Best Friends' Reckless Cravings

9. Exclusive Plaything

"f**k no," Lena repeated, scrambling backward off the bed, wiping his c*m from her face with the back of her hand. "You think I'm going to be your exclusive little plaything for sixty days?"

Alex sat up, confused. "That's not it."

"That's exactly what you're saying!" She grabbed her clothes from the floor. "Sixty days of me being only yours, and then what? You disappear to another country and I'm supposed to just accept that? It's always about control with you!" She pulled on her skirt angrily, not caring that his release was still drying on her skin.

His jaw tightened. "I fired you for a good reason—"

"And I'm supposed to thank you for making choices for me without even telling me?"

Cold silence settled between them.

"You know, sometimes you need other people's help in seeing what you truly need, what's good and what's bad for you. Just like Zentharis."

"Alex." Her voice went deadly quiet. "What did you do to Zentharis?"

He looked away. "I bought it."

"You what?"

"I bought it to protect you from Theo and-"

"To control me!" Lena was screaming now. "That place was mine! The only place where I could be me, and you took it? You fire me without asking. You cancel my membership at the only place I felt free. And now you want me locked down as your personal toy?"

"It's protection-"

"I don't need your protection! I need my freedom!" Tears burned behind her eyes. "You're just like Jax. Telling me where I can go, can do, can be with—"

"I'm nothing like him," Alex growled, standing.

"Aren't you?" She buttoned her blouse with shaking fingers. "He wanted to control me too. Keep me locked up. And you're doing the same thing, just with more money."

"That's not fair. It would be us exploring together, not solely about me."

"Under your rules. Your timeline." She shook her head. "I've been chasing you for so long, Alex. And this is what you offer me? A sixty-day cage?"

He crossed the room in two strides, grabbing her arm. "Lena, listen—"

"Let go."

Instead, he pulled her closer. His hands were in her hair, dragging her toward him, his mouth crashing against hers.

For one weak second, she kissed him back, tasting the desperation, feeling the heat, the way his body pressed against hers with that hunger she'd been craving.

Then she shoved him away.

"No." She wiped her mouth. "You don't get to kiss me and erase the fact that you're trying to control my entire life."

"I'm trying to keep you safe!"

"I don't want safe!" Her voice cracked. "I want wild. I want freedom. I want to explore every fantasy I've ever had without someone telling me when and how and with whom."

Alex stared at her, that war playing out behind his eyes.

But he said nothing.

"That's what I thought." Lena turned toward the door. "Don't follow me. Don't call. We're done."

"Lena—"

She didn't let herself look back. She walked out past his romantic setup that had turned into a disaster, and didn't break until she reached her car.

***

Five Days Later

Lena's vibrator sat on the nightstand, batteries dead.

She'd gone through three sets in five days.

"f**k you, Alex Voss," she muttered to her ceiling, hand between her legs again, growing wet despite everything. No amount of self-pleasure seemed to satisfy her.

Because it wasn't just any c**k she wanted. It was his. Thick and heavy, the way it had felt in her mouth, the way he'd tasted. She closed her eyes, fingers moving faster over her c**t, imagining him over her, inside her, filling her—

Five days of this torture. Five days of hating him and wanting him and touching herself to memories of what they'd almost had.

Her apartment was a disaster. Takeout containers everywhere, wine bottles lined up like soldiers, her laptop closed, job applications abandoned. Who could focus when c**k-starved?

Until the knock at her door.

Her heart lurched and she jumped up.

'Please let it be Alex begging.'

Another knock came as she hurriedly pulled on gray sweatpants and one of his old college hoodies she'd stolen years ago—back when they were just friends and she could pretend the way it smelled like him didn't turn her on. She kept her hair in the same messy knot.

She looked like exactly what she was: a jobless mess who'd spent the last five days alternating between rage-crying and getting herself off.

"Lena." His deep voice filtered through the door. "I know you're there."

She pressed her palm against the wood, feeling the slight vibration of his presence on the other side. Her n*****s tightened against the soft cotton of his hoodie.

Traitor body.

If she opened this door and he looked at her with those piercing blue eyes, she might jump on him and f**k him in that hallway.

'God help me.' She opened the door.

Alex stood there in a black suit. His tie was loosened, top button undone, dark hair falling across his forehead like he'd been running his fingers through it. Those ice-blue eyes swept over her, taking in every detail of her disaster, and something hot flared in their depths.

"Can I come in?"

"Can I punch you in your face?"

His lips twitched, almost a smile. "If it makes you feel better."

Lena stepped aside because what else could she do? Alex walked past her, and the clean sandalwood scent of him made her knees weak.

"Why am I responding to just his scent instead of throwing something at his head?" Her inner voice.

"What do you want?" The words came out breathless instead of angry. "You've got five minutes."

In reality, those five minutes were for her, for how long she could last before stripping and begging him to touch her.

He stepped closer, holding up a black shopping bag. "I have something for you."

"I don't want your gifts," she said, not stepping back.

"It's not a gift. It's an invitation."

Her stomach flipped. "To what?"

"Zentharis reopening party tonight. New management, new rules." He paused. "I want you there."

"Why would I go anywhere with you?"

"Because I'm giving it back to you. I want your say in everything." His eyes held hers. "You want freedom? Take it. It's yours."

Lena stared at him, speechless.

"And your job, you're rehired. Different department if you want." He stepped closer. "Everything is your choice, Lena. That's what I'm offering."

She wanted to stay angry. She really did. But he looked wrecked, and she'd spent days imagining this moment, imagining him crawling back, and now here he was and her stupid heart was hammering and—

"Why, Alex?"

His eyes darkened. "Because I haven't slept in days. Because every time I close my eyes I see you walking away. Because I made you an offer and you deserve a better version of it."

He reached out, fingers brushing her jaw, and she shivered. "Sixty days of whatever you want. Your rules. Your limits. I'm in your world now, Len." He swallowed hard. "I've been setting up this masked party for days, hoping you'd..."

"Hoping I'd what?"

"Come back to me. Even if you have to explore with someone else, just... be in my life, Lena. Don't shut me out completely."

The words hung between them, weighted with more than just the pact. Her breath came faster. His thumb traced her lower lip, and she itched to close the distance.

"We're going to ruin each other," she whispered.

"Yeah." His forehead touched hers. "But I'm done pretending I don't want to."

Her fingers curled into his shirt, and for a long moment they just breathed each other in. Then he stepped back, raising the bag again.

"It's for the party. If you want to come."

Lena took the bag. Their fingers brushed, and the contact sent electricity up her arm. Inside, nested in tissue paper, she pulled out the pieces one by one.

A black leather corset top that laced up the back and high-waisted shorts that would barely cover her ass. Thigh-high stockings. Cat ears sleeker than her old ones. Different colored masks. Panties with garter straps. A harness-style top that was more straps than coverage. Glittery star-shaped pasties.

"Wow..." She almost licked her lips.

"Pick your favorite. It's starting at eleven, so you have time to decide. I'll be waiting downstairs for you, Ms. Martinez." He patted her hair and turned to leave.

"Alex..."

He stopped, looking back.

"Will you f**k me right tonight?"

Alex dragged his gaze over her one more time, lingering on the hoodie.

"Only one way to find out.”