Beyond 10 Nights (Forbidden Desires Series)

by Michelle Hughes

  “I would really like to work for Mrs. Parker.” Leah repeated adamantly. “I’ve got so many ideas for the project I was working on today, and I didn’t even see all of it, I really think I could help with it and make it great.” She was so excited that she barely noticed him pulling her seatbelt on as her mind continued to race, coming up with one idea after another.

  Shaking his head, Alex bit back a laugh as he started the engine and reversed out of his parking space. Not saying a word he allowed her to continue rambling on, spilling her ideas on the different ways the company could attract attention for their customer.

  Her excitement was both refreshing and infectious; it reminded him of what he had felt like when he started out in the business. He remembered what it was like to have so many ideas that they tumbled over one another and became jumbled up if they weren’t expressed quickly enough; he also remembered the certainty that every idea was a winner. While the drive to succeed, and the constant flow of ideas, hadn’t left him, he had learned over the years that only ten percent of what he came up with, if he was lucky, would actually be successful.

  It was refreshing to see the excitement and certainty that he had lost in her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll do brilliant things, Leah,” Alex said with a smile as he pulled into the parking lot outside of a small Italian restaurant. “Let’s get some food inside of you so your brain can continue to pump out those ideas.”

  Leah got out of the car as he came around to her door, her mind about as far from food as it could be just then. Without really giving much thought to what she was looking at, she glanced around her absently as Alex escorted her into the restaurant and they were shown to a table. It wasn’t until they had been seated that she actually focused. “I’m so sorry, here I am rambling on, this must all seem redundant and boring to you.” She flushed in embarrassment at having spent the entire drive babbling about things she was sure he had little to no interest in.

  “Actually it’s very refreshing, Leah, but I don’t want work to take over your life, so let’s enjoy a nice meal and relax a little, alright?” He knew she was excited, and could understand it, but he was well aware that one of the most important things she would need to learn was how to turn off from work, and to find a balance between it and having a life. It amused him to see that she had to bite down on her lip to stop herself starting up again on the ideas that were racing around her brain.

  When the waiter arrived he allowed her to order her drink first. Her selection, a diet soda, made him smile; he ordered a glass of wine for himself. She seemed so young, he thought, enthralled by her youth. At thirty-seven he wasn’t exactly over the hill, but things had seemed so much newer and more exciting to him when he was in his early twenties, as she was.

  “What do you recommend?” Leah asked nervously after looking over the menu and discovering that the majority of the dishes listed on it were things she had never tried, and, being honest with herself, she didn’t have a clue what was in them.

  “My favorite here is the Maiale alla Milanese,” he told her. “I had fond memories of it from before I left Chicago and was very relieved to find it is just as good now that I am back.”

  “Okay, well almost all of this stuff is new to me, so I’ll go with your recommendation.” Grinning widely she allowed him to order for both of them when the waiter returned.

  They ate in silence, both of them engrossed in their food, but the moment she was finished Leah couldn’t help giving her opinion. “This is pretty good,” she told Alex, blotting her mouth with the cloth napkin. Italian food was definitely something she could learn to enjoy, she thought.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it; would you care for dessert.” He was becoming more charmed the longer he spent in her company and had to remind himself that she was not his to have, even temporarily.

  “Honestly, I couldn’t eat another bite.” She was amazed that she’d finished the dish put before her; the serving had been more than generous in her opinion.

  “Well we have a long day tomorrow, so let’s square up the bill and get home.” He called the waiter over with a discreet gesture and handed over his credit card.

  They enjoyed a few moments of silent companionship while the bill was taken care of and then they left, driving back to the hotel in relative silence.

  Leah was amazed at how much she had enjoyed her day, first with the job, which had gone better than she had expected, and then the dinner with Alex. She was a little surprised to realize, when they made it into the hotel suite, that she hadn’t thought about Rhett all day, it seemed like the first time since she met him that he hadn’t been on her mind every moment.

  She only remembered him when she saw she had a text message from him. Excusing herself she disappeared into her room so she could read the message in private; she didn't want to embarrass herself if the message was upsetting in any way.

  The message turned out to be short and simple, merely expressing the hope that she had enjoyed her first day at work and saying that he would speak with her on Wednesday about their dinner date. Nibbling on her lower lip she fought back tears. The message sounded nothing like what she was used to receiving from him and the change broke her heart.

  The tone of the message was so different it left her wondering if he still wanted to be with her, she wasn’t sure what she would do if he didn’t, the very thought scared her.

  Feeling the need for a distraction, Leah stripped off and had a quick shower, she then pulled on her favorite boxer shorts and a tank top and settled on the bed with her laptop so she could check her emails and catch up with her social media friends and whatever else occurred to her.

  Briefly she thought about checking with Alex to see if he wanted her to do anything, but she dismissed the idea, sure that if he had anything for her to do he would tell her.

