The Dark Paradise Trilogy Box Set

by Heather C. Myers

  Andie began to flip through the Onyx Register idly, not really paying attention to anything as Beverly got her her usual glass of 2% milk. She smiled her thanks, flipping over to the horoscopes and doing a quick read of what to expect this Saturday. Happiness was almost guaranteed; she would have this whole weekend with Jack, with absolutely no interruptions from that wretched woman.

  Speaking of which, Andie’s green eyes caught sight of her familiar red hair on the cover of a tabloid. She frowned at this, grabbing the periodical. Was Vanessa some sort of supermodel? Was she on the Forbes list? Why would she be on the cover of a tabloid?

  And then she saw it.

  Vanessa was dressed in a very nice, pressed black dress that hugged every curve on her body. A smile touched her lips, her blue eyes actually looking at the paparazzi taking pictures of her as though she had no problem with it. Just beside her was Jack, looking disgruntled and maybe slightly annoyed. Even from the picture, Andie could tell his jaw was clenched and his jade green eyes clearly didn’t have the patience for anything. Andie felt the tightness in her chest loosen a bit, but it didn’t fully relax. This was probably the meeting Jack had told her about; it was just a meeting… But did Vanessa really have to wear that dress? It was rather inappropriate for a business meeting, wasn’t it? Yes, she had a nice body, but could she at least leave a little to the imagination? It wasn’t like Jack hadn’t seen her naked before…

  The thought had crawled into her mind unknowingly, and Andie felt her stomach suddenly clench, ridding itself of the possibility of processing any sort of food. She dropped the tabloid and stood. Even the headline asked, Phillip Cheating Scandal? And, underneath it, Does Andie know? Ugh, she thought she might be sick.

  “It smells really good, Beverly, really, it does,” Andie began, a regretful look on her face, “but I just don’t feel good.” She pushed the barstool back in order to stand up, not willing to dig through the rest of the periodicals to see if similar headlines and pictures were adorned on the cover. “I’m going to go riding, okay? I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

  Beverly offered her a mere smile and one nod. Andie barely noticed as she left the kitchen.

  Jack Phillip was never prone to waking up early, especially not on his weekends. However, even in his sleep, he felt Andie slip from his hold on her, waking him slightly. He dozed for another hour before slipping on some casual clothing and heading down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Beverly gave him a pointed look and Andie was nowhere to be found.

  “Where’s Andie?” he asked in his usual soft-spoken voice as he headed over to the bar. Beverly said nothing, knowing that when Jack’s eyes narrowed in on what Andie had been flipping through not an hour ago, he would know. His jade green eyes did as his aunt expected, and Jack winced, running his hand through his short, cropped hair. “Shit.” He looked up at her with a questioning look.

  “Shit is right, sir,” she said, walking over to him. “May I ask you a question? Just what were you thinking, putting off your plans to interview stable masters to eat lunch at the Ivy with that woman? I know you don’t like the Ivy, Andie knows you don’t like the Ivy, and yet there you are, splattered across every tabloid. People are speculating you’re having an affair.”

  “Well, I’m not,” Jack snapped, his eyes resting on the barely touched glass of milk he knew belonged to Andie. In the months that Jack and Andie had gotten together, Beverly had gotten incredibly defensive of Andie, and usually took the young woman’s side whenever the pair had a quarrel.

  “Tell me,” she continued. “How do you think it would appear to the public if people thought you were cheating on Andie with this vixen? She’s Onyx City’s sweetheart, you know.”

  “Of course I know that.” Jack hated to be reprimanded by his aunt because Beverly was always right.

  “Do you know how many suitable bachelors would be willing to sweep her up?” she asked, knowing she was treading in dangerous territory, but knowing as well that Jack needed to hear this.

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Jack asked, his brow furrowing dangerously, nearly touching his eyes as he stood up, slamming one palm on the table. If it had been anyone else, they might have been intimidated, but not Beverly. “Don’t you think I notice when every man’s eyes are on her wherever I bring her? Don’t you think I know that people are just hoping that we’ll break up so they can have their chance at her?”

