Bleeding Hearts: The Complete Duet

by A. Zavarelli

  “I have to go to the bathroom,” I told Ryland. “I’ll be right back.”

  He gave his nod of approval when Nicole came to escort me before he let me slip away. I barely managed to make it into the privacy of the luxurious powder room before I started to have a full blown panic attack.

  “Why did I ever agree to dance with Alex Burton?” I whined. “Ryland’s going to freak out. I just know it.”

  “It’s okay, Brighton.” Nicole waved it off like I was being silly. “It’s just one dance. It doesn’t mean anything."

  “I know,” I protested. “But I have a bad feeling about this. Why did Alex want to dance with me? He could have just talked to Ryland and gotten a photograph. Wouldn’t that have the same effect?”

  “They’re old rivals.” She shrugged. “I doubt Ryland would want to be photographed with him.”

  I sank against the counter and fanned my face. Nicole didn’t think it was a big deal, but I had a sick feeling about the whole situation. “I should have told him. He’s going to be hurt.”

  “It’s going to be fine,” Nicole assured me. “It’s just a dance, Brighton. In public, at a charity gala. Not just any charity, but your charity. This is what’s expected of you.”

  I took a deep breath and let her words sink in. She was right, of course. This was something I would have to do as part of these events. Just like Ryland had to attend dinners and functions he didn’t always want to. It was just business. Right?

  “Okay,” I relented. “Freak out is over. We can go back out.”

  Nicole smiled and pulled me back out into the sea of people. We didn’t make it very far before a familiar voice stopped us.

  “How about that dance now?” Alex asked.

  I spun around and found him standing with such an arrogant smile it made me wince. His face gave nothing but charm and sophistication away, but there was just something about this guy that set off all the warning bells inside my head. A deal was a deal though. I told him I was going to dance with him, and I would. Three minutes of my life. That’s all I would give him and nothing more.

  “Okay,” I said weakly.

  Nicole released me and gave me a reassuring smile, watching as he led me onto the dance floor. He took up the perfect gentleman’s stance and led without an ounce of discomfort, which helped me to relax a little.

  “Ryland seems very happy to have you on his arm this evening,” he remarked.

  I wasn’t going to discuss anything to do with Ryland, so I made a point to let him know it. “How are you enjoying the gala so far?”

  He smirked as though he were amused I had the guts to stand up to him. “It’s as I expected.” He gave a flippant shrug. “No offense, Miss Valentine, but these things are all the same to me. A couple hours of dreadful music and a dinner that I’ve paid entirely too much for. But at least there’s alcohol.”

  I frowned at his words. Nicole had put so much time and effort into planning this event, and she’d done an amazing job. For him to dismiss it so easily irked me.

  “So you’re really just here for a photo,” I clarified.

  As I said it, I felt the flash of several cameras going off around us. Apparently, it was a big deal for him to be dancing with me.

  “Yes,” he agreed with a dark smile. “Among other things.”

  I was about to ask him what he meant when I glanced up to see Ryland. He wasn’t just angry, but furious as he pulled me into his side. And all of it was directed at Alex Burton.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked in a scarily calm voice.

  “Nice to see you too, Ryland. I was just taking your girlfriend for a spin on the dance floor.” Alex winked at me. “Someone should. A beauty like her was meant to be appreciated.”

  The muscle in Ryland’s jaw and his bruising grip on my arm were the only outward signs of his rage. To the cameras around us, I was certain it looked like nothing more than a normal conversation.

  “Can you not see the baby in her stomach?” he asked. “Because I fucking put it there.”

  The possession in his words told me I’d stepped into something far bigger than just a couple of business rivals. There was obviously some bad blood between them that went much deeper than I’d realized.

  The flash of cameras increased around us, and Alex didn’t miss a beat. He tipped his head back and laughed as though he were having the time of his life.

  “No need to go pissing circles around her, old pal,” he said cheerfully. “I think the whole world knows she’s yours. A product of your own doing, from what I understand. You know, I have to say it surprises me. You better than anyone ought to realize how vulnerable that can make you, Ryland.”

