by T L Swan
Joshua Stanton is too damn beautiful for words. We lie in comfortable silence as the perspiration sticks our bodies together, still slowly kissing. His body still inside mine.
“Josh,” I whisper.
“Mmm.”
“I can’t live without you. I love you so very much.”
He smiles softly. “That makes two of us presh.”
Chapter 5
I struggle to break free. The sound of Joshua groaning as they hit him echoes through the dark wet tunnel. Three men are holding him while three others are taking turns in hitting him.
“Stop it. You’re going to fucking kill him. Please let him go,” I sob out loud …”Please, what do you want?” They start to kick him repeatedly in the stomach and I scream. “NO! You are going to kill him! Please stop it!” I sob while I desperately fight to escape the two men holding me. They throw me onto the ground and one of them kicks me in the stomach. I scream in pain and I hear Joshua go crazy again as he tries to break free.
“Let her go,” he screams. “Kill me … just let her go. It’s me you want.”
They pick up a metal bar and hit him across the face and a cold metallic thud echoes through the space.
“Nooooooooo!” I scream.
“We are not letting her go. Who will we take turns in fucking with her gone? There are nine of us to please you know.”
Joshua goes crazy. “I’ll fucking kill you when I get free,” he screams. “I swear to god if you touch her, you gutless pricks, you’re fucking dead.”
I look to the corner where Ben’s dead body is slumped in the corner.
I close my eyes, the sound, the sight … the pain too much to bear. They continually hit him until he slips into unconsciousness and my heart breaks.
Dear god, no!
One of them hits me hard across the face and I fall to the ground. They gather around and one of them unzips his pants.
“Tash. Baby, wake up.” He shakes me.
I scream as I sit up in a rush. Heart racing, my body is covered in perspiration.
“Jesus. Tash. What were you dreaming about?” Joshua grabs me in an embrace and pulls me into his chest as I sob.
The door opens and a bodyguard bursts in. “Is everything alright in here? I heard screaming.”
“Natasha just had a nightmare. Can you give us some privacy please?” Joshua says flatly, obviously annoyed at the intrusion.
“Yes, sorry.” He leaves immediately.
I cry into his chest as I shake in fear.
“It’s ok, baby. I’m here. Don’t be frightened,” he whispers into the top of my head.
I continue sobbing.
“Were you dreaming about your father?” he asks in a defeated voice.
I shake my head. I don’t want to say it out loud in case it makes it come true.
“Tell me sweetheart. What were you dreaming about?”
“I have been having the same dream over and over,” I sob.
“What dream?”
“They kill you.” My chest heaves.
“Who kills me?” he gasps.
I sob out loud again as I bring my face up to his. “They hold me and make me watch the men taking turns bashing you to death and then they gang rape me.”
His expression drops. “Christ … it’s not real Tash. It’s just a bad dream.”
I pull back to look at him. “I am scared it’s a premonition, Josh. What if my dad is trying to warn me? It’s so real, always exactly the same dream. They started two days after Dad’s death.”
He smiles sympathetically. “It’s a nightmare, baby. Let’s have a shower. You always feel better after a shower.”
I nod nervously and let him help me to the shower. We stand in an embrace as I cry into his chest, and the fear eventually subsides as the water washes away my nightmare from hell.
“I’m scared, Josh,” I whisper.
He gently kisses my face. “It’s ok baby, nothing is going to happen to me. You’re safe now, I’m here.”
I wake with a start—my heart is racing through an orgasm. Joshua is on top of me and inside me. He kisses me as he pulls out and rolls me onto my side to face him.
He smiles as he leans in and kisses me gently again.
“Good morning, Mr Stanton,” I sigh happily. “Helping yourself?” I smirk.
“You love it when I take you in your sleep.”
I smile broadly at the beautiful specimen in front of me. It’s true. I do love it when he takes me in my sleep. “Yes, but why do you love it so much?” I’ve never asked him before why it gets him so amped up.
He bites his lip as he contemplates his answer. “I don’t know. I think that it’s the way your body responds to mine, even when you’re not conscious. You have no idea what a turn on it is to know that your body wants mine. I don’t know actually.” He shrugs. “I think it’s that I realise we connect on many different levels and the fact that you know about it and give me permission. I don’t know what it is, but it’s fucking hot.”
“Have you ever done that to anybody else?” I ask.
He frowns at me. “Natasha I don’t fuck you while you sleep, I make love to you while you sleep. I’ve never made love to anyone but you and I have definitely never stayed next to someone as they slept. What we have is a deeper connection. There is no way in hell I would want to do that with anybody. It’s actually creepy thinking of doing that with someone else.” He fakes a shiver.
I smirk. “And it’s not creepy when you do it to me?”
He frowns. “No, I adore you. I love you. Nothing could ever be creepy between us.” His eyes widen. “Do you think it’s creepy?”
I smile. “No Josh, I think it’s beyond hot and it tells me how deeply I trust you.”
His face drops.
I frown. “Why did your face just drop?”I question.
He takes my face tenderly in his hands. “Kiss me.” I smile into him.
Knock, knock.
