5sos Imagines

Million Dollar Baby L.H (Chapter 14)

The Dam Breaks (14)
LPOV
I fucking hated that bitch, Aleisha. As I stood there with my uncle, Harry, and aunt, Brenda, there was nothing I could do about Aleisha's unwanted, unsolicited attention. Except to drink more, quickly...so that my body would hopefully numb out and I wouldn't be aware of her repulsive touch. I would need to scour with an SOS pad or something just as soon as I got home.
Not long after Jasmine - who looked delectable in that gown, by the way - disappeared with Stella and Keesha to the bathroom, the bitch had made a beeline straight to where I stood. Like I was really chomping at the bit, hoping to see her again. On the contrary, it totally slipped my mind that it was a possibility, but like I said before, my mind just hasn't been anywhere near right since Jasmine walked into my life.
"Oh, fuck me," Calum had sighed as something behind me caught his eye.
Of course I had to turn around to see what all the fuss was about, but as soon as I did, I wished I hadn't.
"Well, as I live and breathe...Luke Hemmings," the familiar sound of my ex's voice cooed. She was trying way too hard to sound sultry and it didn't suit her...at all. She might have looked good, but I wouldn't know because all I could see was her bent over while her asshole was being plugged repeatedly by Jake's cock from behind. Nasty ass whore.
"Well, as I suffocate myself and hope to die...Aleisha fucking McDonald," I replied in a bored tone.
"Aw, play nice, Lukey, and I just might give you a second chance by the time the night is through." As if I was ever going to go back down that road again.
"Fuck you," I said simply as I turned my back on her.
"That's the plan."
She sounded so sure that shit was going to happen that all I could do was scoff and finish off my champagne. I was going to need something stronger to get through the night. "What are you doing here, whore?"
"Watch your mouth, Hemmings. That's my date you're insulting," Jake's ego-driven voice said as he approached our little clan and slipped his arms around Aleisha's waist from behind. "Told you she was a real looker."
Fucking great. My life just keeps getting better and better.
I would have wagered my left nut that what he expected to gain from that little donkey-punch of a move was one hell of a reaction out of me; one that would be explosive and detrimental to my position in the company. He expected me to go the fuck off in the middle of a room filled with not only employees, but clients - both current and prospective - not to mention board members. It was a good plan, but one that didn't stand a Germ-X's chance on a whore the likes of Aleisha McDonald of working. No way in hell was I giving him the satisfaction. So, I gritted me teeth and forced a smile.
"You're looking good tonight, Jake. Where'd you get the tux? Buttfuckers 'r' Us? Or was it Backstabber's Emporium?" I asked, sarcastically. To their credit, Ashton and Calum did their best to cover their laughs.
"Very witty. Did you come up with that all on your own, or did your girlfriend help you? Oh, wait...that's right. Your girlfriend is with me." Jake's obnoxious laugh made me clench all my muscles to keep from knocking him the fuck out. "I'm going to the bar to get a real drink. Want to come, babe?"
"No, thank you. I think I'm just going to hang out here for a bit and talk about old times with Lukey," Aleisha answered, keeping her eyes glued to me. Not that I was looking at her in turn; I could just feel her eyes undressing me. Yeah, so not going down that road again, bitch. You had your chance. And blew it out your ass...literally.
Harry and Brenda joined our assemblage, effectively ending our little tete-a-tete and sending me catapulting into the deep, dark bottomless pit in which I found myself trapped. My aunt and uncle would never approve of me bitch slapping the ho.
"Luke," my aunt, Brenda, sang in her motherly tone. She practically glided over to me and wrapped her arms around me for a hug. "Such a sight for sore eyes."
"Aunt Brenda," I smiled broadly as she pulled back. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Where else would I be? You know how your uncle is about these things," she said as she looked up at my uncle adoringly.
"Luke," he greeted me with a nod and a friendly clap on the shoulder. "I hope you're behaving yourself tonight," he said as he shot a glance toward Aleisha.
