“You’re sure?” he asked, after kissing me.
“Yes, I’m sure. But you have to promise me, no secrets. You need to tell me everything, I mean it, Salvatore.”
“Making demands of me already, Miss Monroe? I’m glad to see that your stubborn ways are still intact. It will make for some very interesting conversations.”
I rolled my eyes, a little disturbed that he knew me so well.
“Don’t roll your eyes.”
I looked at him and cracked a smile. “And I see your domineering ways are in full swing. Like you said, it’s going to be fun ride.”
Smiling back at me, he kissed my lips.
A moment later, he was on his knees, spreading my legs and making room for himself. He slid his boxers off and leaned over me, kissing my lips, neck, and breasts. He kissed around my navel, and my hips flexed in response. Of course, I sucked it in. Did he really expect anything else?
“Stop that. You don’t have to do that.” He was inches from my stomach, looking up my body.
“Spencer, I can’t help it. You’re just going to have to deal with it,” I said, practically panting, as I waited for him to put those lips where I really needed them.
“Don’t take this wrong way, but shut the hell up and don’t do it again.” He grinned up at me before kissing me just below my navel. He sat back on his knees and held himself, teasing me. “You still on something, you good?” he asked, as the tip of him was on the verge of entering me.
“Yeah, I’m good--you?”
My question took him off guard but I wasn’t trying to get an STD from some bimbo pop star.
“Baby, I’ve been good since the night I met you.”
Look at that, I’m already getting to know him. This could work out.
“Good.”
He leaned over me, his lips finding mine as he gently filled me.
I had forgotten how tight he made me feel. It was mind altering. I moved my hips with him as he kept kissing me. Grabbing his back, I dug my nails in, to anchor myself to him.
He sat up holding my legs wide. Spencer was a sight for my very sore eyes. His body was flawless as he moved in and out of me. I had to touch him. I had to make sure he was real, that all of this was all real, because it could have easily been just a fantasy that I had made up in my mind. I touched his abs and let my fingers make their way up as he slowed his movements to watch as I touched him. My fingers went from one muscular pectoral to the other. They grazed over the large scar that ran down the middle of his chest. I froze over it, it was longer than I had remembered it being the first time I had noticed it. Spencer was still moving slowly, when he grabbed my wrist with one hand. When I tried to place my other hand over the scar, he grabbed that one too. Holding tight, he pushed my hands above my head, keeping them there. His lips curled before he moved faster. I think he was trying to distract me and, fuck, if it wasn’t working. Scar? What scar? All I could think about was my building release as I tightened around him.
“Let it go, baby.”
I was unraveling at his words as I called out his name in a sweet release. He gave me a few more deep thrusts before he lost it as well. Thank god, for birth control. We did not need to add a baby--Baby? Did he call me baby?
He collapsed over me, moving slightly to the side so as not to totally squish me, although I wouldn’t have minded at all. Breathing heavily, we lay there in silence, looking up at the ceiling.
We turned our head sat the same time. Our eyes met and, if the smiles that were upon our faces weren’t an indication of how happy we were to be exactly where we lay, then I didn’t know what would have been. I moved closer to him and laid my head on his chest. I wrapped my arm around his damp body. He held me tightly as he kissed the top of my head. This was going to be a great year. All the bullshit from before was over, and I was happily in Spencer’s arms. The rest of the world was just going to have to deal with it.
Chapter 2
Nickolas
“What are you talking about, Natasha? What do you mean a murderer?” I sat across from my boss, waiting to hear what she had to say for herself.
“Poor little naive Nickolas, always wanting to see the best in people. Don’t fool yourself or me. I know you want this just as bad as I do. I want you to help me uncover all of Mr. Salvatore’s dirty little secrets.”
“I told you--”
“Cut the crap, Nick. You’re my best guy.” She smiled wickedly from across her large glass desk. “We can take Spencer down together.”
“Enlighten me, Natasha. What are you going to get out of all of this?”
She sat back in her seat. Her wicked smile fell from her face and anger replaced it. She stood from her desk and went to stare out the window. She always made everything so dramatic. I leaned forward, shaking my head at the pile of files on top of files of famous people. One caught my eye, an unknown, new celebrity Francis Phillips. The poor girl was surely in for it if she had her own file on Natasha’s desk.
Natasha must have turned back around and seen me eyeing up the files on her desk, because she quickly moved the file of her newest victim to the bottom of the stack. She slapped both her hands on the files and narrowed her eyes at me, “Let’s just say I have a feeling that Spencer Salvatore doesn’t deserve anything he has. I believe that he hurt people, lots of people, to get to where he is today, and he needs to pay for what he’s done. Plus, it will make for good gossip. Everyone loves a scandal.”
I was the first person on board to take Salvatore down, but the way she was talking about him “paying” made it sound even more personal than my fucked-up situation.
“What else are you going to do, Nick? You can’t quit. You need the money. Mommy and Daddy cut you off and out of their lives, remember? You can win Elizabeth back. Once she sees Spencer is bad news, she’s not going to stick around. And you’ll be there to comfort her.”
