The Bad Guy

by Celia Aaron

Her smile worked to unravel the black wire that wrapped around my heart. The sensation of falling and soaring melded into one. How could the slight upturn of her mouth create so much chaos? I wanted more.

“Then what is your thing?” “Plants.” Her voice trembled, setting the animal inside me alight. I wanted to devour her. “Ah, the Amazon trip.” “Yes.” She didn’t pull away as her words grew breathy. “It’s a dream of mine.” You’re a dream of mine.

“I won the moment I found you.” His tone was soft, and his eyes were uncharacteristically warm, as if he believed I was some priceless treasure he’d stumbled upon.

“If you let me ice your ankle, I’ll let you get away with wearing underwear to bed. One night only. If you keep fighting me, I’ll strip you, tie you, and ice your ankle all the same.” He released my arms and backed away. “Your choice.”

“I called my designer for a builder recommendation the night of the gala.” I flattened my palm on the table to my right. “You planned all this starting that night?” “Yes.” He shrugged. “I knew it was you. I saw you.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “And you saw me too.” Pulling my hand away, I shook my head. “We had one dance. One dance.” “That was all I needed.”

“Just let me go.”

Her soft plea would have broken anyone else. It had the opposite effect on me. The more she tried to fly away, the harder I wanted to clip her wings. She was the most precious thing I’d ever found.

“Too bad you don’t have a camera in my mind, huh?” “What I wouldn’t give for such a thing.” “Psycho,” I whispered as I moved on to the next plant. “I can read your lips.” His voice dropped lower.

“You’re safe here. Always safe with me. I’ll never hurt you.” He rested a warm palm on my cheek. “Pretend that you believe me. Pretend you want to be here. Pretend you want me to be yours.” Pretend you want to be mine. He didn’t say the words, but I could feel them in the air.

“You don’t have to love me, but you sure as hell won’t love anyone else.”

“So let’s make another deal. Though, I’ll warn you, this one has higher stakes than your botany books. What will you give me for Link’s life?”

“I’m sorry.” I withdrew and wrapped my arms around myself. “No you aren’t. If you were sorry, you’d let me go.” “I can’t.” He sighed. “You’re afraid I’ll tell?” “No.” “Then what?” “I don’t think I can live without you.”

I followed. There was no other option with Camille. Wherever she went, I would go too. We were forever.

“You’re the reason. I can assure you I’ve never said a poetic word in my life until I met you.”

Her plants grew around me, and I wondered how long it would take for the vines and leaves to cover me over, bury me in the green she loved so much. Her touch colored everything in here, from the pots and plants to the mortar and pestle she’d used to create my poison.

I’d been here for almost a day, but I hadn’t realized it. All I could think of was her, the blue of her eyes, the softness of her skin, the cute way her nose would wrinkle, the sounds she made when she came. I could drown myself in good bourbon and thoughts of her for the rest of my life. It would be more fulfilling than trying to function without her. I took another swig.

I clenched my eyes shut. She appeared behind my lids, her eyes glittering as she laughed and turned to run. I chased her. Would never stop chasing her.

Camille, I apologize for not being in the office to accept your call earlier today. The greenhouse is yours. I’ve instructed the foreman to report to you instead of the headmistress, and I’ve also provided a discretionary budget for you to make whatever changes or additions to the design you see fit. As you know, emotions aren’t my strong suit. But I want you to know that you’ve been in my thoughts every second you’ve been gone. I went about wooing you the wrong way. I see that now. With that said, I need you to know that I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything. You taught me more about myself than even my father. Do you remember when you said I was the villain of this story? I think you were onto something. The actions I took to get you were wrong. But I don’t regret them. I never will. I’d do them over again in a heartbeat. But the second time around, I might kill Link and whisk you away from here. Take you to the Amazon and set you free in the trees while I wait for you on the ground. Give you everything you ever wanted. Build you a school, burn down a city, design you a greenhouse, destroy an enemy—they’re all the same to me as long as they lead to you. And I think that’s why you were right. I think that’s what makes me the bad guy—that I’d kill or build, destroy or create for you. If you wished it, I’d do it. All that would matter to me is that you wanted it. I won’t take you again. Your life is your own. I can only wait and hope that you see how sincere I am....

“Let me go.” “I don’t have you.” He kissed my forehead. “You’re free to do what you want.” As if to prove it, he stepped back. “Run if you want.” I didn’t move, only stared up at him as my world rattled off its hinges. He returned, pressing against me, one hand at my throat. “But I’ll always chase you. I’ll never cage you again, but I can’t stop my pursuit. It isn’t possible.”

“How about this?” He ran his hand along my thigh. “I give you what you need right here, right now in this dark alley. Then I let you run a little more, if that’s what you want. I’ll let you go. I don’t want to.” His fingers edged higher to the lace of my panties between my thighs. “I want to take you home and fuck you all night. Leave my marks all over you. Watch you suck my cock. Eat your pussy until you beg me to stop. I won’t, though.” His fingers skirted past the fabric and slid down my wet folds. “Fuck. Just tell me what you want. I’ll do it. You want me to walk away right now? I will. You’re in control. Tell me.”

“Let’s just say that she’s going to keep running, but she’s fine with letting me catch her every so often.”

“She ran, but I caught her. I’ll always catch her.” The new sensation, the one that sent me flying, swelled in my chest. She’d put it there. All the love I had was hers.