Read Wicked: Jade Butterfly [Wicked Series Book 3] Online
Authors: Lily Graison
He took her hard, his fingers digging into her flesh until she knew she'd have bruises the next day. She let him take what he needed, shocked at his intensity and was surprised to feel the tell-tail clenching in her stomach that signaled her approaching release a few minutes later. She moaned, her hands clenching on his shoulders as he drove into her and felt the spark ignite when she felt him grow thicker inside her.
"Christian!” The climax rushed over her like liquid heat, a living thing burning a trail through her limbs and causing her to scream out. He followed her moments later, his body taunt and rigid, the rocking of his hips erratic until the world seemed to vanish and there was nothing left but the fire racing through her veins.
Christian couldn't breathe and took deep gasps of breath. His legs were trembling and he leaned against her to stay upright. He could still hear her scream, hear her pleading for him not to stop and feel her muscles clench and tighten around his cock. God, how had he ever lived without this? Without her? How would he be able to now that he knew what it was like to have her.
Her leg slowly slid from his hip and he gathered what little energy he had left to lift his head and look at her. Her face was flushed, her eyelids heavy and drowsy looking. He smiled when she looked up at him. “You know, I just came to ask you to lunch."
She laughed and the sound vibrated through his chest until his heart constricted. “After that I need food,” she said. She stared at him, smiling and shook her head. “What happened to that shy virgin I was with last night?"
"Oh. He bedded a beautiful woman and can't get enough of her now."
"So she can look forward to these impromptu trysts in the future then?"
"Only if she's around all the time.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and once they were, he held his breath.
"And what if she can't be around all the time?"
"Then I'll take what I can get."
Jessi stared at him and wondered if he was asking what she thought he was. She didn't want to presume anything. She'd spent all morning thinking about him and was damn near stir crazy waiting for the day to get over so she could see him again. When he showed up at her door, it was like an answer to a prayer. She latched on to it with both hands and didn't let go.
"And if she can?"
He kissed her, soft sliding strokes of his lips and tongue until she was dizzy with need. When he pulled back enough to look at her, she knew she'd run away with him in a heartbeat if he'd ask.
"I can make you happy, Jessi,” he said, his voice a soft whisper. “If you'll let me."
Jessi walked into the Villa, thanking the man who opened the door and directed her to the pool. Devin and Holly were there along with Luke and Roxy. Music was blasting from invisible speakers and the four of them looked oblivious to the world around them.
She paused by the pool, looking toward Christian's cottage and debated walking over to it or just waiting for him to come out. He'd told her he would meet her at the hotel bar once her meeting with Joan was over but like he was earlier in the day, she was anxious to see him.
"He's in the cottage. Go on over."
Jessi glanced over to where the other couples sat and smiled. “You don't think he'll mind?"
Roxy snorted a laugh. “He's only in there because we made him go away."
"I don't even know you but to be honest,” Luke said, grinning, “I'm sick of hearing about you. No offense."
She laughed. “None taken."
"Go grab him and come back out. We'll find Mick and make a party of it."
"All right.” She started around the pool, glancing over her shoulder when she heard an unmanly scream and a splash. Devin emerged from the pool, shaking the water from his face before jumping onto the edge as Holly laughed and took off running.
Reaching the cottage door, she debated on knocking but saw that the door wasn't completely shut. She pushed it open and stuck her head inside. “Christian?” There wasn't a sound coming from inside. Opening the door completely, she took a few steps inside the main room.
She could see the bed from the door and smiled at the crumpled bed sheets and the body-sized lump under the blankets. Tip-toeing to the bedroom door, she grinned when he moved. She stopped just inside the doorway and debated on stripping and joining him.
The thought vanished a moment later when the person raised up and pushed her hair out of her face.
"Sorry, sweetheart. You've already had your ride."
