“Oh baby, that’s cold,” she said and looked back at me.
“Shh,” I said, rubbing the ice back and forth. In my drunken-haze, she wasn’t Destiny. She was Katherine, the blonde who had infected me with poison and left me with no notice.
She turned and leaned in to kiss me, and I shoved the ice in her mouth. I envisioned her stroking my cock vigorously until I was fully erect, then her hard, thin lips wrapped around my cock. I leaned back on the chair, unbuckling my pants.
I could do this.
I could let her suck me dry until I forgot who the fuck Katherine was.
The stack of twenties and hundreds laid next to my drink—hers to take as a thank-you once we were done. Her eyes sparkled as I pulled my cock out. I leaned my head back and felt her drop to her knees in front of me. Her cold hands ran up my thighs.
As hard as I willed my dick to get hard, it wouldn’t budge. There was only one way I would blow. Katherine. She had fucking broken me.
“Is there something wrong?” Destiny asked as we stared down at my limp dick.
“Get the fuck off of me,” I said through gritted teeth.
I closed my eyes and thought about the blonde I’d been trying to forget. The one who invaded my memories anytime my dick got hard. The one who pushed me to drink until I could no longer remember her. The mere thought of Katherine had my cock rock hard and ready to blow.
“Fucking, leave.” I said. Pushing Destiny back on her knees, I stood. She wasn’t what I wanted. “Go fuck someone else.” I pulled my pants up and moved out of the room.
Dodging through the rooms loitered with half-naked bodies and booze I found an empty bathroom. I pushed against the lock on the door and walked towards the toilet. With my pants around my knees and my growing cock in my hand, I thought of her—of Katherine and the way she’d suck my dick. My hands stroked my length as I envisioned her bent over in front of me as I fucked her with everything I had.
“Katherine,” I grunted shooting my cum in the toilet. “Fucking, Katherine,” I said one more time as I emptied myself.
My head pounded.
The stench of liquor and pussy surrounded the hotel suite. I peeled my eyes open. Parched, I moved my head, looking for water or something to relieve my thirst. I stepped out of my bedroom to find Mindy, Star, Candy—whatever her name—was laying naked on the floor of the living room. Her platinum blonde hair was bunched together like a beehive over her head. Theo was on the couch and looked worse than I did.
I walked to the bathroom and let the cold water run in the sink before I shoved my head under to alleviate some of my pounding headache. Lifting the toilet seat, I emptied the remaining liquor from my bladder. I stood, my eyes rolling to the back of my head before I looked at the coward in the mirror, disgusted at the man who reflected back at me.
I squinted from the sunlight when I stumbled back into the living room. I made my way over to the limp body on the floor and tapped her lightly on the leg. “Get up.” I tapped her again. When she didn’t budge, I shook her. “Get. Up.” My head pounded harder with each second that passed.
“Hmm,” she moaned. “Come back to bed, baby.”
I threw a pillow at my brother. “You need to get the fuck up now and leave.”
Theo groaned. “Dude, what the fuck!” he complained and pressed his palms to his eyes.
“Tell your bitch to leave,” I demanded. “We need to get home.”
Sliding off the couch, Theo whispered in her ear. She smiled and kissed his cheek before she collected her belongings from the floor. When she slammed the door behind her, I looked over at him. “What was that?”
“Promised her I’d come back and marry her.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“I’m serious. I’d marry her. She does this thing with her tongue when your dick is in her mouth—”
“You’re fucking disgusting.” I looked down at my cell phone.
“She hasn’t called has she?” Theo said taking a swig of the stale beer.
“Fuck you.” I unlocked the screen and listened to the missed voice message.
Coleman, sweetie, it’s Mom. When you have a chance, I need you to call me back. There’s been a mix up with my calendar, and I need to know if you can go to the End Poverty Gala for me this upcoming Friday. Please call me back as soon as you get this.
I hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed. Falling back on the pillow, I closed my eyes ignoring the pain that throbbed through my skull.
Friday evening, I was dressed in a custom Armani suit as I descended the elevator to the main floor. It had been weeks since I’d been in this exact elevator with Katherine. Even my own PI couldn’t find anything on her. She was either home or at work, and according to him, she spent more time at home than anywhere else.
I walked out and climbed into the limo that waited outside for me. I slid into the back when I was greeted with a familiar face. “Devon,” I said shocked that she was in there. Then again, my mother had sent the limo. My mother who had also had a last-minute scheduling issue.
“Hi,” she said as she crossed her legs in her navy blue dress. “Your mother asked me to accompany you to the gala.”
“Of course she did,” I said, annoyed that I had been conned into this night.
“Don’t be mad at her. I actually wanted to apologize.” She moved closer.
I lifted the glass from the holder and poured a glass of scotch. “About?” I took a long sip as I watched her tentatively.
“The other night. I was wrong for throwing myself on you like that. I’m sorry. It was inappropriate and rude of me.” Her voice cracked. “I… I … just love you, Cole, I always have and I always will. And I regret that I didn’t fight harder for you.”
“Dev—”
“I know.” She lifted her hand. “I’m an idiot, and you’re in love with the homely girl. But I really thought that after we had out careers figured out, it would be me and you.”
I handed her a tissue. “Do you really want to be with a man who doesn’t love you?”
“But I can make you love me. Trust me.”
“That’s not enough. You may think it is, but it’s not. You can’t force someone to love you. It has to happen on its own.”
“But you loved me once, didn’t you?” she sniffled back, and I draped my arm over her shoulder.
“I did, but not nearly as much as you loved me, Dev.” I kissed the side of her head. “There is a man out there for you. I know it. It’s just not me.”
The limo came to a stop, and she looked up at me. “Friends?”
“Yes.” I smiled at her and I hope that she does find someone to love her.
8
Katherine
The heavy clouds above were an indication that rain was on the way. I’d spent most of my morning staring at the blank screen of my computer when I informed Victoria that I was taking the afternoon off. Before she had the chance to ask me why, I turned away from her desk and left.
We were days away from going to trial, and while the rest of the team was working overnight, I was nowhere to be seen. My text messages with Mackenzie were short and brief. She had gone home to stay with her parents until she was called to testify. She wanted to stay as far away from Evan as possible and I didn’t blame her. She was facing her monster in a few days.
Needing a change of scenery, I walked through the busy New York City streets. My stomach growled. I knew I shouldn’t have taken my pills on an empty stomach, but nowadays food wasn’t appetizing. I’d force myself to eat, but it was noticeable to everyone that I had lost a tremendous amount of weight in the last few weeks.
My inner conscious tugged on me to go home and I should've listened. Slept the day away and started fresh tomorrow. But Lila was home since she had worked a night shift and was probably lounging on the couch at this very second. Things between us were off. I was secretly popping pills and she was just bitchy. Conversations in our apartment were only happening on a need-to-know basis.
Stopping at a small bodega, I stepped inside and grabbed a Gatorade to keep me hydrated and a Snickers bar to tame my hunger. As I was checking out, my gaze caught a title on the newspaper article: A Royal Manhattan Wedding. Below the caption was a picture of Cole. He was tall in his fitted Armani suit. A white shirt hugged his body and a tie wrapped around his neck making his look delectable. Beside him stood Devon. She looked stunning, her hair pulled back to expose the large diamonds on her ears. They looked like the perfect couple at an event.
