Relentless - Manhattan Knights Series Book Two Read online

  An hour into drinks, and I can’t handle any more of this guy’s insidious rambling. He is so freaking dull, but lucky for him, he has a body to die for and I plan on using it tonight. Colin… I think that’s his name… suggests that we go dancing at Cube, which gets a resounding No from me. I do not need to bump into Carter de Rossi tonight. I use my wiles to convince him that Spyder is a much better club and we simply have to go check it out. He doesn’t need much convincing - A hot kiss and a grab of his tight ass and he is putty in my hands.

  When we arrive at Spyder, the queue is around the block, but it seems to be moving quickly so we wait it out, and when we step inside, it’s totally worth it. The atmosphere is electric, music is blaring through the speakers, and bodies are writhing on the dance floor. I need some dancing juice to get past this guy’s personality and get down to business. We sling back a few shots before making our way onto the floor.

  The guy can move - I’ll give him that. Now that he’s putting his mouth to better use, I’m liking him a whole lot more. He has strong hands, a rock-hard chest and hips that are telling me he knows how to use his dick as he grinds his semi against me. His hands are roaming all over my body as I move to the music, finding the slow sensual beat and losing myself to it. It’s amazing to drift into the zone – not having to feel, not having to think - just focus on dancing and the desire that is starting to build. Colin caresses me, his lips grazing my neck as I tilt my head to give him better access.

  I don’t know how many songs we dance to, or how long we stay on the floor, but my body is buzzing as he leads me from the dance floor over to the bar. I down my French Martini in record time, ready to get out of here and take the release I so desperately need from this guy. As I take his hand in mine, leaning in to whisper the filthy things I want him to do to me, I feel a warm, strong hand on my shoulder. As I turn to see who’s behind me, my heart sinks deep into the recesses of my stomach. Carter stands towering over me, his imposing frame and stunning features a menacing combination.

  “Quite the show you’ve been putting on tonight, sweetheart.” God, his voice does things to my insides that I don’t even understand. It washes over me, bathing me in a warm glow, regardless of the words he’s saying.

  I quickly pull myself together, extricating myself from Colin’s grasp – he tries to pull me back toward him but before I get a chance to speak, Carter is in front of me, his glare now firmly fixed on the poor schmuck I came here with.

  “Don’t pull her like that, man. I would hate to have you thrown out of here.”

  Colin doesn’t seem intimidated by this declaration. “You’re the one laying hands on my date… MAN. So how about you fuck off, or I’ll get YOU thrown out.” Carter throws his head back laughing at this attempt at a pissing contest.

  “Yeah, good luck getting me thrown out of MY club, asshole. I fucking own this place and half the clubs you probably frequent in Manhattan. So, fucking step back and give me a minute to talk to my good friend Addi. How about you run along like a good little boy and go hail a cab so you can get the fuck out of my club before you really piss me off.” I should slap him in the face for that outburst but I am so turned on right now, my panties are soaking wet against my pussy.

  I turn to Colin to appease the rage I see building on his face. “It’s ok, baby. Just go and get us a cab. I’ll be right out. Carter’s a friend of mine and he obviously has a stick up his ass tonight. I’ll be five minutes tops.” He reluctantly agrees, but as soon as his back is turned, Carter drags me behind the bar and into his office.

  It’s a big room, but his presence makes it feel claustrophobic. He pushes me down on the couch, his body looming over me, firmly pressed against mine; his face mere inches from my own. His intoxicating smell invades my senses, his warm minty breath caressing my face as he begins to speak.

  “You like playing games, sweetheart? You think it’s funny to come into my club and parade some fucking douchebag in front of me? I ought to punish you for that, but that would imply I give a flying fuck.”

  I begin to struggle underneath him as my anger at his words gets the better of me.

  “First off – I didn’t know you owned this place. Second – why would I want to parade what I do in front of you? We’re not together – I can do whatever and whomever I want. And third – if you don’t give a flying fuck, why the HELL am I pinned underneath you right now feeling YOUR hard-on digging into my leg?”

