Vicious Little Darling (Love So Cruel #3)

21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

JAXTON

I can’t help it. I’m enjoying every fucking second of the tension between Josh and Ember. He abhors that I gave his secret love a ride back and forth to work, and I revel in every glare he sends my way. Yeah, am I living a lie with Ember? Kind of.

But I’ll work that out. Well, or I won’t. Still, I can always make her disappear if I can’t pull this off.

“I’ll take you home tonight,” Josh says at the end of the shift to Ember. “And I’ll be driving you to your apartment.”

I frown at this exchange, especially when Ember agrees. That makes no fucking sense. She’s not staying there, so when Josh takes the money to the back to place in the safe, I pull Ember aside.

“Why are you letting him take you back to your old apartment?” I demand, trying to sound like I’m concerned, not jealous as fuck. “That guy could be skulking around.”

“I need to get some stuff from there anyway. I’ll let him take me there, and then I’ll come to your place,” she says, her words careful, but I don’t miss the hint of something else there.

She’s not over my alter ego.

It pisses me off. I don’t know why it pisses me off. I mean, I am him, but I need her to see me as something more. I have noticed that she is showing signs of being attracted to me. I just need to seal the deal with the real me.

I need to fuck Ember as Xander.

As soon as Ember meets Josh at the door of the back room, I start to think about how the hell I can pull this off. I still have the nasty, painful injury in my side. It’s going to take alcohol in Ember’s system to keep her from recognizing me, at least to some degree. But that’s not impossible. I can make this work. I leave the bar in front of Josh, Major, and Ember, and head straight for my car. My cock strains against my jeans as I think about having Ember again.

It's taken everything I have not to fuck her while she’s been in my apartment, and as much as I could let her think the killer has found her at my apartment, it would take away the sense of safety I’ve managed to give her—and that’s something Josh hasn’t given her…

And I have a pretty good idea why.

That’s also the exact reason I follow Josh and Ember toward her apartment when he pulls away from the curb. The beauty of living in the city means I can keep my distance and blend in, without having to make that much of an effort, even at this time of night.

So, I follow them to Ember’s apartment building, and watch as she climbs out of the car. The two exchange some words, none of which I can make out. She leaves to go inside of the building, a pep in her step, and Josh pulls away as soon as she’s inside. As soon as he leaves, I pull up my phone, and send her a text.

Me: I’ll pick you up from outside. Be there in five.

Three dots appear, but nothing comes through. I tap my finger on the steering wheel. I hate the game that Ember and I are playing right now. She rejected me first, then I rejected her, and now we’re at this standstill of awkward tension. I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to handle it, and I can’t ask Pitman.

Everything I’m doing goes against his wishes.

Finally, a text comes through twenty minutes later.

Ember: On my way out. Thanks.

I like the text and then lean back in the seat, waiting for her to show her face. A few minutes later, she appears, carrying a suitcase. I hop out and rush across the street to join her. At the same time, that fucking neighbor of hers appears at the doorway.

Holy shit. This isn’t good.

“Let me get that,” I clear my throat, and grab the suitcase from Ember’s hand.

“Hey,” the neighbor calls out. “I think I know you.”

I grimace as I turn my back to her and Ember both. “I don’t think so.”

“He was here a few nights ago,” Ember explains. “The night of… You know. He had taken me home, but then he went home.”

“No, I’ve seen him before that,” she mutters, clambering after me, and grabbing my arm.

“Whoa,” I snap. “Easy. I haven’t seen you before. Jesus.”

“Rose,” Ember calls after her, looking absolutely mortified. “You haven’t seen him before, I swear. Please stop.”

“Just get in the car,” I say to Ember, keep my voice cool. “It’s fine. I guess I have that kind of face. It’s not that big of a deal. She’s just worried about you, I’m sure.”

Ember nods and climbs into the passenger seat of the car, but Rose stands there, even as I close the trunk. She stands in my fucking way as I go to step around her, sashaying to block my path.

“I saw you before. You didn’t have the beard, and you was covered up.” She glares at me. “I know you’re bad news. You’re a pretty boy under all that disguise you’ve put so much work into, and there ain’t nothin’ good about a pretty boy like you.”

I shake my head, deciding to play it off. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about, and I just want to keep Ember safe from everything that’s happened.” I slip past her then, before trotting to the driver’s side and slipping inside the car.