“Shit.” Joshua spits. “Just a minute,” he yells. I jump from the bed and sprint to the bathroom with him hot on my heels.
“Just get dressed,” I snap. “I don’t want them to know you are in the shower with me.”
“No, I need a shower too. I smell like sex.” He pushes me to the side and turns the shower on and dives in before the water heats up. I stand naked with my arms crossed at the beautiful sex god in front of me.
“What?” He smiles as he quickly soaps up.
“The nurses are going to think you’re a nympho .”
He smirks. “Then they would be right, wouldn’t they?”
I smirk and in two minutes flat Joshua is dressed and heading out of the bathroom to answer the door. I take my time and twenty minutes later I emerge from the bathroom to find the doctor and Cameron in the room talking to Joshua. Cameron’s eyes shoot up to me and he bites his lip to stifle his smile. Boy, this is uncomfortable. They know exactly what we have been doing.
“I’m going to get a coffee Josh,” I whisper uncomfortably.
His eyes lock on mine and he smiles a knowing smile. His eyes gently drop from my head to my toes and he runs his tongue over his bottom lip. I feel a familiar throb of arousal as his gaze burns holes through my clothes.
“Take Max, presh. Can you get me and Cam one as well?” he says gently.
I nod and he holds out his hand for me. As I take it he pulls me in for a quick peck on the lips.
Cameron rolls his eyes. As I am grabbing my purse there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Cameron yells.
Ben sticks his head through the door. “Josh, there are two policemen here to see you.”
Josh’s eyes flick straight to me. I frown.
“Give me a minute,” he replies. He turns to me, “Go and get the coffee, presh. I will be about twenty minutes. Ring your mum or the girls.”
I smile and nod as I leave the room. He is trying to get rid of me. What in the hell is this about? Two policemen are waiting outside. Ben, along wit
h Joshua’s other two bodyguards, all enter the room after the police. I frown. That’s weird, why do the bodyguards have to hear what is said. Actually, what is being said?
I turn to Max, “What’s going on?”
“Let’s go for a walk, honey,” he sighs.
One thing that I am becoming increasingly aware of is that Max only calls me honey when he feels pity for me.
Joshua
“This is Constable Mathews and Detective Stevens.” Ben introduces the two policemen.
I shake both of their hands and stay silent as I wait for them to speak.
“Mr Stanton, we have found your car.”
Relief fills me. “Oh good. Is it a write-off?” I reply.
The detective frowns at me. “It seems we have bigger problems than your car being stolen.”
I frown, “What does that mean? Where was my car?”
Ben and the officer trade glances. “Your car was found parked in the car park of your offices.”
I frown. “But why?”
“We think that Friday night was not just a random car robbery. We think it was supposed to be a premeditated hit.”
“Hit,” Cameron interjects. “Why do you think that?”
“Because your Aston Martin is worth $220,000 and it was returned without a scratch.”
I drop to sit on the bed as the information sinks in.
“That’s ridiculous,” spits Cameron. “Who in the hell would order a hit on Joshua?”
My eyes flick over to Ben. “Ben, can you go and make sure Natasha is ok. She’s at the cafeteria.”
He nods and leaves the room, understanding my fear. I don’t really care if they order a hit on me. My fear is for Natasha. The only way to hurt me is to hurt her. Bile rises in my stomach.
“Let’s go through Friday night’s events again,” the detective asks.
I blow out a breath and nod. “I was at Willowvale and I decided to leave.”
“What time was that?” he asks as he scribbles down some notes.
I shrug, “About ten.”
“Where was your security?”
“They had gone to bed and I just needed to get home.” My eyes flick to Cam and he gives me a small smile.
“Ok, what happened then?” he asks as he scribbles notes on a pad.
“I pulled in for petrol and then when I went to pay I was jumped by three men. We scuffled and then they got a hold of me and we fought a bit. I don’t know for how long. The service station attendant must have rung the police because a police siren came and then they all ran off and jumped in my car and took off.”
The policeman smiles. “We watched the security footage. You gave two of them a hiding. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
I shake my head, “I cage fight for sport.”
The detective raises his eyebrows, “I think that sport may have saved your life. They had a gun—the guy at the back in the footage pulled it out just before the police came.”
I run my hand over my face.
“A fucking gun,” Cameron snaps. “This is bullshit, who in the hell would want him dead. You’re the police. Do something about this. What are you going to do about this?”
I blow out a breath as my nerves hit a new level. “Peter, can you go and check on Natasha. Why is she taking so long?”
“Yeah, sure man.” He leaves the room.
“Did you get a look at any of them?” the second police officer asks.
“No, only what I told you the other night. It was filtered light. One of them had dreadlocks. I think his hair was red.”
“Yes, we saw that. Anything else you can think of?”
I hunch my shoulders, “No.”
“I would keep a close eye on your wife if I was you. Until we get this under control she is not safe either.”
I frown as my eyes flick to Cameron. “How do you know I am married?”
“It’s on the front page of today’s newspaper. Headlines read you married your sex therapist.”
I drop my head to my hands. “This is a nightmare, how does this shit get out?”
