On My Knees Read online

  “Fine.” I hoped he’d keep to his word.

  By the time the three of them had finished off a round of drinks and a small tray of shots, I’d begun to realize what was off with Maya. She was plastered. She leaned lazily against Vanessa and Eli, pressed snugly between her and Eli. She laughed loudly, and while I loved the sound and the way her eyes glittered when she smiled, I couldn’t shake a protective worry over her.

  “Should we head out?” Maybe I could get her to sober up at the club. She claimed to have a penchant for dancing the night away.

  “Let’s do it!” She hopped up.

  We made our way out of the bar and across the street. A sizable line had formed at the club entrance. I groaned inwardly. Standing outside for hours wasn’t my idea of a great Saturday night. “I guess we’re not in a rush.”

  “No worries. I don’t do lines. Come here.” Maya flagged the attention of one of the guys at the door who nodded to her.

  She joined the bouncer, bounding into his arms for a hug. “Hey, Paul.”

  “Hey, baby. How’s it going?”

  “Good.”

  When I approached, he nodded and held out his hand. I shook it, if only to give him a reason to stop touching her. “I’m Cameron.” The words came out strained because my teeth were clenched.

  “Good to meet you. Friend of Maya’s?”

  I simply nodded. Something like that.

  “Cool. You guys can head in.”

  “Thanks, Paul.” Maya smiled and slipped a bill into his palm before disappearing into the noise of the club.

  I followed, eager to keep her in my sight. The place was loud and filling quickly. Maya led the way and we found an unoccupied seated area large enough to accommodate our group. Darren immediately posted himself between Eli and Vanessa. Eli seemed to clue in to Darren’s plan and disappeared a few minutes later to mingle.

  A cocktail waitress approached and leaned close to Maya to take her order.

  “What do you want?” Maya asked me.

  “Diet Coke is fine.”

  She turned back to the server. “Two Jack and Cokes and a shot of Jager.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Going for a strong start?”

  “I’m not letting you drink soda at the club.”

  We settled back into the couch next to each other. I draped my arm over her shoulders, lightly grazing the bare skin of her arm. She leaned into me, tracing circles into the fabric of my pants at the knee. Her bright energy seemed to dim.

  I tightened around her shoulders, bringing her closer. “What’s going on in that mind of yours?”

  She lifted her gaze to mine.

  Before I could press her, she looked away. Her eyes narrowed over Darren and Vanessa, now pressed firmly against each other. Vanessa was laughing, and Darren was at her ear, telling her God knew what. So much for self-restraint.

  “What’s with them?”

  I rubbed my jaw anxiously. “Hopefully nothing. He’s assured me he’ll be on his best behavior.”

  She let out a short laugh. “You’ll have to excuse me if I take that assurance with a grain of salt.”

  “I hear you, but he did promise me.”

  Before she could respond, the server brought our drinks. Maya tossed back the shot and handed me one of the two remaining drinks. She’d barely looked me in the eye once since arriving. I wasn’t going to endure the night this way.

  “Are you upset about something?”

  Maya’s lips twitched slightly. “No, I’m having fun. This is me having fun.” She sucked down her drink before I could even taste mine. Her eyes darted around us, never landing on anyone or anything for too long. I caught her chin and turned her to face me. Her eyes were glossy, her skin flushed and warm.

  “I never know what you’re thinking.”

  She brushed me away. “Maybe you should stop trying to get into my head. You probably wouldn’t like it in there anyway.”

  “I think you’re wrong.”

  She looked down at her hands and toyed with the rippled fabric of her dress. “No one else tries this hard. I don’t understand why you are.”

  “I’m not like everyone else. I thought you’d figured that out by now.”

  “Maybe that’s not what I want.”

  “What do you want?”

  She sighed and worried her lip. “We should keep this casual so no one gets hurt.”

  “When you say casual, you’re saying you don’t want our relationship to mean anything. Is that right?”

