CORRUPTED
Manipulation Trilogy, Book One
Alicia Taylor and Natalie Townson
Dedication
To everyone who said we could. Thank you for your belief in us.
Thank you Becky McGraw for everything.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CORRUPTED, Copyright © 2014 by Authors Alicia Taylor & Natalie Townson.
ISBN: 9781311291875
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PUBLISHED BY:
Alicia Taylor and Natalie Townson on Smashwords
PROLOGUE
February 12th 2014
I look down at Cory and feel nothing, no joy at breaking him, no happiness at succeeding, and certainly no sadness over lost love. I don’t really remember feelings nowadays. Love isn’t real. It hurts people and it’s a word used too often without meaning. I have no time for love. I am empty. A single vessel floating around a universe of nothing. I have no reason to feel anymore. No real reason.
The weeping man before me elicits no emotions from in me. They never do, they’re just collateral damage. They’re all the same - easy to please, easy to hurt, full of broken promises. The world would be better off without men in it.
I didn’t need to ruin Cory. I was ready when I left Scott, but Cory just happened to catch my eye at the right time. Or wrong time, depending on how you look at it. I want to laugh at his pathetic display of weakness. Crying over a break up? Disgusting. Love sucks, get over it already.
“You’re weak. Nothing but a pathetic piece of shit,” I snarl.
“I don’t understand. Why? What’s changed since this morning?” his eyes plead with me. This is the part I like, seeing how far I can push them. “Baby, I love you.”
“You think you love me after three months?” I laugh and shake my head. “You were easy.”
“I do. You know I do. You feel the same, you said you loved me. Why did you fuck him?” I can see the doubt set in as he looks up at me. I smile. Stupid man.
“I’ve never loved you. It was all a game. You were a game.” He sucks in a shocked gasp. “I saw you the night before in the bar. You’d cheated on your girlfriend, but you were still trying to make her feel bad for your behaviour after you got caught, like it was her fault your dick slipped into the redhead. I had to have you then.”
I walk to him and crouch down so we’re eye level. “It took one flash of leg to get your attention. One smile to get a drink. Three days for you to say you were sorry for the first time. By day eight you told me you loved me.” I tilt my head to the side to look at the poor excuse of a man I’ve been shacked up with for the past three months. “Why are you doing this?” he cries as his head drops forward, shoulders hutched over in defeat.
“Because I can,” I snap. “You tried to manipulate a vulnerable woman and you used love to hurt her. I couldn’t let you get away with that. You needed to feel the pain you caused your ex.”
“So this has all been revenge for Carol?” Cory asks in an incredulous voice.
“No. I’ve never spoken to Carol before. This is about more than just your ex, Cory. It’s about the man you are, what you represent. I knew on day five that you would be the easiest. A few words in your ear and you believed them over a fourteen year friendship. Never put hoes before bros, it’s a known fact. That friendship took twelve days to break. Twelve days as opposed to fourteen years?” I laugh at his stupidity, shaking my head. “Pathetic.”
“Tony didn’t?”
“Tony certainly did, just not the way I told you.”
I’m ready to leave. I stand and move to collect my bag from the kitchen table. “I never needed anything from you. I don’t need anything from anyone. All that money you’ve given me, I don’t need any of it. I just need to see how hard you would try to keep me.”
“Why?” Realisation is finally sinking in. He sounds broken.
“Why? Why? Because I lost everything. All because of a man like you,” I shout at him before calming my voice. “Your dad never touched me, you know?” A sob tears from his throat, raw pain. “Sure, he grabbed my arm and made those marks but only after I told him I was using you. Good thing mummy dearest believed him.”
“You bitch,” he cries, looking torn up. Yes, he’s too broken to even stand up to me. I walk to stand in front of him.
“I am a bitch. I don’t feel, I don’t love. I hate. I only hate. I hate you.” I grab a hand full of his brown hair, squeezing it into a fist then pulling his head back so he’s looking at me. “I would say it’s been fun but you’re the same as the rest of them. A lying, cheating, lousy lay. Have fun trying to build bridges.” I push away from him, stride to the door, and exit, leaving it to slam behind me.
I smile as the cold February air stings my face. The winter sun is shining bright. It’s deceiving, like me. Beauty surrounded by nothing but bitterness. It takes nothing but a smile to lure men in.
I use them.
I manipulate them.
I break them.
That’s the best part, leaving them broken with nothing and no one, just like me. Everything was taken from my life by one man, the Demon.
Damon Hunt.
Damon is a hunter. He preys on innocent women. He breaks them, tears them apart until they have nothing more left to give.
It’s time for the hunter to be hunted.
CHAPTER ONE
Almost three years ago I lost my sister. All because of one man who manipulated her. He broke her until she was nothing, then he took her away from me. All I have left of my sister is her diary that tells me everything, everything, that man has done to her. Everything he did.