The policeman shrugs. “You are in a hospital with hundreds of staff and visitors. It was only a matter of time. Don’t go anywhere without your bodyguards and like I said I wouldn’t let your wife out of your sight if I was you. If you think of anything, no matter how small, give us a call. I have given my business card to Ben.”
I nod as I look at the floor while the policemen leave.
“What’s Natasha going to say?” Cameron sighs.
“Natasha is not to know about this. Not a word,” I snap.
“Are you kidding?” Cameron gasps.
I shake my head. “No. I said no! She has been through enough, she lost her father and now she’s been having nightmares where I get murdered. She had one just last night. I have never seen anyone so terrified. It took me half an hour to calm her down.”
“Bloody hell. This is a total fuck up,” Cameron snaps. “What the hell does she dream about?”
I sit on the bed as her fear runs through my mind. “She said it’s the same dream every time. They have us underground in a wet tunnel. It’s night time. Ben’s body is slumped on the floor and she is tied up and forced to watch me get bashed to death by a group of men. Then they gang rape her.”
“Bloody hell, no wonder she’s terrified.” Cameron runs his hands through his hair. “We need to get Adrian in here.”
I blow out a breath and nod, “Give him a ring.”
“Give who a ring?” Adrian asks as he walks into the room with a beaming smile. I turn, smile and embrace him in relief.
He pulls back and frowns at me. “Ok … What’s going on? Why are you cuddling me?”
Cameron holds his hand in the air in exasperation. “Where shall we start? Oh I know—how about Joshua nearly got murdered on Friday night in an ordered hit. Now the police think he and Natasha are in danger and Joshua doesn’t want to tell Natasha because the poor petal is having scary dreams.”
I glare at Cameron. “How about I shut that smart mouth for you,” I snap. He fakes a smile.
Adrian’s eyes widen. “How do we know it was a hit?”
“It seems my car was returned to the work car park on Friday night. The keys were on the passenger seat.”
“My god,” Adrian whispers as he slumps into the chair. “We also have another problem.” He pulls his newspaper from under his arm. He opens it and shows me the front page, a huge picture of Natasha with the heading ‘Joshua Stanton secretly marries his sex therapist’.
I angrily snatch the paper from him. It is a picture of Natasha and Max crossing the road out the front of the hospital. Natasha is laughing and looking gorgeous and Max has his hand in the small of her back guiding her across the street. The story reads:
Joshua Stanton the infamous wealthy LA playboy has secretly married his Australian sex therapist. They met in Sydney on his recent stay after she treated him for his sex addiction. Natasha Stanton has rushed to his side from Australia after he took a cocaine overdose over the weekend. The handsome playboy who formerly dated Heidi Mills and Vanessa Shortland…
I stop reading the dribble in front of me. “The fucking paparazzi, they just make this shit up,” I snap. “This is just perfect, at a time when I need her to be in disguise she’s on the front of the fucking paper.” I put my head into my hands. “What am I going to do? She has been through enough. I don’t want her frightened,” I sigh.
“What’s with the nightmares?” Adrian asks.
“She’s been having the same recurring dream where she is tied up and forced to watch me get bashed to death and then they gang rape her.”
“Gang rape. Christ,” Adrian gasps.
“Let’s not forget that they kill Ben,” Cameron snaps.
I nod and Adrian screws up his face. “You don’t want to tell her?”
I shake my head. “Not yet. She’s been through enough.”
Ben walks through the door.
“Wher
e’s Tash?” I snap.
“Talking to your mother. She’s safe. Relax.”
“Ben, I want the security doubled around Joshua and Natasha. Natasha is to have four bodyguards with her at all times,” Adrian asserts.
This is why I love this man, he’s a micromanager. He takes control of any situation and has the ability to make important decisions quickly. I smile, feeling better just having him here.
I look at Ben. “I want Max taken off guarding Natasha. You swap with him and I only want trusted long-term staff with her.”
“Why? Max is the best bodyguard we have. He is more qualified than me. Why can’t he guard Natasha?” Ben frowns.
“He just can’t,” I snap.
“Fuck off. Are you jealous?” Cameron spits.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Did you know that he has been staying in the house with Natasha? I am paying him to guard her, not cut my fucking grass.”
Ben bites his lip to stifle his smile.
“Yeah, this is hilarious Ben … you ass,” I spit.
My phone rings and Cameron picks it up, glances at the screen and hands it to me, the name Amelie on the screen. I push reject and Cameron shakes his head.
“Have you had that conversation yet?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, I haven’t had time.”
“How’s that going to go?”
“How do you fucking reckon?” I snap.
Adrian shakes his head. “You, Stanton, are a tosser. You’re jealous of her bodyguard, when you are the one who makes her have one. And now that she actually needs one, you want to take the best man off the job because you’re insecure.”
“I am not insecure. He’s just too … familiar.”
“He’s twenty years older than her. Grow up,” Adrian replies flatly.
The door opens and Natasha breezes in. Her warm smile cuts through me. What if something happens to her because of me? I couldn’t bear it. She sits next to me on the bed.
“What did the police want?” she asks.
“Umm … nothing. They were inquiring where I got the drugs from the other night.”
Her eyes hold mine. She knows I’m lying but is staying silent while the others are in the room.
