“Alex. Pants,” I breathe out huskily.
He steps back, unlatches the button of his slacks, and pulls them down, leaving himself in gray boxer briefs and sporting a large erection. Again, Alex kneels at my feet and he unhooks each of the garter straps, unraveling the stockings from my legs. Barely touching my skin, his fingertips leave a trail of fire along my skin. Ripping the panties off me, he promptly removes the garter belt. When he has finally removed all of my clothing, Alex presses his nose and mouth into the apex of my thigh.
“Mallory, your scent and taste are intoxicating,” he exhales. “If it was possible to bottle them up and take them with me, I would.”
My breathing has become shallow and I reply to Alex in a husky voice, “Take me now, Alex, please. I can’t stand it any longer.”
Grunting at my desire, Alex stands and tugs my hair back, placing wet kisses along my neck.
“I don’t want this to end too soon, Mallory, but I can’t hold back either,” Alex replies with a huff as he lifts me into his arms and walks me over to the bed, positioning me on the duvet.
Moving from the bed, he reaches into a dresser drawer and pulls out a spreader bar for my ankles and two sets of leather handcuffs. He fastens each of the handcuffs to a wrist and the headboard and then attaches the spreader bar to my ankles, adjusting it to keep my legs at the max length apart. We have played with this before and I remember how the feeling of being restrained intensified my orgasm.
“I won’t be blindfolding you tonight, Ms. Winston,” Alex states. “This time, I want you to see and remember everything we do.”
“Thank you, sir, but I always remember everything we do, even if I can’t see it.”
“Good, that is how it should be.” Reaching down, he strokes his hand across my center and then brings his fingers to his mouth and closes his eyes in ecstasy, moaning, “Ms. Winston, you have the most divine taste. It is a delicacy.”
Stepping out of his boxers, Alex comes to straddle my body and places soft wet kisses along every inch of my skin, beginning at my wrists and working down to my ankles. As I begin to fall into the abyss, he pauses and rests above me and then, without haste, he pummels his cock into me, shocking my system.
“Jesus Christ, Mallory!” he cries.“I can’t get enough of you.”
With my orgasm so close I feel a blindfold of my own covering my eyes as I scream out, “Alex, yes, please, harder!”
Alex begins to pick up the pace of his thrusts and behind my eyes, I can see the rainbow of colors blossom.
Within a few more thrusts, my orgasm is unleashed as Alex murmurs, “Mallory, you feel so good. I won’t last much longer, baby.”
Releasing his seed moments later, I groan at the sensation of his pulsating cock. Seconds later, he reaches up to unhook the handcuffs and then he unhooks the spreader bar.
After massaging my limbs, we lie together on the bed and make small talk for the next hour.
Taking a deep breath and addressing the elephant in the room Alex asks, “Mallory, do you have plans after I leave?” When I shrug my shoulders noncommittally Alex continues, "You are welcome to stay at The Braxton for a while, especially since the investigation on your apartment is still going.”
“No, Alex, I don’t have plans to stay at your place. I may stay at Lily and Kyle’s place until the investigation is over. They will be travelling for a bit.”
“Good,” Alex replies considering my words, "at least I know that their building is secure. Just, be careful for a while, Mallory. I’m sure they will have the investigation solved soon, they seem to have a major suspect.”
“I will, Alex.”
Sighing against his chest, I rest my hand over his heart.
Drifting into a calm slumber, I hear Alex whispers, “Thank you, Mallory, for everything. These past two months have been beyond anything I could have imagined. You have brought a light and energy to my life I never knew existed.”
I don’t respond to his statement, as I don’t think he intended for me to. His breath tickling my skin evens out and I feel his heartbeat slow down to an even speed.
When I think he is asleep, I speak softly some of my final words to him, “I love you, Alex. I will be yours, always.”
Closing my eyes, I find my body rushing towards sleep, but before I reach unconsciousness, I hear Alex reply in a hushed and pained tone, “I know.”
