“Mason,” she spits.

“Uhh… am I missing something here?” Randy laughs uncomfortably.

Yeah f**ktard, you’re missing something all right. You’re trying to f**k the woman I’m trying to bed.

“As a matter of fact you are Randy. This here woman belongs to me until I can get my fill of her.”

I almost cringe because I know I just dug myself into a hole deeper with Storm. She hates being objectified as just a piece of ass.

“Zig Zag, I swear on all that’s holy if you don’t get up and walk away, I’m never speaking to you again,” she whisper yells.

I love when her voice rises in that high-pitched note. Fuck, it makes my dick hard.

“I’m going to use the gentleman’s room so you two can work this out,” Randy mumbles standing up and walking away.

“Pussy.” I chuckle.

“ZZ!” Storm snaps.

I throw my hands up in mock surrender as she shakes her head back and forth at me in disgust.

Her head stops shaking back and forth, and her eyes pierce mine, and all the joking manner is set aside.

“ZZ… look… I want you, you know I do, but not in the same way you want me. I want more,” she says, quietly reaching up and placing her hand on my chest, and I swear all the breath leaves my windpipes at once. “I know you can give me this. I just know it, but I’m tired of waiting. I’m ready, damn am I ready, but you never will be even though you can be. Baby I’ll be your best friend. I’ll be the voice you need to hear, but I won’t be the body you want to be near. Because baby, you just want a few nights and I want more than that from you.”

I gulp. Fuck, I’m no romantic, but she just laid her heart out there for me. I wrap my left hand around hers, the one lying across my heart and nod, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear with my right hand.

“Friends.” I croak.

“Best friends, Mason.”

I groan internally because when she says my given name, it makes me want her so much more than I already do.

“Go have a few drinks baby. I love you, and I’ll call when I’m finished with my date. I wanna know what’s going on with T, okay?”

I close my eyes as she says I love you; it’s not the first time she’s said it. She tells me every once in a while. We’re good friends; it feels natural coming from her. But it’s not just those three words that get me. It’s the fact she wants to know what’s going on with Tatiana. My daughter. And it’s not lost on me how Storm’s voice got quiet and serious with that statement either. She’s letting me go as a romantic interest, and that causes my chest to constrict.

“You’ll call?” I say opening my eyes.

“I’ll call.”

I’m reluctant as I stand and lose the feel of her skin against mine.

“Enjoy your date, Storm.” I say honestly as I walk away. I feel like I just f**ked shit up and it doesn’t feel good.

***

Storm

As I watch him walk away, I grab my chest as my entire body starts hyperventilating. I can’t believe I just did that! Why did I let him go like that? Oh my god! Can I just be friends with him? It’s so hot in here. What did I just do? Oh god!

“Apple?”

I hear my name, but it’s foggy as if it’s far away. I look up finding the source as my hand clutches at my chest.

“Are you okay?” Randy asks.

“No, no I’m not. I would like to go home please.”

“Sure thing. Do you need a doctor or something? I could take you to the ER.”

Dammit. Why does he have to be so sweet?

“No, it’s just a panic attack. I’ll be fine.” I croak.

Randy takes a moment before signaling for our check. I need to get outta here. I need air and lots of it.

As he waits for his credit card to come back, I excuse myself to go outside ahead of him. I can’t breathe, and I need to get it under control. As soon as my body hits the fresh air, I move over to the right side of the building and lean up against the bricks, gasping for breath and closing my eyes. I feel him. I slowly open my eyes and find ZZ standing in front of me. I can’t decipher his look, but my breathing is coming back steadily. He says nothing as his body presses up against me and his forehead drops to mine. I close my eyes again and just breathe him in. He smells so good.

“I need you to open your eyes, baby. Please?”

His voice is gentle as if he’s trying to caress me with it. I’m a nervous wreck, and I need my anxiety meds quickly.

“Please?” He pleads.

I inhale and slowly reopen my eyes. Whatever he sees causes him to sigh and drop his head to the crook of my neck. His hands rub up and down my arms causing me to shiver.

“I’m so f**king sorry,” he mumbles against my skin.

Tears start falling freely from my eyes as I reply to his apology. “I know.”

His hands fall from my arms and grip at my hips. I’ve never seen ZZ like this. I don’t know how to respond.

“This is shit, baby,” he mumbles again against my skin.

The sound of a throat clearing draws us away from whatever this is, and ZZ’s hands squeeze my hips tightly as he growls against my shoulder and neck.

ZZ ignores Randy’s throat clearing and straightens himself to look into my eyes. “Did you mean it?” His chocolate eyes beg for the truth.

“I did.” I reply. I don’t need him to specify his question. I know what he’s asking. He wants to know if I truly love him. It’s not the first time he’s asked, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.