Ash to Steele (18 page)

   Breck spots us and nods.  Eyes from every woman who sees his commanding presence devour him as he passes.  Breck doesn’t stop, even when a beautiful woman is brazen enough to try to stop him, presumably asking him to dance.  Everything is different than when I’ve seen him at the Dark Hole.  His smile is still breathtaking, but it’s not engaging in the women’s obvious desires to hook up later. 

   “Em,” Jess calls, “Earth to Emma!”

   “Sorry,” I breathe, tearing my attention away from Breck as he gets closer. 

   “Please, just promise me that you will be careful with him.  Don’t ask too many questions and don’t let your heart get involved.”

   Trying to keep my smile from showing the truth, I just nod, unable to speak the lie.  My heart is no longer mine to control; it’s Breck’s. No matter how hard I’ve fought to keep it from happening, Breck seems to be able to control what it wants, who it beats for, and I’m both stricken and electrified from how I fear he will soon control my body as well.

   As Breck joins us, Jess slips from the chair with the lame excuse of needing to find Jason.  Butterflies take flight in my stomach and I can’t seem to come up with anything intelligible to say.  I feel like some lovesick school girl. 

   “Glad to see you didn’t die of humiliation,” Breck flashes that cocky grin, sliding in the chair next to me, his scent having its usual mind altering effects.  “Anytime you want to repeat your walk of shame, let me know, and I’ll actually take you to my bed next time,” his tone is teasing but his eyes seem to mean it and more. 

   Swallowing hard, I force myself not to take him up on his offer, tonight. 

   “You can’t tell me that you haven’t been dragged onto the dance floor yet?”

   “Just by Gavin.”

   “I’m sure that was an interesting experience for you,” his laughter jolts my hormones into overdrive. 

   “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I return, arching my brow.

   “If you keep doing that, one day I’m going to show you what it does to me,” he warns, the corners of his mouth tilting into pure seduction.

   Before I can recoup and jumpstart my intake of air, Braden places his hand on my shoulder, “Hi, Emma.”

   “Hey,” I reply, trying to keep the imagery Jess planted of him and me out of my head. 

   “Would you like to dance?”

   Braden’s question catches me off guard and I glance at Breck, not wanting to leave him alone.  Not wanting to leave him at all.

   “Who’s your friend, Em?” Breck asks, his domineering gaze locked on Braden. 

   “Oh, sorry.  Breck, this is Braden, my, um, my boss at Shallonelles,” I stutter, trying to catch Breck’s attention to get him to knock it off.

   My intentions are overlooked as Breck extends his hand, and I notice a slight wince flash across Braden’s face when he shakes it. 

   “I’m going to borrow her for a few,” Braden announces, not waiting on my response when he takes my hand, pulling me from my chair.

   “Only if Emma wants to go,” Breck stands, his gaze unwavering from Braden.

   Braden’s hand tightens around me, and I brush my other hand against Breck’s, worried by the anger I see in his eyes. “I don’t do things that I don’t want to do,” I state firmly, my warning directed at both of them.

   Breck’s shoulders tense and he finally looks at me, the anger replaced by something I can’t quite decipher. 
Stop it,
I mouth at Breck when Braden leads me to the crowded floor.

   Braden wraps his hand around my waist and his touch feels...off, not like it feels when Breck touches me.  He keeps a respectable distance at first, but as the music flows so does his restraint and his touch becomes more personal than professional.  Putting a couple of extra inches between us, Braden seems to respect the unspoken boundaries for the first song. 

   As the second song begins, he slowly invades the space between us.  I try to come up with a way to ease away from him without hurting his feelings or making it awkward between us when the work week rolls around.  The body heat and exertion from dancing soon makes me realize that wearing a sweater to a club was not the wisest idea and I plan on using being overheated as an excuse to go to the bathroom to remove it when the song comes to an end.  As soon as I open my mouth to excuse myself, a slow song begins to play and Braden’s hand slides down my arm, finding my hand and pulling me closer.

   I glance towards the table to see Breck staring directly at me.  His jaw is tense and his shoulders are rigid as Braden leans his chin against my cheek.

