by J. L. Ryan
“Don’t move.” It was all he told her before he began his descent.
Even in slow motion Sierra couldn’t stop the kiss, she welcomed it more than she should have and she shivered as she felt his other hand under the other side of her head. He raised back only once searching her face and seeing no resistance, he kissed her once more. This time deeper, longer and more demanding. She felt him cup the back of her head to tilt her towards him as the kiss intensified.
She didn’t want to fight anymore, couldn’t fight anymore. She stood and with one zip she let her dress drop to the floor leaving him speechless. She made her way over to him and he felt her tentatively put her mouth on his. This kind of forwardness was completely out of her comfort zone and he knew it.
“How long has it been Sierra?” Her eyes flew open to look at him.
“Four years.” She whispered it to him and it almost pushed him over the edge.
She let him love her in a way she had never known. Most of it was undoubtedly because of his experience as a lover. There was a sense of panic she’d felt when he told her there may not be another chance. She wanted to feel good, feel better. Her life was a mix of stress and planning and all she wanted was to feel something else. His skin on hers was like fire and ice and she let go, of her fears, of her stress of everything and he loved her completely. She met his every move and every action and she knew she was giving him as much as he gave her.
A.J. was moved by what had happened between them. He had certainly been with many women, but nothing had ever been as moving as what they had shared. She had always been distant and scared and yet something switched and she gave instead herself to him with everything in her power. She wasn’t shy or meek, she was eager and demanding and he enjoyed pushing her to her limits. Yet, as good as it was, she was holding back something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She lay cupped in front of him and he could sense she was exhausted and simply didn’t want to move. It wasn’t usually his style, cuddling, but for her he would make an exception. There was a sense of sadness about her he wanted to fix, despite the warning bells in his head. He traced his finger up and down the length of her arm as she dozed slightly. No, this wasn’t his usual situation on any level at all. It happened almost simultaneously, the two of them remembering where they were. Sierra jumped up to start gathering her clothes. To be honest, the fact that they were in his office was mortifying and she was blushing the entire time. Along the way that fact had slipped her mind, until now.
“Sierra… Sierra calm down it's fine.” He smiled at her as she continued to slip back into her clothes and he was able to be a bystander and admire the curve of her hip and the softness of her skin as the light hit it.
“No A.J. it’s not alright. This is not me, I mean not really me.” She was frantic in her actions and after he redressed, he stilled her arms and helped her to breath. He sensed a panic in her, something deep down.
“Do you want to talk about it Sierra?” he brushed her hair back from her face as he cupped her chin lovingly.
“No, no I’m fine, I’m sorry. I have to go.” She gave him one last look and headed out of the office in a hurry. Something was wrong and he wanted to know what it was.
She took the few strides to reach her building and once inside her room, she collapsed against the door. What was she thinking? No matter what she did, she somehow managed to make the situation worse. She shook her head to clear her thoughts of him and what had happened, and called home. Her father answered and they took some time to discuss the home loan further. He sounded tired and she worried about him. She also spoke with Jacob about school. He was excited about the teacher and his class. She missed his little face all the time. She listened to her father and told him about work and Katie, she failed to mention Trager. They chatted for a while discussing the options she had once Katie was gone. Her last day at work was yesterday and she would be another week packing and getting things ready before leaving. Finally, they hung up and she carefully stood to walk into the kitchen. She blushed, remembering. Even now, she was sore from what he put her through. She had to remind herself that it could never happen again. She took a drink of water and settled into the armchair in the living room. Katie had been gone for hours, having met a friend in town. For the next few hours she had the place to herself and she planned to use them wisely. She started running a bath, touching the hot water with her fingertips. She was soaking for ten minutes before she heard a loud thump on the front door. She sat up quickly and wrapped herself in a robe. She felt her heart beating fast as she made her way to the front door. She checked the eye hole and saw no one. She froze when she saw the shadow of someone in the hall.
She opened the door to look. He stood back looking at her.
“Sierra, hey look don’t shut the door.” He rushed towards her block it with his arm.
She folded her arms. “What do you want Brandon, why are you here and
Furthermore, how did you know I was here?” He pushed the door slightly and came inside.
She took a step back, this was part of the problem between them. He scared her. With A.J., she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. With Brandon, it made her worry, about her safety.
He reached out to her. “Sierra, I miss you so much, if you would just let me show you.” He took a step towards her and she moved out of his reach, grabbing the vase on the table and moving away.
“Brandon, please. You know it’s done with us you can’t do this. I need you to go.” She moved towards the door and he grabbed her arm. She knew there would be bruises tomorrow. It was then that the front door opened and Katie came through it, followed by someone she had never met.
It was obvious they had walked into something dicey and the man with Katie spoke up first. “Is there a problem here?”
Katie made her way over to Sierra hugging her as she walked her towards the kitchen.
“No man, not a thing, I was just going. Sierra, I’ll be back.” Brandon said as he left and he shut the door.
Sierra was visibly shaken, she had never expected him to follow her here. She had thought to leave him behind and start over.
“Thanks, I appreciate the help.” She glanced over at Katie.
