FULL NOVELXO Distance: Chapter 17
I climb up the stairs to my apartment. Today dragged like a bitch. I have been ignoring all of Keller’s calls. The more I thought about it today, the more annoyed I am that he lied to me.
We might not be in an official relationship, but I thought we might be getting there. Now, him leaving in the middle of the night, finding blood-dripping clothes, leaves my mind reeling, debating if this whole thing is based on a lie. I shouldn’t be shocked. No man has ever proven differently yet.
A brown parcel on my doorstep makes me stop in my tracks. It looks like someone had thrown it around in the back of the delivery truck. Picking it up, I spot it is addressed to me in shaky black handwriting. The smell of burning paper makes me hold my breath. It was that strong.
Putting the package under my arm, I unlock the door. The fresh scent of eucalyptus assaults my nose. The apartment is sparkling. Christ, Maddie must be bored without me to start a deep cleaning.
“Oh my God, you’re home” Maddie hurtles towards me at full speed, crashing into my still frame, wrapping her arms so tightly around me I can barely breathe.
“Did you miss me or something?” I laugh. This was just the welcome I needed after a shitty day.
“Of course I bloody did. Can’t you see the whole place is sparkling? How was your dirty week with Mr. Sex God himself?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
“Good,” I respond matter-of-factly. I can’t hide my emotions from Maddie. I never could. She always sees straight through me.
Her face pulls into a frown as she looks me up and down, as if assessing the situation. Grabbing my hand, she leads me into the lounge and plonks herself onto the sofa with a spring, patting the seat for me to join.
“Wait, we need wine,” she mumbles as she sets off to pour two gigantic glasses of chilled rose. The woman can read my mind, I swear.
We spend the next hour delving into my doubts and frustrations. Whilst Maddie listens and nods, I can feel her brain ticking.
“Is it me? Am I the problem?” I let out a frustrated sigh.
“Maybe, just maybe, you need to let go of your past, Si. I am certain there is a reasonable explanation. A man can’t be that obsessed with you and not be interested. You just run away at the first sign of trouble, too. You’ll see, I have a good feeling about this one.” She drains the last of her wine and sets the glass down on the table. “What on earth is that monstrosity of a package, anyway? I can smell it from here. Is the damn thing burning or something?” she says, pulling her nose up.
I snatch hold of the package and rip off the brown paper, which reveals a small scratched black leather box. Maybe it’s an early Christmas present from my mom? ha- that would be the first in a lifetime.
Lifting the lid up, the stench of burning flows out of the box. Gray ash and scattered half burned roses filled the box to the brim. A small white envelope is placed on the top. Quickly ripping the envelope open, a white card is left which reads:
Sienna, I’m hurt you threw out the roses I sent you. Let this be a message: I will burn anything that gets in my way. You will come back to me. All my love, J x
With trembling fingers, I throw the note back in the box and slam the lid shut. Since the night Keller threatened him, I hadn’t heard a peep from Jamie. I thought this was over.
Maddie stays silent, her eyes wide as she stares at the box.
This isn’t the Jamie I thought I loved, the man I was going to marry. My brain can’t work out why he is still holding on to me, not letting me go.
“Sienna, I think you need to go to the police. This is getting weird now. First, he attacks you down an alleyway. I have spotted him outside our apartment window at least twice this week. And now he’s dumpster diving through our trash and sending you burnt roses. What if he wasn’t who you thought? What if he really is dangerous, Sienna?”
I don’t have a response to give her. I always thought I could look out for myself. Now I’m just not sure. Unease fills my body as the tears begin to slip down my cheek.
A loud knock on the door makes us both physically jump. Before I can react, Maddie flies off the sofa and stomps over to the door armed with a golfing umbrella she swipes from the stand next to the entrance.
“Jamie, I swear to fucking God if you so much as step a foot in this apartment I will stab your eyes out you fucking freak show!” she shouts through the door.
“It’s Keller.” His voice. It instantly makes my heart race.
Maddie turns to me, her eyebrow cocked.
“Let him in,” I sigh.
As Maddie unlocks the catch, the door flies open, nearly knocking her against the wall.
“Excuse me! Who do you think you are barging in here?” But she stops her verbal assault immediately as Keller looms over her.