CHAPTER 19
At some point during the night, I feel a hand sweep across my face and a kiss brush against my lips. In my dream, I hear a voice that sounds like Alex’s whisper in my ear, “I’m sorry, Mallory. I have to go. I will be yours always too, my love. Goodbye.”
As rays of early sun dance across my face through the window in the cabin, I wake and stretch in the bed and then remember I am on the boat. Glancing around, I notice Alex is not in the bedroom with me and feeling across his sheets, I realize they are ice cold; he must have left hours ago. I sit up in bed and see a bag in the chair in the corner. Perhaps he is waiting for me on the deck and brought me a change of clothes. Opening the bag, I put on the gray trousers and dark purple blouse along with the nude shoes from the previous night.
I search for Alex on my way up to the deck, but I don’t find anything to show he is close by. As I walk onto the deck into the open air, I see Gregory waiting on the dock. I glance about, but instead of finding Alex, I find a single purple rose in a vase and a folded note placed onto a small table. Realizing that Alex has left, a lone tear escapes my eye, but I fight to hold back the others. I knew this day was coming and I need to contain myself from letting the pain take over.
At the table, I lift the magnificent rose to inhale the sweet scent of the flower. These particular flowers had quickly overtaken my love for lilies and they will always remind me of my affair with Alex. With shaking hands, I tear open the envelope to read the letter left from my English lover.
Mallory, I am sorry for leaving you without a proper goodbye. It was cowardly of me and you deserve more from a lover and a friend. I wish you all the luck and happiness in the world and I hope that one day we will meet again. I did hear your profession of love and it was spineless of me not to respond. I am not worthy enough for your love and I pray that one day you will meet the man that is deserving of you. I yearn that that man could have been me. Please keep yourself safe and never underestimate your importance to the world and to me. I pray that you will grant me your forgiveness one day.
Yours ALWAYS,
Alex Stone
My heart is shattering into billions of tiny broken pieces as I re-read the words repeatedly. He left me, in a note. I remember the goodbye in my dream and my heart aches more as it must have been him. The air leaves my lungs as I lean against the table and in a spurt of rage, I take hold of the vase containing the rose and throw it across the boat. Falling onto my knees, I let the sobs take over as I feel my heart ripped from my chest.
Gregory finds me moments later and kneeling in front of me says comfortingly, “Miss, can I help you? I’m sorry we must leave this way, but I’d like to escort you to work before I need to catch my own flight.”
Staring down at the wooden paneling of the deck, I let my body release its despair. Slowly I compose myself enough to let bitterness take over. After taking a deep breath, I wipe my eyes and look over to where Gregory kneels.
“I’m sorry, Gregory,” I apologize "Thank you, for being so kind to wait for me this morning. I am only outraged that your boss didn’t have the decency to say goodbye to me in person. Now I know he never cared at all; that all of the words on this note and every other note, have been lies.”
With fury, I angrily fist the note in my hand and strut towards the exit.
Gregory stays quiet as I walk off the boat and he continues his silence as he drives me to the office. Once we arrive at my building, Gregory turns around to look at me from his seat. “Ms. Winston, you have access to Mr. Stone’s residency for the next month as they wrap-up the evidence portion of your investigation
. We have asked The Braxton to arrange for all your belongings to move back to your residency at your request.”
“Thank you,” I answer as I stare out the window.
“You’re most welcome, ma’am. May I speak up about the matter at hand, miss?” he asks nervously and at my nod continues, “Mr. Stone may be my boss, but he has also been a friend for a number of years. Within those years, I have never seen him act with a woman the way he was with you. You were and are very special to him. I am sorry things ended the way they did, but I do not foresee him being nearly as happy within anyone else as he was with you.”
How is this supposed to make me feel better? I do not want to imagine him with other women.
Biting back my tongue I respond to Gregory, “Thank you. It was nice meeting you Gregory and I wish you well. Unfortunately, I didn’t mean enough to Alex because he still left.”
As I exit the car and walk past his window towards the building, Gregory speaks up from his seat. “Before we depart, Ms. Winston, you should know that Mr. Stone was equally as upset to leave you this morning. He was reluctant to board that plane.” With a sigh Gregory adds, "His formula one team is his passion, but I don’t even believe they hold his heart any longer.”