  Ryland’s cool exterior dissolved as he took a menacing step forward, and I glanced around the room in a panic. Mick caught my eye from across the floor and nodded as he moved to intercede. Ryland was coiled so tight I was afraid Mick wouldn’t make it in time. And to make matters worse, Alex continued to provoke him.

  “You know, there’s only so much money you can throw at a problem,” Alex said in a low voice. “At the end of the day, there is still such a thing as honor among thieves. Loyalty will buy you a helluva lot more than money ever can.”

  Mick finally pushed his way through the crowd, and just in time. I was clinging so tightly to Ryland’s suit I thought it would rip.

  “Get him out of here,” I demanded. “He’s not welcome at this event.”

  Mick grabbed Alex by the arm, and he shrugged him off before smoothing down his rumpled tux. “No need for dramatics.” His eyes flashed towards mine with malice. “I’ll be glad to escort myself out.”

  Mick followed him, and Ryland shrugged me off as he turned to watch. I wanted to ask him what that was about. I wanted to ask him if I was imagining things when I heard the threat in Alex’s words. Was he threatening me and the baby? I didn’t understand.

  Matt and Nicole appeared at my side, and I moved to take a step towards Ryland. He held up his hand with a dark look in his eye. Exactly the one I was afraid of. He thought I’d betrayed him.

  “Not now, Brighton.”

  He glanced towards Matt. “Don’t leave her side for the rest of the night.”

  And with that, he stalked from the room.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Brighton

  The rest of the charity gala passed in a painfully slow haze. I didn’t see Ryland anywhere, and I tried my best not to think about his hurt expression as I mingled with the guests.

  The night was even more successful than we’d ever hoped, raking in tons of cash that would balloon Sophia’s Shoes ability to help kids to epic proportions. I should have been elated. Ecstatic. But all I could think about was Ryland and Alex.

  As we stepped outside the hotel, Ted was there to greet us. Just as I suspected, he’d already taken Ryland home. Nicole, Matt, and I piled into the backseat of the car, and I wrung my hands in my lap as we drove through the city.

  “I’m so sorry, Brighton,” Nicole said sheepishly. “I had no idea that things between them were that bad.”

  “Me either,” I admitted. “He’s never even mentioned him to me before.”

  “They went to business school together in Chicago,” Nicole explained. “And then they both started up their companies here. But I always thought it was more of a whose is bigger sort of contest if you know what I mean.”

  “I don’t think so,” Matt cut in. “That guy gives me a bad feeling. I don’t trust that slimy smile on his face. And I know for a fact the Burton family is involved in some bad shit.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “His father has been accused of racketeering on more than one occasion,” Matt volunteered. “And some of his employees have a bad habit of going missing.”

  “Jesus,” I whispered. “I had no idea. Is this in Chicago?”

  Matt nodded.

  “It kind of sounded like Alex was threatening Ryland,” I said. “Or me. I’m not really sure
why, though.”

  Matt and Nicole gave each other a worried glance before looking back at me. “I’m sure he was just being belligerent,” Nicole whispered.

  But even I could hear the fear in her voice. She didn’t believe it for a second. Alex Burton was a powerful man, and for some reason, he had a bone to pick with Ryland. I would have to ask him about it. But first, I knew I had some groveling to do.

  We pulled up at the apartment and Ted escorted us into the elevator. I said my goodbyes to Matt and Nicole as they got off on their floor and then rode to the top by myself.

  When I came into the apartment, it was dark. Ryland was sitting on the couch with a drink in his hand, still wearing his tux.

  I toed off my heels and walked towards him slowly like I was approaching a wild animal.

  “Don’t, Brighton.” His voice was ice cold. “Just go to bed.”

  I didn’t listen. I knelt before him and rubbed my cheek against his thigh as I reached for his hand. He didn’t pull away, but his body was still coiled with explosive tension. I hated that and wanted more than anything to take it all away from him.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t realize…”

  “Do you know him?” Ryland asked, his gaze seeking mine in the shadows.

