Felisha Goulding's Stolen Innocence Series

by Felisha Goulding

  The cupboards were made of a vintage cream-colored wood and the marble counter tops matched nicely in a darker shade of beige. Everything was decorated beautifully. The sitting area had one over-sized couch in a light cream-colored material with huge throw pillows perfectly displayed in each corner. The love seat was also a light ivory color and matched perfectly with the larger couch. A single sofa in a deep earthy sage added color to the room and mixed in beautifully with the lighter décor.

  A gas fireplace was neatly settled on the inside of the wall. Two large floor-length windows looked out over Central Park, and Meg noticed the ceiling was at least twelve feet high. Remarkable! The condo was simply breathtaking. Meg knew her friend did extremely well for herself and was a successful model. But then Meg never doubted that Sarah would make it in that business. She was, after all, absolutely stunning.

  Down the hall to her right, the bathroom was the first room Meg stumbled upon. She laid down her bags and made use of the washroom right away. She’d been holding off having to go pee for what seemed like forever. After relieving her kidneys, she found the second bedroom. It looked like a guest room: the closets were empty, a double bed sat in the middle, and the walls and bedding were antique white with grey accents here and there throughout the room. It was simple yet elegant.

  Quickly, Meg made herself at home. She hung her clothes in the closet and filled a few drawers in the tall dresser near the door. Carefully, she laid out the toiletries from her overnight bag along the counter of the adjoining bathroom to the guestroom. She was thankful she had a bathroom to herself and couldn’t imagine having to share one with Sarah, who used to spend hours in there as a teenager. Now that she’s modeling, Meg was sure she lived in there.

  * * * *

  Meg received a BBM message from Sarah, letting her know she had to leave earlier than expected and to make herself at home. She would be back on Monday, and they would spend some time together then.

  The afternoon flew by rather quickly, and after unpacking earlier, Meg decided to make a sandwich for lunch and then wandered around, carefully inspecting her new surroundings. She found Sarah’s bedroom and gasped at the size of it. It was decorated beautifully, of course, and the colors were bright and vivid, just like her friend. She opened another door down the hall and walked into a third bedroom. This one reasonably big, not as big as Sarah’s master bedroom, but nice and roomy all the same. It was occupied. Someone was obviously staying here but no pictures were evident. Meg couldn’t stop herself from opening the closet door and recognized men’s clothing right away and suspected Sarah had a man living here as a roommate. Or knowing Sarah as well as Meg did, maybe a fling to keep her busy during her down time. She made a mental note to get the juicy details from Sarah later.

  Meg removed her iPad from her briefcase and spent two hours on her book before her stomach told her it was time to eat again. Shortly after cleaning the kitchen and snacking on a few grapes, she jumped in the shower and that’s when she regretted the fact that she never made it out for a run. The day went by far too quickly. She would definitely add that to her list of things to do for tomorrow. She noticed the time and panicked. It was just after seven in the evening, and she had less than an hour to get ready before meeting Drake for dessert.

  Just the thought of him made her weak at the knees. She expertly applied her makeup and kept it light. She decided to use the thick jeweled clasp she found mixed in with the few hair products she travelled with and pulled her long thick hair into an updo. There simply wasn’t enough time to blow dry it completely. Now that her hair was out of the way, she was left with choosing what to wear. She wanted to look attractive but not overly sexy or desperate. She definitely wanted to make an impression though, hopefully one that was an improvement from the night before. Ugh, I can’t imagine what I must have looked like.

  Meg settled with her simple black dress, the one that every woman has as a backup. It flowed just below the knee. Her arms and shoulders were bare, with the exception of the thin straps draped over her shoulders. The front rested loosely over the swell of her breasts and showed a little cleavage. The dress clung to her curves nicely; it was sexy but didn’t make her look as though she were screaming for attention. She dug into her suitcase that was sitting on the floor of the closet and pulled out a pair of black stilettos. They were strappy with silk material that wrapped twice and tied securely around her ankles. Perfect! After leaving the bedroom she stopped to study herself in the full-length mirror of the foyer and decided she looked good enough. She was thankful for firm breasts because the back of this little number was a little too low for a bra. She prayed her nipples would behave for the evening. Meg snatched up her little black handbag and walked to the door leading out in to the hallway.

