ELEVEN

I wanted to laugh. I mean if any time called for it then surely this was it. Seeing him standing there in all his earnest I just couldn't hold it in. The laugh that rioted out of me was bellowing and I could see with the harsh glower on his face that nothing was funny to him.

I took in a deep breath after I somewhat contained my laugher. "You're crazy," I managed to wheeze out. 

He had his glower still trained on me when he replied. "I doubt that very much after watching you laugh like that." 

I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh you can't blame me. You made me laugh like that!"

Friends with benefits.

I couldn't even fully process his proposition. I was too stunned at his brash way of approaching me that I couldn't delve into it further. 

He took a moment to himself. "What's so funny about it anyways?"

I rolled my eyes at him. If he wanted me to clear it all for him then I guess I had to. "We're not friends." I reminded him. In the days we had encountered each other, there was no indication of friendship. Granted, the burning desire gnawing inside of me was still present - even now making itself known at the close proximity to Link. Yet, I couldn't take myself there. 

"Do you prefer the term fuck buddies then?" He drawled out, a slight glint appearing in his eyes. 

Witnessing that glint and watching him standing there waiting for an answer, I decided to just halt everything. The idea was absurd but the persistent ache was slowly becoming unbearable. If I just kept my distance from him, then I wouldn't want to capitulate towards my demanding feelings. It was like I was throwing my whole body into a raving tumble dryer, one minute hot and the next cold. And right now, I was forcing the ice cold to take over my body and freeze some sense into me.

I couldn't get involved with Link, even it if was strictly sex.  

I started to move back the way I came from. "Link I haven't got the time to entertain this. I got to go pick up Joy."

I should have known I wouldn't be able to leave so simply. This was Link we were speaking about. Most conversations were only done if he said so and right now, it was clear he wasn't done.

"You can pick her up after I'm done with you."

Hell no. "Excuse me?" 

He walked over. His strong, long legs carrying him the short distance between us two until he was right next to me. "I'm not," he paused to fully cancel out any space between us until he was pressed against my chest and I had to crane my neck all the way back just to see him all. "Done with you," he finished. The gulp that I heard myself make was embarrassing, even more so when I knew Link heard me.

There was nothing frightening about him right now. What was frightening was how he managed to flip everything into overdrive inside of me. I could feel every inch of him pressed close to me but I lost my ability to move. He felt good like this. Really good.

His hand shot out but then rested carefully between the nook of my neck and shoulder, his long fingers circled all the way to the back of my neck, capturing me further. Each of his finger tips were like a furnace against my bare skin.I wasn't paying any mind to his other hand until I felt my blouse ride up and just above my hips, I felt his hand there.

I sucked in deeply, causing my chest to heave upwards and flatten further against his chest. He shifted, moving his head down lower so his breath fanned my upper cheek. "I haven't got the time to entertain any of this either." His low voice was sensual to my ears and my eyelids lowered themselves on their own accord. 

"So I suggest we just get to it already." This time when he spoke, he was close that his lips grazed my skin. I tilted my head further back, not thinking straight but allowing the want inside of me to lead the way. And I wanted his lips on mine.

He instantly took note of what I was trying to do and replied by dragging his lips down my cheek until they rested at the corner of my mouth. And now all I had to do was turn around and just-

His fingers in the back of my neck trapped me, halting me from moving my head so I could meet him halfway. A soft whimper escaped from me but I couldn't care less. He started this. He could damn right give it to me all. It would just be a kiss. And then after that, I could go through intense Link rehab.

His hand under my shirt was moving upwards, until it was shy of my bra. Things were going to happen, I knew it. Right here and none of us had the decency to think about anything else. Afraid of falling over, I wrapped my hands across his chest and clung onto the fabric of his shirt.

"No," I gasped out. What no? I was confused. Why was I saying no when my whole body was screaming yes!

The slight move of lips caused a slight contacting of his lips. He pulled back slowly so I could see his eyes. He was smiling, flashing his teeth and then it was as though an ice bucket was thrown all over me.

But then I realised it was just the loss of Link since he had stepped fully back, leaving me all dishevelled on the spot. My knees were going to collapse on me any second if I didn't sit down but I was frozen on my spot.

Link was walking away, backwards but is eyes were still glued on mine. "Go pick up Joy." He said before he disappeared through the door and out the back room.

I forced my weak legs to walk out. The second my friends spotted me, I knew everything was written all over my face what with Lexie's short gasp, Nolan's booming laughter and Thomas shouting, "I told you to say no to sex!"

