Page 22 of All’s Fair In Love & War (The Bulgari Cartel #2)

Reap What You Sow

Khalil

W hen the hour hand struck twelve, I leaned back in my chair and finally let my eyes leave the clock. I’d been watching it all night, watching the minutes pass as Felicity got comfortable enough to believe I’d let her little stunt from earlier slide.

She wanted to play games, but that was her first mistake. I don’t chase, I don’t beg, and I damn sure don’t bluff. If she thought that little kiss and invitation were gonna throw me off, she was more na?ve than I thought. It was cute that she thought she was pulling the strings.

The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioning vent overhead. I stood, letting the silence stretch as I peeled out of my last layer of clothing, leaving it folded on the back of the chair. She’d invited me, and I’d accepted. Now I was about to show her what that meant.

The walk down the hall was short. I didn’t bother turning on the lights when I reached her door, and I didn’t knock either. I just pushed it open and stepped inside. This is my shit. What the hell I look like knocking? She didn’t seem to like it when I played nice anyway.

My eyes traveled straight to her, and I glided across the room. But make no mistakes, I wasn’t a fool. This was the same woman who bit me like a rabid animal last time my dick got too close to her mouth, so I stopped at the foot of the bed, keeping my distance.

Felicity was knocked out cold, stretched out across the bed, sleeping peacefully.

Her lashes rested against her cocoa cheeks, full, pink lips slightly parted like she’d fallen asleep mid-thought.

One arm was curled beneath the pillow, the other draped across her waist. The strap of her top had slipped down her shoulder, leaving her collarbone bare, skin smooth and inviting.

Even knocked out, she was bad as hell. Body soft in all the right places, legs half-tangled in the sheet like she’d been tossing around before I got here.

There was something about the way she took up space.

Even in her sleep, she didn’t fold. Instead, she was lying there, looking beautiful and at peace, as if my house already belonged to her.

And that was the problem.

She thought she was in control.

I reached for her leg and gave it a firm shake. Her body jolted, and her eyes snapped open. She blinked a few times, slowly coming to, her eyes adjusting to the dark—and then to me.

Felicity remained silent initially, her eyes wide and unblinking as if she couldn't quite comprehend what she was seeing. Her expression was a mix of disbelief and curiosity, her eyebrows slightly raised in astonishment. Then, slowly, her gaze drifted downward, her eyes tracing a path with curiosity. Her lips parted, a faint gasp escaping them, betraying her surprise before she could mask her reaction. I’d caught her off guard.

Good.

“Thought you said to meet you in the shower,” I said, crossing my arms over my bare chest, watching her closely.

Felicity blinked again, but her face barely changed. “I already took mine,” she replied like she hadn’t just been asleep two seconds ago.

“Take another one,” I said, using her foot to slide her to me.

Before she could voice any objection, I swiftly bent down and wrapped an arm around her waist. I hoisted her off the bed, feeling the shift in weight as I threw her over my shoulder.

She let out a yelp but didn't resist. Her fists remained still against my back, not pounding as I had anticipated, and she didn't wriggle or squirm as I had imagined she might. I sensed her body tense momentarily, but they went still just as fast. She’d surrendered to the moment.

I’d barely taken two steps before she spoke again, voice muffled but controlled. “Put me down,” she said. “I’ll walk.”

I paused at the door, glanced down at her legs swaying with each step, and then lowered her back to the floor.

“Suit yourself.”

I didn’t let go of her hand, though. It was fine if she wanted to walk, but she was still following me.

The walk to my bedroom was quiet. Felicity didn’t say much, but I felt the way her body trembled slightly as I held her wrist. She was tense, sure, but not afraid of me, and I liked that. Cowards were predictable. She wasn’t, which made this a lot more fun.

Once we stepped inside the room, I didn’t give a chance to admire anything. She could look around, ask questions, or run that mouth of hers later. Now wasn’t the time for that. I was eager to see what she was made of.

Taking her straight to the bathroom, I led her through the open doorway, and the steam hit us immediately. The shower was already on, fog curling up from the marble like smoke. Everything was coated in heat. The mirrors were blurred, the glass panels were slick, and the air was thick with moisture.

