The Attraction File (Cake Love Book 2)

by Elizabeth Lynx

  She placed her hand on my shoulder, giving it a good squeeze. Her smile was soft and I felt a little more confident to continue. “So when she left that envelope in the tree and ran off, I had to know more about her. So, like the selfish jerk I am, I took it. I knew it was wrong and I’m so sorry to make you worry needlessly. There really was no excuse.”

  “I get it. I’m not happy about it, but I get it.” She took out the letter her daughter left and began to read.

  I closed my eyes not wanting to see her reaction. Having already read it, I knew how shocking it was. I heard her gasp and finally opened my eyes to witness the tears streaming down her face.

  “My baby. How did I not know that had happened? Under my roof. Shane never wanted me. It was always her. I was such a fool. My ignorance hurt my daughter. I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself.” She dropped the letter and covered her mouth in a sob. I got up and found some napkins which I offered her. She took them and gave me a sad smile.

  “You had no idea Shane came into her room at night?”

  “No. I should have known that, shouldn’t I? I’m her mother. I should know. Of course, I knew she didn’t like Shane but I thought it’s that he was new. We had only dated two months when he moved in. He had lived with us for six weeks. I just figured she needed time to adjust.”

  “Well, she stated in the letter that he never got anywhere because she woke up after he lifted her shirt.”

  She scrunched up her face shaking her head. “I don’t know what to be more upset about, that he almost molested her as she slept or that he tried to convince her to marry him? What sort of sicko does that to a seventeen-year-old?”

  “A monster.” I sat there seething over what that man did to my family and to an innocent young girl. “Anyway, he couldn’t marry her, she’s only seventeen.”

  “She was seventeen. Evaleen is eighteen now. She turned it yesterday.”

  That’s why she ran away last night. She knew something. Maybe he was going to force her to marry him. But why? He only went after women with money and an eighteen-year-old girl that doesn’t come from a well-off family is the last person I would have suspected he would want to be with.

  “Is there any reason he would want to be with her? I know some things about Shane. He only goes after rich women. I’m thinking Evaleen didn’t have a big inheritance coming her way when she turned eighteen?”

  Her mom shook her head but then stopped and put her finger to her lip. “I wonder . . .”

  “Wonder what?”

  “I never told Evaleen this, but her father is a senator. When I knew him, he was some intern at the Mayor’s office. But when I became pregnant with Evaleen, he wanted nothing to do with her. I reached out to him several times before and after she was born, but he never returned my calls. Do you think he has anything to do with it?”

  “That’s the only thing that makes any sense. Maybe he wants to bribe the senator in some way. But no matter what happens, I promise you, Ms. Bechmann, that I will make sure you are safe from him. You and your daughter. I will make sure he never returns.”

  I gave her my number before I left and decided not to update Mr. Marks on what had happened and never bring up the topic of Damien with him again.

  But, if I ever saw Damien again, I would make sure to follow through on getting him.

  THIRTY-SIX

  Evaleen

  “You both have known each other for how long?” I kept bouncing my eyes between them not knowing who to look at.

  My mom appeared frightened. Was it from me or knowing Damien had been just outside our building. Probably Damien. She was never afraid of me. If I ever gave her the evil stare down like I did some people at work, she would laugh and call me adorable.

  Edgar was no longer staring at my chest. Pretty sure he just saw me as a yelling floating head out to get him. Which wasn’t too far off considering how I felt.

  “Evaleen, it isn’t like that.” My mom tilted her head in such an angle that seemed to trigger a rise in my blood pressure.

  “Then how is it, Mom? How did Edgar promise you we would be safe from him? Did Edgar come here within the last month when I wasn’t here and fill you in?”

  “No. We met fifteen years ago, the day after you ran away,” my mother said as I stared with an open jaw.

  “This whole time?” I whispered glancing away from them.

