Hot Blacktop Ch. 4 – The Ex-Boyfriend

Saint moved toward the front door, hobbled on one foot getting his second boot on just as a thump had him turning toward the noise. A disheveled Sienna stumbled over a step coming down the stairs as she turned on a light. He blinked and adjusted to the brightness. When he got a look at Sienna he couldn’t help but glance up and down hanging a couple extra seconds on the legs that kept going and going. Her dress she still wore from last night was rumpled. It clung to her and pulled to one side leaving the mounds of her breasts almost indecent. She didn’t have a lot going on there but, he thought, what she did have held up very well. He licked his lips then frowned. Saint thought he would just check to see if Sienna was okay this morning and leave, but seeing her all disheveled and sleepy had him thinking otherwise.

He smiled and tried to stifle a laugh. Sienna’s hair stuck up every which way. Joining the disarray, Saint watched her hazy sleep-glazed eyes clear when she finally looked up and saw he stood in her living room. Her eyes widened and her mouth decided to go for the guppy look. She quickly shut her mouth and looked like she would say something else, but she didn’t have a chance.

“Sienna!  Did you change the fucking locks? Open this goddamned door? We need to work this out.”

Sienna’s hand covered her mouth and she whispered, “Layton,” over the barrage of bangs.

Bang, bang, bang! “Sienna, come on baby. I’m sorry.” The doorknob rattled.

Bang! Sienna turned to look at the clock as did Saint. 7:00 A.M. Bang! Saint moved. Sienna gripped his shirt. “I’ll get it,” she said. Bang!

“Sienna!” Saint could hear the desperation and an underlying anger in the man’s words.

Her shoulders had slumped and her cheeks reddened. “Sorry,” she whispered. She turned on the porch light and mumbled sorry again.

Saint shook his head. Sienna went to move past him, but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back, his fingers spreading across her muscled torso. Sienna gasped as Saint opened the door to a very irate ex-boyfriend. He gripped her even closer. The corner of his eye began to twitch when he looked down on a much shorter, blond haired, pointy nosed, ass-hat, who looked more like a polo-playing pansy.

“Why’s my shit on the lawn, Sie…?” Layton stopped moving when he saw Saint.

Saint’s fingers flexed on Sienna’s hip and he felt her flinch. He loosened his hold.

“Who the hell are you?”

Sienna stiffened at the question. “None of your business, Layton.” Her nose flared with her next inhale. “If you haven’t figured it out by now, I broke up with you.” Sienna began to shake. He didn’t know if it was fear or anger, but Saint had had enough of this asshole.

“Take your stuff and go,” Saint said.

Layton made a move toward Sienna.

No fucking way! Saint twisted Sienna around to his back to shield her from Layton.  He took a step toward Layton as he let go of Sienna.

“Take your shit and leave, man. Sienna doesn’t want you here.”

Layton’s brows drew down as his gaze teetered between Saint and Sienna. His hands fisted and his eyes zeroed back on Sienna. “Sienna, we can work this out.”

Saint heard Sienna suck in a breath. He looked over his shoulder. Her whole body had gone taut, fingers clenched and her face reddened. Her breaths came long and deep, as if she tried to trap her anger. He saw it coming when she lifted her head. He spun around, grabbed her by the waist, and then hugged her close.

“Saint, step back,” she said through pinched lips. He looked into her eyes, searching. He did as she asked. Reluctantly.

Her voice shook when she spoke, just as a line of flame broke the darkness the sun rising over the horizon. “What makes you think I want anything to do with you, Layton?” Her voice vibrated with unleashed anger.

Layton took a step up the porch. Saint moved to block him, but Sienna got to him first. He didn’t get in her way.

She jabbed Layton in the chest with her finger. “You were the one that told me you loved me, that we’d be together forever! You were the one I found fucking another woman! In my bed!  So, don’t stand there and think you can make this up to me, when you were the one who betrayed me.” Her voice cracked. “Go back to Jenny! Or the other bitch you had on the side.”