Yeah, they knew about the fuckery that went down between us, but they were big on the taking the high road bit. See, my uncle Harry was a pull-no-shit and act-your-age type of dude. My aunt Brenda, as classy as they came...reminded me a lot of my mother, and like my mother, she wouldn't hesitate to yank my ass back in line if I even thought about "acting out." I felt like I was fifteen all over again around those two. I was a grown ass man; I knew this, but respect for the only link I had to my parents made me bow down like they were royalty. Because they fucking were, in my book. Plus, I needed that information from Harry, and I wasn't going to get it by making a fool out of us all. So, I bit the bullet and kept my ass in line...and Aleisha took full advantage of it, just as expected. Hence, the deep, dark bottomless pit that served as my own personal prison for that moment.
"Absolutely," I nodded with an innocent smile.
"Lukey and I were just about to reminisce about the good ol' days," Aleisha cooed as she wrapped her arms around mine and leaned into my side. The bitch was laying it on thick, and it was starting to piss me off really badly.
"Wonder what's taking the girls so long?" Calum spoke up, doing his best to change the subject.
Fuck.
If Jasmine came out and caught sight of Aleisha hanging all over me at that very moment...I shuddered at the thought of the outcome. Especially if the way she reacted to Fernanda was any indication. We'd be lucky if the entire building wasn't left in a pile of rubble and ash by the time she was done going all fire-breathing Godzilla on the place.
That would be about the time that Jasmine emerged from the bathroom with Stella and Keesha...instigators by nature, those two, which didn't bode well for me.
They were laughing at first, until they looked up and...Dear God, please, just let me keep my nuts...judging by the ferocious expression on her face, I had every reason to panic. So, I did...inwardly, because to show weakness would only make matters worse. I could do nothing but watch and wait as Stella and Keesha left Jasmine's side and continued on their path, giving Aleisha the evil eye the whole way, but my million dollar baby didn't follow. Instead she...
What the fuck was she doing?...Oh, hell no!
JPOV
"Want me to shank her? I've been itching to cut that bitch for a long ass time now," Stella offered. I really adored Stella. She was quickly becoming my sister from another mister.
"No thanks, Stella. I got this," I said as I threw my shoulders back and made my way toward my man.
"Ribbit, ribbit," I heard her laugh from behind me.
I set my eyes on my target: Luke Robert Hemmings - aka: King of Finger Fuck, aka: ColossalCockward, aka: Ridonkabutt, and the list goes on and on, but his newest alias...King of I'm-About-To-Be-Nutless. My mind was focused, my determination set, and my girls were looking perky and round. He was mine and no way in hell was I going to let that whore sink her talons into him. Aleisha had her chance, and she blew it. It was time she realized what she gave up, and hopefully, Luke wouldn't be stupid enough to go back down that road again.
"Jas, wait!" Keesha said in a hurried whisper as she ran up from behind and pulled me back. "Harry is there."
"So?"
"Aleisha is Brian's daughter, as in Dr. Brian McDonald?" She bobbed her her head and rolled her hands, encouraging me to get the point. "Aleisha's father is one of Harry's closest colleagues, not to mention a very longtime family friend. You can't just barge up there and grab his daughter by the hair of her head and beat the shit out of her right in front of him."
"Keesha, give me a little credit," I said with my hands on my hips. "I wasn't going to beat her up, unless she forces my hand...or fist."
"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right," Stella said in a disgruntled voice. "You can't go all ghetto on her ass. Dad will have an absolute fit. And you don't want to make a scene in front of everyone Luke works with. As entertaining as that might be, it wouldn't look good on him and would probably only turn out in Jake Jackson's favor. Bastard's been itching to find a way to force Luke out of the company ever since they inherited it from their fathers. Even though everyone knows that Luke's the one who does all the work."
"Besides, that dress is far too expensive to ruin for the likes of Aleisha McDonald," Keesha tacked on.
"Kill her with kindness, baby girl," Stella suggested. "And it probably wouldn't hurt if you copped a feel or two of Luke in the process. You know, just to remind him who he belongs to."
