His presence? "What kind of a warped power trip are you on? You love making me suffer!"
He dropped the attorney act. "This isn't fun for me either! I wanted to spend the night with you, sleep with you in my arms." Alex tried to play the good boyfriend, pulling me close to comfort me.
But I wrestled free and darted to the other side of the bed. "Then find another way to punish me."
"No. I won't back down."
"Neither will I." We stared at each other, arms crossed, lips firm. The big king bed stood between us. Oh, the fucking symbolism. "This experiment failed. I can't deal with so many rules."
"You're right. The last thing we need is a complicated relationship. Let's keep it simple. No more investigating."
"So what do we do?"
"What we've always done—fuck everything up but keep coming back." He ran his hands through his hair. "We mistreat each other but somehow...."
"We work in spite of our mistakes." I let out a breath and walked around the end of the bed, reaching for his outstretched hand. "Damn it, why do you understand me so well?"
"That's my job, baby." He grinned and pulled me into his arms as he stepped around the corner. "You told me I was worth the trouble. Am I?" He cupped my face with his strong hands, compelling not just an answer, but the truth.
"Yes." The word escaped my lips without my control, the tight rein I'd kept on my heart yanked from my grasp and flailing away. "I love you, Alex. You're no good for me, but you're what I want, what I need." Danger with a man who grounds me. The need I couldn't explain to Scott made perfect sense. "You're the man who can let me get wild...." All I'm missing is security.
"Talia...." Alex crushed me into his chest, trapping my breath on his lips as he owned me with his kiss. That one kiss possessed my body along with my runaway heart and every dark corner of my twisted soul. "You love me?"
"Is that all you heard?"
"Pretty much, yeah." He laughed as his lips touched mine. "I love you, and this time... I want to. Oh hell, I've always wanted to love you...," he slid his fingers under my loose ponytail and grabbed my hair by the roots, "...make you mine."
The urge to surrender every wild impulse, every crazy passion to him nearly drove me to my knees, but his entangled fingers kept me close to his heart, bound to him not by rope or coercion, but by choice—my choice.
We sealed the deal with a kiss that started out pure lips-on-lips, but quickly dissolved into a hands-on-skin, skirt-on-the-floor, fuck-me-now-damn-it roll on the bed.
He twisted my bound hair around his fist and pulled my head back. "I've never seen your hair like this. It's hot. You should wear a ponytail more often."
I gasped and trembled. "If you'll pull my hair like that when I do."
"With pleasure." His fingers curled into my scalp, and I sighed as he nibbled my neck.
"Will you take me back to your place now?"
He rolled off me and sat up. "Pack some clothes and your laptop. I expect you in the office on time tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Master."
He shook his head. "Don't call me that. It doesn't work for us."
"Oh good." I got up and tossed a fresh blouse and skirt into a bag. "I like it when you call me slut, though."
"Ha. You own that title."
"Damn it, where are my clean panties?"
"Skip 'em."
"At work?"
He nodded, a permanent grin painted over half his goofy face.
"All right." I'd gone without panties at the office before, so I didn't expect the idea to excite me. But when his eyes lit up, I realized that doing something for no other reason than to make Alex happy gave me a thrill nothing else ever could.
***
Long shadows crept in through the French doors of Alex's bedroom as a spectacular sunset painted the western sky, mixing purple tones and orange-gold highlights on the Rockies' towering palette. So beautiful.
"I see why you wanted to settle down here. This view is breathtaking."
Alex moved behind me and slid his arms around my waist. "Just wait till you see a thunderstorm roll in over the mountains. I sit out on the patio and watch the lightning strikes. Awesome."
I leaned back against him and crossed my arms over his. He rested his chin on my shoulder, and for the first time in my life, I wanted nothing else.
He flicked his tongue in my ear. "Come to bed with me."
I turned and kissed him as he pulled me away from the windows. He backed into the bed and we tumbled down, rolling and kissing, stripping away all the barriers between us—our clothes and our past. We wrestled, not for control, who got what, but we fought over who could give the most.