“Sorry about that,” Ember frowns. “She’s a little off her rocker.”

“Ya think?” I chuckle, relieved that Ember isn’t suspicious. “Let’s go home.”

“ Home. ” She repeats it with a distant look in her eye. Without even thinking about it, I reach across and take her hand, interlacing my fingers with hers. I can be the good guy for her. I just have to figure out how to keep my bad guy under the surface.

Guess I’ll have to pay attention in therapy now.

***

“Wine?” I offer as soon as Ember reappears from her room, having put away the things in her second suitcase. “It’s been a long night.”

She nods, a fatigued expression on her face. “I could go for wine.”

I hand her an already poured glass, laced with something to help her loosen up a little faster. “Same. Let’s get fucked tonight. We’re off tomorrow. It’ll be fun.”

She giggles. “I don’t get fucked all that often.”

My cock twitches. “Well, when you say it like that,” I pour myself a stiffer drink as she downs her glass of wine in one go. “Jesus, okay, you’re going to be hammered before me at this rate.”

“I know,” she laughs as I pour her another glass. “But it won’t take much. It never does. Consider me a cheap date.”

I take in the way her cheeks are flushed, and how her blonde hair frames her heart-shaped face. Her deep-hazel eyes linger on my face, with that familiar spark of desire interlaced in her irises. It’s the same way she looked at me through the fucking mask, only this time, it’s my face. It’s me.

I take a step around the island, but Ember is already moving, turning to face to the wall of windows, taking in the cityscape.

“This is such a gorgeous view,” she hums, going over to stare out the window, her eyes fixed on the lights. I grab the wine bottle and my drink, and join her. I need her to down the whole fucking bottle.

It’s the only way to mask my massive cock and ugly scar—and still get a piece of her sweet, sweet fucking cunt. I’m desperate to taste her, have her, fuck her. I’m still a little pissed she got the best of me, but I also have this newfound respect for her.

And I want to keep her.

I keep her glass full and then down the rest of mine, setting it on the end table. I slide in behind her, brushing my chest against her back. She sighs, and then leans her head back to rest against me. I grow rigid at the gesture, turned on by the simplicity and the softness. I brush her hair away, exposing her feminine neckline.

She sucks in a deep, heavy breath as I lean down, pressing my lips to her skin. I inhale her musky perfume, and as she downs the last of the bottle, I remove the glass from her hands, tossing it to the couch behind us. I don’t care if the remnants stain the couch. I’ll buy a new one.

“ Xander, ” Ember’s words slur, and I know I can take her now. I slide my hands up the front of her shirt, palming her breasts over her bra as I suck the skin of her neck into my mouth. I nip at her as I tug the front of her bra down, and quickly find her erect nipples. I squeeze. Hard.

My little flame.

I press my cock into her ass, grinding denim against denim. She moans out, and I’m quick to take it as an invitation. I undo her jeans, and as I do, my patience to move slowly starts to wane, the monster in me raging.

Just fucking breathe.

But I need the high. I tear her jeans and underwear down her legs, and then spin her around to face the couch.

“ Oh God, ” she cries out as I force her over and run my hand through her soaked folds.

“You want me, deep in your pussy, don’t you?” I growl, undoing my pants and setting myself free.

“ Yes, ” she cries out, wriggling her little ass for me, trying to find my cock. However, before I do that, I lean over, running my tongue from her ass to her clit, drinking in her taste.

“You’re so sweet,” I murmur, burying my face in her pussy. I spread her cheeks with my hands as I kneel to suck her clit. I still don’t know what it is about Ember that makes me want to go down on one knee, but I know she craves the darkness I can give her. It’ll just take time for her to fully accept that.

“ Oh God, Xander. Oh God.” She writhes against my face, bucking her hips wildly as she covers me in her arousal. I drink her up, taking her all the way to the edge. As I work my jaw methodically, she orgasms, her legs trembling around me.

“ Good girl, ” I groan into her center. I give her pussy one last kiss before getting to my feet. She goes to straighten clumsily, but I don’t let her. I plunge inside her, knowing this is the position where I can get the deepest.

She screams as I fill her, my guttural growl nearly drowning hers out. I don’t know if she recognizes my cock, but part of me hopes she fucking does as I pound into the back of her. However, in typical Ember fashion, she shocks me with her cries that send goosebumps over my skin.

" Harder, Xander. Please, I want you to fuck me as hard as you can."