The Man I Thought I Knew Read online

  Then I got off him and handed him the tissue box. “Good job.”

  He rolled off the condom, wiped off, and then lay there. “You did all the work, sweetheart.”

  “Yeah, but you gave me a reason to work.” I got back into bed on the other side, keeping space between us because we were both hot and sweaty. I turned over and faced the other way, my ass and back to him.

  His hand went to my ass, and he rested it there, his fingers squeezing one cheek. “Your body is beautiful.”

  I smiled as I kept my eyes closed. “You can thank Pilates for that. What do you do?”

  “Running and weights.” His hand moved up to my back then followed the curve from my waist to my chest. His fingers moved farther up until they went into the back of my hair, lightly touching the strands. “You two made up?”

  “Hmm?” I was already starting to fall asleep.

  “You and Charlie.”

  “Oh…yeah. We talked it out. We’re fine now.”

  “I’m glad.” His hand returned to my ass. “I was surprised—”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s getting late. Can you let yourself out?” I didn’t want to do pillow talk. I just wanted sex. It was like a hair appointment. Get in and out in thirty minutes. No reason to overthink it.

  He was still for a while before he pulled his hand away and got out of bed. He picked up his clothes from the floor and pulled them on. When he was ready, he walked out of my bedroom and shut the door behind him.

  I fell asleep almost instantly.

  Dax grabbed the bowling ball then carried it to the lane.

  “That is one tight ass…” Denise nudged me in the side.

  Charlie’s gaze shifted to hers.

  “One gorgeous ass,” Kat said.

  “Man, I love denim.” Matt stared with the same intensity, not caring about his bowling abilities at all.

  Dax got a strike, so he was actually pretty good.

  But none of us cheered, still mesmerized by that excellent ass.

  “Yay!” I clapped and nudged Kat in the side.

  “Oh yeah.” She clapped with everyone else. “Good job!”

  He wore a slight smile, as if he knew exactly what happened like he had eyes in the back of his head. He came back to the spot beside me and took a seat.

  Dax’s head was turned my way, and he stared at me.

  When the stare became impossible to ignore, I turned to face him and met his look.

  His arm moved over the back of my shoulders, and he kissed me. It was simple and short, but coming from him, it was so sexy. With those rugged lips, his kiss was practically deadly. “I read your article.”

  “Which one?” My eyes narrowed in surprise because I hadn’t expected him to take an interest in my work.

  “All of them. But I’m referring to the one you did about ISIS, how they originated because of the war with Iraq, how they’ve grown in power, how their presence has completely changed the country and created a problem no one could have foreseen.”

  Wow, so he’d read the whole thing. “What did you think? And don’t worry, you can’t hurt my feelings.”

  “I believe that.” He wore a slight grin like he’d made some kind of joke. “You’re a great writer.”

  “Yeah?” I asked, loving positive feedback because I thrived on it. If someone disagreed, it turned into a debate that lasted hours. But when someone praised me, it was music to my ears.

  “Yeah. I read the paper every day, so I’d already read your articles over the years. But I went back and refreshed my memory.”

  “You read the paper?” I asked in surprise.

  “A lot of people do.”

  “I know… I’m just surprised you do.”

  He stared at me for a long time, the sound of balls colliding with pins in the background, the pop music over the speakers. “Why? You don’t know anything about me.”

  Touché. “Well, thank you for the compliment. It means a lot.”

  He continued to stare at me, like this wasn’t over. “Do you want to know anything about me?”

  “Sure. What sport do you follow religiously? Mine is basketball.”

  He stared at me with his serious eyes, like that question was off-putting. “Football and baseball.”

  “Ooh…I love baseball. We should go to a game—”

  “Do you want to know anything real about me?” The question wasn’t hostile, but his eyes burned into mine as he urged me forward, as he pushed my buttons and purposely made me uncomfortable.

  “Oh, look.” I pointed to the scoreboard. “My turn.” I got out of the chair and grabbed my ball. I only hit a few pins, but I’d never been good at the game. I just enjoyed playing it. When I returned to my chair, I assumed that awkward conversation was over.

  But he didn’t let it go. “You don’t care what I do for a living? What if I’m a janitor?”

  “Is there something wrong with being a janitor?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  His features slowly changed, as if he didn’t expect me to say that.

  “Whether you’re a janitor or some suit on Wall Street, it doesn’t matter to me. If you want to share your life with me, you’re always welcome. But no, I don’t care about how you earn a living.”

  “You’re up, Dax,” Charlie said.

  Dax continued to sit beside me, looking me in the eye and ignoring my friends as they watched us. Then he leaned in and kissed me before he got to his feet and walked to retrieve his ball.

  And we swooned over his ass again.

  When we finished with our games, we said goodbye and parted ways.

  “I’ll see you back at the apartment.” Charlie gave me a high five before he headed up the street with Matt.

  Dax looked down at me, his arm curling around my waist and pulling me close.

  It was hard to look at this man and not think about sex. A man that beautiful was supposed to make all women around him wet, make their ovaries scream, make them desperate to have him.

