by A. V. Asher
Alec swallowed hard, his chest aching.
“Who said I wasn’t going to fight for her?”
Chapter Forty-One
Mercedes sat on the sunroom’s window seat, her bare feet resting on the cushion, knees held against her chest. The rhythm of the rain on the glass cut through the quiet of the house. A hollowness radiated from her heart, spreading throughout her limbs.
She replayed the last few years in her head, connecting events to her new reality. In a way, it was a relief to have an explanation for everything. What angered her the most was how easily she’d been manipulated. It had taken little effort to remove and replace Alec in her life. His sudden silence tore right into her insecurities. Wounded and lonely as hell, she’d been a soft target for a charming man to take her mind off of it all.
If only she’d been stronger, she’d have pushed harder to know where Alec went.
They must have listened to her calls with Alec. How else would they have known how important he was to her? Mercedes flushed thinking about someone listening in on the conversations she and Alec had shared, some of them quite intimate.
A familiar sense of violation returned, turning her stomach, but it was quickly replaced with anger.
Fuck them.
She and Alec had done nothing wrong. She’d be damned if she let them taint those memories. They were hers.
And all this time, Alec thought she’d met someone else. That she was the one who’d wrecked what they had.
God, he must have hated her.
Looking back, she’d seen it in his eyes. The conflict when he kissed her. His excuse that he had to focus on the job. The way his expression shifted when she joked she’d never lead one man on and sleep with another. He’d practically ran from her bed that morning.
She sighed, thinking of that night. Alec had brought her a few hours of the peace she’d craved. There were other things she should be consumed with right now, but damn if she didn’t want to lose herself in him again. It wasn’t only her body that ached for him; it was also her soul. He’d always meant more to her than she’d ever had the courage to tell him.
Nerves shot up her spine at the sound of the door opening. The scent of rain-soaked air and wood fires followed him in. He caught her eyes, his lips curving up. Hanging up his damp jacket, he strode to the bar and uncorked the bottle of whisky.
She saw his every movement in a new light. This wasn’t the man who had casually tossed her aside, shattering her soul.
He’d fought for her. He’d wanted her.
Did he still?
His last message to her reverberated through her mind.
It’s time for me to move on . . . Best of luck to you . . . my darling. You’re an amazing person and deserve to be happy.
The pain in his voice had pierced her.
How do we even begin to repair this?
Alec offered her a glass of whisky, and she took it, letting her fingers brush his. She took a sip of the amber liquid, its warmth flowing through her.
He cleared his throat. “So. Are you going to tell me why he brought you here?”
Mercedes closed her eyes, her stomach dropping. She wasn’t ready. Her mind was scattered in fifty different directions.
When she spoke of the secrets she kept, she had to be sure she knew what she was doing.
“Tomorrow. I don’t want to talk about him anymore tonight.”
Alec sat next to her on the window seat. “Fair enough. I don’t either.”
The current rushing between them swirled in her veins. They’d avoided their past for far too long.
Mercedes steeled herself. “Why did you agree to meet with me at the shop?”
The corner of his mouth pulled up. “I think you know why, Sadie,” he said, blue eyes saying what his words didn’t.
“You thought I cheated on you,” she said. Alec winced, a flash of pain behind his eyes. “Why would you want anything to do with me if that’s who you thought I was?”
“Honestly, I didn’t think I had a right to see it as cheating.”
Mercedes tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
Alec ran his fingers through his hair. “When you and I met, we spent a total of eight days together. Most of that time was in the presence of my entire family. I really liked you, but I didn’t plan on it becoming serious. I don’t think you did either.” Alec shifted his weight, setting his elbows on his knees. “Then I called you, just to make sure you got home safely, and I didn’t want to hang up. Before I knew it, I changed my schedule to pour my life out to you when you’d call. I’ve told you things I’ve never even told Dec.”
“And yet you didn’t think me sleeping with another man was cheating?” She stood, setting her glass on a shelf. Turning to face him, she crossed her arms in front of her.
