Nathan barely took three steps in my direction before Alastair put him in a chokehold against the glass doors leading to the yacht’s interior rooms.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Nathan gasped and clawed at Alastair’s hand. “Let go of me or I’ll call security.”
“You will tell me what you’re talking about and then I’ll think about letting you go.”
Breathing hard, Nathan gestured to the folder on the table. Alastair flicked his incensed gaze to it as well, and then to me.
“Grab the folder but do not open it.”
Too frazzled to do anything but what he asked, I picked up the folder and handed it to him. He loosened his grasp on Nathan’s neck long enough to open it. His face paled immediately, sending my anxiety through the roof.
“What is it?” I asked.
He thumbed through what I assumed were photos and glared at Nathan. “Where did you get these?”
“I told you, they were dropped off anonymously. I have no idea who sent them.”
“Stop lying,” Alastair bellowed, throwing down the folder. Some of the photos slid out but I couldn’t see them clearly. He pulled his cell phone of his pocket and dialed a number. “I need her out of here. Now. We’re on the yacht in back.”
Seconds later, Paxton appeared and escorted me off the boat. Alastair and Nathan were still locked in a heated conversation. I didn’t want to leave him. Shaking, I stopped walking and turned around.
“We have to go, Miss Meyers.”
“I can’t leave him.”
“We have to go.” Paxton gripped my arm tightly and led me back to the SUV. The panic attack that threatened to unhinge me at work yesterday arrived with full force. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I was helpless.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Stephanie opened the door and nearly threw it off the hinge.
“What’s going on? Are you okay? Where’s Alastair?”
I walked into her bare living room and saw Darren standing by the kitchen. His usual cheerful demeanor was clouded with worry. I didn’t want to burden anybody else with this. Tears pooled in my eyes before I could get a handle on my emotions.
“Miss Tempe, I’ll be back later. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.” Paxton excused himself from the room and left.
Stephanie led me to the couch and sat down. “Is everything okay with you two?” She eyed me with caution, obviously thinking back to what happened at the estate in England.
“Yeah, we’re fine. It’s Nathan.”
“What did that asshole do now?”
“All the pictures and…articles and…the thing with Rachel. He was behind all of it.”
She smoothed down my hair in soft, mothering strokes. “Are you really so surprised? He’s a master manipulator.”
Darren crossed the room and sat on the floor in front of us. “Is that the ex you were telling me about, Steph?”
She nodded. “They broke up after New Year’s. He clearly has issues and doesn’t know how to move on.”
“I’m sorry he’s giving you so much trouble, love,” Darren said, covering my hand with his. “Our boy will set him straight.”
I shifted uncomfortably on the cushion. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I had Alastair next to me and I was wrapped up in his arms. Nathan wasn’t the type to resolve situations with a conversation. He preferred intimidation and loved using his security team to ‘fix’ problems.
“Would you like some tea, Lia? I make a pretty awesome cuppa.”
Darren’s question actually made me smile. “Do you even have a teapot?” I asked Stephanie.
“Nope. I have a microwave though. Darren thinks it’s sacrilegious but he’s been suffering through it all week.”
“I’ll get that ready for you straight away. How do you take it?”
“Just honey, please.”
Stephanie pulled me into a warm hug. “I am so sorry this is happening. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Stay up with me and wait? I have a horrible feeling he won’t be back until much, much later. If at all.”
“Don’t think like that. And of course I’ll stay up with you. Darren will, too. We can watch stupid reality shows to keep your mind occupied. How’s that sound?”
“You’re amazing. Have I told you that lately?” I squished her in a big hug.
When Darren finished making my tea we passed the time playing card games.
“You know what I’ve noticed about Americans?” Darren asked.
“Oh God, what?” Stephanie groaned.
“You’re all really invested in asking others how they are all the time. Like today, I was doing some shopping and this lady just started chatting me up and the first thing she wanted to know was, how I was. I don’t think she really cared how I was, she just asked me. I felt obliged to give her an answer so I made something up.”