  I grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the street, taking him into a dark alleyway.

  “Where are we going?”

  I pulled him behind a dumpster, putting my back to the wall and tugging him close. My hands went to his jeans and got them undone.

  “Your apartment is just a few blocks away.”

  “But I want you now.” I pulled his jeans and boxers down slightly until his cock popped out. He could pretend he wasn’t into this, but his hard dick said otherwise. I lifted up my dress, pulled my thong to the side, and hooked my leg around his hip. My hand cupped the back of his neck, and I pulled him in for a kiss, kissing him hard, kissing him like I’d never wanted a man more. “Fuck me, Dax.”

  His fingers dug into my bare thigh, and he moaned against my mouth, getting rock hard at the spontaneity and the dirty talk. He ground against me as he devoured my mouth, and a few minutes later, he pulled a condom from his pocket and rolled it on.

  I knew a man like him carried protection everywhere he went—because he could get laid at any moment.

  He shoved himself inside me and fucked me hard against the wall, the sounds of pedestrians and cars on the main street loud. Sirens went off in the background, an ambulance speeding down the street. The city was never quiet, so our moans and grunts were drowned out.

  I held on to his shoulders as I felt him pound me against the wall, my lips pressing into his neck to silence my screams when he made me come. “Dax…yes.” My mouth moved to his ear, and I panted. “Yes…yes…god.”

  He grunted as he fucked me harder, coming a few seconds later. He gripped me hard as he finished, pumping inside me while he filled the condom. He lingered for a few moments before he pulled away, revealing that hot, lustful expression in his eyes, like fucking me in the alleyway only made him want to fuck me again.

  Like the lady that I was, I readjusted my panties, pushed down my dress, and then fixed my hair like nothing happened.

  He rolled off the condom and tossed it in
to the dumpster, which was convenient. Then he pulled up his bottoms and adjusted himself like he hadn’t just had hot and dirty sex a minute ago.

  I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the alleyway. “Come on, let’s get a hot dog. I’m starving.”

  Seven

  Charlie

  The girls walked away and headed to the dance floor, all three of them immediately standing out because they were beautiful and fun. They spun around and took up more room than they needed because they were the life of the party.

  I watched Denise in her black dress, the way it hugged her sexy curves in all the right places. Carson was a thin brunette, with green eyes and fair skin. Denise was blond with blue eyes, and she looked so different from Carson, it was hard to believe they were related. That was probably why I found Denise sexy and Carson…like a little sister who could throw a good punch.

  Matt slapped me on the back. “Dude, there’re a ton of other women to drool over. Forget about her.”

  Dax had been staring at them too, his eyes focused on Carson. But now, he turned to me, his hand wrapped around his short glass of scotch. He stood across from us, in an olive-green t-shirt and black jeans.

  His expression was difficult to read, but I wanted to make sure he didn’t make the wrong assumption. “He’s talking about Denise.”

  Dax took a drink before he licked his lips. His expression was exactly the same, so maybe he hadn’t assumed we were talking about Carson. “Why don’t you go for it?”

  “It’s complicated.” I held my beer and glanced at them.

  “Really complicated,” Matt said. “Charlie and Kat were together for two years before he ended it. Going after Denise will cause a lot of problems.”

  Dax stared at the girls again, his eyes on Carson, who stopped to laugh about something that just happened. “What’s the deal with Carson?”

  “Meaning…?” I wouldn’t sell her secrets or betray her trust, so I decided to act dumb. There’d been guys before Dax who wanted more and never got it. The no-strings relationship was great in the beginning, but then they realized it wasn’t enough.

  “She hasn’t asked me a single question since we met. That deal.” He brought his glass to his lips again and took a drink.

  I shrugged. “She likes to keep it casual.”

  He shook his glass. “This isn’t casual. This is sterile.”

  That was the best description I’d heard.

  Matt intervened. “You get to nail a cool, sexy chick. So, I’d just leave it alone.”

  Dax shifted his gaze to him and watched him for a long time. He was different from the other guys Carson usually brought. He didn’t say much, but it wasn’t because he was shy. He was clearly confident. He was strong. He always drank scotch and fit into the group without needing to make small talk. “You’ve had this conversation before.”

  “A bit,” Matt said with a shrug.

  Dax looked at me again.

  The stare was so intense, I felt obligated to speak. “She’s not going to change, so I wouldn’t bother.”

  “And you aren’t going to tell me why?” Dax asked.

  Matt and I looked at each other before we shook our heads. “Sorry, man. We take our secrets to the grave.”

  Dax turned back to Carson and stared at her while keeping his hand on his drink. He drank from his glass as he watched, his eyes trained and unblinking. She was a target, and he wouldn’t miss. “I’ve been with a lot of women who say they want something casual. But that never lasts. After they see you for a while, they push for something more. Carson is the first woman I’ve ever been with who actually means what she says.”