  “It’s not as if we kept in touch. Here, let’s sit down.” My mom tugged at my arm and I floated to the couch. My body felt numb from the revelation.

  “Remember when I came here last month and said I knew you. That’s what I meant,” Edgar said as he took a seat on the brown leather chair.

  “I thought you meant that night we got drunk four years ago and kissed, not fifteen years ago. Did Mom fill you in on what happened?”

  They both shook their head and then proceeded to fill me in on the events of that night when I saw Damien Rosen for the last time.

  “Is that why the police finally took my complaints seriously and began looking for Damien?” As they spoke about the past, tears welled up and spilled over. There was an anger in me from that time that I had shut away and hoped would never come back. But talking about it brought everything back. Every fear.

  Now I was a woman, not a scared girl. I didn’t care how bad Damien had gotten, this time I was going to fight back.

  “Yes, Evaleen. He went with me to the police station to help me look for you and to give them the information he had on Damien.” My mother began to run her fingers through my hair, knowing how best to soothe me.

  “I remember the officer that found me at the women’s shelter two days later explained they were trying to track him down. She explained how he left right after I did, and they would find and arrest him. I liked her, she seemed nice. Not like the cops I first talked to about it. They never believed me.”

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me, Evaleen? I would have helped you. I would have kicked him out.” My mother’s blue eyes turned glassy pleading with me.

  “Because he hurt you, Mom. I’m not deaf, I heard you two fight. I know that he hit you. I wanted to bring you with me. I’m so sorry I left you with that man.”

  My shoulders shook hard and I gave into a sob. I’ve felt so guilty for leaving her with him. Knowing how he treated her. Maybe that’s why I have always lived with her, to this day, to make up for the few days when I thought she was left alone with a terrible man.

  “Oh, Evaleen, no, please. You ran because you felt you had no other option. Don’t feel guilty for leaving me. Please. I was a grown woman and should have kicked that man out the week after he moved in. But I didn’t. I believed him at first when he said it was an accident. And then the next time when he said he didn’t mean it, that he was upset because he lost a job. Every excuse he made seemed to make sense to me and confuse me a little more. To the point where it began to feel normal.”

  I wrapped my arms around my mom as we shared tears together.

  “In a way, it was a blessing you ran. It woke me up to how terrible life had become. I thought you ran at first because you heard him hit me, and I felt so ashamed. So very ashamed.” She trembled as she spoke but her words kept coming. “But when I saw your letter, all I felt was anger. Anger that he would do this to my baby. Anger that I was so lost in my own world that I didn’t protect you. Anger at the world that this still happened.”

  “Hey, Mom, I’m supposed to be the bitter one, remember?” I smiled trying to help change the mood. It worked, my mom’s eyes brightened a bit.

  “I’m just thankful he wasn’t in our lives long enough to destroy us.”

  “But he’s back.” Edgar’s words were a cold reminder as to why we were revisiting the past.

  I gazed around our small apartment. Everything was nice, but a bit worn. Loved. Even the coffee table with a few nicks, seemed to appear that it belonged. That somehow, after years of togetherness all these pieces made up the puzzle of my little family of me and my mom.
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  When we left that run-down house behind, we also left the furniture behind too. Everything in here is filled with happy memories. Now, they are being tainted by the past we never wanted to see again.

  “I’m going to make some coffee. I feel like we are going to be here for a while.” My mother got up and went into the kitchen. That was her coping mechanism—puttering around in the kitchen. Whenever I had problems when I was young, I would tell her as she made me a snack, especially the boy problems.

  “I’m sorry about what happened to your mom. That, Evaleen, I didn’t know about. But I did know about you, and I’ve never told you how sorry I am that it happened,” Edgar said leaning forward and placing his hand on mine.

  It was warm and felt good. I had kept my distance for so long from anyone but my mother that I forgot how comforting it was to feel the gentle touch from someone else.