  She looked up, paralyzing me with a penetrating gaze. “It wasn’t important enough for you to want to keep back then, so why should I want it to mean anything now?”

  She could have punched me in the gut, the way her words hit me.

  I ground my teeth. “I could say the same thing to you, Maya. You weren’t the only one who got hurt, you know.”

  She rose quickly. “I’m going to grab a drink.”

  “Maybe you should slow down.”

  “Maybe you should mind your own business.” She rose quickly, disappearing into the crowd.

  MAYA. Jia leaned up against the bar as the bartender brought her martini. I’d texted her upon separating from Cameron. She showed up not long after, thanks to Paul’s VIP treatment. I was thankful for the company since my connection with Cameron had noticeably cooled as the night had progressed. Maybe that was a good thing though. Eli was off doing his thing, and Vanessa was in Darren’s clutches. Thanks to my significant buzz, I cared less and less. This was my night, and I wasn’t going to let him or anyone else spoil it.

  “Did you come alone?” I asked.

  “Yeah, the friend I was with bailed. No worries. This place seems great. Do you come here often?”

  “It’s in the rotation.”

  “You look cute.” She smiled and ran a finger down the ruching of my dress.

  “Thanks, you too.”

  She was wearing a sleeveless blouse and skinny jeans. Her hair was down, framing her face. Seeing her so casual seemed odd, wrong even. Having her see me in my weekend club attire also felt strange, as if I were exposing myself to a world that never saw me this way. Even though we’d been inching toward friendship, Jia represented that world in this context.

  “It’s a little strange to see people outside of work,” I said. “I imagine everyone wakes up and goes to sleep in their suits or something.”

  She laughed. “No kidding. You’d be surprised what you find under all those suits.” She lifted an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth quirked up.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. I wasn’t remotely interested in anyone at the office. The thought of seeing someone like Dermott under his suit was nausea-inducing, if only because I hated that bastard.

  “Did you come with the ex?”

  I rolled my eyes and groaned like an angst-ridden teenager whose mother had followed her to the mall. Thankfully, the sound was muted by the blare of the music. A part of me wished I hadn’t come with Cameron tonight. He was on the other side of the club, probably wishing he hadn’t too.

  “He’s here.”

  “You don’t look so happy about that.”

  “I’m not exactly thrilled, no.”

  “I take it the reunion isn’t going so well.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.” I didn’t want to go into all the reasons why with Jia right now. “Honestly, I don’t even want to think about it. I don’t really want to think about anything tonight.” I waved my hand for effect. “It’s been a long week, and I just want to have some fun.”

  “I say we drink to that.”

  She lifted her glass, and I clinked my shot against its rim before swallowing down another ounce of sugary heaven.

  I set it down and looked around. The bar was lit up in blue neon lights, its patrons laughing and talking. The music was loud, vibrating every corner of the dimly lit club. Despite my spat with Cameron, I caught myself smiling widely. This was the moment—that perfect moment when the nigh
t felt like it had possibilities. I wanted this moment to last forever. Liquid happiness and excitement mingled with the promise that I could lose myself in the music, in the fate of the night. This was my freedom.

  “Let’s dance,” I yelled.

  Jia smiled and nodded. She finished her drink, grabbed my hand, and led the way to the dance floor. We pushed through the crowd, now thick with all walks of life. The push of people gave way at a certain point. The music changed into a deep beat of a Lady Gaga song, asking someone to do what he wanted with her body. I hummed to myself, liking the sound of that. Maybe I’d drag Cameron into bed anyway. What did it matter anyway? Give Raina a run for her money. Give Cameron something to remember me by, because that would have to be it. I’d fall in love with him otherwise. That much was certain.

  My head was buzzing, my limbs and soul lighter than they had been in days. God, days. I closed my eyes, reached for the sky, and let my hips sway in time to the consuming pulse of the music.