"That was the plan, Stella. But, from the looks of it, Luke seems to be quite okay with the hoochie copping the feel right now." I was going to kick his ass just as soon as I was done with Aleisha. I mean, how embarrassing? I'm his date and he's letting some cum guzzling whore hang all over him like a second skin. But then again, he loved her once upon a time, so maybe he was just trying to rekindle the flame? And where did that leave me? After all, Aleisha may be acting the part of the whore, but I was the one playing it in real life.
Keesha stepped in front of me and grabbed both my shoulders, giving me a little shake so that I would look at her and away from the free porn show happening across the room. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but that's how I saw it. "Jazzy, I know Luke. He's getting absolutely no enjoyment over that skank touching him right now. He's merely keeping up appearances for appearance's sake. He's probably doing everything he can to keep his dinner down at this very moment. So, go easy on him and give him the benefit of the doubt. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay," I lied. I wasn't going to make a scene, but I sure as hell was going to make my presence known...with dignity and class. And if Luke had a problem with that, then it was his problem to solve. All my brain was processing was that Aleisha's hands were all over my man, and Luke was doing nothing to stop it. In fact, the fucker was smiling, looking all hot and shit, and seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much. And that...in no way, sat well with me.
I needed a fucking drink so that I could get my head straight and figure out my plan of action. Marking my territory was a really good suggestion, but as angry as I was at Luke in that moment, I'd probably mess around and yank his nuts off with my bare hands. And that could get pretty gruesome, thereby defeating the purpose of not causing a scene.
As I turned to look toward the bar, I saw Jake Jackson standing there...all alone. A plan started to formulate in my head, one that I fully intended to act out because I knew that if there was even one ounce of Luke's possessive nature over me left, what I was about to do would most certainly force him to pay attention.
"You two go ahead," I said to Stella and Keesha. "I'm just going to grab a drink and take a moment to calm down before I end up hiking my skirt up to piss on Luke's leg."
"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Stella asked with a look of adoration on her face, and then she bumped her shoulder into mine. "Grab me a shot of Patron, will ya'?"
"Sure thing, and thanks," I said with a genuine smile right before I turned and headed toward the bar. Not to mention, my weapon of choice in my arsenal of how to make Luke Hemmings feel just as fucking insignificant as he made me feel in that moment.
"Patron Silver, on the rocks...two," I told the bartender as he greeted me.
"Well, hello there, little lady," the scumball of an ass fucker said as he saddled up next to me - just as I'd hoped he would. He reeked of cologne that would have smelled good if it had been applied in a small dose, but he had to have bathed in it. Plus, there was a lethal dose of obnoxygen spilling from his pours. I recognized the scent because Keesha gave a little bit of it off too, but luckily, she was only mildly infected, whereas Jake Jackson was obviously the poster child for the shit.
"Hi, yourself," I answered him, turning on the charm.
"Jake Jackson," he introduced himself as he extended his big paw to shake my hand.
"Jasmine Johnson," I returned the cordial greeting as I took his offering.
"Wow! Nice bracelet. A gift?" he asked as he looked at the cuff bracelet that marked Luke's territory. "Hemmings, huh? You related to Lukr?"
"Thanks. And, no, Luke's my boyfriend. You know him?" I asked, knowing full well that he did, but playing the part oh so well.
"Yeah. We're the best of buds...practically family," he lied. "Funny, he never mentioned you. Must be his dirty little secret," he said playfully, still keeping hold of my hand.
"I guess you could say that. He doesn't like to share, so he keeps me hidden away."
"Such a shame," he tsked in a saddened voice. "A diamond like you should be on display for the whole world to see."
I almost gagged at his lame attempt at complimenting me, but I kept the smile on my face as I looked over and made sure that Luke was watching...which he most certainly was. So, I stepped into Jake and ran my fingers under the lapel of his jacket. Never dropping the façade I was putting on for Luke's benefit, I leaned in and said, "Well, see...I know aaaall about you."
