Sly: Jagged Edge Series #4 Read online

  ~****~

  I waited half an hour before I decided to enter Nikki’s apartment building. I needed to make sure she wouldn’t suspect that I had been following her all this time. Giving her plenty of time to get settled, I headed up the three flights of stairs to her apartment. Knocking on her door, I waited for her to answer. I knew that she was inside, but didn’t understand what could be taking her so long to open the door.

  When she finally came to the door, she had a towel wrapped around her head like some sort of Arabian knight and a very skimpy pajama set on. Unable to stop staring at her, my eyes began scanning her body, starting at the base of those amazing lips all the way down to her perfectly painted toenails.

  Clearing her throat to get my attention, she asked, irritated, “Are you going to stand there and gawk all day or are you coming in?”

  Knowing an invitation when I heard one, I stepped past her into her small, but very clean apartment. Taking in the surroundings, there was something that just didn’t seem right about her place. For one thing, there was hardly any furniture, and for another, there weren’t any pictures on the walls. They were as bare as a padded cell. There was no evidence of who she was and what she liked. It looked more like a place to sleep and nothing more.

  Taking a seat on the couch, I watched her approach me and take a seat on the floor in front of me. It was kind of silly, really, knowing that there was plenty of room beside me for her to sit.

  Crossing her legs, Indian style, she asked, “So what are you doing here, Sly?”

  Taking in a breath, I replied, “What is going on with you, Nikki? Even though we haven’t known each other very long, I can guarantee that something is up with you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sly. What’s it to you anyway?” she countered.

  “I think you know exactly what I am talking about, and it is everything to me,” I retorted.

  “Well, you don’t need to worry about me, I can take care of myself. Always have.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” I began, sliding down the couch so that I was on the floor sitting next to her. “Something is going on with you and I think you may need some help.”

  The minute she looked up at me, I knew it was a cry for help. Those beautiful brown eyes took me inside to witness the pain she was holding back. Unable to resist them any longer, I dipped my head lower, until our lips met. Even though there was a hint of salt on them, they were the softest lips I had ever set my mouth on.

  When she didn’t resist, I pushed my tongue between her parted lips, allowing me to feel the warmth inside. As our tongues mingled together, soft moans of pleasure vibrated between them. Deepening the kiss, I pulled her closer and lifted her small frame off the floor and onto my lap. Nikki’s hands wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me even further inside the sweet depths of her warmth.

  Her hands began snaking through my hair, making me want to take her right there. Placing my hand along her back, I slowly guided her backwards until her back rested on the floor. Towering over her with her legs wrapped around me, I lowered myself to her and kissed her gently on her neck, breathing in her scent at the same time. I needed to have more of her.

  Tugging the bottom of her pajama top, I lifted it up over her head, exposing her very feminine lacy bra. Watching her breathing getting heavier, I placed my mouth at the top of her chest where I knew her rapid heartbeat could be felt and gently worked my way down her body, leaving soft petal-like kisses one after the other. Reaching between her ample breasts, finding the clasp of her bra, I unhooked it, revealing the smooth, silky mounds of her soft flesh. Placing one hand over her breast, I began caressing the soft skin while continuing my way down her body. Her skin was so silky soft, I couldn’t get enough of the feel as my mouth absorbed every inch of her.

  When her back began to arch, I knew that she was reeling in the pleasure I was giving her. Kissing and sucking her glorious skin was all I wanted to do. When I got to her tight stomach I dipped my tongue inside her cute belly button, driving her even closer to the point of pure ecstasy. With my free hand, I lowered her bottoms. With no effort, her bottoms were off and the only item of clothing remaining on her gorgeous body were her tiny lacy underwear, which should have been called ‘barely there to drive a man crazy’ panties.

  Nikki’s moans continued to echo in the small apartment, sending a surge of fire to my already hard dick. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold off. I only knew that I needed to be inside this woman. Trying to remove my own jeans, I heard her small, soft voice say, “Do you have a Johnny?”

  I had never heard a condom called that before, but I knew exactly what she was asking of me. “Yeah, baby, I got you covered,” I replied, pulling my wallet out from my back pocket.

  With my cock sheathed, I was more than ready to consume her. Positioning my cock at her entrance, I slowly began moving inside her. As her warmth coated me, I could feel my cock pulsating within her tight walls, causing it to get harder and harder. The way she felt was like bathing on a sunny day and getting an ice cream sundae all at once. The more I pushed, the tighter she gripped me. Her entrance was so tight, I was certain I was hurting her. It was almost like fucking a virgin. Raising my head, I looked into her hooded eyes. “Are you okay, baby?”

  “Yeah, keep going, I want to feel more of you,” she muttered.