  “Do you know how lucky you are to have her?” she asked, arching a brow and looking at Jack expectantly. “Because I don’t think you truly know how lucky you are. You don’t see the pain on her face, in those eyes, because she hides it from you. She trusts you, but that doesn’t mean she’s not hurting. Do have any idea the position she’s in right now? How would you feel if one of her ex-boyfriends was going to invest in her company?”

  “I know, I know,” Jack said, exhausted with this argument. “I know, all right?”

  “You won’t know until you see it with your own eyes, sir,” she corrected, her clear, green eyes sharpened like glaciers. “I know her business needs an investment, but let me tell you this, and I will only tell you this once; tread warily. You are at a fork in the road, and soon, you may have to make a choice. You had better make the right choice, because if you don’t, and you go down the wrong path, Andie may not be as patient and understanding as she is right now.”

  Andie’s favorite horse was a big, brown steed with a black mane and tail and white freckles sprinkled on each hip and the bridge of her nose. The horse had deep brown eyes, and was incredibly smart. After Andie took her out riding on the grounds once, the horse practically memorized the layout so if Andie ever got lost, the horse new exactly where to take her. This was the first horse Andie ever rescued, and she named the mare Rogue. Once Andie entered the stables, she took a moment to feed the four horses she and Jack had rescued from her animal shelter, and gave each of them some attention. When she had finished, she grabbed a saddle and entered Rogue’s stable, throwing it on her back and placing it on quite skillfully. She ran her hand down Rogue’s nose, a sad smile on her face. The horse nudged her master, as though she knew that Andie wasn’t feeling one hundred percent, and hoped to cheer her up.

  “You’re a good girl,” Andie murmured as she grabbed the reins in her hand.

  She began to lead her mare out of the stables and into the brisk June morning. Andie cast her eyes upward, and her eyes sparkled slightly with happiness. The sky was grey, with dark clouds overhead, and a very gentle breeze blowing through Onyx. She loved the overcast weather, the cold, and it managed to cheer her up just a bit.

  As Andie paused in her walking to mount the horse, she took time to think about what had been happening in the past week and a half. At first, she thought that she and Vanessa could actually be friends while Vanessa worked with her, even after she found out that Vanessa had been an ex-girlfriend of Jack’s. She was willing to go that far. But because of everything she witnessed and everything she heard fromhis secretary, Melinda, she knew she could never be that woman’s friend.

  When Andie was with Pat, an ex-boyfriend from freshman year, he would intentionally make her jealous because he liked knowing that she cared. Her anger and upset at his actions caused her to get bad headaches, and her grades slipped because of the stressful distraction. She promised herself she would never get that way again, even if she had good reason to. She wanted to be trusting and happy, not insecure and upset. But Vanessa was making that harder than Andie had originally expected. The fact of the matter was she couldn’t get rid of the businesswoman. And she couldn’t tell Jack how she truly felt about it lest she come off like an untrusting, unsupportive partner.

  Once on the horse, Andie took the reins in both of her hands and clicked her tongue in order to get Rogue to start to trot. The breeze blew back the errant strands of red hair from her face as Andie frowned. She knew she might have to deal with candid photos of Jack and Vanessa out on the town together. She knew anyone who thought they we
re “a somebody” would speculate on their relationship, and it would probably be a matter of time before somebody realized who Vanessa really was. Then the media would have a field day. And Vanessa would love every minute of it…

  Every time Andie even thought of the woman, she felt her blood begin to boil. She had never even heard of her, and now she couldn’t even get rid of that infuriating woman. Andie wasn’t stupid; she knew what Vanessa was doing, even if Jack would never admit it. Vanessa saw a perfect opportunity to swoop back into Jack’s life without any question, and remain here for only God knew how long. Her brow perked at such a thought, her mouth dropping in surprise. How long, exactly, would she be around anyways? If she and Jack decided to accept her offer and Vanessa actually invested in the company, just how long would Vanessa be in the picture? Forever? And why was she talking to only Jack about Andie’s animal shelter, anyways?

