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  ‘Say hello to my friend Tina.’ Jimmy places his hand on her thigh and I offer an absent wave. ‘Come on now. She’s a very good friend of mine.’ He pulls on my arm. ‘Make her feel welcome.’

  It’s maddening, the way he makes me feel simply powerless under his direction. I lean in again and politely kiss her cheek to cheek. ‘Nice to meet you, Tina. I’m Noemi.’ She nods shyly. Maybe she’s as uncertain as I am about her position at his side. I direct my attention back to him. ‘Vodka martini for you, Jimmy?’ He signals for two, ordering one for her as well.

  Turning to leave, I hear Jimmy say, ‘She’s hot, isn’t she? Like a sweet, ripe mango, just waiting to be picked.’

  It makes me grin to feel them both staring as I walk away. Tonight will definitely be interesting.

  Chapter Six – Tina

  ‘SOMETHING TELLS ME SHE’S more than just your waitress,’ I quip once Noemi is completely out of earshot.

  ‘Why do you think that?’ he asks with mock innocence.

  ‘I don’t know, call it a hunch,’ I remark sarcastically.

  ‘I’m not fucking her, if that’s what you’re insinuating.’ Gesturing in her direction, he challenges, ‘Why don’t you do it instead?’

  ‘No, thank you, I’m not into girls,’ I scoff, certain that he’s joking.

  ‘Neither is she,’ he says, ‘but I think you can make her want to do you anyway.’ His eyebrow is raised and his lips are pursed, taunting me. ‘Lance was easy, so was that security guard. Show me what you got, Tina. Impress me.’

  I realise that he is serious. ‘You’re crazy! How am I going to get a straight girl to do anything with me? Not to mention, why should I want to?’

  He breathes three words into my ear that change me for ever: ‘Because you can.’

  I understand. The reckless freedom of attempting the insane, and the euphoric results when it is accomplished, is the drug of choice for both of us. I’m not even attracted to her, though she’s leggy and golden with beautiful shiny hair and high cheekbones. No, I’m not into women, but I’m wet with the idea of conquering her, mind and body, while Jimmy watches. When Noemi returns with our drinks, he asks her to join us.

  ‘I thought you would never ask,’ she says and slips next to me in the empty seat. ‘It’s been too long since you’ve been by the club, Jimmy.’ Her eyes are fixed on him, almost demanding an explanation.

  ‘That’s my fault,’ I chime in. ‘I’ve been keeping him busy,’ suggesting that we have a much more extensive connection. It’s instinctual and I can’t say why I did it. ‘This place is amazing, how long have you worked here?’ I ask her with interest.

  ‘Three years, time flies.’ Looking me over closely she adds, ‘I’ve never seen you in here before.’

  ‘There’s a first time for everything.’ I wink at Jimmy, who’s listening intently to where I will take the conversation. ‘The dancers here are so hot. Tell me, who’s fucking who behind the scenes?’ It’s obvious to me that with so many attractive people working here, extracurricular romance is a given.

  She cracks a smile, jumping at the opportunity to dish some gossip. ‘You see the guy over there with the blonde? He’s boning that girl behind this one’s back. And the waitress at the bar, she just started fucking the DJ. Oh yeah, and the girl by herself, she had a threesome last week with those two guys over there.’ Then looking directly at Jimmy, she continues, ‘But really I don’t know everything that goes on around here. Who can say how many patrons have hooked up with the employees?’

  ‘And you?’ I lean in, ‘Tell me, who are you fucking right now?’

  She flashes her eyes at Jimmy again, who’s kicked back on the sofa sipping his martini. ‘None of them.’

  ‘Which one did you used to fuck?’ My tone is light and playful.

  She laughs at my assumption, and points to a muscled guy sandwiched between two girls on a platform.

  ‘Ooh, now he’s hot. Very nice,’ I say slowly, timing my trap just right and talking to her a little softer now. ‘But that sucks. You have to watch him with his hands on these other girls all night long.’

  ‘I really don’t give a damn about him any more,’ she replies flippantly, tossing yet another glance in Jimmy’s direction.