Without so much as a greeting to Maddie, he beelines straight for me, concern etched across his features.
If looks could kill, Jamie would be 6ft under by now.
Once he reaches me, he kneels down, taking my hands in his, searching my face.
“What’s happened, Sienna? Did he hurt you?” Anger laced in his tone contrasts with the softness in his touch.
Shifting my eyes to the box, his gaze follows, and he sees the package. He leans across and opens the box, reading the note, his eyebrow cocks up as he does. He shoves the note back in the box and slams the lid shut, throwing it back down on the sofa with a huff. Grabbing my face in both of his large hands, he brings his forehead to mine.
“Sienna, I promise you. I will never let him hurt you or even get close enough to touch you ever again. Baby, look at me,” he whispers, his thumb stroking my face. I blink back the tears. I look at him, really look at him. He doesn’t need to say anything, because love radiates from him, and his protection is just what I need at this moment. All I can do is give him a small nod as I buried my head in his chest. His musky scent gives me comfort as he wraps me up in a tight embrace.
His heart is thumping in his chest. I can feel it against my face. This man has the potential to kill with his bare hands. It has been more than obvious he’s capable of that. He’s built to be a machine. Everyone else might be fearful of him. I’m not. I love this side of him, my fierce protector. In that moment, I realize I don’t want to be without him. Not for another day. I don’t want to fight against my heart any longer.
“Take me home, Keller, make me feel safe. Make me yours.” I whisper against his chest. His breath hitches at my words as he brings his mouth down to mine. The moment our lips touch, a spark ignites, my fear washes away, and I feel alive again.
“I have something I quickly need to deal with. You and Maddie get ready here. Do not leave this apartment. Grayson will come and pick you up in an hour. I’ll meet you at the club and then I will take you home, where you belong. I promise. You need to promise me something too; no more running, okay? We need to stop denying what this is between us. You own my every thought; you are it for me. I have never gotten on my knees for anyone. I am the monster people kneel before. But I will always kneel before you, my Goddess. I will worship you with every fiber of my being. A normal relationship is not something I can promise. I’ve never had one. But I want to try. Fuck, I want to try so hard to be worthy of you. The thought of you abandoning me today felt like someone had ripped my heart out and stomped on it. Be mine. Let me own your heart like you own mine?” I can hear the nervousness in his tone as he kneels before me, opening his heart to me.
His eyes search mine, looking for a response.
“I’m yours Champ, always and only yours for as long as you’ll keep me.”
“I won’t ever let you go. Now I have you. You’re mine forever,” he growls as he leans in, giving me an earth-shattering kiss. A kiss that solidifies what we both know. This is it. We are it for each other and I finally feel complete.
I peer over to spot Maddie with her back against the door, an infectious smile lighting the room. That girl loves love. She catches my eye and gives me a wink.
“Right, I better go get ready. If you kiss me anymore, I’m dragging you by the neck of that hoodie and having my way with you on top of all my fluffy cushions.” I giggle.
“Well, I’m about to walk out of here with a rock hard erection. So I’m all for this plan of you riding my cock,” he replies as I swat his chest with my hand, trying to hold in a laugh.
“Go! I don’t want a quicky. I want you, your mouth, and your cock all night long.” I rasp as he lets out a low groan.
“Your filthy mouth kills me, woman.”
Standing up, his raging hard cock tents those sexy sweatpants. He dips his hands in his pocket and pulls out two white tickets, handing them to me. Cocking an eyebrow, I take the tickets from his hand, giving him a questioning look.
“One of the guys–Luke, from the gym, is fighting at tomorrow night’s charity event in Madison Square. Me and Grayson have been training him up. I got you two tickets if you and Maddie want to come?”
A warm fuzzy feeling erupts in my chest as a smile lights up my face.
“Oh my God, yes! That sounds awesome! We would love to. Thank you.” I jump off the couch and place a quick peck on his lips before walking him to the door, even though I’m not wanting him to leave me.
I twiddle with my hair, like an infatuated teenager, while leaning against the doorframe. “So I’ll see you in a couple of hours then, Champ.” I wink.
He pulls me into his embrace and I melt against him. “Wear something short and sexy for me. I can’t wait to have your ass grinding up against me,” he rasps, sex dripping from his tone.