  “Thank you, Edgar. I’m sorry for being so cold to you for all these years. For trying to avoid you. I knew you were a good person and still, I stayed away.”

  He got up and came to sit next to me. Tingles crawled over my skin as he tipped my chin so I would look at him. “No, I should be sorry. You are clearly the most beautiful woman in the world. Hands down. If there was a contest you wouldn’t even have to enter, they would give you the prize just for existing.” He grinned, his eyes skating over my every feature.

  “It’s not just about looks, Edgar. I wasn’t talking about—”

  His finger touched my lips to stop me. “I’m not just talking about your physical beauty, Evaleen. I meant in here too.” His finger left my lip and went to the middle of my chest. It was bare as I still had the wrap dress on and the V was wide. Uncomfortably wide. But the way Edgar touched me, the way his eyes lingered on me, I never felt more at ease.

  “Clearly as you hold the title of Most Beautiful, I was too scared to get close to you. It was my fault for not being strong enough. But if you would have me, I promise to be strong and feel honored to walk beside you anywhere you want to go.” Edgar said.

  “First a date and now this. Are you asking to go steady with me, Edgar?” I flickered my damp eyelids at him and made kissy noises.

  He snickered. “Here I was being serious and you ruined it. Thanks, Evaleen.” With an exaggerated groan, Edgar rolled his eyes.

  I laughed but stopped when I heard my mom from the kitchen. “Would you two kiss already. I can only pretend to make coffee for so long.”

  The problem with living in a small apartment, not a lot of privacy.

  “You heard the woman. I have learned in life to never disobey a mom.” Edgar leaned forward moving his hand behind my head.

  Our lips gently glided toward each other until we were locked together. The kiss wasn’t passionate but sweet. He nipped at me and the tips of our tongues danced together. It was just what I needed after the emotional rollercoaster ride I had been on since he got here.

  When he pulled away, I saw something change behind his eyes. A determination that I wouldn’t have expected.

  “Here is the coffee.” My mother winked as she came out with a wooden tray of steaming mugs and various saucers and bowls. She set it down on the coffee table.

  Someone at the door knocked and my mom jumped up, pulling her gray cardigan closer to her chest.

  Edgar stood. “I’ll get it. You two head back into the kitchen. There are knives there if you need them, and take my phone.” He handed it to us which I was thankful for as my phone was in my bedroom.

  We scurried off and held each other as we listened to him open the door and talk to whoever was there. After a minute, he came back in the room with a clear glass vase full of roses.

  “Did you get me more flowers?” I asked.

  “No. These are for you, Ms. Bechmann.”

  My mom reached for them. “Please, call me Lucy. It must be from the guy who keeps sending me flowers.”

  “You have someone sending you flowers?” Edgar’s brow crinkled.

  “Yes, some past boyfriend who won’t tell me his name.” My mom smiled but then the revelation sunk in. She quickly put down the vase. “You don’t think it’s him, do you?”

  “It might be. What does the card say?” Edgar reached in and pulled out the small envelope. He gave it to her and she opened it. After a few seconds, she lowered it.

  “He still won’t tell me who he is but he wants to meet me.”

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  Edgar

  I had convinced Evaleen and her mom to move into my place until we could track down Damien. They packed their bags and I got them a cab after Ms. Bechmann got the flowers.

  It had been a few weeks and everyone seemed to have settled in fine. I had four bedrooms so there was plenty of room for them. Of course, Evaleen hadn’t really been staying in her room.

  “You look beautiful today.” I turned in the bed to face her. My dark gray sheets a contrast to her pale skin. It was Saturday so no work, but I’m an early riser. I was discovering she was not.

  “What?” Her voice sounded like a frog replaced it during the night.

  I leaned in closer, my hand wrapped around her naked stomach and I pulled her back to me. “I said you look beautiful.”

  “Oh, Edgar, that would sound so much better in two hours and after a cup of coffee.”

