Felisha Goulding's Stolen Innocence Series

by Felisha Goulding

  “I better get going. I’ll see you later, Liu?”

  “Yes, make sure you both come by in the New Year for coffee and dessert. Don’t be strangers, I expect to see a lot of you.”

  “We will, for sure,” Meg yelled back over her shoulder before exiting the coffee shop.

  Chapter 12

  Ahh, this feels so good. The dual shower heads spit the water out with force from both sides, Meg felt as though she were getting pampered with a full body massage. Totally relaxed, she let the feel of the hot water sooth her as it flowed down over every aching muscle. She closed her eyes and thought about all that’s happened over the past few months and everything that’s changed in her life. She reminisced about Drake, Frank, Griffin Publishing, her generous bank account, a career move that was both exciting and worrisome. The door to the shower opened, Meg’s eyes flew open in the steamed confinements of the shower stall. Her heart raced and her hands immediately moved to cover her most intimate parts. She screamed into the hot steam and a hand moved in to grab her securely around her waist. His mouth closed in on hers and she let herself relax around the familiar touch.

  “Drake,” she gasped when he pulled away from her lips. “God, you scared the shit out of me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he chuckled softly.

  Giggling through the nervousness that eased away quickly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, taking in his familiar scent. She rested her head against his chest and let the feeling of safety sink in with his big arms wrapped securely around her.

  “I missed you so much. I couldn’t wait to get here. I thought you would be home waiting for me. What happened?” Meg’s voice was soft, fragile. He really did scare the living shit out of her. She was still trying to rid herself of the fear that initially took over before realizing it was him.

  “I’m sorry, babe. I got held up a bit longer than expected. It won’t be like this all the time, Meggie. I promise you that. I rescheduled tomorrow morning’s conference call for today so that I can bring you to the airport tomorrow.” He trailed soft bites down her jaw and bit into the curve of her neck. The feeling was intoxicating. He suckled the area immediately to ease the pinch and Meg squeezed her thighs together.

  “Well, you’re here now. That’s what matters. I took out steaks for dinner. I figured you left them in the fridge for us?” Meg continued to talk, her words coming out breathlessly.

  He leaned down, ignoring the talk about dinner. He was really only hungry for one thing right now, and she was right here. Drake possessed her lips again and his hands explored and caressed every part of her. After an hour long shower and hot steamy sex against the ceramic tiled walls, Drake decided he worked up an appetite, and he had a feeling Meggie hadn’t eaten all day. He pulled her limp body from the shower, wrapped her in a towel, and dried her hair. He took her into the spare bedroom and tucked her into bed. “You stay here,” he warned her. “I’ll make dinner and come get you when it’s ready.”

  Meg’s protest was ignored, and once she was tucked into the thick blanket he pulled from the closet, she really didn’t have the energy to move. She closed her eyes and dozed off.

  * * * *

  Dinner was delicious. Drake made salad, sautéed mushrooms, and grilled steak. “So did you look around and make yourself at home?” he asked with his eyebrow deliciously curved upward. Meg’s thoughts escaped her and her mind traveled elsewhere before she realized he was waiting for an answer.

  “Um, sorry,” she offered and shook her head. “I did. You have a beautiful home but when was the last time you slept here? Everything looks and smells incredibly new.”

  “I just had it redecorated, new hardwood floors, fresh paint, and a new bedroom set for the master bedroom. I’ve spent most of my time at the condo for the past year or so. It’s closer to the office, more convenient.

  Drake walked around the table to where Meg sat and pulled her to him. “Come, I have a surprise for you.”

  “Oh? I love surprises!” She gave him her best smile.

  “You do, do you? Well, in that case, I can’t make you wait now, can I?”

  “Let me guess, it’s in the master bedroom?” She stared back at his lips, so close to hers. “You are undeniably tempting, Mr. Noble.” She whispered against his mouth.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he returned and gave her a quick peck on the corner of her mouth.

  “You’re such a tease. Perhaps the surprise is hidden in here,” she offered in her most seductive voice as she caressed the length of him through the material of his jeans.

  “Now who is tempting whom?” he patted her firmly on her buttocks and grabbed both cheeks in his hands and pushed his straining erection into her tummy.

  “Owww.” She teased back. But there was no mistaking the effect he had on her. Her panties were soaked, and she loved it when he hit her ass like that. It always sent a thrill through her.

  “So, Ms. Malone, by any chance were you peeking earlier?” He rubbed his nose teasingly against hers and pushed into her again.

  “Well, I can’t say I didn’t try, but it seems that someone has locked the door.” she whispered, liking where this was going.

  “Ahhh, my sneaky little, Meggie, what will I do with you?”

  “Oh, I can think of a few things,” she replied with a sure smile on her face.

  “Come.” He pulled her along with him, and they both ran up the stairs taking two at a time. He removed the key from his pocket and turned back to meet her gaze. “Okay, now close your eyes.”

  “Really, Drake?” She said with a sarcastic undertone. She hated closing her eyes, but he was having fun and she didn’t want to take that away from him, so she went along.

  “Yes,” he replied playfully. “I mean it, now close your eyes.”

  “Okay, okay, I’ll close them.” Meg laughed along with him.

  She closed her eyes as promised and heard the door click open. He took her by the hand and pulled her slowly into his world. Holding her hips they walked a few steps and he aligned her at just the right angle, it was a perfect view. “Okay, that should do it, open your eyes.” He whispered softly. A shiver went through her at the feel of his breath just below her ear.

  Meg opened her eyes and let out a gasp. She covered her mouth with both hands in awe. She took in the sight before her and her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe it! Who did this for you? It’s incredible.”

  Drake’s arms reached around her torso just below her breasts and he held her with her back to his chest. His heart was racing, she could feel it. Mounted to the wall directly above the bed hung a thirty inch by thirty inch painting of Meg in sepia. She was sleeping and sprawled across the bed, her long dark hair flowed perfectly around her face. She lay on her stomach, one arm angled downward along her side and the other held snugly under her right breast where her hand was perfectly tucked under her jaw. Her eyes were closed and the full length of her right side exposed with nothing but a white sheet draped around her bottom. One long leg draped sensually over the sheet. Her lower back was on display, right down to the V just above her tailbone. Her knee protruded out just enough so that her hip looked curvy, sexy, and was set at a perfect angle. Her toes pointed downward. Her right breast was pushed against the mattress, baring the sensual swell of the underside.

  The picture was absolutely breathtaking, stunning. She had never seen herself this way until now. She was at peace and looked angelic. A picture of erotic innocence, if that made any sense. A low light cast a soft glow over her exposed parts and slightly across her face. The picture was extremely intimate.

  Drake’s voice cut in to her thoughts. “This is how I see you, Meggie. This picture tells a story of a young woman, a woman that has brought so much happiness in to my life, who has filled my every dream with her kindness, her beauty, her voice, her laughter, and her touch. You see that soft light right there?” he pointed to the picture. “That light makes her feel safe, no darkness, whic
h is the part that shows me her vulnerability. She’s enchanting, she’s a seductress, and she’s mine.”

  With a tremble in her voice, Meg stilled at his words. “Drake,” she whispered when she turned and met his gaze. Meg placed her hand along his jaw and leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips. Tears flowed freely and her lips parted, the taste of salt filling her senses. In that moment, she felt loved by him as he stared down at her, deep into the very soul of her. Through his eyes, she could see clearly now that they aren’t just lovers. There was something much deeper between them. Silence filled the air, and he cradled her face between his palms and thumbed away the tears. “I know there’s something you’re not sharing with me, Meggie. Someone hurt you and I won’t ask you to share it with me right now. I can be a very patient man, especially when it comes to you. When you’re ready, you’ll tell me, and I’ll be right here for you. I love you, Meggie Malone. I want us to be together forever,” he said, just before he kissed her tenderly, his fingers trembling slightly.

  More tears fell, followed by an involuntarily sob that escaped her throat and her lips broke away. She backed up and immediately wrapped her arms protectively around her breasts. Her head was filled with thoughts of the eighteen-year-old girl inside of her, her innocence stolen away without her permission by a faceless monster that haunted her for years afterward and tormented her in her dreams, keeping her up all hours of the night. That same faceless monster made her afraid of the dark. It hit her then like a ton of bricks. Everything came rushing back at once, and she felt challenged by having to face the awful truth. For years, no one knew, no one asked questions, and Meggie never had to acknowledge what happened to her, not until now. Could she face her demons? No, I can’t do this. The only time she ever talked about what happened was with the psychiatrist, a complete stranger that she didn’t have to see every day. This changed everything. He knew something wasn’t right, and he wanted answers. Maybe not now but eventually he would. Meggie was now faced with having to open up a part of herself that she still wasn’t ready to share.

  She walked over to the window and Drake followed closely behind her. He was about to wrap his arms around her when she put up her hand to fend him off, pushing him away from any contact. “Meggie,” he whispered. “It’s okay. I’m here, baby,” he assured her and tried his best to comfort her. Drake knew if they were to have a future together, she had to have this come to Jesus moment with him. No matter what it was, he would see her through it.

  Meg shook her head. “Leave, please, just leave me alone,” she pleaded with him. His voice became muffled, every word drowning out until she could no longer make out what he was saying. The sound of blood gushed through her ears, and she felt so very exposed. Everything came back in a flash, making her relive every single detail of that night. Fear gripped her hard, and Meg couldn’t speak. She didn’t want to face this, not when her life was finally taking on a new direction. The thought of resurfacing all of this again was too much. It was unbearable.

  He reached out once again to touch her shoulder and she nudged him away. “Please, Drake, don’t touch me. I need to be alone.” He kissed her temple and ran his knuckle along her jaw and turned to leave. On his way out, he turned the bedside lamp on. The room had grown a little darker as time passed between them. “I’ll be downstairs, take all the time you need and let me know if you need anything.”

  Once he made it to the hallway, Drake pushed his hand through his hair and stared helplessly at the closed door. He could hear the choked sobs of pain, and it took every ounce of strength he had not to go back in there and hold her, to protect her, and make all this go away. He couldn’t help but notice the wild look in her eyes, the way her body shook because she was so fucking scared. “What the fuck,” he breathed out, feeling completely helpless. But he knew she needed to come to terms with whatever it was that she was holding back. You will get through this, Meggie. I promise you will, and I’ll be right here to make sure you do. It killed him not knowing what it was that tormented her. But if their relationship was going to move forward, she had to get past this, to share it with him. Otherwise she would never heal. A million things went through his mind about what might have happened to her, but she had to come to him and share her secret. It was her story to tell when she was ready to tell it. All he knew was it had to be bad, someone did something to her and there would be hell to pay once he found out the details.

  * * * *

  Meg sank to the floor at the sound of the door closing. She held her face in both hands and let it all out. Every pent up emotion worked its way through her. Fear of what was out there still, anger and resentment for what happened to her. The memory of that night came back in flashes. The hands that held her down were more vivid. She never allowed herself to go back there. All these years, she somehow managed to push the details of that night away. She had nightmares, had woken up in a sweat more nights than she cared to count. But for the most part, during her waking hours, she buried the memories. She sat there for what felt like hours, crying until she was sure there were no tears left. What do I do now? I have to figure this out. Do I tell him? Has the time come? She recalled the book she’d finished and wrapped it up for Drake. She was hopeful that one day, when she felt the time was right, she would share her secret, but she hadn’t imagined that time to be now.

  The reality of what happened to her so many years before was painful beyond her wildest imagination. She thought all that therapy during university would have helped her get past it. But she knew now that wasn’t the case. This is not something you forget about. Now she was left with the grim reality of telling the man she loved, of all people, that she wasn’t a virgin when she met him, that her innocence was stripped away from her. She knew he deserved to know the truth. Meg stared blankly at the picture above the bed. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, her body was limp, and she felt exhausted. She sat there trying to work up the courage to tell him. She knew he loved her and that he would understand. It was the thought of him pitying her and holding back sexually that she was worried about. She wasn’t afraid with him. Her only fear was that he would look at her differently, that he would be afraid to touch her in the way she needed. Maybe he will think I’m broken. She didn’t want that.

  Meg finally managed to pick herself up from the floor, and mindlessly, she dialed a cab to come pick her up before she made her way downstairs in a complete daze. For once, she didn’t care what she looked like, and it was time he knew the truth. She walked down the stairs to her suitcase, and slowly, she opened the zipper and retrieved the book. She’d finished it at the end of November. This was the final draft. Only one copy existed, and this was it.

  Finding Drake was easy enough. He sat on the sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him and feet thrown up on the coffee table. He stared back at her. She could tell he was worried, his lips formed a tight line, and thankfully, he didn’t say a word. He simply stared. But his look spoke a thousand words. She knew now that he loved her, he didn’t need to say it. It was written all over his face.

  He stood up, about to approach her, and Meg held her hand up to him, a silent gesture for him to stay put. She walked over and extended her hand toward him with the only copy of her manuscript that existed and she stopped breathing for a moment. “I want you to have this,” she said. The book was wrapped in plain brown paper. The inscription read: To: Drake, With all my Love: Meggie. She handed him the book. “My very soul, every secret there is to know about me, all three hundred and twenty-seven pages of my life is in this very book,” she said softly. “My every thought, my every experience from the time I can remember, ending in how I dreamed of a future with you. I want you to have this. Open it after I leave. I can’t be here when you read it, but it’s important that you do. This will tell you everything you need to know about me.”

  Drake’s mouth dropped. “Meggie, are you sure?” He had no idea where she was going with this. Are you leaving me? Will you come back? Is this the end?
What the fuck!

  Meg turned to leave and heard him follow behind her. “Wait, where are you going?” Panic was clear in his voice. His eyes widened in concern. “Don’t do this, Meggie. Don’t leave me. I love you.” His voice was caring, soft, and Meggie’s heart melted as she watched him. God, Drake, I love you too, but I can’t do this, not right now. Those words went through her head, and more than anything, she wanted to repeat those words back to him. But what if he didn’t want anything to do with her once he found out the truth?

  “I’m leaving, Drake, read the book, all of it. It’s my gift to you. That book will tell you everything you need to know about me, every word that I can’t say out loud. I’ve never shared my story with anyone, my parents don’t know, Sarah doesn’t even know,” she assured him. “I’ve called a cab and it’s waiting for me outside. I’ll stay with Sarah for the night and will be heading to the airport first thing in the morning.” She sucked in a shaky breath and another sob escaped her throat. “I’m sorry,” she cried out. Tears welled up and flowed down her face. “I think it would be best that I leave. I’ll text you when I get to Wisconsin, I promise,” she assured him.

  He pulled her to him, wrapped his loving arms around her and held her closely. Mine. That was all he could think. His heart ached. It was racing. He was so unsure of what would happen now. He wiped at the tears that continued to fall and kissed her softly on the lips before he held her shoulders. “You don’t have to leave, Meggie. I can drive you in the morning. You can sleep in our bed. I’ll take the guest bedroom, but please don’t do this, don’t leave,” he begged her. “I’ll give you the space you need, please,” he continued. “I will never let you go. I will be right here waiting for you.”

  Meg turned and left. She cried the entire drive to Sarah’s. His last words replayed over and over in her head. “I will never let you go. I will be right here waiting for you.” God, I hope so, Drake. I really and truly hope so.