Next to Forever: Shattered Innocence Trilogy Book Three

by Long, A. L.

  “Yes,” Rade greeted the gentleman.

  “Your room is ready for you, per your instructions. Please follow me,” the gentleman requested.

  As the man led them to the elevator, he handed Rade a key card. Once in the elevator, Dylan could only imagine how much the room was costing Rade. Rade placed his hand in Dylan’s as they stepped off the elevator. When the gentleman opened the door to the room, Dylan’s mouth hung open. She had never seen anything so beautiful and regal in her entire life. Dylan took in the space as Rade gave additional instruction to the gentleman, slipping him a couple hundred dollar bills. Dylan assumed by their conversation he was the butler that came with the expense of the room.

  Once the hotel butler left the suite, Rade led Dylan to the second floor, where a table set for two awaited them on the terrace. This evening couldn’t be any more surprising to Dylan. This by far was the best birthday ever for her.

  Dylan looked to the city lights as Rade busied himself with the bottle of champagne resting inside a stainless steel bucket of ice beside the small table. Everything was perfect. Hearing the pop of the cork, Dylan directed her attention back towards Rade as he poured the champagne into the crystal flutes.

  Handing a glass to Dylan, Rade made a toast. “To my Sweetness, may you remember this evening forever.”

  As Dylan took a sip of her champagne, something inside the crystal glass bumped her lip. Looking oddly at Rade, she held the glass to the candles lit on the small table to see if she could see the foreign object. When she realized what it was, her eyes began to swell with tears. Taking the flute from her hand, Rade drank the sparkling wine, catching the object between his teeth. Lowering to one knee, he confessed his love. “My dearest Sweetness, you are the sunshine that wakes me every morning, even on the gloomiest day. You have captured my heart when I thought I had none. You have shown me what it means to love again. I was certain that it was lost forever, but you showed me how to find it. You are my life, the air that I breathe, the feeling of fulfillment whenever you are near me. With all my heart, I ask, please say that you will share the rest of my life with me. Will you marry me?”

  Dylan was in shock, not only by his words, but also by what he meant to her. He was her sunshine as well, the air that she breathed, her life. Nothing in the world would stop her from loving this man. Lowering herself to his level, Dylan softly whispered, “Yes.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Dylan woke with a smile on her face as she gazed over to Rade and then to the beautiful ring on her finger. She couldn’t believe the size of the diamond. It had to be at least three karats. With the additional smaller diamonds along the band and the platinum setting, she knew it cost more than she could make in a year.

  When Dylan rolled over after admiring her ring, she was greeted by the biggest smile she had ever seen. Positioning his body over hers, Rade asked softly, “Are you happy, Sweetness?”

  “If I were any more happy, I think I would burst at the seams,” Dylan confessed.

  Wedging his body between her legs, it was time to test her theory. Placing his mouth over hers, he got his first dose. Soaking in her softness, Rade parted her lips with his tongue and took in her warmth. Lapping his tongue with hers, he could feel her body press into his as her taut nipples brushed against his chest. The soft whimper of pleasure echoed as Rade continued to sweep his tongue inside her warmth. Continuing his promenade, Rade lowered his hand down the curve of her plump breast for a quick caress before moving to the contour of her firm stomach, and stopping just below her belly button. Dylan’s hands grasped the soft Egyptian sheets, feeling the slow descent of Rade’s mouth on her body. Reaching the apex of her mound, Rade playfully began lapping his tongue over her sensitized nub. When Dylan’s back arched off the mattress, he knew he had her where he wanted. Nothing thrilled him more than Dylan’s need for his touch. “I’m going to taste every inch of you, Sweetness, and when I have had my fill, I’m going to fuck you until only my name will burst from your sexy lips.”

  Dylan’s body was on fire. Every nasty word from Rade’s mouth brought her closer to the edge. Her hands no longer grasped the silky sheets, instead they were intertwined in Rade’s hair, holding him close to her, wanting to feel more of his mouth on her cunt. “Oh God, Rade. I can’t hold on,” Dylan moaned, wanting this moment to last longer.

  “You are only allowed to come when I say, Sweetness,” Rade ordered, lifting his head from between her folds.

  Taking her hands entwined in his thick hair, he took her by the wrists and moved his body up her silky softness. Nuzzled between her legs, Rade pushed Dylan’s arms above her head and held on to her wrist with one hand while he caressed her pert nipple with the other. Dylan’s back bowed off the bed to the pressure she felt on her taut peak as Rade gently nipped her pink bud. Unable to hold on any longer, Dylan came with such force that Rade’s name echoed off the bedroom walls. Dylan was certain the walls shook as they absorbed her cry of ecstasy as thunder crashed within her core.

  Even though Dylan let go without permission, Rade smiled down at her, knowing that he was going to enjoy her punishment. Flipping her over with ease, he commanded, “On your knees.”

  Dylan did as she was told and lifted her upper body from the bed and placed her palms on the soft mattress. Without warning, Rade’s hand came down on her soft cheek. Dylan could feel the sting all the way to her sex. She knew before long she would be dripping with desire. Plunging two fingers inside her wet channel, once again Dylan came without permission. Her wetness was all it took; Rade was buried inside her with one deep thrust. Grabbing her by the hips, Rade continued his ascent inside her tight channel. He could feel her dripping with arousal. A few more thrusts and she would be his. Close to his own escape he whispered, “Come.” It only took that one word and Dylan exploded with fury with Rade right behind her. This was what he needed. With no word on the ransom, all the tension left his body.

  Dylan was sad; their time at The Plaza was over. She wanted this moment to never end, but she knew that Lilly would be arriving at JFK soon. Gathering the beautiful gown Rade had purchased for her, Dylan placed it inside the garment bag and zipped it close. Rade’s birthday gift was planned to the smallest detail, which included another change of clothing for both of them. While Rade was dressed in black jeans, a white button-down shirt, and a black leather jacket, Dylan was dressed in a flare skirt, and a knit top with a matching sweater.

  Walking out onto the terrace, Dylan took one last look at the beautiful sights of New York. She would never forget what took place on this very spot. It would be a memory she would never let go of. Just as she was ready to turn, a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist. Smiling to herself, she turned her body and gazed up into the most gorgeous hazel eyes she had ever seen.

  “Are you ready to go, Sweetness?” Rade asked.

  “I am,” Dylan replied, pushing to the balls of her feet and placing her lips on his.

  Hearing a knock on the door, Rade and Dylan descended down the staircase. A young bellboy stood outside the door waiting to take their bag down to the lobby. As they exited the room, Dylan said goodbye to the hotel butler that came with their room, where he was standing just outside the suite door. Even though she didn’t see much of him, he made sure they had everything they needed for their short stay.

  The elevator doors promptly opened allowing them to enter. Rade took Dylan’s hand into his and squeezed it gently. When Dylan looked up at him, she could see the love he had for her. She knew it because it was the exact same look she had given him.

  Richard was no longer driving the limo, but instead the Bentley was parked, waiting to take them to the penthouse. It would have to be a quick trip for them since Lilly’s plane was due to land in a couple of hours and Dylan wanted to make sure she was on time to greet her friend. Rade had offered to go with her, but Dylan thought it would be best if she went alone. So he insisted that Richard be with her. Dylan wasn’t sure how Lilly would react to her engagement to
Rade, given that he wasn’t one of her favorite people.

  *****

  Dylan waited patiently at the baggage claim for her friend with Richard at her side. She was concerned that she would miss her with the amount of passengers milling around waiting for their luggage. Walking up and down the baggage claim area, Dylan finally spotted her friend. It was a wonder that she had seen her at all. Everything about Lilly had changed. Her hair was cut and styled in a shoulder length bob whereas before it draped down her back. It also looked as though Lilly might have been working out. Dylan knew for a fact how much Lilly hated the gym. The only time she ever accepted Dylan’s invitation to go with her was to check out the hot guys.

  The closer Dylan got to Lilly, the more tears fell. Dylan didn’t realize how much she really missed her friend until she was standing right in front of her. Lilly must have felt the same way, because her eyes were also filled with tears of joy.

