Taunting Lips (A Teasing Hands Accompaniment) (4 page)

4

Love him.

Love him.

Love him.

Fuck, it had felt good to hear those words come from her lips. They were heartfelt. Not fake. Everything I needed to hear at the moment.

I left the bar immediately after she left, only having gone back inside to throw a few bills on the table to cover my one drink. The waitress tried to make eye contact; she walked my way, and the closer she came, the more repulsive the familiar scenario became.

In the past, she would’ve been bent over the bathroom’s sink as I fucked my frustration out on her. Today, though, it made this whole situation with Amanda more definite—defined in the sense that my actions now revolved around her emotions.

My eyes wandered across the warm Atlantic waters, and I sighed.
Love him.
The words replayed in my head on a constant loop—I could still hear her with perfect clarity as she confessed how she felt
. Love him.

Not past tense. The feeling was still predominant, and that gave me a small thrill of hope that not all was lost. Maybe things could work out between us if I could just get her to slow down enough to listen to what I had to say.

I was under no false expectation that getting my girl back would be an easy task. Her fire and stubbornness was something I loved about her. Amanda had never been intimidated by me—not counting today’s action—and that was something that turned me on.

She’d put me in my place a time or two since we’d met, even going as far as to give me an ultimatum; it both pissed me the fuck off and made me want to place her over my knee. Tinge those sweet cheeks pink.

“Where the fuck are you?” I whispered out into the night and took another sip of my drink while sitting outside on my rooftop terrace. The amber liquid did little to quell the strange emotions that raged within me. My eyes closed, and I tipped my head back against the same chair she’d sat in just a few days prior.

We’d learned so much about each other that night. We laughed, and even discussed the trouble Hunter had created for both of us. Pissed would be an understatement to how she received the news of his latest set of lies. Maybe I could’ve hid that from her.  However, what would that have achieved? Her further distrust?

Amanda deserved to know the truth everyone else was dead set on keeping from her.

She fit into my life without it ever seeming forced; I’d given in to her every whim without an ounce of fight from me.  So why did I push her away again?

The wind picked up around me, and I welcomed the cooling breeze and took another sip. My mind transported me back to that morning after she left my home. To the moment that made me shut down the feelings that were now clear to motherfucking see.

I’ve loved her since the day she walked out on me in that café close to work, since she told me to get my shit straight before I called her again.  Fear for the emotions she created within me forced me to shut down, immersing myself in nothing but work for the next seven days. 

“Morning,” Stacy called out as I walked through the spa’s door the day of our next appointment. Her happiness at the moment rubbed me wrong. There wasn’t a fucking thing to be excited over. Today had all kinds of fucked up written into its daily forecast.

“Is it?” I grunted and walked straight back. There was no idle chitchat while we drank coffee. No plans for the upcoming weekend exchanged. Not a goddamned thing that I did on a daily basis.

“What crawled up his ass?” Oliver asked her. He was one of my closest friends, and one of the few people that could ever talk about or to me like that.

I didn’t wait to hear her response and kept walking. Once inside, I threw myself on the small couch across the room. With an arm thrown over my eyes, I lay there and plotted out the bullshit excuse I’d give my gatita today.

There was no other way to handle this thing growing between us. I needed the distance to think and detach. We could continue fucking around, but at my discretion. My rules.

The knock on my door brought me out of the internal battle she’d placed me in. There, by the door, stood Cynthia with a coy look on her face and a cup of coffee in hand. She looked pretty today. Softer.

“What can I do for you?” My eyes drank her in and still…nothing. Sure, she looked good today, with her hair down in soft curls and a clean face, but it was all an act. Cynthia was a viper in disguise. She liked the idea of me, and the money my family had.

“Go out with me tonight.” It wasn’t a question. She sauntered across the room and kneeled down next to me. Her breasts were pushed together, and her lips were puckered. If this was her way of enticing me, she fell very short.

“I make no promises, Cynthia.” What the fuck was I doing?