   “There’s been something that I’ve wanted to ask you, Emma,” Braden breathes in my ear.

  Turning towards him, I discreetly tilt my head away from his, dread knotting my stomach as I wait to hear what he is going to ask me, but he doesn’t get the chance.  Breck appears at my side, his firm frame brushing against my body, and it immediately reacts to his touch. 

   “I’m cutting in,” Breck demands, glancing at Braden’s hand, which is currently holding my wrist.

   “We’re not done,” Braden points out, his hand not leaving my wrist.

   “Yes, you are,” Breck informs him in a chillingly calm, lethal tone.

   Silently, I look between the two men, not sure which one is pissing me off more at the moment.  Braden takes a couple of seconds to decide that the smart decision is to decide that he is done, and he drops his hand.  “I will see you Monday, Emma.”

   I give an embarrassed nod at Braden as Breck slips his hand around my waist, thinking that I’m actually going to dance with him after being an ass in front of my boss.  Shrugging away from him, I look at Braden’s retreating back before lighting into Breck, “Who in the hell do you think you are?  He’s my
boss
, Breck!  You had no right to act that way with him.”

   “He was making you uncomfortable, and he definitely wants to be more than just your boss.”

   “You don’t get to choose who I dance with, even if you do think he wants more,” I seethe.

   “I didn’t mean to upset you,” Breck states, his voice soothing but nowhere near apologetic.  “C’Mon, Em, just dance with me.”

   The confliction in his eyes, and the strength behind the emotions I see in them, leaves me confused.  I should walk away, show him that his childish need for control won’t work with me, that he doesn’t own me, but I don’t, because, in a way, he does.

   Taking his hand, I lift it back to my waist as I place mine on his shoulder, “Please, don’t make decisions for me, Breck.  I have a mind of my own and I am perfectly capable of using it.” 
Except when it comes to you
.

   “I’ll try.” 

   The pain in his eyes kills me, and I know he’s trying.  What I don’t know is, why it’s so hard for him. He has never been the type of man to bend to anyone’s will or do anything other than what he wants.  He’s still not, but, with me, I’ve noticed he’s softened a little, paying attention to my feelings over the past month. 

   He pulls me closer, sliding his hand around the small of my back as he brings my head against his chest.  I can feel the soft thump of his heart as he cradles me in his arms.  His gentleness with me when he’s anything but with everyone and everything else does things to my heart, healing and breaking it, while it falls further under his control.  A part of him has changed, I sense it.  I know he still wants me sexually, but I feel there’s something deeper than that.  At least I hope there is.  Refusing to think anymore, I sink into his embrace and just enjoy the feel of my body held so intimately by his, and I lose a little more of myself to him.

   The slow song ends and I pray for another, but my prayer goes unanswered when the beat of the next song quickly picks up speed.  Not wanting to, I slide out of his arms, turning to leave, but his hand around my waist stops me.

   “I believe it’s still my turn,” his deep voice rasps in my ear. 

   My heart matches the pulsating tempo and heat flows between my thighs as Breck turns me around, brushing a wisp of hair off my cheek as he pulls my back to his chest.  I can feel
that
part of him, big and hard, pressing against the covered soft flesh of my bottom and lower back. When a man can turn your insides into a nothing but raging desire stronger than the power of all five of the elements put together, then you know he’s a force to be reckoned with.  One look from Breck, and I’m lost in his essence, becoming more powerless to his spoken and unspoken advances every day.

   We dance three more songs and I’m lost to everything around me.  Only the music and Breck’s touch exist.  When I’m over heated to the point of panting, Breck throws his arm around me, and I lean my head against his shoulder as we return to the table.  Just as I’m getting ready to slide into my seat, I spot Elise.  Her dark eyes are riveted on Breck.

   He brushes his lips against my ear and a shiver runs to my toes, “I love the way you move.”

   “I think there’s someone who feels the same about you.”  Glancing at Elise, I notice her gaze is now fastened on me, every hate filled piece of it. 