With those final words, he closes his window and drives away from me. My last slice of Alex has left and my brain and heart lock themselves away. Within a few seconds, I officially become a shell of the person I used to be. The life has drained from my soul and I process life on autopilot.
* * *
Walking into my office, I begin my day by focusing on completing project after project at lightning speed. I answer any questions from my staff, but I make no attempt to socialize as I would normally. I’m not sure I can ever return to my row home, so I decide to make plans for housing. My reasoning to not return is not because of the crime, but because Madison and Mika are no longer the friends they used to be. For some reason in the two months I have been with Alex, we have drifted apart. Madison still believes I am the reason David left her and Mika has dropped all form of contact.
I contact The Braxton concierge and she helps me to locate a small apartment to rent immediately and promises to have my things removed from Alex’s home and brought there by the end of the day. She faxes me the monthly lease and photographs of the apartment, gushing that the property owner is a nice old man.
Before I end the call the concierge adds, “Ma’am, I am sorry to hear you will no longer be staying with us, it was a pleasure getting to know you through Mr. Stone.”
“Thank you. Could you also have my car brought to my place of work?”
“Yes, miss. I will get the address from security.”
The rest of my day, I spend purchasing some furniture from a local store and paying for it to be delivered this afternoon. My final task of the day is to check my savings account.
With resolution formed in my mind, I walk out of the bank and drive back over to my old home. For a few moments, I stare at my beautiful row house and peek back down at the paperwork in hand. Knowing I won’t be happy living here any longer I have gone to my lender and had my name removed as the primary holder of the mortgage along with my portion of the monies that needed to be paid for the remainder of the year. This will allow the girls to rent out the lower property or sell.
Placing everything in a large manila envelope along with my keys, I step up to the front of the house and ring the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer, hoping it is Madison. Unfortunately, neither girl is home, so I dig the front door key from the envelope and open the main door.
The walls that encase my old home are now crisp white, no longer showing the profanities that were painted there. I pass by my old door and make my way up the steps towards Madison’s apartment. Noticing her mailbox is empty; I realize she must have just left. I place the envelope under her door and walk back down the steps, saying goodbye one last time to my home of seven years. As I begin to drive away, I can see Madison enter the main door and sigh contentedly that I won’t have to say goodbye to her in person.
Driving across town, I follow the directions the concierge gave me and I pull up in front of a new development of reconstructed row homes. My apartment is on the third floor and as I climb the stairs, I am glad I won’t have to carry any furniture or boxes up these steps. When I get to the landing, an older gentleman is sitting in a corner chair waiting for me.
“Good evening, you must be Mallory Winston,” the kind, elderly man says with a gentle smile.
“Yes, sir, I am. Thank you so much for renting to me on such short notice.”
“I am delighted to have such a sweet young lady living in my building. I had planned to rent to my granddaughter, but she has decided to study abroad for another year. I live on the first floor and my niece’s family lives on the second floor. She is a single mom with two little ones, but they are pretty quiet.”
In love with my new landlord already I reply, “Thank you, sir. I love children and I look forward to meeting some of your family. I’ve had a rough couple of days and I am excited to get settled in.”
“Splendid. Here is your key, Mallory. You can call me anytime if you need anything. The concierge at The Braxton spoke to me about the defacement of your previous property. I am an old Southern man from Georgia and I take care of my own.”
“That is sweet of you, sir.”
“Please call me Fred. It seems that all of your things have been moved in so I will leave you to your new place. Enjoy your night.”
Taking a tentative step into my new apartment, I look around at the space. It is only slightly smaller than my previous home, still boasting two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a separate living room and kitchen. The entire apartment was redone recently and everything is very modern. I walk into the bedroom and look at my new set of furniture pleased with my choices. Opening the closet door, I find that all of my clothes and shoes have been organized. It was kind of Alex to let me keep the clothing since all of mine were ruined. I walk back out to the living room and notice the bouquet of white peonies on the coffee table with a small note resting beside it.