Her eyes lit up then. She leaned in close and laid a tiny kiss on my cheek. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

“I’m sure you can.” Cynthia’s touch repulsed me. Hers weren’t the lips I craved, and that pissed me off. Fuck Amanda for playing with me and the life I had created for myself. “Now, get back to work, and I’ll talk to you before we leave tonight.”

She stood up then and sashayed her hips across my office and through the door. My cock couldn’t have been softer.

It was around the early afternoon that I grew enough balls and called Amanda. My chest heaved with every breath I took as I brought up her name in my contacts. Nerves wracked me. Deep inside, I knew I was making a huge mistake, but it couldn’t be stopped.

As much as I craved her, I needed my independence more.

“Hello.” She answered on the third ring. Just hearing her sweet voice made me feel sick—I was going to hurt her. There just was no other way.

“Amanda.” Since when did I call her by her first name?

“Hey, Camden. I swear I’ll be on time.” I didn’t laugh at her joke. Didn’t find any humor at all in what the last few sessions with her had done to me. This was all her fault, not mine. “Is everything okay?”

No, it fucking isn’t.

“Yeah…” I lied, and cleared my throat of the sudden knot stuck there. “Listen, I have to cancel today’s appointment. Something’s come up, and I need to leave within the next few minutes. Sorry.” Tone cold and detached, let her make of it what she will. Amanda should hate me. It was the best thing that could happen.

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Is everything okay? Can I help—”

“No,” I yelled out. “Seeing you will crumble my resolve.” The last part I mumbled too low for her to make out.

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t need your help, Amanda. Everything will be fine, okay? We’ll reschedule once I’m back.”

“Okay.” What else could she say? Don’t go? It wouldn’t have stopped me. My mind had been made up. “Don’t worry, Camden. I’ll see you...” I hung up before she finished, the dissapointment in her voice crushing me.

“Who kicked your puppy?” Oliver asked, and I snapped back to the present. After ending my phone call with Amanda, I just stood there, looking at the small piece of plastic in my hand with distaste.

For the first time since I could remember, I felt remorseful.

“What?” My answer only caused him and his wife to laugh.

“You okay, Cam?” Was I? No.

“I will be.” Somday. Maybe. Fuck you, gatita.

“Okay.” Stacy giggled and pulled herself closer to Oliver. He smiled at her action. Innocent yet coquettish. She needed the closeness. “We’re heading to Rage tonight with some friends, you down?”

“Yes.” Fuck, yes, I was. A night out in one of Miami’s hottest clubs would do wonders for my cock. “Is Cynthia coming?”

“Why would I invite that bitch?” It was no secret that both women hated each other. Sure, they were cordial while on the clock, but off it was another story. I’d stopped enough fights between them to last me a lifetime.

Then why was I adding fuel to that fire by forcing them together?

“She’s my date for the night,” I stated and watched the disgust overtake both their features.

“It’s your dick that’ll rot off,” Stacy replied snidely.

Oliver laughed before adding, “Meet us at ten by the lower level bar.” He pulled an angry Stacy away with him as he walked out of my private massage room. Once alone, I walked over to the bed my gatita had laid on and let my finger trail down its soft linens.

“I’m sorry.” The whispered words seemed loud inside the empty room, too much for me to handle. Turning around, I flicked off the lights and walked out. My phone pinged as I walked by the employees’ lounge.

Are we on for tonight? ~Cynthia

We are. 10 p.m. outside of Rage…don’t be late. ~Camden

Cynthia was already outside waiting when I pulled up to the valet parking area. She smiled and waved as I got out—I bit back the sneer that threatened to appear and returned the small gesture.

She looked drunk already. Her short dress hiked up a bit, and with each wobbly step she took, she flashed the crowd.

“Hey!” Cynthia threw herself at me, and I stumbled back. We crashed into the car’s side door, my back taking the brunt of the impact. “You made it.” Her voice had taken on a higher pitch than normal—my head hurt, and we hadn't made it inside.

“How much have you had to drink?” The valet attendant chuckled as I tossed him my keys. “Answer me.”

Cynthia ignored my question; instead, she slithered her body against mine. I could feel her hardened nipples against my chest. “Not much,” she slurred and held up four fingers. “Just a tiny-itty-bitty bit.”