  “Papa,” she murmured, her voice coming out a bit shakier than she would have liked. She glanced up at the sky once again before allowing a defeated sigh to escape from her parted lips. “I wish you were here. I wish I could run to you like I used to whenever I had a problem, but… Well, I can’t anymore. I know…” Her eyes started to water, but she continued to try and control her voice as the horse led her deeper into the forestry that surrounded the Phillip grounds. “I know I can’t bring you back. I just… I just really need strength right now, and out of all the people in my life, you were the strongest. I used to rely on you to be strong for me, and you were so happy to do so… I know I need to be strong for myself, and I know that I can. I just… I may need your help now.” She paused, trying to blink away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. “I miss you, and I love you,” the young woman finished, before patting Rogue on the head.

  The ride was a good hour or so. Andie loved looking at the scenery on the trail, losing her mind in the greenery rather than her plaguing thoughts. When she emerged from the trail, she cast another look up at the sky, and was glad to find no change. She loved Saturdays like these, where she didn’t have to worry about anything. She could just be lazy with Jack, goof off and watch movies together, as well as engage in some physical activity. That is, if he didn’t have another meeting with fucking Vanessa.

  When Andie dismounted from the mare, she led Rogue back into the stables, where she found Jack waiting for her. And by the way there was a wrinkle between his brows, she figured he had been there for a while. Hearing Andie enter, Jack pushed himself out of the chair, the wrinkle instantly vanishing as he took her in. She gave him an off sort of look, and he shrugged in response.

  “I thought about going after you,” he began, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he walked over to her, “but knowing you, you’d probably start your own trail and I wouldn’t know where to find you.”

  “And what if I was hurt out there?” Andie asked him as she tucked Rogue back into her stable, giving her long nose a couple of stroke with the back of her long fingers.

  “That horse is smart,” Jack said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. “She probably would have found me and alerted me in some way.” Andie allowed a chuckle to leave her lips as she turned in his arms so she could wrap her own around his neck. “Andie,” he murmured in a husky tone, tilting his head down so his forehead grazed hers. “I am so sorry about the tabloids.”

  “Jack,” she whispered, locking eyes with him as she silently melted in his touch. “There’s honestly nothing to be sorry about.” She paused as she thought about what to say next. “You were at a business meeting; I know this. I guess I just wasn’t expecting it so… suddenly.”

  “I know,” he said, lifting one hand to cup the back of her head, loving how her silky locks felt against his skin. “I wish I could say it’s going to get better…”

  “But it’s going to get worse,” she finished for him, nodding her head a couple of times. “Yeah, I already know. Sooner or later, they’re going to find out who Vanessa is, they’re going to speculate about the nature of your true relationship, blah, blah, blah.” Jack chuckled at this, his grip on her waist tightening. She looked at him pointedly, frowning a bit. “You don’t have some meeting with her today, do you?”

  “Hmm… I think I should check my books,” Jack teased, a smile touching his lips. “Can you hang on a bit while I call Melinda?”

  “No,” Andie said, pulling him closer to her. “I was just wondering because you’re going to have to cancel it.”

  “Oh really?” Jack asked, raising his brow and pretending to be surprised. “And why is this, might I ask?”

  “You may,” Andie replied, nodding once but keeping her forehead touching his. “And to answer your question, the reason you are going to have to cancel any and all appointments is because you are going to be indisposed for an undisclosed amount of time.”

  “Am I?” he asked her, turning his head to the side a bit so his lip nearly caressed the corner of Andie’s.

  She nodded once more. “You are,” she confirmed.

  “Andie,” Jack began, his tone suddenly serious as he regarded her with his steady, jade green eyes, “if I ever hurt you with this whole thing… I don’t mean it. The last thing in the world I would ever want is for you to believe that I would intentionally hurt you.”

