Consume Me (A Burning Desire Novel) (6 page)

He was
composed when he leaned in closer to me and slipped his hand on my thigh.

"You're
a real tease Miss Dane. Can't wait to show you how provoking I can be
myself."

His
words made me go blank for a beat. It felt like a promise and a threat.
Something inside me felt like a burning explosion of wanton and excitement. I
was experiencing some kind of a physiological disorder.

His
eyes were dark and aglow when he pulled back and sipped the last of his drink.

I
wanted to change the recurring subject. I wanted to get one last answer.

"What
is it Miss Dane? I can see the wondering all over that beautiful face of
yours."

Drop
dead and die!

I
didn't expect that but I cherished the way he'd said it.

"Who
are you?" I asked with a small voice. The question sounded a little absurd
to me.

"I'm
Landon Davis." He said it like it was the only thing that mattered.

"I
know that. What I mean is, well, my friends seem to know of you, as if you were
some kind of celebrity or something, also I'm positive the two blonds glaring
at us from behind you talked about tabloids earlier. I'm somewhat aware of the
media business, yet your name means nothing to me."

He
looked at me processing my words. He didn't even turn to check the two women
peering at us; they were mostly glaring at me.

"Why?"

"Why?"
I echoed not understanding his question.

"I
mean why do you want to know? Are you interested Miss Dane?"

I could
tell he was only teasing me yet I couldn't help but bit at him.

"Get
over yourself Mr. Davis - I'm only asking out of curiosity - So are you going
to tell me or should I rejoin my friends?" I challenged hoping he'd just
tell me and put an end to the stupid game.

He
didn't react. He was so composed.

I
pushed to my feet and stood. I was pressed against him and he flinched. I
sashayed past him to find my way back to my friends. I turned one last time
with a defying look.

"Nice
meeting you again Mr. Davis... Or not. But definitely nice kiss."

I bit
at my lip and waved at him.

I was
halfway through the crowd when I felt a hand grab me. I turned to find Mr.
Davis. He stepped forward and spoke slowly.

"Nice
doesn't quite cover it Miss Dane, now does it?"

"Don't
be so arrogant. Goodbye." I turned to walk to my friends.

He
pulled me to him, my back to his chest. His hot breath sent goose bumps through
my skin.

"Later,
after purchasing your battery operated boyfriend. You'll wish it were me.
You'll think about me sinking inside you endlessly... repeatedly, until you
scream your lungs out calling my name - feeling full to your sweet core - yet
asking for more. That is how I plan to make you feel beautiful
Clea
, like no other man had made you feel. Just
wait and see."

Every
word he spoke. Every breath that'd brushed over my ears, every heartbeat. I
could feel everything. My heart skipped more than one beat. I couldn't hold
myself. No one had ever talked to me that way, no one had ever made me feel
like I did right during that moment. I was lost.

I
hadn't even realized that he was gone, and when I did, it felt like a stab in
my chest. I wanted all that. It was a promise, but he left.

I
looked around me, my vision was blurry, and there were so many people. I let
out a breath I didn't know I was holding. His words consumed me and left me
both hopeful and hopeless at the same time.

I woke up
to a colossal throbbing at the back of my skull mocking my one too many tequila
shot, and an empty apartment to which I was thankful for; I put my unruly curls
in a messy bun and head to the kitchen for my ultimate hangover cure.

I
picked my coke and Advil, put my sunglasses on, and went up to my rooftop for
some natural vitamin D. We had one of the most complete views from up there,
from the avenue of Americas to downtown Manhattan. I had it all sitting on one
of the deck chairs sipping my remedy. I relaxed under my quilt and replayed the
previous night events repeatedly. I still had no idea who Landon Davis was. I
knew what he tasted like. We'd kissed. He looked like a god, smelled like a
piece of heaven and tasted like all your favorite sweets wrapped in one
gorgeous cherry-colored-velvety mouth.

He was
way-too-intense for my own good. His kiss was hot, skilled, and possessive. He
held me as if he'd claimed me, during both the dance and the kiss. He'd managed
to insult me and praise me in one same sentence, and I couldn't hold the
panacea of emotions he'd provoked in me. I went from fury to pleasure in a
nanosecond. One minute he'd confuse me, the following he'd make it somewhat
clear for me.

He
called me beautiful after he'd suggested I was a three-way slut. He'd gripped
me against my will, yet sent shivers and flames through my whole body. I was
bipolar throughout the whole night. He wanted to pleasure me.