The royal couple of the Upper Eastside, Devon Cunningham and Cole Hunter Rhodes, were seen together on the red carpet at The Poverty Gala on Thursday night. The gala, which raised 1.3 million dollars, was thrilled to see the heirs whose family founded this organization. The couple arrived together and were smitten on the red carpet as they posed for photos. A family friend confirmed that Rhodes and Cunningham were already looking for an apartment on the Upper East Side. The on-again, off-again power duo is determined to make Manhattan their home. Both families are excited that the couple has reunited after some time apart. “We are hoping that the nuptials will be held here in Manhattan,” Susan Lane, leading wedding planner, said. A source confirms that Cunningham has already reserved the Astoria Hotel to host the lavish parties. No confirmation yet as to when the duo plan to say I do, but we’re glad to see them back together.
I don't know why I let it bother me. It was a trashy magazine that was known for publishing fake stories—
But the photo wasn’t fake.
My blood boiled and anger built through me until I could hear the humming in my ears. It had taken him all of two weeks before he was in her arms. You pushed him away, my subconscious said. Because I knew someone like him could never love me. He would never be able to love my imperfections. I had been stupid enough to believe that what he and I shared was all I would ever need.
I was wrong.
And maybe I wasn't worthy of more.
Walking to the corner, I waved my hand at the upcoming traffic and a yellow town car stopped a few feet away. The cabbie looked back at me and smiled. He had a gold tooth that looked to be infected. “Whereto, miss?” he asked.
I didn’t have a destination. “Battery Park,” I finally answered when a few seconds passed and irritation grew on his face. It was the one place that had an amazing view near the Hudson and was also the most southern tip of the island.
The farthest point from my previous life.
The forty–five-minute commute felt like the blink of an eye. The busy financial district was crowded with employees on their lunch break, so I followed the group of young people in front of me. I wanted to feel included and not be the only girl drinking at the bar. I sat a few stools away from them, ordered a gin and tonic, and kept my head low. At first, I was intrigued by their conversation, all fresh out of college with their lives beginning. They sat and compared notes on their new bosses and how they were prepared to climb up the corporate ladder. That was me—the old me.
A few weeks ago I was excited and thrilled about life. I had my dream job, I was planning on putting my first criminal behind bars, and I was seeing New York City’s most eligible bachelor. Not to mention I had fallen in love with someone I could build a future with. But in the blink of an eye, my whole life had changed—turned upside down.
I pulled my purse onto my lap. Keeping both of my hands inside it, I opened the childproof lock and pulled out a capsule. I didn’t want to sit there and worry about what my life had turned out to be. I had come here to forget.
I washed the capsule down with tonic and focused on the television screen above the bar. Hours passed before I realized a whole different crowd filled the bar. The stool next to me moved back. Shifting my head, I looked at the gentleman next to me. His pitch-black hair was spiked up with the assistance of a substantial amount of hair product, his big brown eyes covered most of his face, and based on his skin tone, it looked as if he lived inside a tanning bed.
“Is this seat taken?” he asked. His three–piece suit was snug on his skin, his broad shoulders a clear indication he frequented the gym more than most people.
I shook my head as I took the lime from my fourth—fifth?—drink, and bit on it.
“I’m Bruce.” He reached his hand out for mine.
“Kat.” A small smirk appeared on my face. I could be whoever I wanted to be, and Kat didn’t feel or care about anyone else.
“Why are you sitting here all alone? A girl like you should be––”
“Like me?” He didn’t have the first clue who I was.
“Beautiful. A beautiful girl like you shouldn’t be sitting by herself.”
I pouted my lips and nodded at him before I found the bartender and asked for another drink. I’d give him credit, he was sweet with his words, but he could never make my heart stop like…
Forget the past, Katherine. This is your life now.
“Are you waiting for anyone?” Bruce asked.
I took my straw from my empty glass and dropped it into my fresh drink. “Nope.”
“Do you live in New York or are you visiting?”
Who the hell was this guy? An interrogator? I turned on my seat so my body was facing his. Licking the sides of my lips, I cocked my head to the side. “You know, you ask a lot of questions, Bruce.”
“You seem intriguing and just hard to read.” He nursed his drink as I took another gulp of mine.
