Next to Forever: Shattered Innocence Trilogy Book Three

by Long, A. L.

  Rade smiled, knowing he could cause her so much pleasure. He knew this wouldn’t be the last time he would be tying her up this way.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Rade was staring at the ceiling when his phone began to vibrate. Slipping on his pants, he grabbed his phone and quietly left the bedroom, leaving Dylan to sleep. It was early morning and he gritted his teeth at the early intrusion. When Peter’s number appeared, his body relaxed, knowing he informed Peter to call anytime, day or night, if he had any new information.

  Rade swiped the screen and greeted Peter. “I hope you have some information for me, Peter.”

  “I do, sir. We found out information about Dr. O’Brien. Seems she has a business on the side. She runs an adoption service. She also specializes in infertility and artificial insemination,” Peter explained.

  “What about her credentials?” Rade questioned.

  “She’s highly sought after. She holds several honors in the medical field and also in embryonic stem cell research,” Peter paused. “There’s something else, sir. There were several malpractice suits filed against Dr. O’Brien, but they were never brought to trial. I’m not sure what the reasons were behind the suits, but I’m hoping to have that information soon.”

  “Let me know what you find out,” Rade said, ending his call with Peter.

  With the information he just received, his head began to spin with all kinds of what ifs. What if Chloe wasn’t really pregnant? What if a sample of his sperm was taken while he was drugged and implanted inside her? What if she had plans to adopt a child, pretending it was theirs when it came time for her to deliver?

  He was thinking erratically. All he knew was he needed to find answers. Something about this whole ordeal just didn’t sit right with him, especially knowing that Chloe was pregnant once before and lost the child. Nothing made sense to him. How would he be able to prove she wasn’t carrying his child when he couldn’t even prove she was at the house with him? There had to be a way. The more he thought about it, he only had one option. Make a trade. Before he made any abrupt decisions, he needed to run it by Dylan.

  The best way to get Dylan to agree with his plan was to fix her a phenomenal breakfast. He was hoping that the saying, “the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” also held true for women. At least one woman in particular. If he was going to make an amazing breakfast she wouldn’t forget, he had better get started before she woke up. Another way to a woman’s heart was having breakfast served in bed, at least by his standards.

  By the time Rade finished cooking breakfast, he had fresh raspberry crêpes with a sweet cream sauce, crisp bacon, oven brown seasoned potatoes, and fresh squeezed orange juice, waiting to be served. He went an extra step, and fired up his espresso machine, making Dylan a very special vanilla latte with chocolate shavings on top. Placing everything on the breakfast tray, he looked at his masterpiece with a smile and headed back to their bedroom. God, how he loved the sound of that. Their bedroom. Dylan was still asleep as he entered the room. He knew he had worn her out last night. Her body was pushed beyond the limit. He might have felt a little selfish, if it wasn’t for the multiple orgasms he gave her.

  Placing the tray on the night stand, Rade crawled into the bed beside her. She was so warm, wrapped up in the sheet and comforter. Snaking his hand under the covers, he searched for her breasts. When she rolled over, he knew he had been caught trying to cop a feel. He didn’t care because as soon as her eyes opened, he saw the most magnificent shade of green. He could have sworn that Dylan’s eyes were greener and clearer than he had seen them for a long time.

  “Good morning, Sweetness,” Rade said softly as he pulled her closer to his body.

  “Mmm, I like this. You next to me when I wake up,” Dylan said, snuggling closer to him.

  “I brought you breakfast. Are you hungry?” Rade asked.

  “Starving,” Dylan replied.

  Rade slid from under the covers while Dylan positioned herself so she was sitting. When Rade placed the tray on her lap, Dylan couldn’t believe the display of food before her. Rade must have slaved all morning to make her such a wonderful breakfast.

  “Rade, how long have you been up? This looks amazing.” Dylan licked her lips as her eyes feasted on the food in front of her.

  “It’s just something I whipped up,” Rade replied, taking the napkin from the tray and placing it across Dylan’s chest.

  Dylan didn’t believe him. No one could just whip up a breakfast like this. She knew firsthand what goes into making crêpes alone. Taking her first bite, her taste buds were doing a happy dance as the sweet cream and fruit hit her tongue. “Oh my God, Rade. This tastes incredible.”

  “I’m glad you like it, Sweetness.” Rade smiled, watching Dylan devour her breakfast. Her moans and groans of delight almost set him off as he watched her lips wrap around the fork.

  *****

  It was Saturday and the grand opening of Evan’s newly remodeled pub. Dylan almost forgot about it when his name came up on her phone. Dylan hadn’t told Rade about the opening. Not because she was hiding it from him, but because with everything that had been going on, it simply slipped her mind. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to go. The look on Evan’s face was more than enough for her to know he was not happy seeing her with Rade when he came to the penthouse for his blood test.