***

Each of Joy's hands were in mine and Lexie's as she skipped across the street. We parked a few doors down from the house we were staying at and we had Mace, our driver of the day since Link disappeared, following close behind us. I got told there were men both inside and outside house already to keep an eye on things. Grateful could not begin to cover how I was feeling about this.

"So my beautiful Joy, have you made a boyfriend yet?" Lexie asked her usual playful question.

I gawked at her,  shocked even though she would ask Joy this every single day. And every single day, I would get shocked. Joy's reactions varied. Sometimes she was annoyed by it, sometimes tired of the question but most of the time she would laugh around it.

But this time. "Yes and he is so nice."

"Oh my god!" I let out a shriek, stopping on my feet and causing the girls to stop as well. Lexie was stunned as well, her mouth dropping open since she didn't ever expect Joy to say yes. 

"Oh my god who is he?" Lexie exclaimed loudly.

I watched Joy's small shoulders shrug. "He's not my boyfriend yet but he will be soon."

It took everything in me not to fall backwards on my ass. And then it dawned on me that I had heard those words before.

"Lexie!" I snapped. "She hears this all from you!"

Lexie also recognised her own words. "Girl, why you copying what I'm saying." 

Joy's giggle ran through my ears. 

I ignored my daughter, making sure to let her know of my disapproval of her using Lexie's words by huffing out loud. 

We started walking again. "Mum, I see the park!" Joy pointed out with her head. There was a park right in front of us, something I already know and hence why I had picked out the house initially. I had planned on spending time there with Joy so she wasn't completely bored. 

Now, it didn't seem like such a great idea.

"I don't think it's a good idea to be in the park right now." I told Joy when we came in front of the house and she was refusing to move further.

She lifted her head up to me. "Why not? It's not raining."

What could I possibly tell her? Oh darling, there are men out there with guns that want to get to you? "It's time for dinner and not the park."

She narrowed her brown eyes at me. "It's not dinner time."

"Yes it is!" I countered. "It will be ready in a few." That was a lie because there was no food in the house and we were ordering something.

"When you cook it doesn't take a few, you take hours." Joy pointed out. "So whilst you take hours, I can play in the park. Aunty Lexie can stay with me."

She had me at every turn. I couldn't even say anything else to that and when I shot a desperate look Lexie's way, I could see she was holding in her laugh. I snapped my head to Mace, hoping to get help from him but he just kept a straight face.

They were leaving me to this. 

"Lexie has to help me cook." I said slowly, knowing well enough what Joy would say to that.

"Aunty Lexie can't cook."

Lexie shook Joy's arm. "Hey! I can cook!"

I couldn't believe when Joy gave Lexie one look that said it all. I just couldn't believe any of this new found sass my daughter possessed. She was just standing there, owning it from all directions. 

"Go inside." Mace spoke up. "I'll keep an eye on them and let her play for twenty minutes."

Joy didn't even wait for me and heeded on Mace's words. With them, she dropped my hand and started running towards the park, dragging Lexie with her. Mace followed them, his steps longer and quicker so he could catch up to them.

I watched them enter the park and Joy ran first to the swings. I smiled to myself. If Mace was there watching her then she would be okay. Plus, this would give me the time to run security by the men inside. 

I walked inside the house and was instantly greeted by a smiling Quan. "Just in time." He said, stepping aside to let me pass. "I've told Link all about the security and the alarms. He has all the codes and he'll let you know about it."

"Link is here?" I asked Quan.

"I tell you about the security and codes and you decide to focus on Link." Quan's amusement was evident in his voice.

"It's just a question Quan," I mumbled to him even though I knew I played myself into that one.

"If it makes you feel any better, I said the same thing to Link and the first thing he asked was for you."

My heart did a small jump. 

"I-"

Quan held up his finger. "Let's not put yourself further down the rabbit hole." He said before he walked past me and out the house.

I took a deep breath in and walked further inside the house. 

Link was in the living room, eyeing up the new alarm system that was on the wall. When I entered the room, he looked up from what he was doing and greeted me with a small grin. And then he looked down my side, then a quick glance over my shoulder before his eyes narrowed.

"Where's Joy?"

"She's at the park with Lexie and Mace." I filled him in.

He moved away from the wall and towards the window that had a view of the park. "It's not safe." He said, watching Joy before he started scanning the area from inside the house.

I walked over the window, pushing aside the sheer white curtains. "Quan is with them now as well." I pointed out. "Plus Mace said twenty minutes and I'm sure when Mace says something like that he means it."

Link looked at me. "Awfully close to Mace?" He asked slowly.

I shook my head at him. "Hardly. He only speaks when he has to and even then, it's not much."