  Her arms wrapped around my shoulders and I could feel the grip of her hands on my skin. As her hips rose upward, I knew that she was close. Lowering to my elbows, I kissed her gently on the lips, feeling her moans of pleasure vibrating between us. Her grip tightened as I pushed even further inside. The heavens above must have heard her scream of ecstasy because a clap of thunder echoed in the darkness as her body let go with such force that my own release consumed me. Our bodies melted together as one as I took her once again, leaving her body and mind fully satisfied.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Nikki

  I had no idea what happened last night. All I knew was that I couldn’t let it happen again. As good as it felt, I couldn’t let this man get close to me. Not now, not while my life was in someone else’s control. The best thing I could do was to chalk this off as a one-night stand and move on.

  Looking over my shoulder at Sly lying there in all his perfect gorgeousness, I pushed from the bed to take a much-needed shower. As I lifted off the bed, I felt a soft grip on my hand. As I took in his magnificent body, he asked, with a gruff tone, “Where are you going, beautiful?”

  “I need to shower,” I replied.

  “What time is it, anyway?” he asked.

  “It’s almost six. I have things I need to do today.”

  “You go take your shower and I’ll get us some breakfast,” he yawned, throwing the covers from his body, exposing the hard lines of his muscles.

  “I usually don’t eat breakfast, but coffee would be nice.”

  “Then coffee it is.”

  I could have stood there all day watching him, but I knew what we had and it had to end. Walking to the door, I took one last look at him before I headed to the bathroom. I knew I didn’t have much time before he would be back. I needed to shower fast and make sure I wasn’t here when he got back.

  ~****~

  After taking the quickest ten-minute shower I had ever taken, I hurried and got dressed. Twenty minutes later I was dressed and on my way out the door before Sly got back. Grabbing my cell, I stuffing it in my pocket along with some cash, and I locked my door and headed out.

  As I exited the building there was one thing I knew I needed to take care of, and that was to find out if I still had a job. It had been three weeks since I had contacted the Happy Cow. For all I knew, my job would be gone and some other bimbo with big boobs would be the new barista.

  Hailing a cab, which I really couldn’t afford, I headed to Midtown. Twenty bucks later, I was dropped off in front of the small coffee shop. Nothing had changed since I left, except maybe the new special for the day, ‘Tall latte with your choi
ce of a Blueberry Scone or a Blueberry Muffin for $7.99,’ which Erin had written in neon colors so it could be seen blocks away. She was always doing stuff like that to attract customers.

  It was still early enough, just after seven, and the Happy Cow hadn’t opened yet for its rush of coffee drinkers. It was the perfect time to find out what my fate would be. Unlocking the door with the key, I entered the shop, re-locking the door before I headed to the back of the shop. I spotted Erin sitting at her desk going through the sales receipts that I assumed were from the day before. I remember when I first got hired, she told me that coffee was her life; growing up in Brazil, her family owned a coffee plantation. Even though she was pretty young when they sold their home and moved to the States, she would never forget her countless days she spent working the plantation and preparing the beans for processing.

  Knocking on the door, I waited for her to see me. “Entrar,” she said, without so much as a gaze my way.

  Opening the door, I knew the minute she looked up that she was surprised to see me. Sitting in the chair next to her cluttered desk, I said in a timid voice, “Hey.”

  “We’ve missed you,” Erin said with a smile.

  “I know, it’s been super crazy the past few weeks,” I replied

  “Well, you’re back now, hopefully to stay for a while. I kept your position open. Had you come a week later it would have been filled,” she stated.

  “So I still have my job?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Barely.”

  “Thanks, Erin. I’ll get my apron and get to work.”

  This couldn’t have been a better day for me. I still had my job and Erin wasn’t angry that I didn’t contact her all those weeks I was gone. Grabbing an apron from the hook where all of the newly laundered aprons hung, I placed the strap over my head and cinched the tie around my waist. It was getting close to opening time and it looked like everything was already in place for the day.

  Taking the keys from my pocket, I walked over to the door and unlocked it. It didn’t surprise me to find that Sly was waiting to enter on the other side. My perfect day just turned into a shit day by the way he was glaring at me through the glass. I could have kept the door locked and walked away, but I knew there was no time like the present to face what I knew was going to be an ass chewing.

  Pulling the door open, I turned and walked back to the counter, but not before addressing his presence. “How did you find me, Sly?”

  Without so much as “Hey, how are you. Where the fuck did you go?” he glared back at me before settling his hands on the small checkout counter. Turning his body, there was that glare again, only this time it was followed by his anger. “What the fuck, Nikki? You knew I was going to be right back. Why would you leave like that?”

  “Yeah, well… you took too long and I needed to be here,” I mumbled. “You still haven’t answered me.”

  “And… you couldn’t have picked up your phone and let me know you needed to take off.”

  “I was in a hurry and didn’t have time.” My explanation was beginning to go from bad to worse.

  “Not believing it, Nikki,” he confessed.

