Fate

by Wylder, Tia

  My own pleasure seemed to set off my lover’s – he groaned, grabbing my hips and sliding in deep. With a loud grunt and gasp, he shuddered. I felt his cock pulsing inside of me, and I groaned loudly, pushing my body against his.

  When it was over, I lay back, exhausted and breathing hard. The pleasure was still coursing through my body, and I shivered happily.

  The man pulled out of me and flopped down on the carpet, pulling me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest.

  “It’s crazy,” I said in a soft, dreamy voice. “I don’t even know your name. And I’ve never done anything like that!”

  “Neither have I,” the man said. His voice was dark and low, like velvet. “My name is Jack, by the way.”

  “Mmn,” I purred. “That’s a nice name. I’m Adele. Adele Parker.”

  The man shifted and grinned, holding his hand out for me to shake. “Jack Nathan,” he said. The cocky gleam had come back into his dark eyes. “Nice to meet you.”

  For a moment, I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. I couldn’t breathe, and my heart skidded to a frantic stop in my chest. Then I swallowed hard and pushed Jack away from me.

  Jack frowned. “What’s wrong?” He asked, narrowing his eyes. He reached for his trousers and stood up, pulling them on over his muscular body.

  “I know who you are,” I said quietly, glaring as hatred filled my body, replacing the calm sensuality with a raw, angry power.

  Jack shrugged. “Yeah, you and half the world,” he said. He reached for his shirt and slipped it on, buttoning it up and pushing his messy hair out of his eyes.

  “No,” I said quietly. “I mean, I know who you are.” I took a deep breath, my nostrils flaring with anger. I couldn’t believe myself – I’d slept with the enemy, the man I’d sworn to destroy. I suddenly hated myself almost as much as I hated Jack. If I hadn’t fallen prey to his charms, I wouldn’t be in this horrible position.

  Jack laughed. “Yeah, Adele, you said that,” he replied. “What’s wrong?”

  “I…” I trailed off and shook my head, filled with a potent, hot rage that made it almost impossible to talk. I can’t do this right now, I thought, yanking on my jeans so quickly that I nearly tripped over my own feet. I grabbed my bra and stuffed it in one of my pockets, pulling my shirt over my head. I didn’t care – I just knew I needed to get away from Jack as quickly as possible. Turning around, I broke into a run and jogged out of the restaurant.

  The skies outside were darker than ever, and I could hear the howling of the wind as it whipped from side to side.

  “Adele, wait!” Jack yelled. “What the fuck happened?”

  I didn’t answer him. I kept running through the lobby. When I felt Jack’s hand on my shoulder, I whirled around and slapped him in the face. The sound was as loud as a crack of thunder. Jack stared at me with wild eyes, clearly in shock.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Jack demanded. He narrowed his dark eyes into tiny slits. “Adele, come on – what did I do?”

  “Well,” I said hotly, stepping back and crossing my arms over my chest in a defiant pose. “For one thing, you ruin the ecosystem of nearly every place you choose to build! And for another, I’m here to threaten you out of building in Nassau! You and Louis Franchot are going to destroy the wildlife and threaten everything!”

  Jack snickered. “Wait, you were planning to threaten me? That’s adorable!”

  My heart sank, and I swallowed hard. For the first time, it occurred to me that my plan had been idiotic and foolish. How the hell was I – a poor graduate student with practically no resources – going to convince one of the world’s richest men to abandon a project that would make him even more money?

  “I was,” I said angrily, tossing my head and trying to look like I knew what I was doing. “That’s why I stayed. I came down here originally to finish my dissertation – which just happens to be on the same land you’re planning to build a hotel on! And then I found out about your disgusting plan, and I decided to change my focus.”

  Jack raised an eyebrow.

  “And I didn’t know about the hurricane, and I thought it would get me a lot of publicity if I stayed,” I continued, feeling stupider by the minute. “And I thought a lot of environment publications would write a story about me.”

  “And you’d use the attention and money from that to talk me out of the building?” Jack snorted. “Well, honey, I hate to break it to you - ¬you're too late.”

  My heart sank.

  “Louis Franchot bought the land already,” Jack said. “And I’m trying to buy it back from him.”

  My nostrils flared with anger, and for a moment, I thought I was going to be sick. I didn’t know how I’d ever managed to find this cocky asshole attractive – he was a snake!

  “So, since it looks like we’re in this together, why don’t we look for something to eat?” Jack suggested, raising an eyebrow at me and cocking his head to the side.

  The hatred and anger I felt was so pure, so hot, that it could have melted the entire Antarctic ice shelf.

  “Fuck you,” I spat, turning on my heel and running away.

  The sound of Jack’s laughter filled my ears. “Go ahead, honey,” Jack called. “Go on being a spoiled little college brat and see how far that takes you!”