  The fire that ignites in his eyes is so goddamn sexy… all I want is to kiss him and have him ravage me, using his anger to take me hard and fast, right here, right now. We stare into each other’s eyes, the knowledge of what we both want evident in the crackling tension between us. He leans down allowing his lips a ghost of a touch against mine; the memory of how delicious his kisses are, causing me to arch off the couch, my frustration and desperation for him evident in my movements. He doesn’t give in to me, but instead, continues to tease me, before gently whispering in my ear.

  “This is how you make me feel, Tesoro – helpless, frustrated, desperate, and fucking turned on beyond all reason.”

  As soon as the words leave his lips, I feel the loss of his body pressing down on me. His firm hands are pulling me up to a standing position, and I’m bereft when he turns his back on me, taking a seat behind his desk. He doesn’t give me a second glance. He starts looking through some paperwork as I stand, dumbstruck and confused.

  “You better run along, Addi. Your date will be waiting outside like the good little lapdog that you so obviously need.” WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?

  “You are such a dick, Carter. I can’t believe I ever hooked up with you. You disgust me.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, Addi. You loved every fucking minute of it, and if I wanted you right now, make no mistake, I would be balls deep inside your sweet little pussy, with you screaming my name and begging for more. I bet your panties are already wet at the thought of it.”

  I slam the door as I leave, my body vibrating from my interaction with King Fucking Douche Nozzle. He is so full of himself, I cannot believe he just said that to me. And the part that makes me really angry, is the fact that every word he said was the truth. I would have let him do anything to me. I would have done anything he asked of me. I crave his touch and I hate myself for it. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid tonight. I make my way out of the club on shaky legs, trying to compose myself, and find Colin waiting outside with a cab ready to take me wherever I want to go…

  “Is everything ok, sweetheart?” I hate the sound of him calling me that. I need him not to speak.

  “Everything is fine. No more talking, okay. Let’s go to your place and put that sexy mouth of yours to better use.” The grin that spreads across his face is gorgeous and sexy, and under normal circumstances it would have me weak at the knees and ready to jump him. He holds the door open for me to slide in, but I hesitate; I don’t know if I can do this – but then Carter’s words replay in my head and I force myself into the cab. I need to exorcise the hold he has over me once and for all. I steel myself, putting the shutters up - my player persona firmly back in place.

  “Are you coming, baby? I plan to… several times. It’s just a question of whether you want to come along for the ride.” He’s beside me in a flash, barking his address to the driver as he reaches for the handle, but before it clicks shut, the door swings back open and Colin is pulled from the cab; a familiar voice shouting at me from the sidewalk.

  “Get out of the cab, Addi. What the fuck do you think you’re playing at? You’re not actually going home with this guy.” I scramble across the backseat and out onto the pavement, anger and desire building inside me in equal measure for this macho asshole.

  He’s got Colin by the throat, completely emasculated and forced to submit to the alpha dog.

  “I’m doing exactly what you told me to do. I’m getting laid. So back the fuck off, Carter. I got the message loud and clear in your office.” His eyes are wild and almost feral with rage.r />
  “Are you fucking kidding me with this bullshit? You would fuck this pathetic excuse for a man, just to spite me? That’s fucking low, sweetheart, even for you.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that? The whole goddamn world doesn’t revolve around you, you know! GET OVER YOURSELF!! I’m going home with Colin because he’s hot, we were having a great time tonight until you showed up, and because I CAN! GOD KNOWS, I COULD USE A GOOD LAY!”

  His chokehold on Colin tightens as my words enrage him further.

  “Oh, Addi. If you want a mediocre lay then by all means, take this loser home and let him ram all four inches of himself inside you. But if you want to be fucked by a real man that can make your toes curl and have you begging for more, then fucking hop on. I’m ready and waiting, baby.”

  “You’re a dick, Carter. Let him go and leave me the hell alone.”