"That's Mace for you." Link added before returning a watchful eye to the park.

There was real concern for Joy in Link's face and I wasn't so sure what to feel about that. "She's safe there Link." I said softly, grabbing his attention. "You have less than twenty minutes to run me by the codes and how everything works."

It took Link ten minutes to tell me the codes and how everything worked. He could have easily done it in less than five but every other minute he would make me repeat what he just told me. And now he wanted to hear me say it all.

"The code is five zero six zero. As soon as I enter, put the code in and I have less than fifteen seconds or else every alarm in Lucian's office goes off and the police station goes off. There are panic buttons in every room. There are the security video boxes in every room in case I want to see what is happening outside. And set the alarm when I go out the house." I raised an eyebrow at Link. "That's all right?"

He shook his head. "You forgot about the cameras."

I didn't forget them at all. "There are cameras installed in every room and someone at security back in Lucian office is watching twenty-four seven. Cameras don't get switched off so if I have to change, I got to change in the toilet. The cameras only get switch off if any of Lucian's men are in the house with us and in that case, naked parade all the way."

Link glowered at me towards the end. I could tell he did not appreciate any sort of naked parade if any men where in the house with me. I wondered if he would like if he was the only one here...

He moved past me. "Come on, I'll show you where each panic button is located."

This took quickly for him to do, what with him only pointing the panic button's location in each room with a quick "here," and "here."

But when we got to the master bedroom, he didn't make quick work of pointing out the panic button. In fact, he didn't go towards it at all.

I had been following behind him closely so when we were both in the master room, standing at the end of the bed everything changed in Link. Gone was the guy who was dead serious about the security and in replace came a guy who had his own agenda to accomplish.

"You think about it?"

I knew what he was talking about instantly. Yet I still decided to take the dubious route. "Think about what?"

Link smiled, although not reaching his eyes. "Do you want a repeat of what happened before or you going to stop lying to me?"

The threat wasn't something scary at all and I really wanted a repeat of what happened so I continued on lying. "I'm still not sure what you're talking about." I said softly, my tongue darting out to lick my bottom lip and then I grabbed it with my teeth.

Link let out a small groan before he pranced towards me, intent so clear in his eyes. He captured my face in both his hands and leaned down. I went on my toes, the extra height my heels would give me where gone but I still wanted to meet Link halfway. 

"One more chance to stop lying." Link said, stopping himself from kissing me.

"I don't know what you mean." I said purposefully. 

"Fuuuck," I heard him hiss before his lips slanted over mine aggressively. 

He moved us so he had me pressed against the wall, his whole body pressed against me as out lips clashed. He bit on my lips softly, asking for entrance and I opened, allowed our tongues to meet. 

Things were getting heated so quickly and neither of us where doing a dime to stop it. My hands were under his shirt, touching and explore his hard chest. His own hands dropped from my face only to go to the buttons of my top. He had my blouse open with seconds, leaving me standing there in my lilac lace bra.

He dropped the contact of our lips and glanced down at my chest. Another approving hiss came out his mouth and I smiled and caught my breath, before leaning upwards to catch his lips in mine again. He answered on another ferocious need, savaging my lips and taking full control. 

I moved my hands down to the hem of his shirt, grabbing onto the fabric and getting ready to pull it off of him. A skin to skin contact had to happen before I would combust. The kiss became more intense, fuelling the flame and every cell of mine cried out.

"Mum we're back!" Joy's voice reached my ears and it snapped us both out it.

Link pulled back, leaving us panting quietly between the small space between us. My eyes widened but I made no further movement. Link smiled at me before glancing to the side where the door was. He must be listening to see if anyone was coming upstairs but by the sound of it, they all stayed down.

He returned his focus back on my blouse, doing the buttons back on for me. To my annoyance, he had his breathing back in order whilst I stood there, still panting. And when he leaned down to press a gentle kiss on my parted lips, my insides squeezed tightly. He moved his lips from mine and trailed soft kisses along my jaw, each touch leaving me breathless. 

He came to my ear and blew softly before giving it a soft nibble. "Tonight. In this room. On that bed. Be alone."

That promise alone could have set me off again and it just about did. But Link quickly stepped back, giving me the space to allow myself to gather my bearings. "Oh my," I breathed out, looking everywhere except at Link.

"Ori." He said and only then did I look at him. "Tonight."

He straightened his shirt, walked out the room and then I heard his loud footsteps go down the stairs. I glanced at the bed, knowing damn well what was going to happen tonight. "Oh my."

////

> oh my

> hope you enjoyed some Joy for those who were asking :)