  She was just about to touch the doorknob when she heard someone working a key into the lock from the other side. Instinctively, she stepped back and hesitated. Her initial thought was that it was Sarah; maybe her shoot was cancelled. She recalled the guestroom but thought it odd that Sarah didn’t tell her she had a roommate. Then fear ran through her when the door opened slowly. She lifted her head to see who the hell it could be.

  The moment she realized who it was, Meg’s past came flashing back before her eyes, a past that she tried desperately to forget and to put behind her. She was completely caught off guard and at a total loss for words. Meg stared back into the eyes of John Lake. He stood there in front of her, and although his smile was warm, she could easily see he was just as surprised by this encounter as she was. There was a time when that perfect smile would have melted her insides and took her to her knees. But not anymore; she couldn’t help but feel haunted. She wanted to run as fast as she could and get away from him. She had no idea how to deal with this.

  After the air escaped her lungs, without thinking she heard his name escape her. “John, what are you doing here?” Everything that happened that night came storming back, and she felt like she had been kicked in the gut. The color slowly drained from her face, and she felt like she was going to be sick. It was obvious he didn’t take note of the horror she was feeling. He had no idea how scared she felt. His voice registered in her brain, “Meggie, I had no idea you were here. Sarah didn’t say a word. I can’t believe it!” he said and moved toward her. Meg watched his perfect mouth form into a smile, that same smile she’d tried to forget for the past eight years.

  His eyes lit up and he drank her in from head to toe. “My God, you look beautiful, even more than you did eight years ago.” He took a step closer and Meg moved further back.

  “I don’t understand. What are you doing here, John?” Meg made every effort to keep her emotions intact and hold herself together. Her brain argued with her body and her heart, and she realized without a doubt, that despite everything, the attraction was still there.

  John studied Meg. For some reason, she looked troubled, as though she wanted to get away from him. The undeniable urge to grab her and hold her overcame him and he extended both arms outward. “Well, aren’t you happy to see me? Do I at least get a hug?”

  “Oh sorry, I just—” the words didn’t quite make it past her lips before John’s long muscular arms folded her into an embrace. He hugged her close to his chest, not wanting to let go. He couldn’t believe she was right here; after eight years, Meg Malone was finally standing in the same room as him. He felt her struggle out of his grasp and he stood back. What the hell? Had he lost her before he finally got a chance to get her back after all this time? John spent the last eight years of his life wishing for this very moment, and now that the time finally came, he wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. He knew she wasn’t in a relationship and hadn’t been in a serious one since leaving Wisconsin; Sarah would have told him. God knew he asked about her often enough. He looked at her, a thousand questions going through his mind all at once.

  Meg looked away, “I have to go.” And before he could say another word, she stormed past him and hurried down the hall, rushing to g
et the elevator. Meg pushed the button relentlessly, begging silently for the door to open. Come on, open, please open.

  The elevator door opened after what felt like forever, and without looking back, she stepped inside and put her back to the wall. She looked up at the ceiling and a voice came through the door, his hand dashed in to keep it from closing and he stood there staring down at her, his lips pursed together and eyebrows narrowed in question. “What the fuck was that?”

  He was hurt, and Meg was struggling to gain control of the situation. “John, I really need to go. I have a business meeting and—”

  “Meggie, please, can’t you cancel? I had no idea you were going to be here, but now that you are, can’t we spend some time together? We haven’t seen one another for over eight years. Christ, Meggie!” He reached out to touch her, and she flinched in response, not from anger, but from the gentle way he touched her face with the palm of his hand and his eyes were pleading with her to stay.