   Breck follows my line of sight and groans, “She certainly gets around.  I’ve seen her almost every day this week.”

   A pricking sensation stabs me and I guess I fail miserably at hiding it because Breck bursts into laughter, “Easy, girl, you’re not the one who’s had to ditch her every time she tracks me down.”

   Jess plops in the seat next to me, her skin glowing from perspiration.  She looks gorgeous, even when drenched in sweat; I just get blotchy.  “It’s hot as hell in here.”  Jess gulps her water before commandeering my margarita. 

   “I’ll be right back,” I excuse myself, needing to go to the ladies room for the usual reason, but also to make sure that I don’t look like a spotted, drenched hot mess.  

   “Bring some more water when you get back,” Jess calls out as I maneuver my way through the crowd.

   After taking care of necessities first, I examine my reflection in the mirror that fills the length of the entire wall.  My cheeks are flushed but my usually unruly hair is still behaving with it being pulled back.  I slip the sweater over my head, revealing the tight white tank top underneath.  I’ve seen much less clothing on almost all the women in this club, and the tank covers my chest, but I still feel a bit uncomfortable as I tie the sweater around my waist.  Wetting my fingers and dabbing them against the back of my neck, I take one last look before heading out the door, running into the ice princess herself.  She looks pissed and she’s brought two of her friends with her, Tonya and, if memory serves me, the other’s name is Brittany. 

   “You think that you are something special, don’t you?” Elise snarls, giving a sarcastic laugh.  “You’re nothing to Breck, just a pretty distraction.  He’ll get tired of you and start banging everyone in heels in less than a month.”

   “Nice to see you again, too, Elise,” I reply calmly, not in the mood for any of her snide remarks tonight. 

   Stepping to the side, I start to walk past her but she grabs my arm as she threatens, “Get your claws out of Breck or you’ll regret it.”

   Not able to help myself, I begin to laugh, “Seriously?  Are you reverting back to middle school? Not that it’s any of your business, but Breck and I aren’t sleeping together, so you can come down from your hissy fit now.” 

   “I don’t take orders from ignorant hicks,” she hisses.

  Wanting to declaw her, I decide ignoring her is the best option and I jerk my arm free.  Her two cohorts block my path when I start down the hall, and Elise pushes me against the wall.  I have to make myself not take her head off when my elbow hits the concrete with a crashing thud. 

   “Just stay away from him, bitch,” she snarls.

   My fingers twirl the charm on my necklace as I try to do that whole breathing and counting to ten thing. It’s not working.  My elbow throbs as I push away from the wall.  “Move out of my way,” I warn. 

   It’s Elise who laughs this time before her hand flies to my throat, yanking my mother’s chain from my neck. I react before thinking and I feel my fist connect against her chin, hard.  Elise hits the floor, and Brittany screams while Tonya grabs my hair, giving my ponytail a vicious tug.  A painful grunt escapes as I grab my own hair, trying to wrench it out of Tonya’s grasp.  Her grip is unrelenting, so I send my elbow sharply against her stomach, and the pain searing my scalp eases as she lets go, doubling over with a breathless nasty slur.

   Dropping to my knees next to Elise, I grab her hand, prying her fingers open to take back my necklace when Brittany rakes her nails across my arm, sending a slice of burning fire against my skin.  Wincing, I bite my lip to keep from crying out, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing how badly it hurts.  Blood trickles down my arm and I jump to my feet, beyond done with Elise and her bitchy sidekicks.  Not holding back, I take a swing, punching Brittany in the mouth.  My knees slam against the floor in an explosion of pain when Elise pushes me while my back’s turned to her.  Pressing my hand against the wall, I’m shaky as I pull myself to my feet.  I’m barely up before Elise pushes me against the wall again, and my head connects against the concrete this time, causing a few flashes of sparkling light to flitter in front of me. 

   When Tonya grabs my arm, and Elise gets in my face, I fight back with all I’ve got, kicking my foot against Tonya’s shin and grabbing Elise when my arm’s free, ramming her against the opposite wall.  Her loud cry pierces the air as strong hands grab my waist, hauling backwards into a hard chest.