  ‘But look at that body, shit. And the way he moves ... you’re telling me he wasn’t awesome in bed? He must fuck like a racehorse.’ A sideways look and I go on. ‘You don’t look at him sometimes and imagine his hands under your clothes, up your skirt? You don’t see him pressed up against those girls and wish you could have him just one more time? He is really fucking sexy.’ She’s staring at her ex now, and he has begun to notice that we are clearly talking about him.

  Nodding, she’s forced to agree with me. ‘I have ways of getting around it, but yeah, sometimes I still think about him.’ We both salivate a little over his abs and biceps glistening with oil under the busy hands of the two dancing girls.

  I encroach on her ear. ‘You’re so pretty, Noemi. He probably still thinks about you too.’

  She shakes her head. ‘Nah, that was a long time ago.’

  ‘Well, he’s looking over here now,’ I continue. ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to give him a reason to miss you tonight?’ I’ve brushed her hair away from her face to see her lips tightening in determination.

  ‘Dance with me for a minute. Let’s get his attention.’ Predictably, she’s game. I take her hand and we slide off the sofa. A glimpse over my shoulder at Jimmy prompts him to raise his glass in encouragement. This is going to be easier than I thought.

  The music thumps in my chest with a fast-paced tribal tempo, accented by a repeated phrase from a woman’s high-pitched voice. The combination makes for a hypnotic techno mix. Positioning ourselves in front of the platform in plain view of both Jimmy and her ex, we begin to dance. Noemi’s movements are the typical gyrations you would expect from a music video and not at all what I have in mind.

  ‘Like this,’ I instruct, slowing her pace to every other beat, allowing our torsos to slink over each other like honey. Our faces are close and, through the music, I can hear her breathing become a bit irregular as my hips and breasts graze past her own. She had been looking at her ex, but her eyes are shut now as she sinks deeper into our rhythm. She’s enjoying my touch, as attentive fingers travel the contours of her slender shoulders and down to her wrists. Our bodies snake from side to side in unison, restrained to an excruciatingly measured but sensual pace that turns the temperature up in both of us. She tosses her head back and her arms float in the air above her. Boldly, I gently kiss her neck and she’s roused from the primal trance put on her by the music.

  She looks at me, startled, and I look back, unapologetic. And then I move my lips onto hers. Our kiss is as slow and smooth as the movements of our bodies. She’s kissing me in return and I am surprisingly aroused by the softness of her mouth.

  My hands are called to action and swimming in her hair, then down her neck and to her chest. She does not stop me as I move them over her ass and to the hem of her mini skirt, raking it up and giving her ex a nice view of the bottom of her cheeks. Our kiss continues until I decide to spin her around to face him.

  ‘Look at him. He can’t even concentrate on what he’s supposed to be doing,’ I tell her before playfully nibbling at her shoulder. The poor guy had lost interest in dancing and is only shifting his weight absently as he takes in our show. ‘He just wishes he was fucking you right now.’ My lips are playing gently on her ear, and steadily, I feed her my verbal cock. ‘He wishes his dick was rubbing against your lips with you teasing him so much he wants to fucking cry. He wants to put it inside you, but you will make him beg for it. That pussy is not his any more and he is going to have to work for it. Do you want him to work for it?’

  She’s nodding again and mouths a breathless ‘Yes’ amid the relentless beat.

  ‘Don’t stop looking at him,’ I tell her and hold up two fingers for him to see. Jimmy is sure not to miss them either. I slide my hands u
nder the rear of her skirt where my fingers lap at the supple flesh. She responds with a compulsory arching of her back, soliciting an additional caress. I oblige, letting my fingers find their way to her entry. She’s incredibly wet and, upon inserting them, she lets out a soft gasp.

  ‘Don’t stop looking at him,’ I repeat, burning in between my own legs from the momentary control I have over both of them. I push her forward onto the platform where he’s frozen in place and she steadies herself on the edge with her hands. Holding her head upright, she locks gazes with him as I fuck her smoothly from behind. Her mouth is round with moans of pleasure, inaudible over the music. When she’s shaking and I’m satisfied with my accomplishment, I pull her erect and whisper, ‘He’s not going to forget this for a long time.’ And for that matter, neither will I.