Jessi's entire body seized; her stomach clenched, her heart pounded against her ribcage and she heard a ringing sensation in her ears as her blood rushed through her veins. It felt as if someone had sucker punched her in the gut. Her stomach rolled and her pulse began racing out of control as she stared at Delilah. The blonde was smiling and didn't bother covering her nudity. The sheets were lying haphazardly across her legs and it didn't take much to realize the girl was completely naked.
The door to the bathroom opened a few moments later and Jessi turned her head. Christian was standing in the doorway in nothing but a towel slung low across his hips. He looked shocked to see her and she took a stumbling step backwards before glancing back at the bed.
Delilah had risen to her knees, hiding nothing. She had one hand on her left breast and was still smiling. The lunch Jessi had shared with Christian earlier in the day soured in her stomach. She felt it trying to crawl back up and swallowed to squelch the feeling.
"Come back to bed, Christian."
Christian looked to the bed, his eyes widening before his body became taunt. He turned his gaze back to her quickly and took a step. “Jessi..."
She turned and ran. A thousand thoughts tumbled through her head as she raced out the door of the cottage and around the pool, the biggest one: she was a fool. She could hear Christian yelling her name, hear the blood pounding in her ears and tried to keep from throwing up as she saw everyone by the pool stand up and look at her. She ignored them and headed for the main entrance.
Christian jumped one of the deck chairs and yelled her name again. He saw Devin and Luke going toward the main entrance as Jessi ran past them and he cursed when he slipped on a wet corner of the pool deck. He reached for one of the chairs to steady himself and didn't stop when he felt the towel around his waist let go.
By the time he made it to the front door, Jessi was halfway through the courtyard. “Damn it!” He tugged at his hair, watching her run away and it felt like molten lava rushed through his veins. He felt sick to his stomach and knew she'd never forgive him.
He turned and slammed the front door shut before punching it. “Fuck!"
He marched back to the pool and the gathering crowd of people who stared at him with widened eyes. His band mates were all there, Curt and several of the security guards.
A flash of movement at his cottage caught his attention and he nearly bit his tongue off when he saw Delilah standing in the doorway.
He turned a steely gaze on Curt and pointed toward his cottage. “If I ever see that fucking bitch's face again, I'm out of here. Get her off this property. Now."
Everyone turned to his cottage and Delilah had sense enough to take a step back inside. Roxy was the first to speak and Christian wasn't aware the girl knew half the words that came out of her mouth. She was marching toward the cottage before anyone had time to react. Luke caught her as she reached the corner of the pool.
"Let me hit her,” Roxy yelled. “Just one good time."
"Go take care of it,” Curt said, pointing to several of the security guards before taking a look back at Christian. “I don't know how she got in here, Christian."
"Maybe she never left,” he said, his anger boiling hot. “We all know you've been fucking her for weeks now."
Curt started to speak but held his tongue. “I see her again Curt and she won't be the only one in deep shit. You work for us. Not the other way around!” He turned, walking back toward his cottage, stopping long enough to snatch his fallen towel from the ground.
Jessi knew if she stood up she'd fall flat on her face. She lost count of the drinks she'd had or the men who'd tried to talk to her. One glance up at them and they all turned away without saying a word.
She'd spent the better part of the evening roaming the casinos before finding a darkened corner in one of the hotel bars. Staring into glass after glass of whatever the waitress was bringing her hadn't cleared her thoughts in the least. If nothing else, it only made the sting worse.
How could she have been so stupid? Had Christian played her for a fool the entire time? Was the whole, “I've never been with anyone” thing just an act? Had he in fact been fucking Delilah on a regular basis?
If it was an act, he needed a fucking Oscar. She'd bought every blushing comment he made, every sweet little lie uttered past his perfect lips.
She laughed abruptly, earning a few looks for the other bar patrons but ignored them. A twenty-four year old virgin rock star. Sure. Why not? She laughed louder. Laughed until tears filled her eyes and her laughter turned to sobs. She'd cried enough already that her throat was raw from the effort, her eyes felt gritty and swollen yet she couldn't seem to stop. Her stomach rolled again, much like it had all day and she gagged moments before she jumped from the bench and ran. She just made it to the bathroom before the alcohol came back up and left her heaving for breath.