If only
he knew...

He was
confident about sleeping with me. He really wasn't very perceptive. Jenna
always used to say that I walked around with a virgin stamp against my
forehead. I guess she wasn't all that right. Especially the way I'd
intentionally teased him with the sex toy insinuation. I didn't stop obsessing
about that kiss. It was all consuming with intensity. It was hungry. It was
forceful. It was also full of promise. Even when I went back to my friends, I'd
been out of it. Thankfully, they'd refrained from any probing. We finished
celebrating with few other rounds. I'd searched for him with my eyes. He was
gone and I was somewhat disappointed.

I'd
thought about all the kisses I've had in my life. As a virgin, you kiss a lot
and you get good at it. It was all the excitement I’d allowed myself. I had
inexperienced and maladroit. I had the unskilled with too much tongue or too
much saliva. I'd had gentle, caring, loving, and cute. I'd never experienced
violent, or greedy or intense. Before last night, I'd never been consumed by a
kiss.

Even
Caden, whom I'd considered a very skilled kisser, never made me feel like that.
It was uniquely intimate, like a waltz in complete harmony. It weakened my
knees and raised my heartbeats.

I
thought about what he'd said to me last before he'd disappeared. That was a
whole new level of obsession. I'd replayed it in the back of my head from the
moment he'd left, during the cab ride, up until the moment I crawled under the
comfort of my duvet. Was I going to see him again?

"Better
hope not."
My
self-preserved-latent peered at me with disapproval.

"
He's
no good for you."

She was
probably right. Rational
Clea
agreed with
the fact that the man would probably mess up my life. I had a feeling he was
going to be the best thing in my life, or by far the most destroying. I didn't
want to find out which. I'd never had these sorts of mixed feelings about a
person, but if history was any indication, my gut had always been my best
guide. I was finally on the right track. Tomorrow was going to be the first day
of my career. I had my friends, my family. I was in total control of my life. A
relationship would only screw it up. I repeated my mantra a few times and
headed back downstairs for some cleaning, television recap and a hot meal.

"I'm
sorry come again?" Jude held a stem of broccoli with his chopsticks frozen
halfway to his mouth.

"I'm
paraphrasing, but he basically promised that he'll fuck me like no other man
did."

We were
sitting around our favorite takeout in my living room with Jude, Jenna, and
Ryan.

They've
been grilling me about Landon Davis. I wasn't in the habit of hiding anything
from them, most of all Jude. My monthly costs for international calls with
Jenna could've attested to how much I didn't miss on an opportunity to tell her
the smallest event in my life either.

I'd
been telling them about the whole story. Jenna was aware of the stranger in
Paris, but she had no idea it was the same man. She thought it romantic, but a
little scary. Ryan was psyched. He kept going on and on about how beautiful we
looked together at the club, and how he was surprised I didn't die giving all
the daggers women had thrown my way.

Jude
kept silent up until I just told him about what Landon had told me last.

"Well
that's an inflated euphemism." Ryan commented doubling over in laughter.

"And
what'd you say?" Jude asked ignoring his partner’s comment.

I
shrugged,

"I
didn't get the chance to answer, when I turned to give him a piece of my mind."
I lied

"Poof,
he was gone." I said, gesturing a magic trick.

I
washed down a piece a Kung Pao chicken with a sip of wine.

"Okay,
so to summon the situation." Jude started.

"You
met Landon Davis in Paris, you rode with him and said goodbye."

I nodded
and he continued

"A
little over a week later, he finds you in a club, says he'd been looking for
you. You share an all-firework-y-kiss, he suggests I’m sharing you with Ryan,
and then promises to fuck you senseless for the second time."

He was
processing his words with an expression of both impressiveness and disgust, and
I signaled to affirm.

Ryan
shook his head repeatedly with both awe and disbelief

"This
is crazy boo. I mean Landon Davis."

I
couldn't take it anymore.

"Who
the hell is Landon Davis, anyway?"

Jenna
choked on her wine dumbfounded

"Sérieux?"

"Cut
the crap. Just tell me."

I was
both annoyed and curious. Jenna hadn't been home for more than two weeks per
year for five years and she knew who he was. I was sure he wasn't an actor or
singer. Probably reality television; I hated those.

Jude
pushed to his feet and ran to grab my Mac from my desk. He put it in the middle
of a table and sat beside me. He typed his name in the search toolbar; it was
like a tsunami of information, and pictures washing off over the screen. I
regretted not doing it by myself instantly. I wanted to watch all the photos.
He looked yummy.