Dammit, she had a point. There was a reason why Natasha was so good at what she did. She taught me everything, from how to use a camera to befriending celebrities and getting all their juicy gossip. Elizabeth wasn’t the first person I had betrayed. She was just the first person I cared about. Having to use her and betray her was the hardest thing I had ever had to do in my life. I told Elizabeth I wasn’t going to give up on us, and, if this was the only way, then I had no choice.
“Fine, I’ll help you, but I have conditions this time around.”
Natasha sat straight in her chair smiling over at me. She gestured for me to go on.
“First, you leave Elizabeth out of this. We are going after Spencer. I don’t want anything bad posted about her.”
“Okay, I can stick to that.”
I rolled my eyes. I had heard that one before.
“Second, you are going to pay for me to open a gallery, because after I help you with this, I’m walking, for good.”
“Nick, come on--”
“Natasha, I’m done after this. I’ll help but you have to let me walk after.”
She pouted her lips and, for a few happy moments, I thought of my Belle and her tantrums. God I missed her.
“Nickolas, you are free after we bring Salvatore down, I promise. As far as your gallery goes, consider it done.”
Her fingernails clicked together rhythmically. I knew she had a dark side, but that day she looked like the ultimate evil villain. She’d better just keep her claws to herself, because if she even thought about hurting Belle, I was done.
Chapter 3
Elizabeth
The sound of the front door closing startled me from my peaceful slumber. I rolled from Spencer’s chest to my back, hoping I could drift back to sleep. It was the loud voices that woke me up enough to sit up in bed. Gia was home and not alone. I didn’t want her barging in and yelling at me for being with Spencer, especially because I was still buck-ass naked. I had heard enough the night before. She’d gotten her point across loud and clear.
Gia blamed Spencer for ruining her relationship with Teddy, and she di
dn’t approve of the way Spencer had treated me in the past. I knew she meant well, but it was different now with Spencer. I heard her bedroom door open and then slam shut, followed by giggling and furniture moving against the floor. I guess she brought the party back here.
“They sound like they’re having a good time,” Spencer said as he brushed my bare back with his fingers.
It sent a chill up my spin, making my body shiver. I turned around to look at him still lying down. The covers were low on his hips, and I was a little more than excited to see his bare chest in the light of day. He looked even better than that first night we spent together. Every muscle was cut and just perfect.
Holy hell, I need to go to the gym, like yesterday. I quickly pulled the covers over his flawless body. I couldn’t concentrate with all that out in the open, especially that early in the morning.
I looked over at my alarm clock, only eight-thirty. I was sure it should have been later. I lay back down next to Spencer, pulling the covers up to my chin. I didn’t need him to see my naked body in the bright morning sun, not after looking at his. I still couldn’t get over the fact that Spencer Salvatore was in my bed. I knew it shouldn’t have mattered, that I should have just been happy, but curiosity was a bitch, and I wanted to know why he found me attractive.
“Why me?” I kept my eyes looking at the ceiling as I blurted out my question.
“Are you really asking me this right now?” There was irritation in his voice.
“Yes, I am. I need to know” I said, crossing my arms. I waited for an answer. I didn’t care if he was mad that I asked or not. I wanted to know.
It was quiet for a few seconds before he propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over, looking down at me. I averted my eyes from his, afraid that he’d see the desperation in them.
“If you’ll look at me, I’ll tell you,” he said from beside me.
I let my eyes find his and waited for him to go on.
He shook his head and smiled. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
Not really what I was hoping to hear, and the little laugh/smile didn’t help either. “It’s not funny, Spencer. There are hundreds of beautiful woman out there willing to throw themselves at you. Yet, you don’t date, you make sure to keep your distance from them, but you let the freaking paparazzi have a field day, letting them think you’re ‘smitten’ with me.” I crossed my arms tighter and looked back to the ceiling. “I need a better reason then ‘I don’t know.’ So let’s hear it.”
“God, you’re feisty. What do you want me to tell you? It’s the truth. I am smitten with you.” His voice was harsh as he lowered his head. He continued on in a normal voice. “You took me by surprise, Elizabeth. I was content in my life. I stayed out of the gossip as much as I could, because I have a lot of demons, and I didn’t want them getting out. But you changed all of that. The first night I saw you at Mood, you stood out over every woman I’d ever met. I was drawn to you like a moth to a light. I couldn’t stop moving in your direction. I didn’t care who saw or what ramifications it was going to have. I just needed to be closer to you.”
I uncrossed my arms and glanced over to him. “And what about now? Do you still want this--me? You have to see it from my side. You’re the hottest bachelor out there, and I’m--I’m just me.”
His brow shot up to the ceiling and the side of his mouth curled. “I’m not a bachelor--not anymore, and you’re beautiful. Why is it so hard for you to believe me that I want you? All of you. All the time,” he said, shaking his head as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Because this,” I said, gesturing between the two of us, “doesn’t happen to girls like me.”
I couldn’t look at him, embarrassed with myself for needing so much reassurance. I claimed to be a confident, strong-willed woman, but with him by my side and the media following me, I just needed to fight a little more for that confidence I thought I had in the bag.