  “Oh God, Lilly. I’ve missed you so much. You look amazing,” Dylan said as she pulled her friend in for a hug.

  “I’ve missed you too,” Lilly babbled between sobs.

  Finally able to contain their emotions, Dylan helped Lilly with her luggage. One thing that didn’t change with her friend was the amount of clothing she packed for a few days.

  Just like he said, Richard was waiting in front of the door leading outside of the terminal. It didn’t take long for Richard to load Lilly’s bags in the back of the Bentley. As Richard made his way through the airport, Lilly and Dylan caught up on what was happening with them. It was when Dylan lifted her hand as she explained her night with Rade at the Met that Lilly noticed her left ring finger.

  “Oh my God, Dylan, is that what I think it is?” Lilly said in surprise as she pulled Dylan’s hand close to her.

  “It is. Rade asked me to marry him, and I accepted,” Dylan confessed, watching the reaction on Lilly’s face.

  When Lilly pulled Dylan in for a hug, Dylan’s apprehension disappeared. The last thing she wanted was for Lilly to disapprove of her decision to accept Rade’s marriage proposal.

  “I’m so happy for you, Dylan. Somehow I just knew you two would be together,” Lilly admitted. Even though Rade and she got off to a bad start, Lilly knew how Rade felt about Dylan. She also knew he would stop at nothing to keep her safe.

  “So,” Dylan began as she turned to face Lilly. “How are things with you and Peter?”

  Lilly looked away from her friend, focusing on her hands that rested crossed in her lap. Lily knew that it was a matter of time before the she would be faced with telling Dylan the real story between Peter and herself. “Things are… let’s just say, nonexistent,” Lilly said regretfully. She hated the way things ended between them, but she knew with his secrets and her moving to Paris indefinitely, there would be no chance for them to be together. It didn’t matter that she still cared for him deeply.

  “What do you mean nonexistent? I thought you both were going to work things out?” Dylan confronted her Lilly.

  “There’s just too many secrets and with the distance between us, it’s better that we broke it off,” Lilly said with a hint of sadness.

  Dylan wasn’t sure what secrets Peter could possibly have. She knew that some of the things he did with his job required him to keep information confidential, but that didn’t explain him having secrets. Pushing her thoughts aside, Dylan decided it was best to let it go. She wanted to spend time with her friend on a happy note, focusing only on their time together, and not Peter.

  Richard pulled into the designated spot in the parking garage at the Crystal Hill Tower. Dylan noticed that Rade’s Martin wasn’t parked in its spot next to her Audi. He must have gone to work. At least, that was what she was telling herself. She hoped that he wasn’t trying to avoid Lilly and decided to make himself scarce.

  Dylan pulled her phone from her purse and decided to give him a call to let him know that they were at the penthouse. Just as she was getting ready to dial, she heard the familiar sound of his car nearing them. Looking behind her, she stopped and waited for Rade to park his car. Her eyes glowed as he stepped out of the car. He could have posed for a car magazine the way his body looked as he stood. He was absolutely gorgeous. Dylan could see her friend was even taken by his gorgeous looks. “Lilly, your mouth is hanging open,” Dylan warned, before Rade saw the effect he had on her. Lilly’s eyes rolled at Dylan’s observation.

  As he took her in his arms, Dylan didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his shoulders as he pulled her in for a kiss. With a soft whisper, Rade asked, “Miss me?”

  Dylan answered his question by placing her lips on his. The kiss lasted a little longer than normal, because they were reminded of their PDA when Lilly cleared her throat. Smiling over to her, Rade said with a smile, “It’s good to see you again, Lilly. I hope you had a good flight?”

  “It was fine, thanks,” Lilly returned the smile, walking up to Rade and wrapping her arm through his. “So what is this I hear about you proposing to my BFF?”

  Rade couldn’t understand Lilly’s change of heart. Before she left for Paris, they weren’t on the best of terms. Rade pushed his feelings aside and welcomed the change of attitude and pulled her in for a quick hug as he whispered, “Thank you for letting me take Dylan home.”

  Even though his comment was vague, Lilly knew exactly which night he was referring to. “You’re welcome.”