  Meg leaned into his touch, unable to stop herself. She curled her fingers around his hand and closed her eyes for a second, just for a moment, wanting to savor the feel of his touch, wanting desperately to change that night. To go back and change everything that happened to her. She pulled his hand away and looked deep into his eyes. He looked unsure of himself, when years before, he had been filled with confidence. Her head was spinning with emotions that she couldn’t deal with right now. “John, please. I really need to go. I’m late for a meeting, and I can’t be late.”

  “Okay, but did I do or say something that made you uncomfortable?” He tried to recall the words he said and came up with nothing. So he waited for her to explain.

  “No, but I honestly wasn’t expecting anyone. When I heard you at the door, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was taken off guard, that’s all.

  “You’re going out to a business meeting looking like that?” Who the hell is she meeting?

  She sensed his curiosity and his disappointment. In a low voice, just above a whisper, Meg replied, “I’ll be back later tonight. I’m not sure what time, but we can talk then, I promise, okay?”

  “Okay, I’ll ride down with you, make sure you get safely into a cab.”

  “That’s not necessary. I have a ride. It’s waiting downstairs,” she told him and looked down toward the floor, no longer able to hold his gaze.

  Despite her efforts to stop him, he took the ride down the elevator with her. He stood way too close and she felt his body heat. She breathed in that familiar smell as she stood there watching the numbers change above the door until they finally reached the main lobby. “I’ll take it from here. You must be starving. You just got home, and I’m sure you haven’t even had dinner yet, have you?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did. I went out for dinner with a few of the guys after work,” he turned his head to the side and grinned. Meg looked away again.

  Once they exited the building, Meg took in a huge breath of air, hoping to find some solace, as she contemplated how to handle this mess. Matt was there, standing outside the limo with the door open. A worried expression appeared on his face when he saw a strange man following Meg.

  “You have a limo? Holy shit, what kind of company do you work for?” John was more than happy to see that Meg was enjoying the finer things in life, she deserved it.” Are you going to be okay? Do you know where you’re going? Maybe I should come with you.” he said. Meg turned on her heel. He looked anxious and hopeful in joining her, but she was having none of that.

  She noticed that he appeared taller to her now than he did when they were eighteen. From what she could see, John had matured a lot, and in all the right places. Well-defined muscles were evident under the fitted dress shirt he was wearing. His thighs were thick and snug against his trousers. His forearms were fully displayed below his rolled up sleeves and they were heavily veined. His face was still beautiful, just like she remembered. His lips were full and the color of cherry red. Meg recalled the way his lips had felt against hers, moist and soft. The color of his hair was the same dark blond, but the back wasn’t long anymore. The back was a little shorter and the top in longer layers.

  She straightened and regained her composure. “John, I’ll be fine. My company’s paying for it,” she lied. “And the driver knows where to take me, he has my itinerary.” She felt bad for the harmless lie; she wasn’t even sure why she wasn’t being truthful. “Go on up. I shouldn’t be more than two, maybe three, hours tops.” She stood up on the tips of her toes and kissed him on the cheek. She surprised herself at her actions and then turned to get into the limo. Her eyes didn’t leave his the entire time. Meg waved good-bye. “I’ll see you later this evening,” she assured him.

  Meg closed her eyes and settled into the backseat of the limo, resting her head against the leather. She turned to look in John’s direction through the passenger window when the limo drove away. John stood there, alone. She felt horrible for leaving him like that and wondered what he must be thinking of her abrupt attitude. She’d treated him dismissively. But she was relieved to get away; it gave her time to wrap her head around what happened. She put two and two together and assumed it was John that was taking up space in the spare bedroom at Sarah’s condo. She could still see the outline of his tall form from a distance, and she simply watched as the limo drove away. Once they turned the corner and he was completely out of sight, Meg sat back and placed her forearm across her face covering her eyes. She felt every muscle in her body relax from being tense for so long.

