Spark (17 page)

Crack!

Alex’s flat hand lands sharply on my arse.

“Ouch! What did you do that for?” I shout. Warmth spreads beneath his hand as he softly rubs where it stings. If I didn’t have my shorts on, that
really
would have hurt. I stand up, and push his chest with both hands till he’s against the couch. A devilish smile stretches across his face. I do my best to burn holes in him with my eyes.

“It was entirely necessary.”

“Fuck. I thought you were joking.” I rub my tender cheek. My thumping heart threatens to jump out of my chest.

“Well, you’ve yet to understand my sense of humour. I don’t joke about these things.”

“Clearly,” I reply with sarcasm.

“Just trying to rouse that fire in your belly, sweetheart. Perhaps I should have spanked you earlier. You’re so fucking hot when you’re angry.” Alex’s fingers creep underneath my shorts. I don’t move. My sneakers might as well be made of lead.

“I told you, Alex.
Don’t
call me sweetheart!” Warmth spreads throughout my entire body.
What the hell is happening to me?
How can that be a turn-on?
Alex’s fingers slip beneath my panties, wetness awaiting his touch.

“So wet,” he groans, fingers circling, teasing. His boxers twitch, the tight satin barely containing him. His chest rises and falls, his nose whistling as he breathes. Alex grabs my wrists and pulls me astride him, his hot erection beneath me.

The word
sweetheart
taunts me as it bounces around my head. After the day I’ve had, I’ve got a short fuse.

I’ll teach him to call me that.

I kiss him hard, wanting to hurt him, and he gives it back two-fold.

I bite his bottom lip.
Hard.

“Fuck,” he curses.
Good
—
I know that hurt
. “Where has this feisty little minx been hiding?”

He pushes up my crop top, and takes a mouth full of breast, his hot tongue circling my nipple. He tugs it firmly with his teeth as he releases it. What should register as pain, registers as pleasure.

His hands squeeze my breasts, and I push into him. My palm slides over his boxers before I take him in my hand, and squeeze. A deep moan escapes his parted lips. I kiss him again. My tongue explores his mouth, his fighting against mine. Alex breaks away, both of us panting.

“You really wanna do this, huh?”

“Yep.”
Hurry up, before I change my mind
.

I’m almost twenty-one. And still a virgin. It’s pathetic. No one has their first time with Prince Charming. Except maybe Cinderella. What makes me think I’m any different? I should just get it over with. Then when I meet the one, at least I won’t be a fool not knowing what to do.

Alex stands up effortlessly, his strong arms lifting me, my breasts in his face. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he carries me to his bedroom.

“You better prepare yourself, because you may not be in a state to walk home later,” his gravelly voice rasps in my ear.
Fuck
. I don’t want to think about how painful this could be. Why did he have to say that?

“Do you always talk this much, Alex?” I scowl.

Alex shakes his head. The devilish grin returns. He turns around, the back of his knees find the bed, and we fall onto a tangle of sheets. Alex peels my crop top off, and buries his head in my breasts, his mouth setting fire to my skin. I don’t know what’s more distracting—his tongue, or the butterflies in my stomach that have awoken. Surely they’re just first-time nerves.

This is really happening.

Alex will be my first.

Sitting astride him, I watch as he slides his hand down the front of my shorts, and under my panties. He closes his eyes, and groans loudly as he spreads the wetness between my legs. His fingers move in circles, teasing the softest, most sensitive parts of me.

My inner muscles clench as he pushes a finger inside me. My breath hitches. If it’s this tight with just a finger, I know this is going to hurt.
Breathe, Eevie. Breathe.

Alex flips me onto my back, my knees bent over the edge of the bed. He grabs something from his bedside drawer, and soon returns, running his tongue over my taught nipples.

Butterflies demand my attention. They’re usually drowning in alcohol as Alex and I are rarely together in daylight. For a change, I am sober.

I swallow the lump in my throat as his fingers hook beneath my shorts. He pulls them down to my ankles, and kneels on the floor, spreading my legs apart. He kisses up my inner thigh, until the hot air from his nose tickles my pubic hair. The heat of his tongue as he tastes me sends me into overdrive. I close my eyes, savouring every flicker, every stroke. Damn, he knows how to use that tongue.
Fuck
.