I licked his nipple because he loved that. He kissed my breasts and smiled when he heard me sigh. I turned my back to him and offered whatever he wanted, and he gave me exactly what I needed—wild excitement and firm love. He fell asleep with his arms wrapped around me, and I stroked his hair while he snored on my shoulder. Now I know what content is.
So why can't I sleep?
Alex slid off me and curled up with his pillow. I turned and stared out the window into the dark. My body needed rest, but my damn brain wouldn't click off. Might as well put it to good use. I sat up and felt around for something to put on, but only came up with a shoe, not even mine. I'd had sex on the patio in broad daylight. I could work naked in the living room.
I crept down the hall and switched on a small lamp next to the couch. My laptop case lay on the coffee table so I opened it, booted up the computer, and went straight to my email. Yes! The message I'd waited for all day confirmed what I'd suspected. I sent a fast reply and then forwarded it to another source to double-check the information. My heart pounded and my throat went dry so I snuck into the kitchen for a bottle of water. The proof Alex needed to win his case was within my grasp, but I wouldn't tell him anything until I was one-hundred percent certain.
Now what?
I finished my water and went back to the computer. No answer. Not in the middle of the night, dummy. I sank into the couch and pulled a blanket over me as shivers of the future raised goose bumps on my skin. No doubt tomorrow my job would be finished.
Do I have to go back to Chicago? I grabbed a legal pad and scribbled a list of reasons to go: my job, my family, my apartment... Will. Then I wrote down the reasons to stay: Alex. Only one. But is he the right reason—or the wrong one?
I crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the laptop case. Scribbled notes did me no good. I needed something definitive, solid evidence that would prove once and for all where I belonged.
But how? I retrieved my wadded-up list and smoothed it out, trying to think of more weight to add to the Denver side to tip the scale in Alex's favor. I circled his name, then Will's, and then I drew a double-ended arrow linking the two. After I crossed out all the other meaningless reasons, the list balanced. I wrote 'Talia' centered between them and tore the list in half, straight down the middle, splitting my name evenly in two.
Well, that was helpful.
Divide myself between two men? I'd tried that before and failed miserably. But what if we all joined together and....? No.
The impossible fantasy faded as a course of action formed. My proof was out there, but it wasn't going to just appear. I had to search for it.
But as I stared at my shredded list of reasons—both right and wrong—one more consideration shifted the balance. This decision is bigger than me.
If I loved him—real love, not just amazing sex—I'd choose the right thing for both of us.
I picked up my cell phone and typed a message. Can I tell him something like this with a text? I had to. It couldn't wait. I pressed send and tossed my phone into the laptop case, not wanting to see his reply.
My brain finally crashed and I crawled back in to bed, careful not to disturb Alex. But one lingering thought kept me from sleeping: Are you sure?
***
"I found the payment! I have proof!" I threw open the conference room doo
r and ran into the empty lobby. "Damn it. Where is everyone?"
I scrambled over to Claire's desk chair and read her calendar. Alex: court, 10:00 a.m. Claire: research, 9:30 to noon. I couldn't contact Alex, so I grabbed my phone and texted his assistant. Her bottom drawer buzzed. "She left her phone in her purse!"
The elevator doors were sliding closed as I broke my heel and tripped. "Wait!"
A sharp-dressed attorney inside slapped the open button and grinned as I flung my shoes down the hall and scurried inside. "Which floor?"
"Fourth. Law library." I leaned back against the wall and caught my breath, watching the numbers change as the elevator climbed. My harried thoughts focused on getting the proof to Alex. The doors slid open and I bolted down the hall.
Claire started as I spun around a row of bookshelves and grabbed her shoulder. "Jesus! What happened? Is the office on fire?"
I waved her off and panted for breath. "Contact Alex. I found the money."
She jumped up and grabbed her notepad. "Give me the details."