Alec shook his head. “It ripped me apart to think about you with someone else. But I didn’t feel you were mine yet. We’d never talked about it being just you and me. We hadn’t even slept together. It felt wrong to ask for that kind of commitment when we were half a world apart.”
Mercedes’s heart sank. “Does that mean you were with other women?”
Alec stood and crossed to her. “Christ, no, Sadie. I swear, there was never anyone else. I only saw you.”
“I only saw you too,” she sighed.
The restraint she’d seen in his eyes cleared. His fingers intertwined with hers, and sparks sizzled up her arm, warming her entire body. Alec’s breath caught, and she knew he could feel it too.
He stepped closer to her. “The trip we’d planned would have changed everything. I was going to tell you what I felt for you. Everything I wanted. All the things I couldn’t say on the phone. I never got the chance.”
“Tell me now,” she whispered.
Alec leaned down. Mercedes sucked in her breath when he kissed her neck. “I’d have told you that you were the most incredible person I’d ever met. And you made every day of my life better.”
Mercedes closed her eyes, tilting her chin into him.
“But it wasn’t enough,” he murmured.
“It wasn’t?” Her words sounded distant.
“No, I wanted you with me. Not on weekend video chats, but in my bed every night.” His lips were getting closer to her mouth. “I had a plan to make it happen.”
“What kind of plan?” she murmured.
“The kind where I expand my company into California.”
Her eyes flashed open. “What?” She put her hand on his chest, pushing him back to meet his gaze. “You were going to move for me?”
“Aye, if you’d wanted me to.”
Alec’s warm hand slid down her back and pulled her to him. The searing heat of his body made her dizzy.
“Why would you’ve done that?”
Alec let out a shaky breath. “Because I was in love with you.”
Her pulse roared in her ears.
“You were?”
His lips turned up into a crooked smile. “I’m still in love with you.”
“Alec . . .”
His mouth crashed onto hers, cutting off the words. His kiss was hungry and sinfully hot. Mercedes wanted him, all of him, to be hers. She’d lived far too long without his light. Desperate to tell him, she pulled away.
“I love you too.” Her voice trembled. “I’ve loved you for so long.”
“Christ, Sadie.” Alec gave a sharp exhale, leaning his forehead against hers. “I’ve waited years to hear you say that.”
Alec’s mouth was on hers again, need radiating off of him. His tongue lashed hers, sending desire surging down to her core. Mercedes clawed at his shirt, aching to feel his skin. Alec whipped the shirt up and over his head, then pulled hers off too. Mercedes brought her mouth to his throat, savoring the taste of him.
He moaned, tilting his head. “Do you know how hard it’s been to be near you and not touch you? God, I want you all the time.”
“I know exactly how that feels,” she rasped.
Alec wal
ked her backward until her legs pressed against the window seat. He tugged on the waistband of her pants, and Mercedes sat while he slipped them off her. The chill hit her heated skin, making her shiver.
Alec knelt and pulled her knees on either side of him. Groaning, he tugged down the top of her bra, freeing her nipple from under the lace. Leaning in, he drew the sensitive peak into his mouth, teasing her until she was panting. He unhooked her bra and slid it off her arms to turn his attention to her other breast.
Holy hell, his mouth is amazing.
Alec tugged the edge of her panties, and Mercedes lifted her hips as he slipped them off. When his fingers found her, she moaned, pressing herself into his hand to relieve the ache he’d created.
“Oh god, Sadie. You’re soaking,” he murmured.
She pulled his chin up to look at her. “See what you do to me?”
Alec paused for a beat. Then he growled and jerked her head down, kissing her hard. His thumb massaged her swollen clit. Mercedes whimpered, her need for release becoming painful.
He broke his kiss away. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,”
She gazed at him through hooded lids. “Do what?”
In a swift movement, he hooked her legs over his shoulders and tugged her to the edge of the seat. Dipping his head between her thighs, he replaced his thumb with his mouth.
Mercedes gasped, tangling her hand in his hair. Alec laved at her clit, swirling and sucking, each burning stroke tormenting her. The world fell away. All she knew was him.
The sheer bliss built her orgasm quickly. Alec’s rhythm increased, matching her hips as she ground against him. He sucked in, his tongue lashing in the same beat.
“Holy shit, Alec,” she heard herself say. “Oh my god, please don’t stop.”
Alec made her body tighten until it shattered. The climax pulsed through her, the heat of his mouth staying with her as her body shuddered through each wave.
Reality slowly returned. Rain pelted the windows. Alec was still between her thighs, his tongue moving languidly on her. His gaze caught hers, desire blazing in the blue depths.
Mercedes slipped her leg off his shoulder and sat up, crushing her lips to his, tasting herself on him.
“Stand up,” she said huskily. She slipped to her knees in front of him. Her hands shook as she wrestled with his buckle and zipper. The second his thick length was free, her mouth was on him. She sucked him slowly at first, her tongue swirling on his tip before pulling him in deep. Alec groaned, wrapping his fingers in her hair.
“God, you make me crazy,” Alec gasped.
Mercedes bobbed on him, quickening her pace. Each moan spurred her to give him more. She loved the sounds he made.
Alec stopped her. “I need to be inside you so fucking bad.”
Mercedes’s heart thundered. “Couch or bed?”
He pulled her to her feet. “Bed. Now.”
Alec led her through the house to the stairs. They tumbled into the room, pulling off the rest of his clothes. Once they hit the bed, Alec was on her, aligning himself with her core.
“Look at me,” he rasped. He guided her chin to meet his gaze. “Tell me again.”
Mercedes’s breath caught. “I love you, Alec.”
He groaned, thrusting deep inside her. The fullness of him scorched through her. They moved together, her nails pulling down his back. Alec hissed and pumped harder into her. The next climax worked its way through her, tightening her walls around him.
“Sadie, I can’t . . .” His breath was ragged.
“Don’t hold back,” she coaxed. “Come inside me.”
“Oh god,” he moaned as his release took hold. “Jesus, Sadie.”
The spasms of his pleasure coursed through them. He didn’t stop at his own climax, driving into her just where she needed it. As her orgasm crested, Alec whispered. “I love you.” It hit her hard, her walls clenching around him. Mercedes cried out, riding out each wave until she lay panting under him.
Without warning, Mercedes’s throat tightened and tears sprang to her eyes. Hope and relief crashed over her. Alec loved her. She didn’t deserve him, but he loved her anyway. She buried her head in his chest, his heartbeat dancing in her ear. A little sniff escaped her.
Alec pulled himself to his elbows, searching her face. “Christ, Sadie.” Alarm rang in his voice. “Did I hurt you?”
She laughed, feeling silly as she dabbed at her eyes. “No, you’re amazing.”
The furrow in his brow deepened. “Then why?”
“It’s just,” she said through a sob, “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.” Alec’s voice was tight with emotion. He slipped to her side, gathering her into his arms. “Darling, don’t cry,” he soothed. “We’re alright. Everything is going to be alright.”
The crying fit was thankfully brief, and Mercedes relaxed into his warmth. The rain tapped against the window, lulling her. She was about to doze off when Alec broke the silence.
“I don’t want you to go back.”
Mercedes raised her head and frowned. “Mm? Go back where?”
“To California.” Alec’s brows creased in confession. “At least not permanently.”
Mercedes hadn’t decided what she’d do, but clearly, Alec had thought about it.
“I’d love for you to live with me, but I’d understand if you wanted your own place for a bit. I . . .” He swallowed hard. “I don’t think I can watch you leave again.”
Her chest ached. She’d never seen him so vulnerable. “Then I won’t leave.”
He let out a breath of relief and kissed her. Mercedes never wanted to be away from his touch again.
Alec was her home now.