  Her eyes flew open when she heard someone stir around and cough, and she was rendered speechless with what she saw. Sitting directly across from her was Drake Noble. A wild look in his eyes, darkness written all over his face, jaw twitching, nostrils slightly flared. He looked curiously toward her and their eyes connected.

  Startled, Meg leaned forward in his direction, “Drake, Jesus, you scared me. I had no idea you were sitting there. Why didn’t you say something?”

  His face softened slightly, the wildness disappearing slowly, “Good evening, Meggie. You look beautiful,” he said.

  Something inside her warmed at his words. “Thank you,” she responded breathlessly at the soft tone he used and the obvious connection between them. His gaze dropped and wandered over her entire body from head to toe, taking her in. He wasn’t the least bit embarrassed in doing so either.

  “So, your boyfriend’s here in town?” he asked while studying her face.

  She looked at him for a brief moment with what must have been a blank look on her face before she dropped her gaze and then turned to look out the window. With a nervous laugh mixed with regret, she wasn’t sure what it was she was feeling. She felt lost, confused, yeah, definitely confused. Meg sank back fully into the seat, absorbing the coolness of the leather at her back and tried her best to hold back the tears. She was angry at Sarah for not telling her that John was evidently her roommate. She was also angry at John for the memories he forced her to recall. Everything about that horrible night flooded her mind now, just when she felt she had finally managed to block out that part of her past. How do I go from being on cloud nine one minute and the next I’m reliving a nightmare. Meg was beginning to think that all those years she spent with the psychiatrist while attending university were a complete waste of time.

  She had to stop herself from the need to move across the limo, curl up in Drake’s big warm arms, and get lost in his touch while he held her protectively. He sat there patiently awaiting her response. Meg’s voice trembled when she managed to whisper her reply. “He isn’t my boyfriend. He’s someone from my past.”

  Meg chanced a quick look in his direction and had a hell of a time trying to read what he was thinking. She knew he was looking for an honest answer. It was a simple question and a reasonable one at that. Although they had only known one another for less than twenty-four hours, there was something magnetic drawing them together. Notwithstanding their existing business dealings, there was no way she could fight what she was f
eeling. Maybe it was a simple case of infatuation: tall, dark, handsome, rich man, arrogant yet charming, her attraction toward him was strong, and everything about him had her curious and wanting to know more. She wanted to get to know him better, and she was fairly confident the feeling was mutual. She could tell by the way he was looking at her. After seeing her with John, there was a hint of jealously. She also noticed he didn’t really care to hide it.

  Drake’s voice made its way through her thoughts. “Would you like to talk about it?” he asked.

  “No, not right now.” Her eyes were damp with moisture and tears threatened to fall, but she held her chin up high and washed away any thoughts of John Lake.

  “Well, if you want to talk about it later, I’m a good listener,” he offered.

  Drake handed her a shot glass and not really caring what was in there, she thanked him and quickly gulped down the golden liquid, handing the glass back to him. She winced at the taste as it burned her throat and heat settled in her chest.

  Lying back, she relaxed into the seat again. She was still angry, but the alcohol seemed to take the edge off a little. Sarah is certainly going to get an earful when I see her. Meg narrowed her eyes at the thought that Sarah purposely held this back from her. She evidently left John Lake out of the loop as well. He was clearly as surprised to see Meg as she was him. How could you do this, Sarah? After giving the situation additional thought, she came to the realization that Sarah had no idea how that night ended for her so many years ago. Meg knew that Sarah’s intentions were good, and this was her way of trying to fix the past. She was really trying to set the stage for them to have time alone, catch up, and maybe see if it would lead to something. Meg knew deep down that Sarah would never betray her. But what her friend didn’t know was how Meg’s feelings have changed toward John Lake. All the wonderful memories she once had of him were replaced by something ugly.