Art & Ink //Zauren?

•thirteen

Lauren had two options at that very moment. She could either run and hide or she could face a black haired, silver eyed brick wall head on. With an excessive amount of alcohol in her system, she felt bold enough to choose option two.

"You seem to always pop up in odd places at odd times," she pointed out.

The other night still had her head reeling. Dean sure did pop up in odd places. Zayn's bedroom, for example.

"What can I say? I have good timing."

Lauren's hand desperately wanted to slap his perfect face and leave a big, unsettling bruise behind. She was torn between feeling violated and extremely turned on by him. Did he feel no shame for what he did the other night? The smirk on his lips told all.

"Bad timing, you mean." The woman quickly corrected him. "And no, Carlos isn't my boyfriend."

Dean didn't bother taking a seat on the bar stool behind him. He liked making Lauren squirm by towering over her with his impressive height.

"He wants to be," Dean placed both elbows on the counter and ordered a glass of bourbon.

"Huh?"

"Oh please, don't act so naive. I can tell by the way he was eye fucking you."

Eye fucking? Lauren was pretty sure she knew her friend way better than Dean did. Who the hell was he to come out of the nowhere making crazy claims?

"Is there something you wanted?" Lauren was growing tired of the small talk. What did he really want?

"What? Two friends can't have a drink and a good conversation?"

"We aren't friends."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

Dean laughed and her blood began to boil. Where the hell is Carlos when I need him?

"Is it because of the other night?"

No shit.

"Was I supposed to be ok with you watching us?"

"You didn't seem to mind." His silver eyes stared at her, daring her to deny her own feelings.

Lauren sat there, not knowing what to say. For the first time in years, she felt small, overpowered.

"Actually, I think you enjoyed it more than you want to admit. You didn't stop what you were doing nor did you tell me to go away. You just stared at me. I can almost remember how fast you were breathing."

In the blink of an eye, Lauren raised her hand and struck Dean across the face. The ring on her finger left a bright red mark on his cheek. A few people in the bar had seen the assault and she felt eyes on her. Who cares? They can look all they want.

"What's going on?" Carlos finally came back to see Lauren practically shaking with rage. His eyes then landed on Dean. He hadn't recognized him at first then he remembered him from that night at the gallery. It was hard to forget those eyes.

Lauren ignored Carlos as she stood from her stool and looked up at Dean.

"You don't know shit about me," She said through gritted teeth. God, she was so horny. How the hell could she let his words get to her like this?

Lauren turned to look at Carlos. "I'll be in the car."

And just like that, Lauren stormed out of the bar. Dean shrugged with a satisfied grin. Carlos looked to him in utter disgust.

"The fuck did you say to her?" He pushed at his shoulder.

Dean finally took a seat on the stool behind him and swirled the drink in his hand.

"Nothing. Well, nothing she didn't want me to say."

Carlos leaned closer to him with lowered brows and his lips in a tight line. It took everything in him not to choke Dean out right there on the counter. He didn't bat an eye as they stared at one another.
It was clear that Dean was ten times more intimidating than Carlos could ever be. His shirt hugged his biceps as he placed his elbows on the bar. Dean was absolutely ripped and the tattoos were a bonus.

"Stay the fuck away from her." His first language nearly slipped out. He gave Dean no time to respond before he slammed money on the counter to cover his bill and walked out of the bar in search of Lauren.

The car ride back to their apartment building was quiet and loud at the same time. Carlos snuck a glance at Lauren to see if she was ok. The look on her face was passive. It was hard to get a read on her. As soon as he parked the car, she hopped out and went straight inside. Carlos followed like a lost puppy.

They took the elevator up to their floor. He desperately wanted to say something but by the time he conjured up the courage to, the elevator doors opened.

Lauren made it to her door and before she could open it, Carlos places a hand on her shoulder.

"What was all that about?"

She didn't turn to look at him.

"Nothing."

"It sure as hell didn't look like nothing."

She stopped digging for her keys and turned around to face Carlos. Once again, he looked worried for her. All his fears came to a halt when she placed her hand on his face and caressed his cheek with her thumb. To her, the gesture wasn't intimate but to him..he nearly exploded from her touch.

"He was just some asshole trying to flirt with me. Don't worry." Her hand dropped back down to her side.

He knew it wasn't just "some asshole" but he nodded, not wanting to argue with her.

"Thanks for tonight." She smiled.

"Anytime."

Carlos stood there as she open her door and slowly closed it behind her. He placed his hand against the wood and sighed. One day, she'd know just how much he really cared about her. One day.

Lauren kicked the shoes off of her feet and headed straight for the shower. Her body was hot all over. She felt as if her clothes were suffocating her. Within second, she stripped down and stood under the cold water that sprayed out of the shower head.

A cold shower would work, right?

Wrong.

The cold water only made her nipples harder and woke up goosebumps on every inch of her pale skin. Every time she closed her eyes she saw him. Dean. What was happening? All he had to do was stare her down with those eyes, lick his lips, and say a few truths and she was hot and bothered in the worst way. This was terrible. She just had sex with Zayn, now she was hot over Dean? How scandalous?

With her back pressed against the shower door, Lauren's breath caught and her entire body tensed as she came. Strands of her dark hair stuck to her forehead and breast like running paint. Erratic breaths and soft moans escaped her full lips.

As soon as her orgasm subsided, shame began to set in.