Every encounter between Lydia and Damon is recorded there. I know the pages word for word. I know how he hooked her, he used her, he put her down, he hurt her, and he finally broke her.
My sister didn’t deserve what happened to her. She was innocent, lead astray by the Demon. He made her believe in him, in love, and in forever. Then he took it all away.
I am going to take it all away from Damon Hunt.
I’ve spent the last two and a half years planning Lydia’s justice. Two and a half years of using men, trapping them and making them need me. Taking everything from them and leaving them with nothing. I don’t feel for the men I’ve hurt. They all deserved it.
Each one of them fell hard without ever knowing me. Men are shallow, they only care for appearances. Looks are everything. I guess I got lucky in that department. My face and body get me whatever I need and what I needed most w
as practise. Practise to take Damon down.
I needed to learn how to play Damon at his own game because I’m going to do to him what he did to my beautiful Lydia. I am going to tear him to pieces.
I watched Damon over the years, gotten as close to him as I could. Planted myself in his friend’s lives, attended charity functions where I knew Damon would be in attendance, making sure he notices me but never long enough for him to catch me. I’ve chased women off for their own safety, worked closely with his family’s friends, and put a tracker on his car. Some might say I’ve stalked him. I say I’ve done my research.
My research is complete. I am ready to go head to head with the Demon. It’s time to insert myself into Damon’s life, get him hooked on me. Take away his loved ones and strip away his pride. I want his soul to be imprinted with memories of me.
I’m going to leave him broken with nothing but guilt. The guilt he deserves to carry after everything he put my sister through. That man, Damon Hunt, will pay for all he’s taken from me. He will be left with the same – nothing.
CHAPTER TWO
May 9th 2014
I lie awake and watch the man sleeping beside me. For three years I’ve planned this moment. Three years of nothing but waiting...and watching. Last night it finally happened. The moment. Every second I have waited and planned was worth it, when everything I have ever wanted has finally fallen into place. I turn away from him, not wanting to look at him now the sunlight is shining through the windows, highlighting his face.
Two days ago was the anniversary of my sister Lydia’s death. Two days ago was the day I decided to have a ‘mutual friend’ hook us up. I knew that one date would lead to a night in his bed. It took him five minutes after realising who he would be meeting for a date to decide he wanted to meet the next night. Two nights ago I made myself physically sick with the thought of letting this man touch me.
Now I just need to convince him to marry me.
Damon shifts next to me, rousing from sleep. I shut my eyes for the first time since his closed. Time to play my part. He snakes his arm around me, pulling me closer. I feel his breath hit my neck before he nuzzles into me and my stomach rolls with the contact. Letting this man touch me makes me want to empty the contents of my stomach. My adrenalin spikes, forcing its way into my veins. Hatred poisons my system. Tingles spread over my skin. His touch fuels my anger.
I stretch and push myself against his morning arousal, pretending to wake. Game time.
“Morning, beauty,” he mumbles, continuing his nuzzling of my neck.
“Morning, handsome. I can see someone is happy to see me,” I say coyly, pressing myself harder against him.
“You have no idea.”
I turn over to face him, taking in all that is Damon. His dark brown hair is in a sleepy mess rather than its usual perfect faux-hawk. His normally perfectly trimmed and shaped facial hair is a little more rough than it was last night. His blade of a nose is slightly crooked, obviously from being broken previously and not set right. Eyes, the colour of milk chocolate, are glazed with hunger. These eyes could turn a girl to mush and they have. The small tear shaped scar just below his left eye only adds to his charm. Damon Hunt is a sexy man. One who was out of my league, until everything changed. His eyes search mine, brown to green. A lazy smile plays on his plump lips. Heat rises in my core from just that one look. Hey, I’m female. I can appreciate a handsome guy when I see one. It’s the mind of this man that I can’t stand.
Damon Hunt is a manipulative son of a bitch. He makes women fall in love with him and fall hard. There is no way to avoid his character. Once he sets his sights on you, you are screwed. I plan to change that. I’m going to give him a taste of his own medicine, play him at his own game. I’m going to turn the tables. I’m going to ruin him. I’m going to take every last bit of his soul.
“What time is it?” I ask, faking a yawn.
“Time for me to feast on you.” His lips drop to press against my shoulder, nibbling and sucking as he moves. My body reacts to him, heating and swelling. A natural reaction to a hunk of a man. A perfectly normal response in my opinion. Or defence.
The feelings he brings out in me would scare anyone else but I know how this man works. I know his game. I plan to best him, in every way possible. With my body coming alive under his touch and my juices flowing, drenching my knickers, I know it’s time to put a stop to his hunger. Leave him wanting, no, needing more.
As his mouth descends to my breast I push on his chest to prevent his assault.
