Chosen Heart (63 page)

“I’m trying not to be selfish.”

“You can be selfish with me all
you want.”  Placing his forehead against mine we stay still in our
embrace, soaking each other in.  “You have the IPod I gave you?”  I
nod as I close my eyes, relishing in the moment.  Giving me one last
surprise, Alex begins to softly sing in my ear while we remain tangled up in
one another.  “So kiss me and smile for me…tell me that you’ll wait for
me…hold me like you’ll never let me go…”

A brief smile is all he gets
before I break out in sobs, clinging to him as I cry uncontrollably.  “I
love you…so much Alex.  Remember that every day.  I’ll miss
you.”  I place my head against his shoulder.  The feel of his hand
gently running up and down my spine is the only comfort I feel. 

“Now boarding American Airlines
Flight 1738.” 
Thank God, he’s not even on United.  That would
have been too much to bear.

“I have to go,” he whispers in my
ear, but doesn’t release me.

“I know.”  Tightening my
arms around him, I close my eyes.  Picturing a perfect world where Alex
and I have endless hours to enjoy each other and infinite hours to indulge in
our love.  Lowering my legs, my feet hit the ground.  I reach up and
smudge away the remnants of my tears on Alex’s neck.

Bending down, he places one last
kiss against my lips, holding my body closer.  “I love you, my
Hart.”  Picking up his luggage Alex walks away pausing momentarily and
turns, “It’s just a month, don’t forget me.”  I smile and place a hand
over my heart before blowing a kiss.  Turning, he walks towards his
terminal. 

But unlike my dream, I don’t run
towards him and beg him to stay.  Instead, I solemnly walk back to my
car.  As I approach my door, I don’t feel the ground beneath me shake and
there is no billow of smoke and fire.  Everything is right in the world
because I know Alex is safe and on his way to New York; thousands of miles away
from Arianna and her malevolent intentions. 
Mom, Dad…please keep my
heart safe.

Driving down Sunset Boulevard, I
turn into the parking lot by the airport.  Lying on the hood of the car, I
watch the flights take off knowing one of them has my heart safely in
tow. 
Please be safe.
  I pray silently to myself as I continue
to watch each departure.  It’s only a month.  A month so Alex can forget
what we were; what we could’ve been.  Or, a month for me to figure out a
way to be with him.  Only a month.

As tears silently stream down my
face, I reach for my vibrating phone.

*Hey…it’s Oliver.
Couldn’t sleep and was hoping you couldn’t either. Call me…*

“Fuck, that was amazing!” 
Through the vanity mirror I glance over at him, excited, naked, and running his
fingers over his shaved head.  “Possibly the best sex I’ve ever had.” 
Suddenly his eyes soften and a hint of sadness reaches his pathetic face as
realization sweeps over him.

If this is going to work, I need
to show my soft side; well at least pretend to have a soft side. 
Standing, I walk towards him.  His skin is glistened with sweat and his
muscles are flexed, pumped from the hour of exertion.  Running my finger
from his bare toes, down the top of his shins and thighs, I stop and eye his
partially erect manhood.  I may need to take him for another test drive,
but that will have to wait until later.  No, right now we have business to
discuss.  Sitting up, he wraps his arms around my thighs and nuzzles
against my navel.

Reaching down, I run two fingers
over his stubbly head and coo at him.  “What’s wrong?  You were
wonderful.  I really can’t fathom why she would have left you in the first
place.” 
He
was light-years ahead of my current prospect in bed,
but I have enough left in me and know I’m able to rise to the challenge and
teach him a thing or two. 

“You’ve shown me a new side to
you; one that I never knew existed.  I’m pleased with how tonight has
gone.  Aren’t you?”  Lying was never hard for me to do, especially
when it came to sex.  Sex is a bargaining tool and if used right it can
get you what you need in life. 
He
knew this and he used that fact
to his benefit. 
He
was smart, not like this pathetic scrap of a
man kneeling before me. 

