“Yes? After that?” she prompted. “What happened after that? What did you do, Julian?”
Julian's eyes flew to his desk, and Aleisha smiled. “So...you do remember. Yes, it was on this desk, Julian.”
He closed his eyes to try to block out the image, the memory, but it was no use. It was just after she had finished testing the sex machine. She had been the very first test subject for his newly completed machine. He had put up a tiny online advertisement offering to pay a few thousand dollars for someone to test his sex machine for just a day. He'd thought no one would respond, but she did. The machine had worked on her just fine. Excited and ecstatic at the success of his first experiment, he had yielded to her suggestion that they celebrate with a few drinks. He had opened a bottle of wine, and another, and after more than a few drinks, Aleisha had climbed onto his lap and...one thing led to another. Files were pushed off his desk, and zips and buttons came undone, and they'd had sex right here, in his office, on his desk.
Julian opened his eyes to see Aleisha sitting on his desk, almost at the exact spot where she had lain.
He swallowed hard, his throat too dry and tight. “I'm sorry,” he told her quietly. “I shouldn't have...it was a mistake.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, it was my fault. I'm truly sorry. It was...” Julian stopped abruptly. Was he insulting her more by apologizing? The alcohol had messed with his mind and his memory, but if he recalled correctly, she was the one who had suggested opening yet another bottle of wine and had initiated everything. No, he was not trying to absolve himself of blame, but she hadn't seemed unwilling. She had started touching him, climbing all over him, undoing his shirt, his pants...undoing him entirely. Shit! What had he done? What could he do now? What did she want from him? Had he wronged her? Was he hurting Sophia?
The last thought hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. He wanted to protect Sophia, shield her from any kind of hurt and pain. But what was done was done. He could only try to make things...not right, just less wrong.
He had written out a check to Aleisha for more—much more, than the agreed sum. He remembered her kissing the check and quipping as she left, “I haven't been pleasured so much, and paid so well, in a long, long time, Julian. Don't forget me, okay? I certainly won't forget you.”
Julian shook his head to try to clear it. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he asked cautiously, “What can I do for you, Aleisha?”
She regarded him in silence for a moment. Finally, she pushed herself off his desk and advanced towards him. “It's not what you can do for me, Julian.” Her voice rose. “It's what you did, to me.”
“Wha-what did I do?”
“You...” She jabbed a painted nail into his chest. “You raped me.”
“No!” Julian reeled from the accusation. “No, I did not...”
“You bastard,” she hissed. “You're a fucking bastard!”
“Aleisha, I did not, I swear! That night, you were all over...I mean, we, we were both...”
“You raped me, Julian. And you're going to pay.” Her voice was cold and brittle. “Oh, right, you said it was a mistake. It certainly is, Dr. James. It is a very costly mistake, for you.”
“No...” Julian gripped the back of a chair to steady himself. “It wasn't like that. You...you were coming on to me, and you wanted it...you did as much and you clearly said...I did not, Aleisha, whatever I did, I didn't rape you...”
“You are guilty, Julian. You made a huge mistake, and you're going to have to make good the mistake. Before it blows up in your face, and your career and reputation get blown to smithereens.” Her tone was strangely calm and reasonable. “I could go to the press, the police, the public...” She ticked off the options on her pointed, manicured fingers.
Julian met her cold, calculating gaze. He read the want in her eyes but it was not him she wanted. She had come all this way for it and from the steely, predatory look in her eyes, he knew that she wasn't going to leave without it.
His mind whirled as he contemplated his next step. His shoulders slumped as a terrible, tortuous weight pressed down on them. It would be his word against hers. And even though she had been the one to come on to him, and had started stroking and stripping him as she gyrated on his lap, he couldn't deny that he had indeed fucked her. Rape or not, he had done something he shouldn't. It was a huge mistake. One that would cost him...
He already knew what Aleisha wanted, but he decided to let her spell it out for him. Better than to make assumptions and make yet another mistake.
He breathed out slowly. “What do you want, Aleisha?”