  Rade had called ahead of time to make sure Maria had prepared them something wonderful for dinner, so when Dylan opened the door to the penthouse the air was filled with the aroma of something spicy and wonderful. Rade took Lilly’s luggage to the guest bedroom, while Dylan and Lilly went to investigate the mouthwatering smell coming from the kitchen. Opening the oven door, Dylan took in the scent. Inside the oven was a Mexican casserole dish and a pan of cornbread waiting to be devoured. Dylan knew the meal was just warming since Maria put the oven setting on the lowest temperature. Pulling the two pans from the oven, Dylan set them on a ceramic warming stone sitting on the counter. It was then that Rade appeared, catching the two girls taking in the scent of steam as Dylan lifted the aluminum from the glass dish. “You two look like you’ve died and gone to heaven,” Rade observed watching the drool practically running from their mouths.

  By the time the meal was done, nearly all of the tasty dish was gone, most of which was consumed by Dylan and Lilly. Looking over at Rade’s plate, Dylan could see that he had hardly touched his food. The more she thought about it, he hadn’t talked very much during the meal either. Dylan knew something was wrong, but she didn’t want to get into it in front of Lilly. Dylan put it on the back burner until she could talk to Rade about it privately.

  Rade excused himself and went upstairs to his study. Dylan thought this was odd of him, considering they had a guest. This confirmed her suspicion that something was bothering him. Even Lilly could tell that something was up with him.

  Taking their places on the couch, Lilly decided it was time to catch up. “So are you going to tell me what’s going on with Rade?”

  “You know, Lilly, I’m not sure,” Dylan admitted. “Unless it has to do with Chloe the devil woman.”

  “Yeah, about that. How are you doing with it?” Lilly asked, placing her hand over Dylan’s.

  “As best as I can. I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’m just worried what is going to happen once she finds out that I’ll be going to London with Rade. I’m pretty sure she had plans to get her claws into him,” Dylan admitted with disgust.

  “However it goes, Dylan, remember that Rade loves you and not that bitch,” Lilly reassured her. “Not even Chloe can change that.”

  It was close to midnight when Dylan decided to call it a night. Lilly was only in town for a couple of days and she wanted to do something special with her while she was here. Dylan had a full day planned for them, and it was going to start early in the morning with a spa treatment and then a shopping spree.

  Giving Lilly a hug, she made her way to her bedroom.
When she opened the door, the bed was still made. Dylan knew that Rade was still in his study. Changing into her nightgown, she decided to find out what was keeping him awake so late. As she approached the door, she could hear yelling on the other side. If she could hear it, Dylan could only imagine what Lilly was hearing. Quietly, Dylan opened the door to see if she could hear what was going on.

  “I’m not giving up. I know he’s still in the city. Money or no money, I’m going to find him,” Rade cursed in anger. “If you hear anything, Peter, let me know. I don’t care what time it is.”

  After what Dylan just heard, she wasn’t going to let this go. There was something Rade was hiding from her and she wanted to know. Dylan didn’t understand what Lilly meant by Peter having secrets, but it was plain to see that he knew something about what was going on. Knocking lightly on the door, Dylan stepped inside the room without an invitation. Walking up to Rade’s desk, she could see the tension in his body. She needed to find out who Rade was referring to in his conversation with Peter.

  “Rade, are you going to tell me what’s going on? I could hear you yelling all the way downstairs.” Dylan may have exaggerated, but there was no way she could let Rade know that she was listening in on his conversation.

  “I’m sorry, Dylan, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Rade said, rounding his desk and pulling Dylan in for a hug.

  “I wasn’t asleep. When I’d seen you weren’t in bed, I came up here,” Dylan confessed. “So what’s going on?”

  “Nothing you need to worry about,” Rade said. The last thing he wanted was for Dylan to find out the real reason behind the call with Peter.

  “Rade, if I’m going to be your wife, you need to start being honest with me. I know something is going on that you aren’t telling me,” Dylan said forcefully.

  “Dylan, you need to let this go,” Rade said, kissing her forehead. “Let’s go to bed.”