"Do you, now?" he asked in a deep, seductive voice as he moved in closer. "You can't believe everything you hear, you know. Jealousy can make some people very spiteful."
"Mmm. You're absolutely right," I agreed. "But, see...I don't think that was the case here."
"Well, now you've piqued my interest," he said, inching even closer and putting a hand on my hip as he ogled my cleavage. "Do tell. What have you heard?"
"You were Luke's best friend, but then you went and fucked that whore over there behind his back. Well, I guess technically, it was from behind her back, but still..." I said with a shrug as my fingers followed his lapel up and around the collar to his neck. "So, it would seem that Luke is absolutely warranted by wanting to keep his dirty little secret his own. However, what he fails to realize is that not every woman is as easily susceptible to falling prey to the likes of you; a mere wolf in sheep's clothing."
"Is that right?" he asked with a confident smile, baring his canines, which only proved my point.
"Mmhmm," I nodded, still maintaining a flirtatious smile. "I see you for what you really are."
"And what, pray tell, is that, exactly?"
"You're a leach, a parasite, a common remora."
"What the hell is a remora?" he asked as he shifted from one foot to the other.
"Remoras cling to sharks and other stronger, more powerful species. They use them to get around that big ol' ocean without having to do any of the legwork themselves. For sustenance, they feed off the leftover scraps of food from their host, and sometimes, the host's feces," I explained in a voice that reminded me a lot of a kindergarten teacher talking to her students.
"See, in this equation, Luke would be the powerful shark; working hard, fighting for every meal, making his own way. But you...you're the parasitic remora; feasting off his shit and doing your best to gather up his leftovers, while you wait for everything to be handed to you," I smiled broadly, my expression a total contradiction to the words I spoke.
"You're a lazy motherfucker with no real life of your own, no originality, and thus, no chance in hell of ever being truly happy. So you do your best to make the people around you just as miserable as you are. You prey on their weaknesses and twist them until you find a way to capitalize on them, thereby filling the empty void in your own life, if only for a moment. I feel sorry for you, truly, I do. But, if, for even a millisecond, you see me as a potential kink in Luke's chain that you can use against him...you better think again. Unlike you, and that whore of an ex of his, my loyalty to Luke Robert Hemmings knows no bounds. I live and breathe for him and him alone."
"Goddamn, woman. You just gave me a hard on the size of California," he chuckled.
"California, huh? Not bad," I nodded. "But...Luke wins again. He may not be Texan, but his cock obviously is. And you know what they say...Everything's bigger in Texas. Yee. Motherfucking. Haw," I said and then stepped back. Just then, I saw Luke on the fast track toward us. "I'm glad I got to meet you, Jake Jackson. I wish I could say it was a pleasure, but I'd be lying. Toodles!"
I tucked my purse under my arm and then grabbed my drink, along with Stella's before I turned and walked away. I only made it about ten feet before Luke reached me. And boy was he pissed. His eyes were the darkest shade of blue and his nostrils were flaring slightly in anger as he gave me the death glare. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into his body so that he could talk without being overheard by everyone around us.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he asked me as he shot daggers at Jake.
"You've got about two seconds to let go of my arm before I start screaming bloody murder," I warned in a calm voice.
He turned me loose and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Answer the goddamn question."
"I was thirsty. I went to the bar to get a drink. And that kind gentleman struck up a conversation," I said nonchalantly. "I didn't want to be rude."
"Yeah, well that kind gentleman..." he snarled and then stopped.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said with a shake of his head as he looked down at the floor and then back up at me. "Look, just...I don't want you to talk to him anymore. In fact, I don't want you to talk to any man here. Do you hear me? You're mine."
Well, well, well...and jealous Luke comes out to play.
My turn.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "You sure as hell don't act like I'm yours," I snapped and then stepped around him to walk back toward Keesha and Stella, whose rapt attention was on our little display.
I heard him growl from behind me and then his rapid approach to keep up with me. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Oh, don't play me, Luke," I huffed. "You know exactly what it means. Who is she? Huh?"
"Who?"