“Smells like you in here,” she spoke softly, almost as if she was speaking more to herself than to me.

“It’s my bathroom. It should.”

“Whatever, smart ass.” She waved me off, too busy watching my body and sizing me up to pay attention to anything else.

When the shower door slid open, she stiffened, her eyes snapping to the figure behind the glass. Tandy stood inside, water streaming down her body, one hand resting against the panel like she hadn’t been waiting long.

Her gaze slid over to us, calm and heated. “About time you two got here. I thought I was gonna end up having all the fun by myself,” she said, eyes cutting to Felicity with a grin. “Hey, boo. I’m glad you decided to join us.”

The two locked eyes, and the longer they stared, the more Felicity’s shoulders dropped.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were having a full-blown conversation without opening their mouths.

Tandy arched a brow like she was holding back a laugh, and Felicity’s jaw tightened, her lips twitching like she was fighting a grin.

Nothing about this was random, and it damn sure wasn’t harmless. There was a whole silent exchange going on, and I had the sinking feeling I was both the punchline and the audience.

Felicity was the first to look away. She turned to me, then reached for the hem of her top and started pulling it over her head without me having to say a word.

Her clothes hit the floor one by one, like she wanted to make a show of it.

And when she finished, she stood there completely bare, chin lifted, and eyes steady.

Not a trace of shame marred her expression.

Instead, there was a readiness, almost an eagerness, radiating from her, setting off warning bells in my mind.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

She wasn’t supposed to look so damn comfortable.

As I stood there, grappling with my thoughts, Felicity moved past me, heading toward the shower.

The moment she crossed the threshold, Tandy reached out, her fingertips stretching toward Felicity’s shoulder.

But before she could make contact, I intercepted her wrist mid-air, halting her movement with a firm grip.

"Don't touch her," I warned, my voice low and resolute.

When I released her wrist, I stepped into the shower and walked straight to the controls. The space was damn near a private spa, built to fit six with room to breathe. Steam curled around the stone walls, and the marble beneath my feet was warm.

I entered a few commands on the panel, and the system came to life. Water shot out from overhead and the side jets, even beneath the built-in bench. The pressure was perfect, and the temperature exact.

Luxury didn’t have to announce itself. It spoke for me.

I turned my attention to Tandy, letting Felicity stand there in all that heat and steam with nowhere to hide. All she could do was watch. If she thought she was here to take control, she was about to learn that nothing happened in my space unless I allowed it.

Tandy met me halfway, her body already ready for me. She knew the role she played, and she played it well. Her eyes softened, her lips spread, and her breath caught when I touched her. My hands roamed over her body, drawing out every reaction like it was a lesson I wanted Felicity to study.

And she did.

Steam wrapped around us like a second skin, clinging to every inch of our naked bodies, and I stood in the center of it all, water cascading down my sculpted frame.

Felicity leaned against the wall, directly in front of me.

droplets catching the light like diamonds against her dark, glistening skin, and I wanted to run my hands over every ridge, every curve, but it wasn’t time for that. Not yet.

Tandy pressed up against me, her curves molding to my body like she was built for it.

Her skin was rich mahogany, smooth as glass, and her hips flared in a way that could make any man lose focus—except for me.

She was a goddess in her own right, much like Felicity, and she held me down in ways no other woman ever had.

I even cared about her. She was my friend with benefits.

Reliable. Loyal. Low maintenance, though I cashed out on her.

The sex was good, always had been, but I’d never felt that deep, soul-gripping pull Bats bragged about with her. Still, that didn’t stop us from enjoying one another. He talked about that shit like it was oxygen, like once you got a hit, everything else felt empty.

I clown him for being in love and swear he’s whipped, but the longer I watch all the married couples around me, the more I start to wonder what it would feel like—to want somebody that bad, and to have them want me back the same way.

Sometimes I catch myself thinking, maybe I’m not built for that kind of love. Maybe I didn’t need it. But Bats made it look possible. Hell, he made it look good, and even though I’d never admit it out loud… a small part of me wanted it too.

“Look at me, baby. You here with me?” Tandy’s hand gently brushed my face, her soft voice pulling me back to the moment.