With the rip of foil, I watch Alex move his boxers down, and he rolls a condom over his long, thick length.
Holy hell.

Alex stands, his boxers sliding down to his feet. He leans over me, one hand on the bed, the other wandering between my legs. He slips his finger inside of me, moving in and out. I buck beneath him, my ragged breath stealing my concentration. Do I really want this? With Alex?

“Do you want me to fuck you, Genevieve?” he asks, his voice low and hoarse. He runs his thumb over my clit, rendering me desperate for more.

“Yes,” I choke out. My body says yes, but my heart is silent.
Say something!
I need to know I’m doing the right thing.

Alex positions his hips, and with his hand strokes the head of his cock through the wetness between my thighs.
This is it.

Three soft knocks rap on the front door. Alex’s head juts upward, a spooked look in his eyes. Tension radiates from his body.

I freeze.

“Are you expecting someone?” I blurt out.

He opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again.

No response.

I push Alex off me, and sit up. Keys rattle.
Shit
. I stand up and shakily pull up my shorts and put my crop top on. I can’t believe I’m still wearing my sneakers.

The lock turns.
Fuck
.

The butterflies in my stomach inflate to the size of cannonballs. Alex pulls his boxers up, and sits on the edge of the bed.

I back up towards the corner of the room, falling into his chair.

He says nothing.

His continued silence tells me exactly what I need to know. No wonder he was acting weird when I got here. He was not expecting me.

The door swings open.

“Hey, baby,” a high-pitched female voice calls out. She struts into the bedroom and leans down, kissing him on the lips. Alex doesn’t budge.
Is he planning his next move? Escape?
She doesn’t even know I’m here. I look her up and down. She’s tall—Amazon-like tall in her killer stilettos. Her platinum-blond hair is perfectly styled in large barrel curls, which fall around her
very
large, no doubt fake, breasts. Wearing a full spread of makeup, and orange coloured skin, her tight black dress draws attention to her slim waist and long slender legs. Expensive gold jewellery drips from her neck and fingers.

She is a fucking Barbie doll.

Un-fucking believable.
I can’t believe this is happening.
Someone pinch me!

My shaking intensifies as adrenaline courses through my veins with such power—I know exactly what my body is doing.

Fight or flight.

I’m just not sure yet which way to go. Barbie smiles in my direction, a blank look in her eyes.

“Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there.” Her chirpy voice grates like fingernails down a chalkboard.

I can’t form words. All I can do is stare.
Barbie, is that really you?

“Hi, I’m Candice,” she smiles. Yes, of course you are. I want to ask her what the fuck she is doing here, but I am mute. Nevertheless, I get the feeling I know the answer. She is totally oblivious to what she has walked into. Is there any grey matter in that head of hers?

Candice turns her head to Alex. “Hurry up and get dressed. You haven’t by chance seen my earrings have you? You know the black and gold Versace ones?” she asks casually.

ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?
The tension in the room suffocates my every breath. You could cut the air with a knife … on second thoughts, a machete. Better yet, a samurai sword. I gotta get me one of those. An image of Alex’s head separated from his body comes to mind.

Alex won’t look at me, but the murderous look he shoots at Barbie tells me he’s not thrilled with her arrival.

That look could burn holes through her.

That look frightens me.

Had she not arrived, I would be having sex with Alex at this very moment. He would have been
inside
me. Tears well in my eyes, and I choke on the scream that wants to lurch out. I have to get outta here. Each breath stings deep in my chest, tears building to bursting point. I push past her, unable to look at Alex as I storm out of the apartment.

“I told you not to come,” Alex growls at Barbie as the heavy door closes.
Was that the text he sent?
I guarantee it was. That fucker thought he was in the clear … and was going to fuck me. Has he no morals? No heart?

I run down the stairs, conscious that Alex may follow me. No wonder his face dropped when he opened the door. He wasn’t expecting
me
; he was expecting someone else.

Her.

Surely I didn’t sound like her on the intercom?