  Dylan thought it would be better to talk to Rade about the event first before she talked to Evan. So instead of answering his call, she swiped the decline and let the call go to voice mail. Rade was in the kitchen cleaning up the mess from his awesome breakfast. Dylan offered to help him, but he refused to let her. Instead, she took a much needed shower. After their night of blissful, beyond paradise lovemaking, she needed to rid herself of the remnants. Rade was already finished cleaning the kitchen and had settled down on the couch by the floor-to-ceiling windows when she entered the living area. Dylan walked over to where Rade was sitting. His thoughts were on something else because he didn’t notice that she had walked up to him. When she touched his arm to get his attention, Rade’s eyes slowly drifted to her.

  “You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, Rade,” Dylan said.

  “I’ve been thinking about what to do about Chloe. I want to get another blood test done, but in order for her to agree to it, I think I might have to bribe her in a trade-off,” Rade confessed.

  “What kind of trade-off?” Dylan asked concerned. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear what he had to say.

  Taking Dylan by the hand, he swung her around and pulled her close before pulling her down onto his lap. He knew it would be better if she was sitting. Taking in a deep breath, he laid out his plan to her. “I think I should agree to go to London with her to meet her parents, but only if she agrees to have another blood test done,” Rade hinted. “If she refuses, then it will only make her look like she’s hiding the real truth about being pregnant. It would be something I could use against her.”

  “So what you’re saying is that you will agree to go to London with her if she agrees to another blood test?” Dylan wasn’t sure how she felt about his plan. She didn’t want Rade anywhere near that bitch, let alone flying off to London with her.

  “Yes, but there’s a catch. She would have to submit to the blood test first. That way when it came time to go to London, you would be going with me. She wouldn’t need to know,” Rade began. “What I really want is for the blood test to come back negative and prove that I’m not the father, or better yet, that she wasn’t pregnant after all.”

  “Do you think it will work? What if she finds out what you’re up to?” Dylan was concerned that Rade’s plan would fall apart.

  “It doesn’t matter, either way we win. If she refuses, it only makes her look like a liar, and if she agrees, she will learn she can’t have me and you’re the only person I love.”

  “What if she is really pregnant and she finds out I’m going to London with you? She could keep you from ever s
eeing your child,” Dylan argued.

  “Not that it matters to me one way or the other, but it will never happen Sweetness. With the information we have regarding her past, we can use that against her,” Rade assured her.

  *****

  Dylan sat beside Rade as he talked to Chloe. Rade contemplated meeting her in person, but he didn’t want to deal with the drama, nor did he want to be near her. It took some convincing, but Chloe finally agreed to have another blood test taken. Instead of having Julia Foster administer the test, they decided to use a doctor they could both agree on, someone who had good credentials and neither one of them knew. They decided it was best for their attorneys to handle the details. The appointment would be scheduled for early next week and the truth would finally come out. Good or bad, Rade was ready.

  Rade and Dylan were surprised when Chloe agreed to another blood test. Even though it would have been better if she refused, showing she was a liar, Rade would soon find out the truth.

  As they sat on the couch, Dylan thought it was a good time as any to tell Rade about the grand opening at Riley’s.

  “Rade, with everything that’s been happening over the last week, I forgot to tell you that Evan is having a grand opening at Riley’s tonight. I was hoping that you would go with me. Lilly was supposed to go, but since she’s currently in Paris, that’s impossible,” Dylan asked, looking at Rade.

  “It completely slipped my mind. Evan called me a couple of days ago and told me about it. I already told him that I would be there,” Rade replied.

  “Good. I’m glad that you two are trying to build a relationship together despite your father’s transgressions,” Dylan admitted.

  Rade agreed with Dylan. Evan and he had been just innocent bystanders. It shouldn’t matter that they shared the same father, no matter how much Rade hated him. Rade was actually looking forward to seeing Evan. Rade had been to Riley’s several times and noticed the changes Evan made to the place. He was impressed by his younger brother’s accomplishments. At least hard work and perseverance were traits they had in common.

  Rade pulled Dylan close to him, needing to tame down his erection, which was now occupying the constricting area of his jeans. It didn’t matter if he was sitting next to her or just thinking about her, she managed to get to him. Needing some relief, he lifted Dylan onto his lap, positioning her right above his throbbing cock. There was too much clothing between them. Taking hold of the zipper to Dylan’s frilly skirt, he pushed it down until he was able to lift the fabric up over her head. Dylan’s knit top went with the skirt, leaving her in her dainty lacy panties and bra. It didn’t take long for Rade to rip the delicate material of her panties from her bottom. Yep, he definitely needed to replenish her supply of panties. It was a small price to pay not to lose the contact his heavy shaft had against her soft cunt. As he cupped his hands over her firm breasts, Dylan moaned, feeling the pressure he was applying. Dylan’s head fell back the moment his mouth took hold of her nipple through the thin lace of her bra. Rade slid the lacy cups down off her breasts, exposing the creamy mounds. Dylan’s breasts were the perfect size. His strong hands fit around them perfectly. Mouth to pert breast, Rade began seducing her nipple until it rose to a perfect peak. Dylan’s moans of pleasure filled the room as Rade continued his assault on one, then the other taut bud.