Part III
Chapter Forty-Two
The rain had finally let up when Jason guided the sedan into a parking space along the busy street. Adam sat sullenly beside him. His pissy demeanor was a source of entertainment for Jason. Fucker hadn’t believed him when he said he knew Mercedes.
Of course, he knew her. She belonged to him.
Even Adam and his shitty deduction skills couldn’t deny they were onto something. After running it by the boss, Adam had no choice. Jason gloated every chance he got.
Stepping out of the car, he pulled in a deep breath of night air. For the first time in forever, the atmosphere wasn’t scented with bus exhaust and piss—a vast improvement over the city. Decorative streetlights reflected off the cobblestone sidewalks. Narrow alleyways mazed through the ancient buildings. It was a quaint little hamlet.
Mercedes would love it here.
Jason fell into step with Adam, his hands in his pockets. A group of college-aged girls, dressed in nightclub tramp gear, shot coy glances at them as they passed by. Jason ignored them, but Adam’s mouth curved into a smile, turning to watch them as they passed. They let out peals of giggles at Adam’s attention.
This asshole must get laid a lot.
They worked their way to the village center. Shops were shuttering for the night while the restaurants and clubs that skirted the square were filling up. It was a vibrant tourist trap.
Adam nodded to Jason, and they split apart, Adam disappearing down an alleyway. The shop from Mercedes’s email loomed ahead. The window display held a variety of books and vintage gifts. Jason found a wall to lean against and waited. The longer it took, the harder his pulse hammered. He couldn’t afford to be wrong. If he was wrong, and she wasn’t here, he was a dead man. Adam might take him out right now.
The lights went out, and the door to the shop opened. A woman stepped out, bundled in a cardigan and colorful knit hat. She turned to lock the door, her face obscured by shoulder-length blonde hair.
The hair color was right, but Jason couldn’t tell if it was her.
Fuck.
Then she turned.
Her blue-gray eyes caught his, and she froze.
A wide smile spread across his face as he held her eyes. They had only met once, but recognition filled her e
yes.
I knew it.
She took a few steps back, trying to act like she didn’t know who he was or what he was doing there.
She knew.
Jason followed her, keeping a natural pace. She only had one possible route. Her phone was in her hand, and she was typing on it as she scurried along. Probably calling the police. Not that it would do any good. They’d never get to her in time.
The end of the alleyway opened to the stone river walk. Her head was turned to watch Jason when she ran smack into Adam.
Adam’s hand snaked out, grasping her by the arm. “Hello, Mara. Been a while, hasn’t it?”
Terror lit her face. She tried to wrestle free, but Adam held her tight.
“Stop fighting me,” Adam growled. “We’re going to take a little walk. Don’t make a scene, or we’ll make sure it hurts.”
“Fuck you and fuck Marcus. I’m not going anywhere with you,” she hissed. She struggled again, this time screaming, “Help me! Please, my ex is going to kill me!”
Ah shit.
It caught the attention of the milling crowd.
“Hey mate, you got a problem with the lady?” a man hollered at Adam, stepping in his way. Wrenching her hand from Adam’s grasp, Mara turned and bolted along the river.
Jason slipped past them, breaking into a run after her. Pain from the wound on his leg burned through him, but he ignored it.
The phone was clutched in both hands again, her fingers moving on the screen. A sinking feeling hit him.
Fuck.
He needed that fucking phone.
Jason couldn’t get to her fast enough with the crowds blocking his way.
She skidded to a halt at the stone embankment of the river and shot a look at Jason, the honey-blonde sticking out of her cap and blowing across her face. Her hand came down, smashing the phone on the stone barrier, and then she threw it into the water, where it landed with a plop.
Bitch.
Jason was inches from her when she bounded up to the top of the embankment and launched herself off, falling to the icy waters below. The splash from impact reverberated, and a passerby cried out. Concerned citizens flocked to the wall, looking for where she might surface. It was a survivable fall, but the water would be cold as hell. She’d need to get out soon.
