“Just stop it, Cole. Just let me go,” she begged, not really struggling, but not leaning back into me either.

Okay, so I really wasn’t getting what the big deal was. Maybe it was the fact that it was almost one in the morning. Or maybe it had to do with the whiskey I had just downed. Maybe it was the serious case of blue balls that had my nuts in a vice. Whatever the reason, I was having a seriously hard time figuring out what was going on.

“Are you really that mad at me?” I scoffed, hardly able to believe that my moronic screw up could upset her that badly. Vivian was made of harder stuff than that. Which is why she was such a cool chick.

Vivian pulled away and I was left standing there, grasping at air. I felt a shift in her demeanor. The vibe in the room was anything but happy, happy, good times. It sucked.

“I’m just sick and tired of feeling like a joke to you! You f**k other girls and I scream and make an idiot of myself. You decide you want my company and I jump at the chance to be there. You feel the need to try your crazy sex shenanigans and I’m your happy little guinea pig. I’m over it, Cole! Freaking over it!” she said firmly, her voice rising.

I laughed. Bad response, I know. But I couldn’t help it.

“Is this for real? You seriously think that?” I asked incredulously. How could I listen to this shit with a straight face when it was so damn ridiculous?

Vivian threw her hands in the air and groaned. “See! This is exactly what I’m talking about!”

Enough was enough!

I pulled the back of her robe and pressed her flush against my front. “Stop it, okay? This is stupid! We’re not here for this shit. We’re here for this,” I murmured in her ear, tracing the round curve with my tongue. I moaned low and deep as I released the tie of her robe and reached my hand inside to find her boob.

I gave it a proper squeeze, followed by a stinging slap for good measure. Vivian gasped and looked at me over her shoulder, her eyes hooded. She was turned on. But she didn’t want to be turned on. I loved it when she challenged me like that.

“Fuck me, Viv. You know you want to,” I whispered, my lips a breath from hers. My hand released her tit and traveled down to the mound between her legs. I tiptoed my fingers to the warm wetness I knew was waiting for me.

“You want me to touch you. You want me to f**k you with my fingers. You want me to make you come all. Night. Long.” I moaned again as I slowly pushed my finger inside her.

Her knees started to quiver and I knew I had her. I closed my eyes as I started to bite down on the still wet skin of her shoulder, while I rubbed my raging hard on up and down her ass crack.

And then she was pulling away again. My eyes snapped open to find her tightening the belt around her waist. Denied again.

And this time, I couldn’t help it. I got pissed. Really, really pissed.

“Since when are you a f**king c**k tease?” I demanded, running my fingers that still smelled like her through my hair. I was so aroused it was painful. And no amount of jerking off was going to help.

I wanted sex. With Vivian. Now!

“You are such an insensitive ass!” she hissed and I was officially done with this conversation.

I advanced on her and watched in satisfaction as she retreated until her back was pressed against the wall. I leaned in, my face dangerously close to hers.

“Do you know how many women would kill to be here with me right now? Do you get how special you should feel because I chose you?” I shouted into her face that was almost at level with mine.

It was a dickish and egotistical thing to say. I should have probably chosen my words a bit more wisely. Particularly if I ever hoped to have this woman in my bed again. And telling her she was one of many wasn’t the way to do it.

But I was so f**king angry I couldn’t see straight. She had led me around by my balls all night and I was sick and tired of it.

I loved the roller coaster. I loved the highs and lows of being around Vivian. But right now, with her indignant fury staring up at me, I wanted to throw something.

So I did.

I picked the lamp up off the bedside table and threw it across the room. It smashed with a satisfying bang on the opposite wall. Vivian didn’t even flinch.

“Happy now?” I growled, curling my hand into a fist and punching it into the wall by her head. Not hard enough to dent or to scare her. But with enough force to make myself clear.

She was sick and tired? Well I was sick and tired.

“I’m outta here,” I said suddenly, pushing myself off the wall and away from Vivian who hadn’t moved an inch.

“Where are you going?” she demanded, still clutching that stupid robe tight to her body like a damn shield.

I yanked on my jeans. I grabbed my wallet and room key and threw open the door.

I looked back at Vivian, to where she stood in the middle of the room, looking a mixture of angry, hurt, and confused.

She wasn’t the only one.

I was feeling all of those things and worse. I felt defeated.

Vivian had defeated me. She had worn me down and run me over.

I needed to get drunk.

And laid.

And not particularly in that order.

“Don’t worry about it,” I tossed over my shoulder before slamming the door behind me.

Of course I’d come back. And when I did I’d f**k her into an apology. We’d make up and all would be like it was before. We both just needed to cool down. And I needed to blow off some steam.

Then everything would be fine.

11