I don’t need gentle. I do need
him
, and despite his angst, he’s just given exactly that, and I can’t help but respond.

We are both greedy, lifting and peeling off each other’s clothing, lips wherever we can reach. Soon we’re both naked, and heaven descends on me in the form of his warm, hot body covering mine. He kisses my lips, my cheek, suckles on my earlobes, grazes his teeth against my neck.

It’s not enough. Not for me and not for him.

All the while, I’m arching against him, tugging at his hair, begging him to keep going, to stop and fill me, to touch me, fuck me, anything and everything he wants to do with me and to me, it’s okay. He’s mine and I’m his.

Suddenly he flips, and I’m sitting astride him, naked, my aching core nestled against his hard length. Unable to take the need and the heat, I begin rocking against him, that sensitive spot hitting his pubic bone and the waves of desire building inside me.

“That’s it, Princess. Take what you need. You’re so fucking beautiful like this.”

I’m too far gone to think or be embarrassed, my only concern the explosion that’s so close to consuming me. He threads his fingers through mine and encourages me to keep going, to ride him, to come.

He says the word, and my world implodes, the most incredible orgasm skyrocketing through me. And I keep circling my hips and riding him as he asked, until the waves recede and I collapse, limp against him.

He flips me over, pauses for protection, and then slams into me. I wouldn’t think I’d feel anything again so soon, but no sooner do I feel him, thick and gloriously hard, than my body responds. I arch my hips and meet his thrusts, and soon I’m rising toward the peak again.