“Nope, I’m just a girl at a bar.” I shrugged and faced the bar again. There wasn’t anything left in me worth talking about. I felt his gaze on me, studying my features. I closed my eyes, begging for my tears not to come out. The effect of the oxy was almost gone from my system.
One of Bruce’s hands reached up and ran across my cheek before he pushed my hair behind my ear. “I can make you forget him,” he whispered.
His comment piqued my interest. Keeping my body still, I turned and faced him. My eyebrow rose, and a sly smile appeared on his face. He leaned in closer, his breath brushing my neck. “A beautiful girl like you, sitting at a bar all alone, is either lost or heartbroken.” His hand slid away from my hair. “Either way I can help.”
I felt nothing.
No pain, no emotion, no attachment. Just what I needed—an escape.
“I promise I can make you forget him, forget who you are. I’m here on business from out of town, and I have a room right upstairs if you want to head up.”
Turning my body so I was facing him, I rested my hand on the back of his chair and leaned forward, my lips only centimeters from his. I looked deep into his eyes. “I’ll go up with you, Bruce, and I’ll let you do whatever you want to me, but you can’t promise me that you’ll make me forget him. I know it’s impossible. Trust me, I’ve tried.”
I placed my hand on his cheek like he had done to me. “I need you to make me not feel. Make me forget who I am. Can you do that?” I grazed my bottom lip with my teeth.
“I can guarantee to give you exactly what you need.”
“Then I’m all yours.” I sat back and folded my arms at my chest.
“Sir!” Bruce shouted to the bartender. “Cash us both out, please.” Bruce slid his American Express card to him.
I took my purse and stood, watching him pay my massive bar bill. I guess I’d had more to drink than I realized. Bruce took my hand in his and led us out of the bar to the main lobby. I kept my head lowered, focusing on the floor. Bruce stopped near the elevator, pressed the call button and pulled me towards him. His lips came straight for mine. I turned my face, letting him kiss my cheek. I didn’t want to kiss him. This had to be done with no emotion, and kissing was emotional.
I followed him into the elevator, and I stood quietly beside him as we rose to his floor. After everything that had happened to me, this was probably the dumbest thing I had done yet—following a complete stranger to his room—but I had nothing to lose. No shred of dignity left.
I will feel nothing. Mask one type of feeling with another.
&
nbsp; Walking ahead of me, he pushed his hotel room door open and held it open for me. I hesitated and looked over at him. I wanted nothing more than to forget, but forgetting this part of me would also tarnish everything Cole and I had.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“I forgot I have an appointment,” I lied and began walking towards the elevator.
The tears stained my face and my heart was heavy in my chest. My legs shook as I walked out of the hotel and onto the buy city street. Adeline coursed through my body and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I bent over near a tree and emptied the contents of my stomach. The alcohol burned as it left my body, the bile rising in my throat until I tasted it in my mouth.
I stood and my knees buckled under me. My hand held onto the tree as I gathered my thoughts. It was almost five in the afternoon, I’d spent hours drinking away at a bar. I was angry and hurt, and Cole was the one to blame for my lack of judgment. Walking to the corner, I waved my hand until another cabbie stopped in front of me. I was draining my bank account, but I needed to talk to him.
In the back of the cab, I rested my head on the leather seat and pulled my phone out of my purse. My finger hovered over his name as I attempted to call him. Chances were that he was still in his office. I shoved my phone back inside my purse and slid one more pill into my mouth.
My heels slammed across the floor as I marched into his office. “Katherine?” Melissa said when the elevator doors opened, and I walked past her desk. “Katherine, he’s in a meeting.” I heard the panic in her voice. Ignoring her, I made my way down the long hallway until I pulled back the door to the conference room.
All eyes moved away from him and landed on me.
“Katherine?” he said, taken aback by my presence.
“We need to talk.” I heard the slurring of my voice. I shouldn’t have taken that last pill.
Redemption (Savior Seires Book 2) Page 4
