Stealing Beauty (Fairy Tales After Dark Book 1)

by Jessica Collins

  “He told me to let it happen or he would force it, so I did. I … I imagined it was y—” She shook her head. “I imagined someone else. I shouldn’t have. I should have kept fighting him, but I didn’t. That’s when he told me he bought my bar from you. So, I came to see you Monday morning — I couldn’t let him take my bar from me too.”

  Aleks saw red. He remembered sizing Gabriel up — a habit of his — he was a few inches shorter, but still a powerful, intimidating male; much stronger than delicate, petite Belle. He jumped to his feet as he yelled, “Belle, he assaulted you!”

  “I allowed him to … I let him make me…” she started, ashamed. “I gave in.”

  “That’s not how it works! Who knows what he would have done if you kept trying to fight him!” His mind raced, imagining Belle trying to fight him and how he would have dominated her.

  “God, Belle! He could have—” Aleks turned back to her and could see the fear in her eyes. He didn’t want to say the words she was obviously refusing to acknowledge. He could only imagine how he looked to her. He took a few deep breaths. Calm down, breathe. Calm her. Don’t make her scared of you too.

  He knelt in front of her taking her hands in his. “Belle. I don’t care if he was already inside of you. If you say stop, he should have stopped. End of story. Did you call the police?”

  “I did. But the Chief of Police is his best friend. Hell, he’s related to more than half of the police force of our town. He told me I wasn’t allowed to cry assault because I ‘regretted’ my decision.” Tears trickled down her face. “He didn’t believe me.”

  “Belle, you did nothing wrong,” he spoke softly.

  “It feels like I did. Every time I think about it I get disgusted with myself.”

  His chest tightened at her words. How can she think this is her fault? He sat on the couch next to her, pulling her close, bringing her legs back over his lap. She relaxed against him and leaned into his chest.

  “I’m so sorry, Belle,” he reassured her as he rubbed her back. He could easily pay Gabriel a visit, ensure he understood he wasn’t to touch her again. Help him experience what it’s like to say “no” and be ignored. Knowing the police and Gabriel were in bed together, Aleks decided against kicking Gabriel’s ass, at least for now, fearing somehow it would come back on Belle.

  “If he so much as looks at you the wrong way, you call me.” He hoped she would take him seriously.

  “Yes, Aleks,” she purred into his chest, her head nestling into the crook between his shoulder and his neck.

  Hearing her say his name made his heart skip a beat. He wanted nothing more than to protect her. He held onto her until she fell asleep. When the boat docked, he carried her down to the car and waited for Sirena and Cynthia. He directed Sirena to not let her go home alone, and only when Cynthia assured him she would stay over, did he let them leave.

  Chapter Nine

  Belle struggled to get through the next week. It had been awfully difficult to look at Aleks after her behavior on the cruise. She couldn’t believe she acted so forward with him, and also couldn’t believe he said no.

  She regarded him differently after that night; knowing he hadn’t taken advantage of her, and recalling how angry he had gotten when she told him about Gabriel, she was able to see the side of him Sirena kept trying to convince her existed.

  The recent acquisition of a large amount of corporate space kept Aleks out of the office at site visits for most of the week. She could count on her hand the number of times she had seen him; spoken to him, even less. She was anxious he would bring up their conversation, but he’d kept their dialogue focused on the work.

  The last time she’d seen him, he’d sported a bandage wrapped around his knuckles. When she asked, he shrugged and muttered, “rough workout”. She immediately assumed the worst, but a quick phone call to Cynthia confirmed that Gabriel was still alive and untouched.

  “Why are you asking?” Cynthia had inquired.

  “I … I told Aleks what happened. He was beyond mad. He came in with his knuckles all bandaged up, I just wanted to be sure—”

  “What? That he hadn’t suddenly become your knight in shining armor?”

  “Yeah, something like that. I gotta run, I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  The rest of the week was uneventful, the prelude to a similar weekend — laundry Friday night and a shift at the bar on Saturday. Sunday morning, she slept in until well after 11 a.m. Desperate for a cup of coffee and something to eat, she made her way to the kitchen. A note from her father sat on the breakfast table. He was going to a restaurant auction in Pennsylvania, which meant she’d be home alone for the rest of the day.

  Maybe some alone time will do me good.

  Hours later, after cleaning the entire house and watching her fill of reality television, she realized she’d filled her day with every imaginable task to keep her from thinking about tomorrow — and Aleks. Why stop now, just a few more hours and I can call it a night.

  Deciding a bubble bath would be her next distraction, Belle double-checked the lock on the front and back doors, and headed to her bedroom. There, she rummaged through her bookshelf to find a book to read while she relaxed; one of her more sensual books. Who am I kidding? It’s straight up porn disguised as romance! She loved the dominant aspect of the hero, and often fantasized about a man losing all control while with her, using her for his pleasure alone.

  Dressed in nothing but her bathrobe, she turned on the bath water and walked to the kitchen for a glass of her favorite Pinot Noir while the tub filled.

  Several minutes later, glass of wine and book in hand, she gingerly placed her foot in the water. Content with the temperature, she disrobed and immersed herself in the warm liquid. Leaning back against the bath pillow, she began to read, losing herself in the seedy acts of the lovers in her book.

  After reading one particularly erotic chapter, a tingling formed in her low abdomen, and she couldn’t help but imagine her and Aleks acting out what she read. The memory of how he’d felt beneath her, the scent of his body, his voice, only fed her growing desire. Giving in to the need of her body, she let some water drain before refilling it with warmer liquid, and climbed out of the tub to fetch her favorite vibrator.

  She returned to the bath, closed the door, and as she sank back into the water she pictured Aleks, naked and hungry for her. She began to rub herself, sending a wonderful warmth through her entire body. Eyes closed, she raised a leg over the edge of the tub, imagining she was in his office, smiling coyly at him while teasing his ego. She pictured his narrowing eyes while he advanced on her, until her back was against his door, trapped by him.

  A cool breeze brushing over her skin drew her from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned to the door. Didn’t I close the door?

  She sat up and listened, but heard nothing. At first she thought she saw a shadow at the edge of the door, but she watched for several moments and nothing moved. Satisfied she’d imagined it all, she sank back into the water.

  She closed her eyes and continued her fantasy; Aleks now bending her over his large desk. He roughly told her to grasp the edge and warned her against letting go.

  She imagined the sound of him unbuckling his belt while pulling her skirt over her hips. She turned on her vibrator and slowly inserted it as she imagined the tip of him against her soaked opening. Aleks grasped her hips, and in one hard thrust, embeded himself inside of her.

  She mimicked her fantasy with her vibrator, easily thrusting it in. Moaning, she quickened the pace, imagining him ramming himself into her. His powerful body pinned her against the cool wood; a contrast to the heat emanating from his solid thighs behind her. Fully at his mercy, he set the pace, bringing her right to the edge of her orgasm before slowing, teasing her as he promised he would.

  Her imagination ran wild with the sounds of their moans, the feel of him against her, the salaciousness of being in his office. She envisioned him pulling her hair back to grunt deliciously dirty word
s into her ear. The vibrations against her, combined with her ministrations, rocked her with an orgasm, more powerful than she had had in ages. Her legs and stomach tightened as waves of pleasure coursed through her.

  After a few moments, and a few deep breaths, she climbed out of the tub, body sated. You were supposed to be avoiding thinking about him, not getting off in the tub, Belle. Way to go. Memories of this particular fantasy encounter would make looking at him tomorrow even more difficult.

  As she tied her robe around her body, she heard one of the creaky floorboards just outside her room.

  “Dad, is that you?”

  She listened closely for a few moments but the house was quiet. She picked up her cell and dialed her father.

  “Hey. Are you almost home?”