  I wanted to turn around and attack him, throw my fists at his stupid handsome face until he collapsed to the ground.

  But I knew I couldn’t. It would ruin everything.

  I was going to have to play a different kind of game if I wanted to win against evil Jack Nathan.

  Chapter Four

  Jack

  I stood there, chuckling and shaking my head as Adele ran off. So what if she was cute – she also happened to be the worst kind of social justice warrior, and I hoped she’d realize exactly how stupid she was being.

  When she was gone, I felt a twinge of regret. Maybe I shouldn’t have lashed out like that – maybe I should’ve been kinder. But I was so fucking sick of people trying to act like I was some arch-villain just because I own a luxury property development company. It’s not my fault that wealthy people like to travel in style – so why the fuck should I hold back?

  Still, I couldn’t deny that Adele had been incredible in bed. And she was more than cute, too, if I had to be honest. She had tanned skin and freckles sprinkled all over her nose, with long brown hair that I could tell had never been dyed or lightened. She looked like the kind of girl who doesn’t really care about her appearance but still manages to be hot…which, to me, is hotter than a glamazon in heels and bright lipstick.

  But I couldn’t believe her attitude. As I left the lobby and walked up the stairs to my room, I rolled my eyes. She’s just scared because of the storm, I thought as I let myself into my room and shut the door. As much as I wanted to knock her for staying, I knew I couldn’t do that. She was brave – even if I completely disagreed with why she’d decided to stay – and she obviously had bigger balls than most of the men I’d met. Besides, I loved the way she’d just jumped into bed with me. It showed that she had a sense of spunk and adventure.

  Too bad she was such a brat.

  I pulled out my laptop and groaned – I’d forgotten to charge it the night before, and the battery was almost dead. Still, I was able to use my phone as a wi-fi hub and connect to the internet. I emailed Barnes, as well as a few other people in my arsenal, and asked for private transportation out of Nassau as soon as possible.

  Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. Barnes emailed me back an hour later, with details about a helicopter that would be arriving later that day. With a grin, I closed my laptop and threw my clothes into a bag. Even if this visit had been a wash, I wasn’t going to give up. There was no way Louis Franchot would win this fight…and there was no way that Adele Parker would be able to stop me, either.

  I frowned. As much as I disagreed with what she was doing, I didn’t think Adele deserved to be left behind in Nassau. I went downstairs and took a peek into the g
uest book to find her room number. As soon as I knew, I jogged back up the stairs and knocked on her door.

  Adele answered at once. She didn’t look angry anymore – she was white in the face with fear, and by the way, her curtains were pulled tight, I knew she had to be terrified.

  “I’m surprised you answered the door,” I joked.

  Adele didn’t say anything. She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. “What do you want,” she asked after a long pause.

  “There’s a helicopter coming today,” I said. “And I thought you might want off the island. You know, the hurricane is supposed to get worse. It’s a category four now.”

  Adele’s eyes went wide with fear. “I didn’t know that,” she said softly.

  “Yeah,” I said casually, leaning against the door frame and smirking. “Besides, I thought…”

  “What?” Adele asked sharply. She’d gone back to looking angry and disapproving. “You thought you could fuck me again because we might die? Because that is not going to happen,” she added in the same harsh tone. “In fact, I can’t believe I slept with you in the first place.”

  “Well, yeah,” I said, grinning. “But don’t hate yourself, honey. It was good, wasn’t it?”

  Adele rolled her eyes. “I should slam this door in your face,” she grumbled. “But…are you sure about the helicopter?”

  “Yep,” I smirked. “Be in the lobby in two hours with your things, and we’ll get you back to Boston.”

  Adele blinked. “I…I don’t understand why you’re helping me,” she said softly. I sensed all of the anger had deflated away.

  I shrugged. “I’m a nice guy,” I said. “And besides – I couldn’t leave you here.”

  Adele closed her eyes and sighed with relief. “Thank you,” she said. “

  I grinned. “Don’t worry,” I said. “It’s not entirely from the bottom of my heart – if you stay here through the hurricane and you make it out alive, you’d get so much publicity about ruining my hotel.”

  Adele glared. “I can’t believe you,” she said angrily. “You’re such a pig!”

  “Whoa, I’m kidding,” I said, holding up my hands and winking. “It was a joke,” I added. “Come on, Adele – lighten up. It’s just a hurricane!”

  Adele looked grim. She pressed her lips together until all the color went out of them. “Yeah,” she said softly. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”

  I shrugged. “Well, either way, I need to pack.” I raised an eyebrow at Adele and smirked. “See you downstairs?”

  “Where else would I be?” Adele asked sarcastically. As she spoke, I could hear the wind whipping around outside, and I looked at her face to see if she was scared. She was obviously frightened, but I could also tell that she had a backbone of steel.