“What?” I laughed.
“Aye, I told her I had blister on my toe from all the walking. She actually started giving me names of medicines and creams to rub on it.”
“That’s called ‘being nice.’ You Scots should look into it.” Stephanie teased.
“What? We’re nice.”
“You have your moments,” she giggled.
We finished our game and spread out on the couch and floor to watch some bad reality television. Darren sat wide-eyed and slack-jawed while we watched a bunch of twenty-something mansion living girls fight with one another and throw mattresses into swimming pools.
“I bet those girls wouldn’t stop to ask me how I was.”
“Darren, those girls would devour you if given the chance,” I laughed.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He winked.
By the time midnight rolled around I could tell they were both exhausted. I felt bad keeping them up. After some protesting, they agreed to go to sleep only if I woke them up when I heard anything about Alastair. I curled up on the couch and snuggled under a blanket. Grabbing my phone, I sent an email to Bruce letting him know I wouldn’t be coming in to work tomorrow. I made up something about having the stomach flu. It wasn’t a total lie. My stomach was a mess and I would be useless at work.
I let the tears fall freely instead of stopping them. Not knowing if Alastair was okay tore me apart inside. If only I hadn’t agreed to that dinner with Nathan, when I thought he really wanted to give us an interview. If only…
He would have tried something else. I had no doubt. Sinking further into the cushion I felt my lids become heavier and heavier. Sleep would be a welcome escape.
Soft knocking on the door woke me up. I sat up with a start, staring into the darkness. It took me a second to get my bearings. I’m at Steph’s. Another soft knock startled me. Clutching the blanket around my body, I went to the window. Relief flooded through me when I saw Alastair standing on the front steps.
I opened the door and bolted into his arms, unable to stop more tears from falling.
“Inside, love,” he whispered. “Come.”
I hugged him fiercely for an eternity when we walked back into the living room. I didn’t plan on letting him go until someone pried me off him.
“Easy, Lia, easy,” he said, trying to loosen my grip.
In a panic, I pulled back and looked at him. His clothes were a mess. The shirt collar was stained red and torn.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, touching his face. Dried blood marred his skin just above the right eye and at the corner of his mouth. No other bruises were visible but it didn’t make me feel any better.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he reassured me. “It looks worse than it is.” He smiled, wincing a bit. I ran my hands down his chest and sides. He flinched when I touched below the left ribcage.
“He hurt you,” I breathed. “I’m so sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize, love.” He cupped my chin and kissed me softly. I knotted my fingers in his hair, ho
lding him close. He whimpered quietly, deepening the kiss. Every stroke of his tongue and movement of his lips calmed me.
“Lia?”
I turned and saw Stephanie by the doorway. Alastair buried his nose in my hair, refusing to let me go.
“Is everything…are you alright, Alastair?” she asked.
“Yes I’m fine, Stephanie, thank you. And thank you for being here for Lia tonight. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“She’s like a sister to me. I’ll always be there for her.”
Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he broke our embrace and went to Stephanie. She saw his bruised face, frowned and looked at me. Holding both her hands, he pulled her into a gentle hug. “Thank you,” he sighed.
“We both love her.” She smiled at him when he released her. “We’d both do anything for her.”
Nodding, he turned back to me. “Ready to go home?”
“It’s late,” Stephanie interjected. “You both can stay here. I don’t mind.”
Alastair grinned and touched her cheek. “Much appreciated, love, but I think I’ve imposed on you enough for one night.” He held up a hand to halt her protests. “Tell Darren we’ll go out for dinner later tonight.”
“Okay, fine.”
I smiled and wrapped my best friend in a bear hug. “Thanks.”
“You go take care of yourself and him. Call me when you wake up.”