  There’s a fleeting trace of hurt in his eyes as he releases Colin, shoving him to the ground.

  “Have it your way, Addi.”

  Colin stands up, desperate to save face and assert his strength in front of me. He fists his hands at his sides, his eyes fixed on Carter, who is too busy staring at me with a fierce intensity that has me weak at the knees. He lifts his fist and pulls back before throwing a punch that was meant for Carter’s face, but without turning to look in his direction, Carter dodges Colin’s fist before twisting to the side and slamming his own fist into Colin’s face.

  “Fuck this shit.” He turns and strides back into the club, shaking out his fist and muttering something in Italian that I don’t understand – asshole.

  I quickly divert my attention to Colin, asking if he’s ok and apologizing for Carter’s ridiculous behavior.

  “I don’t want to get in the middle of something messy, Addi. I just wanted a bit of fun.”

  “There’s no mess. There’s nothing to get in the middle of! I want the same thing you do. One night, no strings, fun.”

  “Well, alright then.” He quickly hails another cab, and this time, Carter doesn’t try to stop me; he’s done with me, which is exactly what I want… isn’t it?

  He drapes his arm around my shoulder, moving in to kiss me. He smells of cologne, and it’s hot, but it’s not doing anything for me. I hate that I’m comparing him to Carter right now. I think I just need a minute to get back in the mood with him.

  “Are you okay? Is your lip burst?”

  “Don’t you worry about my lip, sweetheart, it’s fine. Let me show you.” His lips crash down on mine and it’s good… it’s great actually, but it’s just not… him.

  When we reach Colin’s apartment building I follow him in, the silence between us deafening. As soon as the door shuts behind me, I turn the switch firmly off on all of my emotions, unzip my dress and stand naked before him. He is more than pleased with what he sees; his hard-on straining against his jeans as he makes his way over to me. He pulls his shirt off over his head, revealing a great body underneath, before dipping his head and capturing my nipple in his mouth.

  “Take me to bed… and fuck me… hard.”

  He does exactly that, and two hours later when he is sound asleep beside me, I grab my clothes and leave his building without a second thought; taking the coward’s way out yet again. I feel cheap and dirty as I hail a cab to take me home. My entire body is screaming at me, telling me I just betrayed Carter. It’s ridiculous and stupid, we’re not even together, but the harder I try to push it from my mind, the harder it fights back. By the time I reach my apartment I feel physically sick, discarding my clothes in the trash, and heading straight to the shower to wash off the scent of my own shame.

  My decision to erase Carter with a quick roll in the sack did not have the desired effect. I’ve spent the past week being even more miserable than I was before. There hasn’t been a day when my thoughts haven’t drifted to Carter de Rossi. Our nights together, the sheer ecstasy that he can wring from my body - and our fight in his club. I still don’t understand why he did what he did, why he said what he said; how he just dismissed me with such ease – as if I was nothing, and then he gets angry at me! It was reminiscent of the way Gavin used to speak to me, and I will be damned if I let any man treat me like that again. There’s a part of me that knows Carter isn’t anything like Gavin, but the way I feel when I’m around him terrifies me. He could hurt me so much more than Gavin ever did – a few intimate liaisons and Carter has me twisted in knots in a way I’ve never experienced before.

  Plan A to forget him was a complete disaster, so I’m thinking Plan B will be in force for a while – stay clear of men altogether and have some much-needed Addi alone time to get my shit worked out.

  CARTER

  Ten Days Later

  Rage is not the word for how I felt when Addi was in my club, grinding her tight body against that little prick. He couldn’t handle her even on his best day. It makes me feel sick to my stomach every time I remember that dick with his dirty hands all over her, and I can’t even contemplate the fact that she got in the goddamn taxi with him. She wanted me… I could see it written all over her face, in the trembling of her thighs beneath me. And then I go to stop her and she throws it back in my fucking face! It did feel fantastic to punch that little shit square in the jaw. I can’t believe she let that fucker see to her needs, fanning the flames of the desire I sparked in her. I only have myself to blame – the way I wound her up and then dismissed her. You just don’t do that to a firecracker and expect it not to blow up in your face, but I thought she’d come around when I fought for her.