  Noemi fixes her skirt and presses her lips together in an awkward smile. The whole thing has happened so fast that we’ve gone unnoticed by almost everyone else. Her ex, on the contrary, is still staring at her when she tells me that she needs to get back to work and hastily exits behind the bar.

  I spin on my heel and climb back onto the sofa next to Jimmy. He’s grinning widely and his mouth is as irresistible to me as ever. ‘Not bad, huh?’ I boast with sultry confidence.

  He leans forward and pulls me from the back of my head into a kiss. So deep and luscious is his tongue in my mouth, that my ache for him is soothed for a fleeting moment. Unlike with Noemi, or Lance, or Rodriguez, or even Jared, when I kiss Jimmy he ignites me from within. Soon we are devouring each other and raging for more.

  ‘Let’s get out of here,’ he murmurs gruffly and throws some bills onto the table. I’m only too happy to have him to myself and quickly slide off the sofa.

  Outside the streets are shining from the thunderstorm that has just passed undetected in the bass-filled room, and the air is muggier than ever. We resume our kiss, gaining in feverish intensity, and I know that I won’t be able to bear a trip of any sorts before finally having him. I pull him into the alley and hurriedly loosen my pants.

  ‘Please, Jimmy, fuck me right now.’ I’m begging him and don’t even care. He isn’t moving fast enough for my taste and so I yank at his pants too.

  ‘Wait,’ he says, holding my wrist. The aching need is so raw inside me that I can’t take even another second of delay. Pretending not to hear him, I proceed to try to unzip his fly. ‘Stop!’ He’s definitive now and I angrily shake my hand out of his grasp.

  ‘Fuck, Jimmy! I can’t take it any more. What the fuck do you want from me?’ I’m shouting at him, shrill and biting in my tone.

  ‘Let me drive you back to your car,’ he says, walking past me.

  ‘My car? Are you fucking serious?’ I have reached my boiling point. ‘Jimmy!’ I yell after him and tug on his arm. ‘Jimmy, why are you doing this?’

  He does stop, finally, and turns to face me. ‘Because you make my fucking head spin, Tina. Because my dick actually gets hard every time I think of you.’ Breathing a rough sigh in frustration he continues, ‘I want you so fucking much it scares the hell out of me.’ He’s looking down on my face with such a painfully tortured expression that I simply melt in his glare. There he stands, completely unravelled before me. I reach up to touch his cheek and he turns away, looking toward the gritty sidewalk.

  ‘I’m right here, Jimmy. Just take me.’ My fingers graze past the stubble emerging on his chin to rest on his lips. ‘Truth is ... I’m already yours.’

  He grasps my fingers and though I am sure he intended on pushing them away, he parts his lips and tenderly suckles them instead. They are the same two fingers that were inside Noemi only five minutes ago and upon recognising her musky nectar, his wickedly sexy smile returns.

  ‘You are my naughty girl, aren’t you?’ he muses and I beam back at him.

  ‘You have no idea.’

  His face softens a bit and his fingers slip in between mine, mixing my brown skin with his lighter hue. ‘For the first time in a really long while, I don’t know what’s going to happen next.’ His words are heavy with truth as he nuzzles my neck now and places soft kisses upon me.

  ‘I know what you mean,’ I say. A buttery sensation is welling inside my chest in response to his naked emotions.

  ‘I’m not used to feeling this way,’ he confides. His breath is warm in my ear and permeating my hair. Speaking to me in between nibbles on my neck he continues, ‘If I take you home with me tonight, tomorrow I’m not going to be able to let go.’

  ‘Maybe you won’t have to.’ I’m simply whirling from his kisses and full of goosebumps.

  Then suddenly, he becomes rigid again and takes a step back. ‘You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.’

  ‘Jimmy, I see you. You don’t have to hide from me.’

  ‘That’s just it. I’ve been hiding for so long. But you, Tina – I feel like I can be myself with you. I want to be myself with you.’

  ‘Yes, you can.’

  ‘I can’t. You don’t understand.’

  ‘Help me understand,’ I say, at once confused and intrigued about what he routinely cloaks with his effortlessly cool exterior.

  ‘Seriously, I can’t do this.’

