Kahlen Aymes - Angel After Dark

“Thank you for your call, Alex. Someday you’ll meet a woman who controls her own orgasms. Not all of us are at the mercy of men, you know. Have fun… banging your chest or whatever it is you… bang.”

A bright smile split across her beautiful face, leaving Darian breathless and stunned. Thankfully, Christina was out of the studio because she was laughing so hard the tears were rolling down her face.

“This is Angel After Dark on Kiss FM, and I’ll be right back.” Angel pushed her headphones off, looking pointedly at Darian. “Did you put him up to that? That was your friend, wasn’t it?”

He quickly shook his head. “Nope. I didn’t do anything. Don’t look at me!”

Angel’s eyebrows shot up. Yeah, right, she thought. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“What did you think of him, Angel? Uh, I mean, of his situation?”

“I’m trying not to,” she said wryly and shook her head, getting up to stretch. “He’s so full of his own sexual power. I mean… Shit! He’s obviously been a bad, bad boy and needs a serious lesson.”

Darian’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he didn’t say anything, just let out a low whistle. Angel smirked but ignored it. “Aren’t you supposed to be out of here? Really, you don’t have to come in here every week.” Darian’s eyes followed her movements and flashed over her stomach and the small strip of skin that was peeking out between her jeans and her T-shirt as she moved.

“I know. I just want to make sure you have it down before I leave you to your own devices.”

“My own devices? I’ve been left to my own damn devices practically my entire life. You don’t need to worry about me. I can handle things.”

Darian’s phone rang, and reluctantly, he picked it up from the table.

“Yes? Uh, yeah. No. No!” His eyes roamed over Angel, who was standing there with her right hand on her hip, looking at him pointedly. “Um, Angel, he’s pissed that you cut him off and wants to finish the conversation.”

“It is finished,” she scoffed with a short laugh. Poor baby, not used to someone else controlling anything. Hilarious.

“He asked if he can call you,” Darian said hesitantly, already knowing the answer, and her eyes widened.

“Not interested,” Angel said carelessly and picked up a stack of promos from the desk to glance through them. “Not at all.” But, she was interested, and she found herself hoping his face and body would live up to that sexy voice. Men like him were dangerous to women like her who had a strong need to be in control. She was smart about steering clear of anything that would make her lose even one shred of her carefully constructed world.

Darian’s mouth fell open in astonishment. “Uh, Alex, she’s not here right now. She went to the bathroom. Okay, sure. Completely, Alex. Later.” He closed his phone without saying another word to the beautiful woman sitting in front of him.

Angel looked up and wrinkled her nose at her boss. “Chicken-shit,” she admonished with a grin.

“Angel, he, uh,” he began.

“Yeah. I know.” She shrugged slightly. “I’m sure his hard-on is all about the challenge he’s feeling right now. He wanted the last word. He’s used to getting what he wants, but now there’s something he can’t have, and he’s left holding his dick in his hand. Naturally, he’s uncomfortable.”

“There’s a better chance he’s pissed.”

“So? Maybe you should introduce the word ‘unattainable’ to your boy’s vocab, yeah?” She sat back down and adjusted the damn headphones. She still had half an hour to go. “Now, get the hell out of here! You’re bothering me.”

* * *

Alex was left sitting on the edge of his bed looking at his now silent phone, stunned that she’d cut him off. He had to admit that he was more than a little aroused by her words and her sassy wit. Damn, he wanted to know what she looked like! As if on cue, his phone vibrated with a message from Darian. It was a photo message, and Alex held his breath as he opened it, somehow sure he was about to get knocked on his reluctant ass.

His thumb ran over the screen as the photo loaded, and his breath caught in his throat. It was a picture of a woman with long dark hair, flowing in thick waves nearly to her waist. She was wearing ratty jeans, the kind that cost hundreds of dollars because the holes were in all the right places, and a small white T-shirt that clung enticingly to her body. She was stretching, her arms extended over her head, and her hands laced together. He couldn’t see her features, only the side curve of her face and chin. She was angled away from Darian’s camera, but the photo was sufficient to give Alex a glimpse of the line of her body, the soft curve of her hip, the narrowness of her waist, laid bare as her shirt lifted with her movement, and the full side curve of one breast. “Shit, what about her face?”

He wanted to plunge his fingers into the holes in those jeans, to feel the warmth of her skin that was teasing him under that shirt, and to kiss that smartass mouth. Alex’s mouth went dry as blood engorged his body to the point of pain, and he licked his lips. He wanted her, and he made up his mind that he would have her.

Alex’s breathing quickened as he contemplated this mysterious woman with her biting intellect that was in such contrast to her soft appearance. He dialed Darian’s number impatiently. “Uh, yeah?” his friend answered.

“Put that sexy little shit on the phone, Darian.”

“No.”

“No one cuts me off, D. Put her on the damn phone! I want to speak to her. Either that or give me her number. I’ll call her myself.”

“No! Uh, Alex, she’s not here right now. She went to the bathroom.”

“Stop fucking around, D! I know she’s right there.” Alex waited, but Darian didn’t respond. “Call me when you leave.”

“Okay, sure.”

“And Darian, from what I see, I concede, she’s gorgeous,” he said softly as he ran his hand through his mop of hair. “Fucking beautiful.”

“Completely, Alex.”

“Look, I know you can’t talk, but this is not over.”

“Later.”

Alex flopped down on the bed and let his arms fall to the side as he waited for Darian to call him back. Angeline Hemming, you certainly are intriguing.

