Wreck Me (7 page)

“No, that’s just my point. This is not what you say it is. You say this is a one-time thing. I say it isn’t.” Whoa. What?

“Um, tap your breaks boss. What are you talking about?”

He chuckles and it’s infectious. I kind of want to laugh a little too.

“That dirty mouth of yours is kind of cute too.” He leans forward and presses his lips to mine and they feel amazing. We drink from each other greedily for a long moment. The kiss ends and we are both panting and hungry to have each other again. Damn.

“If this isn’t what I think it is then tell what you think it is.” He shifts his legs so that one knee comes between mine and nudges them apart. My legs fall apart in compliance. He settles his hips between my thighs. His solid erection pulses against my stomach. He wrenches my arms above my head and easily pins them both with one big hand. The other hand grasps my jaw forcing me to look him in the face.

“When I met you this morning something strange happened and I don’t know what it is yet. Until I find out what it was, this is not over. I want you. You want me. I plan on having you as much as I can.” Just who the hell is he? The dominant thing is hot in bed I will admit, but I am the only one in charge of my life. I never waver on that.

“And what if I say hell no, absolutely not?”

“You won’t. You felt it too. I know you did. I saw it in those green eyes of yours.” He’s right. I want more of him. How the hell could I refuse this kind of sex? No woman on the face of the planet would refuse him. I can agree to this. It’s not like I am agreeing to marry him. I am agreeing to more sex. That’s all. No big deal.

“Okay, fine. Sex. I can stand a little more sex with you.” He smiles wide, baring his pearly whites.

“Fine.” He releases my wrists and runs one hand down my side at a painfully slow, seductive pace. His lips press against my neck and he begins to kiss a hot wet trail down to my chest. He grips my hip in one of his hands while the other goes to my breasts and massages my flesh. He takes a nipple into his mouth and I moan.

“Your bed is nice,” I murmur.

“Is it?” He says with a mouth full of my breast then sucks hard before releasing my hardened nipple.

“Yep. Much nicer than my crappy bed.”

“If you think my bed is nice you should see my bathtub.” In one graceful movement he sweeps me out of the bed and sets me to my feet. I sway slightly and grab onto his muscular arm. He holds me by the shoulders until the spotty vision clear.

“Got up too fast.”

“Sorry. Better now?”

“Better,” I affirm.

Damon drags me to his crazy-big, modern bathroom and I stand and wait while he turns on the taps to fill the mammoth tub. His muscles ripple and flex as he moves and I drink it in. The sight of this gorgeous man in the nude is a real treat. I have to admit that I am a bit excited to prolong this hook-up. He leans over the tub and pours in some girly bath shit. I am sure he assumes I like that crap and use it often. He would be wrong. I don’t use bath stuff because I don’t take baths. I don’t even have a tub. So even if I wanted to I couldn’t. My shitty apartment came with a tiny stall shower and that’s it. I would move out of the place, but the rent is cheap and I have been there for seven years. I can’t really afford moving expenses anyway. I especially won’t be moving now that the store is in trouble. My serious thoughts have distracted me from Damon. He steps behind me and pulls me back into his chest. I glance at our reflection in the mirror and I feel alarm. Sheer alarm courses through me. We look good together. We look like a couple. His amber eyes contrast against my green in a way that has me staring in spite of my panic. His nearly black disheveled hair looks even darker and shinier against my medium brown waves. His skin is darker than mine. Working in a bookstore all day doesn’t allow for much sun bathing. I stand frozen in his arms. I am naked and freaked out, but fascinated at the same time. He grasps my jaw and keeps me looking forward at the mirror.

“See? You felt it too and now you see it,” he whispers in my ear and he is right. When we touched me this morning something familiar flashed in my brain and now, seeing our reflection it feels like déjà vu, but I can’t figure this shit out. This is so not my thing. I’m driving blind here. I’m about to take a bath with a man I only just met less than twenty-four hours ago. We just met this morning, but I can’t seem to shake this feeling that I have seen him before. It’s going to drive me nuts until I figure out how I know him. I say nothing as I stare and he releases me to turn off the water. He sweeps my hand up in his and tugs me toward the tub.

“Get in.” He holds my hand and I step into the huge tub and sink down into the soothing water. I am lost in thought as he joins me. His tall dark, handsome frame sinks down, and the water level rises significantly. He reaches forward and easily hauls me across the tub to where he is leaned back. I am wedged between his muscular thighs and lost in thought.

“Tell me what you’re thinking, Jo.” Fuck it.

“Fine. I’m thinking that this is weird.” He brushes my hair over my shoulder and cups water in his hand then pours it down my back.

“Elaborate?”

“I will admit the whole familiarity thing. But I don’t do…this.” I raise a hand in the air and whirl it in a circle.

“I don’t either,” he admits.

“Then why the hell bother with me? Neither one of us does relationships. Quite frankly I have never dated, like, ever.”

“You’ve never had a boyfriend?”

“Not many guys pining for homeless chicks,” I say sarcastically and shrug.

“Besides, I just don’t want to build a relationship with someone. It always ends one way or another and it’s never pretty. So why bother?”

“I get your logic, but I am not asking you to commit to a relationship with me.” He keeps at his water pouring duties as we sort out what the hell is going on between us.

“You’re not?” I feel dumb now.

“No. I get it. But I can’t not figure out what this is. It will kill me if I don’t.”