  I squeezed his hand in mine so he couldn’t pull away. “I met with him last week,” I admitted. “He said he was interested in the charity. I didn’t realize what kind of man he was.”

  Ryland released my hand and knocked back the rest of his drink. He was definitely pissed. Trying for another tactic, I moved my hands up his thighs, stroking over the bulge in his pants.

  “Please, Ryland,” I murmured. “I need you. Let’s do what we do. Let’s forget this.”

  “I can’t forget it,” he yelled. “He fucking threatened you. And I don’t trust myself not to be rough with you right now. Go to bed.”

  Even as he said the words, I felt him hardening beneath my palm. He needed this just as much as I did, but he was afraid of hurting me. He would never hurt me, but he didn’t trust himself like I did. He didn’t know himself like I did.

  I flicked open the button of his trousers and pulled his shirt away. He hissed in a breath and reached down to grab my wrist.

  “Brighton.” His voice was thick with warning. “I mean it. I’m not in a good place right now.”

  I shrugged his hand off mine and reached into his pants to stroke him through his briefs. He was burning hot and hard as steel. When his head fell back against the sofa for a moment, I thought I had him.

  Then his hand came down to thread through my hair and tightened painfully.

  “You want to make it right?” he asked.

  I nodded, my lips parting at the fire in his eyes. God, I missed that fire.

  He stood up and dragged me to the dining room table, putting me lewdly on display before he shoved his pants down his hips.

  “Open your mouth.”

  I did. Reaching under my shoulders, he pulled me down so that my head dangled off the edge of the table. He fisted his cock and rubbed it against my lips, sullying my lipstick the way he liked.

  “Suck on it,” he demanded.

  I obeyed him in the slavish manner I always did when he spoke to me that way. Grasping him in my fist, I milked out his pre-cum and smeared it across my lips before they parted and accepted him inside. The hitch in his breath and the flare in his eyes told me he liked it, even though he seemed to be at a loss for words himself. He loomed over me, observing with blazing eyes as I drew him in with long, slow pulls. He enjoyed this moment of gentle intimacy before he was rough. I never understood why, but it didn’t matter. I would take Ryland any way I could get him.

  His fingers gripped the edge of the table as he leaned forward and closed his eyes. Tension radiated through his every muscle as he struggled to control himself. It wouldn’t be long until he gave up on it completely, and I wanted to push him off that ledge. I drew him deeper, harder, scraping my teeth against the crown of his head.

  He rumbled his approval as he shoved the top of my dress down to bare my breasts. They rose and fell with excited breaths as he skimmed each mound with the palm of his hand. My heart escalated to a bombastic rhythm in my chest, my back arching up to accommodate his touch that I so desperately needed. I hated when he deprived me of it.

  He was on me then, the darkness inside of him crackling to life as his fingers came to rest on the hollow of my throat. He pushed his hips into my face and cupped the back of my head with his other hand until he was as deep as I could take him. My moans vibrated against him and his eyes darkened in response.

  “Are you enjoying this?” he tightened his grip on my hair and tugged. “Do you like to provoke me, Brighton?”

  I mumbled around him, unable to answer since my mouth was stuffed full of his cock. I couldn’t help my response. It was hard-wired into my brain to like this now. He’d done that to me. He’d made me enjoy every dirty and rough and depraved thing that he did to me.

  “You betrayed my trust tonight.” He pulled out and thrust deeper with a grunt. “And I didn’t fucking like it.”

  I reached up and stroked his thigh as my eyes met his. A silent apology. A peace offering. His body remained steadfast, over six feet of pure male towering above me. He’d never looked hotter. Or angrier. But I could see his resolve fading as his eyes roamed over my breasts like he wanted to devour them. And then my face. He massaged my jaw with the pads of his fingers and pushed himself deeper.

  “Spread your legs,” he demanded as he yanked my dress up around my waist. “Show me that pussy.”

