Chapter 2
LEILA’S VENGENCE
Trapped between crying, cursing herself, and ecstasy, Leila sucked in a breath to hold it all in. Her lips stilled against his neck, her hands clasped around Henrik’s shoulders for dear life.
Henrik.
Shit. It actually happened, and it happened with Henrik.
She’d lost her mind this time. That satanic answering machine with its chippy, nasal voice. Not a single ounce of sadness entered her body upon the realization that her so-called boyfriend cheated on her. Not even a drop. It was pure anger that captivated her. She suddenly saw the world in red flashes, and it was either get out of the house, or demolish his pussified Corvette with a hockey stick.
She didn’t necessarily want to go to jail, so she left. She walked the streets, pacing out her aggression and cursing Derek to damnation. Yeah, she was probably really lucky she didn’t go to jail.
When the haze finally faded, she found herself at the Regency. She could have lied and told herself she’d come for Austin. That would have been a natural reaction—seek out your big brother for comfort. Leila wasn’t one for natural reactions, apparently. She stepped foot inside those sliding glass doors for one reason only.
Henrik. She wanted Henrik. Hell, she’d always wanted Henrik.
He turned his cheek, and she knew it was his silent way of checking if she was still alive. She’d never felt this alive in her life. She tucked a piece of his blond hair behind his ear. She’d hate him for it tomorrow, but right now, she just wanted to pretend the Henrik in her dreams was real.
He shifted beneath her, and she winced. She hadn’t thought this through at all. Next thing she knew, his lips smiled against her. “Sorry,” he barely said aloud. “Trying to take it slow. Not easy.”
She nodded, wondering if he could see how much effort she took not to move. Every part of her screamed. It was embarrassing.
Suddenly, his hand steadied on her hip. Her fingers instantly embedded in his shoulders again. He kissed her neck, willing her to relax, and her body followed his direction flawlessly. Definitely embarrassing.
“I’ve got you,” he assured her.
She couldn’t help but smile. His accent was more prevalent. Maybe that meant he was nervous too. She really hoped he was nervous too.
He moved again, and again. Conscious thought was an impossibility. She’d never felt this way, completely consumed by the present. It was ridiculous how one simple move of his hips could erase her thoughts and numb her heart. It had to be the end, but as the sensation continued to roar throughout her body, there was more. Much more.
She was lost in him. Henrik’s lips, his painted and sculpted body, engulfing her from every angle. He guided her, washing away the nerves and the pain, replacing it with something much more powerful. Something she’d never forget.
She wasn’t sure how it happened, but he still held her limp body firmly around him. Her legs shook with weakness as his weight pinned her against the wall. Her breath was ragged and sharp, her mind fuzzy. He set her feet gently on the floor, but her legs collapsed beneath her. He followed her down, kneeling between her thighs, and she could feel his gaze on her. Roaming her body, taking her in.
Slowly, the fog of lust drifted from her eyes, her body floating down from the high. He reached up and pushed her scarlet curls away from her eyes, his own clouded with questions. “You dated Derek for two years,” he managed to stutter out.
Her head fell against the wall, her chest still heaving as she rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t remind me.”
She didn’t want to talk about it. Admitting she wasted two years of her life on a piece of lying scum wasn’t exactly on her to do list, especially with Henrik.
“Leila.” His voice was suddenly firm and serious. “I just took—”
She jerked up straight, a flash of the former anger she felt lashing through her. “What do you want me to say? I wanted to wait until I was married to have sex. Having standards doesn’t give him the right to cheat on me.”
His brows drew together. “Of course not. That’s not what I meant. I just wish I would have…known.”
Having finally caught her breath, she attempted to stand, only to find her legs still too weak, so she sat back down. “You would have said no?”
He leaned away from her, studying her tight features. “No, but maybe the bathroom at the Regency wouldn’t have been my first choice of venue.”
She snorted at the absurdity of his suggestion. “Because where you take some girl’s virginity is that important to you.”
It was cruel, but it was Henrik. He deserved cruel. However, it didn’t stop his jaw from gaping. “I thought we determined that you weren’t ‘some girl,’ and even if you were, I do have standards.”
She gave him a ‘yeah, right’ look.
“They may be a little lower than yours,” he spat back at her, “but I’m not a total asshole.”
Leila finally gained enough strength to stand. “You had sex with ninety percent of the girls in my dorm my freshman year of college. You remember that? In fact, if I recall correctly, you visited two different girls on my hall in one night.”
He stood too, folding his arms over his chest. “They weren’t virgins,” he growled down at her. “And they weren’t you. Though, if I remember correctly, you were too stuck up to even say hello to me.”
“You mean I didn’t stop to fawn at your feet on your way down the hall to screw the second girl for the night? Forgive me for my insensitivity.”
“They called me. You know, very similar to the way you showed up at my door tonight.”
She grabbed her bra from around the faucet handle, mad at herself.
She had to stop pretending. Henrik would never be anything more than a skirt-chasing asshole, just like Derek would never be a gentleman. Men weren’t capable of perfection.
“And you didn’t disappoint,” she snapped over her shoulder, turning away from him to fasten her bra.
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
She turned around in circles, searching for her dress. “It’s not.”
He snatched the flimsy fabric off the floor before she could reach it and pointed it at her. “You’re not playing fair. You don’t get to come here and proposition me, and then look down on me because I said yes.”
“Give me my dress so I can leave.” She jutted her chin out, trying to hold it together.
“I took your virginity, Leila.” He spoke the words slowly, exaggerating each syllable. “Why don’t you show some emotion about that for just one moment?”
“Why?” she scoffed. “What difference does it make? There are no knights in shining armor. There are assholes like Derek who lie about their escapades, or openly promiscuous pricks like you. I simply chose the lesser of two evils.”
She held her hand out for the dress, and trembled despite her best effort to control it. He tucked it underneath his arm. “And you think I’m callous? Do you even hear yourself?”
She stepped forward and ripped the dress out of his arms. “I’ve lost all faith in the male species. I guess that’s what four years of college with you, and two years of dating him will do to a girl. You should feel honored.”
He watched her as she put on the dress, his jaw clenching tightly. It only spiked her anger. He didn’t have the right to judge her after everything he’d done. She glanced at the tiny silver watch on her wrist and sneered at him. “And look, it’s still early. You may still have time to go two for two tonight.”
Heat flushed his face, and an air of satisfaction swelled over her. She grabbed the doorknob, but Henrik’s hand covered hers first.