“Sierra this is Marcus, a good friend of mine.” She gave Marcus a huge smile and Sierra shook his hand.
“No wonder you sent me on that crazy date.” She gave them both a half smile, still reeling from Brandon’s visit. “Really though, thanks for your help. She excused herself to go think.
She made her way to her room. She had no choice, she would have to go home now, and at least with her father around, she felt safe. She supposed she could call the police, but she wasn’t sure much would come of it. Instead, she focused on her assignment for the class she was taking online. Monday, she would give a notice at the diner.
Brandon didn’t bother her anymore the rest of the week. Two of her tires were slashed on Friday morning and she was beginning to wonder if it was Brandon all along. She had Katie drop her off at the diner. She would normally be happy and carefree, but now she was depressed and wasn’t sure how to get out of the way she felt. More than that, she was scared and worried about where she was headed. The day went by quickly and she made her way home on the bus, hoping to just get there safely. She jumped when her phone rang and she checked the number and relaxed. It wasn’t Brandon.
“Hello A.J., how are you?”
“I’m doing well, I was hoping maybe we could talk, before our date tonight.”
She frowned, thinking, she had not only forgotten about the date, some part of her assumed he had been joking anyway. Given the last time they had seen each other she almost figured she wouldn’t hear from him again.
“About that A.J., I’m not sure if I can. Some things have come up I need to take care of. Besides, I don’t have a car.”
“Even better, I’ll send you one, are you at home?”
“Yes, but...”
“Give me thirty minutes.” He cut her off mid-sentenc
e and then hung up abruptly.
The truth of the matter was that she wasn’t sure if she could handle seeing him right now. With the possibility of Brandon lurking about, she was consumed with worry. A.J. probably never had these kinds of issues. On top of her own problems, she was concerned about her father and Jacob. Based on her calculations, even with taking out a loan on the house, he would need more money down the road. What would they do then? She considered A.J., not for the first time either. If she could somehow get him to fall for her then she would have the financial freedom to help Jacob, but it was completely out of character for her to do something like that. Even still, the idea burned in the back of her mind. She couldn’t admit to herself even now, that she may want to get him to fall for her because she just wanted to be with him, it was ridiculous to even think it. He was a known playboy and he would never settle for her no matter what she wanted, on the surface or deep down.
True to his word a car arrived to pick her up. She made the attempt to put on something nice. She had on a black dress and heels and her hair was spun up on top of her head. She applied her make–up, much as Katie had done before, but just not as much. She sat back to see how she looked and once again the person staring back was a stranger. She would at least try to test the waters, to see if he felt anything for her. They had only known each other a short time, but there was something there and they both knew it. She watched the buildings fly by, lost in her own thoughts. Nothing made sense anymore. A.J. Trager had her head spinning and it wouldn’t allow for her to focus on what was important. She would test the waters, so to speak, to see what he said and felt about her. She had zero powers of seduction up her sleeve, but she would try, for Jacob. The car pulled up to his building and she made her way inside and up to his floor. Since he towed her car, she knew exactly where to find him now, he had been nice enough to send her money back to her for the car and the tow with a courier, but it was still about the principle. She smiled at his assistant, a blonde who was gorgeous, and couldn’t help but wonder if he slept with her too.
She heard his voice welcome her in and she took a deep breath and went inside. He looked up from the papers on his desk and sat back in his chair. He was all business-like and the air that surrounded him seemed to come to life. She glanced at the desk and gulped. Just a few days ago, she was laid out in that very spot. She felt the redness rush to her cheeks.
A.J. looked her over. He usually had a firm handle on his behavior, but he struggled with not finding her since she had last been here. Not even 30 minutes after she left during her last visit, he felt himself wanting her again. She was under his skin and he was trying to figure out how to handle it. Something was very different today, she was as pale as a ghost and almost lifeless despite her efforts to seem calm and carefree. He tried to push down the need to fix whatever was bothering her. Instead he stood and walked towards her.
She saw him coming and despite her fears she felt the fire almost immediately. He made her come to life and feel safe all at the same time. He stopped and leaned back on the desk.
“Come here, Sierra.” She obeyed him. He lifted his hand up to her pale face and traced the line of her jaw with his forefinger. “Did you think about me about what we did?” She nodded her head yes and her eyes met his. He frowned because she was not completely here with him, not now.
“What’s wrong Sierra?”
“Nothing, why do you ask.” She gave him a warm smile and reached up to run her fingers over his sports coat.
He frowned. She was doing her best to appear seductive, but her actions didn’t match her appearance. There was something going on but she was hiding it from him, toying with him. There was a loud bang from the outer office and she practically jumped into his arms. She buried her head in his chest and instinctively he wrapped his arms around her.
His door opened to reveal his assistant. “Sorry about the commotion, Mr. Trager. The Adams kids were here and they decided to play a prank on Dad. They have since left and Mr. Adams apologized for their behavior.” She gave him a quick glance and took in the scene of him holding that nice girl whose car he had towed.
“Thank you for letting us know.” He gave her a smile and once the door was shut, he addressed the woman who was wrapped around him.