Closing the door as his heavy footsteps echo down the hall, I fall back against it trying to regain my composure. I am a complete hot mess. How I am going to get through tonight, I have absolutely no clue.
“I knew it. I knew he would be back in no time for you. Fuck, the way he looks at you like he wants to literally eat you up is so hot!” Maddie swoons as she reappears from her room.
“I’m scared Mads. I am completely and utterly head over heels for this man. What if he’s no different from the rest of them? If he leaves, I honestly think he will take my whole heart with him. I’m strong, but not that strong”
She wraps me up in her warm embrace, bringing instant comfort. “Oh Si, what if he doesn’t? What if he is your twin flame, and you’re destined to spark each other for the rest of eternity? What you two have, not many people even get to have a taste of. So you grab it with both hands and you claim it. You own it. This is your time for happiness.” Her voice is stern but laced with adoration.
Nodding into her embrace, I know she is right. I can feel it deep in my soul. Keller is and always will be the one for me. No matter what secrets he may be hiding, I will always choose him.
I get dressed in record time before Grayson shows up. I’ve picked out a tight satin black dress that hugs every curve, just stopping in the midsection of my thighs. I finishing it off with red heels and red lip stain. There hasn’t been time to wash and blow dry so dead straight hair it is. Straightening highlights the caramel tones blended into the ends of my cascading hair. After a quick flick of mascara I’m ready, with a whole ten minutes to spare.
Hearing a heavy knock on the door, I quickly make my way out of my room to let Grayson in. No doubt Maddie is running behind. Beauty takes time, and she certainly takes that mantra seriously. Shit, the last time Grayson saw me, my bare butt was squashed on his desk. But I can’t even be embarrassed. It was fucking hot. Flinging open the door, I give Grayson a wide grin. He’s leaning against the door frame, eyeing me up from head to toe. Not in a flirty way, more in a “so this is what Keller is into” way.
“Well, how nice it is to see you fully dressed tonight Sienna,” he winks and strolls straight past. Great start. My mouth is still wide open as I watch him spread out on the couch and make himself comfortable.
“Sienna, can you zip me up?” Maddie shouts from her room. Before I can even step forward she comes barrelling out, tits on full display with her gold sequin dress wrapped around her stomach. My eyes go wide as she twigs we have company, the color draining from her face.
Grayson’s eyes are glued to Maddie as an amused grin dances across his lips. “I’m more than happy to comply sweetheart. Why don’t you come take a seat,” he says and taps his hands on his lap.
“Oh fuck off, Grayson. We all know I won’t be putting this fine ass anywhere near you.” She scoffs, but I can see the patches of red appearing on her chest. Oh this is interesting.
Grayson is not anything like Maddie’s usual type. She goes for tall, slim businessmen. Not big burly boxers covered in tattoos, with a dirty mouth. No, that appears to be more my type.
Remembering my best friend is still currently half naked in the hall as Keller’s best friend still gawks, I rush over and pinch together the dress and do the zip up, trying to hold in a chuckle as I do.
“I think he’s into you, Mads,” I quietly whisper.
Again, she scoffs and darts back into her room, slamming the door shut.
“Come on, girls, we need to leave in five. Grab your shit and let’s get moving,” Grayson demands, every word sounding regimental. It certainly gives me the wedge up my ass I need to get going. The quicker we get there, the quicker I get to Keller. Although I’m not too sure about leaving Maddie and Grayson together, they might kill each other by the end of the night.
Grayson leads us out of the apartment to his shiny white Audi, parked under our street lamp. His attention snaps to a hooded figure lingering outside the apartment block next to ours. The figure is watching but not making any move towards us. Funny, I have never seen anyone outside that block before, especially this time of night. We live in a neighborhood full of older people and families, so a hooded man leaning against the wall is certainly a bit out of place. Grayson doesn’t seem to flinch. He keeps his eyes on the man and opens his car doors for us, ushering us in.
I can hear him mumbling under his breath on the phone. I can’t quite make out what he is saying other than “Yes, I’m fucking sure.” But as quick as I realize he is on the phone, he’s sliding into the driver’s seat and slamming the door. With that, he brings the car to life and speeds off, making my head slam back against the headrest.
“Do you have to drive like a fucking maniac, Grayson?” Maddie shouts from the back seat. Grayson, in return, just increases the volume of the music to full blast. These two are exhausting.
It’s Friday night and The End Zone is already filled to the brim with eager New Yorkers dancing and drinking the stress of the week away.
By the sounds of it, tonight is a throwback R&B night, which safe to say, is an absolute winner in my books. Grayson nods us through security and hurry’s us past the dancefloor and past a second set of security, I’m assuming, to the VIP area.
“Keller’s guests,” Grayson tells the balding man in the black suit, who eyes us up and down and nods.
The VIP room, much like the rest of the club, is breathtaking. All black matte walls with gold furnishings. What I can imagine a billionaire’s ideal strip club would look like. The servers are all wearing tiny spandex shorts and crop tops, waltzing around with magnum bottles of champagne, giving the men an eyeful of their cleavage as they bend over to refill their glasses on the gold tables.
Grayson leads us over to a booth at the back of the area, the table already laid with 3 magnums and a tray of tequila shots. It’s all great, but I just want Keller now.
I scoot up into the booth. Grayson squeezes in next to Maddie. “Touch me again. You’ll find the heel of my stiletto wedged in your left eye.”
“Fuck sakes, Maddie. I’m a big guy trying to fit into a fairly small booth. Trust me, I didn’t want to touch you,” he spits back, and her head flies around in shock.
Yep, Keller needs to hurry up and help me buffer this situation.
“Come on you two, play nice.” I chuckle and pour out three glasses of champagne. The creamy bubbles dance on my tongue. Normally I’m not a champagne kind of girl. I like my drinks sweet and sickly. But this is to die for.
The air in the room shifts and all the attention darts to the VIP door. I know from the shiver running along my spine, it’s him.
He nods past security and strides through like he owns the place. Oh my God, he actually does. His entire persona drips power and wealth, and God damn, is he fine to look at. His black suit jacket and crisp white shirt–which has the first two buttons undone– emphasizes the dark tattoos wrapping around his neck. Perhaps that’s why I can’t tear my gaze off him. Nor can any of the women here. But his dark eyes never stray from mine as he stalks his way over. Everyone watches as he does. I hadn’t put much thought into the celebrity aspect of his life. Shit. What if he wants to hide me from the world? Should I just keep it friendly in public? I am so out of my depth here.
As soon as Keller reaches me, he rests his hand on the table. Those sexy as sin veins protrude through his skin. I give him a small smile, still not having decided on how I should greet him in public. I feel the whole room watching us, waiting for his next move. Keller swiftly makes the decision for me as he bends forward and slams his lips against mine. I can feel him smile against my lips as he does. The kiss is by no means rated PG. I’ve probably shattered the dreams of the women in here thinking they had a shot with him when he waltzed in. But he’s all mine.
“Don’t ever think I want to hide you, Sienna. I could feel your thoughts the second I walked in the room. I want the world to know you belong to me and that I am only owned by you.” He rasps in his deep voice as he brings his nose down to mine.
I could literally melt on the spot. I have no doubts that I am soaked. How it’s possible to be so turned on by someone every time they are in your space is beyond me.
He sits next to me in the booth. I catch Maddie watching our interaction. She looks so damn happy for me. I wonder if Keller has any decent friends I can set Maddie up with. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me flush against his side and I melt into the embrace. A calm washes over me. He leans over and picks up a glass of champagne and downs it in one, tipping his head back, his adams apple bobbing as he does. God, even the way he drinks is delicious.
“Maddie,” Keller nods, giving her a smile.
“Hi!” she blushes, giving him a small wave. No one is immune to Keller’s charm.
“Oh hi Grayson. Hi Keller. Thanks for picking my girlfriend and her bratty friend up and bringing them here,” Grayson mocks.
Keller flicks up a brow, leaning over the table and grabbing his forearm.
“Shut it.”
I shoot him a look as he sits back down. “They’ve been like this the whole time. I think secretly they are into each other,” I whisper in his ear. He lets out a chuckle in response, continuing to sip his champagne.
“She’s a woman. Of course Grayson is into her.” Keller replies, placing his hand on mine on the table. Electricity shoots through my fingers straight to my center. Sliding my hand from underneath his, I trail it slyly down the side of his body and down to his thick thigh, stroking up and down his rough denim jeans. His breath gets heavier the closer I get to his cock and my fingers tingle as I continue to tease him. He doesn’t stop me. He just stares straight faced onto the dance floor.