I spun around on him, nearly sloshing the liquid out of one of the low-balls I was holding. "Really, Lukr? You think I can't see? And don't try to tell me she's another one of your relatives or some sort of business associate, because relatives and business associates don't feel you up like that unless you're from some fucked up colony of incest freaks."
"She's...no one," he answered as he ran his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "Look, we'll talk about it later." He made a move to step around me.
"I want to talk about it now," I said, blocking his way.
"Don't make a fucking scene, Jasmine. I work with these people," he warned.
"Oh, well since you put it that way...no worries. No scene from me," I said, making a show of clamping my mouth shut as I continued on my merry, obedient way.
"It's about time," Stella said as I handed her one of the glasses.
Keesha looked at me with her brow furrowed in question, then back in the direction where Jake was now standing with that tart, Aleisha - who had apparently scurried away when Keesha and Stella made an appearance - and then back again. I shook my head minutely to indicate it was no big deal.
"Here she is," Luke said as he put his hand to the small of my back. "This is my Jasmine," he told the blonde FILF, and the beautiful woman at his side. Damn, this family had to be directly descendent from angels, themselves. That's how fucking gorgeous they all were. "Jasmine, this is my uncle, Harry, and wife, Brenda."
I put on a happy face, smiling as brightly as my cheeks would let me. "Hi. I'm so glad to meet you," I greeted Brenda. I said nothing to Harry...he was a man, of course, and Luke had instructed me not to talk to any men, and he was most certainly...all man. I was just following orders like a good little subordinate, after all.
Harry cleared his throat, attempting to ignore the fact that I hadn't said anything to him in greeting. "So, is Luke being a gracious host?" he asked.
Oh yeah. He's taken my virginity, threw out all my clothes and then purchased a whole new wardrobe for me - sans panties, of course - and allowed me to suck his cock on more than one occasion. But, I have received multiple orgasms out of our little arrangement, and if that isn't the very definition of a gracious host, then I don't know what is.
That's what I could've said, but lucky for Luke, I wasn't allowed to talk to men, so...I didn't. Instead, I just nodded with a smile.
Luke gave me a disapproving scowl. Keesha stared at me all bug-eyed. And Stella covered her giggle with an inconspicuous cough.
"How do you like the Upper East Side, dear?" Brenda asked.
I perked up and answered, "Oh! I simply love it. What I've seen of it, that is. Luke keeps me...pre-occupied most of the time."
"Oh really?" Harry asked. "And what exactly does he have you doing?"
Well shit...how was I going to answer that with a nod or shake of my head?
Aha! I shrugged my shoulders.
Harry and Brenda looked confused. Ashton, Calum, Stella and Keesha turned their backs away like they were suddenly interested in the crowd. But I saw their shoulders shaking...a very clear indicator that they were laughing.
Luke cleared his throat. "Will you excuse us? I'd like to trip the light fantastic with my date."
"Yes, of course, dear," Brenda said with an uncomfortable smile.
Luke took my glass out of my hand and sat it on the table next to us. "Dance with me?" he asked, but I caught the underlying tone. It was an order, not a request.
"Why, Mr. Hemmings, it would be my honor," I said with my best southern belle impersonation.
Luke said nothing more as he took my hand and led me out onto the sectioned-off dance floor. As we faded into the crowd, he spun me around and pressed me tightly to his body before leaning down so that his warm breath was at my ear as we began to sway back and forth.
"What the hell was that all about?" he asked.
"What?" I asked, his scent invading my senses and making me forget what he was talking about.
"You were being very rude to my uncle. If it weren't for the fact that you were actually talking to his wife, I'm sure he'd be thinking you were a mute," he said, lightly pressing his lips to the spot just below my ear.
It was a good thing that he was holding me so tightly, because my knees suddenly turned to jello, and I'm sure I would have fallen out.
"You told me not to talk to any men, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe your uncle is a man," I answered breathlessly. "Either that, or he's a very convincing cross-dresser. Or...gasp...Is he a hermaphrodite?"