  Someone bumped into me from behind, interrupting my moment and jolting me into Jia. I kept my balance, but she encircled my waist protectively with her arm. I could have moved back, but she held me there, like she wanted me to stay. Our faces were inches apart, our legs staggered over each other’s as we moved, creating our own rhythm. Her hands slid down my dress, tracing the skin of my thigh lightly.

  Her eyes were fixed on me, inspiring that breathless feeling I had when I knew something intense was about to happen.

  “Kiss her!”

  I shot a glare to my right. A young guy in a white collared shirt unbuttoned at the neck and dress slacks was gawking at us with a stupid drunk grin. He wasn’t bad looking, but he was soaked with sweat and surrounded by a gaggle of similarly dressed guys.

  Jia turned my face back to hers, her soft finger coming down my cheek and resting on my lower lip. She licked her lip suggestively, and I knew. She was about to kiss me. And I was about to let her. The night was mine, and the opportunity was here. Something felt wrong and right about it, right enough that I blocked out the chants around us as our lips touched.

  Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!

  We did. Her mouth was soft on mine as our lips pressed to each other’s. I took in a sharp breath. The smell of her expensive perfume infused the hot musk of the crowd around us. Her one hand grazed down my chest over my breast. The other found the tight hem of my dress, pushing it up a couple inches over her fingers as they slid up my thigh. The movement elicited some more excited howls. I smiled under her kiss. A stupid laughter bubbled up with the idea that we were putting on a real show for our new admirers. That excitement quickly dampened when I felt someone’s dewy, clumsy hands on my thighs and an erection pressed hard against me from behind.

  My eyes flew open. Before I could react and push him away, I heard him yell. His friends’ yelled too and then stepped back.

  CAMERON. I had to remind myself of my own strength when I ripped that little fucker off of Maya. He and his friends had postured for a moment, probably long enough to realize I had about forty pounds of muscle on any of them. Their strength in numbers would have been annoying, but not enough to pose a threat.

  Then there was the girl, her body indecently entwined with Maya’s. She didn’t look like a drunk idiot though. She had a shrewdness about her and dark assessing eyes that looked me over. Slowly she relinquished her hold on Maya.

  I caught Maya’s wrist, spinning her to me.

  “What are you doing?” I was beyond furious that she’d put herself in this position, with some—multiple—strangers’ hands all over her. This was un-fucking-acceptable.

  “I could ask you the same thing.” She looked to her wrist, where I held her tightly.

  She twisted in my grasp, and I released my grip. My adrenaline was still thrumming.

  My chest expanded on a deep breath. The rush of anger had ebbed but remnants of it still pulsed through me. “Can we talk?”

  “I’m dancing. I’ll meet you back at the table in a little while.” Her voice was clipped, irritation showing on her features.

  I wasn’t about to leave her. “Let’s dance, then.” I placed a protective hand on her hip, urging her toward me.

  Her irritation gave way to something else, an emotion I couldn’t name. She seemed to consider the proposal as she stared at me. Her admirers had scattered after they shot us a few glares and offensive gestures.

  Maya turned away from me, saying something to the girl. She nodded and gave me one last cool look before disappearing through the crowd. I took advantage of her absence and pulled Maya to me, our bodies close—closer than theirs had been.

  Mine.

  Maya hooked her arms over my shoulders, her fingers toying with my hair. We moved in time to the slowest part of the beat, turning the house music into a slow song that only we seemed to hear.

  I wrapped my arms around her, bringing my mouth to her ear so she could hear me. “Who was that?” My jaw clenched, possessiveness over her body rioting through me.

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  I thought I saw a hint of embarrassment before she looked away, bringing her hands down to my chest. Her eyes flickered back to mine.

  “You’re full of surprises, Maya. I can say that.”

  “Are you jealous?” She shot me a sassy smile that riled me and made me want to kiss the look right off her face.

  “Should I be?”

  “No. You have no right to be.” She tipped her head up, her jaw resolute. Little fucking minx.

  “I want the right to be.”