Paxton waited next to the SUV as we walked out. Not willing to be apart from Alastair for a second, I curled up on his lap in the backseat. He held me close, stroking my hair the entire ride back to my apartment. When we arrived and went inside, I made him sit on the edge of the bathtub so I could clean his face. I wet a washcloth with warm water and gently wiped the dried blood away. It broke my heart to see him like this. A pretty nasty gash looked raw and tender above his eyebrow. I rummaged through the medicine cabinet and found some Band-Aids and Neosporin.
I rubbed the antibiotic ointment on his wound and covered it with the bandage.
“That should help prevent infection,” I said, kneeling in front of him. “Can I get you anything? Tea? Water? An aspirin?”
“Shower with me.”
I hesitated, not really in the mood for a steamy rendezvous at the moment.
“I need to feel you close, Amelia.”
The vulnerability in his voice almost shattered me on the spot. Standing up, I turned on the nozzle. Alastair slowly removed his clothes. I watched him closely, noticing a large purple and yellow bruise had bloomed on and below his left ribcage. Hatred for the man who did this coursed through my veins.
“Hey,” he murmured, tipping my chin up. “It looks worse than it is.”
“This never shou—”
Silencing me with a kiss, he unbuttoned my capris and pushed them down. I let him finish undressing me and climbed into the shower. A heavy sigh deflated his lungs as he stood beneath the streaming warm water. I grabbed the shower pouf, lathering it up with almond scented body wash. Starting at his shoulders, I lightly scrubbed his skin leaving behind a trail of frothy bubbles. When I reached the bruised area, I used my hand and carefully moved the soap over his damaged ribs.
While I washed him, his breathing remained quick and ragged. I attempted to catch his eye a few times but they stayed closed. I covered every inch of him with almond scented suds.
“Want me to do your back too?”
His lids popped open, revealing tormented emerald irises. The visual left me breathless. Water cascaded over his shoulders, rinsing off the soap. He bent his head back, letting the water run over his face and hair. I reached for the shampoo almost as an instinct and squeezed some into the palm of my hand. Reaching up, I slid my fingers through his hair, working the shampoo into an effervescent foam. I massaged it into his scalp as he pressed his fingers into the small of my back. Resting his forehead to mine, he sighed.
“That feels good. Thank you.”
I smiled, happy that he was finally relaxing. “I’ve been wanting to wash your hair for awhile.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”
A small grin curled his lips. “Direct and to the point as usual, Meyers.”
I swiped a cluster of bubbles across his nose. “Rinse.”
Stepping back under the showerhead, he washed off the remaining shampoo. I admired how his muscles contracted and relaxed with each movement. It was so easy to find beauty in everything he did.
“Your turn, kitten.”
The deep, sensuous sound of his voice revved up my pulse. His eyes were no longer tortured or tormented. They were dark green pools of molten lava.
“My turn for what?”
Moving closer, he skimmed the lathered pouf over my shoulders and down to my breasts. He stopped there, deliberately rubbing the mesh fabric over my nipples. The sensation made my vision double.
“Do you like that?” he asked.
I think I nodded. I was only aware of how close his mouth was to mine and feeling his heated breath on me. He continued moving the pouf lower and lower, pausing at my lower abdomen.
“Tell me where to stop.” His mouth still hovered over mine so I lightly bit his lower lip, mindful of where he’d been hurt. “Hmm,” he hummed. “Feisty.”
Sliding his tongue into my mouth, he kissed me with reckless abandon. I shoved my hands in his hair and pulled, hard. Moaning, he parted my legs with his right knee and brushed the pouf along my hypersensitive skin. Gasping, I broke our mouths apart and leaned my head against the wall.
“Stop there?” he asked.
“Keep going,” I panted.
“Like this?” Dropping the pouf, he slipped two fingers inside me and pressed the heel of his hand to my clit.
“Yes,” I groaned, yanking on his hair again. Steam from the hot water swirled and billowed around us. The sweet, messy edge of oblivion took over, clearing my mind of everything. All that mattered was him; his breathing, his touch, his skin on mine.