  “Yes, sweetheart, I’m about 30 minutes out. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m just getting ready for bed and wanted to say good night.” She lied, not wanting to worry her father over her silly imagination.

  “Well good night then, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Night, Dad.”

  Belle ended the call and sat down on her bed, chiding herself for one too many late-night horror flicks. Letting her hair down and hearing nothing else, she headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. She was about to open her bedroom door when a figure appeared from her closet, blocking her way.

  Belle screamed and turned to run as hands grabbed her mouth and waist from behind. She was pulled back hard against a large body. She could feel his solid bulge pressing into her back. A wave of nausea washed over her and she flailed against him, terrified of what was about to happen to her.

  “I watched you touching yourself. Listened to you call his name. Again. Is that who you want?” the voice seethed against her ear. She only half listened to the voice, unable to process the words as panic overwhelmed her.

  He twisted her around, removing his hand from her mouth and slamming her back against the wall. His hands tightened around her arms as he slammed her again, her head met the drywall and she cried out in pain.

  Belle squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. “Please, let me go,” she sobbed.

  “Have you let him touch you like that, Belle? Hmm? Has he fucked you?”

  He was mere centimeters away from her face. She could feel his angry breath on her cheek. His grip became so tight she lifted slightly off the floor, pain radiating through her arms. Her mind suddenly cleared, allowing her to admit she knew who the intruder was. Opening her eyes, her suspicion was confirmed.

  “Gabriel!”

  He pulled her closer and rammed her into the wall again; grip so tight she thought her arms were going to break. “I saw the way he looked at you in his office. I’m sure you have some wonderful persuasion skills,” he spat at her. “Hell, I can’t blame the guy; I would give you a bar for a blow job too.”

  She wished he would loosen his grip. “Gabriel, you’re hurting me.”

  “I’m sure with someone like him it was more than just a bit of head, huh? What did you do, Belle? What did you let him do to you?” He was almost screaming, accentuating his words by shaking her.

  “No, no, Gabe, it, it wasn’t like that, I swear. Please put me down. We haven’t done anything. I just work in his office.”

  His eyes caught hers, and for a brief moment they lost their hatred as his voice lowered. “Why can’t you just want me, Belle? Why not me?”

  A pained look briefly flashed across his face before the anger returned and his hands gripped tighter. His nails dug into her skin.

  “Gabe, please, stop.” Tears spilt down onto her face. “Don’t hurt me.”

  His stare was venomous, yet he released her from his grasp, her feet finding the floor. Gasping for breath, she pulled her bathrobe tighter around her body attempting to shield herself.

  He took hold of her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Stop fucking with me.”

  Belle rubbed her throbbing arms as she stood and glared back at him. “Fucking with you? What the hell do you think you just did? You broke into my house. You scared me to death; I thought I was going to be murdered. I can barely feel my arms and my head is throbbing.” She was almost screeching.

  “Belle—”

  “No. No Belle, anything. What do you think you did that night in the bar? You forced yourself on me.”

  “Oh, please, you enjoyed it.” His voice rose as the anger began to creep back in.

  “Enjoyed it? I said no! I kept saying no,” she said, her voice now unrecognizable to her as she continued to yell through her sobs. ”I kept saying no, and you kept going. My body may have responded but it didn’t mean I wanted you to do that to me.” She held herself against the wall as tears fell down her face. “I said no,” she repeated, more to herself than him.

  “You belong with me, Belle. When are you going to realize it?” He slammed his fist against the wall near her head. For a moment, she feared he would punch her. Instead, he retreated, walking out of the front door, letting it slam shut.

  Belle spent the night curled up in a ball on her bed, unable to sleep. Each time the house creaked or the wind rattled her bedroom window, her heart raced. She spent the majority of the night shaking and on edge. Her constant tears only intensified the throbbing in her head.

