Initiate Me(12)

“Yeah, I noticed,” I laughed, trying to make light of the situation.

“Do I want you? Hell yeah. You make my body ache so hard it’s a fucking nightmare for me to wake and realise you’re not really there. I refuse to take advantage of the physical pull between us for something that could be a one-night stand.”

I gasped as pain rippled through my belly. His words lashed me, stinging me to the core. The seemingly caring tone he delivered them in made it so much worse. I wanted to smack him so hard, before he could break my heart.

Anger made me retaliate in a whole new direction.

“So you want me, but only for one night. When I asked you to teach me, I thought it would take longer than one fucking night! But seeing as I’m old enough now to play around, only not with you, perhaps I should find someone who’s around my age and interested in me.”

“Mia...” His emotionless face changed instantly, disapproval and anger flashing one after the other. “You are putting words into my mouth. I never said it would be a one-night stand. I said it could be.”

“Now you are just dribbling shit!” I was so angry with him. All those whisperings in my ear — ‘I’ll never let you go’, ‘I want you’ — it was all a bunch of crock. “What, you don’t think any men are interested in me? I’m pretty sure I can find some, back there at the after-party,” I retorted, pointing toward the building.

He stepped toward me, forcing me to shuffle backward.

“I’ll warn off any man you decide to pick up, Mia, and tell him you’re off-limits. You offered yourself to me first, so stay away from other men,” he warned me, his voice harsh and low.

“What?” I let out a burst of laugher, feeling hard and tight inside. “You are confusing the fuck out of me. You want me. You don’t want to want me, but you want me?” I pointed and jabbed at his chest. “You’re not the boss of me. Maybe I can’t convince you to be with me, but I bet you I sure as Hell can have a little fun with a couple of others.”

Well, that got him riled. He loomed over me, dark and dangerous, and I wanted him to hold me instead of dealing with the whole stupid mess. Why did I have to go and ruin it all? Why did I utter those two stupid words ‘I can’t’ earlier? If only I hadn’t let my insecurities get the best of me, we could have been having hot sex by that point.

“Let’s not throw what we already have away, Mia, all those years of friendship. Our families are close, too.”

My throat tightened up, anger melting away as I fought back tears. There was no way I was going to cry in front of him, not then. I had to figure out a solution to stop the train wreck from continuing. “I agree we’ve had something special in the past. But don’t you see, all those years of friendship were leading to something bigger and better, and that’s what you’re choosing to give up on. You, Zane, you’re the one throwing the possibility of us away. I know what I want.”

I stood on my tiptoes and brushed a kiss on his burning-hot cheek before whispering, “Let me know when you’re ready to admit what you really want. I’m getting tired of waiting for the right answer.”

Never had I been keen on dramatic exits, but time was of the essence to avoid bursting into tears in front of him. I slipped past his solid, bulky frame and vanished into the night.





Chapter Five


MIA

The minute I walked inside the bar, I zeroed in on Milan.

“You!” I shoved at her shoulder. “You and your stupid, idiotic, harebrained schemes!” I kept poking her, not even noticing Jada was standing next to her for a second. What the hell is she doing here? Shouldn’t she be enjoying her wedding night with Max?

“What the hell are you so furious about?” Jada asked curiously. “Milan, are you going to explain why she’s so angry with you?”

“Relax, sister, dear. Mia is exaggerating, aren’t you, Mia?” Milan glared at me with warning.

Neither one of us wanted to spoil the special day for Jada by ending the evening on a sour note.

“It’s nothing, honestly. I’m just upset about something Milan dared me to do and it didn’t go according to plan.”

“Hmm.” Jada scanned both of our faces for an answer. Damn, she knew me too well. I could tell the exact moment the truth hit my friend, because her eyes grew big and she shook her head. “Oh, my God. Please tell me you didn’t listen to Milan and try and get Z—”

I leaped toward Jada to cover her mouth with my hand before either of my brothers overheard our conversation. I would be mortified.