"Landon
Davis." Jude said.

"Well
not only is he one dazzling-drop-dead-stunning son of a bitch. He's also one of
the wealthiest men in the world."

Ryan
tapped my shoulder "In the world Boo. Not country, I can't see how you've
never heard of him."

I
shrugged

"What's
his line of business?" I asked.

"Everything.
He's a touche-a-tout. Some say he owns a volcano. He owns hotels on several continents,
for sure, and he’s the CEO of Davis International."

Jenna
interrupted.

“That’s
the only thing he didn't work on himself. He got it from his family."

"True."
Jude affirmed.

"His
most apprized business is his law firm; Davis & Crawley. He'd started it
with his childhood friend and alleged on-and-off girlfriend Evelyn
Crawley."

I
clicked on a picture. He was standing in a very luxurious black tuxedo, all
alluring and extremely elegant next to a beautiful redhead. She wore a stunning
ivory dress that Ryan recognized as a Marchesa. She had beautiful turquoise
eyes, rendered more aglow by her natural tan and her glossy hair. They looked
royal together.

"So
he's a lawyer." I stated trying to smother the unwelcome snarl of jealousy
that had crept over me.

Jenna
snorted in an unrefined way.

"To
put it in a language you'd understand; he's your male version of Olivia Pope
crossed with your Harvey Spector"

Jenna
explained, by referring to two of my favorite TV show's characters.

"He's
not your average lawyer. He's your rock star lawyer - a crisis genie and a very
successful businessman."

My
beautiful friend had an understanding look.

"I
know you don't care about money and all the celebrity bullshit. But he's a
certified womanizer.

You
should steer clear from him baby-girl." Jude sounded worried.

"Oh
shut up Jude. She can do whatever the fuck she likes. Let her have her
fun."

 Jenna
glared at him and pushed towards the laptop.

"Plus,
that's not all he is." She clicked on a picture.

"He
cares about so many charities, and he actually does some of the handiwork
himself. He just rebuilt three schools in Port de prince and Jacmel in Haiti,
ergo this picture with no other than Sean Penn..."

Jenna
carried on talking but I stopped giving her any attention. I was too taken by
what I was witnessing on my screen. He was playing soccer with some kids. He
seemed to have a blast, and so did the children.

What
had caught my attention other than the confirmation that he was a Good
Samaritan, was his glorious allure. He was exquisitely mouthwatering. I was
aware of how lean he must be under his clothes. He was shirtless in the
picture. His chest glowed under the sun. He had the most delicious packs
centered with that V from where hung linen beige shorts. The man worked out, a
lot. Even his legs, which I usually considered the least attractive parts of a
male body, were a torture for my senses.

A
debate about my non-existent love life carried in the background. I was stunned
by such a man. He really was something unexpected. I was sure it wasn't fair
for the male population to have such a man in the horizon. He was off the
charts handsome and I really wasn't into hyperbolism, he was successful in his
business and giving the different females I saw him with on tabloids, he had
lots of success with women too.

I
doubted I could compete with any of those models and celebrities. I couldn't
understand why he'd chased me. He had the world at his feet without mentioning
his gorgeous partner. I was probably just another poor little girl he wanted to
add to his palmarès, and I'll be damned if I'd succumb to such temptation.

The
intercom interrupted my course of thoughts along with the heated conversation
between my good conscious, my bad one, and Switzerland Ryan.

He
pushed to his feet to avoid a fight with Jude and used the intrusion as an
escape route. I wished I could do the same. Ryan' silence told me that he
agreed with Jenna and didn't want to get into an argument with his partner.

"Hey
chicas. Judas."

Maria
greeted us and Jude rolled his eyes at the not-very-endearing term. I leaned in
to pour her a glass of wine and handed it to her.

"How
was your day Maria?" I used her as a way to calm the heat between my
friends.

"Ah,
I had the worst hangover, and I don't know what happened to Teddy, he just kept
barking like he was mocking me."

"Hey
boo, you have a visitor."

Ryan's
voice came somewhat disturbed from behind me.

"Oh
yeah Chica, found your boyfriend downstairs I opened the door before you'd
buzzed him."

"Boyfriend?
What boyfriend?"

Fear
crept over me and I was taken back to a murky and dark place.

Caden
was here. How was it possible? I'd filed a restraining order.

Jude
pushed to his feet in panic, ready to barge outside the room.

"Ooh
that's him Chica!"