"Come on, sweetheart. It can't be that bad."
Jessi looked up through bloodshot eyes at the woman staring down at her. Her uniform told her she worked there.
"Are you staying here at the hotel?"
"Yes."
"What's your room number?” she said, reaching down and grabbing her by the arm.
When she was on her feet, she swayed, telling the woman what floor she was on and hoped like hell no one was waiting there for her.
Christian didn't know when Devin, Luke and Mick had left but they had managed to get his hand bandaged and right the bed for him. He'd been sitting on the floor, staring at the wreckage until his body had gone numb. The glass from the mirror had been picked up but he could still see tiny pieces of it glittering against the carpet from the overhead lights. The dining table and chairs were turned over, what he hadn't broken, and anything else that wasn't nailed down was strewn across the room from one end to the other.
After five years, he'd finally lived up to the rock star image. He'd trashed a hotel room, single-handedly, and managed to get a woman he wanted into his bed. And found another waiting naked for him. He laughed and shook his head, staring down at the floor between his bare feet.
He could still see the look on Jessi's face and knew what she thought. How could she not? He would have thought the same thing had the situation been reversed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come up with one thing to say to her that would possibly undo what had been done. Anything he said would sound like an excuse.
Someone knocked on the door and he didn't bother looking up when he saw a shadow on the floor. He knew it wasn't Jessi.
"How you feeling, kiddo?"
He snorted and felt tears burn in the back of his eyes. He blinked to stop them from falling. “Like shit. You?"
"Pretty much the same."
Roxy sat down beside him and leaned back against the wall. She didn't say anything, just sat there with him in silence.
"How did everything get so screwed up?” he finally asked.
"Most things in life worth having always get screwed up. It's nature's way of making you work for what you want. Nothing in life is free, you know. Not even happiness."
"If this is the price of happiness, I think I prefer to stay miserable."
"You don't mean that,” she said.
He sighed. She was right.
"Holly and I searched the hotel for her. She wasn't in her room and the place is too big for just two people to do a thorough search for one person. We had her paged but she never answered."
"I didn't much think she would. She's probably half way back to New York by now."
"I wouldn't bet on it."
"You didn't see the look on her face when she saw Delilah in my bed either. I've never had anyone look at me with so much contempt in my life. She probably cursed my name all the way to the airport."
She turned her head to him and smiled. “You're in love with her, aren't you? You don't have to say anything. I already know the answer. All anyone has to do is look at you when you're with her to know.” She sat quietly for long moments before sighing. “I'm going to give you a little piece of advice that you'll be much happier for if you take."
"And what's that?"
"Don't walk away. Don't let her walk away. She wouldn't have been so upset if she didn't care about you."
"You're mistaking anger for something else entirely."
"No I'm not. I saw her face when she ran out. I know the difference between anger and having your heart broke. It looks the same to most but if you know what to look for, you can tell the difference. She's hurt, not angry. Trust me. Now come here,” she said, holding her arms out to him. “Let me mother you a bit and whatever happens won't go any further than this room."
He laughed lightly and laid his head on her shoulder, letting her wrap her arms around him and felt tears burning his eyes again when she pulled him closer to her. He shut his eyes, forcing the tears away and knew even if he weren't able to stop them, Roxy would be true to her word. She wouldn't tell.
Nothing was working properly. Her camera's lens fogged up for some unknown reason. She couldn't get her fingers to hit the correct buttons to adjust the settings and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see anything without the picture being blurred by tears pooling in her eyes.
The rehearsal dinner was a joyous occasion and she'd spent most of the night moving around the room taking shots of people she didn't even know. She had less of Joan and Michael than she needed but every time she looked at them her heart broke a little bit more. They looked so happy. Everything in their world was just as it should be and a small part of her hated seeing them smile at each other so lovingly. Why should anyone be able to laugh when she felt so miserable?