  When the alarm clock sounded, she knew she was in no condition to go to work. She called out, feigning a stomach bug. She fully expected to get a call from Aleks berating her for a sick day only two weeks into her employment, but to her surprise heard nothing from him. The idea of his silent disappointment made her feel worse.

  Refusing to allow Gabriel to consume another day, the next morning she pushed herself out of bed and into the shower. Less than an hour later, she was in the car and on her way to work.

  Still half exhausted, she sat at her desk and began retrieving phone messages, when she realized it was eerily quiet. Something was off. Where was everyone? As if on cue, Sirena rushed in from the elevators, and when she saw Belle threw her hands in the air.

  “Oh, sweetie, I am so sorry. I forgot to call you. You must have been so angry.”

  “About what?” Belle had no idea what she was talking about.

  “The air’s still off. I wonder if Aleks wants us out today too?” she muttered to herself. Turning to Belle, she continued, “Yesterday. You must have had no idea why the office was closed. The air stopped working on the top five floors late Friday evening and with the heat wave, Aleks told us to stay home. I went to the beach and totally forgot to call.”

  Belle couldn’t believe her luck. The next message on the machine was her own, calling out. Belle deleted it.

  “Oh, it was nothing. I spent the day at home, lounging around,” she smoothly lied, breathing a sigh of relief at not being in trouble.

  The air kicked on as the morning ended, but it took several hours before the office would cool. She’d been careful to choose an outfit that hid the bruises Gabriel had left on her arms, which was luckily a lightweight and short-sleeved sun dress. It was tighter at her chest and flowed out at her waist — the type which would fly upwards if she spun. A lightweight sweater covered what the frilly short sleeves of the dress didn’t, so the above normal temperatures in the office didn’t bother her.

  “Belle, I need you in my office, please,” Aleks called out into the hallway. She hadn’t heard him come in and assumed he’d used his private elevator.

  As she walked from the hall into his office, a wall of warmth hit her. “Holy cow, Aleks, why is it so hot in here?” she asked before thinking, shutting the door behind her.

  Aleks sat at his desk, jacket and tie off, the top two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, with his sleeves rolled above his elbows. A slight sheen of sweat added a shine to his forehead.

  She sat on the couch across from him, notepad ready. Her gaze landed on his desk, reminding her of her fantasy in the bathtub. She flushed, looking away, hoping he would chalk it up to the heat in his office.
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br />   “The tinted windows; they trap the heat, and without the air on it becomes unbearable,” he said absentmindedly, looking out the window.

  Belle had a profile view of his perfect form, arms crossed over his chest accentuating his rippling biceps. She again thought of her fantasy the other night, of how hard she orgasmed just from imagining him touching her, talking to her, thrusting into her.

  As if reading her mind, Aleks turned towards her, blue eyes staring directly into hers. Belle swallowed hard as she forced the images of the two of them naked on the desk out of her mind. She grasped her notepad as she asked, “What’ll it be, boss?”

  Chapter Ten

  Belle’s smile was infectious, and Aleks caught himself relaxing for the first time in two days. He hated the heat and stale air, it made him extra irritable. Seeing her made him regret his decision to close the office the day prior.

  He moved around and sat on top of his desk as he began to discuss a potential property for sale. As he discussed the details, his eyes raked over her. She sat forward on his couch, legs crossed delicately at the ankles.

  What I wouldn’t give to have those legs wrapped around my ears. He continued reporting on the meeting, simultaneously imagining himself kissing and licking up her legs to her thighs, forcing himself to stop his thoughts before he misspoke.

  As she took notes, a few strands of hair escaped her bun and fell down around her shoulders. She asked appropriate questions but never looked up from her notepad. Interesting.

  Several minutes later, she removed her sweater and Aleks swallowed at the sight of her disrobing. She has no idea of the effect she has.

  His dirty thoughts stilled when he noticed several marks on her arm. She leaned down to scratch her ankle, and the sleeve of her dress lifted high enough for him to recognize what they were — bruises. His hands grasped the ledge of his desk so tightly he thought it might break.