19.
Tame The Heartbreakers
Lenley
THESE GUYS WILL BEthe death of me, I think as I try to follow Kyle’s sleep inducing report about the profits of our sportswear range and the projections in case we won State, Nationals and Worlds.
In that case he’s proposing to do a new line of items with Darrius’ name on them to be marketed alongside the classic Patrick DeLaurent line.
I’m wet the entire time, and no—just in case you were wondering—marketing projections don’t turn me on.
I can still feel Jameson’s fingers inside my panties and his kisses on my body. I wish there was a way to blow off family dinner, because I’m so turned on that I could cry.
Thankfully no one asks me any questions as the projections for the museum’s revenue are discussed next; I haven’t had the chance to look at all the paperwork Kyle gave me yet, and I know I should learn all these things but I’m seriously considering giving Kyle or Mom power of attorney to vote on my behalf at shareholders meetings. I can’t help but find all this stuff boring and maybe I could delay having to deal with it until after college.
I rise from my seat with a sigh of relief as the meeting comes to an end.
“I like this idea of being friendly with our rivals.” Anna beams, as I collect my things. “I know they have a certain reputation in town, but I think this ‘Heartbreakers’ thing is an exaggeration. They just like to party, so what? If any of our closed minded, small town folks had seen some of the parties I’ve been to at Harvard, they’d know that the Cove Angels are just normal, hot blooded, twenty-one-year old men.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her mention of Harvard; Anna never misses a chance to remind the world that she graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
“It isn’t their fault if they’re hot and all women throw themselves at them, right?” She continues. “Especially Jameson, he’s ...”
I grab my laptop bag and rush to the boardroom door, before I lose control of my temper and use my laptop to slap Anna into silence.
“Hey sweetheart.” Mom stops me in my tracks and I tune Anna out, reminding myself that the guys and I have an exclusivity deal and Jameson doesn’t like Anna anyway. None of them do.
“Yes, Mom?”
“Are you going home?” she asks.
“Yeah, I have some work to finish up for next week’s season opening sky event. I want to write some new bio pieces for our Angels before then.”
Mom nods approvingly. “That sounds great. Just remember that dinner is at eight. I’ll be home before then, but just in case I’m late, the chef I hired should arrive around five; will you let him in for me?”
She looks nervous and after the way Darrius spoke to her earlier, I don’t blame her. I wonder if he and Anna have figured out that our parents are dating. “Of course, Mom.” I smile.
“Wonderful, thank you sweetie. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
I exit the building using the emergency exit at the back, like I’ve started doing since Kiara began working here and Rachel has become her bestie; Ι can definitely avoid any bitchy comments they’re sure to throw my way.
I walk past the smoking area, relieved that neither of them has decided to take a break—there’s always a risk that they’d be here but I think it’s likely that they’d want to look busy and devoted to their jobs when Mom and Kyle walk out of the staff meeting.
I barely finish that thought when Darrius—still in his indoor wingsuit—walks right into my personal space. “You need to knock it off, Len!” he grinds out, more furious than I’ve ever seen him.
I tighten my hold on the handle of my laptop bag, standing my ground and looking him straight in the eyes. “Goodbye to you too, Darrius. I thought Mom told you to go home after how you embarrassed yourself earlier in her office.”
He snorts, an accusatory look in his dark eyes. “I embarrassed myself? What about you, Len? Every time I look at you lately, I catch you flirting with one of the Cove Devils! When your mother said we should have a better relationship with our rivals, she meant some bullshit PR campaign to look good in front of the mayor, not sniffing up their asses like a pathetic bitch in heat!”
I rear back as if he’d slapped me. “Whoa! That’s fucking rude even for you, D. But sure, duly noted. I hope you’ll consider your quota of horrible things to say exhausted for the day, since today you seem to be on a roll at being an asshole and offending the women in my family,” I say, attempting to walk past him without success.
He takes one step forward, forcing me to step back, toward the shield that protects the smoking area from the rain and the excessive sunshine. “Don’t fucking pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, Len! What the fuck were you doing with Walton in that locker room? If this is your attempt at making me jealous, you don’t know how dangerous it is to play with fire.”
So Darrius sees through what me and the guys are doing, but from where I’m standing, it’s definitely working; he’s pissed off and if the emotion in his eyes isn’t jealousy, I don’t know what it is.
“Get over yourself, will you?” I say with my most indignant tone. “Not everything is about you, Darrius. And since one of my best friends has decided that she hates me after all, I’m expanding my social circle.”
He advances another step and I retreat; my back meets the glass pane of the smoking area shield. “Friends? You and I are friends and I’ve never had my hands up your skirt, Lenley!” He growls as his chest touches mine.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, D,” I utter, meeting his gaze head on. “Jameson and I were just talking.”
With his hands up my skirt and into my panties, but Darrius has lost the right to hear my secrets when he decided to break my heart and date my best friend.
“You were talking with his tongue shoved down your throat?”
I smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He pushes forward, his body now fully pressed against me. “Don’t play stupid games with me, Len. Your face was flushed, your lips were swollen and you were practically letting him hump you against that locker!”
I was. And my body is reacting more to the memory of that, than to having Darrius so close to me. “Jameson and I are friends,” I say as the tip of his nose touches mine.
“You’re friends? Do you make out with all your friends, Lenley? You and I are friends, we’ve been friends forever. Maybe I’ve been blind.”
Maybe you’ve been blind and now you’re finally seeing me.
“Maybe I should see what I’ve been missing out on.”
His hand comes up to cup my face, our lips so close that it would take the smallest movement for them to touch.
His eyes are dark pools of fury and desire and he’s hard against my hip.
All I need to do is move to close the negligible distance between our lips and I’ll kiss Darrius, like I’ve always wanted.
But do I want it?
The answer, to my own surprise, is no.
He doesn’t want me the way I’ve been hoping he would my entire life; right now he just wants his old, discarded toy just because he saw someone else playing with it.
“Or maybe,” I hiss pushing him away, “you should just butt out and mind your own business, Darrius. Last time you and I were in a similar position, you accused me of ‘almost’ making you cheat on your girlfriend. If you’re horny, go find your girlfriend.”
He’s always been as stubborn as I am, always fighting to have the last word. “And if you’re horny, Lenley, go find someone better to scratch your itch. Those guys will throw you away when they’ve had what they want. Don’t be another notch on The Heartbreakers’ belt.”
His words bother me; he doesn’t know the Devils like I know them. “I hang out with whoever I want, Darrius. I don’t need your permission. Or are you just mad that if I’m a notch on their belt, I’m not going to be one on yours?”
He shakes his head, a disgusted sneer on his face. “Dammit, Lenley! What the fuck happened to you in France?”
You happened to me, that’s why I ran to France. I think as I turn my back on him and walk to my car on slightly unsteady legs.
***