“Okay, Sierra, what’s going on, what’s wrong?” She pulled away from him.
“Nothing is wrong, A.J... I just had a rough night and I apologize for my behavior. I didn’t mean to embarrass you like that.” She sniffed and he frowned at her.
“No, I’m not letting this go Sierra, I want to know why you are trembling like that, and now!” He was demanding and loud and she worried someone would hear them outside of the doors.
“I may as well tell you, there has been a situation that has come up and I will be moving in a week or so. I guess I’m just nervous or stressed, that’s all.” She trembled slightly as he took her hand in his and turned it over, lightly tracing the palm with his thumb.
He pulled her to him and she welcomed the arms that wrapped around her, holding her. She knew then she could never seduce him. Hell, she wasn’t even able to have a conversation with him without falling apart. She felt his hands rubbing her back and she closed her eyes, enjoying the way his hands felt. He moved them now, running them down the length of her and she trembled now, not from fear, but of what she knew his hands would do to her if she didn’t stop them now. She tried to pull away from him, but he held her there and she looked up at him.
“Didn’t you like what I did the other day to you, Sierra?” He pulled her arm up and nibbled his way up the underside of her forearm. “Answer me, Sierra.”
“Yes.” She whispered the words as her body reacted to him. She had all the strength in the world when he wasn’t in front of her. When he was she was lost to him.
“Is your family in trouble?” He continued up her arm having moved around to the top of her shoulder now.
“No, well yes, but no.” She frowned, unsure how to answer him.
“Then you can’t leave me, I’m not done with you yet.” He pulled her face to his and kissed her roughly, needing to feel the softness of her full red lips beneath his.
She knew she had no choice, she had to go, but right now she was here, with him… safe. He pulled back and without thought she pulled his head back down to hers. Without warning, he stopped and backed away from her. She trembled, watching his face and took a step back.
“I have to touch you Sierra, do you understand? I have thought of nothing else.” He moved back towards her and pulled her towards him by the arm. She whimpered and he let her go. He may be passionate, but he would never hurt her. He gently pulled the arm out of the sleeve she was wearing, despite her protests and looked at the black and purple bruise forming on her arm. He felt the rage well up inside him and knew he wanted someone to hurt for this.
“Who did this to you, Sierra?” She looked at the floor and shoved her arm back in her sleeve to go. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Who?”
She knew he wouldn’t give in until she answered him. “He is an ex, I moved because of him and he found me.” She watched the play of emotions on his face as he stood. “Don’t move Sierra, I mean it.” He walked over to the window and she stood rooted to the spot. He was on the phone talking to someone and when he was through he made his way back over to her.
“My driver is on his way here, you are to let him take you to my place where I know you will be safe and wait for me until later.”
“Mr. Trager, that’s not necessary, this is not your problem, it's mine.” She stood to go, but felt him move between her and the door.
“Sierra, I am not arguing with you about this? Where is your car I’ll have it brought to your house.”
“You sent a car for me, remember? Someone slashed my tires.” She said it dryly and he swore under his breath. There was a knock on the door and he simply said “Open.”
He spoke to his driver for a moment before he walked over to her
. He was almost gentle in the way he led her to the door. “I will see you there later.” He stopped and turned her around to face him. “Tell me you will be there Sierra, I don’t have time to worry about you all afternoon.”
She knew he was serious and she would do as she asked. “Yes, I’ll be there A.J...” As the driver left the room, he pulled her into a kiss. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Where am I going, A.J.?” she asked it simply but he knew she needed to feel safe.
“To my place, you will be safe there.” At her hesitation he added. “Just do this… for me.” She looked up at him and knew he was sincere, she nodded her head yes. He kissed the top of her head as she left.
She made her way down the elevator and to the waiting car. She planned to seduce him, to help her family. Somewhere along the way she simply planned to tell him she was leaving. As usual, he took over the conversation and made the decisions for her. She visibly relaxed in the seat. She needed to feel safe for a little while anyway. She knew she would be gone in a few hours, but for right now she would be at his house, where her ex can’t find her.
Nothing prepared her for the penthouse where he lived. It was obvious to her that he had refined and elegant tastes in everything. From the marbled counters, to the floor to ceiling windows. She felt out of place here, like a dirty stray puppy or something. The driver, she found out on her way here, had been working for Trager for two years and was close to him. He led her to the main room where she could relax. Twenty minutes later he returned with a box in hand.
“What’s this?” She took the box and lifted the lid slightly. Once she saw the lace, she closed it immediately.
“Mr. Trager said to make sure you were fed and had something to wear. He also ordered food for dinner and it will be here before he arrives.
“You have full use of the house, Miss Ford.” He tipped his hat and left her. She spun around the room and set about exploring. She found a huge bedroom with a canopied bed, and adjacent to it was a marbled bathroom. To say it was elegant was an understatement. She filled the large oval bathtub and decided to slip in and try to enjoy it. She redressed in her work clothes. The “outfit” he gave her was a sexy lacy thing, barely there. It was a dark blue color and he tucked a note inside that read:
