Malicious Compliance Chapter Two

Bella had no choice but to go back down to the party. To Austin, who had no idea what she was doing while she was gone—or what Edward had done to her. With her stomach trembling, she pushed her hair forward, ensuring she hid any marks he might have left. She'd been too distraught to think of bite marks in the bathroom, but she'd managed to quickly clean up her makeup and adjust her dress.

Her panties were missing. She hadn't seen Edward pick them up, but they were gone. Sufficiently shamed, she nonetheless held her head up and strutted across the room toward her date. Austin looked up at her approach, grinning and holding his arm out. Once she was securely tucked into his side, he resumed the conversation he carried with the party host.

The ache in her core didn't dissipate. Instead, it throbbed in a bittersweet reminder. Her ex had been the best, the sexiest, the dirtiest man she'd ever been with, and she'd ruined it.

The tingling in her spine was still there, and she found herself gazing around the room. Searching. Hoping he wasn't still there. Hoping he was.

When his bracing glare locked on her face, she jolted.

"Are you good, love?" Austin asked.

The buzzing sound in her ears intensified, but she licked her dry lips and forced her head to turn in Austin's direction. Not quite able to meet his gaze, she instead stared at his chin. "No, I don't feel very well."

"We can leave, if you'd like. Eric will be at the office tomorrow. I can catch up with him then."

Her feeble smile faltered as her eyes watered. Why did he have to be kind and rich? "Please."

"Sure thing. Eric, we'll talk more about this later."

Bella was silent in the limo, allowing Austin to run his fingers over the back of her hand. They headed straight to her apartment, and she was grateful. She couldn't have pretended her way through the night at his place.

They parted at her door after he walked her up, and the first thing she did was strip off the sparkly dress and step into the shower.

oOo

Oh, he hoped she had a grand evening with her sugar daddy. Explaining why she wore his mark, why she couldn't look him in the eye. Why she'd swallowed another man's cock while her boyfriend stood patiently waiting for her return.

Edward had satisfied his taste for revenge, but not his lust for his ex. Try as he might, he couldn't get the scent of her off him. He wanted her, again and again. It was almost a sickness, one he'd managed to avoid dealing with for the past few years.

Until she started her bullshit. Partying, bragging about Austin's net worth and comparing him to Edward. Finding one of them lacking, solely based on his income. Of course, Bella had no idea Edward had a new job making three times as much as he did when they were dating. She was shallow, callous; a stuck up bitch. Nothing rubbed him the wrong way more than wishing they were still together.

Part of him knew he just wanted to rail her. To have her long, slender legs wrapped around his head while she fucked his face. Before it was too late to hide his growing erection, Edward turned from the group he'd hovered near and found the closest exit.

oOo

Frustrated, Bella tried to relieve the tension Edward left her with when he pulled his trick. None of her attempts in the shower had worked, so she'd climbed naked into her bed. Searching through her nightstand, she figured all she needed was the help of a clit stimulator. Laying back, she let her legs fall open and tugged on her nipples, feeling how tender they were, and pictured Edward between her thighs. He would say something dirty, no doubt, and he would take a long, slow lick up the length of her pussy.

Shuddering at the mental image, Bella turned the toy on high, pressing it against her swollen clit. The jolt ripped a shout from her throat, and she tried to imagine it was Edward twisting her nipples, not her own inadequate fingers. He was the one swirling the tip of his tongue over her, the one sucking her into his mouth. Tears formed as she felt how close she was, but she couldn't seem to fall over the edge. Shifting, she tried again, with Edward cupping her ass cheeks to bring her pussy closer. She would ride his face, forcing his tongue further inside her, giving him the taste he loved.

Nothing worked. She was too in her head, too far from the real thing. Screaming in frustration, she threw her B.O.B. on the bed and pressed her face into the pillow. That bastard had ruined her for anyone else.

oOo

Edward woke the following morning to a string of texts. Apparently, Bella hadn't slept well the night before. She called him a few choice names, which he'd heard countless times, but by the end of her multi-text tirade, she was begging him to fuck her.

Smirking, he got up to get ready for the day. He ran his hands over his face, deciding the stubble could stay, and attempted to smooth his hair. A few minutes later, he considered it a lost cause. After throwing on a black t-shirt and jeans, tying up his steel-toed boots and grabbing his keys, he headed for the nearest coffeehouse. It was familiar, full of his favorite aroma and delicious baked goods. He ordered, then took a seat near the wall of windows.