I roll my eyes as his whiney
voice echoes through the bedroom.  “I’m fine.  I’m just worried about
her
.
  If you care about her and you have her best interests at
heart, how can live with yourself after sleeping with me?  The only reason
I’m here is that you said you knew something that could bring us back
together.  You know I would do anything to have her back.” 
Oh, I
do.
  Those words alone seal the deal.  This is almost too
easy.  And, when this is all through, both of my boys will know exactly
where their place is….right under my Jimmy Choo. 

I run my finger across his jaw
line and tilt his head up to look at me.  “I didn’t lie.  There is
something that Elyssa and I both need your help with.  However, I asked
you over here with the full intention of fucking you into submission first.”

Silence.

Pushing him down, I climb onto
the bed.  Standing, straddling him, I grip one of the posters.  I
always wanted a four poster bed in an outrageously expensive fuck pad. 
My
wish was granted.
Below me is a pathetic little boy, one that may need a
little nurturing, but I’m up for this.  I’ve already done so much for him
and he doesn’t even know it yet.  It’s nice having a new project; one that
has so little knowledge on just how much I’ve already infiltrated his
life.  As soon as I tell him, he’ll have nowhere to go.  He’ll have
to stay with me. 

I can no longer resist the urge
to show him who owns his broken little heart.  I smirk as he grips my
calves, watching as hunger replaces the once pathetic sympathy in his
eyes.  Running his hands up and down my legs he asks, “You need my
help?  For what?” 

Oh, if he only knew what I’m
about to give him. 

“You know how much Elyssa means
to me, don’t you?”  He nods, but I’m not sure if he believes me.  I
see I might need to lay it on a little thicker.  Wouldn’t want him to
think any less of me.  Ha.  “Well, she’s been a part of my world
since the day she was born.  I would do anything for her, which includes
making sure man whores like Alexander James don’t get their claws into
her.”  And there it was…Cole’s priceless face.

Slumping his shoulders, he lets
the breath slowly disengage from his body as his arms drop to his sides. 
“What does this have to do with me?”

Good.  He’s listening. 
Lowering myself, I straddle his hips.  “I know Elyssa means well, but I
don’t think she knows what she’s gotten herself into.  I do.  I also
know how much you are struggling.  I know how much you want to graduate
and your financial situation is making it hard for you to finish that
dream.  What I’m going to offer you will ease that struggle.  I will
show you that if you play your cards right you will never be alone, never wanting
for anything.”  That’s right dear sweet naïve Cole; you will either end up
with Elyssa or stay in my bed.  Either way, I’ve got you.

“Arianna, I see your lips moving
and hear words coming out of your mouth, but you aren’t saying anything. 
You are talking in circles and I’d appreciate it if you just move it
along.  Tell me what the fuck I’m doing here or I’m going to leave,” he
breathes, unsympathetically.

I can feel my blood
boiling. 
You don’t get to tell me what to do, you horrible excuse for
a man!  You are mine now.  The moment you walked into this room and
fucked me.  You.  Are.  Mine.  I don’t think he realizes
who he’s talking to…but, fuck.  I need him. 

Calm down, Arianna.  You do
need him. 

“I’m sorry, you’re right. 
Please let me explain and excuse me if I am being too forward.  As I’ve
already said, I want nothing more than to protect Elyssa.  With that
protection, I mean for her not to get hurt and if you do this right, she
won’t.  I’m going to ask a lot of you, but know I will compensate you, in
more ways than one.”  I grind against his partially erect member to fully
explain my intentions and notice his heavy eyes perk up, and decide he’s in
this. 

“I need you to follow her.”

“What?!  No. 
Absolutely not.  I will not follow her.  She has made it perfectly
clear she wants nothing to do with me.”  Pushing me off his lap, he turns
to stare at me.  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.  Is that what
this is about?  Do you think you can use me?”

Great.  I have to deal with
a vagina now.  I thought he had balls.  “No, no; no one is using
anyone.  I am looking out for Elyssa’s best interests.  It’s what her
parents, what her mom, would want of me.  And trust me; Alex is not in her
best interests.  Besides, I could give you the world.  You would want
for nothing.  I give, you give and take.  We both win.” 