"Ha, ha. Very funny," he said in a dry tone and then he bit my earlobe. "Do me a favor, and knock the sarcastic shit off."
"Yes, sir. Whatever you say, Mr. Hemmings, sir," I said.
Luke pulled back and looked at me, obviously not amused by my tone. "What the fuck is your problem all of a sudden?"
"Problem? No problem," I shrugged. "Just being myself. The only one here with a problem, is you."
"Whatever," he sighed. "I should've known better than to bring you here. My fault."
"Why?" I asked, trying to pull out of his hold, unsuccessfully. "Because I'm just some whore you purchased. One who doesn't quite fit into your social class?"
Luke pulled back and looked into my eyes. "You're fucking kidding me, right?" When my expression didn't waver, he leaned down and whispered into my ear. "You're the most beautiful woman at the ball, Jasmine."
It would have been so easy to believe him, if it hadn't been for that gross display I saw when I came out of the ladies' room. And so, true to form, I let him know about it.
"Yet, you couldn't keep your eyes off that other woman," I mumbled. "Aleisha McDonald, right? Your ex?"
I felt his body go rigid against mine, every muscle coiling like a viper ready to strike. "Who told you?"
"Does it matter? The point is that you didn't," I sighed. "Maybe that's because you still have googly eyes for her."
He sighed as he pulled back again to look at me. At the same time, his hand moved further down my back until it was resting over my ass. "You couldn't be more wrong."
"Is that so?" I asked, meeting his gaze. My eyes immediately latched on to the sight of his tongue darting out to lick his luscious lips and I struggled to keep my train of thought. "Because you went from not being able to get enough of me, to not touching me at all. You've been sleeping in your clothes, you don't talk, or even yell at me...it's beyond obvious that you don't want me anymore. And I know I have no right to question any of this, but damnit, Luke...I don't like feeling like...like I don't matter."
He stopped moving to the music and just stared at me, his eyes shifting back and forth like he was looking for something. What, I don't know. Then, without a word, he took my hand and started for one of the exit doors. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" I asked, quick-stepping to keep up.
"Someplace more private," he answered as he opened the door.
I looked back at the crowded hall and noticed Aleisha and Jake huddled together, just under the chandelier, which was now shaking. Just as the wires broke loose and the ornate fixture began to fall, Luke jerked my arm...and me, out of my make-believe world again. Damn it all to hell.
He looked from left to right until he finally chose to go right. We turned the corner into another hallway, and then another until all I could hear of the music from the party was a dull bass thud. There was a darkened stairwell to the left of where we had ended up, and Luke punched open the door and pulled me inside.
My back was pressed against the wall and Luke's body was flush with mine within a heartbeat. Before I could say anything at all, his hands were on my hips and his soft lips were moving over mine in a sensual kiss, that I absolutely answered with just as much tenderness. And then, just as quickly as it had begun, he broke the kiss, his hands cupping my face as he studied my face.
"What there is or isn't between me and Aleisha McDonald, doesn't matter. But, you? You fucking matter, and don't you ever forget that." His voice was low and husky...seductively erotic. And he had a hard on...the size of Texas.
"Is that for her?" I asked, pushing my hips forward to rub against him.
"Jasmine," he sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Because if it is, it's okay. Just let me be the one to take care of it for you. It's what you paid me to do," I rambled. "I mean, I know I'm not her, but-"
"You...could never be her," he said angrily as he backed away from me until his back hit the opposite wall.
No, I couldn't be her, could I? He loved her, and apparently, he still did. I would never measure up. She was from money, practically a member of his family...and I? I was the whore he bought to get over her.
I slowly crossed the space between us. "No, I know that. And I would never try to fill her place," I assured him as I reached him and knelt before him.
"Jasmine, don't," his voice was raspy, but he didn't move to stop me as I undid his pants and pulled his cock out.
"And I may not be the one you love, but I'm the one you're with. So, let me fulfill my purpose," I said, nuzzling the head of his dick and then giving it an open-mouth kiss.
