When I hear the open bars of Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock” I know that Candy’s hitting the stage. Jesus, would the woman die if she picked a song not from the 80’s? Probably.
Risking him seeing, I glance at Jaden’s table, but it’s empty. Where in the hell?
“Looking for someone, sweetheart?”
I gasp and almost drop my tray.
“You know you make a similar sound when I first slip my dick inside you?”
“Get the fuck away from me, Jaden!” I say through clenched teeth, my heart racing as much from fear as adrenaline. Not fear that he’ll hurt me, but fear I won’t be strong enough to resist him once again. Then, I think of Rhett, and I know I can. He’s admitted that he’s kept me at a distance because he’s afraid of screwing up whatever is happening between us.
“You didn’t follow my orders today—”
“I don’t follow orders.”
And there’s that damn mocking laugh of his again. “Oh I noticed, Skye. Believe me, I’ve noticed.” His growl all but has me combusting. My shameless body clenches remembering the last time I heard that same growl as he came deep within my body. I’d never had a man come inside me without a latex barrier before. I’ll admit I fucking loved it and want it again, but not with him. No, not with Jaden, but with Rhett.
“Fuck you!” I all but scream at him before I walk away.
Tossing my tray on the bar top, I find Nate. “Tell Cal I didn’t feel well and I had to leave.” Without looking, I know Jaden is approaching, I feel him. “I’ll make up my remaining 45 minutes tomorrow. Kennedy can cover my tables—“
“What’s goin’ on, Sunny?” His eyes leave mine and land on something—rather someone over my shoulder. Jaden. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I just got this stomach thing. Maybe something I ate earlier. Night, Nate.” He nods, but I can tell he doesn’t believe me.
This time I don’t risk glancing at Jaden, I know he’s not far behind me when I head toward the back. No way in hell will Charlie let him backstage.
Grabbing my jacket and backpack, I head out the backdoor toward my car tonight instead of the front door. Trying to avoid the puddles of rain water quickly forming in the pothole riddled backlot of Pinkies, I make it to my car in record time and soon enough I’m cruising down Oakly about to turn on Fifth headed home.
The rain is really picking up and I’m just hoping we don’t get hail. The last thing I need is to deal with my insurance company and my hefty deductible right now.
Waving at the security guard as he opens the gate I fake the smile I give him. My nerves are strung tight and my mind is racing right now. Rhett wasn’t there tonight, but what if he was? What if Jaden comes back tomorrow or the next day or the next day after that? Fuck! How did I get myself in this mess?
Once in my garage, I sit as the rain pounds, and I get lost in thought as the sound begins to calm me. It’s beautiful, the storm outside is beautiful. It hits me…I don’t deserve beautiful. Rhett calls me beautiful, he’s beautiful. Resting my head against my steering wheel, I let the tears come. I’ve been fighting them since Jaden drove me back to my car three days ago in complete silence. I’ve fought them after I hung up the phone after talking to Rhett for hours. I’ve fought them when the guilt hit me so strong I thought I was going to vomit. I just can’t fight them anymore. Rhett’s admission that he hasn’t taken our physical relationship further because he’s scared to move too fast, too early haunts me.
A lough crack of lightning has me bolting upright and the scream leaves my lips before I can stop it when I see Jaden standing in the rain behind my car through the rearview mirror.
Getting out of my car, I slam the door. “How did you get in here?” I yell.
“Told the guard I was following you but lost you on the highway,” he says as he stalks closer.
Some fucking security. “Get out! You are not welcome here, asshole!”
And…he smiles, he actually smiles. “Haven’t been called that in a few days, I missed it.” He shakes his head and rainwater drips from the ends of his hair. “I’ve missed you.” His eyes never leave mine as he leans in and kisses me with a force that’s downright painful.
Pushing him away, I scream again. “Get out!”
Jaden gives me a sinister smile and kisses me again. Pulling me against him, he holds tighter when I attempt to pull away from him. His hips press against mine and I feel his arousal against me. Memories of him fucking me until I scream on his desk start to replay in my head.
Rhett. I think of Rhett. “Leave,” I whisper, hoping he hears the desperation in my voice. “Please, leave me alone.” I can hardly get it out.
Jaden’s hands drop to his side and he steps back a single step while looking at me as if he really sees me for the first time. Clearing his throat, he rubs his hand over his jaw that is now covered in a dark five o’clock shadow, and I notice that the always-primped meticulously good-looking Jaden is gone. In his place is a man that looks exhausted, desperate, and ticked.
I don’t even get a chance to process the visual in front of me; Jaden is flying backward and slamming up against the wall in my garage. The sound of Rhett’s fist hitting him in the face breaks the brief silence.
**Rhett**
I pull up and see a Mercedes parked in Skye’s driveway and wonder who it is. Probably one of the girls from the club, I imagine. Walking up her driveway, I stop dead in my tracks when I see some man with his lips pressed against hers. My heart stops—just fucking stops. I stand there like a dumbass just watching as the woman I’m falling for kisses another man until I see her whisper something to him and he takes a step back. I instantly see his arousal and everything just goes red. Complete. Fucking. Red.
Before I even realize what happened, I have him pinned and my fist meets with his face more than once before he lands a hit on my right temple. Fucking southpaws get me every damn time. It’s enough that he knocks me off balance and soon enough we’re fighting with each other like some goddamn MMA fighters in the driveway as we’re getting doused with rain.
“Rhett!” I hear Skye scream. “Jaden, stop!” His name is Jaden? “Stop!” Suddenly, I see one red Chuck Taylor fly past my head and hit this punk’s chin, snapping his head backward and knocking his body off me. Sitting up, I see blood dripping from the guy’s mouth before Skye is helping me up, mumbling incoherently.
Grabbing her arm none too softly, I bark at her. “Who the fuck is this, Skye?” I expect her to say—no, I pray she says that she doesn’t know, that he attacked her, that he’s a crazy ex that she can’t stand. But she says none of those things. Barely audible, she says, “Jaden.”
“Yeah, I heard his name. Who the fuck is JADEN?” I yell, my temper quickly rising and rising.
She says nothing for what feels like forever, and I see her struggling with some internal battle.
“The truth, Skye!” When she jumps at my volume, I realize I don’t care.
“Better question, brother, is who the fuck are you?” With blood dripping from his mouth, I see his face for the first time.
“Don’t I know you?” I ask as I study his face, then, it hits me. “The gym on Forrester, right?”
He nods. “Yeah, that’s me.”
Looking from Skye with her eyes wide and jaw slack, I also see fear looking back at me. “You wanna tell me why the hell you had your mouth on my girlfriend?” I ask him, but I never take my eyes from her face.