Shaking his head, Cole slumps
back down on the bed.  “You realize this isn’t going to work, right? 
She’s too smart for her own fucking good, and she’s going to hate me for
this.  She’s going to hate you.  How are we going to live with that?”

“Don’t worry about me.  She
already hates me.  I’m okay with playing the bad guy with her, because
she’s too sweet and innocent to end up with
him
.  She needs
protection from herself.  She needs us, Cole.  Don’t you see?” 

I can tell he’s pondering what
I’ve offered and with his financial debt, I know it won’t take long.  He
doesn’t need to know the details yet, but I’m going to assume he’ll ask and
when he does…he’ll know I’m not playing around.  Alex thought he got lucky
when he met me, but Cole will think I’m his four leaf clover.

Sitting beside him, I watch
closely as his facial features turn from one of disgust, eyes crinkled, to one
of resolve as I watch all the air leave his body.  Crawling behind him, I
gently start to massage his back. 

“What do you mean, I have to
follow her?  Like everywhere, follow her?  I have a life you
know.  I have school and work, not to mention friends,” he fumbles.

“First of all, I know this is a
lot to ask of you.  I know she’s your best friend, someone you love. 
She is someone I love, too.  So, for me to ask this of you, I know I have
to give you the balance you need,” I reiterate with a smug look on my
face.  Now facing me, he can see that I mean business, with a little
pleasure on the side, of course.

“I’ve already taken the liberty
of calling Jacobi’s and letting them know you won’t be returning to their fine
establishment,” I mock.  I’ve never been to this hole in the wall bar, nor
will I ever based on my conversation with the manager.  He was rude and
belligerent and he had the audacity to ask me to pay him to make sure Cole
never worked there again.  “I told them you appreciated them allowing you
to work there, but that you had ‘things’ you needed to tend to.  And those
‘things’ didn’t involve wasting your time with menial bartending chores.”

Eyes wild, “You did what? 
Those were my friends.  Seriously, who do you think you are?”

“I did just do that.  And I
know who I am.  Do you?  I’m beginning to wonder if you’ve ever taken
a step back and looked at what your life has become.  It’s not
pretty.  I want to change that for you.  I can change that for
you.  Let me, Cole.”

“I can’t believe you quit for me,
like you’re my mom.”

“Oh, sweet boy; I’m no one’s
mom.  I am, however, the woman you just fucked.  The woman’s name you
screamed not twenty minute ago when you came so hard your eyes rolled to the
back of your head.  I know who I am.  Now let me tell you who you are
about to become.” 
My bitch.

“Now that you’re unemployed, you
only have to worry about two things.  Finishing school and watching Elyssa
for me.  When you aren’t at school, you will be watching her like a
hawk.  Thankfully, I spoke with your professors and they were willing to
rearrange your schedule.  You no longer have any classes after three,
which will afford you the time to see her home every day.  You will only
have to watch her at night, making damn sure that she doesn’t see you.  If
she does, you will play it off that you were doing whatever it is you used to
do before this.  She cannot know you and I are involved.  Ever. 

“I want you follow her and report
back to me on a daily basis.  I want to know what time she comes home, who
she goes out with, where she goes when she leaves her apartment.  I want
to know who shows up at her apartment and I especially want to know if Alex
gets anywhere near her.  If Elyssa is with Alex at anytime day or night,
you are to call me immediately.”

Cole’s body tenses and I know
he’s about to reject the offer.  I won’t let that happen.  Sitting up
on my knees, I blanket his back and pull him close to me, gently tugging his
ear with my teeth.  I hear a slight moan as he relaxes into me. 
Raking my nails against his cool, hard stomach from his navel to his nipples,
he shivers and I know I’ve got him.  Right where I want him.

“In turn, I will compensate you,
in more ways than you can imagine.  You, Cole, will want for
nothing.  I have already placed five thousand dollars in your bank account
and tonight was just a taste of the things I will do to you.”