  Adele shut the door, and I reluctantly walked back to my room and packed my few items into my briefcase. Then I went downstairs to the lobby and sat in one of the oversized, squashy chairs by the empty fireplace. The Hotel St. Charles had a cozy yet outdated look about it – if anything, it just made me more determined to build my property. No one’s going to come to my villas and say they’re old and stuffy, I thought as I glanced around the room. If anything, I’m going to put this hotel out of business!

  Chapter Five

  Adele

  After barely surviving a terrifying helicopter ride from Nassau to Miami, Jack arranged for a charter plane to take us directly to Boston.

  “Where do you want me to drop you off?”

  I blinked. “What?”

  Jack laughed. “You heard me,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t very well take you to my condo, can I?” He smirked. “Because somehow I have a feeling you wouldn’t like that very much…or would you?”

  I flushed hotly. “No,” I snapped. “You can drop me off at the airport. I can get a shuttle home.”

  Jack sighed. “I’ll drop you off directly,” he said. “We can fly into the airport, and I’ll have my driver take you home.”

  I bit my lip. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  Jack shrugged. “I’m not being nice,” he replied. “We survived a hurricane together,” he added, raising an eyebrow and grinning. “I thought that meant we were friends.”

  An image of Jack and I, tangled up on the carpet of the Hotel St. Charles, flashed into my mind and I could feel my cheeks growing even hotter.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “Definitely not friends.”

  I thought Jack would try to keep talking to me after that, but he pulled out his laptop and headphones and started typing away. I stared for a few seconds before pulling out my own research. It killed me that I was going back to university with absolutely nothing – it was like the trip had been a waste! But as much as I wanted to believe that, a little voice in the back of my head kept reminding me about Jack. It wasn’t a waste, you got to sleep with that gorgeous man, I thought, sneaking a glance at Jack. He was still thoroughly absorbed in his work.

  When we landed in Boston, true to his word, Jack had a black car waiting at the airport. He greeted the driver, then turned to me.

  “Have Nick drop you off wherever,” Jack said. “I have to go into the office.”

  I blinked and looked down at my watch. “It’s ten-thirty at night!”

  Jack winked at me and gave me a roguish grin. “Yeah, well, I have a feeling you know all about working late nights,” he replied.

  It was hard not to smile. “Fine,” I said. “And, um, thank you.”

  Jack winked again. “No problem,” he said. “Call me if you need anything.”

  I rolled my eyes as Nick opened the backseat door for me. I gave him the address of the apartment I shared with Lisa, and soon we were gliding through the dark city. I couldn’t believe that I’d accepted such hospitality from Jack Nathan…but what else was I supposed to do, stay in Nassau and die in the midst of category four winds?

  Not a chance. Not when I had something so important to do, first.

  When I got home, Lisa was sitting in the kitchen with a pint of ice cream and a bunch of textbooks. When she saw me, her jaw dropped.

  “Adele! I was so worried!” Lisa leaped from her chair and threw her arms around me, pulling me close. “How did you get off the island?”

  “Um,” I said, not wanting to reveal my new connection with Jack. “There was an emergency helicopter, and then I took a flight from Miami.”

  “Geez,” Lisa said, shaking her head. “You must be exhausted!”

  “I’m tired,” I admitted, yawning until my jaw cracked. “And I wasn’t able to get nearly enough work done when I was there.”

  “Well, you’re back alive, and that’s what counts,” Lisa said. She offered me a spoon, and I dug into the ice cream. It was the only thing I’d eaten in twelve hours, and I grabbed the pint and started digging in.

  Lisa laughed. “Want me to order a pizza or something?”

  I moaned. “Oh, god, yes,” I said. “And wings, and fries, and—“

  “Whoa, there,” Lisa said, laughing. “You forget I’m a poor grad student!”

  “We should send the bill to Jack Nathan,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

  Lisa frowned. “What?”

  I flushed. “Nevermind,” I said quickly. “Just a pizza is good. I’m going to take a shower – I’ll be out in a little while.”

  I stayed under the spray of water until the water turned from a blissful scorching to an upsetting lukewarm. Toweling myself off, I changed into a pair of yoga pants and my favorite comfy t-shirt. When I got back to the living room, Lisa was sitting next to an open pizza box, reading a scientific journal and chewing thoughtfully.

  I grabbed a slice of pizza and crashed down on the couch next to her. Lisa barely looked up. Her brows were knitted together in frustration.

  “What is it?” I took a big bite and chewed, closing my eyes in ecstasy as hot cheese and pepperoni melted in my mouth.

  “It’s Franchot,” Lisa said shortly. She tossed th
e journal at me and narrowed her eyes. “He’s such a bastard!”

  “Well, yeah,” I said, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. “That’s kind of the point, right? That’s why we need to stop him.”

  Lisa frowned. “No, this is something else,” she said, pointing down at the article in my lap. “Look.”