Addicted (Addicted Trilogy Book 1) (6 page)

“Stop moving, bitch!” he hollered, pinning me
harder against the wall.

“Get off me,” I yelled, or at least I tried to. My
voice betrayed me, coming out as nothing more than a loud whisper. Terrified he
would accomplish what he set out to do, I prayed someone would come and save
me. Anyone. I just needed someone to round the corner and find me.

My heart hammered away inside my chest, threatening
to break free if I didn’t calm down. But how could I? I was being attacked, and
there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Before I was able to try and
speak once more, I felt his fingers circle my throat, squeezing until I could
barely intake the stifling air surrounding me.

I felt his hot breath on my face, the stench of
alcohol making my stomach revolt. “I know you want this. I can see it in your-”
He was torn off me before he finished his sentence.

I stumbled quickly before catching my balance. My
hand pressed against the same wall I was being held against, trying my best to
calm down. When I finally looked up, I saw someone pummeling the hell out of him.
It was darker in the hallway than out in the bar, so I couldn’t really see who
it was. All I could make out was a dark-haired, tall, broad-shouldered man. Other
than that, my vision was working against me.

Before I had the chance to leave, I was hoisted
onto someone’s shoulder then walked through the bar and straight outside into
the night air.

Still confused about what the hell was going on, I
started to panic all over again, not that I’d really calmed down from a few
minutes ago. As my pulse threatened to explode, I was hit with a very familiar
smell. Inhaling his sweet scent did wonders for soothing my frantically beating
heart.

If I had any doubt who was carrying me, upside-down,
I was reassured as soon as I laid my eyes and my hands on his perfect ass.
How can I be turned on so fast by this man
when something tragic almost happened to me?

“Alek! Put me down!” I yelled, surprised my voice
was working for me. I was being jostled around on his shoulder, and it wasn’t
mixing well with my startled mood and the drinks I’d already consumed.

Even though he’d saved me from a dangerous
situation, he was still manhandling me.

When he finally put me on my feet, I almost fell. He
reached out to steady me but I swatted his hands away. Retreating instantly, he
looked volatile.
I don’t know why he’s so
mad.
But then again, I didn’t know why I was upset with him.

He just saved
me from probably being raped…or worse.

After a few minutes, he seemed to calm down, circling
me and drawing my nerves to the surface again.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he continued to lock
eyes with me. He had a mixed look of rage and worry on his gorgeous face. I
didn’t know which emotion was winning out, though.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I whispered. Nervously shuffling
my feet, I turned my head, looking everywhere but in those mesmerizing green
orbs of his. “How did you know I was here?” It was a thought which hadn’t
occurred to me until that very moment. Instead of thanking him, those were the
words which escaped my lips.

“Does it matter, Sara?”
What an odd response.
He started cursing and roughly pushing his
hands through his hair, pacing back and forth in front of me, occasionally
glancing down to look directly into my face.

I didn’t know what to say to him.
Why is this so hard for me?

“Where was your friend? Please tell me you were at
least here with someone,” he barked, allowing all of his frustration to come
barreling out faster than he could stop it.

“Yes, of course I was here with someone. She was at
the bar waiting for me to come back from the bathroom. We were going to head
out when that asshole grabbed me.” I hated he was making me explain myself, something
I hadn’t had to do since I lived with my gram. “I guess he didn’t like the fact
I rejected his offer to buy me a drink earlier.”

“
You were talking to him
earlier tonight?” He was back to yelling again.
What the hell?
Does he think
I was flirting with that psycho?

“He offered to buy me a drink, and I refused. There’s
really not much else to tell. Lex came over and told him to take a hike.”

As if hearing her name, Alexa came barreling out
the front door of the bar.

“What the hell happened in there?” Her eyes went
straight from me to Alek, looking him up and down, taking her sweet-ass time
drinking him all in. I knew she couldn’t help herself; he
was
quite the sight to behold, broodiness and all.

“The drunk guy from earlier attacked me in the hallway
outside the ladies room.” I quickly looked away, embarrassment creeping over me
again. “Before I knew what was happening, Alek pulled him off me and beat the
hell out of him. Then he brought me out here.”

Her eyes practically popped out of her head, disbelief
evident in her look. She took a few steps closer, reaching out and putting her
hand on my shoulder. “Well, he must still be lying in the hallway, because the
only commotion anyone saw or heard was you being carried out of the bar over
someone’s shoulder.” She turned her attention back to Alek and just like that,
I was forgotten. “Thank God you were here, good sir.” She smiled at him and
extended her hand. “I’m Alexa. And you are?”