Saint watched Layton’s eye flash.

Saint thought that would be enough to get the guy to go, but Layton made a desperate grab for Sienna.

With lightning speed, Saint grabbed Layton’s outstretched arm, twisted it behind his back. Layton winced and Saint pushed Layton down the porch stairs. Layton stumbled and tried to pull away, but Saint locked the guys arm in place. When he knew that Sienna was a safe distance away, Saint pushed Layton toward his vehicle, a Porsche SUV.

Layton backed up quickly, righting himself, as Saint crossed his arms and waved the asshole on. “You heard her.”

Layton wasn’t into clues. He moved to mount the stairs again. Saint blocked him.

“Let me by asshole,” Layton.

“No.”

He tried it again. Saint pushed back and Layton took a swing at him. Air glanced off Saint’s hair as he ducked Layton’s swing and returned fire with a jab to the ribs. Layton bent at the waist and grabbed the impact point.

“Layton! Go! Just go,” Sienna screamed. Saint turned to look at Sienna. Silent tears streaked her pretty face. The twitch at his eye got worse. Sad, and or pissed, Sienna didn’t deserve to be either.

Layton lunged.

Saint smiled, and said to himself, I’m done, as Layton punched more air in front of his face. In one move, Saint jabbed him hard with an uppercut, tripped him and pushed him to the ground. Layton tried to get back up but Saint planted one big boot into Layton’s chest and pressed his heel under the rib cage, and ground it down. Layton gasped for air. He heard Sienna calling, pleading for him to stop. He eased up on his foot but didn’t move back. “Get your shit and get out.”

Saint looked over at the lawn strewn with boxes and piles of clothes and waited.

“Sienna,” Layton groaned and coughed as he brought himself standing again. “Jenny doesn’t mean anything. Come on, baby. This is fixable. I love you.” Layton moved toward Sienna. Saint moved with him blocking his way.

Saint watched Layton’s eyes track back to him. Yeah, that’s it, Saint thought. Focus on me.

“Who the fuck is this guy, Sienna?” Layton questioned. She ignored him and finally stepped back into her house. “Sienna? Dammit!”

“I would seriously consider, picking up all your stuff, putting it in that shit-tastic ride of yours, and getting off Sienna’s property.”

“Or what?” Layton snaps.

“Or what?” Saint said his voice all too calm. Layton’s eyes went round and bled white when Saint got right in his face, grabed Layton’s shirt, and growled. “I’ll unleash my kind of crazy. The kind where there won’t be enough of you left for anyone to even care.”

The air was thick and crackled with tension when Layton snarled, “Fuck you,” twisted away, and started packing his car.

Saint waited a beat, then followed Sienna into the house and found her standing at the window. He got close but didn’t touch.

“Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t here,’ Sienna said.

The silence was heavy and then Saint said, “What’d you see in that asshole?”

She shrugged. “My future.” She took a shaky breath. “I guess he didn’t see the same thing.”

“Hmm,” the sound his only response.

Saint stood next to Sienna, his blood humming with adrenaline as they watched Layton load the last box. Layton turned and glared at them both before he got into his Porsche and drove away. Saint laughed and shook his head. When the taillights disappeared, Saint turned, and looked into Sienna’s eyes. They flared, became hooded with desire.  His body reacted.

Saint took Sienna by the shoulders crowding into her space, his hips almost aligning with her smaller ones. His hand moved down, the tips of his fingers touching the skin exposed by her dress to brush back and forth across her naked collarbone. Sienna tried to move back but his other hand held her in place. She shivered and her breath came in small pants. He smiled. She didn’t want him to let her go. His fingers continued to meander higher up and around until they combed through her tangled locks several times where they finally took hold and stopped, her neck tilted back in his soft grip. His mouth so close now he could feel her breath dance along his lips.  “You know what?”

“What,” she replied?

“He’s blind too.”