"No!" he shouted and then pushed me away, quickly tucking his dick away.
"Why, Luke!?" I said as I stood up before him, completely humiliated.
"Because this isn't what I want," he said, motioning back and forth between the floor and himself. "This...this isn't right."
"Well, fuck you, Luke! Maybe you forgot that you're the one who purchased me!" I was pissed, and hurt and...pissed. I did a desperate thing at a very desperate time, but that didn't make me any less of a person than Aleisha. What she did was far worse than what I did. At least I got paid for what I was doing. "I may not be Aleisha, but I sure as hell would never let your best friend fuck me in the ass!" I yelled.
His head snapped up, and his stare was almost lethal. I guess that was the proverbial slap across the face. I immediately regretted saying the words the second they left my mouth, but the bitch in me was rejoicing...simply because she needed to hurt and humiliate him the same way he had just done to me.
I fucking loved him, even though I knew he could never love me, that he was already in love with someone else. And there I was, on my knees before him in an elegant dress, willing and able to help take his mind off what he didn't have so that maybe he could focus on what was right...in front...of his stupid, beautiful face - or cock, as it were - and he pushed me away like I just wasn't good enough for him. Well, fuck. Him.
Luke took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. After a moment he said, "Meet us on the south side, Riley. We're leaving."
"Let's go," he said as he snapped his phone shut and took my hand. "Shit!" he cursed and then opened it back up and pressed another number. "Keesha? Jasmine and I are leaving. Grab her purse and tell anyone who asks that she wasn't feeling well, so I took her home."
"I feel fine," I mumbled as he tugged me along.
"Funny, kind of seems like you've lost your motherfucking mind to me," he barked. I didn't argue, because quite frankly, he was probably right. But I wasn't done with him either. He was pissed. I was pissed. And that's when he and I were at our best. We fucked, and made up. That was how we did things.
We made it through the labyrinth of halls without being noticed by any of the other partygoers, a miracle in and of itself, and then we were outside. I stopped short because it was storming its ass off - lightening, thunder, torrential rain...the whole bit. Riley was there with an umbrella to shield us from the rain and Luke drug me into the back of the limo. The same limo, mind you, where he had fucked me as I looked on at all the other people living their mundane lives, like they were the caged ones being gawked at by the one who was actually living freely. The same limo where he told me that he was there for my pleasure, just as I was for his. The same limo where he told me that he loved a woman who knew what she wanted.
He sat on the side opposite of me, and lit up another one of those damn cigarettes...and I'd had enough.
"Look at me," I said, authoritatively. He ignored me.
"I said, fucking look at me!" I demanded. He exhaled a puff of smoke, but never turned my way.
I reached across the way, took the cigarette from between his lips and threw the damn thing out the window. Then I lifted my skirts, straddled him and grabbed two handfuls of his hair, forcing him to look at me. "Don't ignore me. I don't like to be ignored."
"Then stop acting like a bitch," he said with zero emotion. I should have smacked him, would have smacked him...except he was right. I was acting like a bitch. But again, that's how we did things.
"Fuck me."
"No."
"Because I'm not her?"
"No. Because I don't want to fuck you anymore."
It felt like whatever held my fucking heart in place, just let go and it free fell into the pit of my stomach; like a thrill seeker taking the plunge over the Royal Gorge Bridge, without a bungee cord to yank them back to safety. Only I wasn't fucking buying it.
"Bullshit. I don't believe you," I said and then I forced a kiss on him. I could taste the tobacco that he had just smoked seconds earlier and the champagne that he'd drank before everything got so out of control. I wanted him to want me, not her. I wanted him to fuck me, not her. I wanted him to love me...not her.
I...was delusional. And, he...didn't kiss me back.
"Get off of me." His voice was eerily calm, unruffled, like he'd given up and had no fight left in him.
The car came to a stop and I just looked down at him. Then the car door opened and Riley was there with the umbrella again, getting soaked while he waited for us to make a move.
"Are you going to get out, or not?" Luke asked me.