“I really should get going. I have a busy day today.” I throw him a small smile, adding all the innocence I can muster into that one grin. “Thank you for last night. It was... nice.”
“Only nice?” he growls, pinning me on my back as his body moves swiftly to cover mine. “If it was only nice then maybe I need to remind you how many times you came last night, how my cock feels inside you.”
“It was... unforgettable?” It sounds more like a question than a confirmation. His eyes widen, obviously taken back by my lack of admiration for his amazing stamina. I’m sure most girls would be a pool of want beneath him right now, none of them able to do anything but what he wants them to do, what he wants them to feel. Normally I would be the same, but this man is the reason behind my pain. This man is my life.
He has been since I lost the last person I loved, the last person who loved me. Lydia Knight, my sister. She was beautiful inside and out. Never saw bad in anyone. She fell hard for Damon Hunt. So hard that she felt she couldn’t breathe without him, like she had no life if he wasn’t in it. Then he took her away from me, took her life. Now I have no one.
“I’ll show you unforgettable,” Damon growls. If I wasn’t so repulsed by him I would have been turned on by his growl. He proceeds to try to have his way with me, no doubt to get me hooked on him. Not going to happen.
“I really do have to get going,” I tell him. Treat them mean and keep them keen and all that jazz. “I’m sure we’ll bump into each other again.” I give him my best smile before wriggling out from beneath him, moving to the edge of the bed, and covering myself with the bed sheets.
“Let me get your number. I’ll call.” He stands from the bed, as naked as the day he was born, and walks to retrieve his mobile phone. “We’ll meet up and continue this another time,” throwing a wink over his shoulder at me.
“Sure.” I paused, waiting for him to face me before standing from the bed and letting the sheets pool at my feet, leaving me just as naked as he. His eyes roam my body, desire blazing within them as he takes me in from head to toe. I like his reaction to my body. I like that I can get to him the way my sister couldn’t. It will make my plan easier.
“Maybe. We’ll see. Anyway, it’s been... good.” I turn and strut to my discarded clothes, adding an extra swing to my hips as I move. A quick check over my shoulder confirms my seduction plan is working. His erection standing prominent before him, bobbing with need as he watches me walk away, proves that.
I guess it’s true what they say... I love to watch you leave almost as much as I love to watch you come. I know I look good. I’ve always had a slim figure, curvy in all the right places. More than a handful of tit and even more arse. The guys love it.
I quickly move to get dressed, knowing his eyes are still watching, making sure to add extra seduction to my performance. I’m going to do a backward strip tease. Covering myself slowly, leaving bits on show for longer than needed. Giving him one last look at the goods.
“I’m really not looking for anything more. Last night was fun but let’s call it as it was. One night of fucking,” I tell him as I bend to pull my thong up my legs. “You really don’t have to pretend you’re going to call. Let’s call a spade for what it is. No need for pretences.” A growl erupts from deep in his chest. In four easy strides Damon has me pinned against the wall.
“I said we’ll continue this and I don’t make idle promises. Give me your number. I’ll call.” Oh feisty. I roll my
eyes.
“Ok.” He played right into that one.
“Good.” The smug look on his face makes me want to claw his eyes out. I reel off my number to him and my phone vibrates then rings from my bag when he calls to ensure I have his number.
“One thing you will learn about me is I get what I want, when I want it. I want you. This,” he motions between us, “Us, I want. I haven’t nearly had enough of your sweet pussy yet baby. I plan to enjoy it again and again and again.”
His words alone could make a girl come. Hell, they could make me come if it wasn’t for the pure revulsion I feel towards him. It takes a lot of effort on my part to keep the disgust from showing on my face. It was easier last night when I could close my eyes and pretend it wasn’t a monster that was fucking me. He’s good, I’ll give him that. I can feel he’s been there with every step I take. I just need to make sure I can leave the same lasting impression he leaves on all his victims.
Before he can move in for a kiss, I side step his position, freeing myself. I need to get out of here and leave him with just enough to make sure he can’t stop thinking about me. I quickly finish getting dressed then collect my bag from the floor and exit his bedroom. His heavy footsteps let me know he’s following me.
I turn as I reach the door. I lower my eyelashes, conveying a look of innocence. “You’ll call?” I ask in a small voice.
“I said I would.”
I launch myself at him, crushing my lips to his, kissing him as if my life depended on it. Shock at my brazen behaviour holds him in place for only a second before he responds. His muscular arms band around me, holding me to him, controlling the kiss. I moan into his mouth, his kisses addictive. I can see how he manages to trap women. He pulls my hair to deepen the kiss, mixing a groan in when I whimper. We stay lip-locked for what feels like hours before I step away, disappearing out the door before he has a chance to say anything.
Corrupted (Manipulation Trilogy #1) Page 1