The rhythmic way he worked my body never ceased to amaze me. My left leg started to shake violently.
“Look at me. That’s it, love. Let go.”
Locked in a heated stare with him, I succumbed to an orgasm so intense I held onto his shoulders for dear life. He kissed and caressed me, whispering words of affection on my skin. He still had a feral look in his eyes, which reignited my need for him.
A sly grin spread across his face. “I need to do something about this look. Come with me.”
Shutting off the water, I climbed out of the shower and followed him into my bedroom. He pinned me against the wall, holding my arms over my head. I wriggled, trying free myself.
“Not this time, kitten. I want you to surrender to me completely, like you almost did in the shower.”
“But I want to touch you.”
“I know. I want you to touch me but this is something you need to do. You always come so close to losing yourself. So close. There’s still a part of you that’s afraid.”
I sucked in a breath, amazed at how deeply into my soul he could see.
“I lose myself in you constantly,” he continued. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world. I want you to feel that. I want you to put all your trust in me. I can see you, Amelia. I can see your doubts and fears, just as you see mine. Let yourself go. Give yourself to me completely.”
Warmth spread out from my core to the rest of my body, filling me with anticipation. I relaxed, nodding. Keeping my arms pinned above my head, he locked me in a heated, passionate kiss. As a reflex, I moved my hands in an attempt to touch him. He tightened his grip on me, pressing his body into mine to prevent further movement. Instead of struggling against him, I surrendered. I released all of my trepidations, fears and anxieties, focusing on only thing; how good it felt to be cherished and loved by another.
“My Lia,” he breathed, lowering my arms but keeping them in a firm grip. “I love you. Always.”
Wilting from his words and velvet kisses, I slumped into the wall. A
ll my muscles became heavy and useless as love and lust danced and swirled through me. He didn’t even have to restrain me anymore if he chose not to. I was immobile, completely at his mercy.
I loved the way it made me feel. He now had sole custody over my heart and soul. The gleam in his eyes told me he knew I’d submitted to him. In one fluid motion, he possessed me, sliding in without hesitation. He lifted me, hooking my legs around his hips before pressing my body to the wall. Never breaking eye contact with him, I reveled in every methodical thrust and soft moan. I saw every emotion behind his mask. He’d never looked more beautiful or vulnerable.
As the intensity of his movements increased, his grasp on my arms loosened. Letting go, he placed his hands on either side of my head, flattening his body to mine.
“Touch me,” he growled. “I can’t go any longer without your hands on me.”
His skin warmed immediately as I slid my hands along his lower back, pausing above the curve of his backside. Panting heavily into my neck, he filled me with feverish movements and unbridled passion. Only the sounds of my back hitting the wall and his moans echoed through the room.
My mind scrambled, delving into a chaotic mess as ecstasy tore through my body. I pulled his forehead to mine, knotted my fingers in his hair. I watched him go to the edge as he swelled inside me. I watched as his eyes shed every barrier and stared into their clear green depths. I saw everything; his love, his need, his fear, his unapologetic animalistic urge.
I climaxed without warning, his name escaping my lips in a hoarse gasp.
My body went limp in his arms. I had enough presence of mind to be grateful he held me in a pretty tight embrace.
“You’re smiling,” he murmured on my lips.
“I should hope so.”
“Kiss me?”
I obliged, cherishing the softness of his mouth on mine. “You okay, chief?” I asked, tracing my thumb along his jaw.
He nodded, lowering my legs to the floor. They were useless at the moment, barely stronger than elastic.
“You look a bit wobbly at the knees, love,” he grinned, scooping me up. I squealed in delight as he carried me to the bed. I cuddled up closely to him on the mattress, inhaling his scent. Careful not to hurt him, I lightly touched the bruise on his ribs.
Unravel Me Page 21