What in the name of fuck was I thinking? FUCK! Did I think I could change Alex to be the man that deep down I want? How could I not see him for what he really is?

A scavenger of opportunity.

And I gave him opportunity.

I was merely a pawn in whatever his game is. He doesn’t care for me, because if he did, I would be the only woman in his life
and
in his bed.

He’s nothing special. He never wanted to know me. All this I knew, and yet I kept coming back … hoping for more. Thanks a lot, brain—you really fucked me on this one.

As I march out of the building, I walk past a silver Mercedes C-Class coupe in the visitor parking spot. It wasn’t there when I buzzed the intercom. Is this Barbie’s car? It certainly fits with the image—expensive jewellery, intoxicating perfume, and no doubt she’s a lot closer to Alex’s age than I am. I can just imagine her cruising with the top down, her perfect platinum locks blowing behind her in the breeze.

I stand still, filling my lungs with air. I’ve seen this car here before. A chill runs through to my aching bones.

Here.

I’ve seen this car
here
before.

You don’t miss a car like this. Just like Alex’s car, it screams
look at me
. I’m too shell-shocked to move, and relieved he hasn’t followed me. Tears dry up, as my blood is infused with anger.

He has played me for a fool.

I should confront him, but I don’t know if I could. I just want to pretend this chapter of my life never existed.

Fight or flight— I choose flight.

I start to walk out of the complex when a strong hand pulls my elbow firmly, spinning me around. Barefoot and barely clothed, Alex breathes heavily. His cheeks are flushed—something unusual for Mr Ego. I wonder what heated words were exchanged with Barbie behind that closed door. I don’t want to know, and I don’t care.

I yank my arm from his grip, and drill him with a look of pure disgust.

“Come on, Genevieve. Don’t leave like this.”

“How could you?” I roar, unable to contain my rage.

“I thought we were just having fun … nothing serious,” Alex shrugs.

My ears can’t believe what they’ve just heard. What a load of bullshit. He probably thinks he’s done nothing wrong.

“I was about to fucking sleep with you!” My hands ball up into tight fists, my knuckles aching with the pressure. “You might have thought it wasn’t serious, but you
know
I don’t feel that way. I just don’t understand. I really thought we were getting somewhere. Maybe you should have made it perfectly clear to me that you were
fucking
someone else.”

Fire could burst from my mouth. And I wish it would, so I could incinerate this prick to a crisp. I wanna hit him so bad, but I won’t. I don’t know what he’s capable of. Clearly, I don’t know this man at all. He’d probably hit me back.

“Genevieve …” he says in an attempt to calm me, reaching his arms out to my shoulders.

“Don’t you fucking touch me,” I shout, and hold my hands up protectively. If he touches me again, I
will
hit him. “Is that
her
car?” With a trembling hand I point towards it, and narrow my eyes at him.

He puts his arms down, but says nothing. His lack of response tells me that it is.

“I know this isn’t the first time she’s been here, so how long has this been going on? You know what … it doesn’t matter, once is enough. Does she even know about me?” Alex takes in a deep breath, and runs his hands through his wild hair.

“Yes, she does,” Alex says slowly.

What on earth have I got myself into? No wonder she didn’t seem fazed seeing me in his bedroom.

“Candice and I have an arrangement, of sorts,” he admits.

“An arrangement? What the fuck does that mean? No, no … you know what Alex? I don’t care.” Tears spill hot and fast down my face as I stare into his cold eyes. I want him to see what he’s done to me, to feel how he’s hurt me. Deep down, I’m hoping that he feels something,
anything
for that matter, for what he’s done. “You know what, Alex, I
do
care. I
have
a heart. Clearly, you don’t.” Perhaps to the both of them it’s all a big joke. I’m a joke.

“Oh, sweetheart, you are so naïve.” He shakes his head, the corner of his mouth curling up.
Does he think this is funny?
I thought I was already at boiling point, but the thermometer is about to explode and scatter into a million tiny pieces. My anger is getting out of hand. I need to get away from this man, and his fucked up world.

“Oh, okay.
Yes
I might be naïve, which is probably why I
had
a higher opinion of you than I should have.”