  7

  MANY SIDES OF RHETT

  The first appointment with the psychiatrist he went to see was overwhelmingly brutal in Rhett’s opinion. He wasn’t used to laying out the details of his life for a stranger, and though the man didn’t push for details, declaring that their first few sessions would simply be about getting to know one another and becoming comfortable, he felt he had to reveal everything he could. He needed to, in his opinion, if he was going to become the type of man that Leah deserved to have in her life.

  After one of the longest hours of his life, he had begun to see that his way of doing things was perhaps not the best. It wasn’t so much that Dr. Taylor had offered insights that explained things to him, it was simply that talking aloud about things made him see the errors in judgment he was guilty of.

  For a man that had always felt the need to be in control of every last detail of his life, it was more than a bit humbling to realize that his actions had effectively shut out the world, rather than bringing it under his control.

  With an effort he forced himself to only text Leah once, even though his nature demanded to know her every move and action. His session with Dr. Taylor had brought out so much, despite the man saying almost nothing, that it was clear to him just how many boundaries he had not just crossed but jumped up and down on, grinding them into the floor.

  In fact he had learned so much about himself in just that short time it made him wonder if he could ever be the man Leah needed him to be.

  The realizations brought on by just that one session of therapy left him heavy-hearted and second-guessing everything he had done and needed to do. It even affected his work performance, which really troubled him, and made him decide, for the first time in his career, that he needed to take a vacation that didn’t involve business.

  Within half an hour of making his decision he was booked into his friend Manuel’s resort in Mexico and the arrangements had been made for him to fly down there early Sunday morning. He would have left sooner, straight away in fact, so strong was his desire to get away and try to get his head back in order, but he had no intention of leaving while there was still a chance his hoped for date with Leah
would go ahead on Saturday.

  He wanted to invite Leah to come with him, several times he picked up the phone to do just that, but every time he stopped himself, realizing it wasn’t a good idea.

  Leah’s first week at work went well; she learned plenty and found herself enjoying her work immensely. She expected at any moment to discover that the other members of the department were resentful of her connection to their new boss, and to be shunned or sidelined because of it. Her expectations were never met however, instead she was shown more and more of the various projects the department was working on and was included wherever it was possible.

  By the end of the week she was as settled into the department as she thought she could be, and comfortable with everyone she worked with. Rhett's text on Wednesday asking her about their Saturday dinner date was the only worry on her mind. The job was turning out to be more than she had allowed herself to expect.

  In addition to becoming more familiar with her department, and the work she was to do there for the next couple of weeks and more, Leah got to know Alex better. Not only did they ride to and from work together every day, but he insisted on taking her out to restaurants after work, telling her that the restaurant at the hotel was fine, but he didn’t want to create talk about their situation, and he preferred not to order room service when he could avoid it.

  The only problem she had during the week was on Wednesday; as was becoming usual she had gone out to dinner with Alex, and they had been joined by Janie and David, ostensibly so Alex and David could discuss more business ideas. Not much business had been discussed that evening however, instead it had been far closer to a double date, though Leah had forced herself not to think of it as such.

  So enjoyable had the evening been that they had all lost track of time, with the result that it was late when Leah and Alex got back to the hotel, making Thursday one of the longest working days she could remember. The sore head and constant tiredness had been worth it though.

  As Saturday arrived, Leah found herself becoming more and more excited, though mixed with that excitement was a little fear over what would happen when she met Rhett that night.

  Life had been strangely normal for her, considering everything that was going on, and she knew when she met Rhett it would be like being hit by a freight train again. All her emotions would hit at once. He was taking her back to the same restaurant where he had teased her mercilessly; that alone was enough to send a surge of emotion and remembered passion through her.

  By the time Rhett arrived to pick her up she was a bundle of nerves. As his arrival had approached she’d found herself fidgeting with the dress she’d picked out. She’d chosen to go with the red dress he had selected for her at the boutique. The dress didn’t cover as much as she would have liked but she knew it was his favorite, the slight discomfort she felt at the lack of material in the outfit was proved worth it when she saw the gleam of excitement in his eyes when they came to rest on her.

  “You look beautiful, sweetheart.” His smile was a little wary; he wasn’t sure how much sentiment it was safe to show, he was in uncharted territory and was desperate not to do anything to ruin the date, he wanted it to go perfectly.

  “Thank you, Sir.” She couldn’t stop herself from adding on the honorific, it was automatic and natural, even after their week apart and everything that had happened between them.

  “You don’t have to call me that,” he told her, though her unexpected use of his title brought a smile to his lips.

  The way he said that made her heart lurch, was she no longer his, she worried. She had to bite her lip to keep from asking the question, the answer to which might just destroy her. Instead she kept quiet, remaining that way throughout their journey to the restaurant.

  Rhett found the silence in the car almost unbearable; he wanted to take her in his arms and make love to her, right there in the front seat, but he knew that wasn’t the right thing to do. Instead of doing what he wished he endured the silence, which persisted right up until they reached the restaurant, where they left the car with a valet as he escorted her inside.