I filled her in as we ran back to the elevators. "The payment was laundered through an old shell corporation owned by Holland Spencer."
"Who?"
"Alex knows. The company, Lost Heir Limited, was shut down shortly after Holland went to jail, so no one in your accounting department followed up on it. But it was still operating when McCloskey hired Caine. I should've recognized it sooner! I worked that account when I was Holland's assistant."
"Wow." Claire jumped off the elevator. "I have to go to the courthouse and find Alex. Are those your shoes?"
"Yep." I snatched them as we scrambled to the office. "I'll print out everything he needs and email you the digital files."
"Send them to my phone." She grabbed her purse. "I can't wait for the printer. Find a courier when you have the documents ready." She ran out the door while I printed everything I had to convict that wife-killing sonofabitch.
The courier arrived as I was scribbling Alex's name on the envelope.
"He needs this now."
"Yes, ma'am."
I need to breathe. My knees buckled but Alex's chair caught me. My job—the reason I'd come here—over with the quiet whisper of a laser printer.
I sank into the fine, warm leather, letting it hug my aching shoulders. I'd worked hard on this case. Even without the distractions and drama from Alex, tracking down that payment had challenged me from the beginning. I deserved to celebrate.
By myself? I could wait for Claire and Alex to get back, but that might take forever. Maybe I'll treat myself to lunch.
***
Claire called while I was searching for local restaurants online. "I gave him the documents. As soon as Alex entered them into evidence, the defense asked for a plea bargain."
"He's got the case wrapped up then."
"Sure does."
I heard the smile in her voice. "Good."
"I need to run some errands while I'm out. I'll be back later."
"Okay."
I went to the conference room and collected my belongings with shaking hands. Why am I so nervous? I'd made my choice—the right one for us.
Us. So that's what scares me.
My stomach growled, but I decided to wait for someone to come back before going to lunch. I needed to share this victory.
Alex burst through the door while I was packing up my laptop. "He changed his plea to guilty! You did it, baby!" A rush of air caressed my bare bottom as he swooped me up in his arms and kissed me. "Let's go celebrate." He set me down and tugged at my hand.
"Whoa." I straightened my skirt, peeking around his shoulder to see if Claire had come with him, but her desk was deserted. "I need to tell you something first."
"Um...." He looked at me as if I'd cast a funeral shroud over his moment of glory. "Okay. What's up?"
Say it before you change your mind. "Now that I've finished my job, you don't need me anymore."
He grabbed my shoulders and crushed me against his chest, his heart hammering with mine. "Yes, I do. Talia, how can you think—?"
I pressed my finger to his lips. "I'm staying."
He staggered back and the color returned to his face. "You could've started with that."
I giggled and rubbed my sweaty hands on my skirt, but my heart fluttered like a brand new butterfly. "Sorry. I wasn't sure how you felt...."
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" He grabbed a legal pad and a pen and scrawled I love you, Talia across the entire page.
I ripped the paper off the pad and folded it up. "I'm keeping this." Then I tucked it into my bra next to my heart. "I, or maybe we, should go back to Chicago at some point and pack up my stuff—"
"Move in with me." He pulled me against his body and slipped his fingers under my skirt.
I squirmed to keep my ass covered. "That's rushing things a bit."
"Okay, then stay with me until you find a place."
"I intend to." I lost the battle with his wayward hand and quivered as he groped my naked flesh.
"But first," he cupped my butt and lifted me onto my tiptoes. "First I'm going to take you out and spoil you like a Goddamn queen."
"Mmm... you know exactly what I want."
"And I'll give it to you. Every." He kissed my cheek. "Fucking." He kissed my lips. "Day." He plunged his tongue in my mouth and his finger in my pussy.
The room spun around us, but I held him tight, smiling while he kissed me. "Let's get started."
He bent me back. "I can't believe I haven't fucked you on this table yet."
"Mmm...." But my empty stomach took priority. I shoved against him. "I need food."
