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“That’s bullshit,” I shot back. “It’s almost summer, and business has picked up. I’m busy.”
“Don’t use that excuse on me,” Lincoln snapped. “I’m just as busy, but I still make time for us.”
I lowered my voice, my irritation now mingled with frustration. “You make time when you want to fuck.”
“Goodbye, Erika,” Lincoln said coldly. “I hope the deal was worth it.”
Before I could respond, the line went dead. I stared at my phone, the finality of his words hanging heavily in the air. Over the past three weeks, my busy schedule and the strain on our relationship had reached a tipping point.
To add to it, I’d been helping Morgan prepare for her upcoming wedding to Slade. It was the right thing to do for my best friend, but Lincoln had grown increasingly frustrated with my absence. I loved him, but I was beginning to feel suffocated.
I turned back to my client, Sabian Jackson, a trust-fund baby with a taste for Manhattan real estate. He was waiting expectantly, his blue eyes innocent and inviting.
“Want to go to a club?” Sabian asked as I sat down beside him.
Sabian, close to my age but with a youthful charm, looked like he could enchant any woman. His brown hair was meticulously styled, and his large, innocent eyes belied his intentions.
“I can’t,” I said, my tone polite but firm. “I have a lot of work to catch up on when I get back to my apartment.”
“Are you sure?” he pressed, a smirk playing on his lips. “I’m on the list at both Haze and Surge. We could get VIP service.”
“I appreciate the offer,” I said, shaking my head. “But I have a lot to get done tonight.”
Sabian glanced at his gold-banded Rolex. “It’s already 9 pm. How long do you plan to work?”
“All night,” I replied with conviction. “I’ve been known to negotiate deals until the wee hours.”
For the next ten minutes, Sabian tried persistently to lure me out, but his interest was clearly more than just professional. I could sense his motives and had no intention of engaging with him, especially with Lincoln’s anger still simmering.
Sabian’s smirk widened. “I bet there are other things you can do all night.”
I leaned in closer, my patience wearing thin. “Do you actually want to buy a property, or are you trying to get me into bed?”
“I need a new apartment,” Sabian said with a smarmy grin, “but sleeping with you would be icing on the cake. You’re beautiful.”
“I’m in a relationship,” I said firmly.
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Sabian dismissed, downing the rest of his vodka and signaling for another. “Besides, you deserve to have a little fun.”
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Not really,” he replied, grabbing my hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip.
“Let her go,” a commanding voice barked from behind me.
I twisted to see Lincoln standing there, his face flushed, and his fists clenched in fury. His jaw muscles tensed visibly as he glared at Sabian. The room seemed to shrink under the weight of Lincoln’s imposing presence. Sabian, immediately cowed, dropped my hand, and the air crackled with palpable tension.
“Lincoln,” I started.
“Hey man, I meant no harm,” Sabian said, his voice dripping with false remorse.
I was too stunned to respond as Lincoln yanked out a chair and slammed himself into it. It had been a day since I’d last seen him, and I couldn’t help but take in his presence. He wore a light blue dress shirt that accentuated his broad chest and was tucked into tan khakis. Brown loafers completed the look, his sockless feet making a subtle statement of casual elegance. But the heat of his anger radiated off him in waves, pulling me back into the uncomfortable reality of the moment.
Lincoln’s gaze was icy as he wrapped his fingers around my half-finished glass of red wine, draining it in one gulp. He licked his lips before placing the glass back on the table with deliberate care.
“Mr…?” Lincoln’s voice was low, but it held a menacing edge as he stared at Sabian.
“Jackson,” Sabian stammered, his voice quivering.