“Half a million dollars,” was her swift reply.
Julian jerked back. “That's a lot...”
“Not to a man like you,” she cooed, inspecting her nails.
“I just can't...” he started.
“You can't, or you won't?”
“Aleisha, it's not that I...”
“All right. I see.” Her eyes glinted dangerously as she squared her shoulders. “I see that you don't want to make the problem go away. Fine. Then the problem will only grow bigger. Bigger and bigger, just like my belly.” She planted both hands on her hips and swaggered towards him. “You see, don't you, Julian...that I'm pregnant.”
“What?”
“That's right, Dr. Julian James. I'm pregnant with your baby.”
Chapter Three
I fly down the stairs and stop breathlessly in front of the closed double doors to Julian's ground floor office. I raised my fist to knock on the door, but my hand is shaking so badly I can hardly keep it in the air, let alone rap firmly on the door. Trying to slow my frenzied heartbeat and breathing, I start to pace in small, tight circles in front of the door. What is going on? Who is this woman who has chosen to materialize at his doorstep in the middle of the night, just when Julian finally tells me that he loves me? She has obviously been here before. She knows the way to his office, and has brazenly pushed her way in without being invited. They know each other, but how well? How close are they? Who the hell is she?
The questions that are spinning and spiraling out of control in my mind are driving me crazy. Sucking in a sharp, painful breath, I press my ear to the door. There is the low drone of Julian's voice, but I can't catch what he is saying. The door is too solid, too thick. There is no way I can eavesdrop on their conversation. I squeeze my eyes shut briefly, my throat and chest constricting. What should I do? If I knock on the door, I will give them fair warning and they will probably clam up straight away. I will learn nothing, and will probably just be greeted with strained smiles and awkward greetings. I should just put my hand on the door knob, and open the door in one fell swoop, without warning. Whatever words I hear in that fraction of an instant would at least give me a glimpse, however tiny, into the truth of the situation. Better than being plied and pacified with well-constructed lies.
Putting my hand firmly on the gilded door knob, I count silently to three. My fist tightens, and with a loud gulp, I wrench the door wide open.
“...I'm pregnant with your baby.” The words fall from the woman's lips just as I enter the room.
In that frozen moment, the three of us stare at one another, unable to move or utter a single sound. My eyes dart from the fair, blond woman to Julian, who looks shocked, furious and totally wretched. He takes a step towards me, but I turn away from him and take a long, hard look at the woman.
What did she just say?
Despite feeling that my fake, flimsy world was collapsing all around me, I manage to take in the woman's appearance. She is the complete opposite of me. While my hair and features are dark, hers are light and fair. My build is slim and I hardly wear any make-up, but this woman is all soft, feminine curves, with artfully drawn brows, eyes and lips. Full large breasts, womanly body with curvy, sexy hips. Unconsciously, my eyes trail down to her belly. I heard what she said. Her words were clear and unmistakable. She said she was pregnant, with Julian's baby.
Stiffly, I turn to Julian.
He doesn't meet my eyes this time. What had he said to me just a while back, which now feels like a lifetime ago? He said that he loved me and that he would never stop falling for me. My vision grows blurry as the heat grows behind my eyes. I can barely see clearly. I blink furiously. No! I haven't been seeing clearly. What lies! Those were blatant, cruel lies! What other lies has he been telling me?
Why? Why, Julian? Why you?
Julian seems to read the silent, tortured questions on my lips. He reaches out his hand to me, to touch me, but I back away. I stare at the woman, who is frowning at Julian and me. “Who is that?” she asks sharply. “Is she...your latest test subject?”
My eyes and mouth round, and I back away, staring between her and Julian. The woman lets out a short, mirthless laugh which cuts me like a knife.
“Oh, my dear, so you really are the latest test subject for his strange, sexual experiments. What's your name, or are you just a number—to him? I'm Aleisha. Tell me, are you enjoying yourself? Which is better for you, the machine...or the man?” Her eyes shine with both amusement and hostility. “Personally, I find the man way better.”
