Jilted

In the Air Tonight

“Hate has nothing to do with this,” Christopher half whispered, his eyes running up the soft lines of her beautiful face. He did hate her, or at least, he should. She had called him his brother’s name during a moment when he was sure he had the most mind blowing sex with the most amazing woman he had ever met. She was his brother’s ex-fiancée. She flirted with his associates and distracted him with her every move. She drove him crazy with anger, desire, and lust.

“What does it have to do with, then?” Geviana already knew the answer. As if she could ignore all the angry looks he sent her way every time she spoke with Alex. As if she could ignore her own pangs of jealously every time he was with Alyssa. As if she could pretend like that kiss wasn’t exploding with unbridled chemistry and need.

In response, Christopher took another resounding step toward her, and Geviana could feel her heart skip with every step he took. His lips were coming closer again, and Geviana could feel herself edging upward to reach him when the jarring noise of Christopher’s cell phone went off.

Startled, Christopher fumbled for his cell phone and he called down at the caller ID irritably. Involuntarily, Geviana’s eyes trailed down to glance at the caller ID that had him so frozen up. She wished she hadn’t.

Lariza Ridgel.

Her name flashed like an ominous warning sign across his phone, and Geviana could feel her blood run cold.

“You’d better answer that,” Geviana said briskly, trying to get past him without touching him. Realizing there was no other way around it, she brushed past him, unaware of how provocatively her body was pressed up against his.

Gently but firmly, he gripped her hip as she slipped past. “I’m not going to answer it.”

“Good for you,” Geviana said icily. Inwardly, she scolded herself for letting her traitorous body react that way toward him. This was Christopher Ridgel. Her boss and her ex-fiancée’s brother. In what screwed up world would they work out?

“Mind letting go of me?”

“Don’t go out with Alex,” Christopher intoned, reiteration his point at the beginning of the whole ordeal.

In her head, Geviana knew that he had no reason to worry about that at all. She wasn’t in the slightest bit interested in Alex. What worried her now was standing right in front of her, gripping her hips with powerful hands.

Nonetheless, she scowled at his order. “Why shouldn’t I? Would you prefer I flirt and go out with you?” Geviana asked sarcastically, batter eyelashes up at Christopher who glared down at her in return. Instantly, he let go of her hips.

“Don’t flatter yourself. Don’t think for a second that what happened just now means I like you,” Christopher told her coldly. With Geviana, it was always an extreme. Either he detested her with a passion, or he wanted her like a desert traveler desired water.

“Likewise,” Geviana replied, suddenly feeling incredibly childish. Here they were, two full grown adults, huddled in a closet, exchanging barbs.

“This is ridiculous. I’m out of here. You don’t have to worry about me and Alex, he and I aren’t anything but friends.” A brief look of relief passed over Christopher’s face but it was too dark for Geviana to see. Suddenly, the whole atmosphere seemed much lighter, as the misunderstanding disappeared.

“So you can stop sulking like a girl,” Geviana smirked, her plump rosy lips suddenly looking very inviting again.

“I don’t sulk,” Christopher replied, unable to keep the grin from his handsome face.