Then he flew to me.
“You dumb bitch, tell me who you are now before I – ”
>
Thwack! His head snapped to the side, his hand immediately grabbing the part of his face he’d been hit. My heart hammered. I thought it was Abram but then I registered the sudden pain in my knuckles. Holy shit. It was me. I’d dropped Nate to the ground.
But before I knew it, he was up – and I was flat against the wall, his hands holding my wrists above my head. My cuts burned in his grip but I snarled over his every word. “I had nothing to do with whatever you’re talking about, asshole, so find another person to take it out on because you’ve done far enough to me,” I hissed from my throat as I felt my hands swell. I barely recognized my own voice. But God, I was done. I was so fucking done with being blamed, being scared, being hurt. I was done bearing the brunt of someone else’s downfall.
“You fucking bitch, you don’t fool me for a goddamned – ”
Nate suddenly flung back like a ragdoll. A gasp singed my throat as he practically flew through the air.
That one was Abram.
Frozen, I watched as he hoisted Nate back up by his lapels, tossing him hard against the wall and growling barely an inch from his face. “You have no idea how fucking lucky you are to be Gavin’s blood. I swear to God, if you don’t lay off the blow and calm the fuck down, I will kill you faster than Toro can,” he snarled, snatching the little baggy from Nate’s inside pocket and chucking it aside. I stared at it. Coke. Nate’s face was so red I was afraid it would burst. But when he spoke again, his voice was shockingly small.
“I deserve to end it, too. Like you said, he was my blood.”
“Then shut your mouth and go home,” Abram said calmly, going from sixty back to zero in a flash, as if he did this dance with Nate too often. Though I did hear his low mutter to him on his way out the door: “You threaten her again, I’ll break your arms.” It sent chills down my spine.
And with that, we were alone.
My mouth parted when Abram turned to me. All that and he wasn’t even sweating, still wearing the hell out of a fitted black sweater and jeans. It felt like there was no air in the room for me to breathe. I kept my body pressed against the wall as he made his way over, his chest still rising high and falling hard from the clash with Nate. But the frown between his brows eased as he got closer. By the time he stood before me, there was nothing but concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t a lie. I might’ve been better than okay. I had dropped Nate tonight. I’d never hit anyone in my life and my first time was a solid punch on a six-foot-two man in a raving, coke-fueled rage. Abram read my mind.
“Pretty nice left hook,” he cracked a smile. I breathed out a laugh. “That was the highlight of my night.”
“Sorry. It shouldn’t have been.”
“What do you mean?”
I didn’t realize what I’d meant till he asked. “I… know you were hoping to have a much different night than what this became.” And by ‘different night’ I mean a threesome.
Abram smirked. “Right. Those two.” He tucked his hands into his pockets, letting his gaze dip down the front of my tank dress. It was one piece of clothing among the many I’d woken to yesterday, folded on my dresser with all the tags still attached. For bed tonight, I’d chosen the softest one, made of a gauzy beige material. Abram’s unapologetic eyes stared straight through it. “Yeah. I think you’d have been my highlight regardless. Nailed him pretty good,” he smirked, returning his leisurely gaze to me. “Plus, I like the way you look when you’re riding it.”
My lashes fluttered. “Riding – what?”
“Adrenaline.”
Oh. That made sense. The adrenaline was in fact still buzzing through me but it was too late, Abram’s words already had me picturing a very different kind of riding. I sucked my lip between my teeth, hiding sheepishness as I realized I’d dreamt of exactly that tonight. I’d dreamt right down to the way Abram’s eyes gleamed at me as I bounced on top of him, his lips muttering all those dirty things he’d muttered to me in the shower as I swiveled my hips and filled myself to the hilt. In my fantasy, I’d naughtily watched him come, soaking in the grunting pleasure I’d been the one to bring him to. I remembered every last second of it.
As Abram eyed my flushed cheeks, I prayed to God he didn’t know what I was thinking about. But when he spoke, he sounded every bit like he did.
“I take it you’ll need some time before going back to bed.”
Yes. I needed relief. On top of the rush of adrenaline, I’d begun to feel a throbbing between my legs – one that deepened when I looked at Abram. His face was relaxed but his body was still in defense mode, his sweater pulled tighter than how it was before Nate came barreling through. He was like a Greek god on Earth. Nate had to be two hundred pounds, plus however much coke-powered voltage, but Abram had pitched him like a baseball. “Threaten her again and I’ll break your arms.” He’d spoken the words as casually as someone would say, “See you next Thursday.” The thought still gave me chills. I’d never heard anyone stand up so ferociously for me. And I’d never met someone who could so easily follow through with his promise.
“I’ll probably be up for a bit,” I finally murmured, trying to control myself. But I was writhing against the wall. My attraction to Abram was purely physical – I told myself it couldn’t possibly be anything else. But it was so strong I suddenly couldn’t think of anything else besides showing him my gratitude. I was desperate to thank Abram – to relax his body and touch him. Everywhere.
I tried to quell the need by playing with my tank top, wrapping the hem around my fingers. But my lust had ulterior motives and they seemed to be working as I twisted my shirt, stretching the neckline down so far that Abram couldn’t help but look. He lifted a curious eyebrow at me, as if to ask, “Are you aware that this is happening?” but soon enough, he didn’t care. His gaze was hot and blatant on my breasts, tracking my neckline the way a bettor would a race. A wry curve twisted my lips as he watched intently. When he caught my look of mischief, he smirked.
“What are you doing?” His eyes returned to my breasts as I shrugged. He groaned a little as they bounced under my top. The sound thrilled me.
“I was hoping to return the favor.”