“Alek
Devera
,” he replied,
extending his hand in reciprocation.

I looked over as Alexa’s eyes widened, her mouth
falling open as if she was privy to a juicy secret.

“You’re the guy from Throttle, right? The one who
helped Sara carry the drinks over to our table?”
Can she be any more obvious?

“The one and only,” he smugly said. I looked from
one to the other.
What the hell is going
on here? Is she flirting with him? Is he flirting with her?
I didn’t think
so, but I knew I needed to be alone with him. Right then.

“Lex, can you give us a minute please?” I silently
pleaded with her to leave and not cause a fuss. Thankfully, she understood.

“Sure, but I’ll be right inside the bar if you need
me.”

“Thank you.” I watched her walk away before I
turned my eyes back on Mr.
Devera
.

I didn’t have the chance to utter a single word before
he started in on me. “What were you thinking? You should have reported him the
first time he bothered you.” Anger started to take hold of him again, but I
wasn’t convinced it was all directed at me.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal, just some drunk
guy hitting on me. Plus, when Alexa told him off, he stopped bothering me.”

“Yeah, look where that got you,” he scoffed. “You
have to be more careful when you go out, Sara. There are a lot of people out here
who will take advantage of you, even hurt you.”

He doesn’t
know how well I already know that last part.

“I know. I misjudged the situation I guess. It
won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t. I won’t let it.” His
breathing had slowed from before, but the look of anger was still very palpable
in his stare.

“How are
you
going to prevent it? It was simple luck you happened to be here tonight. Right?”
I watched his face, trying to gauge his reaction. “Please tell me it was just a
coincidence, Alek.”

There was some hesitation on his part before he
finally answered. “Yes, of course it was a coincidence I was here. But good thing
I showed up when I did or who knows what he would have done to you.”

His words made me shudder, even though I had the
very same thought not moments before.

Alexa poked her head outside the door again, saving
me from saying something I might’ve regretted. “Hey, I called the cops. They
should be here any minute, Sara.” Then she went right back inside without
giving me any time to respond.

I started shaking my head, not wanting to deal with
it anymore.

“You better not even think of not dealing with the
cops. You’re going to press charges on that asshole.” He looked so resolute, I
knew there was no use arguing with him.

“Fine, I’ll wait for the police and give them my
statement.”

“And press charges!”

Huffing out a frustrated breath, I responded. “Yes,
Alek. And press charges.”
God, this guy
never gives up.

Alek

My heart rammed against my ribs. I was fearful it
would never slow back down—not as long as she was in my life, at least. That
woman was going to be the death of me. I just knew it. But I wouldn’t have it
any other way.

Since the very first time I’d laid eyes on her, I
knew she was destined to be mine and I would do everything in my power to
protect her, even from herself. I’d never experienced any of those feelings
before, and I’d had my share of women. There was something about Sara which
called to me, beckoning me from afar…and up close. I knew I came off as intense
and overbearing, but I wasn’t about to apologize for trying to keep her safe.

After she was done speaking with the cops, they
went into the bar to escort the guy out so he could tell his side of the story.
They found him back in action, drinking, and hitting on some poor unsuspecting
woman.

Asshole
.

His version of the story was he was going to the
men’s room and Sara had approached and started kissing him. Then when I showed
up and saw them, I lost it.

Sara had to hold me back from pouncing on the
bastard right in front of the officers. Both of her hands were on my arm,
trying her best to pull me back toward the edge of the curb. I could have
easily broken free and tackled the fucker, but I refrained, even though I struggled
with my decision. Well, until she rose up on her tippy toes and whispered in my
ear, “Don’t do it, Alek. I need you here with me.”

Her words calmed my struggle, both inside and out.

The police escorted the creep down to the station
for more questioning and to let him sober up. They informed us they would get
in touch with her if they needed any more information. I had to remind her to
tell them she wished to press charges, something I was sure she didn’t want to
do, but I all but forced her hand.

“Come on. I’ll give you a ride home.” I laced my fingers with hers and
started toward my car, which
was parked two spaces down from
where we were standing. The ride I’d chosen to bring that night was my black
Aston Martin. It was a luxurious vehicle, and once I’d noticed the way Sara looked
at it, I knew I’d made the right choice. Even though she tried to seem
unaffected
by
me,
I loved the fact I could impress her, even if it was with a hunk of steel.

“I can’t leave Alexa here by herself,” she mumbled
as she suddenly stopped walking.