A few minutes passed before his phone rang, and he answered it quickly, not moving from his position on the bed.

“What’d I tell you? She’s amazing, right?” Darian said smugly.

“What was your goal here, Darian? You’re obviously a walking boner for this woman yourself, but now… Well, let’s just say, I’m not sure you’re a good enough friend for me to back down.”

“Yes, I do think she’s hotter than hell, but unfortunately, I can’t date her. It blows, but I can’t, at least for now,” Darian groaned.

“I’m not sure what you were toying with, but I’m worked up now, and want to know more. I want to see her face. I want… hell, I just want. I’ve never been so aroused by a conversation in my entire life. Thanks for that.”

“Hey, I didn’t make you pick up that goddamned phone. That was all you, so don’t blame me, brother! Mark my words, Alex. You’re in for a big surprise when it comes to Angel. She won’t be like the women you’re used to. She’s beautiful, smart, and tough as nails.”

“What’s her number, Darian?”

“Sorry, man. No can do. She’d cut my balls off.”

“Stop being such a pussy. You’re her boss, for Christ’s sake!”

“Not really. She’s doing this for her own reasons. She could walk tomorrow and not blink twice but I need her for the ratings. She’s only doing this for the public service announcements she’s weaseled out of me.”

“If you won’t tell me, fine. It isn’t like I don’t have the resources to find out anything I want to know, which will be much more than her phone number.”

“Dude, don’t get your hopes up. She’s untouchable, even for the great Alex Avery. I have faith that she’ll kick your ass from one end of Chicago to the other, which is why I’ve baited you this way. I’d love to see you work for it, just once.”

Alex snorted as his mouth lifted in a smirk. As if that was possible. He was more than ready to take on the challenge that Angel Hemming presented. He was more excited by the prospect, and by this woman, than he’d been since he couldn’t remember when. Maybe even, ever. “Well, you started this shit. If you want her, you’ll have to beat me to it, and I won’t play fair. I don’t give a shit if you are my best friend.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to, Alex. You wouldn’t be you if you did, but like I said, Angel is untouchable. She’s different than most women.”

Alex laughed, not doubting his ability to win her over and get his way. “Mark my words, D.” He was up to any challenge, especially one with rewards as delectable as this. “I’m telling you now that I will touch her. In all sorts of places. And if anyone is gonna be in control of her orgasms, it will be me. Me.”

Angel rolled over at the sound of Christina Aguilera’s song, Dirty, coming from her phone on the nightstand for the third time. Her best friend, Becca James, was no doubt calling to remind her of their gym appointment. It was a standing thing every Saturday, but ever since Angel began at KKIS, it was harder and harder for her to drag herself out of bed.

“For God’s sake!” she mumbled as she finally peeled away the pillow she was holding over her eyes, flung it brutally toward the foot of the bed, and glanced at the clock.

Reluctantly, she leaned over and grabbed the phone just as the ringing stopped. “Oops. Too bad, Becs.”

Angel flopped back onto her plush pillows and dropped the phone on the bed, closing her eyes in hope of a couple more hours of sleep. Her hope was short-lived when the phone immediately started playing the song again. Angel picked it up and answered with unveiled irritation. “What!”

“Are you still in bed? You have twenty minutes to get to the gym or your ass is mine,” Becca answered shortly.

Angel and Becca both had studied social science and liberal arts at Northwestern, which quickly led to becoming fast friends. A study in contrasts; they complimented each other well. Angel was subdued and focused, while Becca was outgoing, wild, and easily distracted. They balanced each other over the years; each adopting some of the other’s traits.

Angel continued for two more degrees while Becca had taken her physical education and nutritional science bachelor’s and became a personal trainer. And boy did she train! There were times Angel wished Becca had done anything else, but that. She was merciless in the gym and literally worked Angel’s ass off. She rolled over and scratched her flat stomach beneath the lime green cotton of her pajama top.

“Becca, I’m so tired. How about we just meet for brunch?” Angel sat up and ran a hand through her hair, squinting in protest at the bright sunlight streaming in around her tightly drawn blinds.

“Uh… no! Get. Your. Ass. Here. Now!” Becca punctuated her words with a giggle. “Angel, you owe that tight little bod to me, so suck it up. Don’t punish me because you’ve suddenly taken to giving advice to the lovelorn until all hours of the night.”

“It’s not just the lovelorn, you Nazi trainer bitch!” Angel groaned. “It’s also the codependent, dysfunctional, and mentally unbalanced. Why can’t I just run five miles on the treadmill here?”

The apartment that she lived in was first-class with a well equipped-gym where residents had twenty-four hour access; so, it was more for friendship than for necessity that made Angel trek to the Bally where Becca worked. Angel overpaid her outrageously for their sessions since it was the only way that Becca’s pride would allow Angel to help her financially.

“Because, I said so. Get moving.”

“You have no idea how long these nights are,” Angel lamented while she hugged one of the huge white pillows to her, wishing again that she could just sleep. “I hate you.”

“I know you love me,” Becca teased. “You can whine to me at the gym. I need to hear all about that guy you talked to last night. Holy hell, that was hot.”

“Seriously? You heard the same thing that I did, so what else can I tell you? He’s an arrogant prick who thinks he can get his dick wet whenever and with whomever he wants. I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle him on the spot. He was so friggin’ infuriating.”

She flushed at the memory, the heat infusing beneath her pale skin in a hot rush. In truth, his confident arrogance turned her on in a big way, and she bristled at the thought of his sultry voice and the way he’d made her feel. He pushed every one of her invisible buttons. She’d actually been aroused.