“It’s happening. You’re just going to have to get over it. I’m not going anywhere. You’re not going anywhere. You’re mine, and I don’t care who knows.”
That one statement brought butterflies to my stomach and my confidence to the forefront. “Well then, I guess we should make a public appearance. Coffee?”
If we were really doing it, then we were getting out and letting the world know.
“Are you asking me out on a date, Miss. Monroe?”
I guessed I was--our first date. I was giggling like a school girl on the inside. “Yes, I am, Mr. Salvatore. Join me for breakfast?”
“I’d love to, but first I want something else.”
He tossed the covers off of us. I screamed. He laughed. I tried to cover myself back up. He tore them off again.
“I don’t think so.” His voice was deep with that dominant tone that set a fire inside me. He took my arms and spread them out to either side of me. “Look at what you’re doing to me. Sometimes I don’t even recognize myself when I’m around you.”
“Really? Because you look the same to me.” Yes, yes, you do--demanding, hot, and sexy as hell!
***
I took a quick shower before we left for our first outing together that wasn’t an awkward run in. We rode the elevator down to the lobby with smiles on our faces and hands held tightly together. The doors opened and we made our way to the front entrance.
“Um--isn’t your car around back?” I asked, pointing toward the back entrance.
“Nope, not anymore, I had one of my guys bring it around to the front while you were in the shower. We’re doing this all the way. So make sure you smile for the cameras.”
He took my hand in his and kissed the back of it. I held onto his arm with my other hand.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked, digging my heels in to the tile floor before he could open the door.
“I’m sure,” he said with a curt nod.
He was so confident and I was so...terrified seemed to be the appropriate word for what I was feeling. I was scared shitless that I was going to get stoned, or worse, have food thrown at me. I took a shaking breath and clutched onto his arm as tightly as I could.
He held the door open as we walked through. I couldn’t believe all the people who were standing in front of my building. Not only were there over a dozen people with cameras, there were also regular people standing around. Most of them were woman, screaming and calling out for Spencer. I squinted, in preparation for flying objects, but they never came.
“Hold that beautiful head up. This is just the beginning,” he whispered in my ear before leaving a kiss on my cheek.
As I scanned the crowd in front of us, they were all staring up the front steps and watching intently. They were waiting. Waiting for me to fall? Or for me to run back inside, maybe even for Spencer to leave me?
Not a chance in hell on that last one. I held his hand tightly as we went down the steps. Spencer took an extra step down and turned back to me. I was eye level with him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with as much passion as when our lips had first met in my father’s office. The cameras erupted, and the people standing around cheered. I can’t wait to see these pictures on Fame! Eat your heart out!
Chapter 4
Nickolas
Natasha’s computer started making an annoying ringing sound. Looking over at it, she clicked a few buttons then smiled widely at me. “Seems my new guy is fitting in just fine.” She turned the computer screen around for me to see. “Looks like the little vixen has become what we intended for her, after all. She sure didn’t waste any time getting over you.”
Cold. She was the coldest woman I had ever met in my life. I glanced at the computer screen to see my Belle wrapped in the arms of that fucking Salvatore dog.
It was all the fuel I needed to bring Spencer down. I stood, grabbing my bags from the floor. “Where am I going Natasha?” I snapped at her.
She laughed to herself as she turned the screen back around. “Ooo, I love a jealous man ready for revenge.
If only I was younger and wasn’t disgusted by you.”
“Natasha, where am I going?”
“Calm down, tiger. You’re going to Las Vegas. Well, outside of Las Vegas, The Salvatore homestead to be exact,” she said, sneering.
“Fine. What am I looking for, and who am I getting close to, to do it?”
“I have it on good authority that his family is covering up a huge secret. I heard that his father paid a lot of money to shut a few people up. Your job is to simply find out what they’re hiding. There are a few different ways to get close. He has three very attractive younger sisters around your age,” she said, winking at me.
“No, I’m not doing that again.”
“What, are you afraid?”
“No, I’m just--I can’t do it right now,” I said, a little defeated and humiliated.
“Aw, how cute. He’s heartbroken. Well, I don’t care how you do it. Just get it done. I suggest going to the courthouse. Stir things around a bit. Someone will start talking.”
“Anything else?” I asked, putting my bag over my shoulder.
“Yes, one last thing.” She tossed me a manila envelope. “Everything you need to know is in here. Report back to me as often as you can. I will be working another angle, so we need to stay connected at all times.”
I opened the envelope and peeked inside. It was the usual--papers, ID, job information, money, plane tickets, back story. Closing it back up, I placed it under my arm. I turned to leave but stopped before opening the door. “Remember, Natasha. Spencer, not Elizabeth.”
“I know, you only want to see good things. Don’t worry.”
I rode the elevator down to the lobby. The streets of New York were bustling with people getting a jump on the New Year. I grabbed a cab and made my way to the airport. I was headed to Spencer’s home town, and I was hell bent on destroying him.
Mended-Hearts Page 2