I blew out a breath of frustration but knew she was
right. We couldn’t leave her friend there all alone. “Wait here, Sara. Don’t go
anywhere.” My eyes bore into hers, waiting for compliance.

“All right, I won’t go anywhere.”

Once I knew she wouldn’t move, I stalked back
inside and quickly located her friend. She was in the corner, busy chatting up
some tattooed guy. I should have taken her with us, but I had no right. I
hardly knew Alexa, and it certainly wasn’t my place to intervene. But I
would
make sure she had a safe ride home
when and if she needed it. After I was finished, I walked back outside, locking
eyes with my woman.
That’s right. Sara is
my
woman, even if she doesn’t know it
yet.

When I was within a few feet of her, I reached out
and latched onto her hand again, pulling her with me as we walked toward the
car. She gave some resistance at first and it confused me. Then it dawned on me
I was still manhandling her a little bit. I loosened my grip and waited
patiently for her to follow me.

She
was
coming with me. I just hoped she made up her mind before I had to throw her
over my shoulder again.

When she still didn’t move, I leaned in closer,
questioning her with the furrow of my brow. “What are you waiting for?” I
asked, impatience rolling off every word.

“What did you say to Alexa?”

I wanted to go, so I blurted out our quick
conversation. “I gave her the number to my car service, if and when she needs
to use it. Other than kidnapping her, Sara, there is nothing else I can do.”

I didn’t know if she was trying to compute what I’d
said, but I wasn’t giving her another second of hesitation. Gently placing my
hand on the small of her back, I ushered her toward the passenger side of my
vehicle.

When I sensed she was still struggling with her
decision to leave, I blurted out, “You’re not going back in there tonight,
Sara. Let it go.” She instantly stood taller, resolve and stubbornness propping
her up for a fight. Before she started to argue, I spoke again. “Please, get in
the car. It’s chilly and I’d like to take you home.”

She finally relented and allowed me to open the
door for her. Sliding inside, I couldn’t miss the look of awe which overtook
her. Her head whipped around, taking in every little facet of the car. It was a
simple thing, but I’d take it. A big smile broke out on my face as I closed her
door and made my way around toward the driver’s side.

As soon as I was nestled in, I turned the engine
over, the interior lighting up and encasing us both. Pulling out into the
street, I breathed a sigh of relief she’d allowed me to drive her home.

“This is a beautiful car, Alek,” she said, more on
a whisper.

“Thanks. I was thinking about buying a different
one, though; I’m kind of bored.” Truth be told, even though the car impressed
me, which was hard to do, I was getting tired of it. I liked to switch up my
rides every so often, a luxury I could more than afford.

Glancing over in her direction, I saw a
disapproving look on her face. “What’s that look for?” I asked as I found
myself shifting in my seat.
Why am I
uncomfortable all of a sudden?

Without looking at me, she muttered, “Rich people.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew she was impressed
with me even though she wouldn’t admit it.
And
let’s face it; it’s good for my ego.

There were a few moments of silence before I broke
the building tension. “Why were you ladies out tonight? Anything in
particular?” Thankfully, all of my anger from before had finally disappeared.

She answered immediately. “I found out today I was
approved for a loan, so we were out celebrating.”

“Because of getting a loan?” I chuckled.
What a weird cause for rejoicing.

My response was obviously the wrong one, instantly
putting her on guard again.

“You wouldn’t understand because apparently, it’s
beneath you, not understanding how important this is to someone like me.”

She spoke of herself as if she was the lowest of
the low, something which I would not tolerate, in any fashion.

Trying to diffuse the situation, I retorted with, “I
didn’t mean anything by it. Please don’t take what I said the wrong way.” I
reached over and touched her leg and surprisingly, she didn’t tell me to remove
it. “Explain it to me. Please. What was the loan for?”

Silence.

Unbearable silence.

Finally, after a few very long minutes of her
staring out the window again, watching the world go by, she spoke up. “I’m not
telling you. Just drop it.”

My grip on her thigh tightened a little, letting
her know I wanted her to talk to me. Whipping her head toward me, I saw the
faintest smile grace her mouth. Even in the darkness of the car, I knew I
affected her. She tried to better situate herself, even though I knew she was
as comfortable as could be.

I tried to persuade her to answer my question. “Please,
tell me about the loan. What’s it for?”

“If you
must
know,” she started off sarcastically, “it was to purchase Full Bloom, the
flower shop you came into. My boss, Katherine, is selling it to me because she’s
finally decided to retire. I’m very excited about the transition.” Surprisingly,
she kept her eyes locked on me. “That’s why we were out celebrating. Happy?”