I finally got off his lap to step out, pushing past Riley because I didn't want the damn umbrella. I wanted to feel the rain against my skin, because at least then, I'd be feeling something. I stalked toward the front door and barged inside the dark house with Luke following.
I had one more card to play, a bonafide ace up my sleeve. And if it didn't work, there was nothing left to do.
"You might not want to fuck me," I said, climbing the staircase in my ruined gown, "But there was at least a half a dozen other men back at that party that did. In fact, one springs to mind, in particular."
That was all it took.
Just as a clap of thunder resonated through the night sky, Luke's hand shot forward and he grabbed me by the ankle, causing me to trip and lose my balance. He caught me before I could hit my head and laid me down on the stairs beneath him as he hovered over my body. His face was clouded in shadow as the only light in the house came from the lightening that spilled in through the massive windows.
"You want to fuck?" His voice was cold and rough as he yanked my skirt up and around my waist. "I'll fuck you." It took half a second for his pants to be undone and his cocked just barely exposed. I couldn't even see it for all the skirt material in the way, but then again, I was too focused on the hard lines of his face to pay much attention. In one swift, unforgiving motion, he entered me.
There was nothing gentle about what he did, nothing slow, nothing sensual. Yet, it was everything that I wanted because although there was no pleasure in it for me, he wasn't ignoring me anymore.
Luke pounded into me fast and furious, and I hung on for dear life, digging my nails into his back and taking anything he would give me, because at least it was something. He buried his face in my shoulder as he relentlessly pumped into me, not giving me the satisfaction of seeing his face or the dignity of looking into my eyes. There was no way to know what he was thinking about, but I knew who I didn't want to be on his mind.
"Don't you dare think about her!" I ordered, my voice cracking as I held him to me. "Don't you fucking dare think about her while you're inside me!"
The only sound from him was his heavy breathing and an occasional grunt as he fucked me hard and without any emotion, except anger. A bolt of lightning flashed outside the window, followed closely by a loud boom of thunder that rattled the glass. It was almost poetic, how it mirrored Luke's current mood. The brief flash of white light cast shadows of our entwined bodies across the walls, and I realized that we actually emanated from those shadows; we were just as empty...just creating the illusion of a happy couple, passionately in love when nothing could be further from the truth. And that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted this to be real: a tangible thing I could touch, that wouldn't disappear when we were suddenly shrouded in darkness and out of the spotlight.
Luke came, his whole body seizing up as he spilled his seed inside me with a strangled growl. I clung to him, not wanting to let him go because I knew I'd crossed the line and forced him to do something he didn't really want to do. All I felt in that moment was Luke's heated body and his weight on top of me. It wasn't the furious beat of my heart, the edges of the stairs digging into my back, and it most certainly was not the cold that had seeped its way into my heart and threatened to spring tears to my eyes.
He was going to send me away. Of this, I was sure.
When he was done, he broke free of my hold and then stood to put his clothes back together, his movements very calculating and mechanical in nature. I remained as I was, unmoving and numb as I looked up at him.
"I can't take back what I just did. I can't take back any of it, for that matter. And it's fucking killing me..." Luke's voice trailed off until he sighed and looked at me. His face was twisted up in anguish, his hair just as disheveled as his clothes, and I saw him clearly...he looked just as broken as I felt.
He ran his hands over his face with a frustrated growl. "I know, Jasmine. I know about your mother, and I know she's the reason you did this. I didn't want to fuck you, because...it wasn't right. I didn't want...to fuck you anymore, because...somewhere along the way, I did the unthinkable," he said incredulously as he threw his hands up into the air. "Jesus...I fell in love with you. There. Are you happy? Now you know. And for the record, it was never about her. It was always about you."
He didn't wait for me to respond. Truthfully, I didn't know that I could have even if he did. He just dropped his arms in exasperation, curled his shoulders in on himself and walked up the stairs, cursing along the way. A rumble of thunder rolled across the sky like a solemn ovation for my enormous fuck-up.

What...the hell...had I done? And how was I supposed to fix it?