  Dylan’s body was feeling the wrath of Rade’s touch all the way to the tips of her pretty pink toes. She needed him to be inside her. Shifting her body, she gently took hold of his hard length and positioned it between her slick folds. Ecstasy was the only word to describe how her body felt with him planted inside her. Dylan began slowly moving her body up and down, relishing every movement of his cock sliding in and out of her. She wanted to be filled by him, so the more he gave, the more she took. The warmth between them grew into a heated rush as the friction of his shaft pumping in and out of her increased.

  Dylan was close to her release, but wanted to hang on to it. It was Rade who told her the longer she could hold out, the sweeter the benefits would be. Concentrating on only him, Dylan delighted him by covering his body with tender wet kisses from the base of his neck to the hard bud of his nipple. This was where she rested her eager mouth, making sure to satisfy the need she had for him as well. Before Dylan could move the other side, Rade lifted his body from the couch, taking hers with him. It was unexpected, but Rade walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows pressing Dylan’s body against the hard surface as he continued pumping inside her. Dylan’s hands went to Rade’s shoulders as she tried to balance herself to meet his thrusts with her own. He wanted nothing more than for the world to see that she belonged to him, even though it would be impossible through the tinted glass.

  Their need for each other grew the harder they hammered together. Dylan’s body pressed firmly against the cool glass as Rade’s pressed against the soft curves of her body. Rade knew he hit the right spot when Dylan’s release took over and her body trembled with fury. This was what Rade loved more than anything, to have the woman he loved come undone in his arms. Knowing that he gave that to her. Knowing that no one else would ever have her. The sound of satisfaction spreading, drenching her with pure ecstasy.

  After showering for an hour, Rade and Dylan finally retreated from the shower. They were like two teenagers, unable to keep their hands off each other. It would’ve been easier for them to dress themselves, but being unable to separate, Dylan managed to dress Rade in a pair of black jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a dark jacket. It was more difficult for Rade, considering he couldn’t take his hands off Dylan’s body long enough to get past her lacy underwear and bra.

  It was almost nine o’clock by the time they left the penthouse. Rade thought it best for Richard to drive them to the opening. Arriving thirty minutes later, Dylan’s face lit up at the line of people waiting to get inside the pub. This was going to be a successful opening for Evan. Dylan was happy so many people had shown up for the opening. Even though she wasn’t looking forward to standing in line to get in, she wouldn’t have missed this for the world. It wasn’t until Rade took Dylan by the hand and led her to the alleyway that she realized his plan. When he knocked on the back door and Evan appeared, she knew they must have made arrangements beforehand so they wouldn’t be waiting to get in.

  Rade and Evan did a quick handshake before Evan moved to the side to let them enter. Dylan felt uncomfortable that Evan didn’t make eye contact with her. She was pretty sure it wasn’t her imagination, but when the air got very cold in a matter of minutes, she knew he still had ill feelings towards her.

  The music was blasting to the sound of retro music as Evan led them inside the small pub. Evan took them to a small table with a reserved seating sign sitting on top. Within minutes, a waitress came by with a glass of red wine and a small glass containing a double shot of scotch. Dylan was disappointed when Evan excused himself from their table. She wanted them to be on better terms, but she had a funny feeling that his abrupt departure had to do with the animosity he still had towards her. More than anything, Dylan was hoping she would be able to talk to him and sort things out. The last thing she wanted was for Evan to be mad at her.

  The pub was jammed packed. Rade and Dylan could hardly hear themselves talk above the loud music. Rade moved his chair closer to Dylan so they wouldn’t be yelling at each other across the table. Dylan was amazed at the number of people that showed for the opening. Granted, the place wasn’t small, but every inch of the bar was covered with bodies, making it feel claustrophobic inside. If Dylan had to guess, there were at least a hundred to a hundred-fifty people inside, mingling and enjoying themselves.

  Dylan took a sip of her wine when the waitress brought them each another drink. If the drinks kept coming at the rate they were, Dylan knew she would be two sheets to the wind before the night even began. Scanning the area, Dylan sought out some familiar faces she might have recognized. There were so many people, surely she would have spotted someone she knew.

  Everyone was ge
tting into the beat of the music. Some of the women made themselves known by climbing up onto the bar and dancing on the slick top. That was, until a hefty bouncer escorted them off. The last thing Evan needed was for things to get out of hand. With all the drinking taking place, it wouldn’t be good publicity for him if the police were called in to haul off drunken bodies.

  The music switched to a more subtle song, allowing the main patrons to pull their dates or significant others closer. Dylan watched the dancers sway and rock to the music. It was at that moment that Rade grabbed Dylan’s hand and led her to the area being used as a dance floor. There was barely any room to dance, but Rade managed to find a spot and pulled Dylan close to his body. Dylan could have stayed this way all night. She loved the way Rade held her so close. Dylan closed her eyes as she took in the words to the song. It was one of her favorites, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” by Aerosmith.

  When the song ended, Rade led Dylan back to their table. Sitting down, Dylan suddenly got a chill up her spine. She felt like someone was watching them. Looking around, Dylan only saw people either dancing or conversing with others. Turning her head, she scanned the other side of the room. Still, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. No one stood out. Reaching for her drink, she noticed the napkin under her drink had been written on. Pulling it from underneath her wine glass she began to read the message.