“I know, it’s weird.”

“Alright, let’s make a deal.” My hands stroke small circles across the tops of his thighs as he talks.

“Let’s just agree to see each other until we can sort out why the hell it seems like we have already met. You’ll see me every day. We spend as much time together as we can until it comes to one of us. No strings attached. Sex and jogging memories. Deal?” I think I can manage that. It feels a lot better than I thought it would. It sounds fine actually. I like him. He is nice and he is brilliant in bed. He is as handsome as they come and he apparently knows me. Screw it. This can be fun.

“Okay. You demonstrated the sex part already. How do you plan on jogging our memories? My memory is pretty damn spot on so, what if this is just our imagination at work here?” I turn to face him. He accommodates my shifting position and pulls me to him. He scoots to the center of the tub and I wrap my legs around his waist.

“That’s easy, but very juvenile. Twenty questions. Let’s play.” I laugh then wrap my arms around his neck to stroke his hair.

“Fine, I guess.”

“I’ll go first. Where have you worked?”

“That’s easy since the book store has been the only job I have ever had. Now my turn. How old are you?”

“I think I may be a little older than you.” He looks at me a little sheepishly and I melt. He can’t be much older than me. I raise a prompting eyebrow.

“I’m thirty-three. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-five.” I shrug.

“Have you ever been one of those volunteers at the mission down on tenth?” He looks at me incredulously.

“No. Maybe I’ve met you at one of the clubs?”

“Don’t hang out in clubs. I don’t exactly have any friends to go to clubs or bars with. What do you do for a living?”

“I own and invest. I have multiple clubs here in Vegas. I also own three five star restaurants and invest in various business ventures.”

“Oh I see. You’re a suit.” I say tauntingly only because he is definitely not a boring suit.

“Big time suit. Family?” Please don’t go there. I take in a deep breath and let it all out.

“I have no siblings and my parents are dead. Hence the whole homeless thing. You?” He nods and looks to the wall behind me. He is quiet for a moment and I wait while I run my fingers in circle eights on the back of his neck.

“I don’t speak to my dad and I never knew my real mother.” Damn. I never could have predicted that one. He seems pretty put together. I mean, anyone can look at me and tell that I am screwed up. I swear way too much and have no desire to correct my ugly habit. I smoke when I drink. I let my dirty dishes stack up before I wash them. I wear my jeans a few times before I wash them. I have spent far longer than a few days in the same clothes before. I find the idea of love and family and all that jazz a waste. The point is I have some screwed up philosophies and habits. But, Damon has no clear tell tale signs of being fucked up. Maybe he isn’t.

“Let’s get out the water is getting cold.” I uncoil myself from around him and grip the side of the tub to get out.

“Oh fuck! Shit, shit, shit,” I cry as I realize the mistake I have made.

“What’s wrong?” I want to cry. I was so dumb. I got into the tub with my mother’s watch on and the second hand is not ticking. I don’t cry much, but tears pool in my eyes and my chin quivers.

“Jo, what’s wrong?” Damon’s voice is stern and it snaps me out of my pitiful daze. I look at him and tears stream down my face. Fuck I won’t forgive myself for this. It’s all I have of Maman’s. She was so proud of it. Papa gave her this watch for their one year anniversary. She told me he worked a second job for months to save for it. She wore it with pride and he knew his hard work was worth it. Now it doesn’t work and I don’t know if it can be fixed. Even if it can be fixed I can’t afford to pay for repairs right now.

“My watch,” I say weakly through tears. He reaches out and takes my wrist in his. He examines the watch for a moment then I know it must be broken because his face goes blank. Fuck my life. He releases the delicate clasp and examines the watch closer. He flips it over. Sometimes I forget about the inscription on the underside of the watch. It says “Collette, my heart resides with you forevermore.” It’s in French and even though my French is rusty I can still read it and speak it decently. Damon looks at me and pity fills his eyes. I know the look. I hate that look but somehow coming from him doesn’t quite feel like pity. It feels like understanding and I let it go. My mother’s ruined watch is my only concern at the moment.

“What does it say?” he asks on a whisper.

“Collette, my heart resides with you forevermore,” I say weakly while tears continue slipping down my cheeks. He nods and looks to me.

“What did you say your last name was again I will have this fixed. They will need to know the name of the owner.”

“Geroux. My full name is Josephine Lisette Geroux.”

“I’m going to make this right. I promise you, Josephine.” I don’t bother correcting him about my name. I am completely entranced by the sincerity and emotion written across his features. He reaches behind me and enfolds me in a plush towel. He slings one around his waist and leads me back to his bedroom. I glance at the clock on his nightstand and it reads 12:26 am. How in the hell have I been with him for over six hours already? He peels back the comforter on his sinfully comfortable bed and says nothing as he lifts me beneath my arms to place me on the mattress. I don’t protest. I have no fight tonight. I feel beaten down by the day I have endured. Damon slips into the bed beside me and tugs me too him. I lay my head on his shoulder and cry. I allow myself a measure of self-pity for my shitty day. Sixteen years have passed since I lost my world. I have fought and been strong every day since then. That’s exactly five thousand eight hundred forty days of fighting and being strong. I know because I have counted the days since the accident. It’s another habit I can’t kick. So, today, day five thousand eight hundred forty, I will feel sorry for myself and let Damon feel sorry for me too.