Could I really, here? I don’t know what’s gotten into me. This isn’t how I behave. I seem to become a horny bitch whenever Keller is around me.
As if he senses my hesitation, he brings his lips to my neck, brushing against my sensitive skin.
“Don’t you dare fucking stop now. How far can you go?” A hunger stirs in his voice as he starts to nip at my neck. The room is so dimly lit it’s hard to make out what anyone else is doing in the booths. Maddie and Grayson are too busy picking on each other and sipping champagne to even notice us anymore. Fuck it.
I inch my hand ever so slightly higher, slowly unzip the fly of his jeans and undo the button, trying not to move the top half of my body that’s on display. His cock is straining against the material. Of course Keller isn’t wearing boxers. Keller’s massive frame fills the booth, so the table completely covers us. A low groan escapes his perfectly full lips and there is a wild hunger in his eyes. That’s enough to give me the confidence to grip the base of his cock and slowly start stroking up and down. “My greedy girl couldn’t wait a couple of hours for my cock, could you? Hmm?”
I’ve never been brave enough to do this before. The thought of getting caught only fuels the fire within me.
“It’s yours Baby, take it when you want it,” he says as I continue to pump my hand up and down. I’m so lost in the moment, my legs are tightly squeezing together and Keller’s hungry eyes are eating me up. I fail to hear Maddie shouting over the music to get my attention. Keller’s low cough brings me out of my haze as I snap my eyes to her.
“Oh, finally you’re back in the room. We’re just going to go for a dance and get some more shots. Are you guys coming or staying?”
“Oh, I’m definitely coming,” Keller announces, giving me a wicked grin.
“Yep,” I answer quickly, maybe too quickly. “We’ll meet you there in a sec.” With that, Maddie and Grayson slink off to the bar, leaving me and Keller alone in the booth, my hand still gripping his pulsing cock.
“Fuck baby, you are insatiable,” he murmurs, taking my lips with his.
“Only for you,” I tease back, but I’m being deadly serious. Nuzzling my head into his chest, I let out a content sigh. He really is starting to become my happy place. The world is calm when he is with me.
The unmistakable smell of gasoline suddenly grabs my attention.
“Keller, why do you smell like gasoline?” I stop pumping his cock as I wait for him to respond and I see the annoyance flickering across his features.
“I torched your ex’s car on my way here.” He states it matter-of-factly with a shrug, no emotions showing on his face, yet his eyes are searching mine, waiting for a reaction.
Slapping my hand against his chest I let out a laugh, “No you fucking didn’t.” He still doesn’t react, just stays deadly still watching me, his cock still pulsing in my hand.
Once I manage to contain my laughter, I snap straight up to look at him. He’s not joking. Not in the slightest.
“Why?” I ask, keeping my tone even.
Removing my hand from him, I create distance between us. Would he really do this for me? I’m not remotely pissed he did that. In fact, it’s kind of hot that he would go to such measures to protect me. Plus, Jamie is a prick, so there is also that.
“Sienna, I warned you the first time we met. I’m not a good man. There is darkness in me. Now that darkness is there to protect you. I won’t ever apologize for doing something to protect you. I can’t lose you and I sure as shit won’t let anyone threaten you. I’ll set the world on fire to protect you, and I won’t ever let a single flame touch your beautiful skin.”
Well shit. His words give me chills and my stomach does that strange, flippy thing.
I quickly put him back in his jeans and do them up, disappointment obvious as his jaw ticks and bring both my hands up to cup his cheeks.
“Thank you.” I smile as I bring my lips down to his, showing him how grateful I am, his eyes going wide at my response. If I need–no want–anyone fighting in my corner, I wouldn’t want anyone other than Keller. I love this protective side of him.
“So, you don’t mind me going around torching cars?” he questions, his eyebrow raised.
“You can try to scare me off all you want, Keller. I don’t care. Trust me, I didn’t grow up with a sheltered life. I don’t just want the good parts of you, I want them all, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. You just have to accept those parts of me, too.”
A wicked smile passes his lips as he claims mine.
“You are fucking perfect, Sienna,” he growls in my ear.