“Actually, yes. I’m very happy for you, Sara. It’s
a big step owning your own business. I own several of my own, so if you ever
need any help, please don’t hesitate to pick my brain.”

“Why am I not surprised you own many businesses?” Her
question was more of a rhetorical one, so I didn’t even bother responding.

A few more minutes passed. I was still holding on
to her leg, my fingers massaging her thigh. At some point, I guess when she’d
had enough, she placed her hand on mine and tried to remove it. I didn’t allow
her to succeed, though. Not yet.

She stopped fidgeting, but I sensed her breathing
had increased.

“Can you please turn the heat down?”

“Sorry, but I don’t have it on,” I replied, a smirk
lifting the corners of my mouth.

“Then can you please remove your hand from my leg?”

What I really wanted to do was move my hand higher
up her thigh. Maybe even sneaking it in between. If she’d been wearing a skirt,
I might not have been able to hold back, her desire permeating off her, calling
for me to claim her in some way.

“Are you sure you want me to? You look like you
want me to do other things with my hand.”

 
“I’m quite
sure you need to put both hands on the wheel. Right now, please.”

I would give her that one, mainly because it was
better for both of our safety if I did what she asked. Gripping the steering
wheel with both hands did relieve me of some of the torture I had been
inflicting on myself.

~~~~

As soon as I pulled up in front of her building, I
wasted no time shutting off the engine and hurrying from the car. I could tell
she expected me to just drop her off and drive away, but there was no way in hell
I wasn’t going to walk her inside and make sure she was okay. Especially after
what she’d been through earlier.

I’d been to her place before but I’d never gotten
the chance to inspect her surroundings and give it my stamp of approval. Glancing
around quickly, I gauged the building was one of the nicer ones. But I still
wasn’t convinced it was safe enough for her.
What are you going to do? Invade her privacy?
Hell yeah, I was. Whenever
I was around that woman, all of my sensibility flew right out the window.

She opened her door before I made it over to her
side, an action which irked me a little. But I tried not to show it, knowing I
was overreacting.

“What are you doing?” she
asked as I moved closer. “You don’t have to walk me up.”

“Yes, I do. After everything that happened tonight,
I need to make sure you get inside safe and sound.” I wasn’t wavering on this. She
could fight me as much as she wanted to.

“Fine,” was all she
said.
As
we were walking up the sidewalk, I noticed one of the side lights which lined
the walkway was out, making it pretty damn dark. I think she knew I was going
to comment on it because she tensed up all of a sudden.

“You should really live somewhere well-lit. This
isn’t safe.” I hadn’t noticed if she had an alarm system when I was there before
but there better at least have a deadbolt.

“It’s usually lit up very well. That light must
have just burnt out.”

“Uh-huh,” I grunted.

Once inside, we rode the elevator to the fourth
floor. The time spent in silence was a gift since I was trying to calm the
rising urge to whisk her away from there.

When we finally arrived, I stepped out after her,
the look of disbelief on her face not stopping me. I followed her down the hall
and waited patiently behind her as she put her key in the lock.

Once she pushed the door wide open, she turned
around and stood there staring at me. “What are you doing? Aren’t you leaving
now?”

“Absolutely not,” I answered as I slowly pushed
past her, not waiting for an invitation to enter her residence. “I’m coming in
to check and make sure everything is good.”

“That’s not necessary,” she said as she tried to
pull me back toward her. “I’ll be fine.”

Once she realized there was no getting rid of me,
she let me go, stepped further inside and closed the door behind us. Thankfully,
she was smart enough to leave a light on, so as not to walk in blind. But as
quickly as I saw the light, I noticed there was no alarm. My irritation rose,
but I tried my best to tamp it back down. I had to approach this with some kind
of finesse or I was going to put her off altogether. While I was going to make
my demands, they were needed for her security. Even if she didn’t agree.

No sense in
beating around the bush.
“Where’s your alarm?” I
asked, knowing full well she didn’t have one.

“Not everyone has a security system, Alek. We
regular folk can’t afford stuff like that.” Her sarcastic tone told me
everything. My wealth bothered her, or at the very least unnerved her.

Ignoring her comment, I turned and started making
my way around her small apartment. “That’s just careless and asinine.”

“We have a secure deadbolt, which is all we need. Plus,
this building is one of the safer ones in the neighborhood, so there is no need
for extra security.”