I hope that you will find this new place to suit your needs. Though you are no longer staying with us, please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything. I am sure you are exhausted from all of the moving so I have placed a finished lasagna in your oven to keep warm, it is one of my specialties. Happy Housewarming.
Nancy Wells
Marching into the kitchen, I smell the wonderful lasagna and pull out a plate from the cupboard to place a small square of the pasta dish on it. I take a few bites of food, but I don’t notice any flavor. With a sigh, I toss the rest of the lasagna into the trash and wash the plate. Deciding to end my day early I enter my bathroom, strip from my clothes, and turn on the water as hot as I can stand it. When I step into the scalding water, I yearn to feel my skin burn the way Alex’s touch used to, yet I feel no warmth. Sinking deep into the tub, I can see my skin redden from the heat and still, I feel nothing. When my skin begins to shrivel in the water I step out of the bath, noticing my skin resembles the same color of pink from the nights Alex used to dominate me. I sigh as I stare at myself in the mirror wondering if the pain of losing him will ever go away. I’m not sure who the woman is I am staring at in the mirror; her emerald eyes hold no life, no energy. The once brilliant color has drained and is now a dull resemblance of what they used to be. Exhausted from the brutal beating my heart took today I crawl into bed hoping to fall asleep quickly and dream of the man that holds my heart.
I pass the next two days at work on autopilot. Annie is preparing for her wedding, but even in her excitement, I am withdrawn. Stephanie is bringing Seth to the reception, so I offer to give my extra seat to her, as I don’t have a date to bring to the wedding. I had invited Kyle when I found out Alex wouldn’t be here any longer, but in the last week Kyle has joined Abi in her venture across the country. A sob escapes when thinking of Abi. She had become a good friend and I hope that I am
able to stay connected with her.
On the day of Annie’s wedding I go to the closest boutique to find a dress to wear, not pleased with anything I own. After shopping endlessly for a few hours, I settle on a dusty pink chiffon number and pair it with some matching shoes and a cream shawl. I curl my hair, pin half of it up, and then head out to the coast for the wedding.
The affair was beautiful and I was delighted for Annie; she made a gorgeous bride. Finding my seat at the reception, I make small talk with some of the other guests and I bump into Seth towards the end of the night.
“Mallory, where’s your boyfriend?” he curiously asks.
Smelling the alcohol reeking from his body I reply, “Oh, um, he is busy and couldn’t make it.”
“Well, that’s a shame. You look mouthwatering this evening,” he says as he tugs me into his arms and tries to kiss my neck.
“Seth have you been drinking? Where’s Stephanie?” I question as I try to push him away.
“She went off somewhere. Come on, Mallory. We could have some fun later; now that the girls aren’t around.”
Finally escaping from his grasp, I step back closer to the crowd. “I’m sorry, Seth,” I announce, "but that isn’t going happen. I’m sorry I missed Stephanie. Please tell her hello from me.”
I move out of the hall and walk towards my car hoping that he isn’t following me.
* * *
I spend the following month working with clients and finishing campaigns. I haven’t answered any phone calls since the day that shattered my soul and have only spoken to my family once, through an email, telling them that I was focusing on work and was too busy to talk for a few weeks.
Trying to piece myself together and start from scratch, I realize nothing from my previous life exists in my new one. I have a new home, new friends, and a new job. And I hope to create a new me. But the hardened exterior brings me back to the wax from the candles Alex once used on me. I feel like the wax now, hard with nothing on the inside except the wick that constantly burns, as I burn for Alex. I removed everything from my existence that reminds me of my time with Alex. Color is no longer found in my life; everything is now shades of black, white. The color purple isn’t my first choice in the floral shop anymore, I find myself gravitating towards the simple white daisies. My only emergence into the social world has been my daily lunches spent with Nancy. After I received her note, I made it a point to thank her in person. She is a sweet older woman and looks after me like a grandmother would. We meet every day of the week at a small café she likes to frequent and we talk about her life, my life, our families, and any strange celebrity gossip. She has become the highlight of my days.
Stone Shattered (The Stone Book 1) Page 23