People streamed by on the sidewalk, enjoying the sunny day. With his hands folded on the table in front of him, he fiddled with the ring on his thumb. He would consider fucking Bella, and he wouldn't have to pretend it was for old time's sake. It was her attitude he didn't like, not her body and the mutual satisfaction they'd enjoyed.

A waitress came to the table, setting his coffee cup in front of him. "Can I get you anything else?"

Being a warm-blooded man, he took a second to peruse her body from head to toe. The bell over the door chimed, and he aimed a lazy smile her way. "Maybe. What would you recommend?"

"Move along," he heard Bella say.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't be jealous. She's only bringing me what I asked for."

Brows raised, Bella barely flicked a glance at the girl. "What, overflowing tits and bleached hair? What's that costing you these days?"

Flushing dark red, the waitress fled behind the counter. Bella scraped back the other chair and sat.

"Don't worry, darling, your tits might be small, but they're perky."

Growling, Bella pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Having coffee?" As if to prove it, he took a drink from the white porcelain mug.

She rolled her eyes. "This isn't your usual place."

"Baby, you haven't known my usual in years."

oOo

Why did he have to look so fucking hot? What were the damn odds that she'd spot him through the windows after he'd refused to answer her texts?

"I suppose I haven't, but I've never seen you in here."

Edward shrugged. "I come here all the time."

"Curious, since I haven't seen you."

"Unlike some people, I don't keep bankers' hours."

Of course that was a dig at Austin. "No, I'm sure you keep the hours of the unemployed."

Sitting back against his chair, Edward spread out his arms. "Do I look like I'm out of work?"

No, he looked damn delicious. She noticed he'd gotten a few new tattoos in the time they'd been apart. He wore the same cocky grin, the same silver jewelry, but his eyes were brighter, his hair a bigger mess.

"I wouldn't know what that looks like."

Leaning forward, Edward dropped his voice and narrowed his eyes. "Cut the crap, princess. Why are you sitting here when we both know I'm not good enough for you?"

That rumble only brought about the familiar tingle in her core. "I'm here because I saw you through the window. I came in because you ignored my messages."

Instead of responding, he picked up his cup and watched her over the rim. Bella had to swallow before she drooled at those long fingers, a skull riding his middle finger. Like a muscle memory, she felt him curl that finger inside her, making her come hard enough to scream.

He took a sip of the steaming liquid and held the mug in both hands. "The problem is, you don't want me."

Squirming in her seat, Bella tried not to moan. "I seem to remember admitting that I do."

"No, you want my cock."

Gasping, Bella choked on her own saliva. "It's attached to you, isn't it?"

"Bring your chair closer," he murmured.

Though she doubted his intentions, Bella did as he said. When they were side by side, he turned to face her.

Trailing his finger down her arm, he said, "We were only ever good at one thing." That finger moved down, caressing her bare leg. "When it was good, it was very, very good."

"Yes, it was," she breathed, her eyes slipping closed.

Two fingers ran up her thigh and under her skirt. Yes, she'd worn it on purpose.

"But you . . ." He stopped talking when he reached the spot where her panties should have been. "Are a dirty girl."

oOo

Fuck, she was killing him. Her lips were cherry red, her legs long and bare under a tiny skirt. Her chest heaved with each labored breath, and victory surged through him. He'd turned her on with his words, his presence, before he touched her.

But when he did touch her . . . to find her wearing nothing but that tiny scrap of a skirt, to find her wet and ready for him . . .

He groaned, moving his forefinger over her slit. Widening her legs, Bella leaned into his side. He pressed a soft kiss to the shell of her ear before exhaling. She shivered, and he willed his cock to behave.

"You left the house hoping to see me today, didn't you?"

Her head bobbed the tiniest bit.

"You wanted me to touch you, to make you drip all over your seat."

A tiny sound came from her throat, and he realized she'd bit her lip to keep quiet. He continued moving his fingers, stroking each inch of her sopping pussy.

"Do you want me to taste you?"

At her nod, he pulled his hand from under the table and slowly stuck out his tongue, dragging the pad of his finger all the way to the tip before closing his lips around it.

She whimpered, and he met her heavy-lidded gaze.

"Did you know I kept your panties last night? That I have your tiny thong, and know what it smells like?"

"What does it smell like?" she asked breathlessly.

Angling close to her ear, he said, "Like a naughty girl soaked right through the material."

"What did you do with them?"

"I'm sorry, that's all the time we have for today."

"Wait, what?"

He rose from his seat, dropping a tip on the table and striding out the door.

Austin