Bad Boy Rich

But his stare changes, something I can’t figure out. It’s still anger, there’s still a wild flare…

He leans forward, my body pushing into the door as our lips touch. It lasts only seconds, him pulling away leaving me shaky and confused. I’m deafened by the thumping of my heart, catching broken words as he directs the cab driver, giving him an address.

My voice wavers, scared to ask the question. “Where are you taking me?”

Silence. He says nothing, staring deeply at the front window, nostrils flaring with lips pursed so tight they’re almost stark white.

“Wesley.” I push with desperation. “Answer me!”

His head turns swiftly, angrily. “I’m taking you back to my place. Now shut up, you’ve done enough damage tonight.”

I’m blown away by his disrespectful tone, his hurtful words and equally confused at the same time of his need to kiss me. That strong, independent woman inside of me was sobbing at this unnecessary mess.

I wanted to push him out the door.

Or I jump out myself.

It was now or never.

Yet that little devil, the one sitting on my shoulder with a heated pitchfork, wanted answers. And the only way I would get that—stay in this cab and follow his lead.

It was just like stepping into a car museum.

In front of the garages sat four cars. Three of them sporty and shiny, and the last one on the end—a black truck with large wheels and dark windows.

There were two motorbikes on the side; some sort of racer bike with orange stripes parked next to a Harley Davidson. It seemed excessive and unnecessary to waste so much money on these possessions but then I remembered something that Liam once said to me: “A car to a man is like shoes to a woman—you can never have enough.”

Liam would be in heaven.

I’m overwhelmed with guilt. I shouldn’t be here—in another man’s home. The same man that violently kissed me in the back of a cab without an explanation.

But I had this odd feeling.

Maybe not a feeling but something unusual drawing me in.

I follow Wesley’s lead, standing in front of the wide, clear glass door. The house is very modern; perched in a secluded gated community. The lights turn themselves on, almost blinding me as we walk inside. My curiosity is piquing more than it should; my feet moving against the polished concrete floors, staring at the pictures hung on the wall and furniture placed around the home.

It’s simplistic. It screams “bachelor.” He takes me inside what I assume is his living room. There’s not much to see; a white leather modular lounge with a shaggy black rug on the floor in front of it. There’s pictures on the wall; artwork that gave it a splash of color but far from that homey feel.

I hadn’t realized that Wesley had left the room. “Wanna drink?”

He opens a beer, consuming it within a beat, handing me a bottle.

“Uh, no thanks.”

He shrugs his shoulders and disappears again, leaving me alone in this big room. What the hell do I do? Take a seat? Stand here looking like an idiot? I wasn’t sure how to escape. I hadn’t paid much attention on the drive over here. There was no way I could tell what suburb I was in let alone his house number. The room spins slightly; the dizziness induced by the panic of being in a stranger’s home.

The smell of his cologne graces the rooms as he returns moments later and suddenly—I manage to calm myself down.

“Let’s go out back.”

I breathe a sigh of relief, welcoming the fresh night air to ease my unsettled imagination. My wedges make a clunky sound with every step; making me self-conscious as I follow him through the house and into another living a

rea with glass doors surrounding it.

He taps on a remote which slides the doors open onto a large patio. There’s a lap pool with a small Jacuzzi on one end; steam rising from it like a magical oasis. Even the pool is lit up, showcasing the deep blue water.

The view is something else. The house overlooks the city and all I can see is the horizon full of lights. It was breathtaking. Different from the clear sky back home. I breathe out, watching the world outside this house until a warm breath catches my skin, causing me to stiffen.