  I obeyed his command without a second thought.

  “Who does it belong to?” he asked.

  I mumbled my answer around him again. It belonged to him, of course.

  “Don’t ever lie to me again.” His fingers gripped my face possessively and held my gaze. “Do you understand?”

  I tried to nod at him but his hold was too tight, so I moaned instead. He hissed in a breath of air and gentled his touch as though he couldn’t help himself.

  “Jesus, you look beautiful with my cock shoved down your throat.”

  I reached for his hips and pushed him deeper.

  Ryland lost it, and the time for talking was done. He held my head steady as he fucked my mouth hard and fast, sounds of agony tearing from his chest as he pawed at my breasts and reached down to stuff his fingers inside of me.

  I could have come so easily, but this was about him. About purging his demons, and that’s all I wanted to focus on. I allowed my head to fall slack in his hands and immersed myself in the motions. On the sounds of pleasure and pain that ripped from inside of him. I’d done that. I’d caused that torment.

  I vowed then and there that I would never lie to him again, and I meant it.

  As though he could feel my silent promise, his face twisted in agony and his lips parted when he flooded my mouth with his release. I was enrapt by the sight of him from this angle, and I knew there wasn’t anything more beautiful than the sight of Ryland coming undone. His body sagged against me as the tension dissolved from his muscles, and just like that, my gentle lover was back.

  I dragged in a breath of air when he pulled himself from my mouth and leaned down to kiss my face. He carried me back to the sofa and nestled me in his arms, tracing circles over my back. For a long time, we just sat there in silence, Ryland catching his breath as I listened to his heartbeat against my cheek.

  After his breathing had calmed, I worked to unbutton his dress shirt, pulling it aside so I could feel his skin against mine. I coveted that feeling. That warmth and bliss only he could provide. I needed it more than anything right then.

  “I hated seeing you with him,” Ryland admitted. “You don’t know him, or the things he’s capable of, and he took advantage of that, Brighton. I fucking hated it.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” I stroked his face. “I will always tell you from now on. I promise.”

&nbs
p; “I know you will, baby girl.” He kissed me softly. “But you can’t have anything to do with him. Ever. Not even for the charity.”

  I nodded in agreement because I was certain I wanted nothing more to do with that man, anyway. “All of that stuff he was talking about, the thieves and loyalty. What did he mean by it?”

  Ryland tensed at my question and buried his face in my neck. “I’m not sure, but I don’t want you to worry about it. Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it.”

  That was one thing that still hadn’t changed between us. Ryland wanted complete honesty from me, and yet he couldn’t seem to abide by it himself. I was too tired to argue with him about it, so I just let him hold and comfort me instead. But I could see the storm clouds rolling around in his eyes, and I didn’t want that. He was going back to that dark place in his mind, and we’d had enough darkness in our lives. I only wanted to live in the light from now on.

  So I reached down between us and stroked him while I kissed his throat.

  “Take me to bed,” I pleaded.

  He smiled down at me indulgently and then gave me a brutal kiss. “Okay, baby girl.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Brighton

  Over the next few weeks, Nicole and I worked on expanding the foundation’s programs to benefit multiple age groups. I was five and a half months pregnant and growing bigger every day. Ryland still worked a lot, but he said he was restructuring things within the company so it wouldn’t be this way forever. Whatever he was doing, he’d seemed more stressed than usual.

  I knew Alex Burton was still on his mind, but other than to say he was looking into it, he’d been pretty tight lipped about the whole situation. It was Ryland’s way of feeling like he was protecting me, so I didn’t fight him on it.

  Other than the time Nicole and I were shopping, I hadn’t seen the guy in the fancy suit following me again. I figured it must have been a fluke and washed my hands of it. Mick went everywhere I did, and I was coming to know him well. He really was just a giant teddy bear, all rough on the outside and soft on the inside. Still, I had no doubts he could do some damage if someone ever did try to hurt me. I grew to like his presence despite the fact that he’d pushed our car off the highway on a night not too long ago.