  Leah found her hands were trembling as they were led to a table; she hated that she couldn’t think of one thing to say to break the silence between them. He didn’t seem to be any more comfortable than she was, though that didn’t make her feel any better. Unable to take the silence any longer she finally spoke. “So how was your week?” She forced herself not to use the word, Sir, and realized she hated not using it, it just didn’t seem right.

  “Business as usual.” He attempted a smile and ordered a bottle of wine as the waiter approached; he didn’t speak again until they were alone. “I’m going to Mexico tomorrow and wanted to talk with you before I leave.”

  Here it comes, she thought to herself in dread, this is the part where he tells me he doesn’t really love me and our relationship was a mistake. She looked down at her hands, feeling her heart break a little more with every second that passed.

  “Could you at least look at me, Leah.” He spoke the words softly, knowing he had no right to demand anything from her. When her eyes met his, and he saw they were filled with tears, every ounce of his resolve went straight out the window. “Don’t do that, sweetheart; I’m not worth a single tear.” Seeing her so upset left him feeling like shit, he was responsible for her tears and he hated himself for it.

  “Are you breaking up with me?” She had to know the truth; she knew it would destroy her but she needed to know. If this was the end for them then she wanted it over quickly so she could go home and lick her wounds in private. She wanted to scream at him and demand that he tell her he still loved her, and that whatever crap they were going through could be worked out.

  “Is that what you want me to do, sweetheart?” If it was, he wasn’t sure he had the ability to give her what she desired.

  “No!” It wasn’t quite a scream, but it was loud enough to draw the attention of the diners around them and she hurriedly lowered her head, as well as her voice, in embarrassment. “Unless you no longer want me.” Though she tried valiantly to stop the tears that threatened to fall she couldn’t, they coursed down her cheeks leaving twin trails of dampness.

  “Shit!” Getting to his feet Rhett quickly moved round to her chair and took her by the hand. He didn’t want a scene there, for either of their sakes, and realized he should have given some thought to that possibility when he picked where to bring her.

  Pulling her up to her feet he led her out of the main restaurant and down the passage toward the toilets. Finding a door marked ‘employees only’ he tried the handle; relieved to find it unlocked he pulled the door open and stepped inside, bringing Leah with him. It was a closet, but that didn’t bother him just then, it was private, and that was all he was concerned with.

  Wrapping her in his arms Rhett held her tight again him as she cried. Things were not going the way he had planned them, he thought, as he did his best to console her. His intention was to tell her he was giving her a little room, so she could make a decision about what she wanted, explain that he was seeking professional help for his anger issues, and hope that she would be able to give him the time to become the person she needed and deserved.

  “Don’t cry, baby, you know it drives me fucking nuts when you do.” He continued to hold her tight, petting her hair like she was a child.

  “If you’re leaving me, Rhett Hammond,” Leah pulled back and spoke through her tears, “you owe me the truth, and I don’t want you sugar-coating it.” She poked his chest with her finger, mad as hell at him for making her so upset.

  “I just want you to be happy, sweetheart, and you damn sure aren’t happy at the moment, are you?” He did this shit to her, he thought, loathing himself for what he had done, maybe a clean break was what she really needed in order to get back to a normal life.

  Without any thought she began beating his chest with her small fists. She wanted to hurt to him, to make him feel, even for a moment, a fraction of the pain she felt a
t the thought of him walking away from her. How could he do this to her, did he not give a damn about her at all? “I hate you, Rhett, I really fucking hate you.” She didn’t meant it, but what he was doing then made her hurt more than anything she’d suffered through in her life.

  The words tore at his heart and made him crazy. “You don’t hate me, baby.” He refused to allow her to say those condemning words. Reaching his hand down to the hem of her dress he pulled it up until he found her silk panties. Cupping her sex he felt the heat coming from her and knew she was turned on, despite what she was saying. She might say she hated him, but she still wanted him, the proof was there, beneath his fingers.

  “I do, I fucking hate you; I wish I could tear your eyes out!” Even saying that she didn’t move away when his fingers slid under the elastic of her panties and stroked the heated flesh that ached for his touch, rather she moved into his caress, loving it as much as she hated him right then.

  “This doesn’t feel like hate, baby.” His finger slid inside her, inching in and out slowly, loving how her body responded, even as she tried to deny the truth it was showing him.

  Whimpering at the exquisite pleasure his touch was bringing, Leah tried to resist, she was still pissed as hell and hated that her body was betraying her in such a fashion. “Any man could make my body respond,” she cried out as her body tensed on the pinnacle of release. She didn’t mean it, he was the only one who could make her come undone so easily, she was sure of it, but she wasn’t about to admit that.

  Sliding another finger insider her tight sheath, Rhett worked them in and out of her faster and faster. “There won’t be another man enjoying this though, will there.” It wasn’t a question, it was a demand. The thought of her allowing another man to touch her like he was just then, let alone fucking her, made him crazy and he rode her hard with his fingers until he felt her release drench his digits.