Chasing Love (Dark Love 1)

“Sounds good. How are you feeling, though? Are you sure you’re up for it?”

Elijah is the closest person I have to a brother, so my worry is with reason. His cancer scared our family, and there was no way we could lose him. Thankfully, a well-known cancer rehabilitation clinic in Geneva had an opening for him, and even more grateful that one of my clients know the owner, so all I had to do was wave my AMEX, and they suddenly had an opening. I didn’t give a shit about the money, we just needed him to live. He recovered well, but I know he still has to take it easy.

“Much better. You know I owe you my life, right?”

“How about you just take care of my sister and make sure she annoys me less, and we’ll call it even?”

“Deal! But, hey, you know Adriana. I can only promise to try.” Elijah laughs.

We chat amongst ourselves until Julian walks in. Nikki is all over him, grabbing his arm and acting like a love-struck teen. What the fuck? So, she plays nice with him and treats me like the scum of the earth. He walks around greeting everyone, leaving me until last.

“Edwards. Didn’t think I’d see you here.” He shakes my hand. Stupid prick.

“Well, she is my friend, and I was invited.”

Adriana hushes us as she announces Charlotte has arrived. We close the curtain and dim the lights. When we yell surprise, her face is priceless. She sees me then looks at Julian. I know she’s panicking. Good, I think. Maybe now she’ll get rid of him. She looks so fucking hot in her tight black dress with those sexy heels. I want her legs wrapped around me, and I want to taste her sweet pussy on my lips.

But instead, I get a very uninviting embrace.

I wish her a happy birthday, followed by a comment about her dress. I know the effect I have on her. It’s so fucking obvious. It doesn’t stop her from sitting next to that fucker, though. What the fuck can I do? It irritates me to the core that he has his fucking arm draped over her like she’s his property. Not for much longer, buddy. Enjoy your moment of glory because soon you’ll be back on the dating scene wishing you were me.

The group tells stories about how they met Charlotte. It seems everyone at this table means something to Charlotte, even that fucker. I try to be mature. Okay, that’s a fucking lie. I’m ready to get all UFC on him, so I do the only thing I can—I flirt with the little blonde chick beside me. I laugh, pretending to be engrossed in her story about her trip to Cancun. It’s so obvious she’s flattered with my attention, constantly pushing her tits together to show me her non-existent cleavage.

Charlotte is becoming more jealous, and when she decides revenge is the way to go and leans into him, I fucking leave. I may have damaged the toilet stall in the bathroom by kicking it, but fuck, she knows exactly how to press my buttons. Surely, she realizes I have an anger-management problem. After calming myself down as much as I can, I run outside the bathroom and into Charlotte.

She asks me what my problem is. I warn her, but she doesn’t want to listen. I have no choice. I need her. It has been too long. The taste of her lips feels like heaven on earth. Her skin entices me, the smell driving me insane. It drives my addiction further, and I can’t hold back.

I know we’re fucking in a restaurant bathroom, but I have never wanted her so badly, partially blaming the dress. Charlotte makes me feel things no other woman has, and fuck, the way she takes my cock deep in her mouth—I’m ready to blow right then and there. Goddamn, the girl has skills.

She looks up at me through her lashes, her eyes are pure lust. The sight leaves me speechless, but I need more. So, I grab Charlotte and fuck her hard against the door. I hold back as long as I can, that is, until she said I was hers.

She belongs to me.

She said it from her own mouth.

The first thing that registers is that I need to blow in her pussy right now. As the waves of intensity subside, her words echo in my mind, and I like what I heard. No, I love what I heard until she does a complete one-eighty on me and takes it all back.

We fight over everything. Every time we fuck, we argue afterward, making me want her even more. I try to clear my head. There’s no way I’m walking out with another hard-on.

I head back to the table and avoid eye contact with her. Willing our fight to blow over, a vicious cycle we constantly find ourselves in, I sit there chatting with Rocky about sports. He actually turns out to be a pretty neat guy, but too bad his wife is a stuck-up bitch. Adriana interrupts us by shoving the karaoke book in front of me.

“C’mon, Lex, just one song,” she pleads.

“You know I don’t sing in front of crowds.”

“Stop being a fool. You know you have a fucking awesome voice. Just do it.”

“I never said I didn’t. I just don’t want to sing in front of a crowd. You know it’s not my thing.”

Eric announces it is gift time, thank God, so Adriana is momentarily distracted. I have to admit, Charlotte got some amazing gifts. The heels again didn’t help my obsession with her legs. When Nikki gave her all this kinky shit, I couldn’t help but send her a text. I know she’s avoiding me, I mean Christ, she just had me in her mouth, then I fucked her until she came. She probably still has my cum dripping out of her pussy. Fuck, if that doesn’t stir things up again. I take the opportunity to rub my cock as she bends down to pick up her phone. I know she saw, she couldn’t have come back up any more flushed. I turn away, unable to hide the smirk on my face.

“Time to open your gift from Lex,” Adriana says eagerly.

Charlotte looks apprehensive. I walk over to her and wish her a happy birthday. As I hand her the box, she slowly takes it from me. I want her to know how much she means to me, and that I want to find a way to heal us. I watch closely as she pulls out the phoenix pendant and necklace from the box.

She holds it in her hands, and if you look close enough, you can see her hands trembling. Charlotte thanks me, then stands up to hug me, real tight. I’m taken aback by how long she holds on for. I know this bird represents something significant in her life. I have googled the meaning. To be reborn, new beginnings. Did she get the tattoo after I left her? I want to ask, but if I push again, chances are I’ll lose her, or she will go running into the arms of pretty-boy beside her.

I take the pendant from her hand and motion for her to turn around as I fasten the clip. The phoenix sits perfectly on her chest. Her heart is beating fast, I can see her chest rising and falling.