  I hardly knew the guy, but there was something I liked about him. He was calm and collected, good-looking, carried himself well, like he was a sergeant or something. He didn’t annoy us with obnoxious conversation or comments. He was the kind of man that could complement Carson because he seemed supportive of her career rather than intimidated. He found her opinions interesting rather than off-putting. And he didn’t look fragile, like he could handle her coldness, could put up with her complications instead of fueling them. “Yeah, she’s pretty literal.”

  He downed the rest of his scotch then wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb. “I’m gonna get another drink.” He left the table and headed to the bar.

  Matt released a deep breath, like he’d been holding it for a while. “Man…he’s so fucking hot.”

  The three of us headed back to the apartment, Carson barefoot because she was going to break her ankle wobbling drunkenly in her heels. She crossed the threshold and threw her heels on the floor. “I hate these fucking things…” Her hands went to her hips, and she looked at them on the floor. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” She bent down and grabbed them both. “I take it back.” She cradled them to her chest and kissed both of them. “I didn’t mean it.”

  I looked at Dax and rolled my eyes.

  The corner of his mouth rose in a smile.

  Carson put her heels on the dining table. “My babies…” She petted them like they were a pair of cats.

  “Yes,” I said sarcastically. “Put the dirty-ass shoes that you wore all through Manhattan on the dining table.”

  “These dirty-ass shoes cost me a fortune,” she snapped. “They’re more expensive than the table.”

  “If that’s true, then you need to change your priorities.” I set my wallet and keys on the counter.

  Carson turned to Dax and locked her arms around his neck before she kissed him. “Come on, stud. Let’s go have sex.” She grabbed his hand and started to pull him toward the hallway.

  He dropped her hand. “I’m gonna take off.”

  “What?” She turned back, her eyes open and livid.

  “I just wanted to make sure you made it back in one piece.”

  “I have Charlie for that,” she argued. “You’re my D dealer.”

  I rolled my eyes because I couldn’t believe the shit that came out of her mouth sometimes.

  “You give the best D in this city,” she continued. “Come on.” She grabbed for his hand again.

  He smiled as he circled his arms around her and held her close. “Another time.”

  “You don’t want me?” She pouted her lips.

  “I do.” He kissed her on the mouth. “I’m just don’t want to sleep with a drunk woman.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. You aren’t taking advantage of me.”

  “Goodnight.” He released her and headed to the door. “Bye, Charlie.”

  “Bye.” I waved at him and watched him go.

  “Ugh.” Carson threw her arms down and headed to the fridge to get some water. “He’s gonna screw somebody else… Lucky bitch.” She downed an entire bottle of water and stumbled to her room to pass out.

  Eight

  Carson

  I stepped into Vince’s office. “You called?”

  “How’s the article coming along?” He shoved all his papers back into the folder and dropped it onto a stack that was growing bigger and bigger as the day passed.

  “It’s coming…” I shrugged as I stood in the doorway.

  “I want to publish it in next Saturday’s edition, so it better be coming by then.”

  Both of my eyebrows almost jumped off my face. “What?”

  “Come on, Carson. I gave you this article because I thought you could churn it out quickly.”

  I stepped farther into his office and shut the door behind me so everyone else couldn’t hear this. “This is one of the biggest stories of the year. We can’t mess it up. It takes time. If we want it to be as powerful as it can be, it’s gotta be a punch to the stomach. I need more time to make that happen.”

  He shook his head slightly. “What’s the holdup?”

  “People don’t want to talk, not that I blame them.”

  “Well, give them a reason to talk, Carson.” His phone rang on the desk, and he snatched it. “Vince, New York Press.”

  I took my dismissal an
d left.

  At the end of the day, I got a text from Dax.

  I’m at the bar if you want to stop by.

  I could use a drink after the day I’d had. Sure. See you soon. I hadn’t seen him since that drunken night over the weekend, when I threw my shoes on the floor then apologized profusely. We’d been spending a considerable amount of time together, getting together with my crew then sneaking off afterward. I hadn’t called Brian, aka Boy Toy #1, in a while because Dax was the shiny new toy I couldn’t put down.

  I walked a few blocks to the bar and stepped inside. It was quiet because the after-work crowds hadn’t arrived just yet.

  Dax was in the same booth near the window, his glass of scotch in front of him while my full glass of wine called my name. He was in a gray t-shirt and black jeans, dressed casually like usual. He was a jeans and tee kinda guy, which was sexy because he had the body to pull it off every time. He didn’t need to wear a stuffy suit to be important.

  I slid into the booth across from him. My fingers wrapped around the wineglass, and I brought it to my lips for a deep drink, letting that fruity, dry taste of the red wine wash off the bullshit that happened at the office. I set it down, licked my lips, and looked at him.

  He sat back against the leather booth, one hand around his glass, his eyes lifted to look at me while his chin was slightly down.

  It was such a sexy look on him that I just stared. In Manhattan, beautiful people were everywhere. No one ever settled down because there was an abundance of beauty. Why commit to one person when there was so much to choose from? But Dax was exceptionally gorgeous. “Thank you for the wine.”

  He gave a slight nod.

  “Is that all you ever drink?”

  He took a sip before he brought his body forward, coming closer to the table, his elbows resting on the surface. “No. But it’s what I prefer.”