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His friend knew him well. Their eyes met as Lukus pulled him closer to talk softer to prevent being overheard.
When no words came out, Markus prompted him, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m honestly not sure if you want to know.”
Chapter Five
Brianna
The numbers 9-1-7 would forever be burned in her memory. Against every instinct in her body, and almost on autopilot, Brianna had taken the elevator up to the ninth floor, pushing out of the crowd at the very last second. She’d sat in an uncomfortable chair near the elevator bank for almost ten minutes, trying to pluck up the nerve to just leave. She was counting on the fact that he was bluffing and hadn’t already texted Markus.
As scared to death as she was about the things Jake Davenport might do to her if he got her behind closed doors, she had come to the conclusion that losing Markus would be a hundred times worse.
Her husband was everything Jake was not. Kind. Gentle. Funny. Loving. She should be relieved to have a man like him in her life after the trauma she’d suffered at the hands of her ex. And she was. And that was why she’d pushed to her feet to stand outside of room 917.
Just one more time. She’d risk getting sucked in just one more time. She’d come too far now to turn back. She wasn’t leaving without the hard drive. Last time she’d been vulnerable, weak. She was stronger this time.
It was eerie that she’d just made her decision to knock when Jake swung open the door. He’d taken his shirt off and changed to a pair of perfectly fit, worn jeans. Bri’d be lying if she didn’t admit that her core clenched, recognizing the effect the asshole still had on her. If only she could focus on the bad, because there was more than enough of that.
Unfortunately, her body remembered the amazing ecstasy he’d pushed her to as well. It seemed an impossible task to separate the two in her mind.
They stood in a stare down for several long seconds before she found her voice. “I’m not coming in. Hand me the hard drive.”
He had the audacity to grin as he let his free hand roam across his muscular chest suggestively. “You want it, you’ll come and get it.”
When she stood frozen, the jerk stepped back letting the door slam closed with a loud thud. Furious, Brianna stepped forward to start pounding on the door. “You asshole! Open the door and just give me what I came for so I can leave.”
The door swung open so fast, it caught her off-guard. She’d been prepared for him to make her beg, since he loved that so much. Instead, he grabbed her wrist before she could step away from the door. Jake yanked her toward him so hard it felt like he’d pulled her shoulder out of socket. Fight or flight instincts kicked in as Bri heard the door slam closed again, this time trapping her inside. Pent-up angst fueled by adrenalin helped her kick and flail, connecting her foot with his shin and her heavy purse with his shoulder.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” she cried, managing to stumble far enough away that he lost his grip. Bri scrambled to the right, putting a love seat between them.
Instead of angering him, the asshole had the nerve to smile. “God, I love a good chase.”
Brianna knew he told the truth. He’d proven it to her many times in the past. “You aren’t gonna win this one, Jake. We’re done.” She took her phone out of her bag, never taking her eyes off him. “If you touch me, I’ll call 911.”
“Oh, and say what exactly? I’m disappointed in you, sub. It looks like all of that careful training I did with you has been going to waste with vanilla Lambert.”
“I’m not your sub. I never was.”
“Oh, I beg to differ, slut. You used to crawl on your hands and knees, begging me to fuck you harder.” Jake took a few steps closer as he threatened her with vile memories.
“The only begging I remember was for you to honor my safeword. I wasn’t a sub. I was your punching bag.”
“Still harping on that? When are you gonna learn? I know your body better than you do, Bri. For instance, I know your panties are dripping right now. The skin on your ass is actually tingling in anticipation of the whipping you desperately need. We both know I’m the only man on the planet that can make you come without even touching your fucking pussy. Don’t even try to deny it.”
As much as she hated his words, he was right—she couldn’t deny them. Every hated word was true.
“It’s irrelevant. We’re done. Give me what I came for and I’ll leave.” She moved to the end of the love seat, keeping as much distance as possible between them.
Unbothered by her defensive stance, Jake walked to the in-room refrigerator and pulled out a cold bottle of beer, twisting off the top and taking a long drag as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“Stop wasting time. I need to leave. I have appointments this afternoon.”
Jake’s glare returned to her, suddenly more serious. “You know, you wouldn’t have to work if you were still with me. It’s bad enough Lambert can’t even take care of you properly in the sack, but making you help financially is stupid.”
Bri scoffed. “You never did give a shit about what made me happy. If you had, you’d know that owning my own business has always been my dream. Markus helped make that dream possible.”
“Whatever. If it helps you feel better about playing house out in the suburbs, I guess I don’t give a shit.”