  “Get used to disappointment,” she said.

  “How about I change your mind?” I brushed the hair away from her neck and dragged my lips across her hot skin. Two could play this game.

  She sagged against me slightly. “You can’t.”

  I grinned at the wavering in her voice. “Try me.” I opened my mouth against her, letting my tongue dart out to taste her. A moan vibrated through her when I squeezed her ass and pressed her firmly against my thigh.

  Her breasts rose and fell with quick breaths. She trailed her hands down my chest. Unable to stop myself, I took her mouth, channeling every ounce of possession into kissing her breathless. She clawed into my shirt, and the slow rhythm of the dance morphed into her grinding her supple little body against me. Suddenly I wished we weren’t in the middle of a crowded room. I needed her in my bed. I wasn’t willing to wait anymore, and I wasn’t asking.

  “I’m taking you home.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  MAYA. Cameron loosened his hold on me to unlock the door of his apartment. I stumbled inside, my heels tripping me over the threshold. I lay on the bare floor, rolling to my back. My drunk laughter echoed loudly in the dark room. The floor was cool and so smooth. Everything smelled new. Like paint maybe.

  “Where is this place?” My voice sounded very much full of wonder, like we’d just walked into some kind of amazing new place. Perhaps we had? I couldn’t know, because I’d hit the wall in the cab. I’d gone from wildly horny and excitable to epically intoxicated, only able to stay upright thanks to Cameron’s strong body holding me up. Oh well. I was still horny.

  “This is the third floor of my building. Olivia stays on the second floor. I’m still fixing it up, so don’t mind the state of things. Come on.”

  I couldn’t see anything from behind my eyelids, nor did I care to. The floor was more comfortable than I’d expected. Shit, I’m tired.

  Cameron caught my hand and hoisted me back to my feet, holding me so tightly to his chest that I barely touched the floor. I could scarcely move.

  “Can you walk?”

  I giggled a little, resting my head on his shoulder. I wanted to be wrapped up with Cameron. He was so warm, so unbelievably strong. I’d gained weight and he was still carrying me around like I weighed nothing more than a feather. His hold softened a little as he wrapped his other arm around my hips, warming the small of my back.

  “You okay, hon?” He pressed a soft kiss to my bare sho
ulder.

  I hummed. His touch awakened a familiar stir inside me. I couldn’t press myself any closer so I tipped my head up and kissed him. He pulled away when I tried to breach his lips with my tongue.

  “You didn’t bring me here just to tuck me in, did you?”

  He didn’t answer me. Instead, he hooked an arm under my knees and carried me toward the only light in the apartment. He kicked the door gently and lowered me by the bed. Coming from the darkness, I squinted. Everything was too bright.

  I wavered, clutching at his shirt. He caught me to him again, and I buried my face in his neck. The scent of him, spice and sandalwood, washed over me. I hummed, darting my tongue across his skin, and then sucked hard.

  He pulled me back, angling away from my assaulting mouth. “You need to get some rest, Maya. You drank too much.”

  “Who cares?”

  “I care.”

  “Are you trying to say you came out with me tonight and didn’t plan on taking me to bed?”

  He shook his head. “I had no idea what to expect tonight, but I try not to sleep with nearly unconscious women.”

  “Sure.” I rolled my eyes, pushing away from him slightly. The sick twist of rejection mixed with all the shots I’d drunk.

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “Whatever.” I waved my hand. “You’re not interested. I get it.”

  His bright blue eyes widened slightly. “Trust me, I’m interested.”

  I cocked my head at him. “Maybe Raina’s still up. Miss Perfect is probably patiently waiting for you on the back burner somewhere.”

  A smile split his face. “Are you jealous, Maya?”

  “Not in the least.” Shit, he was onto me. “You can screw whoever you want to and so can I.”

  His smile slipped, and his eyes turned serious. “You made that point abundantly clear tonight. Who was that girl anyway? Did you even know her?”