I’m about a minute away from jumping on his lap and letting him do whatever he wants to me. Begrudgingly, I break the kiss, our breathing heavy.
“Right Champ, we best go find our friends, dance for a bit and then I need you to take me home and you can show me how you own me.” I snatch his hand and lead him out of the VIP area to the bar, with him never more than two steps behind me.
Once we reach the bar, it’s easy to spot Grayson towering above everyone else. He doesn’t notice us. He is too busy giving a murderous glare to someone on the dance floor. I follow where he’s scowling and spot Maddie grinding up against a random bloke, his hands roaming up and down the sides of her body as she throws her head back and laughs. She looks happy and free, just how she should be. Interesting to see Grayson’s reaction. I’ll have to store that one for later. Right now, all I want is Keller’s cock inside me.
As if reading my mind, he grabs me by the waist, his breath hitting my neck. “I need to get you home. I can’t fucking take much more of this, Baby.”
“Thank God. Yes! If I have to squeeze my legs together for one more minute, I’m going to get a bloody rash.”
I feel him chuckle against my back.
“Grayson, you good to take Maddie home?” He points to her on the dance floor.
“Yeah, fine,” he gruff’s back, sinking his scotch. I’m surprised the crystal doesn’t smash in his hands with the death grip he has on it.
Biting my bottom lip, I shoot Keller a questioning look. He just shrugs in response.
“Let me quickly go say bye to Maddie, maybe see what’s up with Grayson whilst you wait. He looks like he’s going to strangle someone.” Giving him a quick peck up on my tiptoes, I beeline into the jumping crowd of dancing strangers making my way to Maddie.
As soon as she spots me she lets out a high-pitched tipsy scream, shoving the poor bloke off her and giving me a big bear hug.
“We’re heading off Mads. Did you want a lift? Or Grayson’s offered to take you home.”
“Oh, Grayson can take me home. I like winding him up,” she laughs, spying him out of the corner of her eye. Oh, he looks like he wants to kill her right now.
“One dance with me,” she pleads, batting her long black lashes at me. How could I say no?
She quickly nabs my hand before I can answer and spins me under her raised arm as we sway to the music. During the song, the dance floor gets more and more crowded. I feel hands rubbing up and down my arms as I sway my hips to the music. The touch is light and then suddenly it’s ripped off me, replaced by two powerful hands digging into my hips. As soon as his hands make contact, I know it’s him. My body reacts instantly to him. Every damn time.
“I think you need a reminder of whose hands can touch you, Princess,” he growls as he lifts me like I weigh the same as a feather. Then he drapes me over his shoulder, like a complete caveman.
“Let me down Keller, this is fucking embarrassing,” I shout over the music whilst hitting his rock hard back. It actually hurts the palm of my hands. His back is that solid. My body vibrates as he chuckles beneath me. “Once I’m finished with you, you won’t ever need reminding again,” he says forcefully slapping my ass, which burns right into my center, soaking my panties.
The crisp air surrounds my skin as we enter the back street. I hear the keys click and the car flashes open. Keller gently slides me into the passenger seat with a murderous look still sporting his face.
He doesn’t say a word on the drive home, his hands gripping the steering wheel and his knuckles white. As if he is about to explode.
“Keller, if you think I’m going to apologize for dancing with a stranger, just be warned you’ll be waiting a long goddamn time,” I say, raising my voice. “Look at me,” I demand. Protective and obsessed I love, but jealous caveman shit I pass on. “I said I was yours and I meant it. Now get over yourself and get your head back in the room. It was harmless. I would never, I mean never, go out of my way to hurt you. The only man’s hands I want on me are yours,” I explain sincerely, hoping he gets the message.
“I’m sorry, Sienna, I just saw another man touching you and saw red. I can’t help it when it comes to you. I can’t fucking lose you. I’ve never had anyone to lose before. I don’t think I could take it.” He sighs.
Placing my hand on his thigh, I gently stroke up and down, trying to comfort him. “I promise I’m not going anywhere. I only want you, always.”
“Good Girl.”
“Now drive quicker so I can get out of this tight dress and let you fuck me. It’s all I’ve thought about all night.” I tease.
“Oh, trust me. We will be going the full distance tonight. You’ll be on your ass seeing stars by the time I’m finished with you, Baby.”
“That sounds like heaven.”