  I can’t even blame her; I did the same fucking thing twenty minutes after storming back into the club and seeing her on the cameras, leaving with that dickhead. Then I pretty much wrecked my office. It was that or beat the shit out of someone. After composing myself as best I could, I made my way back into the main bar, drank some expensive Scotch and waited for the usual vultures to swarm. Girls in this club can smell money and they fucking target me like a heat-seeking missile. It pisses me off, but it’s also a really easy way to get laid. I just sit back and take my pick. I know I’m a dick for saying it, and for doing it, but I don’t give a shit.

  A pretty little blonde caught my eye; she was up for it the second I opened my mouth and used some of my Italian charm on her. She was more than willing to follow me up to the VIP lounge and into one of my private rooms. I didn’t even ask her name before bending her over the plush velvet chair and sliding my hand between her legs. She was soaked and ready for me. It took about two minutes to get her off with my hand before I rolled on a condom and plunged into her. All I could think about was Addi, how much tighter and sweeter her pussy felt wrapped around my dick. I had to shut my eyes - block out the girl I was buried inside and lose myself to the memory of Addi just to get off. That is so fucking wrong on so many levels.

  It has been ten days since the incident at Spyder and I’ve been acting like a college dickhead, fucking everything offered to me. I’ve fucked them in the bathrooms, I’ve bent them over my desk, and I’ve let them suck me off in the darkest corners of my club. I even fucked one girl up the ass while her friend ate her pussy, and then I made them switch positions. That was so fucking hot, and yet I still can’t shake the memory of Addi. I’d like to say it’s because of her mad skills in the sack, but I fear it’s more than that. I think I have actual feelings for this girl, and I am so pissed off about it. I've decided to bite the bullet and call her today, and I’m nervous as the dial tone rings out in my ear before it connects and a sultry voice is on the other end of the line.

  “Hello?” My heart is pounding in my chest with that one solitary word.

  “It’s Carter. Before you hang up on me, I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted last week. It was completely out of line. I just saw red when I saw you with that… dickhead. Look… Addi… before I say anything stupid, can I take you out for dinner tonight?”

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…”

 
“Please, Addi. Don’t make me fucking beg here. I just want to clear the air. Our best friends are dating and we are going to bump into each other from time to time. It doesn’t need to be so awkward. Let me make it up to you. I’ll pick you up at 8 p.m.” I need to at least sound confident, otherwise she is going to walk all over me, and I’ll let her, which is not how I operate. The silence on the other end of the line is crushing… and then like a fucking lifeline, she speaks.

  “Okay. I’ll see you then, but only for Lily and Xander’s sake. Bye.” The line goes dead and I realize I’ve been holding my breath this whole goddamn conversation. What the fuck is wrong with me?

  I get my head down and get to work organizing what needs to be done for the clubs tonight. My PA gets me a reservation at Pink - one of my favorite restaurants; so I head back to my apartment to get ready, before making my way to Addi’s to pick her up. On the drive over, I finally feel relaxed, more like myself, ready to work the de Rossi charms on this girl.

  As I wait to be buzzed in, I’m already formulating a plan of attack. I know what my proximity does to Addi, and I need to get the upper hand back if I am going to talk to her about what happened the last time I was with her. She completely shut down on me that night, and I want to help her, so if I need to be a bit of a dick to do that, then so be it.

  When I make my way up to her apartment, I’m not ready for what awaits me behind the front door… she looks… goddamn out of this world. Not her usual sex siren, but a more demure, sultry, subtle kind of gorgeous. Her body is beyond fucking perfect and tonight it’s covered in a flowing full-length maxi dress with a chunky belt around her waist, showing off just how tight her body really is. She’s wearing flats which makes me feel like I’m towering over her as I loom in the door frame, drinking in the sight of her, unashamed at my blatant appreciation.