I shake my head, my vision clouding rapidly. Aleisha cocks her head at me, her red lips curved in a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. There is a strange gleam in her eye. I don't want to believe a single word she says, but there is just no way to misinterpret her words. No way, no mistake. She had said it out loud and clear. I can ignore all her taunts and mocking questions, but I just can't block out that unequivocal statement she'd made at the very moment that I'd barged in on them. That one sentence is shredding every fiber in my body and breaking my heart to pieces. It hadn't been meant for my ears. She had hurled those words at Julian when she thought that she was alone in the room with him. They hadn't expected me to come crashing in when she made that declaration.
How can I not believe? What can I believe?
I glare at Julian and Aleisha in turn through a haze of tears. Her words slam into my head, embedding into every corner of my brain like shrapnel.
“...I'm pregnant...I'm pregnant...I'm pregnant...”
Their foggy images blur into one, and the image of Julian having sex with her, pound insistently and horribly before my eyes. I clutch at my heart, feeling a searing, physical ache in my chest. If only I had controlled myself and not allowed myself to have feelings for this man, I wouldn't be suffering this terrible ache right now.
“Sophia, please...let me explain...” Julian tries to hold me as I lean against the door, but I shove him away.
“Leave me alone!”
“Sophia.” His face is contorted with pain. “Sophia, please...please don't...”
“I said leave me alone!” I lurch out of the room, running blindly for the front door. With trembling fingers, I undo the latches on the door and yank it wide open. I stumble back as cold raindrops pelt against my face. The rain becomes heavier as a streak of lightning flashes across the pitch black sky lighting up the garden, and showing me that the gates have been left open at the end of the driveway.
Hugging myself tightly, I dash out the door into the pouring rain. I just want to get out of the house, away from Julian and that woman.
Bracing myself against the wind, I stagger down the driveway and out the gates. The street ahead is completely dark, with no street lamps or houses. Julian's house is situated at the very end of a long, winding road, with no other houses in sight for miles and miles. I hesitate for a moment, not sure of where I am going.
But the sound of shouting behind me jolts me forward. I turn to run but a hand clamps around my mouth, stifling my scream.
I struggle, my eyes wide and frightened. Before I can twist round to see my assailant, a sharp blow is delivered to the back of my head.
The last thing I see before I lose consciousness is a silver blade glinting through the dizzying shower of raindrops.
Chapter Four
I force my eyes open a crack and a naked bulb swings into view. The harsh, white light stabs through my eyes straight into my throbbing brain. With a jolt, I try to push myself up but my hands are tied behind my back. Panicking, I twist wildly and feel thick, rough rope chaff against my wrist and ankles. With my hands and legs tightly bound, I can only manage to maneuver myself to a sitting position after much difficulty. My head hurts and I feel like throwing up with every breath. Where am I? Why am I here? I stare at the stained, gray walls and dirty concrete floor. There is a broken metal shelf leaning against the corner of the room beside some empty boxes and broken crates.
My eyes flick to the door in front of me. The knob is turning very slowly and silently. Someone is coming in. I suddenly recall the hand pressing roughly against my mouth and a knife gleaming against the falling rain. The pain pulsing at the back of my head confirms that those images are real, dredged from my memory and not my imagination.
I try to push myself up against the wall but my legs fail me. The door creaks open and a muscular, stocky man steps into the room. He leans against the door to close it behind him. “Hello there. You've woken up at last,” he says, giving me a thin smile. His black, close set eyes lock onto me and the scar at the corner of his left eye twitches. He runs one hand through his spiky, black hair and advances towards me. “You are quite a beauty,” he drawls, his eyes raking down my body. “It's no wonder the good doctor is so taken with you. Aleisha said that he's gone quite mad when he heard that you've been kidnapped. He'll do anything to get you back safe and sound. He will meet all our demands, cut off an arm and a leg too if we asked.” He smirks. “Should have demanded more.”
I try to back away, my feet scrabbling against the floor. “Who...are you?” I croak. “Where is Julian? What have you done to him?”