  I reach for him. ‘Don’t you think I’m scared too?’ I ask. ‘You bring out a part of me that I never knew was there, or at least I didn’t want to admit it. And now, I can’t even think straight any more. The worst part is that I love it and I never want it to stop.’

  ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Tina. These games I play, they’re nothing compared to how I used to be.’

  ‘Tell me. Tell me what’s so terrible?’

  ‘Sexual addiction is real, Tina,’ he tells me bluntly. ‘It ruled my life for many years. When I was in its grip, I lied constantly, I degraded women ... I degraded myself. Worst of all, I hurt someone I really cared about. I put that behind me and I thought I had my emotions on lock down. All this,’ he says, gesturing toward the club, ‘it’s just a way to cope – just a little harmless fun.’ He swallows hard. ‘I’ve always been interested in you, Tina, but I knew to keep my distance. Then little by little, I started to convince myself that I could handle it, but you aren’t like the others. I was wrong.’

  Intently, I listen to what he is saying, my gut stinging from the pain in his eyes. ‘With everything I know, I’m not running from you, Jimmy. Don’t run from me.’

  ‘I think we could have something real. You get me and I think I get you.’ He bites his lip. ‘But–’

  My hands cupping his cheeks, I nod in agreement. ‘You get me, you’ve got me. I feel alive when I’m with you. Look, I don’t know how this is going to turn out, but I can’t imagine turning my back on the possibilities. Everyone I know would say I’m insane, but all that matters is you and me, right here, right now.’

  With his hands at his waist, he sighs hard and walks over to the car. ‘Come on, let’s go,’ he says flatly.

  ‘Don’t you want to see what it would be like between us?’ I press, sliding into the passenger’s seat.

  He turns on the ignition. ‘You’re about to show me.’

  Chapter Seven – Jimmy

  THE RIDE TO MY condo is silent, but the atmosphere hangs heavy with our thoughts. I can’t rid myself of the uncertainty about what’s ahead. I’ve managed all this time to remain in control, practised it, mastered it. No one has stirred me inside the way she does, and I have to say, I’m nervous. Though, she seems to be able to handle herself. I smile at her, thinking how her eyes light up when she steps onto the wild side. I never planned to let it get this far, but oh, God, I couldn’t help it. Tina is such an irresistible mix of sweet and sexy, smart and witty, that I found myself breaking my first rule, don’t make it personal and then the next, don’t get too close. After that, there was no stopping.

  If I’m honest, I know what role I’ve played in putting her in my car, on the way to my bed. Maybe it was karma that brought me into the company of her asshole boyfriend. But it was my selfish des
ire to see her rid of him that was the catalyst for this entire adventure.

  I have to shift in my seat because my dick is already hard in anticipation. I can chat up any other woman until she’s dripping wet and barely feel a twitch. Just as alcoholics go to work at bars, sex addicts also need to confront their demons every day, and fucking with words, not my cock, is what works for me. Now, I’m irrevocably testing my willpower and resolve beyond all boundaries as I step toward the deep end once more.

  At my front door, while I slip the key into the lock, she cuts the silence with a question revisited from earlier tonight: ‘Are you ready?’

  I smile and pull her through the doorway, teasing, ‘Are you?’

  Inside, I place the keys into a glass dish on a table by the door. They make a loud swish against the sides, and she startles a little at the sound. The room is dark, lit only by moonlight and Tina looks like a delicate bird to me: her small frame and tender face, a beautiful irony for the confident vixen within. I take her purse from her arm and place it on the floor. Then betraying my elevated heartbeat with restrained timing, I proceed to untie her shirt and draw it away from her shoulders. Standing in her bra, she reaches for my shirt collar and separates each button one by one. Beneath it, my white T-shirt still leaves a barrier between our skin. She walks her hands under the soft cotton and slides her palms over my abs, pushing the material up my torso and over my head. In turn, I reach behind her and loosen her bra.

  My hands have already known her most intimate anatomy, but as we peel those first layers away from each other, I sense that the significance of what we’re about to experience is beyond any previous comprehension. Back and forth, we trade in undressing one another until both of us stand nude. Her body is soft and luscious in contrast to my lanky frame.

  Without high heels, she needs to rise up on tiptoe to reach my lips. I help her do so by curling my hands under her perfect ass.

  Mmmm, those lips.