"No, you don't."
"You do, too." I dragged my hand over the ridge in his pants. "Trust me."
His eyes glittered. "Ah... I see." He grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "Come on."
"I want mushrooms!"
"You'll get them, and a big hunk of meat, too." He winked and I laughed as we walked out to the lobby. Alex stopped short in front of me, and I slammed against his back.
I struggled for balance, hanging onto his shoulder. "What are you doing?"
He paid no attention to me. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet. "What are you doing here, Will?"
Will?
He brushed past Alex and backed me against the wall.
"What did you expect me to do when I got this?" He held up his phone with my text from last night displayed on this screen.
Alex snatched it from his hand and read out loud. "I'm staying in Denver. For good. Please go to my apartment and turn off the water and AC until I can come back and pack up. Thank you for being there for me." He chewed his lip and moved beside Will, trapping me between them all over again. "He's right. What did you expect?"
Will handed his phone to me. "I've got one question for you, darlin'. Are you sure?"
---THE END---
The final piece of the twisted mosaic, His Twisted Choice, available July 23, 2013.
Acknowledgements
Many people helped me to make this book a reality. Among them are....
My husband and daughter for their patience, and for putting up with my rants while going through editing.
Joseph McNamara, Mara Brandon, and Liz Borino, for their guidance in D/s relationships.
Lori Whitwam, for pointing me to Liz, and for her unending support and encouragement.
My beta readers, Wendy Lee Graham and Mara Brandon. This book would not exist without your contributions.
About the Author
I got hooked on trashy romance novels in junior high. My mom took them away from me, but she couldn't stop me from daydreaming. After I got married, I wrote some of my naughtier daydreams down and sent them to Playgirl magazine. Two of them got published. I kept daydreaming and writing stories until my dirty stories turned into trashy books.
I live in Colorado, but I'll always be a loyal Wisconsin Cheesehead. When I'm not lusting after my next bad boy hero, I'm looking f
or inspiration in sci-fi and action movies, football players, bloodsucking lawyers, muscle cars, and kick-butt chicks.
I'm known as "Trashy Writer" at various social media sites. I call myself a trashy writer because I want my readers to know that I enjoy mindless escapism as much as they do. I'm not out to win a Pulitzer Prize. (But I'm an award-winning finalist in erotica, USA Book News 2012.) I just want to help someone relax and get away from it all for a little while. I write romance, erotica and trash for fun and pleasure.
I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it.
To learn more about me, check out my website, and be sure to catch me on Facebook, Goodreads, Google+, and Twitter.
What's Next?
HIS TWISTED CHOICE
(THE TWISTED MOSAIC – BOOK 3)
By Amelia James
Coming July 22, 2013 from Evolved Publishing.
~~~~~
Will loves Talia, and he's willing to give up everything to be with her. Their future hinges on her answer to one simple question. But when he leaves his life behind to pursue her, he's confronted with choices he didn't expect.
Alex loves Talia, but he needs proof he can trust her. Words mean nothing to him without action. But his actions lead him to believe that love has no limits, and the choices he faces may not either.
Talia loves Alex... and Will. One man pushes her sexual boundaries and indulges her fantasies, while the other understands her twisted desires and keeps her secure in his heart. How can she possibly choose between them?
No more secrets. No more lies. Old love? New love? Or do they have a third option?
Sometimes, love takes an unexpected twist.
More from Amelia James
HER TWISTED PLEASURES
(THE TWISTED MOSAIC – BOOK 1)
This Erotica mosaic novel is available at Amazon.
~~~~~
Award-Winning Finalist, USA Book News 2012: Fiction-Erotica
~~~~~
His hand came off my neck and he wrapped his arms around me, crushing me against him. I grabbed his hair and forced his mouth to mine, feeding the darkness possessing us. Submission, yes! Not giving up control, but having it taken from me. This… this was why I needed Alex.
Their Twisted Love (The Twisted Mosaic - Book 2) Page 17