“Julian? So endearing. So intimate, aren't we?” he smirks. “Nah. We're not going to harm him. He is the source. You, my dear, are the means. He will do anything to get you back. So—I think we should raise the ransom amount. It looks like you mean a lot to him.”
“You...you and Aleisha...” I shake my head. “Who are you?”
He gives a sudden bark of laughter, then just as suddenly, his face becomes deadly serious. It is as though a switch has been thrown in his brain, cutting off his crude, cold laugh. The smile vanishes completely from his narrow face, and he regards me with a look that is full of hatred and hunger. I can feel the terror rising from my gut as he walks soundlessly towards me. His silent footfalls are like a predator's, a hunter moving in for the kill.
I scream when he lunges at me. He yanks me to my feet and I blink into his leering face. He is not a tall man, just an inch or so taller than me but he is very strong. His face is barely an inch from mine, and I twist my face away to avoid the stench of his breath. This seems to infuriate him and he grabs my collar to hiss in my face, “Look at me, bitch. Who am I? I will tell you my name. And I want you to scream it when I fuck you. Do you understand? Pretty Sophia. Oh yes, I know your name. And I'm going to fuck you every hour until your rich doctor pays up. I am going to pin you under my body and fuck you so hard and so good. And you'll scream for me, scream and beg me to fuck you. Do you understand, Sophia?”
I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Look at me!” he roars, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head up. “Open your eyes and look at me. You are not to close your eyes. When I fuck you, I want you to open your eyes and look at me. Look at me and tell me that you want me,” he hisses.
“No, no...no, please...” The rest of my words are cut off as he crushes his mouth to mine. His tongue probes against my lips, forcing its way into my mouth. He pushes deeper, thrusting deep into my mouth, to the back of my throat. I gag, and instinctively bite down hard in fear and fury.
With a loud curse, he rolls away from me, raising his hand to his lips. He stares at the blood smeared on his fingertips and a muscle jumps in his jaw. Breathing hard, he rears up and strikes me across the face. The stinging slap stuns me momentarily, and I taste blood on my broken lips.
“Bitch! You bit me. I'll show you. I will make you scream, bitch!” He starts to fumble at his belt and zipper. I twist away, my back against the wall. He raises his hand again and I flinch, expecting another blow. Instead, he pushes his hand between my legs and grabs hard at my crotch. His eyes flash with rage and lust as he leers at me. “I like it when women fight me. It makes the taking more exciting, more satisfying. They fight and they scream, but they love it. Oh yes, women like it rough. Don't deny it. You like a man to take you hard and rough and fast. Do it. Scream. Scream for me. Scream when you feel my big dick in you. I am big, and that's why they call me Big Ben. I want to hear you beg for Big Ben. Go on. Do it! Do it before I stick my big cock in your mouth.”
I thrash in his grip, shrieking and yelling, “Let me go! Don't touch me. Let go of me! Don't you touch me, you...you piece of...”
He laughs harshly. “Good. Good, you fight me real good. Yes, that's right. Struggle. Struggle harder. Ooh, nice. Pain...is good. We are going to have so much fun, Sophia. Let me show you.”
I stare down at his hand, which is rapidly tugging down his zipper. He pulls his swollen, crooked cock out of his pants and jiggles it in his hand. “Mmm, see this? You like it? You will. All the women can't get enough of this motherfucker. And you, Sophia—you will love it. You will take this motherfucker in your mouth and suck and lick it like you mean it. If I feel your teeth, I will cut your pretty face up and send your eyeballs to your pretty doctor. Got it? Good. Now, let's get down to it. On your knees,” he says with an ugly smile.
I shake my head rapidly and repeatedly. He squints at me for a long while before reaching down to drag a knife out of his combat boots. He blows out a breath as he taps the blade against his palm. “Where shall I start? I'll leave your pretty lips alone, since I want to feel those lovelies on my cock. Your eyes—nice eyes. But I want to see you staring at me when I pound into you, so—that leaves your nose, cheeks, ears...”
How You Take Me Page 2