  Rolling my eyes at him, I pushed past him to take my place behind the coffee bar. Busying myself with preparing the espresso machine, I heard a big sigh from Sly. I knew he was getting frustrated as hell, but I couldn’t let him know the real reason for not being at my apartment when he returned. As much as I knew that I wasn’t any good for him, it didn’t mean that I didn’t want him.

  Throwing his hands up in the air, I watched as he headed to the entrance of the coffee shop. I couldn’t let him leave this way. “Sly,” I called out waiting for him to turn. “I’m sorry. Things are just really complicated in my life right now.”

  “I get it, Nikki. I know when I am being blown off,” he admitted.

  “It’s not like that,” I corrected.

  “It seems pretty clear to me,” he paused, shaking his head. “Catch you on the flip side.”

  The small bell rang as he opened the door. Just like that, he was gone. I couldn’t let him just leave like that without a better explanation. Rounding the counter, I jogged to the door and opened it. He must have heard that damn bell, because he stopped in his tracks and turned to face me.

  Lowering my head, I walked up to him and said softly, “Can you please not be this way? Everything is just so… so messed up right now. I like being with you. I just need to work some stuff out.”

  “What’s going on with you, Nikki? What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours that you can’t tell me?” Sly questioned softly, placing his hand on my cheek.

  As I looked up at him, I knew he was concerned for me. When his head lowered, I wanted to back away from him, but my heart took over and I allowed him to place a tender kiss on my wanting lips. It didn’t matter that we were kissing in the middle of the sidewalk and being stared at by the people passing by, some of which were whistling as they walked past us.

  When our kiss broke, my body was on fire. The way Sly kissed me left me wanting even more, but PDA in the middle of the sidewalk wasn’t the place to get my fill of this gorgeous guy. Lifting my chin, I looked up at him with lustful eyes. Sly leaned over and gently kissed my forehead before saying, “We’ll talk when you get off.”

  Nodding my head, I turned back to the shop, controlling my need to look back and watch him get into his Jeep. No sooner than I got behind the counter, the coffee shop began filling with patrons wanting their morning fix. There was one thing good about being busy, at least I wouldn’t be thinking about Sly.

  ~****~

  Once again, I was ducking out before Sly had the chance to quiz me about what was going on. I knew he would be back, but I didn’t want to wait for him to show up.

  My body was sore and achy from my workout yesterday and my first day back to work. I knew I needed a lot more training, but the way I felt, I nixed the workout and decided to go home and relax; after all, tomorrow was another day. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen in the next couple of days, but I suspected that soon one of Carlos Giordano’s men would be paying me a visit. Carlos wasn’t a very nice man. Ever since I was thirteen, he made sure that his investment was working hard making every cent he could. That investment was me. All 50k’s of it.

  Day after day, I worked my ass off so I could get out from under this evil man. I could have told Carlos to go fuck himself, but there was one thing he knew that no one else did, and that one thing gave him the control he needed to keep me making his dirty money for him. I had paid that man three times over, but that didn’t matter. As long as I was still alive and able to fight, he was going to claim every dime he could from me.

  Locking the door, I walked the few blocks to the subway. My tips for the day pretty much sucked. It didn’t help that I was crabby all day after my run-in with Sly. And now I was ditching him again to avoid being interrogated.

  Reaching the turnstile, I quickly swiped my Metrocard and headed to the train platform. It didn’t take long before the train pulled up and the doors opened. Even though I didn’t care for taking the subway, it was still the least expensive way to travel. A taxi would have been much better. At least I would have been home sooner and wouldn’t have had to deal with all the strange people that ride the subway. I think that every year it was getting worse and worse. I have a sneaky suspicion that soon there will be a subway patrol assigned to make sure the people riding them are kept safe.

  Reaching the end of the line, I walked the few blocks to my home. This was another thing that I hated. By the time I got off work at night, it was dark, and walking the few blocks to my apartment building in the neighborhood that I lived in wasn’t exactly the best scenario. Even though I had never been attacked by anyone, there was definitely that risk.

  Reaching my building, I recognized the red Rubicon parked out in front. Stopping beside it, I took a quick look inside to see that Sly wasn’t sitting behind the driver's seat. That could only mean one thing, he h
ad to be waiting for me inside. Bowing my head in defeat, I knew I couldn’t stay out in the dark and wait until he left. It was time that I manned up to face the music.

  It looked liked the elevator had finally been fixed, but I chose instead to walk up the three flights of stairs to my apartment. It would give me some time to think about what kind of story I was going to tell Sly during our talk. Climbing the last step, I looked down the hall to see that Sly was standing with his body leaning against the wall. His attention was on his cell phone, so he hadn’t seen me yet. I could have just sat on the stairs and waited for him to leave, but eventually he would be coming my way, and I would be caught and would have to come up with another explanation as to why I was sitting in the stairwell. Taking in a much-needed breath, I held my head high and walked toward him.