  “I know, Jack,” she murmured in response, easily reading the sincerity in his eyes. “I know. But let’s just forget about work for a moment, and run away somewhere where no one can get to us. Even if it is the manor.” She stood on her toes, pushing herself up so her lips could easily graze his ear. “We have the whole weekend to do whatever we want, and worrying about work is not allowed.”

  11

  Reese felt sore. A little sore.

  More than that, she felt content. Satisfied. Happy.

  She turned on her side and watched Ollo sleep. He looked peaceful, well-rested. She hadn’t seen him look that way in a long time, if ever. In fact, she hadn’t felt that well-rested since before her coma, before Ollo had magically appeared, kissed her awake, and disappeared before she could get a good glimpse of his face. One of his arms was thrown around her, not necessarily to hold her close to him, but just to touch her, to make sure she was still there and present and not just a dream. She kind of loved that more than someone holding her in her sleep; it connected her to him while still maintaining her space. Plus, the nights were getting warmer and she didn’t want to feel smothered while trying to sleep.

  Her thoughts drifted back to last night, where she was confronted with the blunt reality that she couldn’t save everyone. Crime was constant no matter what she did. There were times when she would be too late to do anything except for apprehend the suspect. How was she supposed to be a savior if she couldn’t save everyone?

  The confusion, the hopelessness of the situation, had made Reese realize that sometimes, it was okay to be selfish. Sometimes, it was okay to forget about her responsibilities just for a little bit, to focus on her own needs. And she needed Ollo.

  She had surprised him last night. Every now and then, Ollo fell asleep in her bed–his bed, if they were being technical–because it was cooler in the room than anywhere in the apartment, and Ollo was someone who had a difficult time dealing with the heat. It made it all the more convenient finding him there. Without hesitation, she crawled on top of him. He woke with a start, which was unusual, because he was normally such a deep sleeper; she realized he had probably been trying to wait up for her. The minute he saw her there, sitting on top of him, he lunged for her. His hand cupped the back of her head and he crushed his lips with hers. She let him kiss her, only slightly surprised by the passion, as though he thought she might not have made it back to him.

  From there, clothing was shed, kisses were placed all over the body, and moans and sharp breathing and gasps were the only things that pierced the silence between them. No words were spoken, but none were needed; they spoke with their eyes, their mouths, and their hands.

  Before he finally took what she was givi
ng him, he stopped only to make sure she was ready. Things would change not only between them, but with her; she would officially choose a side, and that meant she could be tortured and killed by the opposite side.

  Of course she said yes. Of course she wanted to pick his side. There was no doubt in her mind that this was what she wanted, and there was nothing that could change her mind or stop her.

  It hurt, which wasn’t something they told you in the movies or books. But Ollo was patient and tender. He still hadn’t told her how he felt, but in that moment, he didn’t need to. He showed her by worshipping her body, by pleasing her and making her feel as though she were the first and only woman he had ever experienced this with.

  When they finished, he held her in his arms, kissing the back of her shoulder, murmuring things like, “I’m so glad you’re all right” and “You’re here, with me. You’re okay.”

  She fell asleep to the sound of it, and it never made her feel more alive.

  Now, it was morning, and the dawn crept over the horizon, chasing away the night. She felt a rush of emotions flow through her, but not one of them was regret. If anything, she was more in love with Ollo today than she was yesterday. She was bursting at the seams to talk about it with someone, anyone. And that was when the sharp pain of loss stabbed her full heart. Her mother would have been the perfect person to share this with. She wouldn’t have lectured her or judged her; if Reese was genuinely happy, she would be happy for her daughter. That was just the type of mom she was.

  Instead of letting the feeling consume her, she remembered that her mom was still with her, and she was just as happy for her. And that made Reese feel a little bit better.

  “Good morning, beautiful.”

  “Hey.” She leaned into the hand he placed on the side of her face and held onto his forearm with both of her arms. It would seem she needed some sort of connection with him as well.