  I pushed my hand under the covers. My fingers skated over her plump ass before grabbing a handful and squeezing. She arched back. I knew her pressure points. Her sexual pressure points.

  “But I’m horny now.” I leaned down to discover her ear was in desperate need of nibbling. My naked cock felt her back required a good poking.

  “Can you just sex me while I take a nap? I promise not to snore.”

  That remark deserved some punishment. I let go of her ass and moved up to her nipple, pinching it between my fingers.

  She sucked in a breath and arched her back again. “You can sleep when I’m done with you, Ms. Bechmann.”

  Evaleen’s lips curled and she finally opened her eyes. “Oh, it’s Ms. Bechmann, is it? I guess I should sit up and start taking notes.” She moved up onto her elbow and reached toward the bedside table. “Now where is my pen.”

  I sat up on my knees and placed my hands on my hips. “Here is your pen, Ms. Bechmann. You might need to shake it a bit to get the ink out.”

  She leaned back and stared at my cock before she lifted her fingers, gently gliding them over my tight skin. Even with her fluttering touch, I sucked in air at the intense sensation.

  Evaleen gazed up with the softest smile. “There were so many times I believed this had the power to destroy me.” Her face reddened as her eyes became glassy yet her smile remained. “Did you know I used to panic when men flirted with me. Just simple flirting.”

  Tears streaked her cheeks and I began to feel silly, well sillier than I had, kneeling in front of her with my dick in her face. I sat back crossing my legs and beckoned her to my lap. She came over and tucked her legs up.

  There was something about the way she curled into me that made me think my heart might explode.

  “I hated men. I hated that every single man I had met had hurt me or my mother in some way. The way they looked at me was nauseating to the point that I purposely wore things to look ugly. And then I met you, Edgar, and you were everything I hated in men.”

  I closed my eyes dreading what was to come but she wrapped her arms around me holding tight, easing my fears.

  “You were big. You were sexy. And you took advantage of your looks to get women. And you know what I hated most?” Evaleen sat up, pulling out of my embrace to face me.

  “No.” I could barely say the word not wanting to hear her response.

  Evaleen took one of my hands and placed it between her breasts. Her skin warm and the vibrations from her heart, though faint, traveled up my arm.

  “I hated myself the most.”

  I shook my head. “No. No, Evaleen.” My eyes began to burn. I tried to pull away but she wouldn’t let me go. Evalee
n sat there with my hand on her heart watching me with watery eyes.

  “I hated what I had become. What I allowed all those men to turn me into. I could have been the sexy one. I could have been the fun one or the sweet one or even the pretty one, but I’m the jaded one. The bitter woman no one wants to be best friends with, and no man wants to date.”

  I reached up to her cheek. “I want to date you.”

  That made her smile as she reached up to my hand and held it there. “Thank you, Edgar. But I spent five years hiding from you because deep inside I knew you were a good person. You weren’t the monster I made men out to be. You helped me see that I was destroying myself by never letting go of those men.”

  Evaleen sighed before continuing, “I was afraid that if I let you in you would see how broken I was and run from me. And it took until now for me to realize that and not run for once.”

  She turned her head to gaze at the pillows on the bed. “But I have to know, Edgar, what is this? What are we doing? Because I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I can watch you date other women. I’m not as strong as you. It would hurt to see you with anyone else.”

  I had been so lost in being with Evaleen and having her live with me that I hadn’t even thought about other women. Never in my dating life had I been exclusive. I had always dated around because no woman piqued my curiosity enough for me to want to stay around.

  “I don’t want anyone else, Evaleen. I only want you.”

  My hand rose from her chest to curl around her neck and I pulled her forward. The kiss I gave her conveyed everything I wanted to say. That I wanted her in my life from now on. Only Evaleen at my side. Evaleen in my bed. And Evaleen always on my lips.

  My tongue thrust its way inside her and she whimpered at its touch so I gave her more. I pushed her back and settled between her legs.